Parish Visit to Maevatanana

My First Episcopal Visit

I'm writing this Substack from a hotel in Antananarivo, having just arrived here for my first visit to the parish of Maevatanana. Maevatanana is a six-hour drive from Mahajanga. I’m never more grateful for Tojo, my driver, than when we are maneuvering the crazy roads of Madagascar!

When I arrived at the entrance to the city, I was met by Father Joanson, the parish priest, and all the members of the Parish Committee. The congregation in Maevatanana is one of my smallest parishes with about 40 souls. They meet each Sunday in the City Hall and have been growing slowly. They are struggling to endorse their position as a church because the local mentality is that only ‘sects’ worship in buildings which are not proper churches. When I met with the Parish Committee, they said that having a space of their own, which they can use throughout the week, is their number one challenge.

We took the time to go see some land which is for sale, and to see a couple of houses which could serve as a place for the priest and his family to live but also serve as a house church.

We celebrated Holy Communion where, as is my custom until I learn Malagasy, I preached and pronounced the Absolution and the Blessing. We met in between Feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost – so I brought a word of encouragement about having to wait on the Lord. While we wait - we pray, as we pray - we preach and study the Bible, and at the same time, we do the work which is before us. This is exactly what the apostles did. They prayed, Peter preached, and taught from the bible, and they got down to the practical matters of replacing Judas (they held an electoral synod!).

I encouraged the Christians in Maevatanana to do the same: keep praying, keep preaching, keep studying the Bible, and keep doing the work of Ministry. The Lord will provide in His time.

This is true for all of us, as we wait. There are many things which we are waiting for…some small, some big, some worrisome, some exciting, but in each case, we should pray, preach, study the Bible, and do the work of ministry – in His good, no, in His perfect time, He will show us and do for us what is for our good and His glory!