Reps Circular
From Sheenagh Burrell, ALMA Co-ordinator
almacoordinator@london.anglican.org T: Tuesdays: 020 7932 1231
Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,
After the ALMA Sunday Evensong on 11 July we had the opportunity to thank Peter Southwood for his years of Service as ALMA Link Officer. He will be sorely missed but we are extremely grateful that amid his professional commitments he will continue to be part of the ALMA team taking on a new role as Projects Officer for Angola. His new email address will be almaprojectsa@london.anglican.org
The eagle eyed among you may already have spotted that some of the ALMA posts advertised recently have been filled! I have been appointed ALMA Co-ordinator and Ann-Marie Turner ALMA Finance Officer. Ann-Marie will be in the office on Thursdays (Email: almafinance@london.anglican.org) and I will continue to be in the ALMA office on Tuesdays (Email: almacoordinator@london.anglican.org). I will also be continuing to write the email circulars so no escape I’m afraid. The Communications Officer Post will be advertised shortly. We are also still looking for a Projects Officer for Mozambique so do let people in your parishes know of these opportunities.
This Circular Contains:
26-29 August Angola Diocesan Synod
9 -12 September Niassa Diocesan Synod
15 September ALMA Reps and Friends Meeting, Main Hall, Diocesan House 6-8pm (refreshments from 5.40). Speakers will include Bishop André, and Simon Morgan (on St Nicolas’ Chiswick visit to Namacunde).
Please RSVP. An offer to manage the refreshments would be greatly appreciated as would a couple of cakes!
22-26 September Lebombo Diocesan Synod and MU AGM at the Lebombo Family Weekend
Fr Richard Fermer, Priest at St George’s in Paris, is currently in Angola as supervisor to the Ministry and Mission project where he is staying at Bishop André’s and sharing a room with Arnold Mutekela. Do make the time to read his impassioned ‘eve of departure’ sermon (
61Kb).
His latest news from Angola included this:
‘I have really enjoyed staying with an Angolan family. When I say family, it is not quite what we may mean by a nuclear family. It is the six children their children and wives and husbands, and other relatives. In short, I am living with a community, which embraces those who are sick or disabled, those who are unemployed, but also those who have jobs and a large number of children. It is a mini society’.
Christian Aid reports on a new wave of house demolitions new taking place in towns along the Namibe railway, which is being restored by private companies in partnership with the Angolan government. In the first town, Matala, it is reported that each family affected received a piece of land to build their new houses, but in Quipongo, people who lost their houses have moved to areas with no water and sanitation facilities.
The demolitions are also taking place in the central areas of country’s capital, Luanda, where skyscrapers and luxury hotels live side by side with poverty - over 70% of the population lives below US$ 2 per day, according to the United Nations. In most of these cases reported, people are not been given prior notice or any compensation, which goes against the rights in the Angolan Constitution and in human rights treaties.
The Diocese of Angola is holding its three yearly diocesan synod later this month.
The meeting will be held over four days from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 August at St Joseph’s, Rocha Pinto in Luanda. John Tasker will be attending as Bishop André’s Commissary and representing ALMA. The synod will focus on the following subjects: diocesan administration, sustainability of the diocese, gender, malaria, HIV & AIDS, theological education, agriculture development, planting new churches, salary matters and so on. He has asked us to pray that God will give them a good vision for his Kingdom
The Anglican Church in Angola is growing.
| 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|
| 41 Parishes | 54 Parishes |
| 38 Priests | 54 Priests + 26 Deacons in 4 Archdeaconries |
ALMA’s Mission & Ministry Programme has made a very significant contribution to this growth through the theological education of catechists. Following selection and further training, Bishop André has been able to ordain a number of catechists. Exploring how the provision of theological education for ordinands can be further developed in Angola is a high priority for the future.
Please pray for Fr Nunes, ALMA Link Officer in Angola, who has still not recovered properly from a period of illness before Christmas.
64Kb).of his short visit to Mozambique for the funeral of Padre Isaias is now available.Revd Juliao Mutemba reports on a visit to Chimoio 2 - 6 August
Church blesses many souls in Chimoio: Fr. Paulo and Fr. Domingos ahead of the poor in a transforming ministry.
At ChimoioAbout 30 children who are orphan and vulnerable are being trained in skills for life, at the Escola de Artes e Oficios of Chimoio, supported by ALMA, through the parish of St. Bernard Mizeki in Chimoio. This group of boys and girls are taking technical studies in areas of Civil Construction, Mechanical Welding, Carpentry and Agriculture.
