A Woman Archbishop: Reflections

A Historic Moment

Watching the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury left me with both a sense of awe and the resignation of acceptance. When the last Archbishop resigned in November 2024, it did occur to me that there was a likelihood the next person appointed to the office might radically shift from the norm, a woman perhaps.

I stated then that I was not particularly ready for that kind of change when the Church of England had only begun appointing female bishops barely a decade ago. Yet, with my Pentecostal exposure, I was already familiar with women teaching from the pulpit and leading Christian ministries.

Tradition and Change

The traditions of the Church of England have a history, constancy, and stability that I felt should not be defined by speed, but by the gentle persuasion of clergy and laity alike towards necessary aims. Obviously, there have been insurmountable issues in certain provinces of the global Anglican Communion: the ordination of women priests, the issue of sexual orientation, and the blessing of same-sex unions. The conversation must continue, even if agreement remains distant.

Generally, I have accepted the ministry of women in the Church of England, as canons, priests, archdeacons, and bishops. I also recognise that at ordinations, a separate service attends to those who do not accept the ministry of women, with a flying bishop of that persuasion presiding in that setting. I must confess, I have only seen female bishops in the media; I have never met one or been in a service with them in attendance.

The Ceremony Itself

The enthronement service brought the spectacle of religion, politics, and ceremony, along with the pomp and pageantry that the English excel at exhibiting. Representatives of all the different religious communities attended, including the Bishop of Ebbsfleet, one of those flying bishops of a different persuasion mentioned earlier.

For all the acclamation and pronouncements, I was surprised that the ceremony included no laying on of hands. It was more the dainty holding of a hand.

Moving Forward

This process was one in which I had no influence, apart from individually deciding whether appointing a woman as Archbishop sat well with my belief system. There was enough precedent in other provinces to suggest this would settle down into a kind of détente that demands both dexterity and political nous from the office holder.

I know I won't be rushing out to a service presided over by The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, yet I wish her term is blessed with success and the reconciliation of the church in whatever way possible. May we, in our misgivings or concerns, see the grace and beauty in what we as mere mortals fail to appreciate in the growth of the church.

Blog - England: We have a new Archbishop of Canterbury, she's a woman

Blog - Losing my religion in this reformation split

A Google NotebookLM AI Podcast on this blog

Coronavirus streets in Cape Town - LIV

Electric menace with stupid

There is nowhere in the world where the riding of e-scooters is not a menace. In fact, any electrically powered vehicle that shares a pedestrian walkway or a pavement and in this case the promenade has usually inconsiderate riders whizzing past oblivious of others with literally no control or direction.

I had to jump out of the way of one hurling down at speed and in 10 metres, he crashed and fell. Whilst he got up and dusted off himself that we onlookers did not have to ask if he was alright, there have been casualties and fatalities after such accidents. The only word that came to mind was stupid, and we all to an extent have a proclivity for stupidity when the circumstance presents.

Desmond Mpilo Tutu

This morning as we contemplated and vacillated about going to church, which we eventually did not do, as I had a rotten night and his own was hardly any better with insomnia, we learnt that Archbishop Desmond Tutu had passed on, at the age of 90.

So many things will be written about Archbishop Desmond Tutu, I would leave that to the eulogists. To me, he was an exemplary man of God, who understood that his calling and cause was greater than self to the service of humanity, challenging the entrenched, the absurd, the hidebound, the acceptable, the untenable, the reprehensible, the unnecessary, the prejudiced, the judgemental, and the bigoted to see a greater value to our common humanity rather than our diminished individuality in the church, in our communities, and in society.

He enters the pantheon of the exceedingly illustrious, in the class of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, and Nelson Mandela. Our world was by all means blessed by his ministry and empathetic wisdom in his life and living in our time, that his passing, though a loss cannot expunge his footsteps in the eternal sands of time as a record of human history.

In the seat of his priesthood, his archbishopric, and in his heart, he gave Christianity a beating heart, a human face, a loving message, a welcoming sign with embracing arms, revealing divine purpose in mortal and flawed vessels. Rest in peace, Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu and may eternal light shine upon thee.

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Thought Picnic: My Ministry

My ministry review

When I was asked this morning about my ministry, I almost felt for my dog collar, as I wondered why I was not in church earlier than that moment.

The truth is I never aspired to be a religious leader and hence do not carry either the drive or the passion of those who stand at the pulpit preaching, proclaiming, postulating or prophesying.

I do however have a ministry as I cast myself as an encounter person, ordinary because of my simplicity though made significant by the stories I have to tell by experience and by insight.

My ministry explained

My ministry is my humanity it is the heart of my being, given purpose and undergirded by principles and examples in the life of Christ.

