wfn.org | ACNS Episcopal Church in Burundi strengthens ties with UK

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ACNS 3843     |     AFRICA	|     16 JUNE 2004

Church in Burundi strengthens ties with UK

[ACNS] The Episcopal Church of Burundi has strengthened its close ties
with Coventry diocese in the UK through the visit of a peace and
reconciliation delegation from the diocese's cathedral.

The Cathedral Church of Holy Trinity in Bujumbura - Burundi's capital -
received the delegation from Coventry's Community of the Cross of Nails
earlier this month. The community is Coventry Cathedral's international
ministry of peace and reconciliation. The delegation from the UK was led
by the Revd Canon Justin Welby.

The Revd Canon Paul Ntukamazina, the Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral said
on the occasion, "We feel so encouraged to be part of such a big
Christian Family through this Community of the Cross of Nails. This
visit has been a great blessing to us all."

Canon Justin presented a cross of nails to Holy Trinity from the Bishop
of Coventry, the Rt Revd Colin Bennetts, and the Cathedral's Dean, the
Very Revd John Irvine.

Canon Justin said, "The Community of the Cross of Nails will be greatly
enriched by a partnership with this Cathedral. Your courage amidst
suffering inspires and challenges us to pray and to help where we can."
The community has more than 200 centres in 60 countries, each working
for reconciliation in their own communities.

The Cross of Nails is a symbol of faith and hope in a God who
reconciles, loves, and forgives. The original was made from three 14th
Century nails found in the charred ruins of Coventry Cathedral after it
was destroyed in a 1940 air raid during World War II. The then-provost,
Richard Howard promised "Our enemies will become our friends." The
Community of the Cross of Nails facilitates partnership that enables
each participating community to contribute from its own experiences its
pain, its hopes, its own insights into conflict, and its own dynamic for
reconciliation.

Burundi is a small landlocked country bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania,
Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The 11 years of civil war
in Burundi have seen the death of some 300,000 people and the
displacement of 800,000 as refugees to these neighbouring countries,
particularly Tanzania.

As a result of negotiations between the different groups and political
parties involving leaders such as Nelson Mandela and the intervention of
the African Union there is hope that very soon the crisis will come to
an end. The period of transition is due to finish at the end of October
2004 when the process of electing a new president and government should
take place.

There are at least 625,000 Anglicans in Burundi out of an estimated
population of just over six million. An Anglican presence was
established through the work of the Church Mission Society (CMS) in the
1930s and grew rapidly as a result of the East African Revival. The
first national Bishop was consecrated in 1965 and Buye diocese was
created covering the whole country. The province now consists of five
dioceses. In 1975 Buye diocese was divided into two and Bujumbura
diocese was created. The Episcopal Church of Burundi has existed as a
province since 1992.

___________________________________________________________________
ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London, is
distributed to more than 7,500 journalists and other readers around
the world.

For subscription INFORMATION please go to:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.html

To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your address, please click here:
http://mh.epicom.org/scripts/c.php?L=acns&E=gconklin@igc.org