An important event was held in person in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was the meeting of the Africa Senate for Methodist Education (ASME) on October 16, 2025. The Senate was established as an independent organization in 2023, after years of discussions and planning. Nine Senators and an Executive Secretary were elected: Maria Abel Benedito (Angola), Olivier Iwella (DRC), Maraaidzo Mutambara (Zimbabwe), Ken Ndalamba (Angola), Ribas Guambe (Mozambique), Pamela Machakanja (Zimbabwe), Marcel Lenge (DRC), Lilian Siwila (South Africa), and Louis Aboua (Côte d’Ivoire). Louis Aboua passed away, and the situation of Côte d’Ivoire is still unresolved, so this seat remains empty for now, and two other Senators could not attend in person.
As the ASME Senators gathered in Johannesburg, the meeting was chaired by Dr. Roland Fernandes, General Secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM), General Bord of Global Ministries (GBGM), and the United Methodist Commission on Relief (UMCOR), until a President was elected and assumed the position to chair the Senate. Senators had the opportunity to hear the online conference of Prof. Dr. Ana Nhampule (Mozambique), who has worked with the African Union on quality assurance programs and provided a detailed analysis of the Pan-African framework for institutional assessment and accreditation. She was impressed with the footprint of Methodist education in Africa, appreciated the work of the Africa Senate, and praised the Senate’s efforts to harmonize church-related norms, governmental guidelines, and Pan-African goals. She suggested that the Wesleyan values and identity were compatible with the highest supranational standards promulgated by instances such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
During the meeting, members of the Africa Senate for Methodist Education dedicated time to discuss about the format and criteria guiding the work of its two chambers: the Higher Education Chamber and the Theological Education Chamber. Finally, Senators elected Prof. Dr. Pamela Machakanja (Zimbabwe) as its President and The Rev. Olivier Izwella (DRC) as Vice-President. For more information on the Africa Senate for Methodist Education (ASME), contact The Rev. Prof. Dr. Jamisse Taimo