To the Laos – To
the People of God, May 2014
Dear People of God
In just over a month’s time, the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd. Justin Welby, will be
visiting Johannesburg as one of the stops in a series of visits to
Primates across the Anglican Communion.
His initial
purpose was to visit Lungi and me as part of a “getting to know
you” trip to a number of African archbishops. However, wanting to
share our time with Archbishop Justin with our bishops, their spouses
and at least some clergy and lay people from around the Province, we
asked him also to give the keynote address to the Anglicans Ablaze
Conference and to join a dinner with the bishops, and he generously
agreed.
Anglicans
Ablaze will take place from July 2 to 5, and I warmly encourage you
to join the conference. In particular:
• All our clergy are invited to
join me and all our bishops;
• You are urged to bring a team
along – including young people;
• Parishes, please help with
fund-raising; and
• Please announce this invitation
from the pulpit.
To help the
organizers with their planning, I urge you to book early. For
details, go to: www.anglicansablaze.org or call 021 763 1315 / 021
797 9997. If you are from Gauteng, and you simply cannot make it to
the whole conference but want to hear Archbishop Welby, please call
the organisers to register for a shorter visit. If you are from
outside Gauteng, never fear: we will be inviting the Archbishop for a
formal visit to the whole Province just as soon as he can accommodate
us in his schedule.
Talking of
archiepiscopal visits, by the time you read this I will be on my way
to the Diocese of Zululand for a visit during which, among other
things, I will be blessing the diocese’s new Mothers’ Union Hall
and Skills Centre – a great achievement. We congratulate the MU,
Bishop Dino, his Chapter and the whole diocesan family on this
milestone.
Then, later in
June, I am asking for your prayers as I visit northern Mozambique,
where we will consecrate the Ven. Manuel Ernesto as the new Bishop
Suffragan of Niassa on Saturday June 14 and commission him at a
celebration on Sunday June 15. We congratulate the Diocese at being
able to elect their new bishop.
Back in South
Africa, please continue to pray for the Diocese of Mthatha and the
candidates who offered themselves for election as suffragan bishop in
the recent election. Sadly the Diocese was unable to elect and after
seven ballots they have used their right to refer the matter to the
Synod of Bishops.
Still in South
Africa and on an ecumenical note, I ask every parishioner to soak theMarikana area in North-West Province in prayer. A human disaster is
unfolding there as a consequence of the crippling strike, and the
hardship will continue even after the strike is settled. Together
with ecumenical and academic leaders in Gauteng, I have joined an
appeal for food donations for the Marikana community. If you are
outside Gauteng, you can make donations to the Provincial Disaster
Relief Fund. Details of how to donate appear below.
Finally, do
join me, the Province and the Diocese of Niassa in praying – as we
will pray at the consecration of Bishop Suffragan-Elect Manuel
Ernesto – that “by the indwelling of [God’s] spirit he may grow
in holiness and serve [God’s] people in wisdom, truth and love.”
God bless you,
+Thabo Cape Town
Marikana appeal:
Food parcels can be donated at:
1. Gift of the Givers (call
toll-free 0800 786911 for details)
2. SkyNet courier branches anywhere
in South Africa
3. All campuses of the Universities
of Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand
4. Khotso House, 62 Marshall Street,
Johannesburg
5. St George’s Cathedral and
Anglican Church Warehouse, 12 Plantation Road, Wetton, Cape Town
6. Alternative Information and
Development Centre, 129 Rochester Road, Observatory, Cape Town
7. St Alban’s Cathedral, Frances
Baard Road, Pretoria
Further drop-off points will be
announced on the Gift of the Givers website: www.giftofthegivers.org
Monetary donations can be
deposited in this account, using "Marikana" as the deposit
reference number:
ACSA Disaster Relief Fund
Standard Bank of SA Ltd
Thibault Square
Branch code: 02 0909 00
Account number: 07 007 8394
