"Like a cancer, economic inequality is metastasizing across the world" - Archbishop Thabo Makgoba's Geneva address

6th Meeting of the Ecumenical Panel on a New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA)

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba

Opening Prayer and Reflection

John Knox Centre, Geneva

25-27 March 2025

The Ecumenical Panel on NIFEA convened for its 6th meeting to address the growing global economic inequality, climate catastrophe, and explore alternative economic systems in this Jubilee year. This collaborative effort between the World Council of Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Lutheran World Federation, World Methodist Council, and Council for World Mission brings together experts in economics, finance, sociology, and theology to chart a path toward a more just and sustainable economic architecture.

A little over eight years ago, I addressed the ruling Synod of the church which I lead, the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, on my attendance in Hong Kong at the first Ecumenical School on Governance, Economics and Management, an initiative of the organisations you represent here. What is particularly interesting when I look back on my words today is that my reflections were based on the unstated assumption that the new “economy of life” that we were urging at that meeting was something primarily of benefit to the Global South.

I told the Synod that in Hong Kong we were looking at how we could find an alternative to the current global governance of money and financial systems, replacing it with a system that would be less exploitative and would distribute resources and income more equitably. I called on our bishops and our theologians to explore a theology and ecclesiology of generosity—focussing on the Incarnation as hermeneutical conversation of theology and economy, developing if you like a social teaching on the economy.

My objective was for the church to encourage young people in particular to dare to challenge old stereotypes and find new ways of making this ever more complex and fast-paced world into an ethical and sustainable place for all. I wanted new generations of the young in the Global South to become advocates of a new form of global governance and a new economic model, and to seek practical ways to transform the market economy from a self-serving mechanism for elites to one which serves our environment and all the world's people.

To illustrate my argument, I pointed to how the skewed ordering of the South African economy lay at the heart of the political crisis that we faced, and still face in my country. In South Africa, inherited patterns of privilege and wealth which were overwhelmingly associated with one racial group, had created an economy which spat in the face of Gospel values. However, at the time I was speaking, the dominant faction of our post-apartheid ruling party had chosen not to respond to the maldistribution of resources by allocating them for the benefit of the poor. Instead they were directing them to an elite group with links to a small number of politicians and officials. In other words, a new breed of private interests joined the old beneficiaries of apartheid, to capture the public purse and to line their own pockets.

But as I say, my primary focus was on the way in which the skewed allocation of resources affected the Global South. Now when I look back on what I said, and see what is happening in the Global North, it is almost with a sense of shock that I realise that we in the South are not the only victims of the current ordering of the global economy. We now realise that what Desmond Tutu used to call the “so-called ordinary people” – “so-called,” he said “because in my theology, nobody is ordinary, all are created in the image of God” – that average men and women in the world's most powerful and prosperous economies, are just as much victims of the greed of self-serving elites who hold wield economic and political power for their own benefit as the poor in the South.

Of course the global financial crisis of 2008 gave us some warning of this, but it is especially since 2016, when I attended that meeting in Hong Kong, that the devastating consequences of inequality and the hoarding of power and resources for the benefit of a few have become apparent not just to the Global South but to economically developed nations as well. We have seen the rise to power of oligarchs in countries which we imagined were democracies – flawed democracies as they might have been, but democracies which aspired to reflect the views and the interests of all their people.

Across the world, now including Europe and the United States, we see the phenomenon of what we might call the “left-behinds” – those who stand on the margins, watching elites prospering while their standard of living is eroded. We see those people turning toward solutions reflecting economic chauvinism, xenophobic political nationalism, woven in with resurgent racism and even the stirrings of a new kind of fascism. We see our faith perverted and transformed into a narrow Christian nationalism which seeks to demonize “the other”, and whose adherents struggle to accept the teachings of Jesus concerning “turning the other cheek”. And in an age-old pattern, elites – through their dominance of the media and public debate – exploit divisions and divert people's anger so that it targets not those responsible for inequality and injustice, but the vulnerable, the poor and the weak; those even less fortunate than they.Like a cancer, economic inequality is metastasizing across the world

, eating away at our social compacts, threatening to devour our very being, everything that which makes us human. We face, I believe, a kairos moment for humanity.

