The Methodist University of Angola, authorized by Decree 30/07, continues the Methodist educational work in the country, which dates back to March 18, 1885, with the arrival of Bishop William Taylor and 45 men and women on a mission, establishing schools, hospitals, and churches to serve the Kimbundu people. In the first two years, they expanded their activities beyond Luanda, along the Kwanza River, to Nhangue-a-Pepe, Quiongua, Quéssua, Hombo-a-Njinji, Mufuque, and Mucondo. These missions were based on self-sufficiency, which defined the Methodist identity in Angola.

One of the main outcomes of the mission was the awakening and training of indigenous leaders, such as Florinda Bessa, João Gaspar Fernandes, Mateus Pereira Inglês, João Leão Webba, Maria Chaves, and Adão Gaspar Domingos, who served the Church and society, driven by the message of liberation for the oppressed, as proclaimed by Jesus in the Gospels.

Since then, the actions of the Angolan Methodist people, increasingly aware of the exploitation and humiliation experienced under colonial rule, evolved into a commitment to the country's independence and sovereignty. This commitment was expressed through the formation of indigenous leaders for society via education, promoting women’s emancipation, protecting children and adolescents, developing opportunities for youth, and affirming the dignity of the elderly, in line with the Social Principles outlined in the United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline.

The Methodist University of Angola is, therefore, the result of more than a century of strong Methodist action in basic education across the country. It was founded during the episcopacy of Bishop Gaspar João Domingos in 2007, as part of the national reconstruction effort that resulted from the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement. The university is part of a global network of over 1,000 universities and schools across all continents, affiliated with the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (IAMSCU). It is grounded in the Methodist movement’s commitments to universal access to education, human promotion, dialogue between faith and science, and freedom of thought and expression. These principles were established with the creation of Kingswood School by Reverend John Wesley in England in 1748, during the Industrial Revolution.