and Carl Ricketts, Jr., MDiv, Executive Director, Chaplain Services
It started as a dream, the idea of bringing accredited Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training to Africa. It lived in the prayers and plans of chaplains, educators, and healthcare leaders who longed to see professional spiritual care take root across the continent. The pandemic delayed progress, but the vision never faded. This summer, that dream became reality.
Starting in July 2025, eight chaplains from five African countries gathered in Malawi for the first-ever Global Chaplaincy Training (GCT): Africa Initiative—a landmark collaboration between Loma Linda University Health (LLUH), Adventist Health International (AHI), and the Global Health Institute (GHI). Hosted at Blantyre Adventist Hospital and Malamulo Adventist Hospital, the inaugural eight-week course provided 300 hours of clinical training and 100 hours of classroom learning under the guidance of LLUH’s Chaplain Services team.
“This is the first time LLUH and its ACPE Center are teaching Clinical Pastoral Education in Africa,” said Carl Ricketts, Jr., MDiv, Executive Director of Chaplain Services at Loma Linda University Medical Center. “It is a milestone seven years in the making, a testament to God’s faithfulness and to the perseverance of so many who kept the dream alive.”
The chaplain participants were selected by their conferences to form the inaugural cohort: Chaplain Dream Chipinda of Zambia; Chaplain Stain Kamputa, Chaplain David Kanjadza, Chaplain Allan Moyo, and Chaplain Gladson Thumbalamoto of Malawi; Chaplain Sahondrarison Ranjaolisera Misaela of Madagascar; Chaplain Douglas Mutanga of Zimbabwe; and Chaplain Morekolodi Seloka of Botswana. Each brought with them a calling to serve, as well as the weight of representing their nations in this historic endeavor.
For some, the training represented the fulfillment of a lifelong pursuit. “For many years, I attempted to pursue Pastoral Clinical Education but faced challenges in successfully completing it,” said Chaplain Thumbalamoto. “Today, I write this note with a heart full of gratitude as I embrace my new role as a trained chaplain.” Others emphasized the growth they experienced both personally and professionally. “Through CPE, I have developed compassionate and effective spiritual caregiving,” shared Chaplain Kanjadza. “It has promoted personal and professional growth in me.”
For Chaplain Kamputa, the moment was the culmination of a 12-year vision. “In 2013, my first CPE unit goal was to see Malawi have a CPE center. It was like a dream. I thank God that the dream has come true through Loma Linda.”
Their ACPE Educator, Ted Asfaw, DMin saw the transformation firsthand. “Skills are being unlocked in each cohort member—skills necessary to fulfill their chaplain duties and responsibilities,” he said. “This is a vision I have carried for 25 years, and it is an honor to give back to my beloved homeland of Africa.”
The journey does not end here. Each of the eight chaplains is expected to continue beyond this unit, pursuing three additional units of CPE required for board certification. Plans are already underway to expand the program into Eastern and Western Africa, and to develop local CPE Educators who can sustain the work for generations to come.
For now, the graduates of this first cohort return to their hospitals, churches, and communities equipped with new tools for compassionate, patient-centered care. And the dream that once felt distant now stands as a milestone of what faith, persistence, and partnership can accomplish.
Dr. Ricketts concluded, “We all heard God’s call, seeing the need for improved spiritual care for His children in Africa, and responded by living out the dream. We thank God for being the Keeper of Dreams. This is only the beginning.”