In August 1993, the then Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivered an early contribution to the church debate which preceded the landmark Jubilee 2000 campaign, the campaign which, taken up by wider civil society, is credited with cancellation of more than $100 billion dollars of debt owed by 35 of the world's poorest countries.¹ Delivering an address on “Kairos and the Jubilee Year in Uppsala” in Sweden, Archbishop Tutu unpacked the theology underlying the concept of Jubilee. He began by pointing out that “the Jubilee year described in Leviticus 25 propounds theology that—like all good theology should do—has profound implications for how we should order our political, economic, social relations.”

Noting how the world's churches had successfully campaigned to end apartheid, he urged the ecumenical community to “invest as much passion and zeal in calling for the cancellation of the foreign debt” as we had for the campaign against apartheid. “This,” he declared, “is the new moral issue to which we must be committed.” Archbishop Tutu's successor, and my predecessor, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, went on to campaign for the cancellation of debt as part of the Jubilee 2000 campaign.

In similar vein, over the last decade I have campaigned in South Africa for the old struggle—the struggle against apartheid—to be replaced by what I call “the New Struggle”, a struggle for the promises of democracy to be realised. Now, as the ecumenical community grapples with the implications of the scandalous gap between the rich and the poor, and with a world increasingly characterised by growing xenophobia, racism and authoritarianism, we need to launch a new struggle, one of a different kind, an international campaign for the reform of financial and economic governance.

If all are to have life, and to have life in abundance, as Jesus taught, we have a shared responsibility—across the regions of the world, across political divisions, across cultural and religious diversity, and across economic and social differences—to transform the global economic order into one which serves the interests of all and thus guarantees a future for the coming generations.

The challenges we face on a global, regional and local level are similar and related: poverty and inequality; rapid technological changes; protection of the environment and natural resources; interfaith and inter-cultural cooperation; strengthening democracy and social justice; addressing the causes of migration and displacement. Through dialogue and conversations with leading religious, political, business and civil society leaders, we must strive to foster better understanding of the complexity of the challenges we face, strengthen mutual cooperation and trust and facilitate common action through partnerships.

As Pope Francis has so bluntly and eloquently stated: “As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation and by attacking the structural causes of inequality, no solution will be found for the world’s problems or for that matter, to any problems.”

And the justice that we need to work for includes climate justice: we have to be good stewards of the whole of creation by working to mitigate the effect of climate change, not least for the sake of the poor and marginalised. Again, I quote Pope Francis, this time on the link between ending poverty and working for climate justice: “We are not faced with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental,” and “There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself.”

Allow me to end this reflection and continue our day's discussions with the following prayer:

Let us pray:

Creating, liberating, healing and sustaining source of all that is,

Thank you for your love and your trust in us, enabling us to embody your attributes of justice-making, earth-relishing love and to steadfastly commit to transform injustice into ways of living that nourish dignity and freedom from oppression.

Heal and transform the pain of those suffering unrelentness bombardment in Gaza, as well as victims of conflict in the Occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, Sudan, the Sahel, Mozambique, the DR Congo, Ukraine and Russia.

Grant our global political leaders compassion and empathy and empower all leaders, including those in faith communities, to bring healing to the wounded, relief to those who suffer and comfort to all who mourn.

As we gather today, we pray that you will lead our discussions help us find ways to motivate all those involved in current conflicts to work for justice and lasting peace amongst your people.

Living God, in times of crisis throughout the ages, we have prayed to you for the peaceful, negotiated settlement of conflicts, and you have granted our petitions.

We have prayed for freedom for the oppressed and marginalised, and you have answered our prayers.

Now, when people are again dying violently each day in our communities,

When people die as a result of a lack of clean water and nourishing food,

We pray for unity and collegiality as we seek your guidance and wisdom in addressing the challenges we face.

May the needs of those on the margins be at the heart of our engagements and explorations;

May the interests of power and politics take second place to those of peace, stability and prosperity.

Guide and support all who work for peace,

Strengthen the agency of people of goodwill,

And bless us with your presence among us.

For you live and reign, one God, world without end.

Amen.

