The Escalating Need for Theological Training in Tanzania

The church in Tanzania is growing and is in need of leadership, direction, and discernment with regard to ministry. It is a massive and ongoing need. Young people are coming to faith and are led to minister, but what about the quality of their training to do so? While the gospel remains at the centre of theological education in Tanzania, theological colleges are in need of Christian leadership. Theological education continues to be an important item on the agenda in Africa.  It is something I feel is important to reflect on, as it needs critical analysis in terms of the quality of ministry training as well as capacity building at university level.”  – Rev. Canon Dr. Alfred Sebahene.

Dr. Sebahene, who completed his PhD as a post-graduate student at GWC through Stellenbosch University in 2016, was in Cape Town in February to attend the Overseas Council Australia (OCA) Africa Mile Deep Conference hosted by GWC.  The conference brought leaders from six key Bible colleges across Africa together, along with OCA’s Africa consultants, to discuss and pray through their Africa Mile Deep strategy. The Africa Mile Deep initiative is designed to assist several key Anglican theological colleges in Africa to develop their faculty to master’s and doctoral level qualifications, with the central aim of a classical evangelical theological education to train preachers who will minister in local African churches.

Andrew Nalumenya is the first pre-doctoral student at GWC to be doing certain master’s modules in 2018 in preparation for PhD studies as part of the Overseas Council Australia Africa Mile Deep programme.