Pre-Valentine’s Day Webinar Convenes Youth and Church Leaders to Engage on Matters of Love, Life, and SRHR

As the Valentine’s season highlights themes of love, intimacy, and relationships across the world, it also exposes the urgent need for honest and compassionate conversations around sexual and reproductive health matters within families and communities. In light of this, the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) convened a pre-Valentine’s Day webinar featuring an intergenerational conversation on matters of love, the sanctity of life, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in the contemporary world. The webinar took place on 12th and 13th February 2026.

The dialogues opened with insightful biblical reflections by Rev. Mary Mwangi from the African Christian Churches and Schools, Kenya, and Mr. Fredrick Savage from the Anglican Church, Sierra Leone. Both drew from 1 Corinthians 13 to emphasize that love does no harm and urged participants to protect their dignity and well-being as they mark the Valentine’s season and beyond.

Rev. Angele Dodge, Director of AACC’s regional office in Lomé, and Mr. Victoire Wamunyu, a youth pastor from the Baptist Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), facilitated the dialogue. Their joint presentation drew from Angele’s life and experiences as a senior pastor who has been married for 27 years, as well as Victoire’s experience as a Gen Z youth who recently transitioned from dating and courtship into marriage three months ago. Conversations centered on the challenges of finding the right marriage partner, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), prevention of sexually transmitted infections, teenage pregnancies, mental health, religion, culture, and family planning.

“This webinar has set the tone for our Valentine’s season, and I am hopeful that we will look beyond the flowers and celebrate a love that does not hurt, but heals,” noted the webinar’s moderator, Ms. Tabitha Akanji from the Baptist Church, Nigeria, as she called the intergenerational dialogue to a close.

In the photo: The Facilitators: Pastor Victoire Wamunyu and Rev. Angele Dogbe and Rev. Beatrice Ruara in dialogue during the session