Michael Bowen

Prof. Michael Bowen is associate professor of Environmental Economics at Daystar University. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Economics and is currently the Director, Research, Publications, Consultancy and Postgraduate Bureau at Daystar University. He has presented several papers in international conferences and published them as journal articles or book chapters. Some of his publications include; synopsis of the status of Christian family in Kenya, significance of vision and mission in a Christian University, redeeming Christian marriage and family in Kenya among other publications.  He is a guest editor for a number of international journals and has supervised both masters and PhD theses. Prof. Bowen has taught at undergraduate, Masters and PhD level.

ALS Role

Michael Bowen provided leadership on all stages of research design, on field-testing our instruments, and on mobilizing and training the larger Kenyan team of researchers. Together with David Ngaruiya, he co-managed the Kenya-based project. Together with David Ngaruiya and Robert Priest he traveled to Bangui, CAR to train the team of faculty and students in how to conduct the questionnaire research. He carried out interviews and prepared ten-page reports on key Kenyan leaders and organizations. He contributed a chapter “African Christian Organizations and Socio-Economic Development” to our book.

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Paulo Bunga

José Paulo Bunga is married to Mrs. Esalita Joaquim Bunga and is the father of six children. He has a Diploma in Theology from STB- IEBA in Luanda, Angola. He has a Degree in Theology from HEFSIBA -Instituto Superior Christian in Angonia, Mozambique and in 2014 he received a Master’s degree in Divinity at the College and Theological Seminary of the Reformed Faith – FATEFÉ, Cohen University- USA, in St. Paulo, Brazil. He is a professor at Evangelical Theological Institute Reformed Church Angola -ITIERA and Shepherd of the Light of the World Parish in Luanda.

ALS Role

José Paulo Bunga provided leadership over a team of students who administered the questionnaires. He later met with a team at Stellenbosch (Robert Priest, Lisa le Roux, Jurgens Hendriks, Adelaide Tomas Manuel, Alberto Lucamba Salombongo, Edward Elliott) to plan the final interview research. He carried out interviews and wrote reports on key leaders and organizations.

H. Jurgens Hendriks

H. Jurgens Hendriks had been a pastor for ten years when called to teach Practical Theology at Stellenbosch University in 1985. He became a professor in Congregational Studies. Leading congregations through the apartheid transition period was the initial focus of his work and research. The post-1994 increase of post-graduate students from other African countries redirected his attention to congregational realities across Africa. His Studying Congregations in Africa (2004) was the first publication of NetACT, the Network for African Congregational Theology. Founded in 2000 he became the Network’s first Executive Director. He still serves the 39-school network in 13 African countries as program coordinator.

ALS Role

Jurgens Hendriks met regularly with and served on the senior leadership team, providing advice and input on every phase of research, analysis, and writing. He provided special leadership on the research that was focused on Angola. He wrote the chapter “Empowering Leadership — A New Dawn in African Christian Leadership” that appears in our book.

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John Jusu

John Jusu is a missionary of the Association of Evangelicals in Africa. He is an ordained minister of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ – Sierra Leone and has a PhD. He served as Dean of the School of Education, Arts and Social Sciences and taught in the Educational Studies Department at Africa International University. He is currently on an extended leave of absence from the university and is serving with the Overseas Council International as the Africa Regional Director.  He works extensively on transformational curriculum issues in response to the context in which formal and non-formal education happens in Africa. His expertise is in understanding the epistemological frameworks of Africans striving to go into pastoral and teaching ministries of the Church in Africa, and how that understanding may influence educational practices. John serves as curriculum consultant for the More than a Mile Deep-Global, Supervising editor for the Africa Study Bible, Senior Researcher for the Africa Leadership Study and member of the Global Associates for Transformational Education. John is also involved in faculty development for many educational initiatives in Africa.

ALS Role

John Jusu served on the Africa Leadership Study senior leadership team, attended all major sessions, helped with leadership design, and supervised a team of doctoral student research assistants. He carried out interviews and wrote up ten-page reports on key Kenyan leaders and Christian organizations. The chapter he wrote, “Developing Transformational Leaders — Curricula Implications from the Africa Leadership Study Findings,” appears in our book.

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Elisabet le Roux

Elisabet le Roux is a Research Director at the Unit for Religion and Development Research (URDR), in the Faculty of Theology of Stellenbosch University in South Africa. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Stellenbosch University, with a dissertation entitled The role of African Christian churches in dealing with sexual violence against women: the case of the DRC, Rwanda and Liberia. As a faith and development expert, she does research across the globe, focusing particularly on gender and gender-based violence.

