Reps Circular
From Sheenagh Burrell, ALMA Communications Officer
almacomms@london.anglican.org T: Tuesdays: 020 7932 1231
Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,
It was good to see so many of you at the ALMA Reps meeting on 27 January, and particularly to welcome several new ALMA Reps and Canon Janice Price from Partners in World Mission. A report on the meeting is below.
I am very sorry to tell you of three recent deaths and ask for your prayers for our partners.
In Angola Mama Beatriz Alexandre, the mother of the Angolan Church has died. In Niassa Goodwin Mnyawa, Head teacher of Nacala School (an ALMA’s Children Project) died suddenly of malaria whilst on a working trip to Malawi. Do read the profiles of these unique individuals on our website and hold their families and communities in prayer.
Tonight I have had news from Revd Helen Van Koevering that Padre Luciano died today from bowel cancer. She asks that we remember Joana and their children alongside the parish of Cuamba. May Beatriz, Goodwin and Padre Luciano rest in peace and rise in glory.
This circular contains:
There is a full ALMA preaching schedule over Lent. Please pray for John Tasker, Helen Doery and me as we visit new parishes to share about ALMA.
| 14 Feb | St Augustine’s Whitton | JT |
| 21 Feb | St Marylebone Young Church | SB |
| 27 Feb | Holy Cross Greenford | HD |
| 28 Feb | St James’ Sussex Gardens | SB |
| 28 Feb | St Paul’s Bow Common | JT |
| 14 Mar | St Christopher’s Hanwell | SB |
| 21 Mar | St Dunstan’s Acton | SB |
| 21 Mar | Holy Innocents’ Kingsbury | HD |
| 28 Mar | St Mary’s Sunbury | SB |
Tuesday 23 Feb – Tuesday 23 March 12-2pm St Mary’s Stoke Newington will be holding their Lent Lunches for ALMA as usual. Beryl writes: ‘I will be doing Lent Lunches (home made soup and bread) – everyone welcome!’
25 April World Malaria Day
21 June – 9 July City of London Festival – theme: Portuguese speaking Countries
Two ALMA exhibitions:
11 July ALMA Sunday – more news next month!
Saturday 18 September MANNA AGM at St John’s Waterloo. Bishop André has accepted an invitation to be present. All Welcome.
8 - 11 February. Our partner Bishops have been at The Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) gathered with the Diocese of Swaziland in the blessing of their new Conference Suite at Thokoza (Joy), the Anglican Conference Centre in Swaziland.
4 - 8 January Holy Innocents Parish in Mucaba was thrilled to host the ordination retreat and ordination service for 13 candidates to the Priesthood and their wives. The parish, which has 570 members and has a main church and a daughter church, gave a huge welcome to its visitors. During the retreat there were workshops on HIV/AIDS and malaria as well as a celebration of Epiphany on 6 January with the community. We will have two of the photos from Mucaba in the online version of the circular.
Please pray for the parish of Holy Innocents and for the new Priests:
On 28 January, The Economist printed an interesting article on the Economy of Angola OIL, GLORIOUS OIL ‘The pace of development since peace returned eight years ago has been staggering …’.
14 February is the Anglican Church of Angola’s Evangelisation Day.
John Tasker writes ‘The Anglican Church in Angola was inaugurated by government decree on 14 February 1992, which was the very day that Revd Alexandre died (Angola’s first Archdeacon). These two significant events are marked by the Diocese of Angola as Evangelisation Day every 14 February. This has provided an annual opportunity for the church to remember its missionary calling, and (this year) to shows its love for Mama Beatriz (Wife of Revd Alexandre) and her family.’
Bishop André has said that Benguela School is top priority for funding from 2010 Lent Appeal.
Bishop Dinis has been poorly, losing his voice completely and has had to rest it over the past few weeks. It recovered over this weekend but he is having to take things slowly and gently.
News from Niassa Feb 2010: 120 NEW CHURCHES!
- On distributing 2010 Lectionaries at a clergy meeting in Nov 2009, Mark saw that he had printed 120 too few – that is the number of new churches that have grown since last year’s lectionary distribution (if only the clergy would fill in those annual reports…!).
