Category: News

The September 2023 session of the Church’s Synod of Bishops issued a detailed Communiqué on its deliberations, covering matters ranging from theological education, liturgical renewal and Safe and Inclusive Church to Anglicans Ablaze, chaplains to the South African security services and the state of the Anglican Communion.

The full text of the Communiqué can be found here: Communiqué from the Synod Of Bishops

However, excerpts on matters of wider public and lay interest follow:

Technology and Ethics

The Archbishop’s Commission on Technology and Ethics produced three arresting pillars for action. The Right Revd Vikinduku Mnculwane, Bishop of Zululand and chair of the commission, articulated the importance of:

1. Developing technological infrastructure in each Diocese for communication and to close the digital divide;

2. Educating our people to develop their digital literacy; and

3. Developing, as part of our missional platform, codes of conduct for using the new technology.

The theological implications of the technology and ethics commission were recognised as an important facet of this work. A theological framework is to be developed to deal with digital technology and the deep philosophical, ethical and theological questions it raises. We asked the question: What does it mean to be a human being in the light of the phenomenal development of artificial intelligence (AI)?

Human Dignity

Bishop Raphael Hess presented the report of a Synod sub-group on Human Dignity (which included the Church’s thinking on human sexuality). This presentation was probably the most significant achievement of the Bishops in the 20-year conversation seeking to develop “Pastoral guidelines for persons in civil unions”. Sixteen draft prayers developed by the sub-group of four Bishops, reflecting varying emphases, were accepted for incorporation into the Dean of the Province’s report to the Provincial Standing Committee.

The draft Pastoral Guidelines and Prayers are to be sent to Dioceses to comment on and report back to the Synod of Bishops by mid-January 2024. An enabling motion shall be put before the Provincial Standing Committee to endorse the Bishops’ decision to send to Dioceses. Inputs from members of our Church, including comments and questions, should be sent to the Provincial Executive Officer for further processing. The February 2024 meeting of the Synod of Bishops will reflect once more on the process of reception of the Prayers in Dioceses and by mid-May 2024 a resolution will be prepared to place before Provincial Synod in September 2024.

Youth Unemployment

The Right Revd Dr Vicentia Kgabe, convener of the Archbishop’s Commission on Youth Unemployment, urged the Bishops to encourage our leaders to be the voice of our youth and act to break the cycle of youth unemployment. The church must seek to actively involve young people in its work and ensure their participation in the economy by creating youth development projects and programmes such as making the vestments used in our parishes. We should also audit and list their skills with a view to making use of them in our Dioceses.

Western Cape floods

The Bishops heard from the Bishops of the three Western Cape Dioceses on the unseasonal, destructive weather patterns emerging in the Western Cape. The Vicar-General of the Diocese of False Bay reported that thousands of homes had been flooded, and in informal settlements many homes containing everything families owned had been swept away. (The Vicar-General’s Pastoral Statement to the Diocese is attached.)

Full text: Communiqué from the Synod Of Bishops

Statement by Bishop Brian Marajh of the Diocese of Kimberley & Kuruman:

The Diocese of Kimberley & Kuruman offers its deepest sympathies and prayers to the families and loved ones of Sergeant Kedimetse Masilo and Constable Okaetse Mandindi, Flying Squad members who were killed on duty on 22 August 2023 in Kimberley while performing their duties as police officers.

The killings of these two police officers, one of whom was a member of our church, have deeply shocked our community. Coming at a time when the murders of police officers have almost doubled in South Africa, we deplore these and all police killings. The lawlessness seen in the surge in deaths of police officers on duty is deeply worrying and we condemn it in the strongest of terms.

The loss of the lives of members of our own community deeply saddens us. We pray that God will give their loved ones strength and comfort them in their time of mourning. Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

A news release from the Anglican Communion Office in London:

Anglicans are being invited to take forward the Lambeth Call on the Environment and Sustainable Development, one year on from the launch of the Communion Forest at Lambeth Palace.

This September, Anglicans are being invited to take forward the Lambeth Call on the Environment and Sustainable Development, one year on from the launch of the Communion Forest at Lambeth Palace.

