“Set apart to announce the Gospel in Africa, with Africa and from Africa!” is the theme chosen for the General Assembly 2025 of the Society of African Missions that will be held from Monday, 28 April 2025 to Sunday 18th May 2025 in Roma, Italia. This is the fruit of the group work that was undertaken yesterday by the Plenary Council regarding the protocol of the General Assembly on this fourth day of work.Unlike the 2019 GA that lasted for four weeks, the Plenary Council has unanimously agreed to reduce the duration of the GA 2025 to a period of three weeks.

According to the laws and constitution of the SMA, (CL 71-78) the Superior General and his Council, Provincial Superiors, and District Superiors are Ex officio Members to the GA. With the new units in place, the Plenary Council was conscious about the representation of all units and came up with a formula. They decided that the elected delegates to the General Assembly will be determined by the number of members in a Unit as shown in the table below.

It is the responsibility of each Province or District to determine its electoral college in such a way that the different sectors of the Unit are sufficiently represented among the delegates in accordance with (CL 77). 

The seconded members will choose, before voting begins, under which Province or District they prefer to exercise their voting rights (passive and active voice) and will inform the Superior of Province or District of origin and the Superior of Province or District of secondment by 1^st March, 2024.

Units will decide whether they will use manual or electronic methods of voting, and the election of delegates must be completed by 28 October 2024.

As usual, the General Bursar will be an invitee to the entire session of the General assembly if he is not an elected delegate.

In preparation for the GA 2025, Each Unit/Community/theology formation house will organize a systematic reflection by all its members using the prepared questionnaire. The Results of the reflection will be sent by the Superior of the Unit/ Community/theology formation house to the GA 2025 Preparatory Commission by 30 June 2024.

A detailed Report on the State of the Society and its missionary activities will be prepared by the Superior General and his Council with contributions from the Unit Superiors. This report will be sent to every member one year before General Assembly 2025 (CL 79).

Each Unit will be responsible for the Consultation on the choice of the Superior General (CL 88) and Members will participate only in the consultative vote organized by their Units of origin.  It should be noted that there will be only one round of consultation and all members, temporary and permanent will write three names of people who are at least 35 years of age and are permanent members at least for the past 5 years (CL 87). The first name will receive 3 points, the second 2 points and the third 1 point.

Plenary Council 2023 approved the General Assembly 2025 budget that will be covered by the Interaid Fund. 

This is a sneak peak of some of the points that members agreed upon on the Plenary Council pending the voting and adoption of the protocol document for GA 2025.

Like yesterday members worked in groups again during the afternoon session and if you want to know the outcome check on us tomorrow as we bring you fresh news about PC 2023 all the way from Lyon France.  

                                                                                         By Dominic Wabwireh, SMA