Umbuliso

Six newly ordained deacons stand outside the Cathedral on 3 June with Bishop Thabo. From left to right: B B Mfenyana of St Peter Ezibeleni, Noelene Arends of Bholothwa, Vuyiswa Kuse of St Andrew Queenstown, Peter Boucher of St Peter East London, Rodger Norman of St Mark East London and Themba Mdedelwa of St Michael’s Queenstown. All are self-supporting. The Bishop’s Chaplain (right) was Dulcie Dlamini, a student at the College of the Transfiguration. The Cathedral was packed with family and friends from East London and the Queenstown area, who heard Canon Louis Flint give an inspiring sermon on ministry. Quoting Dietrich Bonhoeffer, he said that “Christian ministers stand by God in His hour of need”, and reminded the ordinands that they must earn the right to preach by being alongside the people.

Bishop Thabo writes…. The Anglican Communion

Dear People of God

Three leaders, reflecting from provincial, national and international Anglican contexts, recently wrote the following articles: our Archbishop Ndungane, “The Heartland of Anglicanism”, 10 July 2006; Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, “Challenge and Hope for the Anglican Communion”, 27 June 2006; Archbishop Akinola of Nigeria “The Road to Lambeth”, a statement by the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, 30 May 2006. They can be found on the diocesan web site, http://www.diocesegrahamstown.co.za/direction/archstatements.htm

At the heart of these articles is: What form of governance, structures and corporate identity should the global Anglican Church assume, and who should call the shots?

Archbishop Williams provides a theological rationale, and concludes by advocating a Covenant: a voluntary contractual tool for those who desire global association. Archbishop Njongo advocates a genuine return to what has traditionally served us best, and reaffirms that power should reside in Synods: We are “synodically governed and episcopally led”. Archbishop Akinola perceives a crisis that should lead to severance if Biblical teaching on homosexuality is not obeyed. All three leaders cite Scripture, and like us all believe that Scripture is the point of departure, even with varied hermeneutical approaches.

Biblical passages that are cited are: 1 Cor 10:17, “Hold together in the Lord as we are renewed by the Spirit”. Keep the tradition (1 Cor 11:23) in the spirit of charity (1 Cor 13:14). Archbishop Rowan appeals to the “unmediated authority of the Bible”. Archbishop Akinola states that in I John 1:6-7 and Jer 6:16 a choice is offered, and repentance is needed, or let’s depart.

The questions that I want to pose is, should these three views necessarily be mutually exclusive? Are they not reflecting the various stages of our journey, as we seek to define our global Anglican witness and identity currently?

Archbishop Desmond Tutu always says, “God has not finished with us”, suggesting that the structure and the form of global Anglican witness is not yet complete and final, as is God’s revelation completed. It should not be determined especially and exclusively by our current leaders only. Current leaders should know that they hold this Anglican global witness in trust for those who will follow them. We need to be asking questions: What type of world are they living in? What type of Anglican witness would they like to see, given their contextual differences, similarities and longings?

Perhaps these three articles can be placed within a broader framework: i.e. historical (distinctiveness of structures over time), structural (interrelatedness within Communion), value-laden (social justice concerns), non-dogmatic (varied perspectives) and action-oriented (responding to pressure groups)¹; or these three broad areas: Traditional, liberal and radical. However, in debating framework, structure and power, we must never lose sight of the needs of our local context, the needs of the poor, the marginalised, the imprisoned, the HIV-positive, an end to war, global peace etc, for we are commissioned by God to go into that context and minister.

Pray for our fragile Anglican Communion.

Children’s choir sings for Bishop in Tarkastad

By Helen Farmer

It was a very special day for St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Tarkastad on 25th June. The church was filled to capacity on this chilly day, but in spite of the cold wind, the people came anyway. Bishop Thabo graced our presence and we were blessed by the very meaningful and uplifting message given by him. The Scriptures were read by Wayne and Jessica Johnson. Children from the Sparrows Childrens Home, directed by our Mrs. Helen Farmer, were with us to sing several numbers. Helen works at Sparrows and also holds musical rehearsals with the children, who attend other churches, but are willing to share their musical talents in the surrounding areas.

