There are churches in Mozambique, but hardly any well-trained pastors with sufficient Bible knowledge. Proper training is badly needed. The theological school AMITEM has grown from an initiative of Dutch missionaries to a training institute recognised by the Mozambique government. The school is owned by four church communities in Mozambique. Rev Alberto Antonio Nahoma is its director.
In Dutch, the acronym AMITEM means ‘Missionary Association for the Promotion of Theology in Mozambique’. The Bible school has two programmes: EBOM and ETE.
EBOM
EBOM is the abbreviation forEscóla Biblica Okhapelela Masu(Bible School Keep the Word).It is taught by guest teachers from participating churches and from sister churches in Brazil and the Netherlands. The school is led by Rev José Fernando Teixeira.
The students, who often also have jobs or other commitments, come to the school for a month four times a year to attend classes. They stay overnight on campus or in the town of Mocuba during those teaching periods.
In the video below, pastor Mario Duarte Martin talks about how he had little theological knowledge, like many church leaders in Mozambique. He discovered how important Bible knowledge is and he is happy with his education.
ETE
ETE stands for Educação Teológica por Extensão (on-site theological education).A group of trainees is registered by their church and follows the teaching programme offered in their region. The teachers seek out the trainees there. The classes often take several days, which is why there is also sleeping accommodation at the teaching location.
The format of the course is that of train the trainers: the trainees are expected to pass on what they have learned back to people in their communities. This is how education expands.
The entire course takes three years to complete. Those who complete the entire course will receive a certificate.
The lessons of the ETE programme are fully Biblical but very easy to follow. Some trainees can barely read and write and have to rely mainly on their memory. There is practice in processing the lesson material: the trainees make their own lesson from what they have learned, for example for Sunday school.
Find out more in the following stories:
- New training from Bible School Mozambique (2026)
- Hoogeveen back in Mozambique (2025)
- How the church can survive a civil war (Doorgeven September 2025)