Fr. Juliao Fenias of Niassa Diocese and I (Fr. Juliao Mutemba), both working in the Christian Council of Mozambique, in our mission in Chimoio had a privilege of visiting the families of the priests in order to greet and let them know of our presence there. On the first day we visited Fr. Paulo’s family and found that, Fr.Paulo was busy planning work with his team of about 8 people, who are serving the community, so, we could not take much time with the team because of their need of concentration. The second day, after we had finished our workshop, the two priests of Chimoio came to meet us in the hotel and took us to the school in order to have a meeting with the sponsored children. When we arrived, it seemed that the children knew that we were coming for the way they were organized. Fr. Paulo introduced us to the children, telling them that we were priests who were a work trip to that province, and that the rest we would tell them about ourselves. We shared with the children some similarities which existed among us, for instance, we are both from the poor families, both supported by the church in education, both worked many years as catechists, both had technical training (Fr. Juliao Fenias in hotel services and Fr. Juliao Mutemba in electronic media), both are Anglican priests, both serve the ecumenical church, both are called Juliao; one in the north-eastern province of Cabo Delgado and other in the southern province of Maputo.
At the school in ChimoioBesides the similarities we shared, we were preparing the to know that God who is taking care of what they do, will use them in the way He likes, and some may be called to follow different things in the future, just like us who are priests. We encouraged the children to obedient and dedicated in prayers, and willing to learn more about God.
Fr. Paulo spoke with the children who were being prepared for baptism and confirmation, as they were going to have a retreat at St. Bernard Mizeki Sanctuary in Chimoio. We visited the sanctuary in a small hill with a chapel aside it. The other great privilege was to visit the parish centre, where we met Fr. Domingos and the other team part of the projects they have in the church.
We came back with a lot of inspirations acquired along our visit in Chimoio, between the 2 and 6 of August, 2010, which helped us to wipe our ignorance in many aspects. We pray that God may bless those who serve Him in spirit and truth.
Josephine Mutemba, ALMA Link Officer in Lebombo shared news of
The Bishop presided the meeting, then followed the presentation of Alma report. The Bishop told the participants that, the ALMA theme for this current year was water, which symbolizes partnership between London, Mozambique and Angola. In the election, Fr. Jose Chamuce Nhagumbe is the President, Nasson Benedito Paruque -Secretary and Victoria Malauene -Treasurer. It was recommended that each district must create its ALMA Commission. These are to interact with parishes.
On 11 July 2010 , at 2:00PM, we had an ALMA celebration bringing together the two archdeaconries, at St.Cyprian .The festival was marked by prayers, choirs group presentations and the explanation of the ALMA objectives
We later learnt from Josephine that the Bride’s mother subsequently died too. Her father remains in a critical condition. Please hold this family in your prayers.
… is in the middle of several visits from London!
Revd Alison Christian and Sylvia Daniels (from St John the Great Stanmore) have been leading a retreat for the women of Lichinga at Ss Simeo e Jude Nzinge their twin church during their visit to Lichinga.
A group from Southall sets off to Lichinga today.
Revd Ann Clarridge will return to Niassa in September where she will represent ALMA at Niassa Diocesan Synod, do some training with the Equipas da Vida and visit St Augustine’s twin parish in Mechanelas.
Three members of St Mary’s Hampton will shortly be off to visit their link parish in Mandimba
18-31 August: Bishop Mark will be visiting Lurio Archdeaconry, travelling to the provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado, and parishes of Malema, Morrupula, Mecuburi, Nacala and Pemba, with Padres Dinis, Ntiko and Fenias. Please pray for this visit as it will be a painful one too - for this region grieves the loss of two key individuals in the last year: Archdeacon Artur and Godwin Mynawa, Headteacher at Nacala School.
ALMA would like to thank the Mission to Seafarers for a recent very generous gift of Altar furnishings and Vestments. Much of this went to Mozambique in May with me and John is taking some more to Angola this month. It is so good to think of these items equipping new churches and that the vestments and stoles are in use again. The newly ordained clergy and deacons are extremely pleased!
A challenge remains –we have been offered three brocade altar frontals, one for each partner diocese, who are eager to have them, once a visitor can be found to transport them! They weigh: Green frontal - 4.258 Kg; Red frontal – 3.920 Kg; Purple frontal – 4.791 Kg. Please see if your group could mange to apportion your packing so you could take one between you!!
St Peter’s Hammersmith raised £3,400 for bicycles for Niassan Health Workers in their bikes4bikes cycle ride. A cycle ride to Diocesan House may be their next venture as they bring their cheque to Pimlico!
A small ALMA subgroup has been working for several months to gather and collate wisdom on visits and has drafted two very helpful and practical sets of guidelines which are now on the ALMA website. Please do look at
150Kb) 34Kb)If you are planning a visit to your link parish these should be your first port of call. A huge thank you to everyone involved.
The next task is to draw up guidelines to help parishes host a visit from their twin parish. Please do let Ann Clarridge, ALMA Visits Officer know if you have any suggestions or thoughts on this (almavisits@london.anglican.org ) however – she will be in Mozambique until mid September!
I look forward to seeing you at the next ALMA Reps & Friends Meeting with Bishop André – please do invite interested people in your parishes. We have the Main Hall at Diocesan House and it would be good to fill it. Don’t forget to RSVP, consider whether you could offer to bake a cake or offer to wash up.
Many thanks,
Sheenagh
Sheenagh Burrell
