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KENYA: ARCHBISHOP ENTHRONED

From Audrey Whitefield <a.whitefield@quest.org.uk>
Date 27 Feb 1997 02:44:41
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Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 15:26:15 +0000
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Jan. 17, 1997
ANGLICAN COMMUNION NEWS SERVICE
Canon Jim Rosenthal, Director of Communications
The Anglican Communion Office
London, England

[97.1.3.7]

KENYA: ARCHBISHOP ENTHRONED

(ACNS) The Most Revd David Gitari was enthroned last Sunday (12 January)
at
All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi, and becomes Primate of the Anglican
Church
in Kenya and Bishop of Nairobi. The Revd Canon John L Peterson
represented
the ACC at the enthronement.

Archbishop Gitari said during the service that he would continue to ask
awkward questions on behalf of the people of Kenya. He said that while
the
state was happy when the Church engaged in social-development
programmes,
it complained when it asked about the causes of poverty, ignorance and
disease. He hoped that the friendly proximity of State House and
Bishopsbourne could be used for the benefit of all the people of Kenya,
and
that there would be frank and open dialogue.

In his Charge to the Church in Kenya, the Archbishop took the theme
"troubled but not destroyed". Using Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union as
examples, he emphasised that although the structures of the Church might
almost disappear under such circumstances, the Church could never be
destroyed, and would always exist to bear witness to serve the people.

The Revd Christopher Carey from CMS filed this report from Nairobi:

Message begins:

"Bishop David Gitari was enthroned on Sunday 12 January as the
Archbishop
of the Church of the Province of Kenya and Bishop of Nairobi, in All
Saints
Cathedral Nairobi. He is the third Archbishop of the CPK, his
predecessors
being Festo Olang' and Manasses Kuria. The service was attended by the
President of Kenya, Mr Daniel arap Moi and bishops, clergy and people
from
every Kenya diocese and form other parts of Africa and overseas. Much of
the music was of modern African composition, beautifully sung by a
variety
of choirs. The service was in the context of the modern Kenya Holy
Communion liturgy. The President spoke briefly urging all Christians to
pray faithfully for the nation and to continue to proclaim the Gospel
message.

Archbishop Michael Peers, Primate of Canada, was the preacher and
represented the Archbishop of Canterbury. In his Charge to the Church in
Kenya, Archbishop Gitari used the theme of the All Africa Conference of
Churches AACC for their 1998 Assembly "Troubled but not destroyed"
showing
how in many African nations today St Paul's words well describe the
churches' varied situations. Citing the survival of the churches in Nazi
Germany and the Soviet Union he emphasised that although the structures
of
the church may almost disappear under such circumstance, the church can
never be destroyed and will always exist to bear witness to the good
news
of Jesus Christ and to serve the people. The CPK is re-emphasising
mission
and evangelism and wants to reach out beyond its borders in mission.
Next
week a team of three Kenyans embarks on a three-month evangelistic
mission
to Ireland, the West Indies and North America. Within Kenya the
Archbishop
sees the need for spiritual renewal if the domestic problems of the
nation
are to be addressed effectively. Poverty, Ignorance and Disease were
heralded at Independence in 1963 as the nations chief enemies, and in
many
ways this is still the case, with a vastly larger population today. So
the
Development Programmes of the 23 dioceses handling work such as adult
education, rural development, primary health care, clean water supplies
and
small-scale agricultural development are vital to the nation's welfare
and
progress. The State is happy when the church engages in such social
development said the Archbishop, but complains when the church asks what
are the causes of Poverty, Ignorance and Disease. Archbishop Gitari
stressed that the Gospel is for all people in every aspect of their
lives
and that he would continue to ask the awkward questions of behalf of all
the people of Kenya. "Cain" has killed his brother so often in Kenya's
past
33 years of Independence. Kenya's challenge is:
1.  To respect the human rights of its citizens and stranger
2.  To ensure free and fair political elections
3.  To allow the freedom of many parties contesting elections in
accordance
    with the national Constitution
4.  To allow a free press and freedom of expression
5.  Citizens' freedom to assemble and to move freely
6.  To ensure the rule of Law, good governance and administrative
    transparency
7.  Economic reform to ensure a better deal for all rather than for the
    powerful few
8.  To stamp out bribery and corruption which distorts the economy in
    favour of the few
9.  To utilise the ethnic variety of the people of Kenya as a resource
    rather than a tool to inflame discord.
10. To promote good health education particularly about the scourge of
    AIDS and to pray for medical progress to be made regarding the
disease
    which affects so much of Africa.

We need to learn to listen to one another. President Moi has declared
1997
the year of Reconciliation in Kenya. May it be so both is society and in
the churches and across the denominational barriers. Describing how the
in
the colonial era, State House and Bishopsbourne were intentionally built
close to each other, the new Archbishop hoped that the friendly
proximity
could be used again for the benefit of all the people of Kenya as frank
and
open dialogue takes place between Church and State.

Archbishop Gitari's Installation was attended by other African
Archbishops
and Bishops; the General Secretary of the Anglican Communion, Canon John
Peterson; the General Secretary of the WCC Dr Konrad Raiser; the General
Secretary of the All African Conference of Churches Dr Jose Chipenda;
the
General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, the Rev
Mutava Musyimi; Bishop Eberhart Renz of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
of
Wuerttemberg, together with his Missions Secretary the Rev Albrecht
Hauser.
The Rev. Christopher Carey represented CMS London and the Mission
Agencies
of the Church of England.

After the five and a half hour service was over, in true African
hospitality, the entire very large congregation were all invited to a
meal,
in the grounds of the Cathedral or in the garden of Bishopsbourne, to
which
the new Archbishop will shortly be moving.

Report by the Rev. Christopher Carey, CMS Regional Secretary for East
and
Central Africa.

Three other international conferences this week brought additional
guests
to the Enthronement: Firstly the WCC Consultation on the human
environment
"Sokoni" (the market place) with 500 delegates due. This is organised by
Unit 3 of the WCC on Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation. It
will
be the last meeting of this size before the WCC 1998 Assembly.

Secondly a Conference hosted by Canon Patrick Sookhdeo's organisation,
Christians relating to Islam, examining the particular situations
churches
face when a small minority in Muslim nations. The keynote speaker is
Bishop
Josiah Idowu Fearon of the missionary diocese of Sokoto in Northern
Nigeria.

And thirdly, a pre-Lambeth Conference day gathering for all Anglican
bishops held on Monday in Nairobi hosted by Canon John Peterson, General
Secretary of the ACC London"

Message ends.
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