Students of the inaugural cohort of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) Master of Theology in Ecumenical Leadership (MTEL) programme will complete their first academic year at St Paul’s University in May 2025.
The MTEL certification is a premier tertiary programme that equips students with deep knowledge and skills in leadership to serve regional and global ecumenical movements and churches.
Students of the first cohort expressed how the programme changed their leadership perspectives and sparked their ecumenical passion and enthusiasm.
“This programme has sharpened my leadership skills, teaching me how to navigate challenges, work across Christian traditions, and contribute to a more unified Christian witness in Africa,” shared Rev. Oladapo Valentine Akintaju, from the church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.
As the cohort’s only female student, Rev. Agnes Munayani Zulu from the Reformed Church of Zambia said the programme served as a catalyst for her passion in transformative leadership, inspiring her to become a leader in an ecumenical organization.
“I would advise women and young theologians who have passion for leadership to take up the chance of studying when the opportunity comes. Education is the best equalizer; an educated and empowered woman brings change in the society,” she declared.
Rev. O. Jubilate Deo H. Avalla from the Methodist Church in Benin affirmed that the student life at MTEL is an ecumenical experience of its own, bringing together students from different parts of Africa and denominations within the AACC jurisdiction.
Avalla noted that the programme offered enriching ecumenical encounters and transformation, putting the ideologies of leadership into practice away from home while calling for a collegial consultative approach to solving life challenges.
Echoing Avalla was Geoffrey Mugadizi from the Orthodox Church in Kenya, who commented: “With certainty that Africa is our home and our future, we feel charged to apply the leadership knowledge, skills and experience gained to build a better Africa.”
Admission for the MTEL programme for the academic year 2025/2026 is currently open. Qualified young theologians are invited to apply by 28 February 2025. The application form is available at the websites of the AACC and St Paul’s University.
In 2022, the Council for World Mission (CWM) and the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) established a Framework of Cooperation (FoC) to strengthen their ecumenical collaboration. Building on this foundation, both organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2023 to further strengthen their partnership and joint engagement. The MoU focuses on key areas including economic and social justice, creation care and climate justice, formation in mission, ecumenism, diakonia, and leadership development.