Partnerships between Churches of Christ and the African nation of Rwanda may soon include a secondary school on Rwandan soil.

A small group of officials from Greater Atlanta Christian School traveled to Rwanda recently,  presenting proposals for the new school to government leaders. The church members hope to establish a Central Africa School of Excellence, or CASE, to “help train the next generation of Africa’s leaders,” said Sam Shewmaker, facilitator for African church planting for Texas-based Missions Resource Network. Shewmaker and his wife, Nancy, hosted the delegation during its visit. Accompanying the group was Oklahoma Christian University President Mike O’Neal. Oklahoma Christian sponsors the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program, which awards scholarships for Rwandan students to attend the Oklahoma City university.

“At each meeting the ... group sought the wisdom and advice of Rwandan leaders to help shape the dream to fit the African and Rwandan cultural context and the educational needs of the region,” Shewmaker said.

The proposed school would educate up to 2,000 students and be a sister campus to Greater Atlanta Christian, said David Fincher, the Atlanta school’s president and a member of the visiting delegation.

“Among the types of partnerships Greater Atlanta Christian hopes to implement are teacher exchanges, students sharing missions and studies, the development of a more thoroughly global Christian curriculum and joint virtual classroom experiences,” Fincher said.

“Since our children will reach adulthood in a incredibly tiny world, it is our responsibility to model for them global Christian partnerships, plus perhaps introduce them to lifelong friends and co-workers half a world away,” he added.