wfn.org | ACNS New 'Bishop In Mission' Appointed

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

ACNS 4055     |     UGANDA     |     21 OCTOBER 2005

New 'Bishop In Mission' Appointed

The Most Rev'd Henry Luke Orombi, Archbishop of Uganda, with the August
2004 consent of the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda, appointed
a priest of the Church of England, the Rev'd Prebendary Sandy Millar, as
Assistant Bishop in the Church of Uganda. He will be consecrated in
Uganda on 27th November 2005.

Bishop-elect Millar will be licensed to act as a Bishop in Mission in
the London Diocese using his wide experience as a church planter and
growth practitioner.

Preb. Millar has a long history with the Church of Uganda, including
preaching at Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi's enthronement at St. Paul's
Cathedral, Namirembe, Uganda, in January 2004.

The appointment of Preb. Millar as a Bishop in the Church of Uganda is
the result of the Church of Uganda responding to exploratory discussions
initiated in England in 2004 and has the full support and encouragement
of the Archbishop of Uganda, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan
Williams, and the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres. The House of
Bishops of the Church of Uganda was also very keen to support the Church
of England in this creative mission initiative.

Preb. Millar, who was Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, London, from 1985
to 2005 and is currently Priest-in-Charge of St Mark's Tollington Park,
north London, has had a large international ministry for many years as
one of the founders of the Alpha course. The Alpha Course is one of the
world's most significant missionary initiatives and is now running in
more than 35,000 churches of all denominations in 153 countries.

The Church of England's recent Mission-Shaped Church report urged a
rethink of traditional formats, recommending that bishops should be
'sufficiently free from administrative overload to be able to invest
time in a more apostolic role, developing mission strategy and taking
the lead in the discernment of priority mission initiatives.'

Requesting the Church of Uganda's assistance in consecrating a Bishop in
Mission to serve in London is part of the Anglican Church's response to
the Mission-Shaped Church report.

Archbishop Orombi said, "More than one hundred years ago, missionaries
from the Church of England brought to us in Uganda the light and hope of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are very pleased now to be able to
reciprocate and return to England, through Sandy Millar's consecration
in our House of Bishops, the Gospel message of life transformed through
a relationship with Jesus Christ, which Sandy has so powerfully preached
his whole life."

Bishop-elect Millar will be formally welcomed to the Province of
Canterbury by the Archbishop of Canterbury and licensed by the Bishop of
London at a service in St Paul's Cathedral.

The Rt. Rev'd Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, said, 'This is an
example of collaboration between provinces to the benefit of the
worldwide communion. We are enormously grateful to Archbishop Orombi and
the Ugandan Church for making this possible."

Bishop Chartres added, "Sandy Millar has unique experience in church
growth and this new appointment makes it possible for his gifts to be
deployed on a wide canvas. Sandy has got absolutely unique wisdom and
experience about how a community flourishes; what the right balance
between order and freedom really is. He is a Professor of Church
Planting as well."

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