The Lambeth Call on the Environment and Sustainable Development is one of ten Lambeth Calls discussed by the bishops at the Lambeth Conference in 2022. It outlines some bold commitments in tackling environmental crises, including just financing, community resilience building, advocacy, biodiversity restoration and promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Communion Forest is also a big feature in the Lambeth Call. Bishops pledged their support for it last year, through a tree planting and service of commitment on the lawns of Lambeth Palace.

Described as a ‘global act of hope’, the Communion Forest is an international initiative that celebrates new and existing Anglican environmental projects. These might include tree planting, reforestation, conservation, or restoration, which combined, create a ‘virtual’ forest around the world. The initiative is facilitated by the Anglican Alliance and the Anglican Communion Environment Network.

Inspiration for the Communion Forest came from Kenya and other African provinces with their forestry initiatives. The Communion Forest lists several inspiring projects, including a tree growing initiative for confirmations in Ireland, reforestation in Kenya, mangrove restoration in the Philippines, advocacy against logging in the Solomon Islands, and ‘Saplings for Sacraments’ in Washington, USA.

Archbishop Julio Murray, the Chair of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network will chair a webinar focused on the Call and the Communion Forest this September. Archbishop Julio addressed the Lambeth Conference last year during the environment day. He will lead an Anglican delegation to COP28 later this year.

Speaking about his hopes for the webinar this September, Archbishop Julio said: ‘The Lambeth Call on Environment and Sustainable development is very clear. It says: “For ourselves and for future generations we need to act now, urgently and at scale”. Together, Anglicans around the world can play a big part in responding to the environmental crises facing the planet. I invite Anglicans far and wide to join us this September, as we consider how to take the Call forward and grow the Communion Forest, through collective action and advocacy.’

The Lambeth Conference webinars are scheduled for September 20 or September 21. Contributors will include Archbishop Julio Murray Thompson (IARCA), Bishop Jo Bailey Wells (ACO), Amal Sarah (Co-Chair of the Advocacy Committee of the Anglican Communion Youth Network), Nicholas Pande (Anglican Alliance), Reverend Jacynthia Murphy (Anglican Indigenous Network) and Paulo Ueti (ACO), and Reverend Stephen Spencer (ACO). A series of resources and Bible study materials will also be shared, to aid people explore the Lambeth Call in their setting.

The webinar will be the second in the ‘Add your voice to the call’ series being run by the Lambeth Conference. The programme is exploring each of the Lambeth Calls from the Lambeth Conference and is open to all Anglicans around the Communion.

More information:

·       Click here to register.

·       Find out more about the Lambeth Call on Environment and Sustainable Development

The following homily was preached by the Bishop of Mpumalanga at the Elective Assembly of the Diocese of Christ the King.

Homily for the Elective Assembly

Diocese of Christ the King

The Right Revd Daniel Malesela Kgomosotho

Bishop of Mpumalanga

Theme: The Good Shepherd

26-27 July 2023

Acts 2:14.36-41, Ps 23, 1 Pet 2:20-25, Jn 10:1-11

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our God and redeemer. Amen.

“Jesus said: I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – John 10:11

My dear Sisters and Brothers

I have decided after prayer and thought to reflect this morning on the theme of the Good Shepherd. We have gathered under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern God’s will about the person God has designated as the shepherd of God’s people in the Diocese of Christ the King. Today’s proceedings hopefully mark the end of a process that involved prayer, listening, and fasting, as was typical of God’s people in the early church whenever the faithful had to decide regarding matters relevant to leadership.

There is no indication in the Bible that Christians ran a campaign to support a particular candidate. I have not read anywhere in the Bible that a certain group went about buying votes for a candidate of their choice. That is how certain politicians canvass for votes in a political system. We, dear friends, are governed by rules pertaining to God’s Kingdom. Things are done differently in a theocracy. Here principles of the kingdom apply and here God’s will prevails.

