Adapted from the March 2025 edition of Good Hope, the newsletter of the Diocese of Cape Town.
Dear People of God,
As we observe the Season of Lent, I wanted to share with you some reflections on this year's February meeting of the Synod of Bishops. (You can find our full statement here: https://anglicanchurchsa.org/communique-from-the-synod-of-bishop-february-2025/
The first item on our agenda was a meeting of the Bishops with the
Canon Law Council and Diocesan Chancellors and Registrars, which
meant that our normal meeting of two dozen bishops was
supplemented on the first day by nearly 60 people, mostly lawyers.
Changes to our Canons, for example in the form of detailed
Pastoral Standards, and the influence of South Africa’s new labour
legislation on church law, has brought about a transformation in
the church in recent decades. Our joint meeting reflected this,
and underlined the importance of integrating the observance of
basic legal principles into pastoral ministry.
Most of the meeting was given over to a briefing by Advocate Ewald de Villiers Jansen SC, who chairs the new, formally-appointed Safe and Inclusive Church Commission. We also commissioned members of the Commission who were present.
The Commission now includes Bishop Brian Marajh, appointed by the Synod of Bishops as Liaison Bishop, the Deputy Provincial Registrar, Canon Rosalie Manning—who in an act of great dedication to our church has taken the lead in launching safeguarding in recent years—as well as two psychologists, Ms Sharitha Poodhun and Ms Nokubonga Phakathi, and two retired bishops, Bishop Margaret Vertue, a long-time campaigner against the abuse of women, girls and boys, and Bishop Eddie Daniels, formerly of Port Elizabeth. The Provincial Treasurer and Provincial Executive Officer also serve ex officio.
In its first communication to the Province, the newly-appointed Commission has called for every parish in the Province to consider appointing two safeguarding officers. It has already scheduled three online training sessions in April and May, and has charted a way ahead which includes screening, assessing and training those to be licensed as safeguarding officers in parishes, archdeaconries and dioceses. For more details, including advice on who should serve on safeguarding teams, I urge you to read the Commission’s first circular>>
Among important contributions to the Synod of Bishops, we also heard a plea from Dr Mamphela Ramphele to step up our efforts to combat abuse and gender-based violence (adapted for use in the ecumenical community here), and presentations by Bishop Luke Pato on a new book arising from the authors’ concern that spiritual direction is diminishing in the church, leading to a decline in our capacity to follow a moral compass. Also of note was a presentation by Roman Catholic theologians, including recently-retired Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, who argued against the compatibility of ancestral worship with Christianity.
In recent decades, growth in the church has resulted in a move away from appointing Suffragan Bishops, and towards establishing new dioceses. This process began with the “multiplication” of the dioceses of Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, starting more than 30 years ago, and more recently with the former Diocese of St John’s becoming the dioceses of Mthatha, Mzimvubu and Mbhashe, and Khahlamba being carved out of the Diocese of Grahamstown.
The Diocese of Natal has now chosen to follow a different route. After long and careful consideration over the past four years, it decided last year that it wanted to maintain diocesan unity. In consequence, the Synod of Bishops has approved the election of a Suffragan Bishop to help deal with the administrative and pastoral challenges of a Diocese stretching from Griqualand East to the borders of the Free State and Mpumalanga.
In another development, our Province and the Diocese of Botswana are discussing the possibility of that diocese joining us. Until now, Botswana has been part of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, but at their recent Provincial Synod, they decided to form separate provinces for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The inclusion of Botswana in ACSA needs a lot of thought and work, and ultimately the approval of the Anglican Communion.
A number of bishops have retired recently, and so I ask you to pray for Elective Assemblies in the dioceses of Port Elizabeth on May 8 and 9, Pretoria, May 15-16, Grahamstown, June 20-21, Natal (for the Suffragan Bishop) on July 17-18, and Johannesburg later this year.
Lenten blessings to you all,
Most of the meeting was given over to a briefing by Advocate Ewald de Villiers Jansen SC, who chairs the new, formally-appointed Safe and Inclusive Church Commission. We also commissioned members of the Commission who were present.
The Commission now includes Bishop Brian Marajh, appointed by the Synod of Bishops as Liaison Bishop, the Deputy Provincial Registrar, Canon Rosalie Manning—who in an act of great dedication to our church has taken the lead in launching safeguarding in recent years—as well as two psychologists, Ms Sharitha Poodhun and Ms Nokubonga Phakathi, and two retired bishops, Bishop Margaret Vertue, a long-time campaigner against the abuse of women, girls and boys, and Bishop Eddie Daniels, formerly of Port Elizabeth. The Provincial Treasurer and Provincial Executive Officer also serve ex officio.
In its first communication to the Province, the newly-appointed Commission has called for every parish in the Province to consider appointing two safeguarding officers. It has already scheduled three online training sessions in April and May, and has charted a way ahead which includes screening, assessing and training those to be licensed as safeguarding officers in parishes, archdeaconries and dioceses. For more details, including advice on who should serve on safeguarding teams, I urge you to read the Commission’s first circular>>
Among important contributions to the Synod of Bishops, we also heard a plea from Dr Mamphela Ramphele to step up our efforts to combat abuse and gender-based violence (adapted for use in the ecumenical community here), and presentations by Bishop Luke Pato on a new book arising from the authors’ concern that spiritual direction is diminishing in the church, leading to a decline in our capacity to follow a moral compass. Also of note was a presentation by Roman Catholic theologians, including recently-retired Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Johannesburg, who argued against the compatibility of ancestral worship with Christianity.
In recent decades, growth in the church has resulted in a move away from appointing Suffragan Bishops, and towards establishing new dioceses. This process began with the “multiplication” of the dioceses of Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, starting more than 30 years ago, and more recently with the former Diocese of St John’s becoming the dioceses of Mthatha, Mzimvubu and Mbhashe, and Khahlamba being carved out of the Diocese of Grahamstown.
The Diocese of Natal has now chosen to follow a different route. After long and careful consideration over the past four years, it decided last year that it wanted to maintain diocesan unity. In consequence, the Synod of Bishops has approved the election of a Suffragan Bishop to help deal with the administrative and pastoral challenges of a Diocese stretching from Griqualand East to the borders of the Free State and Mpumalanga.
In another development, our Province and the Diocese of Botswana are discussing the possibility of that diocese joining us. Until now, Botswana has been part of the Church of the Province of Central Africa, but at their recent Provincial Synod, they decided to form separate provinces for Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The inclusion of Botswana in ACSA needs a lot of thought and work, and ultimately the approval of the Anglican Communion.
A number of bishops have retired recently, and so I ask you to pray for Elective Assemblies in the dioceses of Port Elizabeth on May 8 and 9, Pretoria, May 15-16, Grahamstown, June 20-21, Natal (for the Suffragan Bishop) on July 17-18, and Johannesburg later this year.
Lenten blessings to you all,
††Thabo Cape Town
