Samuel Kobia (born March 20, 1947, in Miathene, Meru, Kenya), is a Methodist clergyman and the first African to be elected General Secretary (2004–2009) of the World Council of Churches (WCC),[1] a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and local churches representing a Christian population of over 590 million people.
Sam Kobia grew up in a rural home in Meru, eastern province of Kenya, where he completed primary and secondary education under the British colonial system.
His ecumenical career began with his studies at St. Paul's University, Limuru, Kenya), where he graduated with a diploma in Theology in 1971.
He applied and was accepted to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he graduated with a Masters in City Planning (MCP) in 1978.
[5] In 1978, after graduating from MIT, Kobia and his family moved to Geneva, Switzerland, to take up the post of executive secretary for Urban Rural Mission at the World Council of Churches (WCC).
[8][9] From Kenya, he returned to Geneva, Switzerland in 1993 to serve as Executive Director of WCC's Unit III - Justice, Peace and Creation.
[17] Kobia's resignation come as a surprise to the Central Committee, who stated that he had their "full support" despite harsh criticism from Rt.