Every year we observe what is known as Good Shepherd Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter. The church’s lectionary places this theme during that time of the year and focuses on the tenth chapter of St. John’s Gospel, in which Jesus reveals the relationship he has with each of his faithful disciples. Jesus says about himself: “I am the Good Shepherd.” And the church replies with the words from Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd. I will not lack, for anything!” Because it is the source of our Easter delight, we commemorate this reality each year during the Easter Season: we truly have everything when the risen Lord Jesus serves as our shepherd. This is the message that the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and indeed the worldwide Anglican Communion brings to the faithful in the Diocese of Christ the King as they meet to elect a shepherd to care for God’s people in this Diocese.

At the heart of this message is the truth that the Lord is our Shepherd, and that God is going to provide this Diocese hopefully with a shepherd after God’s own heart. Depending on what the Lord has in store for us in this area, this promise will either be fulfilled today or in the future. But it is important for us to hold fast to and live by the well-known verses from the Responsorial Psalm number 23, which state that the Lord is my shepherd and that I will lack nothing. By uttering these words, we humbly admit that, as Christians, Jesus is the greatest possession we have and that, while lacking in other material possessions, we still recognize how fortunate we are.

The well-known prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola is one of my favourites, and it says: “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all I have and call my own. Whatever I have or hold, you have given me. I return it all to you and surrender it to be governed by your will. Give me only your love and your grace, which are enough for me, and I ask for nothing more.”

Dear friends, this prayer teaches us something particularly important about being a good sheep of the Good Shepherd: we recognize that Jesus’ love and grace are sufficient for us. Like Paul, when facing difficulties, we can hear God saying; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me, “Your grace, Lord, is sufficient for me.” In a society dominated by consumerism, in which we are bombarded with advertisements that pretend that we will be happy only if we obtain what they are peddling, that we will be fulfilled only if we have money and houses, fame and fortune, power and position, we focus instead on the Good Shepherd’s love and grace. We acknowledge that what Jesus offers is considerably more essential to joy in this life, and is necessary for eternal bliss with him in the eternal sheepfold.

I would like us, dear friends, to be counter-cultural and ask this Elective Assembly that in your discernment and deliberations you be loyal only to the Good Shepherd, the one who came to serve and not to be served and to give his life as a ransom for many. Friends, the election of a bishop is not about power, nor is it about influence, partisanship and doing the will of the group that nominated a particular candidate to be discerned as a bishop of God’s flock in this Diocese. In a world where the rights and privileges of the poor are trodden upon, the church deserves someone who will protect and advocate for the interests of the marginalised and oppressed in society. In a world where God’s creation is undermined and destroyed in serving the interests of multinational companies, God’s people need a leader who will stand up against such practices and speak prophetically into our economic system.

The church deserves a leader in times such as these who will stand up against the evil and tyranny that is prevalent in our society. We are looking for a servant leader who will – like Jesus and the prophets of old – be able to say: “Thus says the Lord!” In a world where the poor are misused to serve the interests of politicians and financially endowed members of society for their selfish interests, we need a leader who is going to be visible in the community and call the system to order. The prophetic voice of the church must continue to be heard in the corridors of power in our day. The marginalised groups in society, the women and children, deserve someone who will be their voice and face to represent their interests. And that voice and face, I dare say, will come in the person of the bishop the Elective Assembly will elect today. Jesus needs someone to spearhead the mission and ministry of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in the Diocese of Christ the King. Jesus needs a voice and hands to direct the interests of God’s Kingdom in this Diocese.

Dear friends, this Diocese deserves a bishop who is not going to be co-opted by powerful groups in society. The church needs someone who will be focused on fulfilling the will of the Lord of the Church, the church deserves someone who will like Jesus say that my kingdom is not of this world. At a time when there exists a thin line between what is morally right and morally reprehensible, the church deserves the kind of leader who will not hesitate to speak truth to power. It is at a time such as this — when due to economic challenges in society certain factions in the community would like to capture church leaders and use them for their questionable motifs – the leader after God’s heart must be able to resist such advances and be loyal and answerable only to the Good Shepherd.

