Mission Theologian commissioned to encourage Global South theologians

THE FIRST mission theologian in the Anglican Communion was commissioned during evensong at Canterbury Cathedral on Sunday 13 September.

The preacher, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, the secretary general of the Anglican Communion described the Rt Rev Dr Graham Kings, formerly Bishop of Sherborne, as the right man to be given this assignment because of his experience in Kenya, Sudan, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

The Dean commissioned Bishop Kings on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury, in association with Durham University and the Church Mission Society.

Speaking earlier of the appointment, Canon Philip Mounstephen of CMS said: “Bishop Graham Kings’ appointment is an initiative of the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is concerned that the significant theological and missiological insights of the Church in the global south should be better heard and understood in the rest of the Church – and particularly within the Anglican Communion.

“He invited CMS to be involved, and we completed the partnership with Durham University to ensure the academic credibility of the whole project. The focus will be on seminars, publications and scholarly exchanges – both south to north and south to south.”

He said that ‘all too often’ the significant wisdom and learning of theologians from Africa, Asia and South America was dismissed by western scholars and church leaders who, ‘quite frankly, should know better’.

“This post is an attempt to redress the balance.”

Archbishop Josiah said that he hoped that by the time Bishop Kings retired (he is currently 63) he would have reproduced himself among Africans and Asians.

The readings from Isaiah 49 1-6 and Romans 15 13-33, stressed that the gospel was too big to be confined to one culture, but should reach to the ends of the earth.

Archbishop Josiah stressed that the assignment was very important and difficult.

While the Church was growing in Africa more than other parts of the world there were no credible statistics to support this and most African Christians had no real knowledge of the word of God, or the history and doctrine of the Anglican Communion.

When they did have a problem many went not to the priest but to the traditional healer.

The African church was also as diverse as it was united. The Church should know that conversion to Christ does not mean abandonment of rational and analytical thinking as it faced the challenges of Islam, Pentecostalism and Traditional Religions.

He called for prayer for Bishop Kings since prayer put a barrier around someone to protect them in their ministry.