What does 'gleaning' mean today? - Blogging from ACC-16

At our Tuesday Bible study, on Ruth chapter 2, we spent time looking at “gleaning” and the modern-day equivalents of collecting and using the leftover grain after the harvest. We discussed church feeding schemes, government social grants, cooperative social responsibility and city planning that is sensitive to parks and open spaces. Without discounting any of these, we considered how such schemes can be corrupted.

ACSA at ACC-16: Louisa Mojela, Abp Thabo, Abp Welby, Jerome Francis

In following the return of Ruth and Naomi to Naomi's homeland, we also discussed and shared the experiences of “returnees” from exile, or from failed ventures, and how it is often difficult emotionally, spiritually and psychologically to return and start life all over again.

In other sessions we received messages from the Lutheran World Federation and the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and also met in small groups around our tables.

What I took away from the Pontifical Council's message is that living in communion is about care and concern for the well being of each other: that there is no such thing as the Anglican Communion for Anglicans; we all belong to Christ by virtue of our baptism and our decisions or lack thereof have broader consequences for all.

The ACC's financial report reminded me that mission and belonging is costly, that the staff reports I applauded must be funded and that the Communion and provinces, as well as dioceses and parishes, need to prioritise. The Compass Rose Society, the international group of Anglicans who help the Communion, needs to be complimented for its financial support of the Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury's ministry and, as some of you know, our E-Reader project and the Diocese of the Highveld. Those from our Province who can join the Compass Rose Society, please do so and help our beloved Communion. We have our own financial challenges but I invite you also to contribute to something bigger than ourselves.

The small groups gathered for further discussion of the theme of ACC-16, “intentional discipleship”. Based on the staff reports, the groups are generating resolutions for possible adoption next week.

After the last Lambeth Conference's group photo, which involves hundreds of participants, the photos we took here – of the whole ACC-16 group, and of each Province's reps with Archbishop Justin – were no longer daunting, and went smoothly.

After a glitch – as a result of me getting times wrong after a siesta! – the ACSA team had time with South Africa's High Commissioner in Zambia, Ms Sikose Mji, and she will take me on Friday to the graves of South African exiles, for which I am grateful.

Last night we were hosted by parishes in the Diocese of Lusaka, joined by churchwardens of the parishes around the diocese. We were treated to local food, such as mopani worm, cassava, morogo, pap, fish heads and many other delicacies. It was a relaxed evening, with a choir entertaining us and a few mozzies feasting on my legs.

As I end this reflection, the fate of the miners trapped at Lily Mine in Mpumalanga is piercing my heart. I pray that by God's grace they, just like the miners trapped in Chile some years ago, might still be alive. I am not only lamenting them, but writing to those on my staff who handle public policy, the media and my socio-economic vocation, to assist me in taking this up at the highest possible level. Finally, I focus on the murder on the Wild Coast of Sikhosiphi “Bazooka” Rhadebe, the activist who was trying to stop the mining of titanium on the coastal dunes at Xolobeni. May God's abundant mercy and care continue to protect us even as we care for his earth and each other.

A Charred Cross of Redemption - To the Laos - To the People of God

Dear People of God

Charred Cross.

Whew! What a rushed few weeks, travelling to meet commitments in Johannesburg, Lesotho, London, then back to South Africa to talk to protesting students, then to Washington, back to Swaziland and finally, unexpectedly, to the Diocese of Umzimvubu.

Let me start with the news that fire has devastated Umzimvubu's diocesan centre at Glenthorne farm, outside Kokstad, on the very day the Diocesan Council was meeting to plan the way ahead under the interim leadership of Bishop Sitembele Mzamane of Mthatha, who is Vicar-General while the future of Bishop Mlibo Ngewu is decided.

Archbishop Reports on E-Reader Project

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba reported at a meeting of the Compass Rose Society in London this week on progress with the E-Reader project being run from Bishopscourt.

