Archbishop's Eastertide News & Reflections – May 18, 2020

(Credit: Nelson Mandela University)

Dear Parishioners, Clergy and Bishops

With no end in sight to coronavirus lockdowns, we are having to plan ahead for Provincial meetings to take place online. Already, retired bishops are communicating on WhatsApp, as are members of the Synod of Bishops. Other groups are being encouraged to connect and pray together online, and Liaison Bishops are meeting with bodies such as the youth, Provincial organisations and the like.

To the Laos - To the People of God – October 2017

Dear People of God

I am writing this as I prepare to travel to Canterbury, where I will attend a meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion over the next week. Following that I will chair a meeting of the Lambeth Design Group, a body which oversees planning for the next Lambeth Conference, to be held in 2020. Our Province is committed to faithfully showing up and participating in these key meetings of the Communion, doing so because our reward is to be faithful servants of God and God's witness and mission in the world. Please pray for both meetings.

The Communion meetings follow a busy week of debates and decisions, first at the second session of the Synod of Bishops this year, then at the annual Provincial Standing Committee (PSC), at which bishops, clergy and lay representatives from every diocese in the Province are represented. The Dean of the Province, Bishop Stephen Diseko, “embarrassed” me, almost marketing my new book to both meetings by congratulating me on it. I appreciated it but as you all know me, I always try to push attention to Jesus, the church and not me. 

The bishops dealt with a wide range of important issues, including the election of a new bishop for Mthatha, the situation in the Diocese of Umzimvubu, the future of the College of the Transfiguration and the Archbishop's Commission on Human Sexuality. You can read the details in our Pastoral Letter.

At PSC we also considered in detail a very wide range of questions ranging from theological education and the environment to how we should organise our youth work and our role in combating substance abuse. Of particular note was the statement we received from the special conference marking the 25^th anniversary of the ordination of women as priests in ACSA, which was held at the same venue and simultaneously with the Synod of Bishops. At the end of their conference, we all celebrated a special Eucharist with arriving members of PSC.

While those who met in conference celebrated the 1992 decision to ordain women as priests as “a victory over exclusion, inequality, and injustice in the church,” they said these features continued in our leadership, structures and practices. They called for a series of changes, including the election of more woman bishops. You can read their statement on the ASCA website, as well as a pledge to which they committed themselves.

Apart from the challenging task of presiding over the deliberative bodies of the Province, the life of an Archbishop is also taken up with difficult pastoral issues. Before the recent Provincial meetings got under way, my ministry and that of a number of my fellow bishops in a number of dioceses in the Eastern and Western Cape were overshadowed by tragedy.

Firstly, I had to preach and preside at the funeral of a senior priest, Archdeacon Lunga Vellem, in Kokstad in the Diocese of Umzimvubu. As someone who held an MBA, he was a valuable asset to the Diocese but was killed when he sustained head injuries in a car accident. Then in Cape Town we had the sudden death of the Revd Mark Abrahams, Rector of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Heideveld. He died just after undergoing an operation and only a week before his 54th birthday. Large numbers came both to the Church of the Resurrection in Bonteheuwel and to Holy Spirit to commemorate his life and ministry.

Soon after that, I buried a young priest in the Diocese of Mthatha, Archdeacon Sibulele Njova, his wife, his son and his younger sister. They all died in a head-on collision with a van which was allegedly forced out of its lane by a taxi – which then sped off without stopping, apparently realising what it had inflicted on this young family. As we lowered the four coffins into the grave in Mqandule in rural Transkei, not far from the picturesque Wild Coast resorts of Coffee Bay and Hole-in-the-Wall, the wailing of the mourners seemed – very painfully – to be matched by the sound of the sea. After the funeral I went to Mthatha Hospital with the Dean to visit the two surviving daughters, aged 11 and four. The 11-year-old was battling with her injuries but the four-year-old could hold a conversation with me and even gave me a high-five. She was happy that we were in cassocks because we reminded her of her dad. But she had not yet been told her parents had died and thought they were arriving back from a conference later that day. I suspected she must have sensed that her parents had gone – she was, after all, in the car with them – and I felt that I was betraying her by not saying anything. But I was on my way back to Cape Town, so I resisted the temptation to tell her and then to leave her and fly off. If her sister pulls through, they will both be orphans. Their grandparents are ageing, so they will have to stay with an aunt in conditions far inferior to those of a rural Anglican rectory.

As I reflected on the lives of these three clerics and their families, I thought of the Gospel assurance that “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4) – but also of the Psalmist's words: “Why are you so full of heaviness, my soul: and why so unquiet within me?” (Psalm 46) We all have finite lives, and as St Paul says to us, “We do not want you to be uninformed... about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” (Thessalonians 4:13) Well done, good and faithful servants, and may you enter into your Father's rest.

Fortunately I can end this letter to the laity on a note of hope and new life. On my return from the Communion meetings, Bishop Martin Breytenbach of the Diocese of St Mark the Evangelist will marry Colleen Thomas of Cape Town. After they both suffered the loss of their spouses in tragic circumstances in recent years, we celebrate and rejoice that they have found new happiness and give thanks for this life-giving sacrament, marriage. God be praised!

God bless,

†Thabo Cape Town

To the Laos – To the People of God, October 2014

Dear People of God

I have just come out of my writing sabbatical, which I greatly valued, and hope to share its fruits with you all through a publication in the coming months. I returned from sabbatical into Synod of Bishops – which issued a statement on its concerns – and the annual meeting of Provincial  Standing  Committee (PSC), in which we discussed and passed a number of useful resolutions. Among the presentations and group discussion was the issue of the biblical and theological underpinnings of sustainability, and we also set up a small committee to explore the feasibility of buying land and building our own ACSA conference centre.

