IINDABA September 2001  The official gazette of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth  - Church of the Province of Southern Africa
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Previous issues Other Christian News More info about the C.P.S.A. Diocese of Port Elizabeth website	Source: Frankie Simpson (Mrs) Editor "Iindaba", Diocese of Port Elizabeth, P O Box 34992 Newton Park, 6055, South Africa Tel/fax: +27 41 360-6808 (home/office)

Page 1 Our Bishop Instituted At a wonderfully colourful ceremony at the Collegiate Church of St Mary the Virgin, on 28 July 2001 Bishop Neceba Bethlehem Nopece was Instituted as the fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth. He was enthusiasically welcomed by the people of this diocese in true African fashion - with loud clapping and shouts of joy. A few highlights from the Bishop’s Charge to the people of the Diocese. The full text is available from the Bishop’s secretary. The Bishop thanked God for the work of the USPG, CMS and other missionary organisations who sponsored the work of proclaiming “the Good News” and bringing the Gospel to this land. He also paid tribute to the bishops and priests who played a great role in his spiritual and priestly formation. Having paid tribute to the prophetic voice of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Leah “for a job well done for the Master” and to tata Nelson Mandela, the Bishop said, “We appreciate all that our Government has done thus far. It’s quite an effort! However, the task is still enormous. A lot still has to be done to aggressively address land issues, HIV/AIDS, poverty, unemployment, violence, especially on farms and in townships, fraud, dishonesty, laxity and irresponsibility. For these and many more, our co-operation will be given, and our prophetic voice will continue to be heard. The church will get more involved, but on our Master's terms and not on the Government's.” When speaking on mission and evangelism, Bishop Bethlehem said, “Two things I take seriously as tools for mission and evangelism - the Bible or Scripture as the written word of God, together with the sacraments.” Speaking on the “Great Commission” he said that one cannot obey the command “to go” if one has not met and seen the risen Lord and invited Him into one’s own life.He went on to speak about leadership, closing by saying, “In our leadership, we aim for maximum, balanced participation across the board. We seek to affirm the ministry of all, especially of women, and creating space for more responsibility. We shall take into account experience, integrity, commitment, service and hard work. Lay leadership should also be developed to the top level of our structures.” Bishop Bethlehem then spoke on ministry. He said, “The bishop as a successor of apostles is not just a symbol of leadership in his diocese, but also a pastor and teacher or guide. Two things God has combined in me: I am both a pastor and teacher. I uphold the teachings of the Anglican tradition. To belong to this Christian tradition is a joy, though sometimes coupled with disappointments and setbacks. We shall continue to affirm the ministry of bishops, priests and deacons. We shall encourage a shared ministry between clergy and laity in order to affirm and empower the latter." He also spoke enthusiastically about youth ministry and his vision for the youth of the diocese. He concluded his charge by saying, ”The church is the hope of the nation. The ANC Government knows that. Let us then seek to co-operate with the status quo on all that builds and is for the welfare of the people. Woe unto us if we are detracted by the chances of jumping onto 'the gravy train' and forget to prophesy. The prophecy of the church must be heard clearly without compromise. Greed, corruption, unfaithfulness must be shunned. Integrity, honesty, loyalty, stability, ubuntu (which is basically interest to others), motivation and tact must be promoted in leadership circles at all costs.“The hope which remains is better life for all, which is God’s will for humanity. May God Almighty grant us the power, wisdom and strength of the Holy Spirit, to do all these things.”   St Mary's was filled to capacity with clergy and their spouses, visiting priests and special guests as well as many visiting dignitaries. Among those present were Glen Craig Moderator of the Presbyterian Church and Fr Brendan Deenihan of the Roman Catholic Church, both of whom brought greetings. back to top