After the service, Bishop Thabo was hosted by John and Gwyn Robinson in their home with a delicious meal and good fellowship around the table, along with Father Howard Skomolo, Mrs. Audrey King, a long-time member of St. Mary’s for many years, and other guests.

uMariya uMama weThemba Monastery and Guesthouse

15 – 17 September, 2006: Holy Cross Weekend

Come and join us for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross for a weekend of prayer, fellowship, updates on the Order and Mariya uMama weThemba Monastery and celebration.
Fee: R400 Deposit: R200

13 – 15 October, 2006: A Benedictine Weekend

Come and learn the great wisdom of the life, teaching and witness of St. Benedict. Come and discover the call to balance and seeing the extraordinary presence of God in the daily rhythms of prayer and a joyous living out of the Gospel.
Fee: R400 Deposit: R200

P O Box 6013, Grahamstown 6141, (046) 622 8111,

E-mail: guesthouse@umaria.co.za

See the Monastery website for more details

Dioce$an Finance$

From the Acting Diocesan Secretary, James Hoyle:

Well done, the Parishes of the Diocese!

Although the income for the first half of 2006 is 4% below budget, we have kept the expenditure to 18% below our budgeted figure. This shows a surplus of R3,930.00 of income over expenditure.

Well done to those parishes who have paid their way, but let’s not be complacent. There are some who are behind in their payments. Come along! If we work together we are able to do just that much more, for the Kingdom of God.

Working on the Budget for 2007, we will need to do something about the Clergy stipends, and as we are aware, prices keep going up and up. We will have to ask for an increased income of at least 10% from us all. We can do it, working together.

God bless us as we do God’s work.

James

Meet our new Deacons (1)

Vuyiswa Kuse has devoted her life to teaching and holds a B.Ed. degree. At St Andrew’s Queenstown she is an MU leader, and involved in many aspects of training and worship. She is married to Godfrey and they have one adult son.

Rodger Norman has worked with animals as a Stock Inspector and now runs his own newspaper delivery business. In St Peter’s East London he was specially involved with healing ministries. He is now licensed at St Mark’s. He is married to Sharon and they have two adult sons.

Themba Mdedelwa, a leader of the Bernard Mizeki Guild, took early retirement to complete his theological studies full-time. He now works at Tshwaranang and is attached to St Michael’s Queenstown. He is married to Nomazwe and they have four grown-up children.

Studying reconciliation in SA

A Professor at the School of Theology at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, Prof Bill Danaher (second from left), brought five students to South Africa in May to study reconciliation and restorative justice. His school has few African-American students, but all three of them came to South Africa.

They visited Grahamstown and went to the College of the Transfiguration, the OHC Monastery, and the Spirals Trust. They are seen here with Bishop Thabo Makgoba.

Exciting things happening at Tshwaranang

By Themba Mdedelwa

New and exciting things are happening at Tshwaranang Resource Centre in Queenstown. The Centre is determined to make a significant contribution towards empowering community members.

Recently 24 people received training on basic HIV/AIDS and Home Based Care. The same people are now undergoing training on Gender Based Violence. The rural communities will now be served by competent people.

The Centre also provides training in computer skills. Two groups to date have completed their training. The groups consisted of youth, young adults and rural women who were previously disadvantaged. Two former learners have been placed in employment. The centre is negotiating with H.O.PE. Africa for the issuing of accredited certificates.

We are involved in the establishment of vegetable gardens, also providing the groups with seedlings. The Department of Labour is providing training in crop cultivation, fertilization, irrigation and marketing. At present 14 group members are undergoing this training. They will not only grow high quality crops but also be able to market them. In addition, the Orphans and Vulnerable Children benefit from these gardens.

