ALMA Reps Meeting 13 February 2018 at London Diocesan House

Opening

Bishop Rob opened the meeting with prayer and welcomed Bishop Carlos (Lebombo) and Bishop Vicente (Niassa) who were in the UK for the New Bishop’s Training Course at Canterbury, together with Revd Teodosia Tavela (Lebombo) who was spending a month at St Mellitus for the preparation of a new curriculum for the Portuguese speaking Seminary to be used by all three dioceses.

Bishop Carlos

Bishop Carlos spoke of Lebombo’s priorities.

Partnership:

Bishop Carlos was most grateful for our partnership saying Christianity is about relationship, hence the importance of our partnership and links.

Living in relationship meant communication is really important; we pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens and find support for needs.

Examples of working in partnership:

1. ALMA and its links, e.g. the school at Maciene (twinned with Twyford C of E High School) now has Government authority for all levels (primary, secondary and upper secondary) which meant local children’s complete educational needs can be met at Maciene. Also Lebombo now wanted to start kindergartens (nurseries) in parishes as when those children started primary school they were ahead of the expected entry level.
2. ALMA helped a church in the finishing stages e.g. to put on the roof, where the congregation had done the remainder of the work.
3. Our partners can offer us the gift of training and use of lay leaders.

Training for Spiritual Growth:

There was need for training for spiritual growth at all levels. Each priest had been asked to work out programmes for an increase in Biblical knowledge in their congregations. Individuals need to be equipped to face the increasing spiritual opposition. Also the youth wanted to be equipped to preach.

To meet the changing needs of priests they are building a Portuguese speaking Seminary for all three Dioceses and getting advice re curriculum and content for certificate, diploma and degree courses – hence Fr Teodocia Tovela’s visit to St Mellitus.

Communication with our Partners:

Due to the importance of communication they are organising a conference for the pilgrims to the UK in July 2017 and Reps from link parishes to improve this and accountability.

Challenges:

Finding property for new churches in cities, to meet the needs of the exodus from the country.

The need to sustain the Diocese:

• Lebombo has 55 priests and three deacons.
• 48 parishes – some have a cluster of over 14 congregations
• 242 congregations

Bishop Vicente

Bishop Vicente (Niassa) spoke about some of the issues facing him currently.

Challenges:

The floods around the Lakeshore and the amount of damage done there – see our news page - and also the church growth in the Diocese – new churches are being planted still.

Also the Diocese must be self-sustainable if multiplication is to occur so there needed to be Income Generating Projects as well as teaching on giving.

Niassa Diocese has 47 priests (two about to retire) *one priest has since died

40 parishes – some with more than 30 churches as well as a priest and a catechist working in the large national refugee camp near Nampula.

Hopes for the future:

Bishop Vicente would like to see

1. the church involved in many social issues, some of which are areas where the Mothers Union have been working.
2. involvement with education of itinerant farmer’s families
3. the Government want the church to be more involved in the fight against corruption
4. the issues around early pregnancies and young fathers
5. the need to do something for women not in the Mothers Union.

Extending the ALMA Covenant

This most interesting meeting concluded with Bishop Rob, Bishop Carlos and Bishop Vicente signing the two year extension to the ALMA Covenant until July 2020 when all the Bishops will be in London for the Lambeth Conference. A declaration was also signed for Bishop André to sign for the Diocese of Angola which John Tasker will take on his visit to Angola in June. Everyone then prayed and laid hands on the two Bishops and Fr Teodosia.