PSC affirmed the principles for establishing a new award in the Province, the Archbishop's Award to recognize all who serve humanity and creation along the Mican principles of peace with justice, and who seek reconciliation. There were also reports and resolutions on such matters as the environment, with a report on “eco-parishes”, the phenomenon of young people leaving our church, and the problems we are having with South Africa's Home Affairs department. You can find reports on these on the Provincial website. Next year, our church will host a meeting of the Communion's "Eco-Bishops' Initiative", which will gather bishops from around the world to discuss the environment.

This was a robust and less rushed meeting of PSC, which is the highest deliberative body of our Province between Provincial Synods, and the quality of our discussion and debate was outstanding. I hope the church will be enriched by its outcomes and that our canons will also be revised appropriately to express the growth and development shown at Synod.

We bade farewell to Bishop David Bannerman of the Highveld, who retires at the end of this year, to Bishop Nathaniel Nakwatumbah of Namibia, who is retiring next year, and to Prof Barney Pityana, who will retire from the College of the Transfiguration before the next meeting of PSC. We also welcomed warmly Dr Vicentia Kgabe as Prof Pityana's successor.

Two outside speakers, South Africa's Home Affairs Minister, Malusi Gigaba, and scenario planner Clem Sunter addressed PSC. They both called on the church to learn to “do church” in a democracy and to learn to identify the “flags” signalling issues which may be challenging the us and calling for action at this time.

After PSC, a group of bishops travelled to Maputo for the consecration of Bishop Carlos Matsinhe of Lebombo. It was a great day of celebration and worship – the first consecration in the diocese in almost 34 years. The service, in a packed basketball stadium, took about five hours and was lively and enjoyable. President Armando Guebuza addressed the congregation, as did Bishop Dinis Sengulane.

At the Synod of Bishops, we had agreed that about eight of us should join Bishop Adam Taaso of Lesotho for an ecumenical service for lawyers committed to peace, organised in response to the recent alleged coup attempt and political conflict in that country. So after Maputo I spent an evening in Johannesburg, then proceeded to Maseru. I paid a courtesy call on King Letsie III and met with Bishop Taaso and a few other people to gain a clearer perspective on the issues. At the service the next day, the Cathedral was packed with people, including His Majesty the King, Queen 'Masenate Mohato Seeiso, members of the Senate and various political leaders.

I preached on the topic of peace with justice, and argued that truth, respect, reconciliation and forgiveness are non-negotiable elements for peace. I urged all to play their part in ensuring peace with justice and pursuing all that makes for lasting peace. I prayed and spoke of the need to engage in dialogue and to learn from the example of Moshoeshoe I, who built the Basotho nation. I also affirmed the role of South Africa's Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) team appointed to facilitate a settlement, and prayed that their efforts would yield what the Basotho longed for. However, I said it was up to each and every Mosotho to work for what makes for peace. The King also addressed the nation, urging peace, and we all lit peace candles and prayed for peace, rain and the flourishing of all.

Thanks be to God that the next day, the SADC team seemed to have made headway and it was announced that there was an agreement to reopen Parliament – which has been suspended since June – and to hold early elections next year. We need to give thanks for an early resolution to the crisis, but we must now pray for peaceful and credible elections.

In South Africa, we deeply regret the government's refusal to allow the Dalai Lama into the country to join the Nobel Laureates' conference, forcing the organisers to cancel the conference and causing embarrassment to our country.

Further afield, we urge politicians to resolve the diplomatic tensions over the collapse in Lagos of the Synagogue Church of All Nations guesthouse to carry out to conclusion the identification of the possibly decomposing bodies of those who died. We continue to pray for their families even as we urge the closure of this horrible and sad chapter. On the world stage, even where there is peace it seems to be fragile, and we need to intensify our efforts to ensure peace with justice.

By the time you read this, I will have visited the Parish of St Francis in Simonstown, in the Diocese of False Bay, which this year celebrates 200 years of Anglican ministry in the town. We congratulate the parish on two centuries of faithful worship and service. May it grow in strength as it continues to witness to Christ in our time.

Please pray for the wider Church, especially where it is already divided or is in the process of being divided. Pray for sanity and God's intervention, especially in the situation where a former priest of this Province in False Bay wants to form his own denomination and thus lacerate and confuse the body of Christ.

May the church heal its divisions and live out the vision of Christ, that we be one as he and the Father are one. As Psalm 133 says:

"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!"

God bless you

+Thabo Cape Town

News from Provincial Standing Committee

This media release was issued on 2 October 2012

‘This was a wonderful meeting for giving legs to our discussions’ said Anglican Archbishop Thabo Makgoba on Friday. ‘We’ve talked the talk about vision, mission, and priorities; we’ve talked about theology and serving God’s world. Now we’re getting on with walking the walk.’

Dr Makgoba was speaking at the end of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa’s Provincial Standing Committee (PSC). Nearly ninety bishops, clergy and lay people, representing ACSA’s 28 Dioceses, gathered to implement and take forward decisions of the church’s triennial Provincial Synod. They met, with invited guests, at the St George Hotel and Conference Centre near Pretoria, from 26 to 28 September.

‘Our focus was making our vision and mission statement concrete’ said the Archbishop of Cape Town. ‘To help us, we sought theological input and practical wisdom about the state of our world. We were delighted to hear Bishop Graham Cray, Archbishops’ Missioner in the Church of England talk about “Fresh Expressions”, imaginative initiatives for developing authentically Anglican congregations for those who do not connect with traditional ways of worshipping. South African Minister in the Presidency, Trevor Manuel, presenting the National Development Plan 2030, provided a stimulating framework for understanding the economic and socio-political challenges of our region.’ Dr Makgoba said that the church shared many of the Plan’s ethical assumptions, as well as its objectives to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality.

