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• The Bishop writes ...
• The view from pulpit and pew
• Tag lines
• Addo invites you to join their big day
• Wells Estate update
• An apology
The Bishop writes ...
My dear People of God,
The mystery of the Risen Christ
Greetings in the name of the Risen Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Alleluia!
The
story of the Risen Christ begins afresh after his death. His Upper room
appearances in the aftermath of the gruesome agony of the cross and a
shameful death, draw his bewildered scattered disciples together. Thus
a community is started. Surely the promised Spirit of the risen Christ
brings a mighty revival and loosens their tongues to speak out in other
languages, "the wonderful works of God" (Acts 2:11). The story of the
beginnings of the community of the Church emerges. Mission and
Evangelism brings in a new spirituality of the presence of God in the
lives of those who believe and spare their love for him and one another.
Even
if the historical scholarship may see the event of Christ's
resurrection from the dead, his life and his eternal reign as things
removed from it, the historical fact of the Easter faith of the first
disciples remains available (cf Bornkamm, G : Jesus of Nazareth, p
180f). Early Christian witnesses and communities, wherever they were,
and however varied their message and theology were, the unity is in
believing and acknowledging the risen Lord. For them the fact is that
"Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who
have fallen asleep" (1 Cor 15:20).
Whether it is difficult to
the extent of impossibility to establish coherent historical facts for
theological scholarship in gaining a satisfactory idea of how Easter
events took place, it is a sure fact that without the message of the
resurrection of Christ, there can be no gospel, no faith, no Church, no
New Testament Epistle, no prayer in Christian life today.
Throughout
ages, Christianity has suffered set-backs by way of controversies, and
embarrassments and regrets in crusades and schisms; yet faith in the
risen Christ has been the cause for those who believe to accept one
another and stay together. Today there are still many more things that
bind us together at the feet of the risen Christ like the proclamation
of the gospel, ministry, Baptism and Eucharist etc. These should draw
us together amidst many challenges. The documentary claiming that the
crypt unearthed twenty seven years ago in Jerusalem holds the bones of
Jesus son of Joseph should not trouble your minds. In a democratic
world everyone is free to say what they think. This claim has been
criticised by New Testament scholars as theologically dangerous,
irresponsible, and historically inaccurate (Herald Wed Feb 28, 2007).
(Read also 2 Timothy 3:1 - 9).
Finally, the risen Christ
grants us power to be vibrant in mission, evangelism and spirituality.
There is always service to be rendered. The poor and the oppressed, the
widow and orphans will always be the responsibility of the church of
the risen Christ. Let us therefore continue to be also the voice of the
voiceless in our proclamation.
May the joy and blessings of the Risen Christ remain with you always!
Yours sincerely in the love of Christ,
Bishop Bethlehem Nopece
The view from pulpit and pew
- Some clergy moves are taking place at present – Mthetheleli Vena was
instituted as priest-in-charge of the St Matthias Mission District last
month. iindaba wishes Mthetheleli and Nomathemba a happy and fruitful
ministry there.
- Another institution is that of Michael Julius,
in the Parish of St Peter, Zwide. Michael is formerly from St Luke’s in
Palmridge – thus leaving another parish vacant. iindaba likewise wishes
Michael and Lorraine a fruitful ministry – all are eager to hear
Michael’s first sermon in isiXhosa!
- Zwelidumile Tom has been
appointed rector of the Sundays River Valley Parish. The timing of his
move has not yet been formalised. After Easter, the Valley will be
saying farewell to Rod and Peta-Ann Greville, who move to Rosettenville
in the Diocese of Christ the King, Gauteng.
- Congratulations to
Hester and Mario Hendricks on the birth of their second son, Nathan, a
brother for Mark John. Mario will be moving from the parish soon – more
news on this next month.
- Congratulations to Natalie Stear of
St Cuthbert’s, Westbourne Road, on the news that her son Rory has been
chosen as a Principle Voice of the American television station, CNN.
This is a prestigious award usually given to Nobel Prize recipients! He
will appear in TIME Magazine, as well as being interviewed on CNN.
Natalie is the much-loved retired headmistress of Riebeek College in
Uitenhage.
- David Kiviet has had a spell in hospital. At the
time of printing, he was still undergoing tests. iindaba wishes him
good health. David is the rector of St Andrew’s, KwaNobuhle.
