April 25, 2008
No. 03/08
Nominations for Elective Assembly
Accommodation for Elective Assembly
Clergy attendance at Elective Assembly
The sub-division or multiplication of the diocese
National Initiative for Reformation of South Africa (NIRSA)
Statement from the recent Synod of Bishops
Church’s response to the food crisis
For our information and prayers
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, friends, colleagues
Greetings in the name of our risen and ascended Lord, Jesus
Christ. By the time you read this we shall be in Ascensiontide, and beyond that
into Pentecost. During Ascension we celebrate the reign and lordship of Christ
as He ascends into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father to
pray for us. At Pentecost we receive again the gift of the Holy Spirit, poured
out upon the church, giving us power for worship, witness, and service. The
Thursday after Trinity is
During these exciting days for us as a diocese, as we prepare to elect our next bishop, and as we continue to plan for the sub-division of the diocese and the formation of the Diocese of Ukhahlamba, may we be held and strengthened by the life and love of Christ. The love of Jesus is at the heart of all we do, and it must be so, if our words and actions are to have any integrity and any positive impact. “If I do not have love, I am as a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal… I can give away all that I have, and even give my body to be burned, but if I do not have love, I am nothing” so Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13. Let us remember this especially as we go into the Elective Assembly. This is a vulnerable and fragile time for the candidates and their families. We are asking a great deal of them. We are asking that they will allow themselves to be examined, dissected, opened up to public scrutiny, and, for all except one of them, to be rejected. Yet even to say that we reject them is to get it wrong. Rather, we are asking them, “Dear brothers in Christ, allow us to discern with you what God is saying. We love you. We recognise the work that God has done in you over these years. We see the fruits of your ministry and your faithfulness. We ask you to be gentle with us and with yourselves as we discern what the Spirit is saying to the church in this matter. Do not be angry with God or with us, or hurt, or disappointed, if the outcome is different from what you were perhaps hoping. Be gentle and peaceful in the loving arms of God, who knows you and loves you beyond and through and sometimes in spite of anything that we do or say.”
This Ad Clerum is both an information package and a prayer list. There have been a number of developments and it is good that we are all aware of what is happening.
By the closing date for nominations on Monday 14th April, the names of four people had been received by this office, and were passed on to the Advisory Committee. Their names, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows:
Michael John Arnold, school chaplain at
Thomas Matthew Karl Groepe, rector of St Paul’s, Breë Street, and acting Archdeacon of the Waterfront, Diocese of Cape Town
Donald Narraway, Dean of
Ebenezer St Mark Ntlali, rector of
There is a further window period, which expires twenty days before the day the Elective Assembly convenes, during which members of the Advisory Committee may, if they see fit, make further nominations.
Let us hold these candidates, and their families, in our prayers. This is a vulnerable and fragile time for them, as together we discern who God is calling to lead this diocese at this time and point of our journey and life together. We pray for them and we offer ourselves to God that we may be guided by the Holy Spirit.
The parishioners of Grahamstown are requested to accommodate Clergy and lay representatives who will attend the Elective Assembly on the 20th May 2008. Kindly advise Nobuntu at Diocesan Office in that regard.
While traditionally only those clergy who hold a General Licence have been summoned to Elective Assemblies (and Synods), we have chosen this time to invite all clergy who are in active ministry, whether they hold a General Licence or Permission to Officiate. There are a number of anomalies in our current practice. Canon 4 (7) (a) (iv) refers to “All clergy licensed in the Diocese with a vacancy, other than retired clergy who are not licensed to a pastoral charge”. We have a number of clergy with PTO who are attached to a pastoral charge or archdeaconry, and are in active ministry; we have some with PTO who have clearly retired; we have some with a General Licence who have “retired” but are active. After consulting with the Diocesan Chancellor (Advocate Richard Brooks), it was agreed that the list of those to be summoned could – and perhaps should – include all in active ministry, as well as any with a General Licence. This is the route that we have taken. If there are any concerns or queries, please contact me about it.
The letter from Archbishop Thabo, dated April 2nd, 2008, speaks for itself. We have called together a small Task Team to plan for the way forward. The process will include a special meeting of Diocesan Council (the body governing the diocese between Synods) and hopefully an imbizo for the south. The northern region (Ukhahlamba) has gone some way down the
track with visioning and planning: the southern region needs to start thinking and dreaming for its new beginnings as well. After sub-division, both Ukhahlamba and Grahamstown will be new dioceses. It is not simply “business as usual”.
Following on from our meeting with Provincial representatives of GtC shortly before Holy Week, a follow-up meeting was held at Hillandale. I have asked acting Archdeacon Mark Spyker to write to us all, outlining the process. An important part of this process will be for each archdeaconry to have a time of reflection, discussion and planning on growing the church. Archdeaconry facilitators have been appointed to lead this process. We plan to have a diocesan launch (one for the north and one for the south) on Saturday 27th September 2008.
This two-day conference was held in
This is enclosed with the Ad Clerum, for your information. To access this document, click here.
In the light of sharply rising food costs, we warmly welcome the suggestions from Hope Africa in this regard, and ask clergy and lay leaders to initiate such projects wherever possible.
Archdeacon Moses Madywabe and Mr Ntsikelelo Ncwecwe, a
churchwarden at
In the interim, we have requested Fr William Nkomo to act as Archdeacon of Alice until Archdeacon Moses recovers.
Canon Bill Domeris has been appointed as rector of the College of the Transfiguration, Grahamstown, with effect from 1st July 2008. Congratulations, Bill.
We congratulate and continue to pray for Brother Josias Morobe, n/OHC, who was clothed as a Novice in the Order of the Holy Cross in the monastery Church of St Peter on the Rock, Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery, Grahamstown, on Saturday 12th April 2008.
We pray for Brother Daniel OHC, who is to make his First Profession in the Order of the Holy Cross, Grahamstown, on Saturday 3rd May 2008.
We give thanks for the life of Florence Edith Goodfellow,
mother of the Revd Richard Goodfellow, who passed away in the
We remember with love and thanksgiving the Revd David
Profit, priest of the diocese of
Please continue to pray for Sarah Breytenbach, wife of Bishop Martin of St Mark the Evangelist. The news has not been good. We hold them and their family in our love and prayers.
Please continue to pray for clergy to be found for the following parishes, and for those who are leading the search processes:
Good Shepherd,
Holy Cross, Mdantsane (Archdeacon Wilson Ntlola)
St Barnabas, Sada (Archdeacon Reg Morgan)
St Peter’s, Ezibeleni (Archdeacon Reg Morgan)
St Alban’s,
June 22nd: the alternate set of readings in italics should be Psalm 69:7-10 (11-15), 16-18 and not Ps 67.
October 19th: Gospel reading is Matthew 22:15-22 and not Matthew 2.
The Archbishop wrote to thank us all for the flowers that we
sent him, for our well wishes and prayers. He says that he is sure that they
will enjoy their stay at Bishopscourt. The family was able to buy a car with
the diocesan gift that he received from us (
May our planning and restructuring and dreaming and longing open up new avenues for witness and service and ministry, so that the love of God in Christ would blaze out like a flame through your life and mine, and in our life together as the body of Christ.
Yours in the love and service of the Lord,
The Very Reverend
Andrew Hunter
Dean of Grahamstown
and Vicar General