Leading from the grassroots

"I couldn’t call you back because the sun wasn’t shining." It was an illogical explanation to UK ears - but made total sense when Daniel realised his colleague in Africa relied on a solar cell to power the phone.

Daniel Magagnin works for the Relay Trust, and in the parts of Africa where they operate, challenges and workarounds are a fact of life. For the growing Anglican church, one of the biggest challenges is the unmet need for trained pastors.

A DIFFERENT REALITY

"It is incredibly different to our reality in the UK", Daniel explains. "There’s an Anglican diocese in Africa with just 7 ordained clergy despite being four times the size of the UK. Many congregations can only hold a communion service every 2 years because there is no ordained priest to conduct it."

The Relay Trust is an Oxford-based Christian charity and Daniel - who graduated from Wycliffe Hall in 2023 - is its Deputy COO and Regional Relationship Manager for Lusophone Africa. He says: "We used data to identify the 200 poorest dioceses in the Anglican Communion. 197 of these are in Africa and the Relay Trust currently works with 126 of them."

The Relay Trust aims to build partnerships with churches across Africa, provide strategic development consultancy, support the creation of transformational curriculums, facilitate the growth of learning communities, and establish necessary learning infrastructure.

A GRASSROOTS APPROACH

Daniel explains: "Our work isn’t just evangelism - the message is already out there and in most places Christianity is in growth. On a weekly basis, people are walking miles to attend services under fruit trees or to receive basic theological training – which is very encouraging and inspiring. There is a desperate need for people who can minister to them with more than two recycled sermons."

These are the people The Relay Trust is helping to train - and it's a grassroots approach because it's aimed at the lower, often forgotten, end of the hierarchy. Many congregations are led by unpaid catechists. Their role is to 'assist' clergy - yet very often there are no clergy. Daniel explains:

"Training helps these individuals handle responsibilities that - out of necessity - they’ve already assumed. It equips them to preach; interpret scripture; manage congregations; engage with wider communities.”

JOURNEY TO THEOLOGY

Daniel’s own theological training had been an aspiration but never a plan. Married, living in London and working in education management across 4 schools, life was already full. Then Covid hit and closed the schools forcing Daniel to take a sabbatical. "I had to slow down and face myself!", as he puts it.

As someone who’d always been 'wired for altruism', Daniel’s desire to make a difference in others' lives had driven his vocation in Education. But now drawn to influencing lives beyond the temporal - via a spiritual dimension - he gave up his job to enrol as a full-time Theology student at Wycliffe Hall.

"Yes, it was risky; yes there were sacrifices involved; but God was there, for the whole journey", he recalls. "God was opening one door, then another."

REFLECTIONS ON WYCLIFFE

With some 60% of Wycliffe students enrolled on non-ordinand courses, Daniel is keen to emphasise the value of a Theology degree to wider life. "It's a tool – and not just for ordination. It really opens doors."

He feels Wycliffe Hall offers a unique experience:

"When you study Theology, it's a very deep journey - it shapes and changes you. This happens best when you're open and vulnerable: being in the right environment with support, guidance and community, is key. Wycliffe has a very holistic approach and gave me an immersive, formative experience."

It was Daniel's Fellowship Tutor at Wycliffe who put him in touch with the Relay Trust after Daniel had casually mentioned an interest in mission and Africa.

"Wycliffe has enabled me not only academically but vocationally", he says. "What I gained was much more than academic input: I was learning about myself and seeing a new dimension opening to me."