From February 24 to 27 2011, nineteen bishops of the Anglican Communion met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The Provinces represented were: Botswana, Burundi, Canada, England, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Southern Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and the United States. This meeting had its origins in the Lambeth Conference of 2008, at which some significant partnership relationships and commitment to further dialogue had been made.
In a context undergirded by worship, bishops shared testimonies from their partnership mission and dialogue work, and together visited local projects in education and community service. The group is grateful to the Primate of Tanzania, Archbishop Valentino Mokiwa, the MEA Foundation and St. Augustine’s Primary School for their warm welcome.
These bishops have been engaged in a process of patient and holy listening. Some diocesan partnerships have been involved in dialogue about human sexuality prior to the meeting and these continue. The present context of conflict in the wider Anglican Communion around issues of human sexuality has presented the opportunity to renew commitments to each other: these Church leaders have chosen to turn to one another within the Body of Christ. The know one another to be and trust each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
The bishops reflected on the legacies of collusion in the slave trade, and encouraged the Communion to work on dialogue and reconciliation in relation to slavery. They also witnessed the positive impact of global Anglican partnership in visits with the MEA Foundation and St. Augustine’s diocesan primary school, meeting students, orphans, those in need of health care and those dying of AIDS. They mourn the impact of the economic crisis on these ministries, some of which will no longer exist after this year.
Commending the experience of such dialogue-in-partnership and encouraging other bishops to take on such initiatives, the bishops at Dar es Salaam offer a “Testimony of Grace” to the wider Church.
For further information, contact the bishops noted below, or Canon Isaac Kawuki Mukasa or the Rev’d Eileen Scullyfor further information.
Bishops:
The Rt. Rev’d Michael Bird, Niagara
The Rt. Rev’d George Bruce, Ontario
The Rt. Rev’d John Chapman, Ottawa
The Rt. Rev’d Garth Counsell, Cape Town
The Rt. Rev’d Terry Dance, Huron
The Rt. Rev’d Mary Gray-Reeves, El Camino Real
The Rt. Rev’d Michael Ingham, New Westminster
The Most Rev’d Colin Johnson, Toronto
The Rt. Rev’d Shannon Johnston, Virginia
The Rt. Rev’d Julius Kalu, Mombasa
The Rt. Rev’d Sixbert Macumi, Buye
The Rt. Rev’d Sadock Makaya, Western Tanganyika
The Rt. Rev’d Mdimi Mhogolo, Central Tanganyika
The Rt. Rev’d Gerard Mpango, Western Tanganyika
The Rt. Rev’d Musonda Mwamba, Botswana
The Rt. Rev’d Michael Perham, Gloucester
The Rt. Rev’d Anthony Poggo, Kajo Keji
The Rt. Rev’d Daniel Sarfo, Kumasi
The Rt. Rev’d James Tengatenga, Southern Malawi
Staff:
The Rev’d Canon Dr. Isaac Kawuki Mukasa, Coordinator for Dialogue, Anglican Church of Canada
The Rev’d Dr. Eileen Scully, Interim Director of Faith, Worship and Ministry, Anglican Church of Canada