Archbishop Thabo Makgoba

Anglican Church of Southern Africa

PRESIDENT

After ordination, he served in various positions at the johannesburg Anglican Diocese, during this time he graduated at Wits with a BA (Honours) in Applied Psychology and an MEd in Educational Psychology, and lectured in the Division of Specialized Education at the Wits College of Education, where he was Dean of Knockando Residence. He was elected Bishop Suffragan of Grahamstown in 2002, then as Bishop of Grahamstown in 2004 and as Archbishop in the year 2008. He pioneered the concept of indaba in the worldwide Anglican Communion as a means of getting to grips with difference and was decorated by the Archbishop of Canterbury with the Cross of St Augustine for his role in the Communion. He is the former chair of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network and continues to serve as a Board Member in several NGO’s in both Ecumenical and Interfaith Bodies.

Since moving to Cape Town, he earned a PhD from the University of Cape Town for a thesis on Spirituality in the South African Mining Workplace and has also received degrees in various disciplines. Revd. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba is currently the Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape and he has in recent years taught MBA students at the University of Cape Town on Ethical Leadership and Stewardship and he is also an Executive in Residence at the Wits Business School. He served as a commissioner for the Press Freedom Commission under Justice Pius Langa and has been a panelist and discussion leader at various World Economic Forum meetings in Davos.

He is a husband and a father of two children- who enjoys walking, nature and reading. He has published three books- Connectedness (2005); Workplace Spirituality in a Mine Context (2012); and Faith and Courage: Praying with Mandela (2017)

Ms Nomasonto Eglad Magwaza

Ecumenical Service for Socio- economic Transformation

1st VICE PRESIDENT

Nomasonto Magwaza is a gender/feminist activist, raised in the Vaal Triangle -Sebokeng zone 13. She is a mother of two .She is passionate about socio-economic justice issues, particularly the movement of building and organizing women of faith across the region.

She is currently the executive director of Ecumenical Service for Socio Economic Transformation, chairing the board of Act Ubumbano. She’s a member of the Regional Gender task team under Act Ubumbano and has been involved in social justice work for over 13 years. She has a degree in developmental studies and a Diploma in Business Administration from VUT.

She has worked as a national coordinator for Youth for Work, and has also been the chairperson of Jubilee South Africa. She currently serves on the board of the Church land Programme and Benchmark Foundation. She is a baptized member of the Apostolic Faith Mission.

She has been involved in the Ecumenical sector for over 13 years as gender activists, development and training facilitator she holds strong views on women emancipation as a driving force towards economic transformations and social justice.

Ian Booth

Diakonia Council of Churches

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

Ian Booth was born in the year 1955 in the bustling city of Durban. After completing high school in 1972, he worked and trained as a Building Inspector for the then Natal Provincial Administration. He was later accepted as a candidate for the ministry of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa in 1977 but deferred commencing theological studies until his contractual obligations to the province had been met.

He studied at the Federal Theological Seminary (FedSem) in the year 1980 – 1982, completing the Associate of the Federal Theological Seminary (AFTS). This saw him stationed in Port Elizabeth as a probationer minister, serving the Pearson Street and North End congregations; where he was later called and ordained at the Summerstrand United Church in the year 1985.

He later returned to Durban in 1993 to serve the St Luke’s Congregational Church full-time. In 2001, he began serving as the Registrar at Inanda Seminary and the year of 2004 saw him serving as the General Secretary of the Durban YMCA, a position he currently still holds. He has subsequently served the Berea Congregational Church (2008-13) and St Luke’s Congregational Church (2013-present) in a self-supporting category.

Ian Booth has served as the President of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa from 1999-2001 and the Interim General Secretary from 2017 -2019 (following the passing n office of the General Secretary). He was been Chair of Diakonia Council of Churches from 2011-2017 and Treasurer from 2017- 18 and sets to diligently serve as Vice President of the South African Council of Churches

Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana

Ethiopian Episcopal Church

General Secretary

Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, a retired bishop of the Ethiopian Episcopal  Church, is the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches, spearheading its work to lead common Christian action that works for moral witness in South Africa, addressing issues of social and economic justice, national reconciliation, the integrity of creation, eradication of poverty, and contributing towards the empowerment of all those who are spiritually, socially and economically marginalized. In this context, he is charged with spearheading the SACC campaign  The South Africa We Pray For, activated through the Civil Society Manifesto, a product of the SACC-initiated National Convention of South Africa process. In this regard as General Secretary.

Bishop Mpumlwana leads the SACC in national advocacy and local ecumenical action of churches on the four pillars of the SACC campaign of Healing and Reconciliation; Economic Transformation; Comprehensive Quality Education; and Anchoring Democracy – a contribution to the promise of the post-apartheid South Africa: a just, reconciled, peaceful, equitable and sustainable society, free of racial, tribal, xenophobic and gender prejudices, free of corruption and deprivation, and with enough food and shelter for all; and for a society where each child born can grow and reach their  God-given potential.

The Executive Committee is responsible for managing the Council’s finances in accordance with sound financial principles and interpreting and applying Council policy in the period between National Conferences. It is also responsible for appointing a General Secretary and, if necessary a Deputy General Secretary. The Executive Committee oversees the development and implementation of programmes, assists with raising funds and appoints sub-committees and delegates powers and duties to them. It is also responsible for the management of Council staff and, more generally, to build the image of the Council and foster good community relations. The Executive Committee meets at least four times in a calendar year.

Meet our current NEC members: