wfn.org | TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND PEOPLE OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF RWANDA

[a.whitefield@quest.org.uk]

Title:TO THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF RWANDA
June 26, 1997
ANGLICAN COMMUNION NEWS SERVICE
Canon Jim Rosenthal, Director of Communications
Anglican Communion Office
London, England

[97.6.3.5]

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(ACNS) TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY AND PEOPLE OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF
RWANDA

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

              I am overjoyed to be able to send you greetings at this
momentous time in the continuing story of God's church in Rwanda. I give
thanks to God that through all the pain, suffering, and darkness which
you have all been through, this new chapter in your common life is now
opening. This indeed is a clear sign that God is blessing his people
even in the midst of the darkness. I pray that, as you join together for
the consecration and enthronement of the new Bishop of Shyogwe, as you
have done in previous weeks for other dioceses, and will do again in the
coming days, each one of you will see in these symbolic acts within the
Episcopal Church of Rwanda, the signs of God's love for you.

              But as I have said, this is the beginning of a new
chapter. The appointment of new bishops in itself does not create the
answers to all the problems which continue to beset you as a Church or
as a nation. What it does is to create a fresh opportunity to create a
new vision of the mission and ministry of the Church. I hope and pray
that the House of Bishops, together with Provincial and Diocesan Synods
will now take up this challenge. It is imperative that the divisions of
the past are set aside. By this, I do not mean that you should forget
what has happened to your people - of course not. That is now a part of
your life which will affect you all the rest of your lives. Rather, you,
as disciples of Christ, face a new situation a situation in which your
country needs you to be united, to be a lamp set upon a hill for all who
seek moral and spiritual guidance at this time. So let me briefly offer
you thoughts on three areas of Church life which I hope you will take
very seriously as you seek to create your renewed vision.

              Firstly, our Anglican tradition is an ordered tradition.
By that I mean that it has a clear structure of leadership. Bishops and
clergy play a key part in setting and implementing the vision of the
Church. That is an enormous privilege, and it is an enormous
responsibility. Those of you who are ordained to these positions have a
duty to be transparent in every aspect of your life, so that your people
may see Christ through you. In prayer, in study, in your working
together as one body, in your care for one another, you are called to
demonstrate the life of Christ. It is also part of our tradition that
those called to leadership are called into service - servants of Christ,
certainly, but also servants of the people. Your prime task is to enable
all your Sisters and brothers in Christ to be truly the People of God.
If your leadership is in this style it will become a great blessing to
the Church. If it is not, then the trust which is so vital to human
relationships will be destroyed.

              Secondly, I hope you will reflect very carefully together
on the role of the Church in the nation as a whole. This I know is a
sensitive area, and you will want to avoid mistakes of the past. But, as
the old First World War poster in England used to say, "Your country
needs you". I know that your Government wants the Episcopal Church to
play a positive and constructive role in the continuing urgent task of
rebuilding Rwanda. They want to hear the united voice of the Church
giving a moral and spiritual lead to the people. They want to see the
sort of practical, people-based community involvement for which
Anglicanism is renowned throughout the world. Your Government has a hard
task ahead of it, and it needs to work with you, to collaborate with
you. That does not mean that you have to give uncritical support to
everything which is done. Part of the role of visionaries, of prophets
is to be able to see the wider picture, and to speak out clearly when
damage is being done. Governments, however determined they are to do
what is right, make mistakes. In the face of so many problems, your
government would be superhuman if it made none. Your prophetic words and
actions at such times will be better received in the context of
constructive engagement with the Government than if you are seen only to
stand on the sidelines and shout denunciations.

              Thirdly, I believe your country desperately needs to hear
a confident, united witness by all the Churches This will demonstrate
that reconciliation can be achieved even when there have been centuries
of disagreement. I hope you will take the initiative to bring all the
Churches together to speak and act as one at every conceivable
opportunity. You do not have to agree on every jot of theology in order
to present a common face to the world. Some will say it takes too much
time and effort to find the common ground. I disagree. Given the will to
do it, it can happen, and it will have a powerful effect upon the
country. Some of your ecumenical partners may need to be convinced of
the need. I hope and pray that the Episcopal Church in Rwanda will be in
the lead in insisting that ecumenical collaboration is at the heart of
the process of reconciliation in the country.

 My brothers and sisters, you are all so much in my heart and in my
prayers. May this time be a new beginning for you all; may you all be
inspired to an ever-deepening commitment to Christ our Lord; and may God
the Holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love, defend you on every
side and guide you in truth and peace. God bless you all.

                            Yours ever in Christ,

                            + George Cantur

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