Conception

The Centre for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education was conceived at a conference held on the campus of the University of Venda, South Africa In January 2000; representatives of four African countries from East, South and West Africa were present. It was a response to a felt need for a mechanism that would link Christians in African higher education by something more than occasional conferences. It was an African initiative in response to an African need.

Birth

A constitution was prepared and 18 months later the first meeting of an Interim Council met in the university town of Potchefstroom South Africa. In the ensuing years there were many struggles as we endeavoured to establish a firm foundatiion and wide network.

The photos at top left and right show two members of the Council unable to attend: Bennie van der Walt due to ill health and Isaac Mutua due to financial constraints.

The first big step forward

Five years later, in 2005, CPCHEA hosted another conference at the Nairobi Graduate School of Theology (NEGST). This was organised, against the odds, by Rev. Isaac Njaramba Mutua and his wife, Beth Wangari. with delegates from more than 13 African countries attended. The theme of this conference, Making a difference in Today’s Africa fitted very well with the earlier conference theme. This conference ignited significant developments, the greatest one being the establishment of CPCHEA’s secretariat. with Rev.Mutua appointed Director and Chair of the Council with the Secretariat based in Kitale, Kenya.

The Nairobi conference was followed by IAPCHE’s (International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education) Global conference in Nicaragua in 2006, whose theme was, Christian Higher Education in Global Context: Implications for Curriculum, Administration and Pedagogy: By this time CPCHEA had been officially recognised as IAPCHE’s African regional council.

As it is today

With dlligent, hard work and the development of a fruitful collaborative realationship with the International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education, CPCHEA has come of age. It is still a major challenge working in the context the world's poorest continent, but there is now no doubt that we are here to stay.

Expanding operations

CPCHEA made significant contacts in October 2007 when both the IAPCHE and CPCHEA directors made a promotional and investigative visit to the West, East and Southern regions of Africa. The Western African regional meetings were held at Accra (Ghana) in Trinity Theological College, and Theological College of Northern Nigeria (TCNN), Bukuru Jos (Nigeria). The Eastern African Regional meeting at Daystar University in Nairobi (Kenya), and the Southern at the NWU, Potchefstroom Campus, South Africa. In these Meetings the CPCHEA's director underscored the educational challenges facing Africa and the CPCHEA strategies to meet these challenges. On their part, participants from these regions requested organised regional programmes. CPCHEA responded by organising the following in three respective regions:

August 2008: A Southern Africa Conference at North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus South Africa. The theme of the conference was Raising the Flag of Christian Higher Education in the Southern African Region.

May 31 to June 2 2010: A West African Faculty Enrichment Program at Redeemer University in Lagos Nigeria. The theme was Developing Comprehensive Christian Education. CPCHEA partnered with conference was co-sponsored by ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) and IAPCHE (International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education in Africa) in this endeavour

15th to 18th December 2010: An East African Faculty Enrichment Programme at Bible Translation and Literacy, Ruiru, Kenya whose theme was Developing Comprehensive Christian Education. The function was hosted by Pan Africa Christian University attracting more than 56 scholars from 16 Christian universities across East Africa and beyond. Before this CPCHEA had participated in other Faculty Enrichment Programs at St. Augustine University in Mwanza, Tanzania in March 2009 and St. John's University, Dodoma Tanzania in June-July 2010.

In setting itself for the further penetration of Africa, CPCHEA has established the operating strategies elaborated in Activities and Resources.

CONTACT

The Executive Director may be contacted by:

Email: cpchea_admin@cpchea.org

Tel. No. 254-054-31816 or

Mobile No. 254-723-887-221