- Rebecca Vander Meulen’s work as Director of Mission focused on the work of ‘adeptos’ in the 180 Vida groups (and 3000 participants) around the diocese, is going well. She says that this is the first time in her six years with us that work is limited by funding and not our capability and human resources. She is looking at developing agricultural work through Vida groups.
-Helen is now Director of Ministry, but in South Africa for a month as Kylie settles into her new school, St John’s in Pietermaritzburg. Helen will be in charge of getting our ‘Rooted in Jesus’ discipleship course truly rooted in each parish, develop a baptism, marriage and trauma healing course, be responsible for the ecclesiastical bodies (i.e. MU, Bernardo Mizeki, St Agnes), training initiatives for clergy and laity, our Links, and communications (is there anyone who could help set up a website for us?).
-We have been battling with bad health in the diocese: Archdeacons Artur, Damiao and Mateus Benedito , and Padre Luciano. It is costly as there is no health insurance, or finances for flights to Maputo, and Mark cancelled a clergy meeting due to these costs. Of these four sick clergy, all are recovering slowly except for Luciano, who sadly passed away 22 February.
-The forestry companies continue with 3000 people employed locally, but with the changed vision and focus on profit for overseas shareholders, and with the diocesan shares (as the local partner) looking more tenuous. This represents a disappointing turn of promises and series of events which started five years ago as an exciting initiative between two dioceses (Niassa and Vasteras).
-Our ACSA (Anglican Church of Southern Africa) link diocese, Natal, is actively raising funds for church building in Niassa this Lent, and we are encouraged in this growing friendship.
-Jake is in his final year of school, is Head of his House and recently was awarded Academic Honours. He is looking at attending a US university, but is keeping his head down this year to do well in Matric exams. Matthew has three years to go, and is doing well academically and with sport, and loves school. Kylie is now in Year 7 in SA, as mentioned, so only begins High school next year. She is still getting used to things after the change from 4 semesters in US school staying with Mark’s family, an experience she ended up loving. She’ll be fine when she has the social side of school sorted out! She enjoys clarinet, writing poetry, music, and other people.
-Mark is in Synod right now in Swaziland, and has a lot of travel this year (160 days away from home this year!). In May, he and Helen are going to Angola to help start up ‘Rooted in Jesus’ there too; in July, for Jake’s 18th, we’ll be in Durban for the ‘beautiful game’; and we have sketchy plans to be in UK in October after our too short time last year.
See the report in the News section of this site.
The Lent Appeal was launched by Bishop Richard at St Paul’s Old Ford and Old Ford Primary School. – both church and school have witnessed significant transformation over the last seven years. After discussion with the Head teacher, Amanda Philips some children showed Bishop Richard their school garden. In addition we saw the work the children had done on the Mozambican sculpture currently being hosted by Old Ford Church - this included some very good poetry and drawings and a memorable discussion on the role of poetry between 10 year olds and Bishop Richard. The Head was presented with the St Mellitus Medal in recognition of the school’s outstanding contribution of the education of young people in Tower Hamlets. We then went to the church where we visited the Mobility Gym, Into University, the church fairtrade cafe and the Swords into Ploughshares sculpture - every one an example of Transformation.
The East End Advertiser also covered the launch
Second Reading Friday 26 February - JUBILEE DEBT CAMPAIGN
In 2006 Mozambique’s debt was cancelled after sustained lobbying from 1997 onwards. Bishop Dinis was a huge advocate of debt remission and the Mozambique High Commissioner in the UK has taken this forward by addressing MPs on 10 February on the life saving investments that debt relief enables and which vulture funds imperil.
The Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill aims to end a situation in which companies use UK courts to sue the world’s poorest for the proceeds of debt relief. By ending a situation in which defaulted debts can be bought at hugely discounted rates by Vulture Funds that then sue for the full amount with interest, the Bill would protect millions of pounds of development money for countries which have had their debts cancelled.
186 MPs have signed the Early Day Motion on vulture funds. Has yours? 100 MPs need to turn out on Friday 26 February. Will you ask yours? The simplest way is to email.
After quite a gap in this feature three further books have joined our further reading list this month:
Please do send your news for the next Circular.
With all good wishes
Sheenagh
Sheenagh Burrell ALMA Communications Officer Diocese of London
Email: almacomms@london.anglican.org
T: Tuesdays 020 7932 1231