“Church Life Africa” Initiative Mobilizing Young Lay Catholics as “foot soldiers” for Theological Renewal in Africa

He continued, “We need to match our passion with grounded theological education and engagement.”

Drawing inspiration from the American model, particularly at Notre Dame, where lay theologians hold prominent roles in the academia and Church leadership, Fr. Amadi said, “Africa doesn’t yet have that. We want to build it.”

Organized under the theme, “Catholic Culture: Local Expressions of a Living Tradition,” The 2025 CLA conference brought together young theologians, students, Clergy, members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL), and the Laity for a three-day formation event that concluded on July 5 at the CSN Secretariat in Abuja.

Fr. Amadi explained that the theme was deliberately chosen to explore how Africa’s local expressions—through liturgy, art, education, and prayer—contribute meaningfully to the Church.

“Our local expressions are not deviations. They are essential expressions of our faith. The Catholic tradition is a living tradition,” he said.

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Fr. Amadi noted that CLA targets young Catholic undergraduates and graduates. He explained, “We want to invest in them as lay theologians, as faith ambassadors. These are people who would not just engage in superficial faith practices but deeply understand and live out the core tenets of Catholicism.”

Speaking at the conclusion of the event on July 5, Dr. Tim Gray, President of the Augustine Institute in the U.S. and a key partner of CLA, said, “We are excited about partnering with Church Life Africa. The Church here in Africa is energetic, vibrant, and deeply faithful. Our goal is to support this with strong catechesis and theological training.”

He insisted that theology must be practical and lived. “Theology must have walking shoes. It’s not just about priests. Lay people, too, need to know theology because we’re all called to holiness,” Dr. Gray said.

On his part, Fr. William Orbih of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja stressed the need to drop the perception that theology is the exclusive preserve of the Clergy.

“For too long, lay people have felt like second-class citizens in their own Church. One of our goals at CLA is to empower them to claim ownership of their Church,” Fr. Orbih said, and added, “You don’t have to be a Priest to study or teach theology. Some of our best resource persons have been lay theologians from the U.S. We want to see more of that here in Africa.”

Beyond theology, the CLA initiative is seeks to address contemporary challenges such as secularism, youth disaffection with religion, and shifting cultural identities.

“Many young people feel disoriented; they lose faith not because God is absent, but because they are not helped to reimagine what faith truly is. Sometimes it’s due to the lack of accountability among Clergy or structures that don’t make them feel part of the community,” Fr. Orbih said.

Church Life Africa, he said, responds by inviting young people to reclaim ownership of their faith communities. “We want them to know they can lead, not just follow. They are co-responsible for the mission of the Church,” Fr. Orbih said.

Also speaking to ACI Africa on the sidelines of the event, Dorothy Amake, a participant at the three-day conference, thanked organizers, calling it “mind-blowing and explosive.”

Dorothy said that the event opened her eyes to the theological significance of practices often taken for granted.

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“Church Life 2025 has helped us see our liturgical celebrations in a different light. Dancing and singing during offertory or thanksgiving aren’t just cultural habits — they are forms of prayer. The conference helped us understand that those saint-makers who danced and sang were praising God meaningfully.” Dorothy said.

She emphasized that CLA is redefining the role of the Laity, especially young people, in shaping the Church in Africa.

“It’s not just the Priests or Religious that should drive the Church. We, the lay faithful, have a key part to play. Church Life Africa is helping us realize our responsibility in contributing to the Church’s growth,” Dorothy told ACI Africa during the July 5 interview.

Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Catholic journalist with passion for Church communication and media apostolate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Benue State University, Makurdi in Benue State Nigeria. He has a background in print, electronic and multi-media production.