In October 2021, St Augustine’s trustees awarded five new Innovation Fund grants to support exciting new initiatives.

Two grants – to the Province of Tanzania and Bishop Balya College, Uganda – were in direct response to the necessary innovative changes due to the restrictions imposed by Covid. The Province of Tanzania are to mount a training programme for the Heads and Academic Deans of the provincial theological colleges in making better and greater use of IT in their teaching. Bishop Balya College is setting up an E-Learning Centre in the College to strengthen its teaching approaches.

The Diocese of Muyinga in Burundi wishes to offer further training to it ministers by bringing cohorts of 50 together for an intensive 5 day course. By doing it in this way the grant will have an impact of significant numbers of their clergy and lay ministers.

Two grants were awarded that will offer opportunities for African ordinands and the African diaspora to build their capacity in ministry. St George’s College, Jerusalem will be working with CAPA to offer bursaries so African ordinands can participate in the study pilgrimages the College runs. Church Mission Society (CMS) in partnership with Missio Africanus were awarded a grant to offer bursaries to those in diaspora churches to explore the issues behind their ministries through a recently created Master’s degree course.

There will be more news on each of these together with formal reports as these initiatives get underway.

St Augustine’s Foundation and the Li Tim-Oi Foundation have established a partnership so that working together, in the words of the Li Tim-Oi Foundation‘s website, we might “empower Christian women as agents of change within their own cultures.”

We wish to do this by encouraging more women to take up the opportunities offered by the St Augustine’s Foundation Scholarships and Fellowships in the field of theological education.

Elsewhere on this website are details of the Scholarships and Fellowships which we offer each year. The closing date for these applications is December 1st each year and the relevant application forms and other guidance can be accessed through this website. The Administrator is also available for initial enquiries or advice about an application.

For the past decade, universities worldwide have been experimenting with multi-modal teaching and learning to increase and broaden access. The COVID-19 pandemic propelled this forward.  The sudden closure of university campuses across Uganda necessitated the virtual delivery of vast numbers of courses.  Here, Uganda Christian University [UCU] was thrust into the delivery of e-learning of unprecedented scale and scope.  Most UCU faculty, not least in Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, were not adequately equipped to deliver online teaching……

UCU convened a team of those with prior knowledge of, and experience with, online teaching to run a practical training programme called “Online Pedagogy Professional Development.” In order to facilitate the training, the Dean of the School applied for funds from St. Augustine Foundation…..This programme was run by both online and face-to-face modes for three weeks in December 2020

The objectives of the training were, broadly speaking, two: first, we wanted faculty to have capacity to develop own course units that met best practices in online pedagogy.  Secondly, we wanted them to transform the syllabi of the course units they taught for face-to-face teaching into course syllabi suited for online pedagogy.

The programme was designed in such a way that faculty of the School would have time for practical exploration and application of what they were learning through the programme.  They did this through a series of structured assignments. 

The programme outcome - a key outcome for this training was the skills to design or develop a storyboard.  A storyboard for online learning is a document that outlines the text, visuals, and audio elements, interactions, navigation and anything else that will be used in the online teaching and learning for the given course unit….. storyboards of the following course units developed:

Systematic Theology course units: Major themes in systematic theology, African Christian theology, African Christian theological method(s), Anglican theology, Christin theologies of the Global South, Doing theology from the context of poverty, History and theology of the ecumenical movement, Ecclesiology and Ordered ministry.

New Testament Book Study course units: Mark and John, Gospels and Acts, and Bible Interpretation.

Biblical Languages and New Testament course units: Basic New Testament Greek 1 & 2, Basic Old Testament Hebrew 1 & 2, Advanced Greek, Advanced Hebrew, Introduction to the New Testament, Biblical foundations of development.

Old Testament course units: Introduction to OT. Developed and Genesis to Deuteronomy, Prophets.

Historical theology course units: (a) General Church History, Christianity in Africa, Major themes in African Christianity, History of new religious movements in Africa. (b) Christianity in Uganda, History of Anglicanism. (c) Church in Africa and globalization.

Practical Theology course units: (a) Mission and evangelism, Pastoral Care, Pastoral Counselling. (b) Christian Education for Ministry, Contemporary issues in church and society, Chaplaincy, Christian education for ministry, Church leadership, & management, Urban theology. (c) Christian Worship, Christian stewardship and development, Pastoral psychology and sociology, African traditional religion and beliefs. (d) Islamic theology and law, Muslim evangelism, Islam for mission and ministry, Christian-Muslim relations.

