The Board of Directors of the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (IAMSCU) met in March to discuss various plans and activities. During the meeting, Dr. Rosemary Nyarugwe, the President of the Africa Association of Methodist Institutions of Higher Education (AAMIHE) also represented the President of the Africa Association of United Methodist Theological Institutions (AAUMTI), Rev. Virginie Umba. On behalf of both associations, AAMIHE and AAUMTI, Nyarugwe reported that they will be holding a joint meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. The meeting is scheduled for October 13-16, 2025, in a convention center near the O. R. Tambo International Airport.
The Africa Association of United Methodist Theological Institutions (AAUMTI) was established in 2011 and brings together more than 30 theological institutions on the African continent while the Africa Association of Methodist Institutions of Higher Education (AAMIHE) was founded in 2013 and connects more than 20 Methodist colleges and universities in countries that go from Angola to Zimbabwe. Although the associations focus on the particularities of their specific areas, they meet together and discuss common themes, challenges, and opportunities. This event rotates around Africa, according to linguistic groups: French, Portuguese, and English. After a joint meeting in a Portuguese-speaking country, Angola, held in 2019, the series of events was interrupted by the global pandemic of COVID-19, but the two associations were able to meet in 2023 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a French-speaking country. Now, in 2025, AAMIHE and AAUMTI will be meeting in an English-speaking country, South Africa.
The IAMSCU Board of Directors discussed and accepted the invitation to attend the Joint AAMIHE-AAUMTI Meeting. This will be the first time IAMSCU goes to Africa and this visit will also help prepare for the next IAMSCU International Conference, which is planned for Africa. IAMSCU rotates its meetings according to different continents, in a way similar to AAMIHE and AAUMTI. The IAMSCU International Conference in 2011 was held in the United States (North America), in 2014 IAMSCU met in Japan (Asia), the 2017 conference was held in Mexico (Latin America), and – after the hiatus provoked by the pandemic – the 2023 conference was held in England (Europe) in order to celebrate the 275th anniversary of Kingswood School. It is natural, therefore, that the next meeting be held in Africa, where Methodist education is expanding rapidly, together with the rapid growth of Methodist churches in the continent.
is internationally known for its teaching, research, and community engagement on regional ecumenical education, the impact of climate change in the region, and the formation of leaders and prophets of justice for the context of the Pasifika region. The institution has been decolonizing and transforming education and development from a Pasifika Indigenous perspective, based on a Home of ‘Whole of Life’ education, an education that is relational, integrated, and holistic, that does not put peoples, cultures, faith, and identities into divisive and eliminative boxes and binaries. The new university will return education to the communities, learning with the land, ocean, skies, and multiple relationships. This is a transformative justice-driven educational platform and agent of change grounded again in our Pasifika faith and cultural values and spiritualities once removed by secularized education. PTC/PCU is already at the forefront leading a revolution regionally and globally in terms of providing new foundations for development grounded in our Pasifika indigenous ‘Whole of Life’ philosophies, theologies, ethics, and spiritualities.