What an Amazing Week

Full of Blessings

What an incredible week this has been!

On Sunday, I installed the new Dean of the Cathedral in Mahajanga. I’m thrilled to welcome Father Noely and his family to the diocese.

On Monday, the clergy gathered at my house for a day of food and fellowship. We spent time strategizing how we might more fully develop the Diocese of Mahajanga. My time with my priests and deacons was very important, giving us time as a team to talk about how we can best work together to make sure that we are on the same page in setting the priorities for the Diocese. I love my priests. I love the way that they are seeking to serve the gospel - some in urban areas and some in the far flung reaches of the villages of the Diocese. In each case, I heard of grassroots training and evangelism. I heard of the very practical things they are doing for children’s ministry. I heard of their challenges; the challenges go hand in hand with the profound poverty of the Diocese. Several priests ask again, if I could help provide the means so that they could build churches for their growing congregations. One of my parishes has 29 congregations spread across 100 square kilometers. The priest there spends far too much time on motorbike and even more walking from village to village to meet these very humble, but vibrant Christians. They are praying and trusting the Lord provides what they need for their daily sustenance, When they pray, give us our daily bread, they mean it in a very different way than we do in the west.

On Tuesday I opened the ninth Synod of the Diocese of Mahajanga which took us into Thursday. Our priorities for this synod was to spent time in worship together, fellowship together, and complete necessary business proceedings. We received the reports of the parishes and treasurers. We heard the reports from various ministry groups- RIATA (young people), men’s association, and the Mother’s union. The two main topics were to present the strategy for the Diocese including church planting and evangelism. Deacon Jean, as he was then, gave a marvellous presentation, which, after some appropriate questions was moved unanimously by the Diocese as our Diocese strategic plan. Together with the church planting and evangelism strategy, our hope was that we would pass a series of amendments to the cannons and constitution of the Diocese. Archdeacon Constant, together with the Chancellor gave a clear, precise presentation of these changes and we were successful in passing 28 motions to make appropriate and timely changes to the cannons and constitution.

On Thursday afternoon, the highlight of Synod, was the closing Eucharist in which I had the enormous privilege of commissioning two evangelists and ordaining three new priests. I worked very hard to hold back tears of joy as the evangelist made their promises to serve God faithfully, to preach the Bible and uphold the authority of the scriptures, and faithful go where sent so that they might be used by the Lord to build His kingdom. Likewise, the Deacons, as they were being ordained priests, made the historic promises of the Anglican ordinal… With a terrifying phrase “You know the horrible punishment that will ensue” if by your negligence or ignorance, one of these sheep for whom Christ shed His blood, are lead astray.

I’m grateful that so many people prayed for me to be able to speak to these men in their mother tongue. God gave me the ability to speak the ordination right in Malagasy. In all honesty, I can’t remember being so nervous in a long time; I felt rather like it was my first mass after having been ordained a priest, with fear and trepidation approaching the altar. In this case, I felt very much the same. I wanted to speak in Malagasy clearly so that the Christians, those being ordained, and even more so that God would know the intent of my heart. Thank you for your prayers. I was especially move that I anointed the ordinance’s head, lips, heart, and hands so that they might think as Jesus thinks, speak as Jesus speaks, love as Jesus loves, and serve as Jesus serves.

There was a poignant moment at the end of the ordination when the priests of the Diocese greeted the three new priests. Amongst those clergy was a deacon visiting from the Diocese of Toamasina, the father of one of the new priests. When he came to his son to greet him, his son embraced him, picked him up in fine Malagasy fashion, and danced him in circles. I wiped tears of joy from my cheeks as I watched the great privilege of a father, who is a deacon in the church, joining his son, who is now a priest in the church… behold, we have a goodly heritage.

My Synod and the Ordination will together cost around $4,500. To make a donation in support of these costs please use either of these links:

SAMS Donation

Into All The World (Canada) Donate

After the accustomed Malagasy speeches, I announced the placement of the priests and deacons of the Diocese. This is a weighty responsibility of the Bishop. I have prayed a lot for wisdom. I have sought the advice from my brother Bishop’s. I have saw the guidance of my Archdeacon, vicar general, and Administrator, and I have taken decision.

I ask your prayers, especially for those of my priests who will move from the parishes where they presently serve to serve in other parts of the Diocese. And as you pray for them, pray for their wives and children.

What an extraordinary week. I am writing this Substack from the airport in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, where I am awaiting my flight to Chicago so that I can go to commencement at Nashotah House. The house very kindly is conferring a degree of humane letters on me on Honoris Causa… I don’t deserve such an honour. I am to speak at commencement as those who are receiving their ordination degrees with all of their excitement graduate from the house and go to the various parts of North America and around the world where they have been called to serve. It is a great privilege to speak at such an occasion, so I ask your prayers that God would speak to me and through me for the sake of those graduates.

After my time at Nashotah House, I will go home to Canada for a small holiday and so that I can attend the confirmation of my son. Chase will be confirmed by the hands of Bishop Donald Harvey, the same Bishop who baptized him. But also the same Bishop who baptized me, confirmed me, and ordained me a deacon and priest. He confirmed Neny Sarah and officiated at our marriage. This will be a very special time… So again, I ask your prayers for travelling mercies, I ask your prayers for Chase as he prepares for his confirmation, I ask your prayers for me as I prepare my commencement address - that in all these things the Lord Jesus will be glorified.