Reps Circular

Dear ALMA Reps and ALMA Friends in Angola, London and Mozambique,

Across the ALMA partnership this has been a season of change – perhaps felt most acutely in Niassa where Bishop Mark and our link officer, Revd Helen Van Koevering, are in their final two weeks of ministry there before a move to America. Bishop Mark will be an Assistant Bishop with special mandate for mission in the Diocese of West Virginia and Helen will continue her studies. After 28 years in Mozambique, twelve of these as Bishop it will be an enormous change both for the Van Koeverings, and the Diocese. Please do hold everyone there in your prayers especially the Niassa Senior staff team including Bishop Manuel, the Archdeacons, the Diocesan Secretary, the Diocesan Board, the Mission department and the Mothers’ Union. We too will miss Bishop Mark and Helen hugely but are so grateful for the gifts they have shared so widely and wisely and wish them and their family every blessing in America.

In London we have welcomed three new Bishops: the Bishop of Edmonton, Rt Revd Rob Wickham; the Bishop of Kensington, The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, and the new Bishop of Islington, Rt Revd Ric Thorpe. Islington is a newly revived post to support London’s Church growth strategy as part of Capital Vision 2020, which sets a target of creating 100 new worshipping communities within the Diocese by 2020.He also has a national remit too. We have also had the joy of seeing Bishop Rachel installed in Gloucester Cathedral.

You will see from the partner news there have been several ordinations, a lot of building work especially in Uige and Luanda, and also some visits. Bishop Carlos is preparing for the Lebombo Diocesan Synod and Diocesan Family Weekend this coming weekend. Please do hold all our leaders in your prayers in this time of change.

1. Diary Dates

Tues 20 October 2015. ALMA Reps Meeting Main Hall 6-8pm. Light refreshments from 5.40 p.m.

Saturday 24 - Sunday 25 October. Lebombo Diocesan Family weekend at Maciene Cathedral, preceded by Diocesan Synod

Saturday 31 October. Last day of Bishop Mark and Helen’s ministries in Niassa

Sunday 1 November. Day of Prayer and Fasting for Climate Justice

Monday 30 November - Friday 11 December. UN Climate Change Conference COP21 in Paris

2016

Tuesday 19 April. ALMA Reps Meeting Main Hall 6-8pm. Light refreshments from 5.40pm

Sunday 10 July. ALMA Sunday Service St Paul’s Cathedral 6pm

Tuesday 18 October. ALMA Reps Meeting Main Hall 6-8pm. Light refreshments from 5.40pm

2. News from our Partners

a) Angola

• 23 August: was the 5th Anniversary of the English Congregation at St Stephen’s Luanda. Bishop Andre shares that Rt Revd. Daniel from Nigeria, and the Ambassador of Nigeria came to join the wonderful celebrations
• 15 September: Five new Deacons: Zacadura Carlos Ikua, Miguel Filipe, Morais Cambunda, Jaimes Simoes and Jeremias Armando were ordained in Nzadi a Lukizi Archdeaconry (Mucaba Area)
  
  Service at Luanda

  
  New Deacons
• In Uige work on a Church HQ proceeds apace with 100 volunteers helping on site.
• Two ALMA school projects are progressing well:
  • St Stephen’s School Luanda now has a completed first storey extension (you will remember that an overhead electricity cable had to be rerouted to enable this to happen)
  • Benguela School is also progressing well although new government legislation means the footprint of the school needs to increase from four to six classrooms to enable the school to receive government funding for the teachers. We are currently working with the team in Angola to achieve this. The Mothers Union, as we might expect, are keenly monitoring this!
• John Tasker ALMA Twinning Officer has just returned from Angola with the Archdeacon of Derby, Christopher Cunliffe (Chair of MANNA). This visit included a visit to Huambo and preaching both Sundays

St Stephen’s School, Luanda

Uige Workers

Beguela School

b) Lebombo

• On 5 September Anglican Youth had their conference in Hokwe
• The Diocese has engaged in an Umoja training process with Anglican Social Action and is working with a local organization called Rede Crista contra o HIV/SIDA which is a Tearfund implementation partner
• In September the Headteacher, Mr Langa, from Maciene School and two pupils Euclidia and Hilario visited Twyford CE Academy in London. Unfortunately the third group from China was unable to come but it was still a very profitable visit.

The visitors with Revd John Seymour, Twyford Chaplain and ALMA School Officer

c) Niassa

Amid the news of Bishop Mark and Helen’s departure (read their letter to the Diocese) it has been very much business as usual in Niassa.

• 9 August in Messumba Cathedral there were three ordinations: Ernesto (deacon in Tete), Patson (deacon at Yohanna Abdullah, Lichinga) were priested, and Lourenco (catechist at Yohanna Abdullah) was ordained deacon
• 
  Visitors from Southall
  Three visitors from the Southall group visited Lichinga in August Revd Dawn Jewson, Nikkita Robert and Afiya Romain-Bains
• Water is flowing in Messumba! With huge thanks to the St Peter’s Hammersmith cyclists who, alongside the work of Jo Beale, made this possible. God is Good!
• 1 September the Mission team from across the Diocese met together in Lichinga for a week
• 20 September Catechists from three parishes in the Lichinga area Santa Cruz, Yohanna Abudala, and Chiundo joined together to participate in Rooted in Jesus as part of their training
• 29 September saw the official opening of the Church in the Market Place – literally – now Sao Paolo, Bairo Popular (twinned with St Paul’s Old Ford London) is inaugurated with 157 confirmations and 16 new MU members

Catechists at Lichinga

Ordination at Messumba

The Niassa Mission Team

Lichinga Church

3. London

• We are delighted to welcome the new Bishops and Archdeacons to the London Senior Staff Team. Please pray for them as they take up post and as portfolios are sorted – especially the ALMA Portfolio.
  

  
• St Mary Stoke Newington held a second Canto da ALMA concert with Sarah Warren singing accompanied by Iwan Davies.
• Our former Chair’s inauguration service in Gloucester was a special day. It was streamed on the internet and can still be viewed. We also enjoyed the day Rachel was guest editor of BBC Radio Four Woman’s Hour and spoke on the theme of transformation including her cross made of bullet shells from Lebombo. Do listen if you can. It is near the start!

4. Wider Issues

• Wonderful to read that Mozambique is now mine free and that the work of the Halo Trust has been successful. We pray the same for Angola
• Please pray for Emeritus Bishop Dinis as he continues his work for peace especially as there have been some recent outbreaks of violence. Ola Paz.
• As we prepare for the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP 21) at the end of November, we remember the disproportionate impact of climate change on Angola and Mozambique and pray for constructive progress
• The Sustainable Development Goals have been launched as the successor to the 2000-2015 Millennium Development Goals.

  Archbishop Justin writes:

  ‘Our response, today and in the years to come, must seek to emulate the sacrificial pattern of love and servant-hearted leadership that is demonstrated perfectly in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The powerful are called to serve, the rich to give, and the vulnerable to be cherished, so that they may flourish and stand strong’