Key points:
- Members of The United Methodist Church’s Upper New York and Susquehanna annual conferences approved the women’s dormitory project.
- According to the Upper New York resolution, Africa University can house only about half of its enrolled students on campus.
- The initial plan was to complete the campaign within four years, then start construction. However, the conferences are exploring funding the dormitory up front, so that building can begin as soon as possible.
Responding to Africa University’s pressing need for student housing, two U.S. annual conferences are partnering to raise $1.5 million for building a new dormitory for women.
Members of The United Methodist Church’s Upper New York and Susquehanna annual conferences, meeting separately in May and early June, approved the project.
“Both conferences share a long and faithful history of advocating for access to education as a pathway to individual and communal transformation,” said Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez. “They also share a longstanding relationship with Africa University — supporting endowed scholarships and, in previous seasons, contributing to the general development fund. This project builds on that legacy.”
A group from Upper New York, led by the bishop, visited the campus at Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, in February 2025. After meeting with school leaders and students, the Upper New York members discussed building a 92-bed dormitory for women in partnership with Susquehanna.
According to the Upper New York resolution submitted by the Rev. Jeff Childs, Africa University can house only about half of its enrolled students on campus. The shortage is especially challenging because Mutare, the nearest city, is about seven miles from the campus, and public transportation is limited, costly and unreliable. More than half of the students — 57% — are women, and campus housing is also essential for students from a nearby camp for displaced people.
On the night following the Susquehanna Conference vote, member Milton Loyer of Shepherdstown United Methodist Church in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, had an inspiration.
“That night, God laid two particular thoughts on my mind: that the AU dormitory need was immediate, and that construction costs were sure to rise over the next three years,” he said. He prepared a resolution for the conference to fund the dormitory up front.
Burgos-Núñez said the initial plan was to complete the campaign within four years, then start construction. “However, during the Susquehanna Annual Conference session, the body — led, I believe, by the Holy Spirit — approved a bold secondary motion from the floor directing the SUS Council on Finance and Administration to explore advancing the necessary construction funds from unrestricted reserves by Dec. 31, so that building can begin as soon as possible.
“We are now actively studying this possibility and consulting with (Upper New York) to discern whether both conferences can move forward together on this new approach,” he said.
In consultation with the Africa University development team, the bishop said he plans to convene a team of people from both conferences to guide the campaign.
“Personally, I am humbled by the way both conferences have embraced this vision, and deeply inspired by their bold faith and generosity,” he said.
Tanton is the former director of UM News, now retired.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
