AEA’s Non-formal Theological Education Research Expands with Liberia Data Collection

As part of the ongoing Scaling Up Theological Education research, data collection activities were carried out in Liberia alongside key theological and church leadership engagements. AEA’s Prof. John Kpaleh Jusu and John Momoh Jusu visited the nation for a mission towards empowering evangelical leaders across the continent.

A graduation weekend, culminating in a graduation ceremony on Sunday at Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary (LBTS), provided an opportunity to engage newly trained church leaders. Approximately 50 graduating students from the seminary’s theological training program participated in the research and completed the project questionnaires. Prior to completion, the purpose of the research and the criteria for responding to the questionnaire were clearly explained to ensure informed and accurate participation.

In addition to the seminary graduates, questionnaires had earlier been distributed to pastors and religious leaders across Monrovia and surrounding areas with the support of a local coordinator, Daniel Reeves Johnson (Oasis/LBTS). On Saturday, follow-up visits were conducted across different locations in Monrovia to retrieve the completed questionnaires. This process resulted in an additional 83 completed responses from practicing pastors and church leaders.

In total, 133 questionnaires were collected in Liberia. This engagement is part of AEA’s strategic response to the significant gap in trained pastoral leadership across Africa. By building a collaborative network that promotes non-formal curriculum sharing, exposure, and strategic partnerships, the program aims to increase the number of biblically and theologically trained pastors and Christian leaders across the continent by 20%.

This mission is a component of larger data-gathering initiatives that support evidence-based planning for bolstering leadership development and theological education within the Church in Africa. AEA continues to lay the groundwork for long-lasting, context-appropriate training programs that will enable church leaders to serve their communities better.