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Pastoral Statement by the Bishops of the Province of Central Africa

Posted Friday 27^th April 2007

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION reports that the Bishops of the Central African Anglican Province following their recent meeting in Harare, Zimbabwe have released the following Pastoral Message. It is reproduced below with comments from Trevor Grundy and Bishop Trevor Mwamba

Pastoral Message issued by the Bishops of the Church of the Province of Central Africa

Thursday 19 April 2007

Introduction

We the Bishops of the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa, comprising Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are called to share in Jesus work of sanctifying and shepherding his people and of speaking in Gods name [1] As shepherds of our people and out of compassion, feel the need to offer support to our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe going through unprecedented levels of suffering.

[1] An Anglican Prayer Book, London: Collins Publishers, 1989, p597

Issues and Concerns

We the Bishops are concerned and pained at the distressing occurrences that have been taking place in Zimbabwe. The deteriorating economy has rendered the ordinary Zimbabwean unable to make ends meet. This we note has been exacerbated by the economic sanctions imposed by the Western countries. These so called targeted sanctions aimed at the leadership of the country of Zimbabwe in reality have affected the poor Zimbabweans who have born the brunt of the sanctions. The result of which has been the displacement of thousands of Zimbabweans roaming the cities and rural areas of our region making it imperative that the Zimbabwean crisis be looked at as a regional crisis. As a church, the degrading environs that the Zimbabweans find themselves in as they seek survival both in Zimbabwe and the region, pose serious pastoral challenges to us as a church.

We therefore call upon the Western countries to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe. We further call upon the British and American governments to honour their obligation of paying compensation to the white farmers.

We call upon the government of Zimbabwe to provide a framework for peace by creating a conducive environment for dialogue and tolerance.

As Bishops we denounce all forms of violence perpetrated by whatever source as a means of resolving conflict. As this is a degradation of those created in the image of God. We want to make it unequivocally clear to all of our people, that we do not condone what is happening in Zimbabwe.

We call upon the civil society in Zimbabwe to articulate and promote the practice and respect of human dignity by all social and political ways in the building of a culture of governance that respects the sanctity of life. So called targeted sanctions aimed at the leadership of the country of Zimbabwe in reality have affected the poor Zimbabweans who have born the brunt of the sanctions. Furthermore, we urge the church in Zimbabwe to offer an effective pastoral ministry to the downtrodden, to rebuke and warn the nation especially those in positions of authority through a prophetic ministry by calling upon the nation to repentance and renewed relationship with God and our neighbours. Finally, in the wake of our Easter celebrations of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ we pray that the spirit of the Resurrection be shed in the hearts Zimbabweans to bring hope and renewed faith for a peaceful, just and prosperous Zimbabwe.

Issued by the Bishops of the Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa

1.The Most Rev. Bernard Amos Malango Archbishop of Central Africa and Bishop of Upper Shire

2.The Right Rev. Christopher J Boyle - Bishop of Northern Malawi

3.The Right Rev. Albert Chama - Bishop of Northern Zambia

4.The Right Rev. Elson Jakazi Bishop of Manicaland

5.The Right Rev. Derek Kamukwamba- Bishop of Central Zambia

6.The Right Rev. Nolbert Kunonga - Bishop of Harare

7. The Right Rev. William Muchombo- Bishop of Eastern Zambia

8.The Right Rev. Ishmael Mukuwanda- Bishop of Central Zimbabwe

9.The Right Rev. Robert Mumbi Bishop of Luapula

10.The Right Rev. Trevor Mwamba Bishop of Botswana

11.The Right Rev.Â David Njovu- Bishop of Lusaka

12. The Right Rev. Wilson Sitshebo - Bishop Matabeleland

13. The Right Rev. Godfrey Tawonezvi - Bishop of Masvingo

14. The Right Rev. James Tengatenga - Bishop of Southern Malawi

15. The Rev. Canon Michael Mkoko - Vicar General of the Diocese of Lake Malawi

This item can be found at Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition: A time to act: http://www.crisiszimbabwe.org/comment.php?comment.news.97 ) and has been covered in the Church Times, U.K. http://www.churchtimes.co.uk

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The Pastoral Statement has in turn received a stinging riposte from amongst others, Trevor Grundy writing

in The Zimbabwean online 27th April, 2007 http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/viewinfo.cfm?id=4164

‘British Anglicans are almost as stunned as their counterparts in Zimbabwe that the Archbishop of Canterbury's attempts to knock sense into their heads of church leaders in Harare's much-troubled province have come to naught.