We had been exploring ways of establishing new Diocesan sites for Orphan and Vulnerable Children in and around Chris Hani District Municipality, but finance always prevented us. Wendy Luhabe, First Lady of Gauteng Province, has donated some funds with which we intended using to establish the new sites. Sada and Machibini have been identified to benefit from the gift. We hope to start with these projects as soon as the funds are received.

From the Spirituality Department

Centering Prayer

By Charles Lagan

Cyprian Smith, OSB, in his masterful little book The Way of Paradox: Spiritual Life as taught by Meister Eckhart (Darton, Longman & Todd 2004), quotes Eckhart’s famous prayer, which continues to shock us even after repeated hearings: “Therefore I pray God, that he may rid me of God”.

Eckhart is thinking about the projections and the domestication that get in the way of the mystery that is God. But as Cynthia Smith points out: “Eckhart himself uses images to evoke this imageless reality: he calls it The Source, the Root, the Ground, the Silent Desert”. “I will lead my bride into the desert, and speak to her heart” (Ho. 2:14)

Clergy are professionals and as such handle objects, symbolic and otherwise on a daily basis. We are more prone than most to losing God in the holy clutter, by sheer dint of repetition and routine.

Eckhart, the mystic, was no recluse but a very capable administrator, and was involved in other ministries. My guess, though, was that he was able to surrender, among everything else, his projections on God, that template of needs and desires characteristic of the beginning Christian, that we impose upon God.

Centering Prayer is one way of praying without YOU-TURNS. The ego takes a relentless hammering and I’m told that after 20 years or so it might begin to get the message.

We are lucky to have a Centering Prayer organisational structure within the Eastern Cape, with a Newsletter “In Quiet Times” in Grahamstown.

First woman priest in charge for St Peter’s EL

By Tyronne Boucher

Finally, nearly 150 years after being established in 1857, St Peter’s Church in East London – the “Mother Church”, inducted its first woman priest in charge, Revd Lorraine Rusch on 14 May, Mothers Day!

Archdeacon of East London South Colin Leslie performed the ceremony, but the service was unique in that Lorraine’s husband, Revd James Rusch, from All Saints in East London, also took part. Her mother was also present.

The service was well attended, with the church almost bursting at the seams, and included many visitors from other parishes around East London.

Revd Lorraine is the first female Anglican priest to hold such a position in East London.

Lorraine is a mother of three, and has three grandchildren. She is also the co-ordinator of the Stork Support Group – a volunteer group dedicated to putting together parcels of baby items (jerseys, blankets, booties, products, etc) for distribution to needy mothers at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in Mdantsane.

James and Lorraine met while both in Standard 7 at Cambridge High School in East London. They married in 1969 and, after raising their family, both answered God’s calling. On completion of their theological studies and training, they were simultaneously ordained in Grahamstown in 2000 and have since served in various parishes throughout East London.

Laying their hands on Lorraine Rusch are Archdeacon Colin Leslie (r) and her husband James.

Tragic deaths of Bishop and Mrs Dwane

Bishop Sigqibo Dwane, the first Presiding Bishop of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church and his wife Ntombi, died tragically in a car accident on the evening of 2 July, only six months before retirement. They had just left King William’s Town on the way to their small-holding in the Stutterheim district.

Bishop Dwane was born in 1941 in Bengu, Lady Frere, and was the grandson of the founder of the then Order of Ethiopia, James Mata Dwane, who is commemorated in our Lectionary. After schooling at Lovedale and studies at Fort Hare and St Peter’s Theological College, the young Sigqibo was singled out by the Grahamstown diocese for studies overseas. After a brief spell as a deacon at St Matthew’s he and his bride Ntombi went to England, where he combined study for his BD Hons with curacies in two London parishes.

