wfn.org | Archbishop Valentine Mokiwa new President of the AACC

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.org>]

> Press Release
> Nairobi December 17, 2008

Archbishop Valentine Mokiwa new President of the All Africa Conference of Churches

Archbishop Valentine Mokiwa is the new President of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC). He was elected at the just concluded AACC 9th General Assembly held in Maputo, Mozambique from 7-12 December, 2008.

Archbishop Mokiwa, Tanzanian, replaces the Rt. Rev. Dr. Nyansako-ni-Nku of the Presbyterian Church of Cameroon, who declined to defend his position for a second term of office after a one 5-year term. He will be assisted in his work by five Vice-Presidents.  Mokiwa who will take up office in January 2009 was inducted into office on December 12, 2008 in Maputo, Mozambique, at a ceremony attended by H.E. Thabo Mbeki, former president of South Africa. At the same ceremony, Rev. Dr. André Karamaga, the new AACC General Secretary was inducted.

Rev. Mokiwa is the Archbishop of the Diocese of Dar es Salaam. He is the fifth Primate of the Anglican Church of Tanzania elected in February 2008 for a five year term. His consecration ceremony on 24 May 2008 in Dodoma, Tanzania, was attended by members of the ecumenical family including the AACC.  He will continue in service of his church even as President of AACC. Previously, Mokiwa served as a member of the AACC General Committee; the second highest governing body of the AACC.

Archbishop Mokiwa joins Africa's premier continental ecumenical organisation at a time when the Church in Africa is faced with a lot of critical challenges among them the crisis of governance such as in Zimbabwe; wars and insecurity e.g. in the Great Lakes Region and in the Horn of Africa and widespread poverty. Archbishop Mokiwa is bringing his vast experience into the ecumenical movement and he is expected to lobby churches in the continent to help bring positive change for reconstruction and transformation of the continent.

AACC is a Pan-African Christian organisation founded in 1963 in Kampala, Uganda. It brings together in fellowship 173 churches and Christian councils from 40 African countries.

> For more information please contact:
> Catherine Ouma +254 722 760533