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MANNA CENTENARY
- SEPTEMBER 16th 2006
Presentation by Bishop Dinis Sengulane of Lebombo
"PRAY FOR THE DIOCESE
LEARN ABOUT THE DIOCESE
DO SOMETHING FOR THE DIOCESE"
Report by Bishop John Latimer
Fuller in 1913
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Bishop Fuller's guidelines for an enlightened
involvement of committed people like us here are as helpful today,
as 93 years ago. They are so relevant for what I have in mind to share
with you today.
PRAY FOR THE DIOCESE
Each one of you can pray regularly for the ministry, which is being
undertaken by the Diocese.
Thank you very much for your prayerful support. For some of you
this has meant mentioning our work daily; for others, weekly. Please keep
up some regularity in your prayer for us. We feel the impact of your prayers.
Your prayer could simply be as follows:
Bless Lebombo, Lord we pray, Build up, exhort and comfort its
lay people, Clergy and Bishop and through them shine eternally to the glory
of Jesus. Amen
LEARN ABOUT THE DIOCESE
More than 300 Congregations scattered in 6 Provinces and the city
of Maputo, most of them with Catechists working voluntarily, and 42 Clergy
as their main leaders distributed in about 45 parishes and pastoral charges
in 6 Archdeaconries (headed by six Episcopal Delegates), these constitutes
the structures through which God calls us to minister to his people in Lebombo.
The number of Congregations has continued to grow and we are glad to say
that we know that before the end of the year we are being called to witness
the birth of some 6 new congregations in different parts of the Diocese.
So far, this year we have seen the birth of 4 new ones.
In addition to the traditional Church groups like the Mother's
Union, St. Bernard Mizeki Guild, Anglican Youth and Anglican Students Federation,
a number of other informal groupings are providing space for Church members
to feel incorporated and participating actively in Christian living. The
majority of them are brought together through music, Bible Study and prayers
and meet regularly for mutual support in different parishes. Little children,
aged 4 to 8 continue to be an amazing instrument of outreach including to
their own families.
Congregations, catechists, sisters of St. Paul group leaders and
informal groups are the visible symbols of the spiritual dimensions that
need right now to be strengthened, supported uncompromisingly even when
it sounds unpopular for some groups to support distinctly evangelistic spiritual
concerns.
Our multifaceted partnership with the Diocese of Vasteras in particular
and with the Church of Sweden in general, touching areas such as mutual
visits by various groups from the Bishops upwards, theological formation
in both Mozambique and Sweden, infrastructures, financial support, forestry
projects providing employment for more than 100 people and also opportunity
for evangelism and Bible study with Brazilians, is just one example of recent
exciting and promising initiatives for which we thank God.
The Diocese of Connecticut in the USA, Hope Africa in Cape town
and Episcopal Relief and development and the Center for Global peace and
reconciliation of Washington National Cathedral are new partners brought
to a new awareness of the diocesan wider life but starting with our involvement
in the fight against malaria.
To face the pandemic of HIV-AIDS, the Diocese has been blessed
with the response given locally by the national commission against AIDS,
by 2 provincial initiatives and a few others both Diocesan and more local.
While Today by day the Lord added the number of those who were being saved
Acts.2.47, we are shaken and shocked to know that in Mozambique day by day,
the number of those being infected by the HIV-AIDS virus is 500, to say
nothing about more than 100 deaths caused by malaria daily.
St. Christopher's Anglican seminary serving the 3 Dioceses, with its 20
students, some in Maputo and others working in the Dioceses as part of their
training, is struggling to survive. Books, health care, food and transport
are the major financial challenges for all of us. The 7 volunteer teachers
are doing their best to provide the best they can, even without books.
What pains the heart of God?
Poverty, rampant poverty affects the majority of us. However repetitive
that it may sound, I need to share with you that some of us, to ensure we
that have our meals is a real struggle and uncertainty. The main reason
for our vulnerability in our finances as a Diocese is the acute poverty
under which many families live.
Crime practised by dishonest adults who recruit young people to implement
their malicious intentions, has been a serious problem in some urban areas,
leading people"to take the law into their own hands". The consequence
of crime is increased poverty and fear.
