The Consecration of a new Area Bishop for the Horn of Africa within the Episcopal / Anglican Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa
In an amazing gathering that brought together bishops and archbishops from the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Coptic Catholic Church, and well as representatives of the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, government officials, Ambassadors, prominent writers, and politicians, the Episcopal / Anglican Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa celebrated the consecration of The Rev. Dr. Grant LeMarquand as a new Area (Assistant) Bishop for the Horn of Africa.
The Most Rev. Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis, together with The Rt. Rev. Michael Lewis (Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf), The Rt. Rev. Dr. Bill Musk (Area Bishop for North Africa), and The Rt. Rev. Ghais Abdel Malek (the retired Diocesan Bishop of Egypt) par-ticipated in the consecration of The Rev. Dr. Grant LeMarquand.
Many people sent greetings, including The Most Rev. & Rt. Hon. Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Other representatives from around the Anglican Communion attended, including: Archbishop Robert Duncan of ACNA; Bishop Peter Tasker of Sydney; representatives of The Diocese of Singapore and The Diocese of South Carolina (our companion dioceses); The Diocese of Pittsburgh; The Diocese of Tennessee; The Diocese of Texas; the Honorary Chairman and Secretary of the Egypt Diocesan Association in the UK; Trinity School for Ministry in Am-bridge, Pennsylvania; The Church Missionary Society, UK; and The Church Missionary Society, Australia.
It was very meaningful to have this consecration on 25 April 2012, on the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, the Patron Saint of Egypt, in the presence of the Orthodox churches that were started in the first century by St. Mark. It was also the same day of the consecration of All Saints Cathedral at its present site in Zamalek, Cairo in 1988.
In his sermon, Bishop Mouneer said, “Grant, today you will walk in the steps of St. Frumentius, the first Bishop of Axum in Abyssinia, who was ordained by St. Athanasius, the Patriarch in Alex-andria, here in Egypt in the 4th Century. In this tradition, we are consecrating you an Area Bishop for the Horn of Africa.” He added that we “need to be ready to stand firm in the faith we once re-ceived from the saints.”
Bishop Mouneer reminded Grant that he “will go to harvest the fruit of the seeds that were sown by many great servants of the Lord, including Bishop Andrew Proud who proceeded you.”
He added that “the church in Africa needs to be grounded in the faith and grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ, so that she can replay the role she played in the first millennium in shap-ing the Christian mind. As you know, the church in Africa is growing numerically in an amazing way however, there is a great need for theological education and making true disciples.”
It is worth mentioning that since their establishment, both Episcopal Areas (North Africa and the Horn of Africa) within the Diocese of Egypt, are flourishing and growing. The installation of Bishop Grant LeMarquand will take place at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 27 October 2012, when the church celebrates the Feast of St. Frumentius.
Can somebody enlighten me about the Anglican presence and work in the Horn of Africa? I take this to mean Ethiopia, Eritrea and (Kyrie eleison) Somalia. What Anglican work is there here? And why does it require a bishop?
My guess is that much of this would be ministry to seamean and migrant or contract workers, many of whom are Christians from South Asia, as well as to Sudanese refugees in the Gambella region. According to the diocesan website, there are about 50 Anglican churches there. I suspect that the support and guidance of a good bishop is more necessary there than most places, but YMMV.
Terry Tee,
(Now) Bishop Grant could answer your question better than I could, but he likely does not have easy internet access right now. As I understand it, the Anglicans in this area are mostly refugees. My understanding is that Archbishop Mouneer received a letter from some of these people a few years ago stating that “We are here. We are Anglicans, and you are our bishop.” He responded by sending them an area bishop, and Grant now will be filling that position as the new area bishop. Grant will be providing pastoral support, some medical support (Grant’s wife Wendy is an MD) and theological education.
As well as the congregations for Anglican expat contract workers, there is also a great mission work going on over the border in Kenya.
I don’t know the precise numbers of Somalian refugees in Kenya, but there must be over 200,000 of them. Kenyan anglicans have been active in ministry to them and they have sought aid from other churches in doing so, because the refugees are in such dire straits that material supplies are an important part of ministry. The archbishop of Kenya visited the Archbishop of Sydney last August to discuss this very problem, and since then Anglicans here have been contributing for aid. I am sure the Kenyans are getting assistance from other churches as well.
+LeMarquand and his wife were missionaries in Kenya many years ago, before he became a lecturer at Trinity, so they should be well suited for this post.
Andrew Proud and his wife went to Ethiopia a decade ago to provide expatriate ministry at the cathedral church in Adis Ababa, and then was consecrated bishop for the Horn, centered there in Ethiopia. Last year he was appointed bishop of Reading and accepted.
Dr Grant and his wife will carry on good work provided by the Prouds. Indeed, part of the expansion of the work there came from Sudanese refugees – which included some Sudanese-ordained clergy – looking for oversight.
A little digging on the internet will provide various parts of the story here and there, but here is a start:
http://sites.google.com/site/anglicanchurchethiopia/
I thank contributors above. I must confess, rather to my embarrassment, that I asked in a spirit of semi-cynicism, and what I discovered was costly, caring, innovative ministry that greatly impressed. I particularly commend the photogallery (Picasa) on the site that Rob gives above. Very moving pix. I was educated and edified. Let us be frank: that area is part of the fault-line between Christianity and Islam. If Christians are not present, catechising for the soul and caring for the body, then Islam will quickly move in. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who made Christ known and loved in that situation.
Thank you for the link, Rob. I am awed and humbled by the work there. Just speechless.
Amen. Thanks, Rob+.
Certainly, +LeMarquand and his wife Wendy deserve our persistent prayers and any ongoing contact and encouragement we can offer. They have accepted a daunting call to an extremely challenging but strategic ministry in one of the most desperately needy and dangerous places in the world.
It’s great to see the breadth of attendance and support evident at this recent consecration. Very encouraging. And how nice that the happy event was on the Feast of St. Mark.
May the Lord who called the LeMarquands, faithfully sustain and empower them to bear much fruit.
David Handy+