Our full annual report to the Charity commission can be downloaded here.
Three key sections in the narrative section of that report are given below: our charitable activities, achievements and future plans as reported after the year-end.
Charitable activities
In 2023 we served our object through the continued support of the BUILD programme (Biblical Understanding for In-service Leadership Development), which operates primarily in East Africa. Our support continues to focus on the activities previously reported in six areas: (1) Contributing to partner project budgets; (2) Connecting projects with other sources of support and resources, one another included; (3) Consulting in order to help serve the development of programmes; (4) Consolidating training resources alongside our partners; (5) Coordinating the wider network in partnership with key local leaders; (6) Co-training alongside BUILD trainers when and where possible.
Achievements
The year built on the post-pandemic recovery of 2022, which it exceeded in terms of both income and expenditure, with £115,147 provided in support for our church leadership development work and spent on charitable activities. That growth reflected continued development in the projects and portfolio we support.
Goals met for the year included strengthening the original BUILD programme, the Church of Uganda’s. This was realised in part through the appointment of an Assistant Provincial BUILD Coordinator, Mr Daniel Mukiibi. (Daniel will support Canon Stephen Kewaza who is approaching retirement.) In addition a new training-of-trainers cohort began at Uganda Martyrs Seminary, where the course is now an integral part of the college programme. That new cohort is targeting hard to reach areas, with a strong representation from northern Uganda. Revd Canon Dr Jem Hovil, our Executive Trustee, spent time in Uganda facilitating these developments.
In Kenya our aim of securing a new source of accreditation culminated with a signing ceremony at St Paul’s University (SPU), Limuru. SPU’s Diploma Colleges department now recognises our training in the west of Kenya, which in turn opens up opportunities for growth through their network. The event followed participation in ACTEA’s general assembly in Nairobi and in their consultation on scaling up pastor-training that followed. The focus was on connecting formal and non-formal programmes, something that BUILD has been championing for two decades. As a result ACTEA (the Association for Christian Theological Education in Africa) invited to BUILD to participate, present, and join the association. This opens up fresh, interdenominational networks across the continent. Our Executive Trustee was again present at these events, together with Kenyan BUILD representatives.
The Tanzanian training at the two Lake Zone centres also reached a joyful conclusion with graduations for 85 trained trainers now operating within two dioceses. Our Executive Trustee was a guest of honour, together with the Lake Zone BUILD Coordinator and the Anglican Church of Tanzania’s Provincial Education Coordinator. Planning meetings for the expansion of the work followed those events.
In relation to the objectives set out in the 2022 report it was also noteworthy that we did indeed, “witness the launch of a training of trainers’ cohort at St Frumentius Anglican Theological College in Gambella, Ethiopia”. That programme is developing strongly in that diocese and is beginning to spill over into neighbouring ones. Revd Sammy Atsali Mangu from Kenya continues to serve that work.
Finally, on the programme front, the increased income in 2023 in part reflects a new partnership with a UK church, with funds coming in for work that will begin in 2024. That partnership aims to renew and grow the work in Rwanda. The four dioceses we have partnered with there have birthed a fifth and incorporated a sixth, missionary diocese. This larger group is committed to growing their BUILD programme in a concerted effort from 2024 to 2026. Planning for that began in April while our Executive Trustee was in Rwanda for the global gathering of Gafcon in Kigali, before he travelled on to our partner dioceses.
On the home front we also met our objectives for the year by renewing our BUILD Partners website, developing a strategy for consolidation and growth, and strengthening our Safeguarding Policy.
Future plans
In 2024, in addition to supporting existing projects we aim to: (1) renew and grow the work in Rwanda; (2) expand the Tanzanian work into new dioceses from a new centre, Bunda Bible College; (3) establish a new recognised course at a Kenyan centre, in Nairobi; (4) expand the work to West Africa; (5) create a new local level edition of the BUILD training materials; (6) launch a new BUILD Training website; (7) begin a UK based Ministry Support Group to serve alongside the Trustees.