1https://www.advocacyinternational.co.uk/featured-project/jubilee-2000

Ad Laos - To the People of God – March 2025

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,

††Thabo Cape Town

Sermon for Cape Town Diocesan Family Day Service - Transfiguration Sunday

Diocesan Family Day Service

Transfiguration Sunday

St George's Grammar School, Mowbray

2^nd MARCH 2025

Readings: Exodus 34: 29 – 35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3: 12 – 4:2; Luke 9: 28- 36

May I speak in the name of God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Bishop Josh, clergy colleagues, dear people of God, I greet you all this morning as we break bread together in this family service. Thank you everyone for coming together to meet as a Diocese. Thank you to the diocesan office staff and the logistics committee who put together the programme for our time together today. A special thank you also to the Diocesan Liturgical Team, as well as all those who have planned this celebratory service. Thank you also to the principal, staff and Council of St George's Grammar School for opening the school and grounds to host us.

Busy as I often am with ministry in the wider Anglican Church of Southern Africa and beyond, it’s wonderful for me to be home in the Diocese and part of this service, meeting as a family. We last met virtually on the Feast of St Thomas in 2020, under the difficult circumstances when Covid-19 was hitting our communities and the world. We had to meet then to affirm the presence of God amidst the challenges we faced at the time. This year, we meet on Transfiguration Sunday as we prepare ourselves for the beginning of our Lenten journey.

The Gospel reading (Luke 9:28ff) gives us a picture of what happened at the Transfiguration of Jesus in the presence of Peter, John and James. As Jesus was praying on a mountain, His appearance and garments took a heavenly brilliance, and He was joined by two men who had long departed from this world. These men spoke to Jesus about his departure, that is his death and resurrection, thus confirming the prophesy made in v. 22 ‘that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes, be killed and on the third day be raised’.

Jewish tradition expected the Old Testament figures of Moses and Elijah to reappear at the end of time. They represented the law and the prophets, and both had unusual departures from this world. This explains why, in this Gospel passage, Peter suggested to Jesus that he, John and James should build three tabernacles or dwellings, one each for Moses, Elijah and Jesus, either to honour the three or to prolong their stay up on the mountain.

However, Peter had misunderstood the purpose of the presence of the two men who had come to speak to Jesus. The true significance of their presence was found in the heavenly voice that assured the disciples that the Jesus whom they confessed to be the Messiah was indeed the Son of God, not despite his coming ordeal – his appearance before Pilate and his agonising death on a cross – but because of it. The real message to the disciples was that they were to obey Him – and Him alone.

Sisters and brothers, the assurance that our reading from Luke gives us, namely that Jesus is the Son of God, helps explain Paul’s bold confidence, reflected in the reading from Corinthians that the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor 3:12ff). Unlike Moses, who according to Exodus (Ex 34:32ff) had to put a veil over his face to hide the fading radiance, in Christ the veil is set aside. All of us, whether we are prominent or obscure, good or bad, white or black, have the privilege of looking upon the glory of the Lord – our Father as revealed in Christ – with unveiled faces.

As people of this Diocese, what can we draw from today’s readings? What does the story of the Transfiguration mean to us today? What can we do to remove the veils that stop us from seeing the image of God in our neighbours?

Last Monday, at a meeting of our church’s Synod of Bishops, which is attended by bishops from across Southern Africa, we heard a powerful appeal from Dr Mamphela Ramphele, a prominent member of our church and a member of the Order of Simon of Cyrene, the highest honour we can give to lay Anglicans.

Speaking passionately from the heart, Dr Ramphele told us of new research which shows that one in three women in South Africa have experienced physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives. Twenty-four percent have experienced violence at the hands of an intimate partner. And research also shows that nearly seven in 10 men believe that wives must obey husbands, and 15 percent say husbands have a right to punish their wives for wrongdoing.

Our society, Dr Ramphele said, is in the grip of an epidemic of gender-based violence that affects the majority of families in every community. To address this crisis, she called on the churches of our land to develop new ways of ministering to people who are deeply wounded by the multi-generational traumas they have suffered since colonial and apartheid days.

Against that background, it is my earnest hope that we will experience this wonderful celebration here at St George’s Grammar School today as a mountain-top experience; one that prepares us to leave here, metaphorically speaking, with shining faces, transfigured and transformed, ready to tell the world of God’s love in Jesus Christ and to live out our faith in ways which will bring healing to all God’s people in every community in this Diocese.

In order to help bring that healing to our communities, we must, as I said in the latest edition of Good Hope, start by cleaning our own house first. Last November, when the Church of England revealed the horrific abuse perpetrated in Britain and Zimbabwe by one of our former congregants, an expatriate from the UK, I told you that the Diocese and I are accountable to you, our church members, and to society, to ensure that all our churches are safe spaces in which to worship and minister.

