Archbishop’s concern for white South African men sparks emotional debate

The continuing damage done to both white and black South Africans by the “dehumanizing” effect of the struggle against apartheid led to an emotional debate at the triennial Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa today (Friday 1 October 2010).

The synod was discussing a resolution arising out of concern expressed by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town for white South African men who were conscripted to fight for apartheid. Opening the synod, he described the issue as an “unmentionable area that we must dare to tackle,” and added: “Many are still wounded from that time, and need to be able to speak and find healing.”

During debate on a resolution supporting his concern, a number of white male priests, sometimes struggling to speak through tears, said they had been surprised by the intensity of their responses to an issue they had long thought something of the past. Bishop Jo Seoka of Pretoria added that “there are many black boys and girls who are still suffering as a consequence of their experience, not forgetting the young ones who went through June 16 [1976].”

Proposing the resolution arising from Archbishop Makgoba’s expression of concern, Dean Andrew Hunter of Grahamstown said of those conscripted: “All of us were shaped, marked and scarred to a greater or lesser effect… For some there has been long-term damage.” Although he welcomed the Archbishop’s initiative, he also said he wondered: “Are we ready for this? Are we big enough as a church for this? Should we also link this to the effects of belonging to MK or APLA on young black men?”

Full texts:

Archbishop Makgoba told the synod in his opening Charge:

“I want to name one unmentionable area that we must dare to tackle: the dehumanising effect of conscription on a generation of young men – barely more than boys. Many are still wounded from that time, and need to be able to speak and find healing. Our society makes this almost impossible. But before Jesus there are no taboo subjects.”

Dean Hunter’s resolution:

“The Dean of Grahamstown, seconded by Bishop R Hess, gave notice in terms of the rule for motions arising from the Archbishop’s Charge:

“Noting the Archbishop’s call for the Church to tackle the effects of conscription, THIS SYNOD welcomes this initiative, and prays for the healing of all those who were involved or impacted in any way.”

Anglican Church Calls for "Vote of Conscience" on Protection of Information Bill

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa today resolved to urge members of the South African Parliament to 'vote with their consciences' on the Protection of Information Bill being considered by legislators. The church’s ruling Provincial Synod adopted a resolution declaring its opposition to the Bill after a number of speakers warned the church against what they saw as its failure to speak out sufficiently on public issues.

The priest who proposed the resolution, the Revd Drake Tshenkeng of the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, said in an interview after the synod debate that he hoped members of Parliament would vote their consciences 'instead of along party lines'.

Speaking during debate, Bishop Oswald Swartz of Kimberley and Kuruman said that 'one of the marks of the church is to challenge unjust structures of society'.

Warning of 'the great danger we are in if we keep silent', he asked: 'Is this inability to speak because we are uncomfortable [with], or even afraid of, our comrades who shared the trenches with us [in the struggle against apartheid] – also because many of the people now in authority are also Anglicans?'

Father Tshenkeng – who was detained, then banned and forced into exile after the killing of Steve Biko in 1977 – told the synod the church had been in 'the forefront of public advocacy' during the apartheid era.

After liberation in 1994, he said, 'there was joy, there was happiness, there was rejoicing... It was a new era and of course the church also changed gears... We were still enjoying a honeymoon... But... our honeymoon seems not to get to an end. It is a honeymoon that seems to be going on and on… The church is being slowly embedded within the status quo.'

The full text of the Synod resolution read:

PROTECTION OF INFORMATION BILL (2010)

The Revd D Tshenkeng, seconded by The Bishop of Kimberley & Kuruman, moved:

THAT THIS SYNOD,

NOTING

1. That a Bill under this title is before the South African Parliament for debate, which seeks

a. to provide for the protection of certain information from destruction, loss, or unlawful disclosure;

b. to regulate the manner in which information may be protected;

c. to repeal the Protection of Information Act of 1982;

2. That such a Bill, if passed, would be open to misuse and abuse; and

3. That it threatens not only media freedom but also academic research and free access to information by the general public as guaranteed by Section 32 (1) (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa;

