Abstract As the global church reflects on the question “Where now for visible unity?” this article argues that visible unity cannot be achieved without visible freedom, particularly for the African church. Rooted in historical erasure and theological marginalization, Christian education in Africa remains shaped by colonial frameworks that limit its agency, suppress its voice, and alienate its contextual theological richness. This article contends that decolonizing theological education is not merely an academic task but an ecclesial necessity to be able to discern the image of God. Drawing on contextual theology, postcolonial critique, and African ecclesiological realities, this article explores how the structural dependency of African theological institutions – from publishing and curricula to accreditation and validation – continues to reinforce epistemic inequality within the global church. True unity must be forged through freedom, justice, and mutual recognition, rather than through assimilation or inherited models of harmony. The African Church must be empowered to research, document, and teach theology from its own context. Only then can visible unity be achieved – not as uniformity, but as a co‐created vision of global Christianity rooted in dignity, freedom, and contextual integrity.
Makena et al. (Mon,) studied this question.