Accordingly, the Synod of Bishops on Tuesday unanimously endorsed a set of proposals to keep you safe. Most important for you in the parishes, we will be asking every parish to nominate Safe Church Officers, to be trained under the auspices of the Safe and Inclusive Church Commission. We will require the names of those officers to be listed in parish service bulletins or, where those are not produced, to be posted to your noticeboards. While people will still be able to report abuse to a central office operated by our Safe and Inclusive Church Commission, we want to mobilise teams of experienced lay people who know their parishes best to play a leading role in protecting others.

Friends, the splendour of Paul’s God-given ministry of the new covenant, superior to that of Moses, spurs him on. It is the undeserved gift of God’s mercy, for Paul fully realizes his own unworthiness. What is a family in Jesus’ eyes? Those that are doing the will of God (Matt 12:50). In other words, the relationships that count are not physical, but moral and spiritual. It is to belong with Him to the family of the one Father in heaven and to do His will. It is my hope that we can be that family of Jesus.

It’s been a difficult few months in the Diocese, but as I’ve said before, we cannot allow ourselves to be defined by setbacks. We’ve taken the first step to overcome our difficulties by identifying what the problems were, and now we must move forward in hope, and trusting in God.

Let us also keep our focus on the other, major challenges that affect every one of us in our society. Pray that we will recognise that the chasm between the rich and poor cannot be tolerated any longer, and that we will act on that recognition. As we prepare for Lent, our New Struggle as South Africans must be to regain our moral compass, end economic inequality, bring about equality of opportunity and realise the promises enshrined in our Constitution and hope for a better future.

Let us also re-dedicate ourselves to the struggle against complacency, greed, nepotism, and the lust for power. Let us intensify the struggle against the pursuit of narrow self-interest, personal gain, status, and material wealth – a pursuit we see reflected in the attitudes towards our country and our achievements displayed by ideologues in the Trump Administration who reflect apartheid-era thinking. As demonstrated in the recent letter to Americans by more than 400 white South African Christian leaders, the groups claiming to represent Afrikaners who risk inflaming racial tensions by appealing for foreign intervention against our government constitute an unrepresentative minority of our people; the vast majority of South Africans are committed to the struggle for true justice, including economic justice.

In conclusion, I invite you this Lent to turn to loving ways and to become conduits of God's peace. This year's Provincial Lenten Bible Studies, which you can download from the ACSA website, are a wonderful resource for thinking and praying over what it means to be a peacemaker in South Africa today.

God loves you, and so do I. God bless this Diocese, South Africa and the world. Amen.

* * * * *

Archbishop commits to establishing "best-practice, 21st-century safeguarding and enforcement of discipline"

Joint meeting of the Synod of Bishops, Canon Law Council, Chancellors and Registrars

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba

Introductory remarks

22^nd February 2025

Canon Lawyers,

Bishops of the Province,

Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

A verse from the book of the Prophet Isaiah, contemplating the wickedness of Judah:

Learn to do good;

seek justice,

rescue the oppressed,

defend the orphan,

plead for the widow. (Is. 1:17)

With those words, beautifully capturing our vocation as church to speak and act for those who can’t, I warmly welcome you to this meeting.

I am deeply thankful to each one of you for being here, since before us are gathered some of the best pastoral, theological and legal minds of our church, who are invited to address issues which – although they are uncomfortable to deal with – are absolutely critical to the most vulnerable members of our parishes and our society, and therefore to the integrity of the pastoral care we provide to our people and to the credibility of our witness as a moral force in society.

The challenges of keeping people safe from abuse and the effective implementation of our pastoral standards and disciplinary measures have been propelled to the top of our agenda, firstly because of the scourge of gender-based violence and the abuse of children prevalent in our society today, and secondly because recent events have made it clear that we need urgently to deal decisively with past abuse in the church, rather than wait for crises to blow up.

Many of you will have read of the recent Human Sciences Research Council report which found that, in South Africa, one in every three women report being abused at some time in their lives. Now, on many issues affecting the welfare and daily lives of our members – such as jobs, poor service delivery, corruption and other failings – we can campaign and urge the authorities to take action. But when it comes to abuse, whether of women, girls or boys, we can intervene far more effectively, because our pastoral relationships with our congregants draw us into the heart of the crisis. Dr Mamphela Ramphele, a member of the Order of Cyrene, speaks powerfully to this, and so she will address the Bishops on it during our meeting.

