Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa
All Africa Bishops' Conference
23-29 August 2010
Entebbe, Uganda
Chairman's address - Archbishop Ian Ernest, Bishop of Mauritius
. . . Finally, but not the least, we cannot shy away from the state we are in. We cannot afford to continue to lurch from one crisis to the next in our beloved Communion. Despite attempts to warn some western provinces, action has been taken to irrevocably shatter the Communion. Sadly existing structures of the Anglican Communion have been unable to address the need for discipline. These can become irrelevant to our needs as Africans and are now, moreover, unrepresentative demographically. We need new structures that are credible and representative of the majority.
Brothers, as you are aware, CAPA and Global South leaders have actively participated in the development of an "Anglican Covenant". This proposed Anglican Covenant remains our best hope for a stable and united future for the Communion. But the covenant is to be improved further as it should respond effectively to the present needs and challenges of the Communion. I believe that we need a Covenant that will recognise the role of the Primates and empower them to fulfil their proper function as those entrusted with the oversight of faith and order in the Communion.
This Covenant should bind our Provinces into an accountable union. Accountability also demands that membership of the Covenant be co-terminus with membership of the Communion.
These issues are to be dealt with at our daily Primates meeting. They will be taken up with the Archbishop of Canterbury when the Primates meet him this evening. . . 
Full text and video, courtesy AnglicanTV, are below.
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Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa
All Africa Bishops' Conference
23-29 August 2010
Entebbe, Uganda
Chairman's address - Archbishop Ian Ernest, Bishop of Mauritius
As I mentioned to you in my opening remarks this morning, I am personally appreciative and greatly honoured because you, my brothers in the Episcopate, have by your most precious presence given honour to God and a great sense of pride to our Continent, Africa.
Our gathering here hosted by the Archbishop and the Church of the Province of Uganda clearly indicates that from Lagos, Nigeria to Entebbe, Uganda, the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa has been able to mobilise the needed resources to fulfil the decisions taken in Lagos. After much prayer and thoughtful preparations, here we are again after a span of six years, holding this continental event that bears witness to the vitality of the church in Africa.
I, therefore, wish to thank once again all the members of the organising committees who have worked hard here in Uganda and in Kenya on all the details of the programme that has been prepared for us. So many people and especially the staff at CAPA Headquarters in Nairobi have spent most of their time and energy to make certain the success of this event that should leave indelible marks on the life of the Anglican Communion in Africa.
May I take this opportunity to express my profound appreciation to all our invited guests and resource persons for their most valued support and presence at this conference.
Words are not enough to describe the heartfelt gratitude that I owe to my brother, the Most Revd H. Orombi and to the organising committee from this Province. They have worked round the clock to bring into realisation this highly anticipated event. But let us not forget that it is only through God's grace and bountiful mercy that our efforts are bearing fruit.
Securing our Future: Unlocking our Potentials
As bishops of dioceses in all the Anglican Provinces of Africa, we are called to look at the challenges and potentials with a well-informed African perspective. We can no longer waste time with imposed interpretations and alien cultures that have for a long time hindered the growth of an authentic church which could respond to the needs of its people. After Lagos, time is now ripe to address the following issues from an African perspective and with a keen sense of maturity.
In this conference, we have the privilege of hearing eminent African leaders who in their respective fields have much expertise and knowledge. This clearly shows that among us we have those who can help us to realise our potentials. As church leaders, we have now the responsibility to harness the vast resources available for effective holistic evangelisation. The various sessions and workshops available to us will help us to address many of the existing contradictions in our society -for example: increasing poverty despite abundant natural resources; moral decay amidst mushrooming churches and unending dehumanising conflicts amidst societies which cherish terms like tolerance and dialogue.
The conference has been structured in such a way that we as Bishops have the space to engage with these realities in the light of the Biblical mandate of the church. We can make choices that will strengthen the relevance and credibility of the church's witness, giving glory to the Lord and contributing to a secure future for the continent.
You all are aware that before Christianity went to Britain, there was a flourishing church in North Africa. We are grateful to the Lord for giving to the church in that period, eminent Christians and Theologians who have worked on Doctrines that today serve as the basic foundations of our faith. St Augustine of Hippo, St Athanasius and others have fulfilled their ministry in their generations. Today the challenge is ours - if we are to secure the future of the church, we have to see to it that in all aspects of church life, we are able to unlock the existing potentials. However as in the time of the Church Fathers, there is the danger of being swayed by the controversies of our time. Let us be vigilant and courageous. On one hand, we have to see that we do not neglect the task of evangelisation that brings in a true liberation and transformation. On the other hand, we have to courageously raise our voices to counteract false ideologies that creep into our churches and put at stake the mission that Christ has entrusted to His church.
The writer to the Hebrew Christians inspires and encourages his bearers to persevere in bearing witness to the Truth. He reminds them that Jesus went to the Cross because of his witness to the truth.
Dear brothers and invited guests, the community Jesus founded is built upon Apostolic Truth - the word of God. We are that community in as much as we also adhere to that truth, we are in continuity with the early church in as far as we are confessional - Jesus said to Peter "on this rock I will build my church" the rock of his confession of the truth as had been revealed to him by the Father. The first Christians made an impact on their communities because they were grounded on this very foundation: consequently we will not secure our future or have any hope of impacting our communities and releasing their potentials without a firm knowledge of and adherence to the truth as revealed through the Word of God which Christ incarnates.
This week, we shall have the possibility to learn more about the societal evils that make Africa vulnerable. If we wish to fight against conflict, poor leadership, diseases, we need to help the church in Africa to be more firmly rooted in the Truth.