Page 2 Old friends re-united The Institution of Bishop Bethlehem brought together three clergy who had ministered together many years ago. They are seen with their wives as they shared a hilarious story from the past - Mary and Philip Jourdan, Jesse and Janet Sage and Rosalie and Theo Thomas. Philip was the second Rector of Christ the King in Gelvandale and was followed by Jesse with Theo being their Sub Deacon (as Lay Ministers were called). Jesse is now based in East London.   Outreach enjoyed Andrew Renard reports that members from All Saints’, Kabega Park, visited Middelburg to hand over clothing and a donation to the community of Midros. The donation of R6 000 was mainly the proceeds from the open golf tournament organised by the 'Carmel' house group. They felt it would be good to meet the people of St Thomas’ so that they would know whom to pray for and how to pray into their situation there, so the house group travelled up on the weekend 14 July. Members from the 'Dumisane' house group, who had collected clothing for the outreach, joined them. On arrival the group were met by Rory Middlecote, the Rector of the Parish of the Karoo. After a quick tour of the historic St Barnabas Church they were whisked away to a farm “just outside” Middelburg to experience some wonderful Karroo hospitality. Members of the local congregation joined in a wonderful evening of fellowship, and six lucky All Saints’ members had the privilege of staying the night in the beautiful guest cottage on the Southey’s farm. Rory had arranged a combined service for the congregations of St Barnabas and St Thomas, the millennium church, in Midros. The praise and worship was most inspiring. Members of the All Saints’ group were able to participate actively in the worship, with Alison and Sally Dawson ministering in dance and a lay minister delivering the sermon (in Afrikaans, nogal!). One of the group said, “The manner in which the people of Midros welcomed us into their midst was truly a blessing. After an inspiring trip we left in the firm belief that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Special thanks must go to the farming community of Middelburg for their unmatched hospitality.” Please keep the people of Midros in your prayers, as well as those who minister to them.   Bible skills answers Firstly an apology - Iindaba received copy with the first sentence incorrect and that had the first book name in it which is “Amos”. The sentence should have read, “This is a most remarkable puzzle.” The 25 books, in order of thier appearence are: Amos; Mark; Luke; John; Joel; Judges; Job; Hebrews; Esther; Acts; James; Ruth; Romans; Titus; Matthew; Genesis; Hosea; Lamentations; Revelation; Timothy; Samuel; Numbers; Malachi; Peter and Kings.   Cecil bid farewell Barnabas, Middelburg, parishioners met over a Bring 'n Share Lunch at the farm Dwarsvlei to say goodbye to their Assistant Priest Cecil Pettit, reports Elizabeth van Lingen. It was a sad day because Cecil has been so much part of the parish for such a long time that it is hard to imagine how we will get along without him. For many years Cecil has assisted the Rector in charge of the Parish and lightened his load in ways most of us don’t even know about, both in Middelburg and in the surrounding chapelries. He has also ministered to the needs of many parishioners quietly and faithfully both for their spiritual well-being visiting and taking commun-ion to the sick and homebound and for their practical needs - taking them shopping and helping with money matters, and so much more, that he is going to be sorely missed and his place will be hard to fill. On top of his pastoral work, for a long time, Cecil has supervised all the building and maintenance work of the church. We thank you, Cecil, for your faithful service to God in our Parish of the Karoo, and we wish you happiness, contentment and God’s richest blessing in your new home in George.   Your letters Doubt about Coega With the recent Special Assignment programme on SABC 3 on the proposed Coega development, I was again left in great doubt as to the feasibility of this project. Not only are there concerns over severe environ-mental impact, but jobs in existing industries can be lost as a result. Coega’s link with the multi-billion Rand arms deal, is also of great concern. Has the Diocese of Port Elizabeth or the CPSA issued a statement on the Coega project yet? I am sure that a doubtful large scale project, built largely with taxpayers’ money is highly undesirable to us all. Regards - Adlai Davids University of Port Elizabeth   About a pencil Patty Matthews reports on a Parish Breakfast where the speaker chose "Pencils in a pencil box" as his theme. What a joy it was to have Eddie, Nicky and Joshua Daniels share our Parish Family Breakfast at St Katharine's on Saturday 4 August. There was a great sense of fellowship, plenty of chatting and laughs. About 80 parishioners and friends braved the cold rainy weather, but warmed up after singing a couple of choruses before tucking in to a delicious hot meal served by Maria, Bertie and Shaun Slack, our "In-house caterers".After the meal Eddie spoke on "Pencils in a pencil box" saying they are different lengths, colours types, some old and some new, but all having a purpose and having a job to do, just as with people. All of us are different with different ways of doing things and doing different things. Whatever the outside looks like, without the lead the pencil is worthless, as with people, no matter how grand and fancy they appear on the outside, its what is inside them that counts and what we do with it. Everyone enjoyed the morning and look forward to another visit from Eddie.   