The meeting also evaluated many existing activities. Dr Makgoba stressed ‘Education is one of our top priorities, both within the church, and for transforming our nations,’ which include Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and St Helena alongside South Africa. A panel of church leaders discussed developments in theological education, promoting the ‘People of the Way’ bible studies, and strengthening initiatives with schools. ‘I am delighted we affirmed support for developing the Vuleka school network in northern Johannesburg’ said Dr Makgoba. He recalled that the church has declared 2013 the ‘Year of Theological Education’ with special focus on redeveloping its theological training at the College of the Transfiguration in Grahamstown.

Retired Bishop Geoff Davies gave a challenging presentation on ‘The Spirituality of the Environment’. Bishop Martin Breytenbach spoke about how the ‘Anglicans Ablaze’ celebration in the first week of October, would be the largest gathering of Southern African Anglicans in living memory. Group discussions on these and other key priority areas brought broad policy objectives into debate with the breadth of delegates’ experiences on the ground. A number of resolutions followed, from the meeting, including on youth, women and gender, environment, public advocacy, health, inter-Church relations and liturgy. Other resolutions addressed the budget and practical matters, including keeping down escalating meeting and travel costs, for example through better use of technology.

The Bishops presented their continuing reflections around providing pastoral guidelines to the church in relation to same-gender civil unions. Noting the broad a range of views within the church, Bishop Martin Breytenbach urged delegates ‘Let us continue to journey together’, and Bishop Peter Lee called for deeper, more reflective, listening and debate. Delegates were asked to promote thoughtful consultations in dioceses and parishes, and to bring feedback to Provincial Synod in 2013.

‘One of the great highlights of our meeting was the celebration of twenty years of women’s ordination to the priesthood’ said Dr Makgoba with a broad smile. ‘We were delighted to have Bishop Barbara Harris, the first woman Bishop in the Anglican Communion, to preach at our opening Eucharist. She may be 82 years old, but she powerfully stirred us up to follow the risen Jesus Christ!’ He noted that, while PSC had been preceded by a meeting of the all-male Synod of Bishops, there had simultaneously been a conference of women clergy. This was attended both by Bishop Barbara and Revd Ellinah Wamukoya, who will become the first female Anglican Bishop on the whole African continent, when she is consecrated Bishop of Swaziland on 17 November. Two other bishops-elect, Ven Steve Moreo, of the Diocese of Johannesburg, and Revd Steven Letloenyane, of the Diocese of the Free State were also welcomed at PSC.

Worship and prayer, as well as times of fellowship over coffee breaks and meals, were an essential element of the meeting, said the Archbishop. ‘All of these enable us to grow closer to God and closer to one another, as we together to be faithful and obedient to our Christian calling.’ After adding his own tribute to the meeting’s retirement wishes to Bishops Brian Germond of Johannesburg and Merwyn Castle of False Bay, Dr Makgoba ended by saying. ‘We give thanks to God for a meeting full of joy and encouragement, hosted by Bishop Jo Seoka and the Diocese of Pretoria, and held in the beautiful surroundings of St George’s, with the blessing of both sunshine and refreshing rain.’

Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town
Inquiries: Ms Wendy Kelderman 021 763 1320 (office hours)

To the Laos - To the People of God, August 2012

Dear People of God

In the Collect of the nineteenth Sunday of the year, which falls in the second week of August, we pray to God ‘teach us to discern your hand in all your works’. These words have been resonating with me since I returned from celebrating the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Angola as a Missionary Diocese. Reflecting on their remarkable journey under the leadership of Bishop André not only challenged me to see God’s hand at work in all they have achieved in the last decade, but also stirred me to realise God has profound spiritual lessons for us all to learn from the newest, and, in some respects, most struggling, ‘territory’ within our Province.

Let me describe our visit first, before saying more about how this Collect has shaped my reflections. Lungi came with me, and so too did the Provincial Executive Officer, Revd Allan Kannemeyer, and the President and Chairman of the St Bernard Mizeki Men’s Guild, Revd Elliot Masoka and Bro Siphiwe Mncube. We travelled to Uige, in the north, and to the capital, Luanda. We saw how Bishop André and his team have steadily worked hard to establish solid foundations for this pastoral area, despite the ravages of war. We found vibrant worship and godly optimism – such as in laying the foundations and starting to build churches that may take years to complete. They need our help. Partners such as UPSG, ERD, ALMA and MANNA, deserve our deep gratitude for their assistance across a wide range of activities and needs. But within this Province we too can assist – for example, in helping raise the R1.5million necessary to complete church building projects. Love gifts can be made via the Provincial Treasurer (mark your donation ‘Angola Mission and Ministry Love Gift’ or contact Rob Rogerson: rogerson@anglicanchurchsa.org.za). Even a small amount will go a very long way.

You may recall that when I went to Namibia last year, I publicly apologised for the atrocities committed by South Africa within Namibia and over the border into Angola. I spoke about how knowing and making known the truth of this terrible past can become, through Christ’s redemptive power, a means for us to find healing, and also to become channels of reconciliation and peace-building (see my Christmas 2011 ‘To the Laos’ letter). Now, in Angola, I had the opportunity to share in prayer at Quibaxe, site of an Umkhonto we Sizwe camp. I asked for pardon for all those who had lost their moral compass there, or otherwise failed and fallen short. I prayed for all who had been killed, bereaved, injured and maimed as a result of the civil war and other violence.

