AMECEA: Servant Leadership and Inclusivity, Vital to A Synodal Church in Mission, Says Cleric to AMECEA Leadership
Fr. Andrew Kaufa
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
At a meeting that brought together the leadership of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), a cleric has stressed servant leadership and providing equal opportunity to all the baptized as better ways to improve the call for synodality in the AMECEA region.
Addressing the AMECEA Executive Board members, the Bishop chairmen for conferences, the Secretaries General, and AMECEA Secretariat staff on Thursday, February 8, at Donum Dei in Nairobi, Fr. Andrew Kaufa the coordinator for Social Communications department at AMECEA Secretariat, shared how the region can be a more synodal Church in mission.
According to the priest who was part of the communication team in Rome during the first phase of the synod last year, most of the proposals on how to be a synodal Church are not absolutely new, but the region is called upon to find better ways to improve on communion, mission, and participation and promote the spirit of synodality in the local Church.
Fr. Kaufa a member of the Missionaries of the Company of Mary (SMM) who doubles as a consultor to the Dicastery for Communication at the Vatican, underscored some ways the bishops can journey together with his priests, Religious, and the laity saying, “the region can strengthen the Small Christian Communities (SCCs) which are already recognized by the Synod as an appropriate ecclesial model in the synodal Church,” at the same time, “Evaluate and strengthen the effectiveness of the existing participative structures that encourage dialogue, consultation, common discernment and collaboration with Church councils, Parish Councils and Diocesan Council of Consulters.”
Additionally, he narrated to about 30 participants who were in the meeting, the AMECEA region needs to embrace the inclusive and communal discernment approach where all parties participate in one way or the other,” and also “Promote the understanding of the ministries of the non-ordained including the Catechists, women, Lay Associates and Associations and the youth, as well as encourage the Principle of Subsidiarity.”
In his presentation, Fr. Kaufa further emphasized recognizing the role of women in the Church and the need to include them in the decision-making bodies of the Church.” He noted that universally, the number of women exceeded that of men and there is no way they could be ignored.
In conclusion, Fr Kaufa to be a synodal Church in mission, it is advisable to “Invest more in the formation of all the people of God, especially the youth, seminarians, and those in formation houses who are the future of the Church.
