With Africa being home to the largest number of Christians in the world today, ACMMR aims to mobilize the continent for the mission of God in a knowledge-based manner. On the other hand, ACI, recognizing the shift in the center of gravity of Christianity towards the continent, seeks to develop academic programs and research opportunities focused on African Christianity and its contribution to the world.

The Interim Director for ACMMR, Dr. Yaw Perbi, who is also a Lausanne Movement catalyst, stated that the objective of the MoU is to foster a synergistic partnership between ACMMR and ACI’s CESEAC to achieve the following goals: Provide a reputable and sustainable platform for total mission mobilization through various media channels; facilitate credible academic research and dissemination on missions in Africa; develop evidence-based tools and resources tailored to the African context.

“The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to facilitate the provision of comprehensive education, training, and development opportunities in Africa. Additionally, it aims to establish strategic partnerships with other institutions on the continent and globally, to further enhance the direction and impact of our work,” he remarked.

Again, it aims to offer cutting-edge training and development opportunities for both general missional living and specialized missionary careers; provide accredited missional education, training, and development for the African church; and establish a base for furlough, contemplation, and solitude for returning missionaries.

Dr. Perbi further explained that under the MoU, CESEAC will provide logistical and technical assistance to support ACMMR’s activities in missions research and mobilization. This includes hosting ACMMR’s physical office space in Ghana and utilizing ACI’s library, archives, residential, and other facilities as a furlough base for missionaries.

ACMMR commits to raising funds to cover operational costs with the support of CESEAC. Both ACMMR and CESEAC will actively promote each other’s work on their respective platforms and within their spheres of influence.

The MoU, co-signed at the Akropong campus of ACI following an inaugural colloquium on ‘Mission Research and Scholarship in Africa Today: Prospects for Academics and Practitioners’, is now operational and will initially be in effect for two years.

Rev. Prof. B.Y. Quarshie (Rector of ACI) and Dr. Rudolf K. Gaisie (Director of CESEAC) signed on behalf of ACI/CESEAC while Rev. Dr. Solomon Aryeetey (Board Chair of ACMMR) and Dr. Yaw Perbi (Interim Director of ACMMR) did so on behalf of ACMMR. Regular coordination meetings between ACMMR and CESEAC staff will ensure effective implementation of activities. Addenda to the MOU will outline specific technical, operational and financial activities, including roles and responsibilities.

Sharing their thoughts on the development, a number of academics and missionaries present, in-person and online, commended the two institutions for the partnership, which they believe will highlight and enhance the vast contribution of Africa to the Christian faith. They expressed conviction that it will also help strengthen the work of local missionaries while equipping them with the requisite knowledge, attitudes and skills for global mission.

About African Centre for Mission Mobilization & Research (ACMMR)

ACMMR seeks to mobilize the most numerically Christian continent this century for the mission of God through a knowledge-based approach. It provides platforms and resources for mission mobilization, research, and training. It is the flagship initiative of the Send Africa Network.

About Centre for the Study of Early African Christianity (CESEAC)

CESEAC is a research center within the Akrofi-Christaller Institute for Theology, Mission & Culture (ACI). It focuses on studying and promoting early African Christianity and its relevance to contemporary African and world Christianity.