January - March: Very severe flooding in Southern Mozambique (on a par with the floods of 2000). Reports on the Diocese of London site: see here, and here.
25 March: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, was installed at Canterbury Cathedral. Our partners Archbishop Vicente Msosa and Bishop Filomena Teta Estevao were in Canterbury for the service. (A video of the service.)
9 May: Revd Claudio Chitsondzo is elected as the next Bishop of Libombos.
11-21 July: Bishop Augusto Domingos, Bishop of Cristo Rei Diocese Angola & Dean of IAMA Province will visit London for ALMA Sunday and also visit London parishes linked with Cristo Rei.
2025
26 January: Bishop Vicente Msosa installed as IAMA’s Primate in a ceremony in Luanda. Bishop Lusa Nsenga Ngoy, some Angola link priests and ALMA Team members attended.
July: ALMA Sunday visit to London by Archbishop Vicente Msosa, IAMA’s Primate and Bishop of Zambézia. He also visited Zambézia link parishes in Shepperton and Enfield.
September: The Bishop of London, Bishop Sarah Mullally, was appointed as the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
July: Retirement of Presiding Archbishop of IAMA, Bishop Carlos Matsinhe. Four people from London attended the service: Revd John Seymour, Helen Doery, Martin How and Monica Bolley
July: Bishop Filomena Teta Estevao visited London for ALMA Sunday and visits to London parishes with Bom Pastor links.
2023
June: The ALMA Chair, Bishop Rob Wickham, leaves to become Head of the Church Urban Fund.
July: Bishop Lusa Nsenga Ngoy, Bishop of Willesden was commissioned on ALMA Sunday as London’s new Bishop for ALMA
July: Bishop Manuel Ernesto, Bishop of Nampula, visits London for ALMA Sunday and for visits to Nampula link parishes.
August: All eight new IAMA Bishops and also Bishop-elect Filomena Teta Estevao attended the Anglican Communion’s first new Bishops’ course outside the UK. It was held in Maputo and was also attended by several other Southern and Central African Bishops and spouses. The Bishop of London, Bishop Sarah Mullally and Revd Marcus Throup from St Mellitus College were also trainers on the course.
Sept: Consecration of Bishop Filomena Teta Estevao in Bom Pastor Diocese Angola. IAMA’s first female Bishop.
(There is a PowerPoint presentation : 2023 ALMA Roundup( 23,861 Kb) for the period July 2022 - 2023.)
2022
Election and Consecration of eight new IAMA Bishops, five in Mozambique and three in Angola.
July - August: Lambeth Conference in Canterbury with all twelve IAMA Bishops and all London Bishops attending. Because of Covid restrictions the usual hospitality initiatives in link Dioceses were cancelled and all delegates went straight to Canterbury. However, Bishop Vicente Msosahad been a conference beforehand so joined us in London for the ALMA Sunday service.
4 August: Renewal of ALMA Covenant
Enthronements of the new Bishops
November: Formal Inauguration of IAMA in Maputo by Archbishop of Canterbury followed by Visit to Pemba and the Internally Displaced People camps. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop Rob Wickham and four of the ALMA London team visited Mozambique to celebrate the inauguration of IAMA and visit Cabo Delgado and IDP camps.
December: Retirement of Bishop André Soares, first Bishop of Angola 2003-2022 (Now an Emeritus Bishop)
Nov: Formal Inauguration of IAMA in Maputo by Archbishop of Canterbury followed by Visit to Pemba and the Internally Displaced People camps. Three from ALMA (Bishop Rob, Revd Joseph Fernandes and John Tasker) were also part of this visit.
2021
Cyclone Eloise in January, badly affecting Zove. Cyclone Gombe in February.
ACSA Synod approves plans and timescale for Mozambique and Angola becoming a Province of the Anglican Church.
Bishop Carlos appointed President of the National Election Commission
ALMA Sunday without congregational singing but very creative!
24 September: Online inauguration of IAMA, the new Province of Mozambique and Angola (Igreja Anglicana de Mocambique e Angola).