Murder shocks parish Patty Matthews reports on the shock felt by St Katharine's at the murder of one of its oldest parishioners. Having enjoyed a wonderful Parish Family Breakfast on 4 August, the parishioners were shocked when later in the day they learned that neighbours had found one of their oldest members murdered. Bevil Wigg (88), was a regular 07:30 worshipper. As part of the 'breakfast team', he would be fetched at 06:30. His part was to put out the cups for coffee, and after the early service to enjoy toast and coffee with those present. His presence will be missed by those who had come to know him during breakfast and those who fetched him and those who took him home.   Books Moments of Gratitude Published by St Francis Hospice R20 - available from the Diocesan Office “Gratitude is the most transformative force in the cosmos. When we offer thanks to God or to another human being, gratitude gifts us with renewal, reflection and reconnection.” The opportunity to make these words of Sarah Bam Breathnach more of a reality in our lives is provided in the Gratitude Journal “Moments of Gratitude" published by St Francis Hospice. The introduction contains clear suggestions on how to use the journal; examples of extracts from the journals of friends and sufficient attractive pages for three months of journalising. This little book is guaranteed to be a fast seller; both as the ideal Christmas present, and a helpful and scriptural way to express our gratitude ‘in all things’ and develop grace. back to top

Page 3 The Bishop writes ... My dear People of God, Greetings to you all, in the Name of Christ, our Lord and Saviour! Installation It was the happiest moment of my life. The feeling was great, overwhelming and challenging. Much appreciation and many thanks go to those who made every effort to make it such an inspiring and uplifting service. I am glad people came from various parts of our diocese, and province too. I am sorry for people who came from afar off, and were turned away at the door. Perhaps, for such an occasion we could have found a venue to seat thousands of people. One never realises how much God has increased ones area of influence and friendship in this ministry, until one marvels at it.The Charge I will not unpack much for now from the charge until we meet at Chapter and Diocesan Council. However, let it suffice to say that the bishop’s team, ie Chapter, needs to be looked into for both the requirements of Canons and Acts, as well as reorganisation. It is my intention to bring in female leadership as well. I would also like to have a cathedral church in order to be able to reach out to the community in my ministry. We shall be looking at a church which is easily accessible and friendly to all sectors of the community; and is capable of accommodating a variety of styles of worship - i.e. a free-spirit, flexible, uplifting worship, even if with Anglo-Catholic traits. It will be through the cathedral that the seven portfolios of ministry will be exercised in terms of prayers - for the community national disasters, plagues and diseases, national days or any other services that will be deemed fit to call the community to prayer. Racism Some of the attacks caused by racism are shocking, both in this land and abroad. What happened to Mrs Wanda Stofberg, the owner of a butchery in George, left me shivering. Apartheid indeed did a thorough job to make us less human. What a great pity! I wonder how many such occurrences are left unreported or not picked up by the media, especially in our townships. The sad thing is that most of the perpetrators of such nasty attitudes and attacks are the baptised. But we are “prisoners of hope” (Michael Cassidy). As members of Christ’s church we can still make a difference in our land. Jesus came to change attitudes. Unless we have an attitude of love to all, we cannot dream to effect change for a good life. I wish to ask all sectors of our diocese and community to start obeying the law of Christ - “love one another, as I have loved you” ( John 13:34-35). We can have conferences, seminars or talks about racism. That is good, but, unless we undergo a change of heart, a transformation of attitude as individuals, we shall never completely realise the ideal community even to an approximation. Thought Dear Lord Jesus, you transformed women and men for your kingdom of priests, transform me and save me from racism, prejudice and hypocrisy. Amen. Memory verses: Rom. 12:1-3 May God bless, strengthen and protect you always. Bishop Bethlehem Nopece   Tag lines Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.   