Christian Ethics: Introduction to Christian ethics, Christian ethics, Theological research methods, Advanced ethics.

The Future Plans - as UCU continues getting new students and faculty, we intend to: (a) conduct refresher courses on online teaching especially for new faculty and students. (b) Carry out assessment of the effectiveness of online teaching and learning once every semester.

Abbreviated version of the report given to the Foundation by Christopher Byaruhanga, Dean, Bishop Tucker School of Divinity and Theology, Uganda Christian University.

The full report can be read here.

These 2020 grants [a full summary can be found here] were awarded in October 2020 and recipients then began the process of commencing the initiatives the grants were to support.

The Covid pandemic continued to influence this implementation process. The two Brazilian Dioceses had hoped to be able to have face-to-face contact with those on their training courses, but Covid was going to prevent this until, at least, early 2022. The Diocese of Pelotas decided to use virtual meetings in the early sessions of their programme to get the training started. The Diocese of Sau Paulo asked if they could delay the start of theirs until early 2022.

Holy Cross Theological College in Myanmar not only had Covid to contend with but also the internal civil strife in the country. They adapted their approach to the training as well and the Principal, Revd. Dr. Paul Myint Htet Htin Ya, reported, “currently we are running our classes by means of online and distance correspondence. I will inform you about this in detail later. Covid is still a big threat, and we are not allowed to gather in order to prevent the spread of Covid. Well, thank you again for all your kind help and understanding.” 

Other grantees were not affected in the same way so soon after receiving their grant The Angolan Anglican High School of Theology reported the purchase of the books they requested funding for and said, “we send our thanks to the managerial staff of the St. Augustine Foundation making our dream reality: we have now many books [over 150] for the training of Servants of God in Angola.” These books were both new and used many of which were in Portuguese.

Uganda Christian University very quickly mounted the internal course they sought funding for and their report is in another of the news items, “Online theological education in and after Covid-19 pandemic”.

In 2015-2016 Professor Jesse Mugambi, with the help of the Foundation, was Consultant Theologian for CAPA. He has accompanied the Secretariat in the articulation and clarification of the core theological foundation of our work. This accompaniment has continued as CAPA begins to implement the new Strategic Plan.

Theologically, CAPA is rooted in the Five Marks of Mission formulated by the Anglican Consultative Council:

1. To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom

2. To teach, baptise and nurture new believers

3. To respond to human need by loving service

4. To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation

5. To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth

The contextualization of the Marks of Mission requires comprehensive appreciation of the complex particularity of the Anglican Provinces in Africa. Professor Mugambi has summarised this complexity in his chapter, titled “Ecumenism in African Christianity” in The Routledge Companion to Christianity in Africa (London: January 2016), p. 233:

. . . Africa remains a Continent where the relationship between religion (Christianity) and culture is not definitive. All possibilities are tested, and remain in creative tension from nation to region, nation to nation: Christianity for local Culture; against local Culture; above local Culture; independent of local Culture; identifying with foreign Culture; transcending Culture; operating as a cult. All possible polities for the institutionalization of Christianity have presence in Africa: Centralized Hierarchy; Centralized Assembly; Decentralized Hierarchies; De-centralized Assemblies; Individualized Entities. Africa is a “market‐place” for Christian doctrines, derived from: Historical creedal formulae; Biblical precepts; Views of Founders; Views of Preachers; Views of Theologians. Africa is also a marketplace for various theologies, derived from: scriptures; Councils; theologians; preachers. From the outside, African Christianity seems superficial; but from within it is very complex and phenomenal.

In view of this contextual complexity, CAPA is the inter-provincial service agency that provides visible and united expression of African Anglicanism, rooted in the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, that the Lambeth Conference of 1888 approved:

1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the revealed Word of God.

2. The Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian Faith.

3. The two Sacraments - Baptism and the Supper of the Lord.

4. The Historic Episcopate.

The CAPA Commissions have been established for facilitating effective contextualization of Anglican presence in Africa, while affirming the unity of expression that pervades the Anglican Communion. In another chapter titled “African Heritage and Ecological Stewardship” in the book The Routledge Handbook on Religion and Ecology (New York & London: Routledge, 2016), Prof. Mugambi emphasises the important contribution - of the youth who are the majority of Africa’s population - towards this continent’s ecological rehabilitation. For such rehabilitation to be timely, relevant and effective, the input from religious perspectives is essential. The CAPA Secretariat has included the global ecological crisis among its program priorities.