Returning home, I felt a fresh energy to strive for peace and justice. As each of us is made in God’s likeness, not only does every human being deserve respect, but we should see that to harm any person is an act of desecration against a holy image, against God-bearers, even against God himself. This is true both of the violence of war, and in peace-time also. While war, which turns people into objects for domination by those who want power at any price, may be over in our part of the world, we also need a peace that is rooted in justice, fairness, and the refusal to allow the creation of political and economic structures that also reduce people to objects for exploitation.

The ten years the Diocese has existed coincides with the decade of peace Angola has experienced after a quarter of a century of civil war. Much has been done to move forward from that violent and tragic past, yet the country remains one of the most heavily mined in the world. No-one knows how many mines are there, perhaps millions; and they can continue to wreak devastation for up to 50 years. Pondering this, it then struck me forcefully that the task of removing mines is both a literal and a figurative one, if both country and church are to grow. If one merely avoids the mine-fields, the problem remains, and great tracts of lands are unavailable for production. It takes great bravery, even with the necessary training or outside help, to take on the mine-fields. Reflecting on this, it seems to me that God is challenging all of us to take on the mine-fields within our churches, and within our societies. There are unspoken issues among and between us that lie like unexploded mines in our midst, and too often we are afraid to tackle them, in case they ‘go off’. Yet God not only promises to lead us in safe pathways (Ps 23), but has in Christ overcome all that can harm his people and his church (Rev 3:21) and gives us authority to take on all that threaten us (Luke 10:19).

In other words, I have been challenged to see God’s hand at work as the ‘clearer of land-mines’ of any and every sort: challenged to dare to put my hand in his and tackle the ‘unexploded bombs’ that otherwise threaten the ability of Christians and the church to plough and plant and reap a harvest in every area of our lives, in every area of God’s world. I invite you to consider how you too may discern God’s work as ‘clearer of land-mines’ in your own life, in your own congregation and church and diocese!

Please pray for Provincial Standing Committee, as we prepare to meet in September. May we also discern God’s hand at work through the structures of our Province, and to respond to his leading. May we have courage to tackle the difficult issues, and above all, to be faithful and obedient to the calling he has put before us. We have distilled what we believe is this calling into the Vision that ‘Anglicans ACT’ – that we should be a community ‘Anchored in the love of Christ, Committed to God’s Mission, and Transformed by the Holy Spirit.’ The Vision will be at the heart of PSC, a touchstone to help guide and shape our responses to all that we face. May I remind you of the Bible Study and Sermon resources produced to help us engage more deeply with the Vision and Mission Statement, available at www.anglicansablaze.org, and from Revd Canon Cynthia Botha of the publishing committee.

PSC’s agenda includes a special service of celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Ordination of Women. We give thanks to God for how this has enriched our church – and for the growing recognition of women’s ministry in every area of our life. We shall also have a presentation on ‘Fresh Expressions of Mission-shaped Church’ from Bishop Graham Cray of the Church of England; on the Spirituality of the Environment from Bishop Geoff Davies; on South Africa’s National Development Plan, from Minister Trevor Manuel; and a breadth of other topics including education and finance.

Finally, the Diocese of the Free State have elected the Revd Dintoe Stephen Letloenyane, of St Margaret’s parish, Bloemfontein, to be their next Bishop, in succession to Bishop Paddy Glover. Please pray for Revd Stephen, his wife Zanele, and their children Dintle, Dimpho and Amanda at this time as they prepare for this new chapter in their lives.

Yours in the Service of Christ,

+Thabo Cape Town

To the Laos - To the People of God, October / November 2011

Dear People of God

Once again, I must wrap two months into one! It is not always easy to find time, but I am grateful these letters make me pause and consider a wider perspective on my life and ministry. I was very encouraged last weekend, when a priest in Natal Diocese said ‘Please don’t stop writing! My sermons have improved a lot because of your letters!’ Certainly, it is my hope and prayer that in sharing my own reflections on God’s call on my life, I can help enrich your understanding of God’s call to you, and help inform your prayers for our whole Province. So whenever I am late in writing, please conclude that I am particularly busy and in even more need of prayer than usual!

When I last wrote, we were preparing for Synod of Bishops and Provincial Standing Committee. At Synod, we grappled with stretching questions of faith, culture, and ‘reading the signs of the times’. We affirmed that ‘true expression of the Gospel of Jesus Christ within our cultures must be exercised graciously and with great carefulness, for example, in the pastoral care given to those claiming to have a call to Isangoma training – recognizing that these two worlds, of Christianity and this aspect of African traditional life, will never meet.’ We noted that ‘other inherited cultural values (such as giving honour to God; respecting grey hair; virginity testing for young people; upholding honesty, and the values enshrined in the philosophy of ubuntu) need to be vigorously debated …’ Our discussions were enriched by the presence of Canon Grace Kaiso, General Secretary of the Conference of Anglican Provinces in Africa (sadly, Archbishop Ian Ernest, CAPA President, was unwell, and could not join us). The Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church was also briefly with us, at the end of her short visit. We acknowledged many differences, including over human sexuality, but pledged to continue dialogue. Please pray her time here will have given her a better understanding of this part of the Anglican Communion. You can read the Synod’s full statement at http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/09/statement-from-synod-of-bishops-meeting.html.

PSC was up-beat, despite economic and other pressures, and enthusiastic planning for the future ranged from developing our Vision to renewing theological training. I came home feeling we are deepening our grasp of the identity into which God is calling us to grow, taking seriously our place both within Africa and globally as we seek to share his love, his redemption, his new life. You can read more at http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/10/anglicans-plan-for-future-with.html.

At the beginning of October it was a great joy to join Archbishop Emeritus, Desmond Tutu in laughter-filled the celebrations for his 80th birthday, and also Mama Leah’s birthday the following week. Tata, Gogo, we love you more than words can say, and pray that God may bless you richly in retirement.