Impressed by UK training for ministries Canon Robert Penrith has just returned from a wonderful trip to the UK and, as the Dean of Studies of the Diocese and chairman of Training for Ministries, reports on some aspects of training and preparation that the ordinands are taken through in the UK. I was so impressed by the depth of training and preparation that the ordinands are taken through in the UK. David Holgate, whom many of you will remember from St Hugh’s, is the Dean of Studies for the whole of the South Eastern section of England and heads up a process of training known as STET. I found the experience and exposure to resources and new ideas incredibly valuable and only wish that I was able to immerse myself even more in their system in order to bring back new ideas and vision for training within our own Diocese.They have the privilege, of course, of having Centres for Training and the full time staff to manage the training process. Until we are able to match that kind of commitment I am afraid that our clergy will always be impoverished in terms of their training and ultimately the whole church has to suffer through lack of resources and vision. Sadly, in this country we have the vision but the finances are just not able to cope with that vision. Pray to the Lord of the harvest for faithful givers to enable us to adequately equip our ministers, lay and ordained. Ordination I managed to get in a fantastic holiday and also see many of our parishioners-at-large in the UK and Holland. During the visit to the UK I was privileged to attend the ordination to the diaconate of my cousin, Ann Sadler, who grew up in my home village of Swartkops. She was a member of the St Agnes Sunday School and served at the altar in the church at one stage. She is now living with her family in Lenham where she will serve as an assistant to a team rector. The Ordination service took place at Canterbury Cathedral with the Archbishop of Canterbury acting as the Master of Ceremonies. He ordained the deacons and the Bishop of Maidstone ordained the priests. The president of the Eucharist was Bishop Graham Cray, who visited this Diocese a couple of years ago. The preacher was Dr N White, the Canon Theologiae of Westminster Abbey and the retreat conductor. There must have been about 2000 people at the ceremony and I was privileged to be part of the procession of about 80 priests. The 75 strong choir was magnificent. I was so delighted to discover that even at this level of Anglicanism there was a large degree of simplicity and yet reverence. The service was held around the Eucharist but was not a high mass. The Archbishop administered the chalice rather than the ciborium and was clearly seen as the servant of the people in his mannerisms and the way in which he led the service. Ann assisted the next day in her local parish church and is very excited to begin ministry at this level. Thank you to Father Solomon and the people of Swartkops who sent special greetings to her!   Sunday evening meditation Iindaba visited St Cuthbert's one Sunday evening and came away relaxed and ready for the busy week ahead. Billed as "A non-liturgical service of quiet songs and prayerful reflection" the Sunday evening service at St Cuthbert's is gaining favour among Anglicans from many parishes. Those looking for a time to be quiet with the Lord at the beginning of a hectic 'commercial' week are finding this in the service.The candlelit church, the quiet worship and the short meditative address and time of reflection help ease any tension and enable one to face the week ahead with renewed strength. Clergy to NZ This month Iindaba records the fourth of our young clergy couples who are moving to New Zealand. Iindaba asked Chris and Gill Bell about their move together with that of Richard and Cathy MacGregor, who follow soon afterwards. Chris told Iindaba, "We are going to the Parish of Waikanae in the Diocese of Wellington. Waikanae is a holiday/retirement/commuter town 45 minutes up the west coast from Wellington and is apparently sort-of a cross between J-bay and Kenton in size and feel. National Geographic rates it as one of the ten most beautiful places in NZ, and Reader’s Digest as one of the top ten places in the world to retire. The climate is very mild as it is washed by the warm Tasman current that comes down the east coast of Oz from Melanesia and it is protected from the Pacific weather by the Tararua mountain range which is in the back garden. "The parish is a growing charismatic evangelical church and presently has about 500 at worship every Sunday. There are three churches in the parish: St Andrew’s - a little chapelry up in the hills, St Luke’s - the ‘mother church’ in the town, and St Michael’s - a three-year old ‘plant’ down at the beach. The staff complement is eight, five of whom are clergy. Richard is going to be the new assistant priest (the previous one has moved on to his first rectorship elsewhere) and I am going to be the new youth pastor and also to head up the worship department. Gradon Harvey, the rector, is the National Coordinator of SOMA NZ (Sharing of Ministries Abroad, the short-term mission organisation fostering renewal in the Anglican Communion), and the parish has a strong mission focus, so we will also be going on international mission trips quite regularly. "Gill and I will be flying out at the end of September, and Rich and Cath and their girls at the end of October."   