Diocesan Overseas Day: May 9th May at St Margaret’s Newlands
On May 9th there will be a day conference at St Margaret’s to consider how best the Diocese can respond to the many opportunities there are for engagement with the churches overseas and with some of the pressing issues around development and climate change.
Over the last forty years or so, our church’s overseas involvement has taken many forms. At one point, most of the work was related to two dioceses: St John’s in the Transkei and Nagpur in India. That was succeeded by a period when we had an overseas chaplain and links with many different churches. More recently, dioceses have had companion dioceses and we have had very fruitful links with Byumba, Kentucky and Gothenburg. Alongside those links, the Scottish Episcopal Church has played an active role in various campaigns and development initiatives: anti-apartheid, fair trade, Jubilee 2000 for international debt relief and the Make Poverty History campaign. All these different kinds of work are reflected in what individual congregations and members of the church are involved with, as well as in the kinds of work which are supported by the Provincial Overseas Committee.
There’s an opportunity now, as our current partnerships are coming or have come to an end, to take a look at the kind of work which we are doing and would like to develop and support as a Diocese. There’s a great deal going on: some congregations have links with congregations in Sweden; some have links in Africa, others in Asia. Many support fair trade. Some support missionaries overseas. The Mother’s Union works to combat human trafficking. Others have campaigned in support of smallholder farmers, or are concerned about climate change and what we can do to reduce carbon emissions and secure the future of the planet. And there is surely a great deal more going on than that.
So on May 9th from 10.30 – 3.30 there will be a day conference, where we can hear from different congregations and organisations about the work they are doing and consider how best it can be supported. We will be joined by Bishop Gregor and Canon Val Nellist, the convenor of the Provincial Overseas Committee. We also have the services of Isobel MacNaughtan, a great facilitator, to help us bring together our ideas and come up with some proposals on how we can move things forward.
Please come along to share your experience, any plans you have and to help us find ways to work more effectively together.
If you are thinking of coming, please contact John Riches on randj.riches@virgin.net.
