Reps Circular

Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,

On Saturday Ann Peterken (Lebombo Twinning Support), Beryl Warren (Intercessory Chaplain) and I went to Romsey Abbey to the memorial service for Bishop Donald Arden who died in July aged 98. The Malawian flag flew over the Abbey in tribute to his 38 years of distinguished ministry in Africa, which led, during his retirement in London, to the Willesden link with Lebombo that grew into ALMA! Truly a life lived to the full and beyond.

Donald Arden’s Memorial Service
Donald’s cope on the high altar

The Malawi flag flying above Romsey Abbey

The week ahead is a hugely important one for our ALMA partner Bishops who gather in South Africa for ACSA (Anglican Church of southern Africa) Synod, the first for Bishop Manuel Ernesto and Dean Carlos Matsinhe. This Synod is followed on Sunday 28 September by the consecration of Dean Carlos Matsinhe as the next Bishop of Lebombo. Please hold Bishop elect Carlos, his family, and the Diocese of Lebombo in your prayers this week and also Revd John Seymour (ALMA Schools Twinning Adviser and Twyford School Chaplain) as he travels to Maputo to represent us at the consecration.

1. Diary Dates

We’re thrilled to have an extra ALMA Reps and Friends meeting in the calendar this autumn. Please do come if you possibly can and bring friends from church, especially teachers and A level geography students!

Tuesday 7 October. 6 -7.30 in the Main hall at Diocesan House with light refreshments from 5.40 pm. We have a unique opportunity to hear from Jo and Andy Beale, young Londoners from St George’s Queen’s Square who work in Milange (Zambezia province, Diocese of Niassa) on the WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene Project). All those interested in water provision, sanitation and hygiene promotion, development and community mobilisation are welcome. Teachers and geographers too. Please invite people in your congregations and schools who would be interested. Please RSVP to almacomms@london.anglican.org

Tuesday 18 November. Our regular ALMA Reps meeting (Main Hall 6 -7.45 with light refreshments from 5.40 pm) will focus on a new initiative - the ‘RE with Soul Project’ which has been funded through a grant from Culham St Gabriels. This is a resource for RE teaching based on ALMA and may help you engage with schools in your parishes. This is another meeting which should interest the teachers in your congregations. Please do issue invitations and RSVP to almacomms@london.anglican.org

2. News from our Partners

a) Angola

• After a fire at a neighbouring property spread to the roof of the diocesan office in Luanda it now has a new roof and been made watertight again. ALMA, MANNA, the Diocese of New Hampshire and the Flowers Foundation collaborated to assist.
• Young people in Luanda marked the 11th anniversary of Bishop André’s consecration on 15 September by visiting him and having a special gathering of worship and praise.
• Revd Maria Domingos, our link officer in Angola, has let us know that work on Benguela school has started – a real joy for ALMA, St John’s Pinner and the family and friends of Rose Thompson.
• Nsosso school draws nearer to completion, and work continues at St Stephen’s school in Luanda where the second story is being built –funded by the parish and their link parish St Stephen’s Canonbury.
• Simon Gordon Clark, ALMA friend, will be visiting Angola in October and later in the month the Ven Christopher Cunliffe, Chair of MANNA, will be visiting too.

b) Lebombo

• St Simon of Cyrene Church in Cantadica in Pungoe archdeaconry was newly built when it suffered an arson attack. The local MU lead by Elizabeth Sikoya who visited London in 2008 have worked tirelessly to rebuild the church in brick so it can never again be burnt down. The new roof has just gone onto the substantial and beautifully built church. Local people have carried out most of the work supported with grants from Connecticut. ALMA sent £250 at the start of the rebuilding and are sending another £250 to put towards the finishing touches. Bishop Elect Carlos writes:

  ‘I just want to agree with Elizabeth’s word of thanks to you all who have been touched by her tears and story regarding her church building of St. Simon of Syrene at Catandica which was once made ashes, but now, by the Grace of God who found committed helpers in you and today has become a beautiful and strong temple of God. I believe that now, from inside out she is overwhelmed with joy. She shares her joy together with all the members of her congregation, of course, with all of us in the Diocese. We want to thank each and every one who contributed for that project and thank Dinis, our retired Bishop for all the encouragement. The building is not totally complete as you can see from the pictures, but I believe that what is remaining God will surely provide. In many instances God inspires his people to complete what they have started even if it is going to cost them a sacrifice. In other instances He gives opportunities to those who had never been part of his project to join in and fulfill his plans. Lets remain open.’

