In a significant step forward for a Christian community damaged by the Mugabe regime, Yagoona parish is sponsoring the theological training of a dozen Zimbabwean church leaders. The program is supported by African Enterprise and Moore College.

David Shekede grew up in Zimbabwe and is the student minister at St Mark's, Yagoona.

While he says the recent persecution of Christians in Zimbabwe has ended, the legacy of the nation's troubles is a serious lack of formal training among its church leaders.

"This training is very important because most pastors do not have any proper training, they only have their own [personal] Bible knowledge," he says.

The Yagoona congregations are seeking to raise $5000 to send the pastors from Zimbabwe to Malawi to receive the training.

Former Moore College students will use Moore College teaching material and resources to train the pastors.

Tony Wright, assistant minister at St Albans, Lindfield will be teaching a course on Old Testament theology commencing on July 5.

Mr Wright has been interested in overseas mission for some time and the opportunity to teach in Africa fitted well with his goals.

"[In Africa] there is a lot of zeal and passion for the Lord but there isn't a lot of formal theological training," he says.