Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwombeki, new general secretary elect of the All Africa Conference of Churches. Photo: LWF/S.Gallay
“A heart for mission and for Africa”
LWI - Rev. Dr Fidon Mwombeki, director of the Department for Mission and Development (DMD) at The Lutheran World Federation (LWF), has been elected as the next general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC).
“I am grateful for the work that Dr. Fidon Mwombeki has been doing in the LWF,” LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Martin Junge told Lutheran World Information (LWI). “Dr. Mwombeki has provided leadership and direction for DMD with clear focus and passion for holistic mission. He has a heart for mission and for Africa,” he said, “and I believe the AACC will greatly benefit from his leadership.”
Mwombeki joined the LWF in January 2016 as DMD director. Speaking to LWI, he said he was grateful to have been elected to the AACC but was saddened his tenure at the LWF was going to be much shorter than he expected.
I wanted to respond to the clear calling from the leaders of the churches in my mother continent. I am delighted to go and serve the churches and councils of churches in Africa.
“I love the LWF and enjoy the work we do. I appreciate the cooperation we have in my department and throughout the whole Communion Office. We have been able to achieve great improvement in our work. I have enjoyed effective support from the general secretary. I wanted to respond to the clear calling from the leaders of the churches in my mother continent. I am delighted to go and serve the churches and councils of churches in Africa.”
DMD accompanies and assists LWF member churches in developing holistic ministries in their respective contexts and in deepening relations with each other.
The AACC is the largest association of Protestant, Orthodox and Indigenous churches in Africa. As a fellowship of churches, the AACC accounts for over 120 million Christians across the continent across 173 member churches in 40 African countries. Its head offices are located in Nairobi, Kenya, with a regional office in Lomé, Togo, and a liaison office to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mwombeki, 58, is an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Prior to joining the LWF in 2016 he served as general secretary of the United Evangelical Mission in Wuppertal Germany and general secretary of the ELCT North-Western Diocese of Bukoba. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in biblical studies from Luther Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota, and a Master in Business Administration from California Coast University.
