THE HISTORY OF AMECEA

BEGINNING OF AMECEA
AMECEA (then ITEBEA) was the brainchild of the Catholic Bishops of Tanganyika (today's Tanzania). In 1960 they proposed, through the then Apostolic Delegation (today's Nunciature) in Nairobi, that there be collaboration among Catholic Bishops in the region. That time the following countries were under the Nairobi Apostolic Delegation namely Kenya, Nyasaland (today's Malawi), Uganda, Sudan, Tanganyika and Northern Rhodesia (today's Zambia). When these other Bishops' Conferences agreed to the necessity of working together, the then Apostolic Delegate (today's Nuncio) Monsignor Guido Del Mestri consulted Rome. Rome gave its approval.

REASONS FOR SOLIDARITY
There were at that time winds of change in both the Church and society in this region.

A. IN THE CHURCH
i. Vatican II
In 1959 Pope John XXIII announced the convocation of an Ecumenical Council, the second of its kind to take place in the Vatican City. The intention was to renew the church.
ii. In the Local Church
At the same time more and more African (diocesan) priests were being ordained and some were being trained overseas. African Bishops were already emerging namely Bishops Kiwanuka (Uganda), Otunga, now Cardinal (Kenya), Chitsulo (Nyasaland) and Rugambwa, later the first African Cardinal (Tanganyika). The church was already undergoing transition from a missionary to a local church. And transition, as we know, is often as exciting as it is painful.

The questions that bothered Bishops in the region, most of whom were missionaries, included:

• How did the church have to prepare herself for the inevitable changes Vatican II was ushering in?
• Were the African clergy and religious prepared enough to take over and run the church successfully and confidently?

There was therefore both a sense of pro-activeness as well as fear and anxiety on the part of the missionaries whose time, they believed, was running out.

B. IN THE SOCIETY
i. Independence
Tanganyika (1961), Uganda (1962), Kenya (1963), Nyasaland (1964) and Northern Rhodesia (1964) were all soon getting Independence under very charismatic leaders such as Hastings Kamuzu Banda (Nyasaland), Kenneth Kaunda (Northern Rhodesia), Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Julius Kambarage Nyerere (Tanganyika) and Milton Obote (Uganda). The church generally suspected most of them of leaning towards communism and atheistic socialism. Bishops therefore feared for the future of the church and church - related institutions (such as schools) in Africa in general and in this region in particular.

ii. University
Already in the 40's and 50's university colleges such as Makerere appeared followed by Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam. The up-coming political and civil leaders were often products of these and other colleges overseas. And the Catholic Church had till then faired very well in primary education and teacher training colleges. She had not yet ventured into university education. The writing on the wall, however, was already saying that it was high time the church did so. The society needed value-led leaders. Leaders who were highly qualified and creative, but at the same time who were people of moral integrity guided by Christian and gospel values.

FIRST MEETING IN JULY 1961
The first Plenary meeting took place in Dar-es-Salaam from 17th - 26th July 1961 under a very significant theme: "The Future of the Church in Africa".

Interestingly the agenda items for this first Plenary included:

• The Church and Media: Regional TV, Radio Station and Printing Press.
• Spiritual Formation for the Diocesan Priests.
• A Need for a Centre for Pastoral Renewal and On - going Formation.
• A Possibility of a Regional University or at least a University College.
• A Comprehensive Self - reliance Programme.
• The Future of Catholic Schools and Catholic Education (need for a Christian Religious Education Syllabus).
• Justice and Peace Issues in the Region.

These themes tells us that although it was a regional gathering, the Bishops' vision was Panafrican. Present during that historic meeting were Bishops from Kenya, Nyasaland, Tanganyika, Uganda and Northern Rhodesia. These were the Founding Members of the regional body. The Sudan and Eritrea/Ethiopia joined later though the former were observers from the beginning.

The Bishops decided to form a board consisting of Bishop Representatives from the five founding conferences. This was known as the Inter-Regional Episcopal Board in Eastern Africa (ITEBEA).

Initially, ITEBEA was not to be a permanent structure, but rather a study forum where Bishops could meet time and again and together reflect on pastoral issues of common interest within the region. This was why they elected a part-time Secretary, Father Killian Flynn, who till 1964 was also full-time Secretary General for the Bishops' Conference of Northern Rhodesia. The meeting elected as ITEBEA's first Chairman the Most Reverend Adam Kozlowiecki, the former Archbishop of Lusaka till 1969 and now a Cardinal and Archbishop Emeritus. The late Cardinal Laurean Rugambwa was the President of ITEBEA. Today Cardinals are called Patrons of AMECEA. In a nutshell the beginnings of ITEBEA were characterized by the presence of prophetic and foresighted church leaders. The original intention of ITEBEA was to be a regional forum for collaborative study of and reflection on pastoral issues of common regional interest.

DEVELOPMENT OF AMECEA
1960:
Tanganyika Bishops propose collaboration among Catholic Bishops in the region. This will later be called the Inter-Regional Episcopal Board in Eastern Africa (ITEBEA).
1961:
The First ITEBEA Plenary takes place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
1964:
Second ITEBEA Plenary Assembly takes place in Rome, Italy.

Full-time Secretary General.

Permanent office in Nairobi, Kenya.

ITEBEA changed to AMECEA.

First Constitution of the Regional association approved.
1967:
Third Plenary of AMECEA in Kampala, Uganda.

Launch of AMECEA Pastoral Institute (API) in Ggaba Kampala, Uganda.
1968:
The birth of the following offices:

AMECEA Social Communications Department.

Religious Education Department.

AMECEA Research Department.

Gaba Publications (AFER and SPEARHEAD). AFER was launched in 1959 by the White Fathers (today's Missionaries of Africa) in Katigondo Major Seminary in Uganda.
1969:
SECAM (Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar) is founded in Kampala, Uganda.
1973:

Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference becomes a full member of AMECEA.

AMECEA Documentation Service (ADS) is launched in order to facilitate the dissemination of pastoral information and to provoke pastoral reflection and exchange of pastoral views in the region and beyond.
1975:
One year AMECEA Accountancy Course is established in Nyegezi Social Training Institute (NSTI) now St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) in Mwanza, Tanzania.
1976:
Apostolate to Nomads of AMECEA (ANA) is established.

AMECEA Pastoral Institute (API/Gaba) is forced to move from Uganda to Eldoret, Kenya due to political insecurity.
1977:
Ethiopia becomes a full member of AMECEA.
1984:
Catholic Higher Institute of Eastern Africa (CHIEA) is established.
1992:
CHIEA obtained accreditation/charter from the Government of Kenya and became the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA).
1993:
Independence of Eritrea. Its membership of AMECEA remains in the same conference i.e. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
1994:
AMECEA Pastoral Department is established.
1997:

SCBRC (Sudan Catholic Bishops' Regional Conference) is established.

Somalia becomes an Affiliate member of AMECEA.
1998:
Blessed Bakanja AMECEA College (BBAC) is founded. It is an AMECEA Regional Theological Seminary.
2002:

AMECEA Documentation Department (ADS) is merged to AMECEA Social Communications Department.

AMECEA Justice and Peace Desk is established under the Pastoral Department.

Apostolate to the Nomads of AMECEA (ANA) is incorporated to the AMECEA Pastoral Department as a Desk.

Revision of the Vision, Mission and Mandate of AMECEA.

Here it is important to note that as a legally recognized association, AMECEA has a juridical mandate on its own Institutions according to its Statutes.

AMECEA is a member of SECAM and is one of the Ten Regions of SECAM.