Press Releases
Archbishop Clarke arrives in Zambia on CMS Ireland visit
The Church Mission Society Ireland Zambia team, consisting of the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Richard Clarke (Patron), Jenny Smyth (Mission Director) and the Revd Adrian Dorrian (President) arrived on Tuesday afternoon, 20th February.
The journey from Dublin Airport to Kitwe proved a long, but not unpleasant one for the team – the three travellers arrived safe and well, along with their luggage. As well as personal items for the journey, the team brought with them various items to be used by Keith and Lyn Scott in their home and in St John’s Anglican Seminary, including a donation of NRSV Bibles from The Book Well and some other items difficult to source in Zambia.
CMSI Mission Partners, the Scotts have spent just over a year so far in Kitwe, Diocese of Northern Zambia, teaching at St John’s Anglican Seminary, where Keith is Academic Dean. They, along with Archbishop Albert Chama, Bishop of Northern Zambia and Primate of Central Africa, will be hosting the CMSI delegation over the next few days. Once settled in, the group spent their first evening discussing in detail the programme for the trip. After some orientation, the team will spend time experiencing life in the diocese and in the seminary.
On Sunday, Archbishop Clarke will preach and share with Archbishop Chama in a Service of Confirmation, while Mr Dorrian will be visiting and preaching at a parish church in the diocese. The two will also be delivering some classes in the seminary, where the Archbishop will lecture in Anglicanism an Mr Dorrian will be teaching Liturgy. Jenny Smyth will use the trip to foster the continued good relations between CMSI and its Global Partners, as well as providing direct support to the Scotts.
Speaking after their first evening in Zambia, Archbishop Clarke reflected: ‘Although it is apparent that there are many differences in culture between Ireland and Zambia, our conversations on the first evening have borne out the truth that comes as no great surprise; our two churches, while separated by some miles face many of the same challenges around good stewardship, resourcing of clergy and the training of leaders. Northern Zambia is a diocese where clergy have pastoral responsibility for several churches across vast areas – something immediately recognisable to many of the parishes in rural Ireland. Although we seek to address these challenges in very different contexts, I look forward to learning from our shared experiences and practice over the next days.’
For more information, please contact Roger Cooke, Mission Resource Manager with CMS Ireland, on 028 9077 5020 or rogercooke@cmsireland.org