Teresa David was born and raised in Angola, Southern Africa. She graduated from her Master’s at Stellenbosch University (SU) in 2019, and was accepted by Langham Partnership to complete her PhD through a scholarship in 2020 which she completed in December 2024. She is the first woman from Angola to obtain a PhD in Biblical studies, and the first Angolan Langham Scholar!
Teresa was introduced to Langham Partnership in 2018 through an encounter with a Langham graduate who told her about the scholarship program and encouraged her to further her studies. After graduating from her Master’s in 2019 she decided to apply to do her PhD, and submitted her application for a scholarship through Langham Partnership. She shares, “The process was very easy. I applied and when I least expected they replied accepting my application in 2020, the same week I gave birth to my child!”
Corruption and the Church was Silent
It was lived experience that sparked Teresa’s research. She explored the topic ‘Corruption, Nepotism, and Dynamics of Leadership from a Biblical Perspective’ referencing Mark 10:35-45 and Matthew 20:20-28. She started to think about this topic when a new government came into power in 2017.
She shares, “The first call the president launched was the fight against corruption for the first time in the country. People were excited because corruption is the biggest issue in the country. And I was pondering it as I was doing my Master’s. How the church is reacting, what is the church doing?”
Teresa could see what a great opportunity it was for the church to speak against corruption, however, she noticed it was silent. As she started to write a proposal for her PhD, she shared, “The topic would be relevant for the church and the country’s corruption, which is a global issue… but my issue was why was the church silent? When given the opportunity to work with the government to fight corruption, the answer to that question was that because for a long time, the church has also benefited from the corrupted system of the government.”
She explained, “The church cannot directly go and speak about corruption because she’s guilty of it. The church has to reevaluate their dynamics of leadership.” Her research delved into how nepotism and favouritism, rather than merit, often drive decision-making in religious institutions, which is a prevalent issue in Angola. “When people are promoted in public institutions based on their connections rather than their qualifications, it compromises social justice,” she shares.
A Biblical Perspective
Teresa’s research looks at how the texts can help the church reevaluate their dynamics of leadership and help fight corruption within the church as well.
She used the texts from Mark and Matthew to bring a biblical perspective to help churches speak out against corruption in the government and public institutions. She explains, “Jesus was fighting selfish ambition that usually men, or even people in the church have. Not necessarily because they want to serve, rather they want a position of power, a position of leadership… to have privileges, to have power to suppress others and to exploit others…Jesus was fighting this kind of attitude within the disciples.”
This research has great potential to shape the church in Angola and other countries with similar contexts!
Thankful and Prayerful
Teresa is very thankful for the scholarship through Langham. She shares, “It opened the door for the Faculty of Theology at Stellenbosch University to be involved with my studies, which I don’t think would have been possible”.
Another important aspect of being a Langham Scholar was the support. Teresa was grateful to be mentored by a pastor who would check in regularly and follow up on her studies. She said, “I am honoured and grateful for everything Langham did for me”.
Prayer Points
- Please pray for the church in Angola to be open to reading Teresa’s research, to be convicted of corruption taking place, and to have the courage to make changes.
- Thank God for Teresa and the opportunity she had to receive a scholarship from Langham (and be the first woman from Angola with a PhD in Biblical Studies!).
- Pray for opportunities for her to share her research, and for God to use it to bring about real change.