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October 13, 2008

Rwanda Presbyterian to head African ecumenical body

by Fredrick Nzwili
Ecumenical News International

NAIROBI — The Rev. André Karamaga, a Presbyterian theologian from Rwanda, has been elected general secretary of the Nairobi-based All Africa Conference of Churches, the grouping announced on Oct. 9.

Karamaga, a member of the Presbyterian Church in Rwanda, will succeed the Rev. Mvume Dandala, a Methodist from South Africa, whose five-year term as the AACC head ends in December 2008.

The AACC general committee announced Karamaga’s election during its meeting here. He is expected to be inaugurated at the AACC’s general assembly to be held in Maputo, Mozambique from Dec. 7-12, 2008.

Karamaga was nominated for the position by the Presbyterian Church of Rwanda.

He was previously on the AACC staff as a program executive in charge of theology from 1990 to1995. He has served as the president of the Conseil Protestante du Rwanda (Council of Protestant Churches in Rwanda), and as vice-president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

A former member of the central committee of the World Council of Churches, Karamaga is currently working for the WCC in Geneva as the executive secretary for the Africa region.

After the announcement of his appointment, Karamaga said he would build on the foundations the outgoing AACC general secretary had laid. He praised the church grouping for having remained focused on its vision for the renewal and transformation of Africa, and for its professionalism in its work with the churches.