Diocesan Synod

Bishop Cleophas Lunga
Bishop of Matabeleland, Zimbabwe

Briefing – on the Diocese of Matabeleland

Thank you for inviting me to the United Kingdom and for asking me to address this Synod. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I bring warm greetings from the people of Matabeleland. It really gives me pleasure to be with you here this morning.

Background and Acknowledgements

Bishop Cleophas with Bishop Richard Cheetham,
Bishop of KingstonAnd so, I come in the spirit of partnership and unity. We in Matabeleland offer praise and honour to the Almighty God who breathed on to us the spirit of optimism in our beloved country. The changing political environment and economic situation in Zimbabwe has enabled us as a Church to embark on an action plan that will see our Diocese transforming. In our attempt to do so as a Diocese, we acknowledge the richness of our partnership with Kingston Episcopal Area, value the contribution they are making in changing our lives and so, we further acknowledge that, we are not alone in this journey because Kingston Episcopal Area is our companion. We thank them for their support and love.  

The positive changes we experienced in our country at the start of 2009 through the Global Political Agreement created an environment where rival political parties began to engage in a meaningful dialogue. There are set backs here and there but what could have been a disaster has, at least for now, been averted.  In terms of the economy, food and road repairs, Zimbabwe is improving on a daily basis. We as a Church in Matabeleland have exploited the situation by focusing on Evangelism and social action under the theme; ‘Transforming our communities through the Ministry of Healing and Reconstruction’.

This has seen us making some developments in the area of Diocesan systems that had collapsed due to the 2000 – 2008 challenges. We now have a Diocesan Secretary, Treasurer, etc.  

The conflict in Zimbabwe presents a basis upon which one can critically analyse the socio-political challenges facing a nation at the start of the 21st century. There is an element of truth in the general observation in life that, people’s first concern is usually to strive anxiously for whatever will make their lives more secure. In a society where greed and intolerance rules, desperation increases and people fall victim to the things that make them lose their dignity and pride, and clergy can not be an exception.

Way Forward

As an effort to start a process of reflection on the ministries offered by clergy in their local context and communities we held a clergy school under the title: ‘Shepherds of the Flock’. The idea behind this critical thought and move came about after a realisation that clergy faced the danger of joining the society at large in adopting spiritually damaging cultures (greed and violence). A need had been identified that clergy were expected to deal professionally with the existing challenges prevalent in a broken society without necessarily becoming victims themselves. In a way the school aimed at challenging the clergy to develop an interest in focusing on a particular ministry e.g. Teaching – Primary/Secondary /Higher Education etc, Reconciliation, Social - Justice, Pastoral Care etc. It also aimed at reviving the spirituality of a priest in a political and economical challenged society. It looked at a priest as a shepherd hence the title: ‘Shepherds of the flock’. The following topics were covered; Spirituality in a School setting, Financial Affairs, First Essentials (The spirituality of a priest), Anglican identity – Liturgy and Music, Re-thinking the future (What kind of diocese? What kind of Ministry?).

One Embrace Pastoral Centre

It is our belief that the work of mending a broken society begins with a simple act of listening to people’s stories with dignity. With this belief, we in Matabeleland would like to establish a pastoral centre that we will call One Embrace Pastoral Centre. The aim is to ensure a local ministry of presence and healing. The idea is to train people to service a community using the Church as a local unit/point. This will be established under the Anglican ethos but open to the entire community to access this special ministry. The name One Embrace is to signify open arms – assuring and offering care to rebuild broken lives. It will aim to be an over-arching centre, based on the law of love and based on the belief that if you change the individual you change a community and consequently a nation. The work of the centre will introduce a new way of thinking and one focus will be on the education of young people through drama and music and will promote cohesion and uniting young people from rival political parties and to learn to co-exist.

We take keen interest in the belief that our children are the future and therefore the education we give them can nurture life-long self development and community building thereby transforming the lives of many and indeed the whole society.

It is important to mention that we have received tremendous support from Kingston Episcopal Area in the form of prayers, encouragement and financial assistance. We are as companions, walking together and working together towards making the Diocese of Matabeleland self sufficient. The issue of sustainability is of crucial importance and I am glad to report that our Diocese has a huge potential to achieve setting up viable projects should the political and economic situation remain stable.

The Archbishops’ Appeal

As many of you will know at the start of Lent this year the Archbishops’ launched an Appeal to raise funds to assist Zimbabwean Anglican Churches. The money was ear-marked for relief Aid and that is – for feeding programme in Anglican Schools and for the purchase of seeds and drugs and for training trainers for lessons to do with improving methods of farming called - Farming God’s Way. In September the relief programme was launched in Matabeleland. Helen Stawski from Lambeth Palace was there to witness the launch. The programme has spread throughout the Diocese and there are eight points where this is happening.

Drugs have been distributed to three clinics run by the Church.
Seeds are being distributed to 8 rural parishes.

We are grateful to Kingston and we very much value the partnership and we are also grateful to the Archbishops’ and the glory goes to God. At this juncture, Mr Chairman, on behalf of all in Matabeleland, I wish this synod God’s guidance and every success.