As Christians in Africa join the preparation for the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, clerics, theologians and laypeople are embracing the moment as a chance to reshape the continent’s spiritual and social future.

The gathering of bishops in Nicaea (now Iznik, in Turkey) in 325 was called by Roman Emperor Constantine to settle factionalism in the early church caused by Arianism — a theology that said Jesus was not divine — that originated in Africa.

“Why it was held is because an African cleric like myself raised issues that needed to be addressed concerning the doctrine of the Holy Trinity,” said Stephen Njure, a Catholic Church historian at Moi University in Kenya. “That is Arius. Arius came up with a heresy that necessitated the council.”

Arius was a presbyter (elder or clergyman) of Alexandria, Egypt. The slogan, “there was a time when he [the Word] was not” expressed Arius’ position. His opponents countered that the Word is divine and therefore eternal. The Council of Nicaea condemned Arius and his teachings.

The anniversary, said Njure, “has everything to do with us [Africans], since one of us prompted its being, because of our need for clarity of faith.” He added that ideas like Arianism, which the council declared a heresy, help the church by forcing it to formulate doctrine and purify its teachings.

In the late spring of 325 at Nicaea, 318 bishops deliberated on controversies on the nature of Christ, both human and divine, and agreed on a standard statement of faith still known today as the Nicene Creed and said across much of the globe each Sunday. The creed defines God as one entity manifested in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The bishops meeting at Nicaea also established a date for Easter and laid the ground for early canon law.

Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox churches around the globe are celebrating the anniversary, with conferences looking afresh at the council and the lessons it can teach on Christian unity amid divisions and a troubled globe. In November, the World Council of Churches will hold a conference titled “Towards Nicaea 2025: Exploring the Council’s Ecumenical Significance Today,” and a global meeting of evangelical Christians is planned for October in Istanbul.

Last year, before he fell ill, Pope Francis told Eastern Orthodox priests visiting the Vatican that he hoped to travel to Turkey to celebrate the creed with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I. In January, Francis expressed his willingness to work once again on finding a common date for Easter. (The two branches of Christianity, separated by the Great Schism of 1054, follow different calendars, with the Eastern Orthodox keeping to the Julian calendar and marking Easter a week after the West.)

In Egypt, the Coptic Orthodox Church will host the Sixth World Conference on Nicaea organized by the World Council of Churches.

“This is more than a gathering of church leaders; it’s a chance for Africa to reshape its spiritual and social future,” said Jackie Makena, a Methodist theologian and lecturer at St. Paul’s University in Limuru, near Nairobi.

“Amid centuries of colonial influence, the conference offers a platform for African voices to lead conversations on decolonizing theology, leadership and social justice, climate justice and racial justice issues.”

She hopes the anniversary celebration contributes to building a revitalized, inclusive church that bridges divides, whether theological, racial or generational.