After such happy celebration, it was sobering to travel with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, to Harare, to express our solidarity with Bishop Chad and his Diocese, as well as Anglicans elsewhere in Zimbabwe, who have suffered all manner of outrageous persecutions at the instigation of the breakaway Bishop, Albert Kunonga. Do not believe press reports which say this is a disagreement over human sexuality – that is just a smoke screen for shameless political thuggery and self-enrichment. Even President Mugabe seemed surprised by the scale of events when we presented him with a dossier. Yet we also found great hope. Over 10,000 worshippers gathered on Sunday morning in the Sports’ Stadium, to hear our messages of support, and, as I said there, if God is on our side, who can ever be against us (Rom 8:31). (You can read my fuller reflections on the visit at http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/10/zimbabwe-visit-with-archbishop-of.html.) It seems to have been some improvements in conditions. Pray these will be sustained, and uphold our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe in your intercessions.

After Cape Town’s Diocesan Clergy School, and parish visits which are my usual Sunday fare, I was soon on a plane again – to Toronto, to deliver the Snell Sermon. A former Bishop endowed an annual lecture on ‘The incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ – his person and his message in contemporary theological thought’, a theme which is close to my heart. Jesus is at the heart of God’s mission, and so must always be our goal, our guide, and our model. You can read what I said at http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/11/snell-sermon-incarnate-jesus-christ-in.html, and the sermon I delivered in Toronto Cathedral, for the feast of All Saints, at http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/11/sermon-for-feast-of-all-saints.html. I also discussed the Anglican Church of Canada’s support to ACSA, e.g. through the Primate’s Fund, and the link between the Dioceses of Toronto and Grahamstown.

It is not just me who travels – as mentioned above, others come to us! It was a privilege to have the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall worshipping at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town during their visit to South Africa. In my sermon, I was able to speak about the ability of the Anglican Communion together to do far more than merely the sum of our separate actions, as we seek to respond to God’s call always to ‘stay awake’, ready to take every opportunity to let God’s ‘justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everlasting stream’. (You can read my sermon at http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/11/sermon-for-prince-of-wales-and-duchess.html.)

Finally, I have just made a busy pastoral and teaching visit to the Diocese of Natal. At the heart of this was the consecration, in a packed Cathedral, of Bishop Tsietsi Seloane, the new Suffragan. Pray for him and his wife Rachel in this new chapter of their lives. I also visited local community projects and presented Hope Africa awards for excellence; spoke with Prof Barney Pityana at a dinner raising funds for the redevelopment of COTT (http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/11/support-development-of-college-of.html); and shared reflections on the life and work of a priest at a Clergy Forum (http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/11/these-two-talks-were-delivered-at.html). On Sunday, I preached at on ‘Anglicans in Mission: Here am I, send me!’ (http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/11/anglicans-in-mission-here-am-i-lord.html).

It was also my privilege to deliver the Third Rubin Phillip Peace Lecture at St John’s, Pinetown (see http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2011/11/if-you-want-peace-you-must-work-for.html). This provided an opportunity to pay tribute to Bishop Rubin (and of course also to Rose), and his Diocese, for all that they do, not only in KwaZulu-Natal, but for the Province as a whole, through generous financial support, and in many other ways. We keep them in our prayers, in this, and in all their evangelistic and mission endeavours. Their ‘radical hospitality’ was shown also to the Synod of Bishops earlier this year, and later this month they will be deeply involved in the witness of faith communities to COP-17, as we call on governments to make binding commitments to safeguard our planet’s future. Meanwhile, I have asked Revd Canon Rachel Mash (who heads HIV and AIDS work for the Diocese of Cape Town) to coordinate the Province’s environmental work, and assist me in my new responsibility as chair of the Anglican Communion’s Environmental Network.

Please keep our Province and me in your prayers at this busy time! (And apologies to those who do not have internet access, for providing so many web links.)

Yours in the service of Christ

+Thabo Cape Town

Anglicans Plan for the Future with Confidence

This press release was issued on 5 October 2011.

Southern Africa’s Anglicans are planning confidently for the future. This was the clear message from the Provincial Standing Committee of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA). Whether it was putting flesh on the Church’s ‘Vision Statement’ or laying out the steps towards whole-scale renewal of theological training at the College in Grahamstown, the meeting engaged enthusiastically with development planning for the years ahead. Speaking after the meeting, The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town, said he had been energised by the level and maturity of debate at the meeting. He felt that a clear local identity was emerging, which also took seriously the Church’s place both on the African continent and globally. There was a willingness not only to ‘talk the talk, but also to walk the walk’ and to get involved in God's mission across all sectors, working in such areas as theological education, health, environment, leadership and finance. He added ‘though tired after a long week of meetings, I returned home refreshed by the commitment and enthusiasm of Anglicans anchored in their determination to spread God's love.’

Bishops, clergy and laity from across the countries of the Province met in Benoni, East Rand, from 28 to 30 September 2011, for their task of taking forward the work of the Church’s Synod in those years in which it does not meet. Prayers and daily Eucharists provided the context for the discussions. Routine business included the budget, which was recognised as tight, in the current economic climate, and a resolution was passed to consider the level of representation and duration of Provincial Synod, given its great cost. But participants were encouraged by reports from Bishop Stephen Diseko of Matlosane of the level of attendance and participation by young people, and challenged by the Provincial Youth Coordinator, Mr Tony Lawrence, to address the initial results of a survey with young people that pointed to their need to be fully welcomed in, and receive a breadth of support through, the church.

