By Vincent Macauley
It was a smokeless affair; no black smoke to alert the Urbi et Orbi ( the City and the world) that after three rounds of voting there was still a stalemate, as none of the candidates had received the statutory two-thirds majority.
And even, no white smoke after the forth-round, when one of the Candidates finally received the all clear. But the announcement; not the usual Habemus Papam … (We have a Pope) was greeted with the spontaneous singing of the thanksgiving hymn…’To God be the Glory’.
Well if you are in doubt, I’m referring to the just-concluded election for a new Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Freetown (a misnomer, as the diocese also covers the Rural Western Area, the Northern Region; and Bonthe Islands in the Southern Region).
So it took, four rounds of voting; and finally the will of the Holy Spirit was manifested, when the Chancellor of the Diocese, Ade Renner-Thomas announced the results as follows: Canon Emerson Thomas-71; and Canon Thomas Wilson-174.
You see yours truly has been following this election, with some amount of interest; as things were not too well within the Anglican Family … and members of the laity were looking for someone, who would come and cleanse the church. Well the lot has fallen upon Reverend Canon Thomas Wilson, as Bishop-elect. (His election will have to be confirmed by the other bishops of the Church of the Province of West Africa).
The election provided the atmosphere for the clergy and laity to discuss openly; but informally the challenges confronting the Anglican Church, in Sierra Leone.
Historically the Anglican Church was established, not as a result of any doctrinal disagreement with the mother church in Rome. It was for some bizarre reason…Henry VIII of England wanted to divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon; in order to marry Ann Boleyn; as the former could not bear him a male child. When the Pope could not grant him his request; he declared himself head of the Church in England…that was in 1534. That’s why a commentator calls the Anglican Church….’Catholic in Ritual; and Protestant in Liturgy’.
This article is just a layman’s perspective of the Church, our Dear Brother in Christ is about to inherit.
So one of the challenges facing the Anglican, Church is to make its mission relevant to its environment, without compromising the Gospel. (In the face of competition for both souls and cash, from the plethora of unorthodox churches.) The way Anglicans worship may also need some tinkering; nothing radical, but to give it a little bit of something African!
What do I mean; membership of the church is on the decrease; although some parishioners do maintain dual membership (with one of the many Pentecostal churches). Church attendance is also on the decline (except for Easter, Christmas and New Year Services); there is a glaring lack of evangelism in the church; one senior Anglican priest told me that Anglicans do not evangelize. You either become an Anglican through birth or through marriage, he said with some air of authority. So as Anglicans we in-breed; but in-breeding of species, may lead to the weakening of the genes, and then death and extinction…So is the ‘Freetown’ Anglican Church on the throes of dying out?
The perception out there that the Anglican Church is a ‘Creole Church’ must be addressed. Jesus Christ gave his life to redeem mankind from sin; not just Creoles, but for every race and tribe. We need to open our doors to all and sundry!
Evangelism is the key; remember the establishment of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in England in 1799, as the evangelical wing of the Anglican Church. Without the CMS, my dear senior clergyman, it would have been difficult for the Anglican Church to have been planted here.
It would interest readers to note that it took the Anglican Church about forty years, to establish a Church outside Freetown at Mile 47 (Ma Siaka); after the establishment of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Kissy in the late 1970s. In fact the commendation should go to the Anglican members of the Kenyan UNAMSIL Battalion (Kenbatt), who were stationed in that part of the country. It’s only recently that the Bishop Walmsley Church Kabala was literally resurrected, (by Reverend Sam Hollist) after being in the doldrums for over three decades; whilst the church in Kambia has been virtually eradicated from the face of the earth.
The status of most of the churches in the Port Loko area, as well as along the Freetown Peninsula needs the urgent attention of the new diocesan. The churches (both congregation and edifice), need a lot of attention.
The depth of some of our clergymen and women leaves a lot to be desired…listening to their exhortations on Sundays, only helps the effect of Sunday morning ‘cole fufu’ to take control. If the Anglican Church should wake-up from its self-imposed slumber, it must take a hard look at the type of education and training being offered its people of the cloth…’ Understandest what thou readest?’ Needless to point out that Bible Study is almost non-existent in the Anglican Church (with just a few exceptions).
Another thorny issue is that of the institution of stringent disciplinary measures against priests, whose conduct are at variance with their oath. The current practice of transferring such priests from one parish to another does not in itself constitute punishment.
Funding the Diocese has been one of the problems confronting successive bishops….The Church should make a radical departure from its present over dependency on the payment of assessment based on the ‘Class Pence’. It should institute innovative strategies for its up keep; especially for the payment of its workers and other related expenses.
It could for instance establish an ecclesiastical garments factory, for the production of vestments, cassocks and surplice and frontals as well as for academia, to cater for the ‘graduation market’, from Day care to Nursery right up to University. Why do we still order these ecclesiastical robes from robe makers in England? The Diocese could establish its own label and brand.
Another could be the use of locally produced wine and wafer or any acceptable alternative for the Holy Eucharist. Why help to keep the British Communion wine industry afloat, while we dissipate our scare foreign exchange. After all the Bread (Wafer) and Wine are symbols of the Body and Blood of Christ (for Anglicans do not believe in trans-substation). We need to remove British Cultural imperialism from Anglicanism, in order for the church to be relevant to its congregation.
On paper the Anglican Church owns real property in real estate; prime land and buildings within the Western Area Peninsula and the Freetown metropolis…but over the years…the church has been receiving a pittance; whilst middle-men (clergy and laity) have been feathering their nests.
To benefit from its property, the Church must first and foremost undertake a comprehensive audit of all its property; then renegotiate the various leases; and plan how to add value to its unoccupied lands. Steps must be taken to retrieve all Anglican property disposed of illegally.
And finally, the management of Anglican Schools (not secondary schools, they are in safe hands); I’m referring to the Anglican Primary Schools, along the peninsula and the mountain villages). These schools are currently being managed or mis-managed by the Western Area Rural District Council. These schools are largely unsupervised; whilst the structures are crumbling, the administrators (Head teachers and teachers) are having a field day in extorting parents and guardians. Anglicans do not bother to send their kids to these once thriving schools; but to the various better administered private schools within the locale. The Anglican Church should take over the management of these schools, as they’ve already done for those in the urban area.
Our Bishop-elect, your plate is already full; and I do not envy your task; but with Christ in the vessel, you should smile at the storm.
There is a lot of Goodwill out there, especially among the laity; the Anglican Church is blessed with resources, make good use of them.
And finally, finally “...Be Strong and of Good Courage...” Joshua 1. 9; and “Let no One Despise thy Youth’’ (1st Timothy, 4:12).