In the face of contending and conflictive debates within the Anglican Communion, CAPA takes cognisance of at least four emphases, each of which ought to be taken seriously without jeopardising the rest:

a) Doctrinal considerations: the Creedal formulae that the Anglican Communion affirms.

b) Institutional considerations: the “hierarchical” and “horizontal” polity of Anglicanism, which ensures hierarchical order within the dioceses, and collegiality across the Provinces.

c) Pastoral considerations: the essential role of the ordained leadership in provision of pastoral care for both those within and outside the Anglican Church membership.

d) Theological considerations: Anglican theologians have a responsibility to research and reflect on the contextual and global challenges we face, taking into consideration biblical insights, historical precedents, interdisciplinary expertise and current ecclesiastical priorities.

In its work the CAPA Secretariat will continue to facilitate the deepening of theological reflection, within the limits of available resources.

CAPA is thrilled about her partnership with the St Augustine Foundation and appreciates the moral and financial support it has received. The support has enabled CAPA to make progress in achieving her vision of grounding theological education for sustainable ministerial formation in Africa. Brian Stanley states that “the global center of Christianity is now in Africa” and Andrew Wall describes how African Christianity as setting global standards pointing to the need for authentic theological education, reflection, and theologizing emerging from African experiences. With these affirmations, CAPA places theological education at the core of her work and explores issues emanating from the changing ministry context to engage with the theological institutions and trustees in exploring best approaches and processes for ministerial formation as well as sustaining institutions.

As CAPA was contemplating how to achieve this ambitious vision, a faithful friend, the St Augustine Foundation, provided the much needed support to help in putting theological education issues into perspective and craft a road map to enable CAPA to engage with key stakeholders in theological education effectively. CAPA through the support received from the Foundation, brought together key theologians, head of theological institutions, and Provincial Trustees with the aim of exploring and understanding the changing ministry context and how to deepen and sustain theological reflection in the continent in 2015.

CAPA's work on theological education has gained momentum and attracted other partners like the USPG. More consultations with the newly consecrated bishops, the Deans, Trustees, and Head of Institutions have been held aimed at exploring the implications of the changing operating environment of ministerial formation processes and identify what are appropriate to achieving sustainable ministerial formation on the continent. The engagements are still on going.

Through these consultations, core issues affecting theological education in Africa have been generated for which CAPA is still engaging stakeholders both at continental and provincial levels with the view of find the best mix of strategies that will make theological education sustainable, contextually relevant, and effective and efficient for ministerial formation on the continent.

Some of these issues include:

·       the high demand for clergy to match rapid church growth forcing some dioceses to ordain priest without theological education;

·       lack of diversification in revenue streams leaving institutions to struggle financially and underpaid staff;

·       contextually irrelevant curriculum resulting in increasing false dichotomy between academic and pastoral theory and practice which has left theologians without parishes and parishes without theologians;

·       lack of holistic curriculum in theological colleges that does not prepare students to engage with socio-economic issues and contexts of their ministry;

·       inadequate publication and theological reflection on pastoral issues from an African point of view;

·       disconnect between the Trustees and the theological institutions;

·       lack of sustainability strategies, lack of tracer strategy and studies to monitor the performance of graduates; and

·       the relevance of skills and knowledge acquired to ministry context.

Our journey with the St. Augustine Foundation has encouraged and enabled us to have clarity on how to achieve our dream of grounding theological education in Africa sustainably. However, there is more ground to be covered in the coming years especially as we try to consolidate the engagement processes and synthesize the outcomes into well mapped out strategies and models for theological education and ministerial formation processes on the continent. We do pray and hope this relationship will continue as we witness to the marvelous doings of the Lord in the Anglican Communion in Africa.

In May 2019 the Foundation made a grant of £10,000 through SPCK to support The African Theological Network Press [ATNP] in publishing theological titles by Africans for Africans. In June 2020 reported on the work of ATNP during the Covid epidemic: 

With bookshops and theological colleges closed in East and West Africa, ATNP is focusing on commissioning new titles and producing them up to pre-print phase, ready for when these reopen.  There is a 5 minute video update from Kyama (our editorial manager in Nairobi) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkzjBGj_MUM  which shares the progress made so far, and another where he shares a bit about the impact of COVID-19 on Nairobi at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDVNvKLd0xE

Looking ahead, plans are in place for a new title on African approaches to Christian mission to be published in East and West Africa; a title on Jesus in Africa to be published in West Africa and distribution of the two already-published titles in East and West Africa currently on hold due to COVID-19. 

Several St Augustine’s Foundation scholars have had their studies interrupted by the Coronavirus. For some, studying away from home, has added to these challenges. However, their reports on these challenges also paint a hopeful picture. 