Sermon preached in the Diocese of Lesotho

Sermon preached by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba at the consecration of the new Church of St Matthias, Peka, Lesotho:

Your Majesty, King Letsie III,
Your Cabinet ministers present, especially the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister,
Bishops present from our Province and Central Africa, as well as the Bishop of Durham and his colleagues,
Dear people of God of the Diocese of Lesotho,
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 


What a delight it is to share with you in consecrating a new church building.

God is good!
All the time!
All the time!
God is good! 

To the Laos - To the People of God

Dear People of God

I write to you at a challenging time in the life of the leadership of our Church, in which a succession of some of our most senior bishops are retiring one after another, and dioceses across the Province have met and are due to meet to elect their successors. At the last meeting of our Provincial Standing Committee, on bidding farewell to bishops Rubin, Jo and Mark, my deep emotions overcame me and I even shed tears. The coming few months and years will indeed be a time of new leaders, new contexts, new energy and new hope.

Please pray for the Elective Assembly of the Diocese of Zululand, which will meet on December 9 to choose a successor to the Right Revd Dino Gabriel, recently elected to replace Bishop Rubin Phillip as Bishop of Natal. Pray for the consecration, God willing, of the new bishop on April 24 next year, and also for the installation in Natal on November 21. Your prayers are asked too for Bishop Jo Seoka of Pretoria, who retires on December 31, for the Elective Assembly taking place in Pretoria on February 4 and, God willing, for the consecration on May 15.

As a result of the resignation of the Right Revd Mark van Koevering as Bishop of Niassa in northern Mozambique, an election there is scheduled for January 26 and a consecration on May 29. Finally the Synod of Bishops will elect the new Bishop of Namibia at its February meeting, after an Elective Assembly referred the decision to the bishops. Please pray also for those dioceses. 

On the other hand, I am very glad to announce that South Africa's courageous Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, and our own distinguished theologian and educator, Professor Barney Pityana, have been named as the inaugural recipients of the Archbishop's Award for Peace With Justice. Advocate Madonsela was decorated at a function at Rhodes University where she spoke on values-based leadership. Prof Pityana was decorated at a special farewell service held at the chapel of the College of the Transfiguration. This is a new award established by our Church which acknowledges those within the life of the countries of Southern Africa who make outstanding contributions in their communities which reflect the values espoused in Micah, whatever faith they espouse or do not espouse and whether they are lay people or clergy. We are honoured that Advocate Madonsela and Prof Pityana have accepted the award, bringing distinction on it by doing so.

I am pleased also to share with you the decision of the Provincial Standing Committee at its recent meeting to adopt a new stewardship handbook developed by dioceses in the Western Cape. We have spoken for years, in many dioceses, of the need for a special and renewed focus on stewardship and giving, so the new material which will guide us theologically and practically is particularly welcome. 

Accompanying this letter is a presentation I made last week at what we called “A Day of Courageous Conversations” at Bishopscourt, a quite unique and ground-breaking meeting involving about 60 leaders from the mining sector, civil society and faith communities. Growing out of an initiative that began at the Vatican, then continued at Lambeth Palace, the South African meeting sought to begin a process of repositioning the sector as one that can be a partner for long-term sustainable development with host communities and governments. Mining forms a crucial part of our economy and, as the Marikana crisis and falling commodity prices demonstrate, it is in many ways under threat. Please pray for the industry and all within it, as well as for this initiative.

As I write this, I am heading off on retreat, then later in the month to a meeting in London of the Compass Rose Society – an international group of generous Anglicans who seek to support the ministry of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion. Then at the beginning of November I will attend the installation of Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina as the new Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church (TEC) in the United States. We celebrate with TEC and send our greetings as they begin this new era in their life, ministry and witness. Please pray for him, for our global church and especially for our stewardship of this special gift that we have been endowed with, the Anglican Communion. When the Son of Man returns, may he find faith in it. (Luke 18:8). 

God bless you,

†Thabo Cape Town