30 December deadline to submit proposals for study and research
(LWI) –The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is encouraging candidates from its member churches in Africa to submit applications for the next Theology, Gender Justice and Leadership Education (TEGLE) training, under the Hélène Ralivao Fund. The deadline is 30 December.
The program combines both research in the candidates’ home countries and in-person training at the Tumaini University Makumira (TUMA), an institute of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT).
The goal is to encourage especially women in the LWF member churches in Africa to study theology, gender justice and leadership education.
Following the endorsement of the TEGLE program in February this year, 12 people took part in a five-module course at TUMA at the end of May. The training covered gender-related topics including the LWF Gender Justice Policy, biblical and hermeneutical perspectives, church leadership, gender justice analysis, and research skills. Following the in-residence training, participants returned to their home countries for research and writing. They will reconvene at TUMA in February 2023 to share their research results, culminating in the publication of material that will serve as a resource.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe scholars nurse Thelma Theodolah Mpinda and Rev. Mbongeni Proud Dube are pursuing further studies under the TEGLE program.
Mpinda described the LWF program as transformative and timely. “Often times, we tend to overlook some norms and policies which bring about nothing but inequality due to knowledge deficit,” she said. “TEGLE is a wake-up call to bring gender sanity in my community, church, family and workplace. I am glad to be in the process of correcting previous gender mishaps and teaching others as well,” she added.
Learning about the experiences of other women through research and training, l am convinced that advocating for transformative masculinities is the right thing to do.
Rev. Mbongeni Proud Dube, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe
Dube said the training and research had challenged him to appreciate gender studies from the perspective of a young man socialized in a patriarchal society where men are believed to be superior to women. “Learning about the experiences of other women through research and training, l am convinced that advocating for transformative masculinities is the right thing to do.” he added.
LWF launched the Hélène Ralivao Fund in June 2021. It is a legacy to the Malagasy Lutheran Church theologian after whom it is named, for her dedicated service to the church and to women’s theological education and leadership in her home country Madagascar and beyond.