Then again, imperfect as I am, I seek to be a Good Samaritan having the bowels of mercy and compassion equipped to minister to need with as much ease as I am blessed to offer.

More so, for the sake of circumstance and opportunity, to be engaged in conversation temporal and spiritual even if a Samaritan woman who having had five husbands is not too unworthy to be asked for a drink of water.

Yet as if possessed by Legion, constantly depressing the self-destruct button my story becomes an encounter of great testimony.

My ministry in action

My ministry is life lived in all ways and means, a never-ending tale of gratitude and thankfulness with many who have selflessly poured out of their means into my bosom.

For I have gifts, some well used and others badly wasted and as I write I seek to speak of justice, fairness, truth, compassion and hope.

My ministry is conventional, to see the least, the deprived, the different, the poor, the little, the smallest, the seeking, the asking, the anxious, the worried, the sick and many more, to love them for who they are, to accept them wholly, to appreciate them fully and to engage them as equals, talented, able and called to excellence.

My ministry of the lesser me

However, I am far from fulfilling that calling for the limitations of my humanity but I am strengthened to reach beyond myself to do things I never thought possible.

What is my ministry? To live, to tell, to voice, to care, to engage, to feel, to tell stories that with life, there are things to do and places to go.

I need no office, I need no title, I am blessed and beyond that I strive to be a blessing and that in itself takes me from day to day, through the rough and the tough, despair and hope unto the promise that each new day offers a new beginning.

The greatest ministry

We will not all be apostles, or prophets, or teachers, or pastors, or evangelists, or preachers, but we can be ordinary people, with heart, with soul, with empathy and with desire to think, to act, to help and to give succour.

In most cases that is what the other person needs, someone who is there to listen, to comfort, to encourage, to embolden, to offer a shoulder to cry on and just be human. That to me is ministry, it is the ministry we are all called to, everyday of our lives.

That is my ministry.

C3 Encounters 2012 - Day 3 (Session I) - Pastor Chris Pringle

Note: Day 3 of C3 Encounters 2012 consisted of 5 sessions of teaching from 4 pastors. Pastor Chris Pringle took the first and third sessions. Pastor Pat Ancliff took the second session, Pastor Simon McIntyre the fourth and Pastor Phil Pringle closed the conference in the fifth session. I will blog about each session in separate blogs.

Pastor Chris Pringle – At the Scent of Water

Pastor Chris started off by saying, “We were never meant to do this journey (Christian walk) alone ever.”

Then she began to expound on the essence of a seed. Everything begins with a small seed and though we may not see it, the tree is in the seed, the complete DNA of any future situation is already contained in the seed.

The secret of the seed is to plant it and allow it to stay in the ground, it first dies and then it comes to life, sprouting then growing into a tree, with branches, bring forth fruit and so on.

However, it is important we leave the seed in the ground for this miracle of life to happen, if we cannot wait patiently to allow that seed to dies in the ground, be watered and then sprout and grow, the seed will never fulfil the potential it has, that reality will never come to pass.

The seed is also like a dream, the Holy Spirit is sending rain upon our land to give life to the seed and life to our dreams. However, we need to Speak it, Declare it and Pray it for the dream to be realised.

She said she learnt from Pastor Phil Pringle that “You have to see it (conceive it) before your see it (receive it).”

Let them in

Then she began to talk of the role of women as partners in ministry. In her relationship, she said Pastor Phil is the Vision-caster but it is the women that give the vision colour and expression.

The men are to let their wives get involved, let them in, give them a voice, let them share and help the ministry thrive and grow.

The men are to allow their wives to be released in their expression that can enrich the ministry further.

Sow your best to God and this is what happens to the seed. John 12:24-25 “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.” (Message)

In sowing our best, we have to let go and let God take charge.

When you know you are in the centre of the will of God, the tree is in the seed and that seed is the seed of obedience.

Usually, it is when we are not ready that God is ready and we need to respond at that time. God sends His rain unto that seed.

We must dream big because dreams have a way of becoming reality.

Then she concluded with Job 14:7-9 (NLT)

7 “Even a tree has more hope! If it is cut down, it will sprout again and grow new branches.

8 Though its roots have grown old in the earth and its stump decays,

9 at the scent of water it will bud and sprout again like a new seedling.

C3 Men Conference - Deeper - Friday Night

Deeper – C3 Men Conference

My church, C3 Church organised a Men’s conference this weekend with the theme Deeper and it had as guest speakers Pastor Greg French, Pastor Nick Klinkenberg and the host Pastor Steven Warren.

Pastor Greg French heads up a ministry of interacting and ministering to men as fathers, husbands, sons, workers and ultimately Christians under the umbrella term Real Men.