The view from pulpit and pew One face conspicuous by its absence at the Institution of †Bethlehem was that belonging to Dennis Burkinshaw, who was recovering from a spell in hospital. Fortunately Ruth was able to attend. Dennis, a recipient of the Order of Simon of Cyrene, was the founding Diocesan Secretary/Treasurer of this Diocese after moving here from Grahamstown. Iindaba hopes he has made a full recovery. Congratulations to Claire Bradder and Kevin Chree who recently announced their engagement. Claire is the only daughter of the Bishop’s secretary, Julia Bradder, and her husband, Alan. Congratulations also to Beth Williams and Rico Klotz, who also announced their engagement. Beth’s father, Bill, is the Parish Treasurer at St Hugh’s in Newton Park. New Zealand, a country of good taste, no doubt, has done it again! The Diocese is about to lose another couple to those far-off shores when Richard MacGregor and Cathy, with Sarah and Lauren, move there in November - see article alongside. Well they’re not pinching Richard from us, as he was born there, having come to South Africa when his father, David, became Rector of St Hugh’s in Newton Park in 1977. He will be Assistant in the Waikanae Parish near Wellington - the very Parish to which Chris and Gillian Bell are moving in September. The Rector of the Parish there was a youngster in David’s Parish in New Zealand! Iindaba is sad to record the death of Alice Hall-Green from Bushmans River Mouth last month. Alice was a member of the Order of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth. She and her late husband, Esme, served the Lord faithfully for many years. She was the stepmother of the well known television broadcaster David Hall-Green. Iindaba has heard of the sudden death whilst on a visit to England of Al Bamber, former Churchwarden of the Zwartkops River Valley Parish. After a walk in a forest, Al said to his son ‘I think I’ve overdone it’, after which he collapsed and died within 30 seconds. Al’s wife Isla, died after a long illness last year. Those nifty fingers have been at work once again. One Sunday morning the Collegiate Church of St Mary the Virgin found itself without water, as all the external copper pipes had been swiped! Fortunately the thieves prevented too much water loss by bending the pipe ends over, thus sealing them. The copper is now being replaced by plastic piping. Once upon a time (a long time ago), churches were untouched by thieves. Now, security is a priority in Parish budgets. Makes one think, doesn’t it? Iindaba has at various times mentioned yet-to-be broken records of service such as 63 years making palm crosses etc. It would seem that for a large family, few could beat 84 year-old Mrs Louisa Ah Shene who died last month. Louisa, a member of Saint Francis Xavier in Kabega Park, boasted no fewer that 104 direct descendants - 6 sons and 1 daughter, 36 grandchildren, 57 great grandchildren, and 4 great-great grand-children (with a few more on the way)! With her daughters-in-law and son-in-law, whom she considered her own, the total goes to 111.   Stop Press: Iindaba has just heard that the homestead at "Bloemhof" has burnt down. More news about the fire will be reported in our next issue. back to top

Page 4 The Alexandria Parish Iindaba visited the Alexandria Parish in time for the Induction Service of Sipambo Ludidi as their Rector and Terry Beadon as Curate. As with the other two rural parishes, Iindaba received a very warm welcome at each of the churches visited. This is a rural parish with a difference, as it is a “giving parish”. In fact they give the diocese the fifth largest ‘assessment’, which means their contribution is higher than most of the urban parishes. This is a wonderful testimony to the Christian commitment of those members who are working, as a large percentage of the parishioners are jobless, or pensioners with a small fixed income. The clergy of this parish are Sipambo Ludidi, who is the newly installed Rector, with assistant priests Gilbert Mayinje and newly arrived Terry Beadon. Pam Goodwin is the multi-faceted non stipendiary deacon who, besides the usual duties of visiting, preaching, leading Bible study groups, etc heads up the HIV/AIDS support team in the nearby township. Having been local District Nurse, she is more into the healing ministry than the average Deacon, and Peter Bowen calls her in, rather than the local doctor, when he needs his regular injections, blood pressure checks etc. Besides Peter’s presence as a retired priest willing to help, two other clergy, Andrew Symes and Ruthell Johnson have holiday cottages in the area, while Archdeacon David Gwilliam of George Diocese has already bought his retirement home at Bushman’s River. With Michael Cassidy a regular Christmas visitor and preacher, the parish looks to be well served for altar and pulpit help, well into the future.   