- Also in hospital recently was David Gwilliam, a retired priest living
at Bushmans River Mouth. David had one of his kidneys removed. We pray
for his complete recovery.
- Nolan Damon, son of Elroy and Lyn
of St Francis Xavier, was re-admitted to hospital for further surgery
on his neck. Last year, Nolan was in a serious motor accident which
left him temporarily paralysed from a fractured neck. He was having
problems, but the most recent surgery seems to have been successful.
iindaba wishes Nolan a full recovery.
- Also recently in
hospital was Joy Lake, a Member of the Order of the Diocese, and of St
Peter’s Kinkelbos. She underwent a triple by-pass operation. Well into
her eighties, Joy sailed through the operation, and amazed her doctors
at her rapid recovery. iindaba wishes her every blessing as she regains
her strength.
- St Francis Xavier was packed last month for
the funeral of one of its most loved and caring members, Sheng Hoy
(Denzil) Why, who died suddenly after doing what he did so often –
taking members of the community to hospital, sorting out pensions, and
helping wherever needed. Our condolences to his wife Queenie and
family.
- All Saints’ in Kabega Park likewise was packed for
the funeral of Monty Bean – also a gentle and loving person. iindaba
extends condolences to Molly and her family.
- iindaba
welcomes into the diocesan family Robin Behrens, formerly the Methodist
minister in charge of Holy Trinity United in Thornhill and chaplain at
Woodridge. He is youth minister at St Nicholas, Charlo. We wish him a
fruitful ministry in the parish..
Tag lines
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of
comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge
and controversy.
Addo invites you to join their big day
The Chapelwardens and
congregation of St Barnabas, Addo (Nomathamsanqa) are hoping that
representatives from all congregations in the Diocese will turn out in
force to support them at their Patronal Festival and Fundraiser on
Sunday the 17 June.
The purpose of the fund-raiser is to enable the building of a new
church/community centre to go forward. At the moment, work has come to
a standstill due to a lack of funds. Some of the history and background
to this project is as follows.
Although the history of St Luke’s in Addo has been well
documented, (St Luke’s celebrated its centenary in 1995 and has
some historic graves on the church property), the history of St
Andrew’s/St Barnabas’ at Addo is not as well known. From
the 1930s Anglicans at Addo worshipped at St Andrew’s (a chapelry
of St Ann’s Uitenhage), situated in the “Old Village”
behind the Commando Kraal Hotel. One of the first catechists was the
late Enoch Mbande, who died in 1969. Alfred Frans, currently a member
of St Barnabas, was for a while chapelwarden.
In 1983 the “Old Village” was moved to Nomathamsanqa in
terms of the former Group Areas Act. St Barnabas at that stage was
already a chapelry in Nomathamsanqa, and the two congregations of St
Andrew’s and St Barnabas then merged to form the
“new” St Barnabas. Some years later it was discovered that
St Barnabas had been gathering for worship on a residential site, and
so in the mid-1990’s the congregation moved to its present site,
which is zoned for church purposes. It is here where they are currently
worshipping in a corrugated iron structure. Many in the diocese will
remember the late Wilson Mbande, who served as a lay minister at St
Barnabas from 1986. (Wilson’s aunt, Nellie Mbande, aged 97, is
still a member of the congregation).
The congregation has for a long time had the ambition to create a new
and more comfortable building for worship, and after much prayer and
planning, work finally began early in 2006. The initial steel work and
foundations were done by Percy Kriedemann of St Michael’s,
Summerville (the “mother church” in the parish).
The people of God at St Barnabas are now hoping that the project can be completed in the next 12 months.
Pic: Going up - The new steel structure, with the existing corrugated iron building in the background.
Wells Estate update
This mission area is still going well according to the rector of St Timothy’s in Motherwell, Elliott Banzana.
Elliott told iindaba that he had unofficial oversight of the
area. He said there are 45 members of the group who worship at St
Timothy’s on the first Sunday of every month and that he takes a
service at Wells Estate on the other Sundays. They had a wonderful
combined Ash Wednesday service together.
An Apology
In the March iindaba, mention was made of the death of Bishop George
Swartz, and condolences were passed on to his widow, Charlotte. iindaba
has been informed that the Bishop’s wife's name was actually
Sylvia and that she predeceased him by eighteen months. iindaba regrets
the error and any hurt caused to the family.
The information was taken from the Provincial Directory, which is horribly out of date!
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