Sierra Leone Training Advances AEA’s Scaling Up Theological Education Research

A four-day theological consortium training organized by MESA Global – Africa, an associate member of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa (AEA), was held in Sierra Leone, bringing together pastors and religious leaders from across the country. The training was facilitated by Prof. John Jusu and provided a shared platform for theological reflection, leadership formation, and engagement among church leaders.

The initiative forms part of a strategic continental effort to address the critical shortage of trained pastoral leadership across Africa. Through the establishment and maintenance of a collaborative network focused on scaling up non-formal curriculum sharing, exposure, and partnering, the program seeks to reduce the number of untrained pastors and Christian leaders in Africa by 20%.

During the course of the training, AEA engaged participating pastors and religious leaders in the ongoing Scaling Up Theological Education research. Questionnaires were administered throughout the four days, resulting in 150 completed responses from church leaders in attendance.

The data collected contributes to AEA’s continental baseline research on theological and pastoral training, which seeks to assess levels of training, identify competency gaps, and understand constraints affecting access to theological education across Africa. This evidence-based approach is essential to understanding the current landscape of pastoral preparation and informing targeted interventions that can effectively bridge training gaps through accessible, non-formal pathways.

The Sierra Leone engagement forms part of the broader data-collection process supporting evidence-based planning and future interventions aimed at strengthening theological education and leadership development within the African Church. By documenting the realities on the ground, AEA is building a foundation for sustainable, context-appropriate training solutions that will equip church leaders to serve their communities holistically, with biblical integrity and pastoral competence.