THEREFORE RESOLVES

1. Respectfully to ask the office of the Metropolitan [Archbishop Thabo Makgoba] to register our objection to the Bill as it stands with the relevant authority; and

2. To call on all members of Parliament to exercise a vote of conscience when called upon.

A statement by the Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa

We, the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, have met in Synod at the Kopanong Conference Centre, Benoni, Gauteng East Rand from 27 to 29 September 2010. In prayer and fellowship - the hallmarks of our Synod - we deliberated over many matters affecting the life of the Church: our own Church, the wider Anglican Communion and the ecumenical Church of Southern Africa. In this time we heard the stories of achievements and pain from the Bishops of Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique and St Helena.

The presence of Bishop Zaché Duracin, Bishop of Haiti, among us reminded us of the devastation that his country had recently experienced and of the long road that still has to be travelled towards full restoration. We are grateful for Archbishop Thabo Makgoba’s pastoral visit to Haiti and for the many Anglicans of our Province who contributed towards the rebuilding efforts.

The Bishops who attended the recent meeting of African Bishops in Uganda, gave mainly positive reports. However, while not able to endorse all that was said and done at that meeting, we state our full commitment to the Anglican Church in Africa, of which we are a part.

We, the Bishops, were deeply disturbed to hear from the Bishop of Swaziland of the growing human rights abuses in his country. He also challenged the Church to become more involved in the urgent quest for democracy; we agreed.

The Bishops of St Helena, Namibia and Lebombo (Mozambique) reminded us of the many missional challenges facing their countries.

We noted with joy the creation of the new Diocese of Mbhashe. And we received a request from Bishop Dinis Sengulane for the multiplication of his diocese – all signs of the growth of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa.

We reflected on other ways of growing our Church, and in this regard encouraged the use of “Rooted in Jesus”, a Church growth programme.

The draft document entitled “Pastoral Guidelines in Response to Civil Unions” was given careful consideration. It has been drafted in response to pastoral situations that are arising within parishes as a consequence of South Africa’s Civil Union legislation. An amended document has been referred back to the Diocese for comment and will be discussed by us again at the February Synod of Bishops. As Bishops all are acutely aware of the need to act pastorally and prudently on this sensitive matter, while at the same time committed to remaining within the accepted teachings of our Church on marriage and the ongoing dialogue within the Anglican Communion.

The important subject of “African Spirituality, Traditional Practice, Orthodoxy and Traditional Healing” received attention once again. At the heart of our discussions was the question: What does it mean to be a Church in Africa, in terms of liturgy, pastoral practices, such as healing, Christology, etc.

We re-stated our support for the “Anglican Covenant”, a document which was issued for consideration by the Churches of the Anglican Communion in response to the difficulties currently facing our church. It can be a tool for healing and for helping the Communion move forward. We noted that this matter will be raised at Provincial Synod.

The Bishops were mindful of meeting at a time when many pressing problems are facing our countries, especially poverty and rising unemployment. We therefore call on all our political leaders to put aside its internal divisions and to focus on addressing these and other problems.

However, in the midst of all the pain and problems within our region, we rejoice at what God is doing in our church and the peoples of all our lands. As we walk in the faith so God will be glorified. To God be all the glory.

Church Calls for Woman Bishops

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has resolved to encourage the election of women as bishops of the church.

A resolution agreed to by the church’s ruling Provincial Synod also urged those dioceses which do not yet ordain women as priests to do so.

The resolution, proposed by Bishop Oswald Swartz of Kimberley and Kuruman, said although women formed the majority of church members, they were under-represented “in theological education, at every level in leadership and in representational roles.”

Some dioceses still did not ordain women as priests and no woman had yet been elected or appointed a bishop.

The synod resolved to urge “every diocese to take all appropriate steps to promote the eligibility of women for episcopal office.”

Opening the synod on Wednesday, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town said the church was “hugely unrepresentative in relation to gender.”

The church first decided to ordain women in 1992.

