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‘Mapping innovative Development and implementation of plans and strategies for an effective and sustainable management of the churches assets, especially land': This was the focus of a workshop in Harare/Zimbabwe on 5-7 February 2018, organised by Globethics.net in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC). 

 

Professor Christoph Stueckelberger, President and founder of Globethics.net, was the main facilitator of the two days seminar programme, led by ZCC General Secretary Dr. Kenneth Mtata. Mr NPS Zhou, ZCC Treasurer and Asset Expert, opened the workshop with a speech on ‘Challenges and prospect of sustainability of churches and their assets in Zimbabwe'.

 

On the first day, the 24 participants, including church leaders, church asset managers and leaders of Christian Seminaries, learned how to evaluate the current situation of their assets. In Zimbabwe, it is urgent that churches look at their land titles as many territories acquired during the colonial era expire now after 99 years. This exercise allowed the participants to gain an overview, which they drew upon on the in the following workshop to develop a plan to monitor those resources. 

 

 

 

Dr Stückelberger provided the participants with success stories on how Churches and Christian Related Organizations (CROs) can be innovative in becoming financial sustainable and less dependent on donations by improving their assets management and by balancing income from donations and business. Additionally, Dr Stueckelberger mentored the participants on the elaboration of the plans. 

 

Beside of providing a plan for a sustainable management of the churches assets, the aim of the workshop was to reinforce the importance of becoming ethical innovators. A Real Estate consultancy company showed the market potential in the ‘new Zimbabwe'. 

 

The workshop report will be available soon from ZCC (kmtata@zcc-eco.org).

 

Resource materials used during the course were drawn from the Globethics.net library with more than 7,500 documents on assets management and Globethics.net publications. 

 

• For more information about the African Church Assets Programme (ACAP), click here.