African Christian Authors Training & Empowerment
The story of how CLC Kenya strengthened African Christian authors through training, empowerment, publicity, technology, and a growing continental community of faith-filled writers.
Equipping African Christian authors for wider ministry impact
In 2023, CLC Kenya continued its mission to strengthen African Christian authors through structured training, empowerment, publicity, publishing support, and digital visibility. The project, African Christian Authors Training & Empowerment, addressed a growing need that had become increasingly clear since 2018.
Many African Christian authors had responded faithfully to the call to write, but needed support to move beyond the writing and publishing stage. Books were being written, testimonies were being preserved, and ministry messages were being put into print, but authors still needed training, community, publicity, market access, technology, and encouragement to keep going.
This year helped us strengthen the people, tools, and structures needed to serve authors more consistently. It also helped authors see that their books could become more than printed products; they could become discipleship tools, school programmes, podcasts, blogs, audio resources, church resources, and platforms for Gospel witness.
From platform to movement
Since the authors’ platform began in 2018, CLC Kenya has seen steady growth in African Christian authorship. By 2022, more than 400 authors had been served, with about 200 authors actively engaging weekly.
In 2023, we built on that foundation by training more authors, increasing publicity, improving media capacity, and strengthening a growing community of writers across Africa.
2023 Impact at a Glance
What we set out to accomplish
Training & Retraining
We set out to train or retrain 200 authors and support many of them to go beyond traditional book-selling into eBooks, audio books, blogs, podcasts, book programmes, social media influence, partnerships, and collaborations.
Publicity & Awareness
We aimed to increase awareness of African Christian authors and their books, moving from 10,000 reach in 2022 to a target of 20,000 reach by the end of 2023.
Quality & Global Reach
We sought to improve book quality through better editing and design, encourage selected relaunches, grow book sales, and pursue rights and translation opportunities for African Christian content.
Milestones Reached
We successfully trained and retrained more than 200 authors in 2023, covering all the modules intended for the year and completing the training sessions two months earlier than planned.
Attendance rose from an earlier average of about 20 authors per session to approximately 50 authors per session for most of the 10 sessions. This was a strong sign that the Authors Training and Empowerment programme had gained acceptance and trust.
Publicity also exceeded expectations. We had hoped to grow from 10,000 reach to 20,000 reach, but by the end of 2023 we had achieved 40,000 direct reach. That was twice the annual target and four times the 2022 baseline.
Training that helped writers see beyond the printed book
Judges’ Feedback & Book Improvement
Authors were helped to listen to professional feedback, identify areas of improvement, and understand the value of editorial excellence and strong book design.
Digital Publishing
Training included eBooks, Amazon, audio books, and the importance of making Christian content available in formats that meet readers where they are.
Blogging, Podcasting & Content Repurposing
Authors were encouraged to use existing book content for blogs, podcasts, social media posts, and ongoing reader engagement rather than allowing their books to sit quietly on shelves.
Book Programmes
Writers explored how their books could become programmes in churches, schools, workplaces, families, ministry groups, and community networks.
Authorpreneurship & Collaboration
Authors were trained to think about sustainability, partnerships, reader access, influence, and the wisdom of working together. Indeed, two are better than one.
Rights and Wider Markets
The training and follow-up conversations helped authors understand that African Christian content can travel beyond national borders through rights, translation, and publishing partnerships.
Publicity became one of the year’s strongest wins
Increased publicity meant that more readers discovered African Christian authors, their books, and their ministry messages. It also strengthened the visibility of African Christian Authors as a platform where African voices of faith can be discovered, celebrated, and supported.
This growth in reach was not merely a marketing statistic. It represented more author stories told, more books seen, more testimonies shared, and more opportunities for readers to encounter Christian content written from within African realities.
The numbers tell part of the story
Authors Trained
More than 200 authors were trained or retrained in 2023. Attendance rose significantly, with many sessions drawing around 50 authors, showing strong acceptance of the programme.
Continental Gathering
The ACABA Book Fest and Award Gala brought together approximately 500 authors from 13 African countries at Daystar University for fellowship, visibility, networking, and celebration.
Direct Impact
The project directly impacted an estimated 1,500 people, including authors, readers, children, online audiences, ministry partners, and participants connected to author-led initiatives.
When the programme began to grow its own feet
One of the most encouraging outcomes of 2023 was that authors began taking ownership of the vision. From the beginning, we hoped the Authors Training and Empowerment programme would become author-driven. In 2023, we began to see this happen in practical and beautiful ways.
Poetry authors started an Open Mic Poetry initiative. A Young Adults category author began a school ministry initiative in Uganda, with possible similar initiatives in Kenya. Another author ran a months-long social media campaign for the Children’s category.