Delegates also heard presentations from Brother Korubo and Brother Emile from Taize; and the Revd Edwin Arrison (Kairos Africa) with Mr Rami Kassis and Mr Ayman Abuzulof of Justice Tourism (Palestine). Brief reports were given on a range of ongoing issues, including progress on the Anglican Covenant, the Bible in the Life of the Church project, and the Continuing Indaba process. It was noted with satisfaction that the process of bringing the Omokunda development organisation completely under ACSA control would be completed in November. Bishop Brian Germond of Johannesburg commended a Lent Course his Diocese had developed, The People of the Way, which was proving particularly popular with young people.

Mrs Janette O’Neill, Chief Executive of USPG, and Bishop Oswald Swartz of Kimberley and Kuruman spoke about the new Memorandum of Understanding being developed, and their hopes that the longstanding partnership would be developed to help strengthen the College of the Transfiguration in Grahamstown, and support the world of St James Hospital, Matsonyane, in Lesotho. They affirmed the shared commitment to reflecting the care and compassion of Christ; the dignity of each person in Christ; cultural diversity; integrity, truth, and courage.

Development of the College of the Transfiguration was the subject of a comprehensive presentation by Revd Prof Barney Pityana, Dean of the College. A timetable to register the College as an accredited place of further education would be followed in parallel with renewing and upgrading both the physical structures of the entire campus and its facilities, and its courses, so that the college could be a more productive resource for ACSA and beyond. The focus would be on training quality church leaders, rather than prioritising academic theology, which could be pursued elsewhere. It was hoped to have the plan fully in place by 2015, though this would require a major fund-raising initiative. Dr Pityana encouraged Dioceses to give their full support, and suggested that 2013 might be designated the ‘Year of Theological Education’. His proposals were endorsed the Standing Committee.

A stirring presentation on the risks from climate change, made by Mr Maropeng Mohaloa of Hope Africa and Mr Shaun Cozett, who stressed that we do not inherit the land from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children, and so are challenged to pass it on in better condition than when we received it. This was picked up by one of the nine working groups, in which delegates spent a significant amount of time, tackling with enthusiasm the task of giving greater direction for implementing the Church’s Vision and Mission statement, agreed at Provincial Synod in 2010. This will be done through the various missional priority areas identified as those with should be tackled at the level of the whole church, in order to resource and support individual dioceses and parishes in their own priorities for mission and ministry. Following full reports from the groups, which were warmly welcomed, the Standing Committee then passed a range of motions reflecting these deliberations, and proposing that a full-time coordinator and a fundraiser be appointed from the New Year. On climate change, delegates endorsed a call for the whole church to engage as fully as possible in promoting significant agreement at COP-17, and to promote care for the environment at every level from liturgy to the practical life of parishes and dioceses, to pressing government and business to engage as urgently as had been done for the HIV pandemic. Other motions included calling on Dioceses to support the White Ribbon Campaign, opposing domestic abuse; widening the scope of the Health priority area and encouraging South African dioceses to register for NPO status where they had not done so, in order to access government funding; and a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening work with youth and promoting vocations to ordained ministry among young people; and inviting Growing the Church and the Liturgical Committee in development of fresh worship resources .

In other business, the Provincial Standing Committee agreed to work for the development of a single, integrated and provincially recognised co-ordinating body to set forward the work of education by ACSA; and that this should map out a consolidated agenda for ACSA’s witness in education, including through representative consultation with heads of church schools and other interested parties. Another motion noted how the current South African two-tier health system is neither just nor sustainable, and, in light of the Government’s Green Paper for a National Health Insurance, called for just and compassionate public healthcare for all, throughout the countries of ACSA. Following the call of the 2010 Synod for the legacy of conscription to be addressed, information was shared of ongoing work in the wider field of the legacy of armed conflict by various bodies including the Healing of Memories Institution of Fr Michael Lapsley and also SANDF chaplains, and proposals under development in dioceses of Pretoria and Natal. The Standing Committee commended these initiatives to all concerned, and, recognising the lasting pain and destruction from the years of armed conflict, observed a time of silent prayer.

The Provincial Standing Committee sent its warmest congratulations to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on his forthcoming 80th birthday, and to Mrs Leah Tutu on her birthday which follows shortly afterwards. Condolences were expressed on the death of Nobel Prize winner Professor Wangari Maathai. Love and prayers were sent to the Church of the Province of Central Africa, with particular congratulations on the celebration of 150 years of the Anglican Church in Malawi. Other motions called on the Synod of Bishops to encourage and facilitate the practice of pilgrimage in the church’s common life and mission, and requested parishioners travelling to the Holy Land to be mindful of the presentation from Justice Tourism; promoted the link between ACSA and the Mission to Seafarers.

Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Inquiries: Ms Wendy Tokata on 021-763-1320 (office hours)

Note to editors - The Anglican Church of Southern Africa encompasses Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, St Helena, South Africa, Swaziland and Tristan da Cunha.

The Anglican Church in Southern Africa’s vision, is that it “seeks to be: Anchored in the love of Christ, Committed to God's Mission, Transformed by the Holy Spirit.” Its mission statement is that “across the diverse countries and cultures of our region, we seek: To honour God in worship that feeds and empowers us for faithful witness and service; To embody and proclaim the message of God’s redemptive hope and healing for people and creation; To grow communities of faith that form, inform, and transform those who follow Christ.”

To the Laos - To the People of God, August/September 2011

Dear People of God

I am writing at the tail end of August, with the Cape Town Diocesan Synod just over, and the Provincial Standing Committee lying ahead in late September, so please excuse me if I roll two letters into one. I also apologise that because of travel and other busyness, I did not find an opportunity to write to you in July.