Following a meeting of the Central African Episcopal Synod during the week of 'celebrations' marking Zimbabwe's 27th anniversary of Independence, 14 Anglican bishops issued a message that was broadly supportive of the Mugabe government, sharply contrasting with an earlier call by Roman Catholic leaders for the disgraced 83- year old head of state to step down.

Prominent among the signatories was the Bishop of Harare, the Rt Revd Nolbert Kunonga who is praised by ZANU (PF) as a "model Christian" and a man who puts nation before domination by clerics from the Western world.

Last month, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, met Bishop Kunonga along with the Archbishop of Central Africa, the Most Revd Bernard Malango who is a friend of President Mugabe. No details of the meeting emerged.

President Mugabe is most anxious to neutralize the Christian church and give the world the impression it sides with him against his critics.

On March 11 police crushed a prayer meeting that led to world press publicity against the entrenched Mugabe regime. Later Catholics issued a pastoral statement that infuriated Mugabe. Zanu (PF) 'spin doctors' assert that "rebel" Catholics are led by the Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube who (they claim) is in the pay of Prime Minister Tony Blair and the British Government.

Reacting to the Anglican message, Eddie Cross of the MDC said that Zimbabwean Anglicans are in a difficult position. "Perhaps they should withdraw from all congregations that are led by Bishop Nolbert," he suggested. "Or join a church that is not so myopic in its views."

Meantime, Anglicans in the UK are waiting to hear from the Bishop of Croydon, the Rt Revd Nicholas Baines. He flew to Harare on Easter Tuesday and is expected to inform Lambeth Palace about the situation in Zimbabwe.

Sources told The Zimbabwean that Bishop Nick was anxious not to meet Bishop Nolbert who most Anglicans say has disgraced the 75 million strong worldwide community. "The Zimbabweans have been very clear that we should visit them at their points of weakness and not just wait until everything is OK," he said before his departure.’

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The new Dean of the Province of Central Africa and Bishop of Botswana, The Rt Revd Trevor Mwamba has also spoken on the report and is quoted in the U.K. Church Times today 27th April 2007 in a long article on the Pastoral Statement by senior foreign affairs reporter Pat Ashworth

Bishop Trevor is quoted as saying on Tuesday 24th April -

“The letter has to be seen in the context of the Anglican situation in Zimbabwe. The spirit in which it had been sent was to support the progressive forces and the need for change, and was not in any way meant to be pro-Mugabe.”

‘Choosing his words carefully, the Bishop commented:’ “As you can imagine in Zimbabwe there are divisions within the Church itself, and so there was a need to waen certain hearts and minds to be able to put forward a statement all the Bishops could subscribe to.”

“In that sense, yes, it does not appear as sharp as the pastoral letter from the Catholic Bishops. It took a middle-of-the-road pastoral approach. Nevertheless the sting is there in calling for drastic change, for the government to be called upon to create a conducive environment for that, and for the Church to stand forward and speak sharply in the context of its calling and prophetic ministry.”

‘The Bishop described it as “the beginning of a long journey of Bishops moving together – very gently, for need of carrying certain of our friends along.’

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION observes that this is a masterly presentation of the deep divisions within the House of Bishops in the Province of Central Africa as a unity in purpose and direction. In fact it must have been a very uncomfortable Provincial meeting held in a Zimbabawe celebrating its 27th anniversary of independence under a cloud of political tension.

If Bishop Trevor Mwamba can continue to draw the Bishops together in the same way for a renewed vision for the Gospel in the four countries of the Central African Province then the future looks brighter. He does, however, have an enormous task on his hands.