Although it was always the intention that Dwane should devote his ministry to theological education, on his return to the diocese of Grahamstown he was appointed to one more curacy, at St Michael’s Herschel, in order to gain experience of rural ministry. In 1973 he joined the staff of St Peter’s College, initially as Chaplain, and remained with the college through the various moves of the Federal Seminary, from Alice to Mthatha to Pietermaritzburg.

When the decision was taken for the Order of Ethiopia to have its own Bishop, Sigqibo Dwane was elected to that position in 1982, and consecrated in 1983. The Bishop’s House and administration was based in Grahamstown until the early nineties, when they were moved to Cape Town. During their sojourn in Grahamstown Mrs Dwane held the position of Principal of Nombulelo High School, striving for excellence in a township school at a stormy stage of its life, and the history of South African education. Bishop Dwane was active in ecumenical circles and chaired the Albany Council of Churches.

In 1999 a further historic decision resulted in the creation of the independent Ethiopian Episcopal Church, of which Bishop Dwane became the Presiding Bishop. After he announced his intention to retire at the end of 2006, the church elected Bishop Lunga ka Siboto to succeed him. Bishop and Mrs Dwane were on sabbatical at the time of their deaths, prior to retirement.

They leave three daughters Phumla, Vuyokazi and Ntabozuko, and a son Zinzumzi, and three grandchildren.

Prayer for Makana Municipality

The new Makana Municipal Council invited the local church leaders to conduct a prayer service on 31 May in the City Hall, to pray for the Council. This was especially relevant considering the controversy which had been raging over the choice of Mayor, since the Council elected a different person from the one chosen by the ruling party.

Hazel Goodfellow, Rural Dean of Albany and Grahamstown, conducted the service with the participation of ministers from several denominations. Bishop Thabo Makgoba gave an address, urging the Council to “love mercy, humility and loyalty”.

Humbly, with candles, the members of the Makana Municipal Council knelt on the stage, in front of a crowd of voters in the City Hall, to request prayer for them in their work.

Social Responsibility and AIDS Ministries:

Food for life

The Mothers Union of St Andrew Mlungisi are busy harvesting vegetables. They have planted a green vegetable garden in the premises of the church. The project is meant for poverty eradication, as well as in preparation for the HIV/AIDS orphans project, which they intend to start very soon.

Child Care Workers trained for Ilinge

By Heidi Schmidt and Monica Vega

On 1 June 2006 a partnership was signed by the Department of Social Responsibility for the Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown with the National Association of Child Care Workers to implement the Isibindi Model in Ilinge, Eastern Cape. As a result of this agreement 20 people have been accepted for training for Isibindi Ilinge, and three for Ezibeleni Safe Park (a former parish house). These people will be employed by the diocesan AIDS ministries. It is hoped that funds will come from donors in the USA.

The Isibindi model deploys trained community-based child and youth care workers in an innovative team outreach programme, providing developmental support to children and families affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. What does that mean? It means that the National Association of Child Care Workers will team up with the Ilinge community, the Anglican Diocese of Grahamstown through the DSR, and the Dept. of Social Development, to train and then deploy these Child Care Workers in the community, to care for these orphans and children at risk and their families in their homes. This will provide accredited training to 25 people from Ilinge (lasting about 15-24 months), and then jobs for 13 of the best of these people to work with these families, working on family preservation and the strengths and resilience that are already there. It will prioritize child-headed households and attend to the needs according to each family.

Just imagine...

...the effect on the lives of the 23 being trained with knowledge and skills, beginning a new profession and a security for their future…the effect on the lives of the 13 employed and their families, now receiving an income and an improvement in the quality of their lives…and the effect of being able to send 23 child and youth care workers into the homes of more than 200 families, affecting and improving the quality of lives for hundreds of people. This is hope.