Authors also collaborated on projects and co-authored several books. Training became more than attendance; it began producing ownership, leadership, and multiplication.
Why this matters
Training is fruitful when participants begin to own the vision and multiply it in their own spaces. In 2023, authors were not only receiving; they were responding, organising, leading, collaborating, and carrying Christian literature into new places.
Challenges that shaped our learning
Implementation Support
Although more than 200 authors were trained, we were not able to support as many authors as planned in implementing the training. Staffing gaps limited follow-up for authors who needed closer guidance after the sessions.
Republishing Delays
We had hoped to support several selected books through republishing, but staffing illness and timeline challenges meant that only one book was completed. This reminded us that book quality improvement requires a stronger structure.
Market Penetration
We hoped authors would grow from selling an average of 100 books per year to 200 books per year. This did not happen as expected. We learned that sales growth requires deeper strategy, distribution, consistency, and focused author engagement.
Technology, translation, and wider visibility
Media Equipment Upgrade
The media department received an important equipment upgrade, improving our ability to capture author stories, record testimonies, document events, produce publicity content, and serve authors with better quality digital visibility.
Timely Arrival Before the Gala
The upgraded equipment arrived in good time before the annual gala. This helped us serve the event better, reduce reliance on external media support, and document the work with greater excellence.
First Translation Contract
One selected book received a translation contract for the French market. While the process took longer than expected, it opened a pathway for learning and future rights opportunities.
ACABA Book Fest and Award Gala
The annual gathering brought together approximately 500 authors from 13 African countries. It became a space for fellowship, celebration, visibility, children’s programming, networking, and renewed courage for African Christian authors.
Recipient Testimony
“May I extend a huge thank you to CLC and the ACABA organising team for creating a platform for Christian Authors to inspire others and spread God’s love. Africa needs this, and you have plugged a gap that will be of value to many now, and in the years to come.”Agnes Nyamayarwo, Uganda, residing in the UK, author of Finding Solace
A book born out of courage, pain, and hope
One awardee shared that she wrote her book after several years of starting and stopping, without the courage to finish. In 2022, while turning 70 and undergoing cancer treatment, she felt a renewed urgency to share her message with the world.
Her desire was to reach those who had lost a child, been widowed, or were suffering terminal illnesses, so that they might find hope and solace. Her story reminds us that some books are written from deep wells of pain, but when surrendered to God, they can become streams of comfort for others.
Why author support matters
A manuscript that almost remains unfinished can become a message that strengthens many. This is why training, encouragement, community, and visibility matter. Behind every book is a calling, and behind every calling are readers waiting to be served.
We saw God’s provision in timely and practical ways
As CLC Kenya, we saw God’s hand in this project from the beginning. Due to internal logistics, we had almost not submitted the proposal. When we received an invitation to complete the submission, we received it as a sign of God’s provision and encouragement.
There are times when ministry carries private struggles, the kind that do not appear in event photos or public updates. Yet the Lord sees. He knows where provision is needed, and He knows how to open doors at the right time.
We were also grateful for the smoother shipping process for the media equipment. A previous shipment from the USA had taken months and involved many complications. This time, the process was much smoother, and the equipment arrived before the Gala.
What changed for us
The project strengthened our ability to coordinate training, support volunteers, improve author publicity, tell author stories, document events, and connect CLC Kenya, authors, and readers more effectively through technology.
We planted, others watered, and we saw God give signs of increase.
Sharper focus for deeper fruit
Two Training Tracks
In 2024, we plan to use two paths for training and empowerment: a general audit package for authors who are not yet fully engaged, and a full-access package for authors who demonstrate commitment and readiness for deeper investment.
Focused Author Investment
We learned that as the number of authors grows, we must become more strategic. We cannot serve every author at the same level in the same season, but we can create pathways that encourage growth, responsibility, and implementation.
Sustainability
We are thinking more deeply about sustainability so that earlier initiatives can grow stronger support structures, while new support can help launch new initiatives and keep the work moving forward.
We thank God for the story He allowed us to tell in 2023.
Every author trained, every book made visible, every testimony shared, every child reached, every partner strengthened, and every reader encouraged became part of a larger story: helping African Christian authors carry God-given messages from manuscript to marketplace, from testimony to transformation, and from Africa to the nations.
Find All Annual Donor Reports
Forever Grateful
Subscribe for wholesome content!
Our mission statement of purpose is, “to honour God by making Christian literature & resources available & accessible to all nations, to help people come to faith and maturity in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Useful Links
Subscribe Now
Don’t miss our future updates! Get Subscribed Today!
