wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] 05439. African church grouping streamlines itself

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Note #8864 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

05439
August 24, 2005

African church grouping streamlines itself  
 
by Fredrick Nzwili
Ecumenical News International 
   
	      
  NAIROBI ? The All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), representing about
100 million Christians in Africa, says it is transforming itself into a
strategic body, away from a desk bound one, to play a catalytic role for its
members. 
 
     The Nairobi based body has 174 member churches, regional councils and
national councils in 39 countries as members. 
 
     ?The major reason behind the restructuring is to have a streamlined and
cohesive ecumenical body,? the Rev. Mvume Dandala, the general secretary of
the Africa wide church grouping told Ecumenical News International in
Nairobi.   
 
     The transformation plans were discussed at a meeting of the AACC?s
general committee, a governing body that makes decisions about its day to day
running, held in Nigeria?s capital Abuja from Aug. 8-11. This was in line
with a mandate from the AACC?s 2003 general assembly held in Yaounde,
Cameroon. 
  
     Previously, two independent reports had observed the body was bloated in
terms of staff and that it needed restructuring. But now the AACC believes it
is lean with a staff of 18. It says it has also stopped devouring around
$900,000 a year in salaries and now spends less than $500,000. 
 
     ?We have been trying to reduce our costs by 50 per cent. I think we are
succeeding,? said Dandala, a Methodist from South Africa. ?We would like the
core staff to be funded by what the AACC is able to generate from its
resources, so that our partners can become genuine partners in projects with
us, rather than partners to give us life.? 
 
     The AACC expects its core staff to be maintained by funds from its block
of offices, a guest  house and a printing press located at its headquarters
in Nairobi. The body also says it is sending a message of self reliance to
the churches, so that their partners become ?real ones? in supporting the
Church in its mission in Africa.

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