Tata Mfenqele, a recent widower, came to us one Wednesday with his three granddaughters, two abandoned by one daughter and one orphaned by another daughter. He is in his 80’s and is the sole caretaker of these young girls. We shared with him that in August we will start sending a child care worker to his home to assist him with the girls. His eyes lit up with relief and hope, and he thanked us profusely. This is ... one of many, many stories to be told of those who will be assisted by this project. They are the reason Isibindi Ilinge will move forward.

DSR paralegal uncovers fraud

By Thandiswa Nketyana,

Department of Social Responsibility Paralegal Justice Programme

The Paralegal Justice office “Eyethu” seeks to develop paralegal justice units integrated within rural development centres to empower local communities, provide a learning opportunity for churches, and develop appropriate advocacy drives.

Eyethu office continues to grow from strength to strength. People come from as far as a 30-km radius from Kei Road to access our services. Some people, especially the elderly, will go to the government departments for help but will also come to the office to confirm what has been said to them by the government official. This proves that people have confidence in us. Cases seen at the office include labour related, social security, and consumer related cases.

Real life story

Mrs X* has been receiving a disability grant since the early 90’s. She was born mute. On 17 January 2006 she came to the office reporting that she last received her grant in October 2004. According to her sister in law who accompanied her to the office, her niece accompanied her to the Department of Social Development for a Disability Grant review.

After several enquiries of Social Development, I found out that the grant was never suspended and is paid monthly into Mrs X’s bank account – an account which she was never aware existed. The niece told a different story, which made me suspicious, as she was the only one who can access Mrs X’s bank account.

I opened a fraud case with the local police, who handed the matter to the King William’s Town investigators. They investigated and their prime suspect was Mrs X’s niece who was eventually arrested and is now out on bail. The case is still pending as a result of several postponements.

*Name changed to protect privacy.

Umbuliso uyakubulisa…

Ncera starts MU branch

Firmly planted: One of the newest churches in the diocese, St David’s Ncera, now has a branch of the Mothers’ Union. Members are seen planting a bottle-brush tree, on the occasion of the branch’s inauguration.

Women at work

Umbuliso congratulates the newly elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the USA, (ECUSA). Breaking new ground, Katharine Jefferts Schori, currently Bishop of Nevada, will be the first woman Primate in the Anglican Communion.

New PEO

The Archbishop has appointed a new Provincial Executive Officer (PEO) for the CPSA. For the first time in Southern African Anglican Church history this senior administrative position in the church is being filled by a woman and she is also not a South African. Nangula Kathindi, a Namibian, is currently Dean of St George’s Cathedral in Windhoek. She will take up the post from 1 January 2007. Pray for God’s blessing on her in this responsible work.

Festival Guests

Two distinguished women priests were guests of SpiritFest, the Cathedral’s initiative at the National Festival of the Arts in Grahamstown. Nancy Charton (left), first woman to be ordained priest in the CPSA (1992) was honoured guest in the Cathedral where that ordination took place. She now lives and works in Graaff-Reinet. Dr Liz Carmichael (right), a former CPSA priest, is Chaplain of St John’s College Oxford in the UK. She accompanied the choir of the college to Grahamstown, where they sang two concerts at the Festival, their organ scholars gave a recital, and they led the singing at the Festival Mass with Haydn’s St John’s Mass. Liz Carmichael was the preacher, and gave a lecture the following day on “Interpreting Christian Love”.

For prayer

Pray for the people of Christ Church Amalinda and their Rector Barry Wittstock, after the church was damaged recently by a fire which started in the organ.

Sympathy and prayers for Sister Nonie CR on the death of her sister Jo, and to Chris Harper on the death of his grandfather.

One of our ordinands, Monde Kose, who studied part-time for many years, died in June. We pass our sympathy to his family.

Give thanks that Thenjiwe Jayiya is better, and pray for Bronwen Hill after her knee operation.

Nolan, son of Elroy Damon, a Port Elizabeth priest who began his ministry in this diocese, suffered multiple fractures in a car accident in July, and we pray for his recovery.