ALS Role

Elisabet le Roux met regularly as part of the Africa Leadership Study senior leadership team. She played a key role in every stage of research design, did most of the training of research teams in Angola, and served as the principal supervisor of all research carried out in Angola. She helped with analysis of ALS research results, and co-authored two chapters in our book, “Leadership Responses During Armed Conflict” and “African Womens Leadership — Realities & Opportunities.”

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Adelaide Manuel

Adelaide Tomas Manuel is a pastor and as an ALS researcher, she liked working with topics related to women’s development. She teaches two subjects: Christian Education and Christology at Emmanuel Seminary – Dondi (SED). From 2007 to 2015, she was the Principal of SED. She got her Master’s Degree in Practical Theology at Methodist University in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her dissertation was on the topic of the Formation of Women in Pastoral Leadership.

ALS Role

Adelaide Tomas Manuel met regularly as part of the ALS leadership team, provided input on all phases of research and analysis, and helped supervise a team of student researchers administering surveys in Angola. She conducted interviews and wrote up ten-page reports on key Angolan Christian leaders and Christian organizations.

Kalemba Mwambazambi

Kalemba Mwambazambi is Professor at FATEB (Faculte de Theologie Evangelique de Bangui) in the Central African Republic. He holds a PhD in Missiology from the University of South Africa in Pretoria. He is also a candidate for a Doctor of Health Sciences at Keiser University in Florida (United States of America). He does research across the globe on transformational leadership, HIV and AIDS, Christian missions, African theologies, socio-political issues, peace, justice and reconciliation. He has published academic articles in peer-reviewed journals and written several chapters in books.

ALS Role

Kalemba Mwambazambi met regularly as part of the ALS leadership team, provided input on all phases of research and analysis, and supervised a team of researchers administering surveys in the Central African Republic. He conducted interviews and wrote up reports on key Christian leaders and Christian organizations in the Central African Republic.

David Ngaruiya

David K. Ngaruiya is associate professor at the International Leadership University in Nairobi, Kenya. He holds a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  He is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor in Research, Extension and Development, as well as the Chair of the Africa Society of Evangelical Theology (2015-2016). He has published journal and book articles and served as coeditor and contributor to the book “Communities of Faith in Africa and African Diaspora.”  His research interests include leadership, contextualization, the Church in Africa, and the use of digital resources in education.  He has supervised graduate research at various levels.

ALS Role

David Ngaruiya provided leadership in all stages of research design, in field-testing our instruments, and in mobilizing and training the larger Kenyan team of researchers. Together with Michael Bowen, he co-managed the Kenya-based project. Together with Michael Bowen and Robert Priest he traveled to Bangui, CAR to train the team of faculty and students on how to conduct the questionnaire research. He carried out interviews and prepared ten-page reports on key Kenyan leaders and organizations. He contributed a chapter “Characteristics of Influential African Christian Leaders” to our book.

See Findings page for professional credentials and CV.

Robert J. Priest

Robert J. Priest is G. W. Aldeen Professor of International Studies and Professor of Mission and Anthropology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and holds the Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. He is former President of the American Society of Missiology (2013-2014). His research and writing have included a focus on race and ethnicity, sexuality, short-term missions, religious conversion, and witchcraft accusations. Among his publications is the book This Side of Heaven: Race, Ethnicity, and Christian Faith (OxfordUP) and the article “Missionary Positions: Christian, Modernist, Postmodernist” in Current Anthropology 42: 29-68.

ALS Role

Robert Priest provided overall leadership on the research, analysis, and writing of the Africa Leadership Study. He met regularly with Ed Elliott and Mary Kleine Yehline, as well as with the ALS leadership team, and also met periodically with country teams. He co-wrote a chapter “Reading and Leading: Challenges for African Christian Leaders” in our book. He served as co-editor of the book.

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Steven D. H. Rasmussen

Steven D. H. Rasmussen is senior lecturer in Intercultural Studies at Africa International University in Nairobi, Kenya. Director of TEAM (Training East African Ministers). He received his PhD from Trinity International University in Intercultural Studies. He has taught and researched for 21 years in East Africa. Previous to his current position he served as principal of Lake Victoria Christian College in Mwanza, Tanzania. He has published a variety of journal articles and book chapters on Christian responses to witchcraft accusations, sickness, ethnicity, and short-term missions.

ALS Role

Steve Rasmussen served on the Africa Leadership Study senior leadership team, attended all major sessions, helped with leadership design, and supervised a team of doctoral student research assistants. He carried out interviews and wrote up ten-page reports on key Kenyan leaders and Christian organizations. The chapter he wrote, “Connected — The Role of Social Capital for Leaders with Impact,” appears in our book.

See Findings page for professional credentials and CV.