Rebirthing a nation

What a joy it was today to receive a surprise visit from Bishop Andre who leads the 'missionary diocese' of Angola. I first met Bishop Andre a few years ago and we have kept in touch on a number of matters but today he just rolled into the office unannounced - wonderful. Such a humble man, not totally at ease in English (his third language) but listening with a wise ear and measuring his words in reply.

For years the very word 'Angola' cunjured up a deep sense of despair - a civil war raging out of control and a popilation reduced to abject poverty. It was one of those nations you were tempted to write off as without hope. Listening to Andre today, however, I heard a very different story. Angola, a land of sunshine and fertile lands, a place of diamonds, oil, and rich mineral deposits, a country blessed with energetic and hopeful people determined to bless other nations and end any sense of dependence. A bishop, proud of his nation, told me that they have the capacity to feed a third of Africa and to provide the world with all the diamonds we could hope for. But more significantly he spoke of spiritual hope.

The Anglican church in Angola is very small - but growing fast. Desperately short of resorces and with only twenty clergy on salaries, the church is in expansion mode. Most of the leaders, clergy and lay, have full time employment as teachers, farmers, and civil servants, but that does not stop them leading vibrant communities and planting new churches. There are whole provinces of the country with no Anglican churches today - but tomorrow will be a different story I was told! The great challenge is training the leaders, but as Bishop Andre made his farewells I felt a strong sense of optimism - it is a challenge he is up to! Perhaps our small part in Faith2Share will be to provide links with Portuguese speaking (Angola's trade language) mission movements in Brazil and India and so see what they can do together. Angola is very definitely reborn.