As we face these challenges, we are fortunate to have a strong basis on which to build, notably the inclusion of the pastoral standards into our Canons which began two decades ago. Bishop Michael Nuttall, a former Dean of the Province, acknowledged on the WhatsApp group for retired bishops recently that he was among those who was initially sceptical of the initiative, but who now acknowledges its importance. I personally was challenged when a case burst into the open in 2018. A survivor of abuse strongly criticised Archbishop Desmond Tutu for his alleged inaction on past abuse, and the Archbishop Emeritus's response was to declare that he had the “utmost faith” in my commitment “to hold those clergy accused of wrongdoing to account, and support those whose trust in the clergy has been betrayed.”¹

That case, and the establishment of the Anglican Communion Safe Church Commission in 2016, helped to carry forward our safeguarding initiatives. But, as the Farlam-Ramphele report published earlier this month found, we have not done enough. Since the full report and a summary are available on the Provincial website, just two quotes from it will suffice here:

One refers to what the report describes as “the disturbing delay... at least since 2018, in fully implementing measures evolved over two decades to grapple effectively with abuse within the church and church-related institutions, such as schools and children’s homes.” The other says: “We consider that the delays in implementation since 2016 of Safe Church are a cause for serious concern, raising the risk that similar or other abusive conduct goes undetected and is not the subject of effective protective measures.”

In my response to the report, I accepted its findings without reservation. As a result, as we implement its recommendations, the delays come to an end at this meeting, with the formal establishment the Safe and Inclusive Church Commission as mandated by Provincial Synod. In spite of the delays, a dedicated team volunteered some years ago to undertake the hard work of launching Safe Church, handling cases and nurturing its growth. We owe the founding team an enormous debt of gratitude and pledge to build on their efforts, learning from them and ensuring that the transition is as smooth as it can be, involving as it must the continuation and extension of efforts to develop relevant pastoralia, teaching materials and training.

When I announced the appointment of the panel which produced the recent report, I told the congregation at Emmanuel Church in Wynberg that as licensed ministers of the Gospel, we have the privilege of journeying with people at the most critical moments in their lives. I added: “For someone in the church, which is meant to be a safe and nurturing space, to prey on God's children when they are at their most vulnerable is not only wrong, it is not only criminal, which it often is, it is evil beyond description. It makes me want to weep.”

That is what motivates me now in challenging firstly us as Bishops; in challenging secondly those of you, as the Canons say, who are “learned in the law” and who provide outstanding, self-sacrificial service to the Church; and in challenging thirdly those engaged in safeguarding, to take fully on board and to implement the recommendations we have before us.

I have two years to serve before my retirement. As I said when I received the report, I cannot bequeath the current state of safeguarding to my successor. As a result, one of my top priorities will be to ensure that the Canon Law Council and the Safe and Inclusive Church Commission update our legislation, regulations and procedures so that best-practice, 21st-century safeguarding and the enforcement of discipline each have their appropriate place. Another priority will be for me and the Bishops concerned to address and resolve specific cases.

As outlined in my response to the Farlam/Ramphele report, there are concrete steps that this meeting of the Synod of Bishops can take to demonstrate our determination to introduce safeguarding in every Parish in the Province, to hold parishes accountable to Dioceses, to hold Dioceses accountable to the Province and to Safe Church, and to hold ourselves responsible to other institutions outside ACSA to keep people safe.

Let me end these introductory remarks on a note of hope. The first step in addressing a crisis and resolving a problem is identifying it, and I believe that with the help of many people both inside and outside the church in recent months and years, we have done that. As I said earlier this month and now repeat, we cannot allow ourselves to be defined by setbacks. We need to repent, then move forward, defined by hope and compelled by our faith to take action to root out abuse.

The Incarnation provides for us an important understanding of a God who enters the daily “scuffle” of our lives to liberate us. God enters the world because the Church, Christ’s bride, is charged with ensuring that the worth and dignity of those who are created in God’s image are respected.

When I conclude a Synod I pray that “No harm may befall God’s church because of our decisions”. The establishment of sound and effective safeguarding measures, backed by Canon Law, will ensure that the vulnerable, the lonely, the young and the old, are not preyed upon, harmed or abused, but that they will flourish as is God’s intention, stated in John, that all will have life, and have it abundantly (Jn 10:10). So let us, as people who are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps 139:14), build a church in which no stumbling blocks will ever be put before anyone who believes in Christ (Matthew 18:6).

