AFRICA

NEW PRIMATES IN SUDAN AND TANZANIA

Africa has two new Anglican leaders in the Sudan and Tanzania.

Photo:  Diocese of Renk     

On Feb. 14 the Episcopal Church of Sudan elected the Rt Rev'd Daniel Deng Bul of the Diocese of Renk (right) to serve as its next Primate. Bishop Deng will succeed Archbishop Joseph Marona and will be enthroned at All Saints' Cathedral in Juba, Sudan.

Russ Handle, Hon. Canon of St Matthew's Cathedral in Renk, Sudan, writes on the website StandFirm of Bishop Deng: “He is focused on proclaiming the Gospel, including stopping ethnic cleansing for the benefit of Chinese oil companies, stopping inter-tribal bloodshed and addressing the spiritual needs of his people through trained pastors, translation of the Scriptures into their native languages and powerful preaching. He also pays attention to seeing that his people’s needs for clinics, schools and self-support are addressed. In Sudan, where two million perished in the civil war, many of them in inter-tribal violence, and more are dying in ethnic violence in Darfur, every sermon preaches unity as a Gospel imperative.  Bishop Daniel has a very tough job ahead of him. He needs our prayers and he needs us to pay attention to a church which has grown to four million members, twice the size of the Episcopal Church.”

On Feb. 28 the Bishop of Dar es Salaam, the Rt. Rev. Valentino Mokiwa was elected as the new Primate of Tanzania. He succeeds Archbishop Donald Mtetemela. An Anglo-Catholic, Archbishop-elect Mokiwa is expected to continue the international policies of his predecessor. Last year Bishop Mokiwa was part of the majority in the Tanzanian House of Bishops that voted to break relations with the US Episcopal Church. On Jan 13, Bishop Mokiwa visited Holy Trinity Anglican Church in San Diego, a breakaway parish of the Diocese of San Diego that had affiliated with the Province of the Southern Cone.

Bishop Mokiwa has championed the rights of the poor in the East African nation, and recently challenged the government to revoke mining contracts given to multi-national corporations, saying they were let on dubious terms and cheated the common man. He has also backed the government’s campaign to clean up the capital’s sex tourism businesses. Bishop Mokiwa will be enthroned on May 25 in Dodoma.  – Church of England Newspaper and StandFirm