The full text of the synod’s resolution follows:

MOTION 3: WOMEN AND MINISTRY

The Bishop of Kimberley & Kuruman, seconded by the Bishop of Port Elizabeth, moved:

THAT THIS SYNOD,

1. noting that

1.1 in Southern Africa women constitute the majority of the population and the majority within our churches,

1.2 as long ago as 1992 the Province agreed to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate,

and further noting that

1.3 nonetheless, women remain under-represented in theological education at every level, in leadership and in representational roles

1.4 some Dioceses still do not ordain women to the priesthood, and

1.5 no woman has yet been elected or appointed to serve as a Bishop in our Province.

2. Resolves to encourage

2.1 every Diocese to promote and support the theological education of lay and ordained women

2.2 every Diocese to promote and support lay and ordained women as theological educators

2.3 those Dioceses which do not yet ordain women to do so

2.4 every Diocese to increase the inclusion of lay and ordained women in leadership and representational roles

2.5 every Diocese to take all appropriate steps to promote the eligibility of women for episcopal office. AGREED

Archbishop Hopes for Woman Bishops

The Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd. Thabo Makgoba, said today that one of his dreams during his term of office was to consecrate the Church's first woman bishop.

Archbishop Makgoba was delivering his Charge to the three-yearly Provincial Synod of the church in Benoni. The synod is his first as Archbishop and Metropolitan of the church.

Opening the synod, the Archbishop said the church was “hugely unrepresentative in relation to gender... Women constitute the majority in our pews, but the reverse is true at every level of leadership, lay and ordained.”

The Anglican Church resolved in 1992 to ordain women as priests, but as yet has not elected a woman as a bishop. Unlike some churches in the worldwide Anglican Communion, no separate decision is needed to admit women as bishops.

Archbishop Makgoba told the synod that, in South Africa, “the roles of men and women alike, of every culture, were distorted by apartheid. We need to develop appropriate spiritualities for us all, for contemporary living – that are also channels of healing for the legacies of our brutalising history.”

Continuing on this theme, the Archbishop added: “I want to name one unmentionable area that we must dare to tackle: the dehumanising effect of conscription on a generation of young men – barely more than boys.

“Many are still wounded from that time, from their time in Namibia and Angola, and need to be able to speak and find healing. Our society makes this almost impossible. But before Jesus there are no taboo subjects.”

Archbishop Makgoba also expressed his solidarity with Anglicans in Swaziland, saying he could not remain silent on the issue of democracy in the country, “where power and wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, and political debate is hardly permitted.”

The Anglican Church in Southern Africa comprises dioceses in Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and the islands of St Helena and Tristan da Cunha.

Referring to divisions in the worldwide Anglican Communion over the position of gays and lesbians in the church, the Archbishop said the church in Southern Africa refused to allow disagreements to split it. He said:

“For us, what has mattered most is: being centred on Christ; agreeing on the central matters of who Jesus is and the salvation he brings; and therefore recognising one another as being united in him, and, in consequence, with each other.

“In consequence, as we have found within the Synod of Bishops, when differences arise, none of us feels called to say to another: ‘I no longer consider you a Christian, a brother in Christ, a member of the body of Christ – I am no longer in communion with you.’”

Read the full text of the Archbishop's Charge >>

Church Gives Award to “Prophetic” Mamphela Ramphele

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has given its highest award for lay members of the church to business leader, academic and social activist Dr Mamphela Ramphele, hailing her as “one of South Africa’s greatest prophetic voices.”

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town admitted Dr Ramphele to the order of Simon of Cyrene at a meeting of the church’s Provincial Synod in Benoni today.

In its citation for the award, the church said that after acting “with fierce determination to overcome the injustices of the apartheid regime at a time when it was at its most brutal,” Dr Ramphele still “continues in her campaign for justice and for the rights of women, the poor and marginalised.”

Citing Dr Ramphele’s role in convening the Dinokeng Scenarios, the church said her work was based on “an idealism and hope coming from her shrewd and independent analytical mind, making her one of South Africa’s greatest prophetic voices.”

Dr Ramphele is a former vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town and a former director of the World Bank.