Thirty-four participants from across Africa gathered in Swakopmund, Namibia, from 31 August to 4 September for the Council for World Mission (CWM) Africa Regional Assembly 2026, seeking faithful and life-giving responses to the interconnected crises confronting communities and creation.
Held under the theme, “Revisioning Mission in a Catastrophic World,” the assembly brought together representatives of CWM member churches, ecumenical partners, and resource persons for worship, contextual Bible study, theological reflection, and dialogue.
Mission originates from God
Keynote speaker Rt Rev. Dr Vicentia R. Kgabe, bishop of Pretoria in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, challenged churches to revision mission amid ecological devastation, economic injustice, conflict, displacement, and social fragmentation.
“The church does not invent a mission and then invite God to bless it,” Kgabe said. “Mission is first God’s mission, not the church’s activity.”
She urged churches to discern where God is already at work, particularly among people and communities pushed to the margins, and to participate courageously in God’s reconciling and life-giving mission.
Prof. Gift Baloyi led three contextual Bible studies, inviting participants to reclaim Africa’s life-giving wisdom of community, interconnectedness, and the sacredness of creation.
These theological reflections shaped conversations on some of the region’s most pressing concerns, including gender justice, migration and xenophobia, economic injustice, ecological crisis, and the continuing effects of colonialism.
Participants also explored Ubuntu and African spiritualities, reflecting on how African churches can move beyond crisis response towards transformative mission rooted in justice, dignity, and the flourishing of the whole community of creation.
Young people affirm role in Africa’s present
The five-day assembly also featured a youth panel in which young participants brought honesty, creativity, and prophetic courage to the conversations. Their contributions highlighted young people not simply as the future of the region, but as theologians, leaders, and agents of mission in the present.
“Young people are not merely the future of the church; we are part of its mission today,” said CWM Director for the Africa Region Afika Babazile Rwayi.
“We must be heard, trusted, and given space to lead as we confront injustice, ecological crisis, and the challenges facing our communities.”
Round table sessions enabled participants to identify regional mission priorities, develop a Theory of Change, engage with the Mission Support Programme V (MSP-V) toolkit, and consider pathways for implementation, review, and reporting. Delegates also began looking towards CWM’s Jubilee in 2027.
“Revisioning mission in a catastrophic world means listening deeply to the cries of people and creation, confronting the systems that diminish life, and acting together for justice,” said CWM Mission Secretary for Ecology and Economy and the Africa Region Rev. Daimon Mkandawire.
“The Africa region must translate this discernment into courageous, accountable, and life-flourishing mission in every context.”
The assembly concluded with worship and collective reflection, sending participants back to their churches with a renewed commitment to contextualise the assembly’s insights in their ministries, strengthen regional collaboration around shared mission priorities, and participate in preparations for CWM’s Jubilee in 2027.