In my Charge to the Cape Town Diocese, I took as my theme The Good News of Faith and Love. This reflected St Paul’s words to the Thessalonians that he had been greatly encouraged to hear of their faith and love from Timothy (1 Thess 3:6-7). The faith and love of Christians are always good news, building one another up in Christian maturity, and shining as a beacon of light and hope to the surrounding community. The best good news is that both start with the God who is love, the God who is faithful, with overflowing generosity. All of us need to discover God’s love and faithfulness towards us, for ourselves, and keep on growing in them throughout our lives. This must be our top priority – for it is only through God’s overwhelming generosity that we find our worship invigorated and ourselves enabled to live out our other baptism promises of witness and worship.

In this season of Synods and Committees, we need to remember to root and ground ourselves in God’s love and faithfulness, and allow him to shape and fuel our lives, even as we grapple with the sort of managerial and financial questions that tend to dominate our agendas. We should not despise such work as ‘less spiritual’ than other aspects of church life. Rather, it is an aspect our calling to good stewardship, to collegiality within the body of Christ, and being answerable to one another within the body of Christ. In the language of the secular world, these are matters of good governance and accountability, with the world’s standards merely a secular reflection of God’s high calling to us. Therefore we can be ready to learn from the best of secular practices, for example as set out in the King reports. These can help us ensure we operate in ways that best promote our desire to be wise and faithful servants, of our God, and of those to whom he sends us.

At the same time, we must remember that, as we debate the wider concerns of the societies to which we find ourselves called in mission and ministry, we are nonetheless not called to be environmental activists, nor social workers, nor politicians, nor moral commentators – though we may contribute in all these areas and many more. Our unique calling is to do what no-one else can do: to live out our baptismal promises in lives of faithful worship, witness and service. How can we best bring the good news of Jesus Christ, his healing touch, his redemptive power, to areas of need, suffering and deprivation? Sent by God, at his direction and in his power, we can roll up our sleeves, and get our hands dirty, and confidently engage with the messy realities, and the dire needs, of so many of God’s children alongside whom we live and work in this city. This is the lesson of Jesus’ incarnation. And I am sure that the all-encompassing breadth of Jesus’ redemptive death and resurrection should press us not only to address symptoms but also causes of human failings, suffering, brokenness and need.

So please pray for me, and especially for your Diocesan Representatives – Bishop(s), cleric and layperson – as we prepare to gather for PSC. If you don’t know who they are, your Rector or Diocesan Office will know. On our agenda, as well as the budget and reports from our organisations and institutions, our particular concerns include completing the task of bringing the Omokunda Development Network fully under ACSA’s wing; our work with young people; our preparedness to engage with the UN COP-17 Conference on Climate Change in Durban from 29 November to 9 December; and our relationship with Kairos Southern Africa, which was launched in March 2011 to carry forward the legacy of Kairos theology in Southern Africa and to be in solidarity with others throughout the world. We shall also be finalising a Memorandum of Understanding with USPG to guide the next phase of our relationship, with a particular focus on both leadership and health.

We shall spend a considerable amount of time, much of it in groups, looking at the ACSA Vision, and work at the Provincial level in the 8 priority areas identified by Provincial Synod, in ways that support diocesan life and goals. I have appointed Coordinators to each priority area, who will provide updates on taking forward the Synod mandates, on which PSC can offer further guidance. Our desire to go forward together as Anglicans ‘Anchored in the love of Christ, Committed to God's Mission and Transformed by the Holy Spirit’ is gradually growing in substance.

Another area I want to mention, and for which I ask your prayers, is the development of Pastoral Guidelines in relation to the same-gender civil unions for which South African legislation now provides. Following requests to the Bishops for advice in relation to the pastoral care of people in such unions, and their families, the Synod of Bishops has, over several meetings, produced a document reflecting our common mind on this very sensitive issue. Proposals have now been sent to Dioceses for consultation within archdeaconries and parishes. We are requesting feedback on whether this offers the sort of guidance that those in pastoral ministry seek, in time for our February 2012 Synod of Bishops. PSC will also consider them. Let me underline that this document is not directly about the continuing debate around human sexuality, though it affirms that we uphold the moratoria of the Anglican Communion on the ordination of persons living in a same gender unions to the episcopate; the blessing of same-sex unions; and cross-border incursions by bishops. Rather, this focuses on the human and pastoral realities that we inevitably face in parishes following South Africa’s new legislation.

I am glad that we shall be welcoming two very special guests at Kopanong. The Most Revd Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, will join part of the Synod of Bishops meeting that precedes PSC; and the Most Revd Ian Ernst, Archbishop of the Indian Ocean, and current Chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, will be with us both at SoB and PSC. We hope that through sharing in our meetings, and some other brief visits in Cape Town and Gauteng, they will learn more about ACSA, and we can strengthen our relationships within the Anglican Communion and as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Yours in the service of Christ

+Thabo Cape Town

Southern African Adopts The Anglican Covenant

Issued by the Media Office of the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa on 1 October 2010

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa voted on Friday October 1 to adopt “The Anglican Covenant”, the document setting out a statement of common “affirmations and commitments” by churches of the worldwide Anglican Communion which has been drawn up in response to disagreements over issues around human sexuality.

A resolution adopting the Covenant was proposed at the triennial meeting of the church’s Provincial Synod by the Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Thabo Makgoba, and seconded by the Dean of the Province, the Right Revd Paddy Glover, Bishop of the Free State. The decision will need to be ratified by the next session of the Synod in three years’ time.

Motivating the resolution, Archbishop Makgoba said he believed the church in southern Africa needed to try to “play a reconciling role” amid the current disputes over human sexuality in the Communion. He said the Covenant “is not a guarantee of an easy solution to the problems we face in the Communion” but hoped it would be a way of “healing and moving the Communion forward…” It was a document which, although not a complete statement on the nature of the Anglican Communion, sought to “describe our common identity in the Anglican Church… What is at stake here is to try to articulate our relationship in words."

