On Sunday (15 November 2020) the Church of England online service focused on the Worldwide Anglican Communion, celebrating friendships that cross continents within the Anglican Communion.
Led by Bishop Anthony Poggo, the service included a sermon from Sheran Harper, President of the Mother’s Union, and reflected on how communities in different parts of the world support one another in both good and hard times.
As part of the service Revd Michael Broadley of Emmanuel Church, Loughborough, was invited to highlight our links dioceses. Our diocese is highly regarded in the way that the our five linked dioceses work productively together in our partnership in the gospel. He spoke for about six minutes in the service (at six minutes onto the service which you can hear on this link) briefly explored the links through the lenses of partnership, relationship and support.
Speaking to us before the service, Revd Michael explained:
"Our links with overseas dioceses have been established over many years and we have tried to develop a mutually supportive partnership. There are four dioceses that we are linked with: Trichy in South India, Wyoming in the USA. Kiteto and Mount Kilimanjaro (DMK) in Tanzania. The Bishops of each diocese are committed to meeting in person every 18 months to two years.
"Partnership: We have tried as much as possible to partner together in the mission and ministry of each diocese. So we encourage our link dioceses to “set the agenda.” So we try and work to their priorities as opposed to ours. I have always tried to learn as much as I can from each visit that I have made to DMK as well as Kiteto. DMK has a specific church planting strategy {around 300 plus in five years} so it has been great to see how they plant churches into areas where there has been no Christians presence. I have learnt a lot about being confident in Christ as well as sacrifice and commitment esp from a church plant in Toloha in DMK.
"Relationship/Support: There have been two conferences recently – one in Loughborough and one in Arusha where predominantly lay leaders and some clergy gathered to share experiences as well as mutual understanding. Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, our Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Mission and Ministry Enabler, is planning an intercultural conversation that will, include representatives from our link dioceses. I am in contact with a few clergy in DMK via WhatsApp almost every week and we follow each other on Instagram and Facebook etc. I also WhatsApp Bishop Stanley once a week and we have regular phone conversations. We are also developing links with schools as well. The five dioceses are providing the opening worship for the PWM Conference."
You can read more about our link dioceses on our Word In A Diocese pages here.
