Sustainable Seminaries, reliable leadership:The NetACT Story 1999-2008

H Jurgens HendriksFaculty of Theology

Stellenbosch University

Conflict, Peace & Sustainable development

EED Conference 29 Jan 2009:

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Basic hypothesis / dream

• The church is the most respected and most influential organization in Africa…

• Develop seminaries to raise a new generation of theological / church leadership who can

• Empower ordinary church people to live according to the basic values of a sustainable society

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Church and public trust

% trust in institutions in SA 2006:Churches 82%Electoral Commission 68%National Government 59%Big business 56%Police 45%

WVS: Typical pattern sub-Saharan Africa

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Southern shift in Christianity

. 1900Popul

1900Christ

%Christ

2005Popul

2005Christ

%Christ

South 179 73 41% 1479 954 65%

North 1441 449 31% 4 975 1 131 23%

Total 1620 522 32% 6454 2085 32%

Numbers in millionsNumbers in millions

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The Growth of the church in Africa

• 1900 9 million Christians 9% of Africa pop• 1900 4 Muslims for every 1 Christian• 2005 411m Christians in Africa 46% pop• 2005 355m Muslims in Africa 40% of pop

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Post-1962 growth of Church in Africa

• Circa 1962 colonialized Africa became independent, missionaries left

• 1962: 60m Christians; 145 m Muslims• 1970-1985: Christianity grow with 16,500

conversions every day….. mostly in poor areasWHY?

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Sanneh’s reason’s for the growth

1. The expansion took place after the colonial period2. The Bible in the vernacular 3. Where the indigenous name of God was used4. African leadership 5. The role of women

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Growth? Leadership discrepancies• Case study: Onwunta, Ethnicity in the PCNigeria• Nigeria: ±160m ↔ 3 major ethnic groups ↔ 240

ethnic nations ↔ Muslim-Christian rivalry & in-fighting ↔ huge economic disparities

• Ethnocentricm erodes mission & influence of PCN• Monopoly of resources & leadership with 2 ethnic

groups• Huge potential not used – no real growth

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Growth? Leadership discrepanciesCase Study: Kagema, Leadership training in ACKenya• 35m people; 13 major tribes; at least 20 other• Tested 4self strategy: self-sustaining;-propagating;

-governing & -theologizing• Enormous growth: 3.7m members, 1555 clergy =

2400 members to 1 priest / minister… growing…• BUT: Very poor theological training, Ethnic &

provincial infighting; no real contextualization!

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Conclusions • Denominations with access to intellectual

resources lack theological leadership & contextualization

• Growth = kilometers wide, centimeters deep• Influenced by American prosperity cult &

consumerism, rogue pastors prosper• Africa needs reliable, servant leaders

following the example of Jesus Christ

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http://academic.sun.ac.za/theology/Centres/NetAct/netact.htm

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NetACTNetwork for African Congregational theology

• Founded in Kenya in 2000 at a conference on theological training & the church

• At present: 11 seminaries from 8 sub-Saharan countries: Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia & SA

• Mission: train leadership for missional congregations

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NetACT goals/ achievements1. Curriculum Development & Accreditation2. Reliable Information Technology3. HIV / AIDS curriculum & effective training4. Scholarships for lecturers – study in Africa5. Lecturer exchange & networking6. Infrastructure development7. Contextual African theological handbooks

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WHAT MADE THE NETWORK WORK?1. Historical-denominational links (Reformed-

Presbyterian)2. Personal relationships of trust across racial /

ethnic & spatial divides. This is an ongoing challenge… it is growing by working together

3. Power issues named & addressed* power must be shared* SU resources put to disposal of network* NetACT owned & lead by its members

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WHAT MADE THE NETWORK WORK?4. Hospitality – giving it and receiving it

† AGM’s held annually in different countries † The NetACT house in Stellenbosch (where lecturers / ministers and post graduate students from all over Africa are welcomed & stay while studying)† It is a small “United Nations”…† A home away from home † A spiritual haven when you are lonely or depressed† A place where you get info on all aspects of studying† A think tank where leaders brainstorm Africa’s challenges† A place where deep & long-lasting relationships are formed

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WHAT MADE THE NETWORK WORK?

5. Every institution benefitted without compromising its identity. Through NetACT it developed its own networks

6. International networking partners. NetACT’s most valuable partners are those who listen and help, realizing that they can learn from Africa… allowing us to serve them too.

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Present challenges & agendaNo 1 goal now:Internationally accepted accreditation through

curriculum & institutional developmentACTEA (Accrediting council for Theological Education in Africa)

accreditation implies that institutions undertakes a process of upgrading all aspects of their core business: contextualized curriculum, adequate facilities, financial control, communication between students, lecturers and churches, discipline and spiritual formation etcetera are pursued by the institutions that set their goals on attaining these standards. All this is peer-reviewed and revisited / re-evaluated every five years.

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Why accreditation?• Internationally recognized accreditation provides

quality control and develop self-esteem • NetACT acts to support the process through

networking institutions with resources• AGM meeting = a gathering of lecturers of a

theological discipline where the curricula of all the institutions are on the table and the theory and practice of teaching /researching etc in that field are discussed

The dream of sustainable seminaries & reliable leadership is becoming a reality…