Bishop Glover said the Anglican Church could best be likened to a family: “There are no outsiders; we are all insiders... We are all different but we are members of a family… bound together by bonds of affection and bonds of loyalty." The covenant sought to reinforce this relationship.

The resolution was passed by an overwhelming majority, although some speakers who supported it expressed reservations. The Revd Drake Tshenkeng of the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman asked whether the Church was not giving “centralizing power” to the communion's Standing Committee. The Dean of Grahamstown, the Very Rev Andrew Hunter said the covenant raised the questions: “How far does diversity stretch, who defines diversity and who sets the boundaries?”

The full text of the Synod’s resolution reads:

This Synod,

1. Noting that:

1.1. The Synod of Bishops, meeting in September 2009, agreed that Provincial Standing Committee be asked to support the Covenant and that a resolution be brought to that body to that effect;

1.2. PSC passed a resolution at its September meeting that, “This PSC agrees in principle to support the adoption by ACSA of the Anglican Covenant subject to ratification by the Provincial Synod of 2010.”

2. Resolves that ACSA adopt the Anglican Covenant as approved by the Bishops; and

3. Requests that it be ratified at the next sitting of Provincial Synod.

To the People of God – To the Laos

October 2008

Dear People of God

So much has happened since I last wrote. But my memories of the Synod of Bishops and the Provincial Standing Committee, and the consecration of the new Bishop of Grahamstown, Ebenezer Ntlali, are overshadowed by the sudden death, barely a week later, of Bishop David Beetge, dear colleague, friend, priest, pastor, and father in God to so many of us. Dean of the Province since 2003, David was an outstanding leader of our church, a man of deep spirituality and prayer, for whose life we are enormously grateful to God, even as we grieve his death. Our love and prayers are with Carol, his widow.

I first met Bishop David in 1987, when he lead a retreat for seminarians at St Paul's College, of whom I was one. For the next few years he was my spiritual director and a wise guide through the turbulence of the early 90s. More than anything else, David would advise me to pray – and I could see that this was the best possible option in every area of life, because I could see the effect of prayer in David’s own life. He persistently deepened his relationship with the God who is love, daring to open himself to receive in love whatever the Lord had in store for him, no matter how easy.

In this way, Bishop David’s response to his illness is a lesson, and an encouragement, to us all. Let me quote some inspiring words that he wrote to a friend a couple of months ago:

‘My prayers are only for God’s will to be done. If that will is for healing I will embrace it fully, but if it is not, I look forward to the vision of God that I have known and will see more clearly; and to being caught up in the wonder of that Trinitarian love that Jesus makes possible for us. We must not pray as though we fear death.’

David loved to speak of the experience once on retreat, when he felt he had been caught up, in Christ, into the very fullness of the dynamic love that flows between Father, Son and Spirit. That love, reaching out unconditionally to everyone flowed through David, similarly unconstrained.

Such love fuelled his unstinting work within his Diocese; and within the Province in everything from the Pension Fund to HIV and AIDS. Here he was conscious that the church has too often stigmatised and excluded those who are infected or affected, instead of extending God’s welcoming arms. He also played a significant role within the Anglican Communion, including in the Lambeth Commission that produced the Windsor report, and in ecumenical work, especially in relations with the Roman Catholic Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury sent a moving personal message, which you can read on our website, www.anglicanchurchsa.org.

All this we remembered at his funeral, as we heard St Paul’s reassurance that ‘nothing – neither life nor death – can separate us from the love of God that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (from Romans 8:38-9). It was typical of Bishop David that he had told some of us that, should he die soon, he wanted his funeral to speak not so much of him, but of his Lord, and the gospel promise, the sure and certain promise, of the resurrection to new life.

The ways of life and death remain so much beyond our comprehension – so often illness and death seem unfair, and we come to God in confusion and deep grief. Yet in Jesus we find a place to weep for our dear friend, remembering that Jesus himself wept at the grave of his own dear friend Lazarus even though he knew he would be raised. Therefore we trust in this same hope, for David and for ourselves, so wonderfully expressed in the words of St Peter:

‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed...’ (1 Pet 1:3-5)

So let us not be afraid to mourn our loss, even as we hold fast to our faith – for, as our Lord assured us, ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.’

What, then, of our Synod, and the Provincial Standing Committee? The Bishops issued a statement about all we discussed, that is also on our website. One particular decision was to send a delegation to express our solidarity with the Diocese of Swaziland and the people of that country as, 40 years after independence, they work for a more democratic society. We gave thanks for the recent elections in Angola. Within the Province, our decisions included the formation of the new Diocese of Ukhahlamba in the northern part of the Diocese of Grahamstown.

Among the matters PSC addressed (in part through small groups – we wanted to capture some of the strengths of the indaba style of the Lambeth Conference) were the budget, xenophobia, gender, the environment, ecumenism, social development, and youth. We also heard reports on the Lambeth and GAFCON meetings, and in discussion noted the Synod’s view that ’We agreed to continue working for the unity of the worldwide Anglican Communion through the current instruments of communion and dialogue, including the proposed Anglican Covenant, the Windsor Continuation Group and a possible Pastoral Forum. We agreed to continue to work with all parties in the current debates particularly on our own continent and to share South Africa’s experience of a reconciliation which embraces all.’

We also spent time at PSC talking together about consultations across the Province, to produce a ‘vision statement’, but I will save further comment on this for my next letter.

Yours in the service of Christ

+Thabo Cape Town