wfn.org | [ENS] Ugandan-born Sentamu becomes England's first African Archbishop

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Ugandan-born Sentamu becomes England's first African Archbishop

By Matthew Davies

ENS 113005-1

[ENS] Ugandan-born John Tucker Mugabi Sentamu was inaugurated as the
97th Archbishop of York during a colorful and ground-breaking ceremony
at York's ancient Minster in Northern England on November 30, making
him the first African to hold the position.

"It is my sense that the 97th Archbishop of York, with his commitment to
spreading the gospel message, will be a blessing not only to the Church
of England but to the Anglican Communion as well," said Presiding Bishop
Frank Griswold. "My prayers are with him as he begins this new chapter."

"This is a wonderful moment for all of us in the Anglican Communion,"
said Margaret Larom, director of the Episcopal Church's Office of Anglican
and Global Relations (AGR). "I am sure John Sentamu's leadership will
benefit the wider church in significant ways."

The historic oaths, combined with Anglican choral music, Ugandan praise
music, and the seating of the newly installed Archbishop in the cathedra
-- the Archiepiscopal seat of York Minster -- were witnessed by more than
2,500 people attending the service, including Archbishop of Canterbury
Rowan Williams, senior clergy from the Dioceses of Birmingham, London
and York, Primates of the Anglican Communion and bishops of the Church
of England.

Bishop Don Taylor, vicar bishop for New York, was also in attendance.

During the sermon, Sentamu, 56, challenged those who are judgmental
and moralizing to find friends among the poor, the marginalized, the
vulnerable, "among the young, among older people, and those in society who
are demonized and dehumanized; and stand shoulder to shoulder with them."

After Williams anointed Sentamu with oil, one of the ancient customs of
the ceremony, the two archbishops embraced and the congregation burst
into applause.

Following the service, which lasted almost three hours, Sentamu proceeded
to St. Michael-le-Belfrey Church, located next to the Minster, to visit
people who had watched the service on a large screen.

"It's a great day for the Anglican Communion," said Canon James Rosenthal,
director of communications for the Anglican Communion Office, after the
service. "It shows unequivocally how our fellowship and common heritage
can be shared."

As Primate of England and Archbishop of the Province of York, which
includes 14 dioceses in the northern half of England, Sentamu is
responsible for the pastoral oversight of bishops and clergy in that
province, as well as providing support to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He
also becomes Diocesan Bishop of York, assisted by Suffragan Bishops in
three archdeaconries.

Sentamu will be a leading spokesman on behalf of the Church of England
and one of the Presidents of the General Synod, the Church of England's
main governing body, and the Archbishop's Council.

He will also assume the roles of chairman and president of various
other Church bodies and become patron of more than 200 charities and
organizations.

Born and educated in Uganda, Sentamu graduated in Law from Makerere
University, Kampala, and is an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda.

After seeking sanctuary in Britain in 1974, he read theology at Selwyn
College, Cambridge, where he gained a Master's Degree and a Doctorate.
He was appointed Bishop of Stepney in 1996 and Bishop of Birmingham,
England, in 2002.

Sentamu succeeds Dr. David Hope, who resigned in February 2005 to become
a parish priest in Ilkley, West Yorkshire.

Larom recalled Sentamu's "sensible and sensitive ministry" to the more
than 300 participants who attended G-CODE 2000, the Global Conference on
Dynamic Evangelism, a mid-point review of the Decade of Evangelism held
in 1995 in Kanuga, North Carolina. "At that time, Sentamu was vicar of
Holy Trinity Church, Tulse Hill, London, and already had gained a strong
reputation as an evangelist," Larom said.

As a member of the G-CODE planning group, Sentamu had special
responsibilities for worship, prayer, and pastoral matters during the
conference and "his gifts made a significant contribution to one of the
most important Anglican gatherings in recent memory," she added.

"John has utilized well the gifts and talents that God entrusted with him
and has made significant differences in lives of various kinds of people,"
said the Rev. Emmanuel Sserwadda, AGR's interim Africa officer. "He is a
listener, a uniter and a reconciler who speaks the truth of the Gospel
of Christ. He will be an enormous asset to the Church of England and
the wider Anglican Communion."

In choosing a new Archbishop of York -- a historic succession that dates
back to 627 A.D.-- the Crown Nominations Commission, which oversees
the selection process for bishops in the Church of England, sought an
Archbishop with a vision for and confidence in mission; a risk taker;
an accessible and open-hearted pastor; and someone with a concern for
the poor and for social justice.

Furthermore, the newly appointed archbishop is expected to be a clear
"focus of unity, a bridge-builder and reconciler in a diverse and
multi-faith society," said Bishop Richard Frith of Hull, chair of the
York Vacancy in See committee, during the November 30 ceremony.

Sentamu's stated priorities for ministry have been "to seek God's rule
of justice, righteousness, peace and love; to be part of God's movement
of change, meeting real concerns with real life; to reach out to all
by standing at the intersection where human need and God's love meet;
being willing to take risks and be vulnerable, the servant of others
as Christ was servant of all; and praying constantly, sharing in God's
groanings and broken heartedness for his world."

Sentamu is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His interests include
music, cooking, reading, athletics, rugby and football.

He is married to Margaret, a senior selection secretary in the Ministry
Division of the Archbishops' Council, and they have two grown-up children,
Grace and Geoffrey.

The full text of Archbishop Sentamu's sermon can be found online at:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/40/75/acns4084.cfm.

Background information and photographs: http://
www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/40/75/acns4084a.cfm.

-- Matthew Davies is international correspondent / multimedia manager
for Episcopal News Service.

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