Parish profile The parish extends from Nanaga in the west to Kenton-on-Sea in the east and northward to the borders of All Saints’ United Church. • Christ Church, Alexandria, is the oldest church in the Parish having been built in 1860, although a group of worshippers had been meeting once a month for services in a home for many years prior to this. At present up to about 40 families still meet every Sunday for Communion. • St Michael’s, also in Alexandria, has 110 families and meets on Sundays and Wednesdays for Commun-ion services and has Bernard Mizeki and MU Christian Family Life (MUCFL) branches. • St David’s in Bushmans-RiverMouth has about 100 families and also meets twice a week for Communion services. This congregation consists of mainly retired people but is very active with Bible Study groups meeting in homes and a vibrant Anglican Women’s Fellow-ship branch.A view of St David's at Bushmans River Mouth. • St Matthew’s, Marselle, has 40 families who meet for Communion once a month and for Morning Prayer, led by a Lay Minister, on other Sundays. • St James, Lake Eric, has recently been rebuilt for the 20 families of farm workers. They have a Communion service once a month and have a very active MUCFL branch. • All Saints', Paterson, (81 kms from Alexandria) meet in a shack once a month for Communion. Communion Services are also held once a month at Quaggasmuts (8 families), Schietrug (9 families) and Ferndale (13 families). One of the members of the Quaggasmuts fellowship is in her late 90’s and still active.   Institution at St David's The chapelry of St David’s was packed for the Institution of Sipambo Ludidi as Rector and Terry Beadon as Assistant Priest. Churchwarden Robin Paterson welcomed everyone and promised not to give a long list of names of all the ‘special’ people present. Members from all the various churches within the parish were present to celebrate with the two men and hear Peter Bowen, himself once a Rector of St David’s, give a very amusing address. Looking at a balding Sipambo and a bearded Terry he opened with the text, “My brother Esau is a hairy man and I am a smooth man” (Gen 27:11) which brought much laughter from the congreg-ation. Peter went on to give a brief and interesting history of the parish and how the ‘racial divide’ had been broken down and how the ‘togetherness’ has brought blessings. One of these is the fact that this rural parish is now the fifth largest contributor to the diocesan coffers. Speaking to the clergy of the parish, he quoted from “I believe in preaching” by John Stott saying that a preacher needs to be a visual aid to the people of the parish. However, he said that the people are not left out as they need to be a visual aid to those outside the church. A wonderful bring ‘n share meal was enjoyed by all in the town hall after the service.   Alice Hall-Green RIP First ever joint recipients of the award of the Order of the Diocese of PE were the husband and wife couple Esme and Alice Hall-Green. Widowed a few years back, Alice, a member of St David’s, died recently. Canon Peter Bowen in his address at her funeral reminded the mourners of the recent cowardly attack made on Alice, when she was beaten to the ground by a group of teenage thugs while taking a stroll near the local Frail aged centre. “It is a sad measure of the depths to which our land has sunk”, said Peter, “to think that young men of the Masai tribe in East Africa prove their manhood by taking on a lion, when armed only with a shield and spear. Our own local “men” can only manage to prove their courage by tackling defenceless nonagenarian women” !   Maurice Palmer - RIP St Andrew’s Church in Pearston could not contain the many people who attended the funeral of eighty-eight year old Maurice Palmer of Pearston recently, so the service was conducted from the local Dutch Reformed Church. Maurice had been Churchwarden for many years. As a young man captured at Tobruk when serving with the DMR (Die Middellandse Regiment) with such stalwarts as Keith Cremer and the late Abp Bill Burnett, Maurice had participated in the infamous forced march of Allied Prisoners of War, when they traversed a thousand miles westward from the Russian border, in a six week period during which time they were expected to exist on two slices of bread per day. While fleeing ahead of the advancing Russian armies, they were under frequent air attack from Allied airplanes. “They were real men” said Peter Bowen, “especially compared to the vast numbers today who cannot make it to the corner shop, unless by car!” back to top Previous Issues: August 2001 May 2001 April 2001 January 2001 December 2000 October 2000 September 2000 July 2000 Current issue

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