One of the expected outcomes of AABC is to help us as Bishops to have a better understanding of the difficulties that we face, difficulties preventing us as a church to witness to the truth and to work towards an effective ministry.
How are we to do that in a context where like the first Christians we face societies which embrace pagan lifestyles?
I believe that the time has come for us in Africa to enquire into the nature of our own treasures with undivided attention to find out what the Holy Spirit has taught us and how are we going to proclaim it to others. We, as Anglicans, have a tradition to maintain which is of great importance for us.
The 3 important aspects that make us Anglicans are:
1 The ability to be open to contemplative prayer
2 The wisdom to take reason seriously
3 The commitment to be faithful to the authority of Scripture.
It is the Word of God as offered to His People in the Holy Scriptures that informs us of God's mind so that we "never innovate Truth". It is only in the recognition of the Truth as given by God to His church that we shall be able to unlock our potentials. I am hopeful that we as Bishops who are accountable to God will be imbued with His Spirit so that we can work together to maintain the integrity of the Apostolic and Catholic nature of the Communion.
Truth and Faithfulness: these are the foundations on which this conference is to be held. The different sessions and discussions will help us to focus on the realities threatening our future. They will also provide to us opportunities to examine how the church, in obedience to Christ who has come to give hope and fullness of life, can appropriately respond to these threats. I pray that this meeting of Bishops will lead us to the point of repentance in the ways we have failed our Lord; that it will help us renew our commitment to Him through holy living, compassionate leadership, and faithfulness to the Biblical mandate, stewardship and selfless service to those for whom he was willing to die.
Amongst other issues that we shall consider, I call for you to give your urgent and undivided attention to the following aspects: Ministry to the children, to the youth, the elderly, Aids victims and to the issue of economic sustainability.
African society is different from what it was twenty-five years ago. High technology, mobile phones and mass media are used by powerful and aggressive modern advertising to develop an extremely materialistic consumer culture. In societies where we have so much poverty and sickness, this is a shocking contradiction.
We are caught between our ancestral cultures and modern life, between religiosity and a lay lifestyle. Many African countries have fallen in the grip of violence and of fear. We who stand for justice, truth and community health, we feel that our people are at a loss. Drugs, alcohol, witchcraft, prostitution and a dubious sexual life are today's remedies in a disillusioned world. We are indeed not indifferent to these scourges but our time here should help us reconsider our priorities. As we will view in depth the current problems and challenges, pastoral solutions will be developed and they will allow the power of the Risen Christ to destroy the works of the Prince of this world.
We are therefore called to become more aware of these issues. Lastly, we need to encourage those who seek to make a difference, to develop a being Christ Like attitude. So, the calling is to change our attitudes with regard to our economic, societal and political activities. In our respective dioceses, we will have to think and act according to our needs and reality.
The former Chairman of CAPA, The Most Revd Peter Akinola set to us this question in Lagos at the first conference on economic sustainability - I quote:
"Is it at all reasonable for us to continue to expect from age to age that someone else, somewhere, will make resources available with which to fund and support our projects and programmes?"
No, it is not. And as we wrestle with this issue, we have to work on the basic assumption that in the providence of God, we have been blessed with all the resources needed for a life of fulfilment on the continent. We have to foster a new mentality to promote our mandate as God's stewards.
It is thus an imperative that we as a church must act as a facilitator and partner with the people in the task of building a dynamic and well-resourced church. Our biggest assets are the people themselves. My hope here is that we continue to work towards self-reliance. Yes, it is a daunting task but achievable provided we set measurable and realistic deadlines for ourselves.
There is a need for us to work towards economic sustainability and we should have the courage to seek afresh a new orientation and thinking in the domain of investment and economic activities. It is also important for us to estimate justly the enormous richness of having to work together as Provinces and Diocese in Africa with a sense of unity of purpose. As many of our Provinces in Africa are members of Global South it is good to note that at the Global South Meetings held in Kigali and Accra in 2006 and 2007 respectively, we have recognised the urgent need for Economic Empowerment and Capacity Building. There is now definitely a general opinion that we have all the material resources we need with the Global South. So it is for us now in CAPA to create the awareness and to actively develop inter Provincial economic partnerships.
Finally, but not the least, we cannot shy away from the state we are in. We cannot afford to continue to lurch from one crisis to the next in our beloved Communion. Despite attempts to warn some western provinces, action has been taken to irrevocably shatter the Communion. Sadly existing structures of the Anglican Communion have been unable to address the need for discipline. These can become irrelevant to our needs as Africans and are now, moreover, unrepresentative demographically. We need new structures that are credible and representative of the majority.
Brothers, as you are aware, CAPA and Global South leaders have actively participated in the development of an "Anglican Covenant". This proposed Anglican Covenant remains our best hope for a stable and united future for the Communion. But the covenant is to be improved further as it should respond effectively to the present needs and challenges of the Communion. I believe that we need a Covenant that will recognise the role of the Primates and empower them to fulfil their proper function as those entrusted with the oversight of faith and order in the Communion.
This Covenant should bind our Provinces into an accountable union. Accountability also demands that membership of the Covenant be co-terminus with membership of the Communion.
These issues are to be dealt with at our daily Primates meeting. They will be taken up with the Archbishop of Canterbury when the Primates meet him this evening.
May I encourage you to share your concerns and pains with one another with brotherly love and courtesy.
Conclusion
So, to us whom God chooses to stand in as leaders of the Church, Jesus promises all the help that we may need. He understands our frailty and fears. No task would be too great, no opposition too strong. At this conference, the Lord will certainly provide us with the power of the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us.
My brothers, let us stand up together for Africa and for the Lord's Honour and Glory.
God bless Africa God bless Uganda God bless CAPA
Thank you for your kind attention.