Gideon Sam Paulraj, from the Diocese of Madurai Ramnad in South India is studying for a PhD at the University of Gloucestershire and is being partly funded by the Foundation. He was hospitalised when he contracted the virus and was seriously ill. Thanks to the family he was being hosted by, his own family in India were kept informed and he was supported as he was brought off a ventilator and on to the road to recovery. When writing to the Administrator describing his ordeal he closed by saying, “here I am alive to write this to you, which is made possible only by the Almighty. I am managing to get back to normal and hopefully soon.” He also added, “in my academics, I’ve sent the full draft of my dissertation to my first supervisor.” We look forward with interest to Gideon completing his doctoral studies.

The Foundation is supporting a cohort of three ordinands from Biharamulo Diocese in Tanzania who are studying at St Philp’s Theological College in Kongwa, Tanzania. The students, Mathayo Makenzi, Zephania Daudi and John Daniford, were all sent home at the outbreak of the virus. Their Bishop, Vithalis Yusuph writes, “due to Covid-19 they are at home and can’t have online classes as they don’t have computers. This is too challenging, and we don’t have any means to help them have computers!” However, we have since learned that they are returning to the College in the first week of July. In July and August, they will be finishing their first year and then they will start their second year immediately in August.  

Masalakulangwa Mabula, a doctoral student supported by the Foundation, lives in Dar es Salem but is studying at St Paul’s University in Limuru, Kenya. He has family in Tanzania and had to decide where he was going to locate himself during the epidemic. He writes, “I am sure people have been encouraged consider postponing events that bring people together in close proximity. I have taken this stance this week in postponing even traveling to Tanzania, I am staying in St. Paul's Limuru working from my room. I do trust your better judgment, and I know that situations are diverse according to context, and so I simply let you know that you are in my prayers. On the other hand I also know that our faith is an agent of calm, reassurance, and compassion during times of uncertainty, God provides comfort to all of us during this difficult time. Our general we can send to the world is ‘Slowly, God’s people will begin to understand that God was in this place, too’ The world is in a strange place. We may be feeling afraid, or alone, or confused; exiled from the life we were living just a short while ago. But perhaps we can also be those who remind ourselves and others that God is in this place too.”

In March 2019, the Foundation awarded a grant to CMS Ireland to cover part of the costs of a visit the Principal of the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Dr Maurice Elliot was about to make to St. John’s Seminary Kitwe Zambia. The trustees wished to encourage the opportunity that this visit gave for sharing the insights into the task of theological education when those from two quite different contexts of learning had opportunities to meet over an extended period of time. 

CMS Ireland saw the visit “as part of a three stranded approach to building the capacity and credibility of the Seminary as a local academic institution.” The purpose of the visit was:

• To give the students an, albeit brief, experience of learning that is otherwise not readily available in Zambia.

• To explore possibilities of staff development and further academic study

• To seek to build a relationship between the Seminary and the Institute thereby giving both students and staff further opportunities and experience while at the same time offering students in the Church of Ireland Institute an opportunity to spend some time in Zambia as part of their first-year elective

Maurice taught for three mornings on preaching and Christian leadership and the links between them. He also had meetings with the staff that proved very encouraging and positive exploring several issues to do with course design, particularly the concept of “integration”. This was to be taken further when the St John’s staff met to make the final preparations for the new intake due in September 2019. 

Staff development at St John’s was also discussed and Dr. Elliott was able to refer the Seminary to the Archbishop’s Examination in Theology as a possible route for staff members to follow in order to develop their own academic ability and standing. 

In 2018 St Augustine’s Foundation awarded a grant, over three years, to support on the job training for clergy, catechists and group leaders in the Diocese of Lebombo. In April 2020 they reported on the work they had undertaken in the first two years.

In all 81 clergy and 336 catechists benefited from the two courses they mounted in 8 different locations across the diocese. The areas of learning covered in these courses ranged from liturgy, leadership skills, pastoral care, vision building, use of the lectionary and congregational planning.

The impact on those attending was encapsulated in the reflections of three of the participants. The courses “contributed a lot to my spiritual growth, performance in the family, in the church and in society in general”. “Being new at the clergy in the diocese, and freshly coming out of the seminary and just a couple of months after being ordained; clergy school was very insightful and helpful to be able to listen and learn more of the practical side of my ministry”. “We were able to learn skills that help us to capacitate our own congregations and ourselves.” “Continuing Education is an opportunity for the clergy to debate and better interpret the current phenomena of life, thus allowing an appropriate pastoral response to the time and environment in which they exercise their ministry”.