• Archdeacon Paolo Hansine of Pungoe shares that not only is Cantandica church almost finished but so is the Epiphany church in Tete (twinned with Stoke Newington whose singers have given concerts and who have raised funds for this new church building) and also St. Bartholomeu Chuch in Gondola. Please pray for these three churches and congregations as they prepare for their dedications in 2015.
• Dean Carlos who has project managed the refurbishment of Maciene School has let us know that an additional section to complete the project –the installation of the toilets is now completed. Pictures to follow!
• St John the Evangelist, Influence, one of St Cyprien’s outreach churches in a new area of Maputo, built almost entirely by the local community apart from £1000 given by a London church, has its new roof! There is considerable work to finish the interior but we are hoping, through a generous donor, to assist with some of this.

c) Niassa

• Many of you loved seeing the Southall and Whitton banners when they were on display over ALMA Sunday in St Paul’s Cathedral. A chain of volunteers has been involved in transporting them: Revd Christopher Ramsay, Sue and Jane took them to the Cathedral and since ALMA Sunday, Canon Philippa Boardman, Helen Doery, Ann and Paul Peterken and Revd Derek Winterburn, Kel Razza and Mirella Kellaway have been involved in getting the banners to Niassa. There are some wonderful photos from Helen Van Koevering as the Southall banners were unveiled in Lichinga. Helen writes:

  ‘Everyone was stunned, the colours, the image of connection between children and the church and the world was immediately understood by all - like messages of love, with folk taking down the Bible passages as they saw them. So inspiring’

  The Whitton banners are still in Lichinga but another link in the indomitable volunteer chain will soon take them to Mecanhelas.

  (Such volunteers are the life blood of ALMA: very few visits to partners happen without the visitors taking some of the robes, altar dressings, chasubles, clerical items we have been given – Africa Bible Commentaries too! In the last couple of years the Mission to Seafarers’ and St Nicholas Perivale donations of robes and stoles have been transported, and currently Revd John Seymour is travelling with some too!)

• In Lurio, a clergy couple, Rev Eusebio and Deacon Albertina, have been installed in the parish of Chiure/Pemba by Archdeacon Daniel. There will be rejoicing in Teddington and Hampton Hill alongside Chiure and Pemba as the new team will benefit from the refurbished clergy house which these three London parishes raised funds for through their memorable African evening.
• 
  Padre Smart
  Niassa mourns the loss of another priest, Padre Smart, on the Niassa side of Tete who died in 11 September. He is fondly remembered by the team from St Mary’s Stoke Newington from their visit to Tete who marvelled at his linguistic capacity.

  Another loss is Rosa Nhone’s 33 year old son, a married teacher with one daughter and living outside Cuamba. Helen shares ‘Huge numbers attended his funeral and Rosa’s house is packed with family and friends. This one very popular woman, receiving the love and care in her grief that she has lavished on others over the years, and it is beautiful to see. Who was it who once said “where love is, there is God” ’.

  We hold those who grieve in our prayers – so many from London have experienced Rosa’s care and love, may ours now enfold her.

• Latest figures from Niassa: all ‘parishes’ are made up of several congregations serving local villages. Official total from the priests’ count now is 442 congregations (with the membership total of 65,000 remaining more stable now).
• For the first time there were two Bishops from Niassa at Provincial Synod in South Africa. Niassa’s Suffragan Bishop Manuel Ernesto attended his first Synod.

3. London

• We are hoping to trial a new initiative in early 2015 –in response to a request from Bishop Mark for assistance in widening the experience of senior clergy by enabling them to experience ministry outside their own contexts.

  We are planning to bring two (English speaking) senior clergy to London for two months to study at St Mellitus College and to join in other training events in the Diocese and at the Cathedral. The aim would be to seek parish placements too and also parish hosts. This may be something a link parish may be interested in or alternatively a parish with ALMA connections. Ideally we would look for two hosts per visitor, each for a month.

  If this is something that would benefit your church and interest you please would you get in touch?

  This represents a new avenue in our partnership but if it is beneficial it could in the future be offered to senior clergy in Lebombo and Angola as those dioceses multiply and appoint Suffragans.

4. Wider Issues

This week’s climate summit in New York reminds us of the impact of climate change on all ALMA Partners. You have probably seen Desmond Tutu’s prayer, but perhaps we can pray it together:

‘Through greed, we have established an economy that destroys the web of life. We have changed our climate and drown in despair. Let oceans of justice flow. May we learn to sustain and renew the life of our Mother Earth. We pray for our leaders, custodians of Mother Earth, as they gather in New York City at the climate talks. May they negotiate with wisdom and fairness. May they act with compassion and courage, and lead us in the path of justice for the sake of our children and our children’s children.’