In an absence of resources, leaders struggle to train pastors.
When Samuel Ndima was a student at a Bible college in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, he struggled to complete assignments in his theology courses. Though he grasped the material, he had to scramble when it came to anything requiring research.
Ndima’s seminary fees included only a few textbooks, but many papers required research from books, journals, and commentaries. Like most of his classmates, Ndima could barely pay tuition and had no money to buy additional books. The few copies of essential texts were perpetually checked out of the seminary’s small library, and online access required a credit card, which few students possessed. Ndima and his classmates were forced to share books, which often made it difficult to finish assignments on time.
Despite these obstacles, Ndima graduated in 2010 and now pastors a congregation of 200 people in Delft, in the Western Cape. But he remains frustrated that theological training on the entire continent of Africa is too often complicated by a lack of books.
“A lot of Africans want to study, but we can’t afford theological education, we lack knowledge of the Bible, and we need access to books,” said Ndima, who faced a similar situation at a seminary in Cape Town where he earned his honor’s degree in 2013. He would like to return to school to study for advanced degrees but worries about the continuing lack of resources in African seminaries.
With more than 700 million Christians, Africa is home to more believers than any other continent in the world. Yet up to 90 percent of African pastors are not formally trained, and the lack of theological books and resources is undercutting the efforts of seminaries, divinity schools, Bible colleges, and other preparatory …