Throughout the Good Shepherd discourse, Jesus reveals that he does for us three things. For us to be good sheep of the Good Shepherd, we need to allow him to shepherd us in these three ways.

First, Jesus the Good Shepherd feeds his flock. The church deserves a bishop who “prepares a table for the faithful,” as we pray in today’s Psalm. Jesus feeds us in every way. He feeds us materially each day as he “gives us today our daily bread” (Mt 6:11). He feeds our souls with his word, for “man does not live on bread alone but man lives on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). Jesus feeds us on his own body and blood in the Eucharist, the food of everlasting life. Good sheep are grateful for this three-fold nutrition and hunger for it!

Second, the Church deserves a leader who like Jesus the Good Shepherd will guide God’s flock. It should not be said of the faithful in the Diocese of Christ the King that they are like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus “leads us in right paths for [his] name’s sake.” He leads us “besides the refreshing waters” of baptism. He guides us toward the “green pastures” of heaven. He says his sheep hear his voice and can distinguish it from the voice of strangers. He tells us he “calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out. … He goes ahead of them, and they follow him.” Jesus takes each of us personally to himself, but then he leads us on a journey, a true adventure, so that he may give us eternal life. “I came so that they may have life and have it abundantly,” he tells us today. That pilgrimage is what life is about. He does not merely tell us about this life, he does not just indicate to us where we need to go, but he leads us by example. To be his disciple means to follow where he leads. St. Peter talks about this in the second reading: “Christ left you an example so that you should follow in his footsteps.” Our discipleship is following where he leads: to follow him to where he wishes to meet with us in prayer; to follow him as we seek to work with the virtues with which he worked in Nazareth; to follow him across the road as Good Samaritans; to follow him to the confessional where he forgives us; to follow him to the altar where he restores us. Good sheep try to follow wherever he leads.

Third, Jesus the Good Shepherd protects his flock. Jesus tells us very clearly that “thieves and marauders” are seeking to fleece, milk, kill, cook, and consume us. Against those who come “only to steal and kill and destroy,” Jesus sets himself as our protection, as the gate to the sheepfold so that, to get to us, they first need to go through Him. To protect us, not only was he willing to die for us, but did in fact die for us. “The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” he tells us later in his Good Shepherd Discourse. “No one takes my life from me. … I freely lay it down.” This is why we can act on his words, “Be not afraid!” because he himself will protect us from everything that can eternally harm us if we stay in his fold. Thus, we can say with trust and confidence, as we pray in today’s Psalm, “Even though I walk in the darkest valley, we have been in that dark valley! I fear no evil, for he is at my side, with his rod and his staff to comfort me.” Today, during the period of global economic uncertainty, we thank Jesus for that protection and renew that trust.

As Christians, however, it is not enough for us merely to be good sheep of the Good Shepherd. Jesus desires to change us through his care to the point that we may take on the role of good shepherds and assist him in providing for, directing, and guarding others. We see this transformation in the vocation of St. Peter. After the Resurrection, when Jesus appeared to the disciples on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus asked Peter three times: “Simon, Son of John, do you love me more than these?” Jesus was asking whether Peter loved him more than anything and everything else because the Lord wanted that love to be the distinctive mark of Peter’s life from that point forward. Three times Peter responded, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” After each response, Jesus gave him a commission, a task that would be the bedrock of all he would do in Jesus’ name. The first directive he received was to “Feed my lambs,” which instructed him to take care of Christ’s young people. The second command was “Tend my sheep,” which in Greek means, watch over and lead. Feed my sheep was the third of Jesus’s commands to Peter. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was entrusting Peter with the tender care and nourishing of his sheep, both young and elderly. The only thing Peter needed to do, according to Jesus, was to feed the lambs and care for the sheep since they would always be the sheep of Christ. This ministry, which Jesus gave to Peter, continues in our day. The church needs a bishop who like Jesus will watch over the flock and be its guide.

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

The Diocese of False Bay has announced the funeral service of the Revd Canon Prof. John Suggit, who died on Sunday July 30, aged 101.

“Canon Suggit will always be remembered for his contributions made to the life of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa and the wider Communion as a renowned theologian and humble priest,” the Diocese noted.

