22.05.2013
Africa’s First Woman Bishop to Join Us. Celebration in Dublin
Africa’s first Anglican woman bishop will be in Ireland next week to join the celebrations marking the rebranding of USPG as the United Society – Us. The Right Reverend Ellinah Wamukoya, Bishop of Swaziland, will preach at a special service of Holy Communion in St Michan’s Church of Ireland Church on Church Street, Dublin 7, on Wednesday May 29 at 7.30 pm.
Bishop Ellinah was consecrated last November and her visit to Ireland will be her first official trip overseas. The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, will preside at the service and the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson will attend. Both are patrons of Us. A number of other sitting and retired bishops will be present.
Us. is the new name for USPG – an organisation which works in direct partnership with Anglican Churches in over 50 countries, helping to support vital work including healthcare, education, leadership training and action for social justice.
Us. in Ireland works directly with the Diocese of Swaziland where they have been building up strong networks over the last five years working with all members of the community.
Swaziland has the world’s highest rate of HIV infection. As a result there are 300,000 orphans and vulnerable children out of a population of just over one million. It is also an extremely poor country with 75 percent of people living below the poverty line.
The Anglican Church in Swaziland works to respond to the huge difficulties faced by its country’s citizens. However, the church has few resources and currently relies on overseas donations to run its programmes which include local care points and feeding stations for the many child–headed households. Life skills training is provided for young people.
Programmes are provided for grandmothers who have been left to bring up their grandchildren. A particular focus of the grandmothers’ programme is to equip them with the skills to teach the children about HIV. The Church also runs a home–based care programme for people who are sick or dying.
Us. Ireland is working to help the diocese of Swaziland to become self sufficient. The organisation is helping to develop a farming project on 200 acres of land owned by the diocese which had been lying idle until 2010. Us. has been helping the diocese to farm it again. The organisation has a full time employee working on the farm and they are working in partnership with a South African company skilled in growing vegetables.
“Over the next three years we plan to transfer our shareholding to the diocese and the profit from the farm will fund the Church’s HIV projects,” explains Linda Chambers of Us. “We’re helping them to find other ways to use diocesan assets to generate income,” adds Linda’s husband Jan de Brujin, who is a volunteer for Us.
Next week’s service marks the new name for Us. but also the organisation’s new home in Egan House, St Michan’s Church, Church Street, Dublin 7.
The name USPG – United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel – was derived from a name coined in 1701. But it became clear that this eighteenth–century name was not connecting with people in the twenty–first century. So it was time for a change.
Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya was ordained six years ago. Prior to her ordination she was the chief executive of the council of one of Swaziland’s largest towns. While in Ireland she will visit various parts of the country and in particular will spend time with the Bishop of Limerick, the Right Reverend Trevor Williams.