Africa's Churches Are Exploding in Growth But Running Out of Trained Pastors

African Church Growth Outpaces Theological Training as ACTEA Celebrates 50 Years of Equipping Pastors

The Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) celebrated its 50th anniversary during a General Assembly in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, bringing together theological educators and Christian leaders from 31 countries under the theme "Future Ready, Mission Faithful."

David Tarus, ACTEA's Executive Director, addressed a growing crisis facing the African church: the explosive growth of Christianity across the continent has far outstripped the capacity of theological institutions to train pastors and ministry leaders.

Church growth in Africa has been phenomenal, but theological education has not grown at the same pace.

David Tarus, ACTEA Executive Director

The assembly tackled the training gap head on, exploring solutions including modular programs, online learning, and seminary church partnerships to extend training opportunities to the growing number of church leaders who need them.

ACTEA was originally founded in 1976 as a theological education commission project. Over five decades, the organization has grown into the primary accreditation and quality assurance body for evangelical theological institutions across Africa.

Key leaders at the gathering included Rev. Dr. Jean Libom Li Likeng, Archbishop John Praise Daniel, Dr. Master Matlhaope (ACTEA President), and Emmanuel Chemengich, the immediate past ACTEA Executive Director who now serves as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Kitale, Kenya. Representatives from the Association of Evangelicals in Africa also attended.

ACTEA's 50th Anniversary Highlights Urgent Need for More Trained Pastors Across Africa

The assembly underscored a remarkable reality: Africa now represents one of the fastest growing centers of Christianity in the world. Yet without adequate theological training, the quality and depth of pastoral leadership risks falling behind the sheer pace of church planting and membership growth.

The discussions in Bishoftu reflected a continent wide commitment to ensuring that African churches are led by pastors who are both spiritually grounded and academically equipped to serve their communities.

The Crusader's Opinion

Africa is the future of Christendom. Full stop. While Western churches shrink and compromise, African Christians are building, planting, and growing at an extraordinary rate. But growth without depth is dangerous. A church led by untrained pastors is a church vulnerable to false teaching, heresy, and collapse. ACTEA's work is not just important, it is essential for the survival of sound Christian doctrine on the continent. The West should be pouring resources into African theological education instead of funding programs that undermine the faith. If we want Christianity to thrive for the next century, we invest in the men and women training Africa's pastors right now.

Take Action

• Learn more about ACTEA's mission and support their work at acteaweb.org
• Pray for the training and equipping of pastors across Africa, especially in regions where church growth is most rapid
• Support theological education in the developing world through organizations like Scholar Leaders International
• Give to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted and under resourced Christian communities worldwide
• Talk to your church leadership about supporting African seminary partnerships and sponsoring pastoral students