A Requiem Mass in Thanksgiving for Canon Suggit will take place on Friday, 4 August at the Parish Church of St Margaret of Antioch, Fish Hoek, beginning at 15h00. Bishop Margaret Vertue shall preside and Archbishop Thabo Makgoba will be the preacher at the service.

The service is scheduled to be livestreamed on the Facebook page of St Margaret’s Anglican Church:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064546485773

An indication of Canon Suggit’s influence and prodigious output is given in the list of his books, including those written in recent years, published by the ACSA Publishing Committee:

Video recordings of ACSA’s 2023 Lenten Bible studies, “The Bible and the Land Called Holy”, commissioned in response to a resolution from the 2022 meeting of the Provincial Standing Committee, are now online.

The Bible studies are available online here >>

View the videos here:
Week One: https://youtu.be/mZPiLmTTlRY
Week Two: https://youtu.be/cGrsSCCA0YQ
Week Three: https://youtu.be/ATk4OaAcj-w

For more background to this crisis, read the coverage on GroundUp >>

A news release from Lambeth Conference Communications in the Anglican Communion Office in London:

Phase 3 of the Lambeth Conference will launch in May 2023 and invite church communities to ‘Add Your Voice to the Call’

A new steering group appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury has announced that Phase 3 of the Lambeth Conference Journey will launch in late May 2023.

The aim of Phase 3 of the Lambeth Conference journey will be to take forwards the Lambeth Calls discussed in Canterbury in 2022 (and other initiatives from the conference), into the life of the Anglican Communion.

The Phase 3 journey will invite bishops and spouses that met at the conference, to explore the Lambeth Calls in their settings, and will also invite wider church communities to get involved.

The Phase 3 journey will feature seasonal webinars organised by the Lambeth Conference team, to look at each of the Lambeth Calls in turn. In-between, churches and communities will be encouraged to meet for their own group discussions, on each of the Lambeth Call themes.

Phase 3 webinars will feature contributions from special guests, including members of the Call drafting groups. Reflection and Bible Study materials will also be made available for groups to use in their settings.

There is no obligation for groups to discuss the Lambeth Calls in any order, but the Phase 3 journey is being offered as a way of supporting and resourcing churches if they opt to do so.

Following the webinars, the updated Lambeth Calls (which have incorporated feedback from the bishops during the Lambeth Conference) will be published in late May, as part of the Phase 3 launch.

The Lambeth Calls cover a range of important themes in church and world affairs including: Discipleship, The Environment and Sustainable Development, Anglican Identity, Safe Church, Science and Faith, Human Dignity, Christian Unity, Mission and Evangelism, Inter Faith and Reconciliation.

Archbishop Julio Murray, who is the Chair of the Steering Group has written to bishops and spouses that attended the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury, to invite their participation. He shares his support for Phase 3 and said:

“Friends, we have some important work to carry forwards into the life of the Anglican Communion. The Lambeth Calls address important matters in church and world affairs. The Lambeth Conference also discussed some important initiatives like the Communion Forest, the Anglican Communion Science Commission, and the work of the Safe Church Commission.

The Lambeth Calls are not intended as resolutions or ‘orders’ to be imposed. They are being offered as calls or invitations, that can be explored together, in a way that strengthens our life as an Anglican Communion. Our prayer for Phase 3 is that you will all ‘Add Your Voice to the Call’, involve your churches and share your stories, as we discern how God is calling us to walk, listen and witness together.”

Phase 3 launch webinars are being scheduled for May 24 and May 25. Those that attended the Lambeth Conference – and wider church audiences – are welcome to register.

Read more about Phase 3 here.

South Africa’s faith communities have been urged to join strategic alliances with other progressive formations to mobilise around five “areas of action” to prevent the country from going into a “death spiral”.

South Africa’s former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mcebisi Jonas – who famously turned down a R600-million bribe from the Gupta family – told the recent meeting of the Synod of Bishops that “we are at our lowest point in the democratic era and that the national psyche is severely impaired.”

The full text of his speech follows: