Another African voice

OCICBW points today to an article in the News & Record by Nancy McLaughlin where she writes of The Rt. Rev. Musonda Trevor Mwamba, Bishop of Botswana, who spoke at the convention of the Diocese of North Carolina yesterday.

He's not asking people to change their positions, necessarily, but an Anglican bishop says there can be middle ground in the lingering and angry debate over the ordination of an openly gay man as a bishop by U.S. Episcopalians.

"When I hear all these harsh tones being exchanged," said the Right Rev. Musonda Trevor Mwamba of Botswana, "... I ask if anybody is praying."
...
"The majority of African Anglicans," he said, "they have their minds focused on life and death issues, like AIDS, poverty ... and not what the church thinks about sex or the color of your pajama pants. Villagers who live on less than $1 a day aren't aware this is going on. The majority of Africans who can afford TVs and radios, they don't want to see the communion incinerate."
...
The core message among Christians should be enlarging the Kingdom of God, Mwamba said, and not looking for ways to make it smaller.

"So why do we keep thinking separately — us and them?" Mwamba asked. "Could it be because we have lost sight of the height and depth of the kingdom ... the infinity of God in us?"

Jane R of Acts of Hope was there and reports that she received communion from him. We hope to hear more from her soon.

On a separate topic, Jane reports "Wore bright red (blouse of stiff silk with fabulous collar and cuffs, a hand-me-down from Mother of Acts of Hope), silver earrings, black slacks." She had asked what to wear to convention and I had opined: "Something designed to break hearts, I should think. Every straight man and lesbian in the room should take note and the gay men should all admire how it's accessorized. Church business should not excuse dowdiness. Stun them, my dear. At the end of the weekend you should have at least half a dozen new phone numbers. Being a lady you won't call, of course, but they will still be pining for you." For that reason we include the fashion update. I am sure she, being a beautiful lady, dazzled them.

In other fashion news, a crown has been awarded to a very different bishop who wins the title of drama queen.

I have very fond memories of Bishop Mwamba's predecessor, Archbishop Khotso Makhulu. I had written to him just prior to Lambeth 1998, offering my prayers for him and all the bishops of the Province of Central Africa. A seminarian from Zimbabwe whom I knew was the link that led me to assure at least one African bishop that some of us American "liberals" were not their enemies. I received a very gracious reply (tinged with humor) from him after he returned from the conference.

Here is an excerpt of a sermon he preached at evensong Lambeth 1998. I saw it online at the time and it gave me a glimpse of what a great and good chief pastor he was.

So, as a people of encounter, coming to encounter the living God, and to encounter others who in faith are gathered here, we have done a variety of things through this encounter - through bible study, through meetings, through discussions. I remember hearing an Irish priest - I hope there are no Irish here... He was a member of the Community of the Congregation of the Sacred Passion and he was called to attend the Chapter of his Order and he sent a letter to his Superior saying 'Sorry, can't be present' and signed himself 'Holy Spirit'. Sometimes our deliberations have made me wonder if we have chased the Holy Spirit away.

Those we have encountered in the presence of God, those who encounter the presence of God, are invariably moved to repentance. I am not doing an 'evaluation form' from the pulpit of what this conference is about, but I am doing a number of things. First of all I thank God for the opportunity of having shared in the worship, of having been reminded that I belong to a wider community of believers and worshippers. But, equally, I am reminded that on this occasion a variety of things have happened, and if we are to be called to repentance, we have to be agents of reconciliation. The tenor of some of our discussions can only be described as 'frenzied'. The tone in which they were expressed was devoid of the love of God. We have had tyrants using the Bible as armour, and words spoken from this very spot that were aimed to wound and to win score debating points.
I do not believe that this is the economy of the community of the Trinity. I do not believe that this is the basis of our Lord Jesus Christ. In our confusion He comes in order that He may shed light upon us. In our perplexity He comes that we may have comfort. In our bewilderment He sheds a light, a comforting light, so that we may truly be representatives of His.

There were those in this conference who have power, those who want it and want it badly, those who want to use it - whether by being utterly articulate or experts at procedural devices - those who have the 'lollie' [money] and know exactly how to use it to best advantage.

Sadly, we have equally had those who have been marginalised in our midst - some are confused and others remain wounded. From my background, I want to say here and now, I have resisted tyranny all my life and nor will I ever tolerate it from those who claim the love of the Bible over everyone else. Let not the intolerance of a variety of contexts inexorably lead us to intolerance, which, if unchecked, will find us with a band of vigilantes and fundamentalists.

I pray to God that the spirit of Anglicanism will survive, that we shall come to engage each other and find the best way forward. May God forgive us our wrong doings and our failure to strengthen His fellowship. I heard the Cross mentioned, and at times one got the impression that that Cross was not the life-giving Cross but was almost some kind of whip to whip those who were sinners.

You may read it all here.

I thank God for the bishops of Botswana.
--the BB