Pentecostal Theological Education Must Form Public Witnesses, Not Only Church Workers

On 16 October 2026, the Free Pentecostal Fellowship in Kenya reported on a three-day consultation held from 6 to 8 October by its national leadership and Karen Christian College. The discussions connected stronger theological foundations with practical community engagement, advocacy and social accountability. This is a current institutional report about a consultation and its intentions. It is not an independent evaluation showing that a revised curriculum has changed congregations or communities. FPFK, 16 October 2026

The consultation nevertheless raises an urgent question for Pentecostal churches across Africa and beyond. What kind of minister is theological education trying to form? If the answer is only a person who can preach inside a church service, administer a congregation and repeat inherited doctrines, the curriculum is too small for the mission of God. Pentecostal ministry occurs among families, schools, workplaces, digital networks, public institutions and communities carrying conflict, poverty, migration, disability, ecological pressure and contested authority.

The church needs leaders who know Scripture, love God, discern the Spirit and serve congregations faithfully. It also needs leaders who can listen across difference, interpret context, protect the vulnerable, reason publicly, use evidence responsibly and organise collective action without turning ministry into political control. Theological education must form church workers, but it must also form public witnesses whose faith becomes intelligible, accountable and life-giving among their neighbours.

A peer-reviewed study published…