Reps Circular

Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,

This circular is a forward looking one with much to rejoice over. On Maundy Thursday Bishop Richard reflected on London Challenge 2012 and announced Capital Vision 2020 using the text from Jeremiah 29: ‘Surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’ He took the opportunity to share some special news that Bishop Dinis had just sent to London:

‘Greetings from Lebombo. After much prayer, advice and reflection I have come to the conclusion that Lina Valoi and I should accept those blessings God bestows through Holy Matrimony. Please rejoice and pray with us and share with friends there. The eighth December is the date in mind’

We indeed rejoice with Bishop Dinis and Lina and assure them of our prayers in the coming months. Deus e bom. Please pray too for Helen Doery, our Communications Officer who is on a SOMA teaching visit to the DRC returning on 9 May, and for Niassa as the Delegation from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa visits to assess the viability of the plans for multiplication.

1. Diary Dates

Sunday 8 July: ALMA Sunday - worship suggestions will be available

4-5 August: 10th Anniversary of the Diocese of Angola

Tuesday 4 September: ALMA Reps Meeting with Bishop Mark Van Koevering 6-8 pm Main Hall, London Diocesan House. Refreshments from 5.40. Please put this important date in your diary and make it a priority if you possibly can

Saturday 8 September: MANNA AGM

2. News from our Partners

a) Angola

• Good news reached us from the Missionary Area of Malange which is twinned with Dr Tripplets School! On 15 April the first Sunday after Easter Bishop André visited Malange. Helder Simão writes ‘Our congregation was very blessed because we were baptised with the name of the Parish of St Mary Magdalene and also our brother Albano Luciano, a deacon, was ordained presbyter and was also installed as our parish priest by the Rt Rev André Soares, Bishop of Angola’.
• Angola in the News:
  • Chatham House have published this good summary of the situation in Angola by the journalist Nicholas Shaxson
  • Angola: Amnesty report to Africa Commission on Human and People’s Rights is now available in English and Portuguese
  • Angola beats most of Europe to 4G. Angola has seen rapid growth since the end of the civil war in 2002 - but is it fast enough to support a new 4G mobile phone network? Read more from the BBC News story …

b) Lebombo

• Our link officer Josephine Mutemba has made a visit to Buquene to take photos of the parish and school to assist a potential link parish in London. It was wonderful to see so many aspects of Buquene life as well as some familiar faces like Padre Armando.  Soon we will have a selection of these on the website.
• Last circular we mentioned the launch of an appeal at St Barnabas Bagamoyo to build a guest house. ‘The guest house will host not only foreigners, but also clergy who will come from provinces to attend church meetings, internal guests who will need a place of low city noise, in their business meetings, and of course, our international guests, will experience hospitality that the church will offer, combined with spiritual assistance to those who will need it.  The project if we get money, it can take one year to build. We are blessed that we have our own bore hole, it will make easier for the works’. Father Juliao adds ‘this will sustain the church for long period and will indeed be used by our visitors from within and outside the country, clergy and laypeople and even generate jobs for the community members. This is something very much needed in Maputo which is the corridor for all national and international visitors’. Do look at the parish website for further information and to see the building plans

c) Niassa

• As this circular goes out the team from the Anglican province of Southern Africa is visiting Niassa.  Bishop Rubin of Natal, Rob Rogerson Provincial Treasurer, and Rev Ronnie from Natal are travelling through the Diocese with Bishop Mark to assess the diocesan proposal to multiply into three dioceses as Niassa, Lurio and Zambezia. Despite a flight delay at the beginning the visit is going well. The chief purpose of this visit is to explore, with the Diocesan Lay and Clergy leaders, the best way of creation three Dioceses, and the financial viability and sustainability of this Synod resolution in practical terms.
• Two parishes are visiting their link parishes in Niassa in May: St Peter’s Hammersmith to Messumba and St Mary’s Hampton to Mandimba. May these visits deepen the friendships and fellowship and strengthen the bonds of these partnerships.

d) Other Mozambican News

• 28 March the Guardian reported on the economic boom in Mozambique in a wide reaching article which included the fact that ‘the national currency was the best performing in the world against the dollar’
• 10-11 April the Portuguese PM visited Mozambique
• The April IPRIS Viewpoints 92 has an interesting article ‘Portugal and Mozambique: Emulating the 'Angolan Model'

3. London News

• Our web editor has been extremely busy on the ALMA website and I’d like to encourage you all to take a look at the interactive maps Paul has created which show all the link parishes and schools. The Links and Visits pages and also the pages for each partner diocese have also been re-arranged, with clergy lists added. Huge thanks to Paul.

  I’m wondering if we could improve even further by having a photo of each link church and the priest to make our partnership even more tangible.  If you have a good photo of your link parish church and priest and also of your own…we could start gradually?!

• Thank you so much for the responses to the 2012 Lent Appeal coming into the ALMA desk – so far about £11,000 has come in so we are on the road towards reaching the £60,000 target to enable our partners to buy a second hand 4x4 vehicle each to give ministry wheels. The Lent Appeal account remains open until the end of 2012 so it is not too late to take part, contribute, or arrange a fund-raising event. If we can help with resources, displays or by providing a speaker please do ask.
• The ALMA desk will be moving during May to a desk on the first floor of Diocesan House. We’ll be sorting out and preparing for the move on 15 May so think of us as we sift and sort!

4. Wider Issues

• Trade Justice: the European Union and Economic Partnership Agreements – new EU legislation will adversely affect Mozambique. Read more on Traidcraft’s web site …
• And finally a snippet from an Anglican Communion news bulletin that John spotted to which ALMA Partners might like to contribute - especially as Portuguese is a language option:

  Don't forget to have your say on the future ministry of the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

  Respond to the Crown Nominations Commission of the Church of England in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese by visiting http://www.aco.org/communion/abc/comments.cfm or writing to: The Crown Nomination Commission, C/o 16 Tavistock Crescent, Westbourne Park, London, W11 1AP.