The following report is based on personal observation, interviews with Bishop Grant LeMarquand, and quite a shameless amount of "plagiarism" from various reports written by a new and dear friend from Egypt, Rosie Fyfe, who works with Bishop Mouneer in the Diocese of Egypt, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa.
I will be posting these in bite sized chunks...so if you come in on some part of the tail end, please scroll down to the beginning...
Unfortunately, there will be no images, but, if you go to my Face Book site (https://www.facebook.com/johann.vanderbijl?ref=tn_tnmn) you will find picture galore.
As always, please pray for the Horn.
Report on Anglican Work in Gambella ,
Ethiopia
1. The Horn of Africa
Episcopal Area
The Horn of Africa Episcopal Area
includes work in four countries: Ethiopia ,
Somalia , Eritrea and Djibouti .
The vast majority of the Anglicans
in this area are in the Gambella region of Ethiopia . The approximately 70
congregations are divided into 12 Mission Centres, with new Mission Centres
under development. Averages of 6,000 people attend church services each
week. This includes churches in three
refugee camps. These Gambella churches
are served by 16 clergy and a number of lay readers. The congregations worship
in a variety of languages including Anuak, Dinka, Nuer, Mabaan, and Opo.
English-speaking churches in the Episcopal Area serve both ex-patriates and
Africans who use English. These churches include St Matthew’s in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia ,
and St George’s in Asmara , Eritrea .
A new English-speaking congregation has recently formed in Mekele in northern Ethiopia . The
Area also includes Somali speaking Christians.
As well as church life centred on
worship and biblical teaching, the Episcopal Area is also involved in literacy
training, training school teachers in non-violent conflict resolution,
providing libraries where school children can study, sports ministry,
agricultural projects, community-based health care, among various other events
including ecumenical gatherings.
2. Geographic Location of the
Gambella Anglican Centre
The Gambella Anglican Centre is in Gambella Township ,
the capital of Gambella
Regional State .
Gambella is in the west of Ethiopia ,
bordering with Sudan ,
and has a population of 307,096 (2007 Census, Central Statistics Agency of
Ethiopia). Gambella is one of the poorest and least-developed of Ethiopia ’s nine
states.
The Episcopal / Anglican Diocese of
Egypt with North Africa and
the Horn of Africa is part of the Province
of Jerusalem and the Middle
East .
No comments:
Post a Comment