2020
Ordination first three women priests in Lebombo, Joana, Fatucha, Lina and also Edilson – Sheenagh Burrell was there to represent London and visit other ALMA Projects
Ordination of the five students in Lichinga supported through Hefsiba college by three London churches
London Lent Appeal Wheels for Climate Emergencies
Milange new school building project fires ahead
Covid and Lockdowns – no in person ALMA Sunday service, but an online celebration
Zoom meetings
Death of Fr Teodosio Tovela who spent a month with us in London
Escalation of Cabo Delgado conflict
Opening of Children’s Clinic at Lichinga hospital (Building supported by an ALMA Donor)
New water supply in Chimoio Cabo Delagdo after Cyclone Kenneth Damage
2019
Bishop Rob Wickham (ALMA Chair) attended the inauguration of the new Missionary Diocese of Nampula and the enthronement of Bishop Manuel Ernesto as its Bishop.
Cyclone Idai, closely followed by Cyclone Kenneth, wrought devastation to all three Mozambican dioceses.
Pentecost Appeal for reconstruction of churches, schools and clergy housing affected by the cyclones.
Bishop Sarah Mullally’s first visit to Lebombo.
Joan Antcliff early missionary in Mozambique and author of ‘Living in the Spirit’ died.
Bishop Rob Wickham and Archdeacon John Hawkins (ALMA Vice Chair)’s first visit to Angola for its transition from Missionary Diocese to full Diocese.
2018
Visit from Bishops Carlos (Lebombo) in January and Vicente (Niassa) in January and July
Floods in all link dioceses and Hulene Rubbish Dump disaster in Maputo
Installation of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the 133rd Bishop of London.
Visits from London to link parishes in Luanda, Angola and Mandimba, Milange and Chigoma, Niassa and Homoine, Lebombo.
Lebombo 125th Anniversary celebrations and establishment of The Anglican Church of Mozambique
2017
Severe drought in Southern Africa
Visit from Bishop Manuel Ernesto, bishop with responsibility for Lurio, Niassa
2017 Lent Appeal Sowing Seeds for Tomorrow, for educational projects in each diocese
The new Bishop of Niassa, Bishop Vicente Msosa, enthroned
25 Lebombo pilgrims visit with Bishop Carlos
2016
Drought in Southern Africa, some villages vacated, crops fail.
Eco Church launched
Yellow Fever outbreak in Angola
Bishop Rob Wickham, Bishop of Edmonton, now Bishop for ALMA, and Ven. John Hawkins, Archdeacon of Hampstead, join the ALMA team
Bishop André Soares, Bishop of Angola visits for ALMA Sunday and discussions at Chatham House and the All Parliamentary Party Group on Angola in the House of Lords
Revd Vincente Msosa elected the new Bishop of Niassa
Anglican Angolan Youth celebrated 40 years
St Paul’s Knightsbridge visit their link at Nhamavila
Severe floods in Niassa, over £15,000 raised in London
Bishop Paul Williams, Bishop for ALMA, became the Diocesan Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, and Archdeacon Rachel Treweek, Chair of ALMA, became Diocesan Bishop of Gloucester
Angola purchased its diocesan vehicle with funds from 2012 Lent Appeal – Giving Ministry Wheels
Ivan Macie became ALMA Link Officer in Lebombo
First female clergy ordained in Niassa
October: Bishop Mark van Koevering finishes his ministry in Niassa.
Giving Ministry Wheels Lent Appeal was for equipping our partner churches in Angola and Mozambique by investing in their transport. The appeal raised £63,500 and helped to fund a good quality second hand vehicle for Angola, Lebombo (Southern Mozambique) and Niassa (northern Mozambique).
Representatives of ALMA attended the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the Diocese of Angola in Luanda.
The Bishop of Kensington, Paul Williams, visited both Mozambique dioceses.
Training God’s people Lent Appeal raised £50,000. It has been used to provide additional lay and clerical training, supporting the tremendous growth the Mozambican and Angolan churches are experiencing, and has also funded the purchase of 180 ‘Africa Bible Commentaries’ in Portuguese.
The Bishop of Lebombo, Dinis Sengulane, was present at the ALMA Sunday celebration service.
In November, there was a special service in St Paul’s Cathedral to mark Bishop Donald Arden’s 50th anniversary as Bishop. Bishop Arden is the father of ALMA, and previously Archbishop of Central Africa.
23,861 Kb) for the period July 2022 - 2023.)