In March, our Chief Administrative Officer, Shumi Kupara, attended the 50th Anniversary General Assembly of the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The gathering brought together theological educators, church leaders, and ministry partners from across the continent to reflect on the future of theological training in Africa.

The theme of the Assembly was both timely and searching:

Future Ready and Mission Faithful Theological Education for the Transformation of Africa.

It is a theme that asks an important question. As the Church in Africa continues to grow, how do we ensure that growth is rooted in deep discipleship, wise leadership, and faithful teaching?

Throughout the conference, one message surfaced again and again. The future of the Church depends not only on growth in numbers, but on the depth of spiritual formation. Speakers reflected on the need for leaders who are grounded in Scripture, shaped by integrity, and able to respond wisely to the realities facing their communities. Poverty, conflict, youth disengagement, and social change were not treated as distant concerns, but as the daily context in which ministry takes place.

For Relay Trust, this was an encouraging affirmation of much that we seek to support through our partnerships across Africa. Our work has long focused on strengthening grassroots leadership through theological education and practical ministry training. Whether through diocesan programmes, theological colleges, or local leadership development, we know that healthy churches are built by leaders who are well equipped to teach, disciple, and shepherd others.

One particularly significant moment during the Assembly was a historic decision by ACTEA to restructure its work into three linguistic councils. Going forward, theological institutions across Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone Africa will be served through dedicated councils working under one continental structure. This change reflects a desire to strengthen theological education across Africa’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity and to better serve churches in every context.

The conference also highlighted the urgency of investing in younger generations. With much of Africa’s population under the age of 35, participants spoke of the need for discipleship that helps young people navigate difficult questions of identity, suffering, faith, and hope. The Church cannot afford to treat this as secondary work. It is central to the future of Christian witness across the continent.

For Shumi, the visit offered valuable opportunities to deepen relationships with theological institutions and ministry networks while strengthening Relay Trust’s understanding of the changing landscape of theological education in Africa. It also reinforced the importance of ensuring that strong administration and wise stewardship sit alongside faithful ministry.

Please pray for ACTEA as it begins this new chapter. Pray for wisdom as it serves theological institutions across Africa and for those training the next generation of church leaders. And pray that churches across the continent would continue to grow not only in number, but in faithfulness, maturity, and love for Christ.