AMECEA Departments

GENERAL SECRETARIAT

The authority over all AMECEA's activities rests with the Plenary Assembly of all the Bishops of the AMECEA countries. Between the Plenary Assemblies, the Executive Board takes the necessary decisions, according to the AMECEA priorities. The day to day decisions are taken on behalf of the Chairman by the Secretary General.

The Secretary General is appointed by the Plenary Assembly. He works in close collaboration with the Chairman, implementing the mandates of the Plenary Assemblies and the AMECEA Board. He maintains contact with all involved in the work of AMECEA Departments and Institutions which have been established to meet the requirements mandated by the Bishops.

The general secretariat is based in Nairobi, Kenya. The Secretary General executes AMECEA's wide range of activities and coordinates the AMECEA departments and institutions.

The Staff of the department are:
Fr. Pius Rutechura- Secretary General
Sr. Rose Nyakio- Administrative Secretary

AMECEA General Secretariat
P.O. Box 21191, 00505 Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: (254-02) 3878.008/10 Fax: 3878.009, 3871.590
E-mail
http://www.amecea.org

SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

Established in 1968, the department's aim is to foster the different fields of social communications in the AMECEA Region.

It is an organ of liaison and collaboration between the constituent conferences specially through the national departments of Social Communications in the different AMECEA Countries.

Since the Executive Board of AMECEA in February 2002, the Bishops have incorporated the AMECEA Documentation Service Department as a Desk in the AMECEA Social Communications Department. This was due to the nature of their work.

The Staff of the department are:
Fr. Moses Hamungole - Director
Ms. Joyce Anne Kagwa - Administrative Secretary

AMECEA Social Communications Department
P.O. Box 21053, 00505 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254-020) 387.80.08/10, 387.12.29 Fax: 387.15.90, 387.80.09
E-mail
http://www.amecea.org

AMECEA Documentation Service (ADS): Established in 1973. The ADS was merged to the AMECEA Social Communications Department in February, 2002. This desk aims at sharing pastoral initiatives and experiences, pastoral letters and statements, between the dioceses in the region and abroad. ADS offers the universal Church an on-going picture of developments within the AMECEA region.

For this purpose, ADS releases are sent to subscribers. On request, ADS also provides documentation on the Region.

The desk is now vacant.

AMECEA Documentation Service
P.O. Box 21191, 00505 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254-20) 387.80.08/10, 387.12.29
Fax: 387.15.90, 387.80.09
E-mail
http://www.amecea.org

AMECEA PASTORAL DEPARTMENT

Established in 1994, its purpose is:

to offer inspiration and support to pastoral departments of AMECEA churches.
to facilitate the exchange of ideas, research, efforts, pastoral experiences and initiatives with sister churches.
to identify pastoral problems and propose relevant pastoral strategies and policies. This is achieved through visits, meetings, seminars and publications.

Since the last plenary in Dar es Salaam 2002, the Bishops have incorporated the following three desks under the Pastoral Department. These are:

1. COLEA:

This desk is in charge of COLEA (Council of the Laity for Eastern Africa) re-established in 1997. Its aim is:

to assist and encourage the laity to understand and fulfil their evangelizing mission.
to promote dialogue between the laity and Bishops, priests and religious in order to build up the church as a family.
to foster human and Christian formation and technical training of the laity.
to encourage the exchange of information/experiences among the AMECEA laity.

The desk is vacant.

2. JUSTICE and PEACE Desk:

Promotes Justice and Peace in society and in the Church and works towards a change of unjust structures as part of the evangelising mission of the Church.

Established in 2002, the JP Desk works towards:

The establishment of a network of the Justice and Peace Commissions in the AMECEA region and the formation of a Global African Justice and Peace network.
Capacity building and supporting the formation of new Justice and Peace Commissions where they do not exist yet.
Formation programs on Justice and Peace and Social Teaching on the Church, in order to create awareness on these issues and foster a commitment.
Building a culture of peace and working towards the resolution of conflicts in the region.
Developing and fostering a Spirituality of Justice and Peace.
Fostering the commitment of the Church and Christians to live the preferential option for the poor.
Lobbying Regional and International Organizations, to make the voice of the Church heard on issues influencing the life of the people in the AMECEA region.
Networking and supporting the JP Commissions and dioceses working with Refugees.
Formation of Pastoral Agents working with Refugees.
Giving information on and analysing issues related to Justice and Peace affecting the region.

The Staff of the desk are:
Fr. James Waweru - Coordinator
Ms. Christine Mwanzia- Secretary

3. APOSTOLATE to the NOMADS of AMECEA (ANA):

Established in 1976, it aims at evangelising the pastoralist people, nomadic or semi-nomadic. It is a particularly demanding task because of their unique way of life, social organisation, culture in general and of their traditional religion in particular. It deserves therefore a particular attention from the local churches. ANA's office of the AMECEA has been an expression of this attention of the church in East Africa.

The Staff of the desk are:
Dr. Hans Stoks - Coordinator
Mr. David Ndegwa - Assistant Coordinator

AMECEA Pastoral Department
P.O. Box 21191, 00505 Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel: 387.80.08/10 Fax: 387.80.09
E-mail
www.amecea.org