* * * * *

1 https://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org/2018/03/the-churchs-response-to-writer-ishtiyaq.html

Bring to justice the killers of Imam Muhsin Hendricks - Archbishop

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba issued the following statement today in reaction to the murder in the Eastern Cape on Saturday of Imam Muhsin Hendricks, leader of the Al-Ghurbaah Foundation in Cape Town:

“We send our deepest condolences to the family of Imam Hendricks and his community at this tragic loss. We pray that those responsible for this horrific killing will be brought to justice, and we affirm the rights and dignity of all God’s people.”

While police have not yet ascertained the motive for Imam Hendricks's murder, he is widely known as an openly gay public figure. South Africa's Muslim Judicial Council and Cape Town's Claremont Main Road Masjid (CMRM) have both condemned his killing.

Sermon at the Installation of Dean Terry Lester of St George's Cathedral, Cape Town

Installation of the Ven Terrence Ian Lester as 16th Dean of Cape Town and Rector of the Cathedral of St George the Martyr

The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple

2nd February 2025 @ 16H00

Readings: Amos 8: 1 - 8; Psalm 10: 13-20; Luke 19: 45 - 48

May I speak in the name of God who calls, informs and transforms us. Amen.

Sisters and brothers in Christ, members of the St George’s Cathedral Church family, thank you for joining us this afternoon to celebrate this important day in the history and life of our Diocese – the installation of our 16^th Dean and Rector of this Cathedral.

A warm welcome to Bishop Josh and our fellow Bishops who are here, to members of Chapter from our own and sister dioceses, to the clergy and bishops present and your spouses, as well as the honoured guests who grace this occasion, including members of the Order of Simon of Cyrene. A special welcome to the Dean-designate Terry, your dear wife Nikki, your children, Timothy and Safya, Claire and Michael (Portugal), Amy and Dean, Sydnee and Kathryn, your sister Desiree, your mother, Mrs Joyce Lester, your sisters-in-law Kim and Charlen and your grandchildren Rosa, Frances, Atlas and Jude. And thank you, Professor Richard Burridge, former Dean of King's College, London and Terry's long-time friend and colleague from Nottingham, for travelling all the way from the UK to be present.

Thank you, diocesan staff and liturgical team for working tirelessly preparing for this service. Thank you, Cathedral staff, Church Wardens, Verger and team for your practical arrangements and your warm welcome on our arrival here this afternoon. Thank you to Mfundisi Mcebisi Pinyana for holding the fort here as Priest-in-Charge during the interregnum, and to Canon Grant Walters, the Revd Abigail Hopley, and other staff at Bishopscourt for their support.

Dean-designate Terry, your installation takes place on the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, which is also known as the Purification of St Mary the Virgin or Candlemas. Saints and Seasons notes that such a variety of names is a testament to the wealth of spiritual meaning that generations of Christians have discovered in this small incident. As Anglicans, our title for this Feast is a reminder that every first-born son had to be dedicated to God in memory of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt, as enshrined in Jewish law. However, when Mary placed Jesus into the arms of Simeon, the Patriarch, it marked the meeting of the Old and the New Testaments. Thus, the old oblations were done away, and the new and perfect offering was now presented to the temple. Moruti Terry, it is in the same spirit that you are installed today as the 16^th Dean of this Diocese.

In today’s Gospel passage (Luke 19:45ff) there is a sudden change of tone as Jesus turns to look at the city spread before Him and utters a sorrowful prophecy about its fate. He longed that even at this late stage it might repent and seek that which would advance its welfare, given how little the conduct of the people of Jerusalem reflected its name as the city of peace. The time would come when the city would be besieged with tremendous loss of life, and all because it failed to recognise that God was longing to save it.

Sisters and brothers, it was against this background that Jesus entered the Temple and drove out those who were carrying on commerce within its precincts. Their trade was associated with the needs of the pilgrims, like a modern souvenir shop under the shadow of a cathedral selling Bibles along with picture postcards. But in their case, the trade was conducted in a manner that had grown to alarming proportions. The court of the Gentiles had become a thieves’ kitchen instead of a place of prayer. This was the beginning of Jesus’ teachings in the Temple, to the accompaniment of rising opposition from the authorities and strong sympathy from the crowds who appreciated His words.

