{{Short description|Kenyan Christian organizational worker (1949–2023)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Agnes Abuom | image = Agnes Abuom - Kirchentag Cologne 2007 (7165).jpg | alt = | caption = Abuom in Cologne, 2009. ''Photo: Raimond Spekking'' | birth_name = Agnes Regina Murei Abuom | birth_date = {{Birth year|1949}} | birth_place = Nandi Hills, British Kenya | death_date = {{Death date and given age|2023|05|31|73|df=y}} | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) | known_for = Africa president for the WCC | spouse = Widow | children = 2 }}

'''Agnes Regina Murei Abuom''' (1949 – 31 May 2023) was a Kenyan Christian organisational worker who served as moderator of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) since 2013. She was the first woman and the first African to hold this post. She represented the Anglican Church of Kenya.<ref name="ct" />

== Early life == Aubom was born in Nandi Hills, into a family of six children and a mother who worked with community development. She was educated at mission schools, first in her local area, then later at a boarding school run by missionaries.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Biko |first=Jackson |date=26 February 2021 |title=Agnes Abuom, feminist cleric on a justice mission |url=https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/lifestyle/profiles/agnes-abuom-feminist-cleric-on-a-justice-mission-3304974 |access-date=3 September 2022 |website=Business Daily |language=en}}</ref> She went to high school near Nairobi and then undertook studies at University of Nairobi.<ref name=bc>{{cite web |url=http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/interviews/a-discussion-with-agnes-abuom-executive-committee-world-council-of-churches|title=A Discussion with Agnes Abuom, Executive Committee, World Council of Churches|date=3 July 2009|publisher=Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs|accessdate=22 February 2014}}</ref>

== Career == Abuom became involved with the World Council of Churches when the WCC's assembly was held in Nairobi in 1975. She also was involved in student organizations and politics &ndash; the latter causing controversies that led her to leave Kenya for Sweden in 1976. She learned Swedish and earned a degree in education. After two years as a youth worker for WCC in Geneva, she returned to Sweden and earned a doctorate in missiology with the thesis "The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Development".<ref>Mikael Stjernberg (8 November 2013) [http://www.skr.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rapport-fr%C3%A5n-Busan.pdf Agnes Abuom första kvinna at läda Kyrkornas världsråd] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305082905/http://www.skr.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Rapport-fr%C3%A5n-Busan.pdf |date=5 March 2014 }} (pdf) {{in lang|sv}} Sveriges kristna råd. Retrieved 4 March 2014</ref> She later worked with refugee issues for WCC in Sudan and worked two years in Zimbabwe as a tutor.<ref name=bc/>

Returning to Kenya in 1989, Abuom was imprisoned for her opposition to President Daniel Arap Moi.<ref name=":0" /> She went on to work for the Anglican Church of Kenya, mostly with national development issues, and from 1991 with a civic education program.<ref name=bc/>

Abuom became African president for the WCC in 1999 and served until 2006. She also worked with All Africa Conference of Churches,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oikoumene.org/en/about-us/organizational-structure/presidents-officers/dr-agnes-abuom|title=Dr Agnes Abuom &ndash; Moderator of the WCC Central Committee|publisher=World Council of Churches|year=2014|access-date=24 February 2014|archive-date=25 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140425144321/https://www.oikoumene.org/en/about-us/organizational-structure/presidents-officers/dr-agnes-abuom|url-status=dead}}</ref> African Council of Religious Leaders (ACRL) / Religions for Peace, and National Council of Churches of Kenya.<ref name=ct>{{cite web |url=http://www.christiantoday.com/article/world.council.of.churches.elects.first.woman.and.african.moderator.of.central.committee/34616.htm |title=World Council of Churches elects first woman and African moderator of Central Committee|work=Christian Today|date=9 November 2013|accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref> She was involved in ecumenical work and peace-building efforts in the Horn of Africa and other places.<ref name=bc/>

Abuom was one of the Directors of TAABCO Research and Development Consultants, which was established in 1997 and focuses on consultant work for civil society organisations and aid organisations.<ref name=bc/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dandc.eu/en/article/terrorist-attack-westgate-mall-traumatised-kenyans-did-not-divide-them |title=Disowned by faith leaders|first=Agnes|last=Abuom|date=15 October 2013|publisher=D+C|accessdate=22 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taabco.org/html/about_us.htm|title=Who We Are|publisher=Taabco|accessdate=22 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209043323/http://taabco.org/html/about_us.htm|archive-date=9 December 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Moderator of WCC === In November 2013, Abuom was unanimously elected moderator of the WCC Central Committee at the organization's assembly in Busan, South Korea. She was the first woman and the first African to hold that position.<ref name=ct/><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nyomi |first=Setri |url=http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12424/166457 |title=African Contributions To Global Ecumenism (106) |date=2016 |publisher=Regnum Books International |isbn=978-1-911372-10-3}}</ref>

== Personal life and death == Abuom had two daughters; her husband died in July 2014.<ref name="bc"/>

Abuom died on 31 May 2023, at the age of 73.<ref>[https://www.oikoumene.org/news/peace-pilgrim-agnes-abuom-dies-at-73 Peace Pilgrim Agnes Abuom dies at 73]</ref>

== Honours == In 2017, she was awarded the Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism by the Archbishop of Canterbury "for her exceptional contribution to the Ecumenical Movement, for her work with the World Council of Churches and currently its Moderator".<ref name="Citations">{{cite web|title=The Archbishop of Canterbury's Awards: Citations in Alphabetical Order|url=http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/data/files/resources/5876/2017-Citations-Alphabetical.pdf|website=Archbishop of Canterbury|accessdate=14 July 2017|date=9 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619185947/http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/data/files/resources/5876/2017-Citations-Alphabetical.pdf|archive-date=19 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2019, Abuom received the National Council of Churches' s President’s Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership. The award announcement stated that she was being recognized for "exceptional, risk-taking leadership."<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 October 2019 |title=Four Leaders to be Honored at Christian Unity Gathering |work=National Council of Churches |url=https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/four-leaders-to-be-honored-at-christian-unity-gathering/ |access-date=2 September 2022}}</ref> She also received an honorary doctorate from VID Specialized University in Norway.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dr. Agnes Abuom awarded an honorary doctorate |url=https://www.vid.no/en/news/dr-agnes-abuom-awarded-an-honorary-doctorate-degree/ |access-date=3 September 2022 |website=VID Specialized University |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Abuom, Agnes}} Category:1949 births Category:2023 deaths Category:People from Nandi County Category:Kenyan Anglicans Category:People of the World Council of Churches Category:Women Protestant religious leaders Category:University of Nairobi alumni