Photo caption: The EDS Fellows and their mentors represent over a dozen countries in the Global South across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Oceania - many of which share histories of colonialism and economic exploitation. More information on their professional backgrounds can be found here.
Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) launched its inaugural Fellows Program - an initiative of Distinguished Scholar, Dr. Kwok Pui Lan - designed to nurture the leadership potential of Anglican women leaders from the Global South.
The fellows program aims to address the reality that while the majority of Anglicans reside in the Global South, the voices of emerging female leaders in these contexts have not been sufficiently heard. This program is situated within a larger movement inside the Anglican Communion to develop polycentric leadership and practices. In opposition to its colonial legacy, the aim is to cultivate a global church community with multiple centers of equal importance. This fellows program seeks to empower women leaders from the Global South and foster a more polycentric, globally representative Anglican identity.
Dr. Kwok Pui Lan, a renowned scholar in Asian and Asian American feminist theology and postcolonial criticism, will mentor the fellows. Joining Dr. Kwok as mentors are two distinguished theologians: Dr. Esther Mombo from Kenya, a leading voice in African women's theology, and Dr. Jenny Te Paa Daniel (Te Rarawa) from Aotearoa New Zealand, globally recognized for her critiques of systemic injustices within the church and her advocacy for women's leadership.
“This fellowship program is a crucial step in empowering the women leaders who are shaping the future of our church, ensuring their voices are heard and their insights are integrated into the broader Anglican discourse," said Dr. Kwok.
The inaugural cohort comprises ten women leaders from ten different countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, and Oceania. These fellows represent a diverse range of ministries and experiences, including lay and ordained leaders, theological educators, and activists. All have been active in the work of the Anglican Church, bringing valuable practical and scholarly perspectives.
The 2025–2026 EDS Fellows are:
- Paula de Mello Alves (Brazil): Executive Secretary of the Southern Diocese of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, advocating for youth and women's ministry
- The Rev. Natalie Blake (Jamaica & the Cayman Islands): Tutor and Warden of Anglican Students at the United Theological College of the West Indies
- Dr. Sanjana Das (India): Feminist theologian, biblical scholar, and advocate for human rights and gender justice
- Sunshine Dulnuan (Philippines): Indigenous theologian, teaching theology and gender justice at St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary
- Dr. Thandi Gamedze (South Africa): Educator, theologian, and Senior Researcher at the University of the Western Cape’s Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice
- The Rev. Dr. Akua Ofori-Boateng (Ghana): Director of Programmes for the Anglican Diocese of Accra, and cofounder of the Aequitas Foundation
- The Rev. Nancy Auma Omino (Kenya): Anglican priest in the Diocese of Maseno South, and chairperson of the St. Paul’s University chapter of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians
- Nuha El-Far Shaheen (Palestine): Vestry member at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ramallah with a master's degree in Public Affairs Theology
- Dr. Alaimaluloa Toetu’u-Tamihere (Kingdom of Tonga/Aotearoa New Zealand): Educator passionate about care for creation
- The Rev. Claire Chia-lin Wang (Taiwan): Curate at St. John’s Cathedral
Over the course of the year, from June 2025 to May 2026, the cohort will meet virtually each month, fostering a supportive environment for collaborative research, scholarship, and ministry. Opportunities for in-person gatherings will also be provided, the first of which will be in Atlanta, Georgia, in the November Conference: Living Postcolonial Anglicanism: Prospects for a Polycentric Anglican Communion. A goal of the cohort program is the publication of a book about Anglican women from the Global South, co-authored by the cohort members.