As the people of this Cathedral church, as people of the Diocese of Cape Town, what can we learn from this gospel story? How can this passage assist in building the kingdom of God in this church?

I believe it underlines the need for ministry in and from this Cathedral to continue in the tradition of which Dean Terry has already long been a proponent in this Diocese and congregation, namely to call out the way in which – in this city, Province and country – the people of God, and particularly the most vulnerable and marginalised, are treated at the hands of the powerful; of those, in the words of Amos, “that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land.” Interestingly, it has been suggested that the reference to the Nile (v.8) in this passage may have been intended to remind Israel of God’s acts of judgement against the whole of Egypt in the plagues; that this God can be expected to act if necessary in similar fashion against the people He once worked to redeem.

Even as we give thanks for new beginnings in this Cathedral church today, we are called to speak up for those who suffer, from the emaciated miners rescued at Stilfontein, to our soldiers under attack in the DR Congo as a consequence of standing up for the rights and safety of innocent Congolese men, women and children, from the survivors of abuse and gender-based violence to victims of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. At this distressing time in Gaza and the West Bank, we are grateful for the prophetic ministry of the cathedral to the Middle East. While we are grateful for the current limited ceasefire in Gaza, I am concerned that it holds and that the West Bank will not be the next to suffer the fate of Gaza. On the basis that, under international law, ethnic cleansing can be defined as genocide, war crimes or crimes aganst humanity, we must protest against any prospect of the people of Gaza being “cleansed” and sent to Jordan and Egypt. They must be able to rebuild their lives, and the Western countries which have shamefully aided and abetted in the destruction of Gaza must step up and pay for its reconstruction.

Moruti Terry, it is my prayer that your ministry here at the Cathedral brings about a new song – full of new possibilities. This is the re-assurance of God’s sufficiency for present needs and the prospects of greater blessings yet to come. You do not lack experience, but you will nevertheless need assistance from God to advance his will for this Cathedral church. So, as you take up your new responsibilities, I bring you, on behalf of the Diocese, of the wider church and on my own behalf, congratulations on your appointment.

As we know this Cathedral has a proud history of being a ‘People’s Cathedral’, seeking to challenge and inspire parishioners to advance the kingdom of God through teaching ministry and evangelism. To achieve that objective, it requires a discernment that produces good decisions based on divine principles. It is therefore our shared prayer and hope that you, together with your team, will discern the common good in whatever decisions you take, just as your predecessors have done, from Tom Savage to Ted King and Colin Jones, from Rowan Smith to Michael Weeder.

Moruti Terry, there are decisions that you will face that you will have to make courageously and collectively. They will have to made on the basis of sound critique, which is key, but it’s not good enough to end there. Your critique and decisions must be wise and reflect a deep sense of discernment and godly steering. Take decisions carefully and wisely, and then don't be too sensitive to pushback. As Emeritus Tutu used to say, too often in our part of the world, the acronym PhD means “Pull him, or her, down.” And as I said in my homily yesterday afternoon at Canon Natalie’s farewell service, the thing about self-justification is that your friends and family don’t need it, and your detractors won't believe it.

As the Feast of Candlemas compels you, in your leading and ministry here, bring the light of Christ that dispels darkness and brings renewal and redemption, even purification, to the Cathedral, the wider church, the city and the world. You are not an interim Dean, you are the Dean of Cape Town, and as such – as we are reminded in the rubric for the consecration of a bishop – no one is sufficient to do all these things but through the grace of God.

Hence, I turn to the congregation, and say to you gathered here today that we rely on you to work with Dean Terry for the common good of all humanity. The concept of the common good is one which is rooted in God's desire that humans may flourish, each according to their own circumstances, and that all will have a liveable standard of material well-being. In its widest sense, a society organised for the common good is one which is stable, safe and just, a society which accords everyone respect materially, emotionally, spiritually, intellectually.

In conclusion, I congratulate you once again, Moruti Terry, on your appointment as 16^th Dean of Cape Town. As I install you in the Dean's seat, where you will serve as a steward, acting on my behalf as Diocesan but also as a leader in your own right in the things of God. I pledge my support for your ministry here for the common good.

God loves all of you and so do I. Amen

* * * * *