Africa’s Church growth challenges theological training capacity, sparks innovative solutions

Originally published in Christian Daily

The Christian landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, with the centre of gravity shifting decisively towards the Global South, particularly Africa. This unprecedented Church growth presents both immense opportunities and considerable challenges, especially for theological education.

In an interview with Christian Daily International, Dr David Tarus, the executive director of the Association of Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) underscored a gaping mismatch between the rapid growth of the Church in Africa, and indeed the Global South, compared to the slow expansion of theological education.

Tarus said that theological training institutions are providing less than 10% of the leaders required to shepherd the congregants: “We have so many people coming to Christ. I think thousands come to Christ in Africa every day,” said Tarus, on the sidelines of the ongoing International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE) conference in Tirana, Albania.

In contrast, a majority of theological training institutions admit less than 200 students every year. There are a few exceptions, said Tarus. The Nigeria Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the oldest theological training institutions in the continent, has over 2 000 theological students but “a majority (of Bible schools) have between 130 and 150 students”.

This constraint has necessitated the rise of alternative models of theological education. The conversation around formal and non-formal education has become central with non-formal approaches, such as church-based Bible programmes and short theological courses emerging as crucial pathways to equip leaders.

“A very good example is my father. He’s a leader. He’s taking care of two churches in my village. His highest education is grade seven, but he has been able to acquire theological education through non-formal means programs, short based programs and modular programs,” said Tarus.

The effectiveness of such models, which includes onboarding and equipping church leaders who would otherwise not have the resources or qualifications to be admitted at a theological seminary, highlights the importance of accessibility and offering theological education in the vernacular to reach a broader range of potential leaders.

There is a growing appreciation for theological education within African churches. However, Tarus said financial support for these institutions and programmes “is not always a priority, with churches sometimes focusing on infrastructure and other areas.”

Efforts to formalise theological training has often been at loggerheads with some sections of pentecostal and charismatic churches that have argued Biblical and spiritual leadership cannot be taught in formal structures. “But this is changing, with more churches now establishing their own Bible schools,” said Tarus.

Government regulation, like in the case of Rwanda which passed a law in 2017 that requires church leaders to acquire formal theological training, has also helped to fast-track pastoral training, albeit with mixed outcomes. In 2024, after the five year grace period provided in law, Rwanda’s Governance Board closed 5 600 churches due to non-compliance — many lacked requisite permits to operate places of worship, while others could not provide the qualifications of the leaders, as previously reported by Christian Daily International.

“The situation in Rwanda provides a unique case study in the relationship between the state and theological education. This mandate forced leaders to seek training, both within Rwanda and in neighbouring countries like Kenya and Uganda. While this situation was initially challenging, it also spurred the accreditation of theological institutions within Rwanda,” said Tarus.

In Kenya, a presidential task force recommended a hybrid regulation framework that will have a multi-sectoral Religious Affairs Commission whose mandate would be to strengthen self-regulation through church associations, and set and enforce minimum standards in theological education. “But Kenya is a different story. There was a lot of opposition. The churches spoke out, and finally the government decided not to pursue that route,” said Tarus.

Tarus also echoed sentiments from some speakers at the ICETE conference who called on the amplification of Global South voices and perspectives on international platforms. He quoted Kenyan scholar John Beatty who argued that while theologians in the majority world are deeply familiar with Western theological traditions, the reverse is often not true.

“The questions [Beatty] was asking is: “Have you read us? Have you read the majority of world theology?” I think the sad thing is that in most cases sometimes there’s always that assumption that Western theology, Western systematic theology is theology and the other one is contextual theology,” asserted Tarus.

Looking towards what he would imagine as an ideal future, Tarus envisioned a theological education landscape in Africa where institutions fulfill their mission by accompanying, strengthening, and serving the Church. This ideal involves a critical evaluation of curriculum relevance, accessibility, and the adoption of quality assurance mechanisms and partnerships.

He stressed the importance of theological institutions working closely with the local church, moving away from isolation. The goal is to cultivate a theological education that is “alive to the needs of the local church” and the wider community, fostering transformative rather than merely theoretical learning.

“I did four years of bachelor’s, a bachelor’s program in theology with a focus on pastoral studies… but I think they did poorly when it comes to practical theology, how to do ministry in local contexts,” ponders Tarus.

The reality of the diversity and depth of pastoral work, such as one of his first assignments of preaching and counselling to conduct the funeral of a child, starkly contrasted with the limited practical training he received. He said that in the African context, pastors often play broader roles, necessitating training in areas like entrepreneurship, community transformation, and developing a prophetic voice to address societal issues.

For organisations and ministries seeking to invest in theological education in Africa, Tarus said there needs to be investment in equipping theological libraries and support long-term sustainability “by investing in institutions with robust business plans, potentially through endowment funds or income-generating initiatives.”

“[Also important would] be investing in leadership development. I think one of the weakest links in theological education is that the executives leaders were not trained for the jobs they now have,” said Tarus.

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