Health matters, especially HIV/AIDS and malaria have occupied so
much of our energies and time and rightly so as malaria is the major killer
in the country and AIDS is a world disaster. The Anglican Church is seen
as an important player in malaria which, as it is well known, is a disease
of the poor, both inside but also outside the country. I need to emphasize
that we share about these diseases not in order to ask for financial assistance
from MANNA but advice and prayer. We feel that MANNA supporters should continue
to provide finances, which enable us to play our evangelistic role and leave
other to sponsor health matters.
In the area of education, we engaged ourselves in providing space
for education in those areas where the Government was not able to provide.
We built/founded some schools in rural areas, supported by St. Cyprian's
School in Chamanculo, which added to what parents were paying as fees and
that would pay the teachers and administrative costs. The irony before us
now is that while hundreds of thousands of children cannot be enrolled in
schools, at the same time those who can be included in our schools are not
able to afford reasonable fees to pay the teachers. The way forward is to
close rural schools because the Diocese has no funds for education. This
could be the reality in 2007 unless a miracle happens.
SOME CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Young and searching is one of the characteristics of the majority
of the population not only of Lebombo but of Mozambique as a whole. We have
a young population and the majority of them are searching for ways of having
fullness or fulfilment in life.
Opportunities for education at all levels are fewer than the applicants
and once you are looking for a job the young people don't seem to be given
priority and if it comes to housing it becomes a real distress. The young
people are searching for meaning in life and Christ is without doubt the
answer. The Church has to address properly the young people. At the Cathedral
I blessed at least 400 children bellow the age of 10 last Sunday in August.
At Buquene I blessed a similar number the first Sunday of September, next
Sunday God willing a higher number will be blessed at Mahotas - St Barnabas.
These children are in Church and are the Church of today and tomorrow.
What a tremendous opportunity to;
* have a generation without AIDS,
* have no malaria in our community
* young people impenetrable for crime
* people equipped for eternity
Evangelism, which is relevant today. People are receptive to the
Gospel but we need to deliver consistently a message which makes a reasonable
use of the opportunities provided by the big concentrations, media and educational
environment which reach many people and yet make the individual important.
A plan of evangelism which recognizes the existence of other spiritual forces
is a must in today's Mozambique, thus calling for the evangelists equipping
themselves with the spiritual armour of Christ.
IN CONCLUSION
Now that you have been praying or you will start praying for Lebombo,
now that you have learned something about the Diocese or you have been up-dated
as far as information about the Diocese is concerned, please do something
for the Diocese. Select from where God has blessed you and share such blessing
with the Diocese.
Add some more effort to help to do more for the Diocese.
Thank you very much for the enormous effort undertaken by the supporters
of MANNA to make our Diocese such visible and audible channel' of God's
grace to so many. Thank you for a wonderful witness of 100 years and ma
God continue to use you not only for the next 100 but for all eternity.
Keep praying, we will keep informing and we all will keep doing
something for Lebombo.
THREE MAJOR COMMON TASKS FOR ALL DIOCESES
1 - THE ANGLICAN PRAYER BOOK
The completion of the translation of the prayer book into Portuguese,
its printing and distribution and subsequent translation into local languages
is a very urgent need for our mission and Ministry in our Dioceses.
We ask that this be a especial birthday present from MANNA or other partners
in the spirit of the centenary celebrations.
2 - THE CREATION OF MORE DIOCESES IN MOZAMBIQUE
In order to exercise an effective Episcopal ministry, Mozambique
needs a minimum of another 3 Dioceses and preferably 4 I more Dioceses.
Both the existing number of Anglicans and the potential members
to be converted justify such a move. Finances are the major concern and
undertaking. If there is commitment we can work out a plan.
3 - MORE GENEROUS SUPPORT TO THE SEMINARY
Direct contribution to theological training does not cover even
50% of our budget for the Seminary. It is both a miracle and also
a sacrifice and risk by some that we keep St. Christopher's Anglican
Seminary running. Sleepless nights are caused by this item in addition
to the spiritual dimension of our ministry in Mozambique