Courtesy of a brother, my attendance was paid for and another brother offered to give me a ride to the venue which was at Naarderbos Golf Course bordering the amazingly beautiful Gooise Meer lake.

The deep things

On Friday night, after a time of intense worship where men bonded in unity of purpose and spirit were gathered, there were prayers, exhortations and introductions.

Pastor Greg French began his message on the subject of running the Christian race and finishing well.

His first scriptural reference came from (Psa 42:7 KJV) Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

(Psa 42:7 NKJV) Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.

This he interpreted as the deep things of God calling on the deep things in the heart of man.

Referring the introductory exhortation, he then said David came to terms with his humanity but he needed Nathan the prophet to bring him to that realisation.

The race

The core references for the evening however came from.

(1Co 9:24 KJV) Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

Contrasting the concept of knowing with that of just being aware, we needed to know we in a race with the purpose of winning the prize and the ability to excel will only come from allowing God to do what we allow Him to do in our lives.

(1Co 9:25 GNB) Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever.

Still on the subject of entering a race to win, there is a regimen involved in the decision to participate in a race with the crown being the people we have by reason of our Christian living are able to impact all around us.

(1Co 9:26-27 KJV) I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Our race has to be purposeful, it has to have a goal and the example our life presents is dependent on the discipline and discipleship we subject ourselves to so that those to whom we stand as role models will see us as such - It is why we need people speaking into our lives to ensure we retain our focus.

(1Co 9:27 NKJV) But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

With this version of the last verse, the message developed towards not being disqualified from one’s purpose and how to ensure one’s purpose is fulfillied.

Disqualified from one's purpose

Pastor French when delved into how we appear to be purposeful in creating resolutions and then fail to realise our good intentions with the striking statement, “We waste our lives by making statements that we do not follow through.”

How to be resolved

With that, he used the following scriptural references to help us understand how to be resolved, resolute, run the race and win the prize.

(Heb 12:1-2 NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He inferred that whilst there was a great sense of security by reason of the cloud of witnesses mostly assumed to be angelic, men needed other men as witnesses, supporters, admonishers, confidants and people who enthuse in helping to run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Our persuasion

In context, he noted that Jesus decided to be bigger than the problem before him to achieve the success ahead of him and it behoves us to appreciate that we are resourced to be bigger than the problems that surround us to be to successful.

With this, he indicated we need to be focused, then used the story of a fit woman piling on weights to reflect the problems of being overweight to an almost morbidly obese person showing who unnecessary weights burdens impact a person’s ability and agility.

When you carry what you should not be carrying, it ages you.

Lay aside

The admonition to “Lay aside every weight” is made in the context that it is my choice to do the laying aside as well as understanding that when temptation comes, we do have the power to overcome temptation.

Those two verses were weighty in their import as he told a personal story about how he mistakenly donated his wife’s best clothes in a mix-up during a house move that ended in the moral - Think before you act – a good few of us could relate.

In reading the other verses, a number of points were developed.

(Heb 12:3-6 NKJV) For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "MY SON, DO NOT DESPISE THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD, NOR BE DISCOURAGED WHEN YOU ARE REBUKED BY HIM; FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE CHASTENS, AND SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

Lay aside – According to the Macquarie dictionary employed a definition that ran similar to – Laying aside every aside that impedes our focus and progress.

The extended lesson to thinking before acting was that “Impulsive actions can be costly.”

Consider what is to keep and what to discard.

We men have a tendency to hoard and hence keep things we do not need, giving the example of a friend who had over 20 claw hammers, this friend seemed to have a story pertaining to each hammer but for practical purposes there was no reason to have more than one claw hammer.

By hoarding the unnecessary we tend to keep the things that clutter up our lives.

The stories, anecdotes and analogies he gave wove into each other offering useful snippets of advice and admonition.

Be decisive.

We need to stop hanging on to things that are unnecessary, however, that requires we be decisive and in being decisive discipline brings results.

The thought of discipline appears to indicate hardship but he said, “Discipline brings freedom to the undisciplined.” Discipline should not be seen as a restriction but the introduction of order and structure.

We must make the right the decisions; get one principle and act upon it.

Lay aside every sin.

The longing prayer of man should be - God give me the power to act and be strengthened against the things that easily befall me.

Perseverance is linked to endurance, God strengthens us to run with endurance.

Closing

At the end of an hour long message, we closed with prayer and a moving testimony as to how a brother agonised, prayed, cried and dared in the quest for a wife and how his prayer got answered.

It was an evening that allowed for the brotherhood of Christian men to offer meaningful and strengthening messages to each other for the purpose of being real men to ourselves, our families and communities at large.