wfn.org | ACNS- New Anglican Archbishop of Kenya enthroned

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

ACNS 3158 - KENYA - 10 October 2002

New Archbishop of Kenya enthroned

[CAPA] The fourth Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya, Benjamin
Mwanzia Nzimbi, was enthroned on Sunday 22 September, at a colourful
ceremony at the All Saints' Cathedral in Nairobi. Thousands of Anglicans and
representatives of other religious groups attended the enthronement service,
which was also attended by many political leaders.

Archbishop Donald Mtetemela of the Anglican Province of Tanzania delivered
the sermon in which he challenged both religious and political leaders to
practice humility and servanthood. "For some of us bishops, our
congregations have to go through a ritual of bureaucracy to see us - this is
not the way of our Lord", he said amid cheers from the congregation.

The acting dean of the Province of Kenya, the Rt Revd Stephen Njihia Mwangi
of Nakuru Diocese was the service celebrant, which was marked by
interjections of song, dance and poetry. The Provincial Chancellor, Advocate
Tom Onyango swore in the Archbishop-elect who vowed to uphold the church
constitution.

Congratulatory messages from the Episcopal Church of the United States of
America (ECUSA), the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican
Communion in London were read to the congregation.

In his acceptance speech, Archbishop Nzimbi said he would continue in the
footsteps of his predecessor, Dr David Gitari, in fighting injustice in the
society. "The church will not sit by as the rights of the voiceless are
trampled upon," he announced.

He said he would streamline the management of the church institutions such
as theological colleges and hospitals. The church would also take a key role
in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Archbishop Nzimbi, 57, becomes the fourth primate of the Anglican Church of
Kenya after Leonard Beecher, Festo Olang', Dr Manasses Kuria and Dr Gitari.
He holds a Bachelor of Education degree and a Master of Arts degree in
Non-Profit Management from Hamline University in St Paul, Minnesota, US.

[A photograph of Benjamin Mwanzia Nzimbi is available from
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/]
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