By ACNS staff
The Most Rev'd Dr. S Tilewa Johnson has announced that he is charging his bishops of his internal province with areas of responsibility such as the environment, property and youth.
In his maiden speech at his enthronement at the end of November, Archbishop Tilewa revealed that, as part of his role as Metropolitan Archbishop, he has decided that bishops should take on the following additional roles.
"The Bishop of Freetown will be in charge of estate development and property matters, the Bishop of Guinea, who is currently CPWA Dean, will also serve as the bishop in charge of worship and liturgical matters. The Bishop of Liberia will be the bishop in charge of theology and theological formation in our internal province.
"The Bishop of Bo will serve as the bishop responsible for matters relating to agriculture, ecology and climate change. The Bishop of Cameroun will be the overseer of our children, youth and women ministries in the internal province. the Bishop of Gambia will be the bishop responsible for ecumencial affairs and inter faith matters."
The Primate, who himself communicates via Twitter and Facebook, also revealed that that the council formed to arrange the internal province's synod would be done mainly using the digital technology including Skype.
In September, the synod agreed a proposal to adopt a constitutional change that would see the creation of two internal provinces with two archbishops, in the style of the Church of England.
The Statement is below.
ENDS
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STATEMENT BY THE PRIMATE AND METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOP OF THE CPWA ON THE DAY OF THE ENTHRONEMENT - SUNDAY, 18th NOVEMBER, 2012 AT SAINT MARY'S CATHEDRAL, BANJUL.
GOD'S DEAR PEOPLE, I WISH I COULD LOVE YOU A FRACTION AS MUCH AS GOD LOVES EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. THE LOVE OF GOD INDEED PASSES ALL HUMAN UNDERSTANDING. THOUGH A MYSTERY, THE EFFECTS ARE REAL - GOD GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, FOR US AND OUR SALVATION. OURS IS TO MAKE CHRIST KNOWN IN OUR GENERATION, USING WORDS, IF NECESSARY. BUT I AM QUITE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT ONE CANNOT GIVE WHAT ONE DOES NOT POSSESS. MAY CHRIST INDEED DWELL IN OUR HEARTS, THAT WE MAY SHOW FORTH IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIFE AND LIVING THAT WE HAVE, BY GRACE, SOMETHING PRECIOUS TO GIVE TO OUR WORLD.
I PRAY, AND DO PRAY WITH ME, THAT MY WATCHWORD DURING MY WATCH AS PRIMATE AND METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOP WILL BE ST. MARK 9: 35.
"IF ANYONE WANTS TO BE A LEADER, HE MUST MAKE HIMSELF LAST, AND BE THE SERVANT OF ALL."
ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS, CLERGY, YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE VICE PRESIDENT - MADAM AJARATOU DR. ISATOU NJIE - SAIDY, YOUR EXCELLENCIES, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, ESTEEMED GUESTS FROM THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE USA, THE UNITED SOCIETY OF THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL (USPG) SOON TO BE Us, THE COUNCIL OF ANGLICAN PROVINCES OF AFRICA (CAPA), THE NETWORK OF BIBLICAL STORYTELLERS, AUNTY ELFREDA TAYLOR, REPRESENTING THE SIERRA LEONEANS IN LONDON, ENGLAND, SPECIAL GUESTS FROM THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY, OUR POLITICAL LEADERS HERE PRESENT, OUR BELOVED ROMAN CATHOLIC AND METHODIST AND PROTESTANT AND PENTECOSTAL SISTERS AND BROTHERS, MEMBERS OF THE INTERNAL PROVINCE OF GHANA, MEMBERS OF THE INTERNAL PROVINCE OF WEST AFRICA,
I THANK YOU MOST PROFUSELY FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THE INDEFATIGABLE ENTHRONEMENT COORDINATING COMMITTEE IS EXTREMELY HAPPY THAT THIS ENTHRONEMENT HAS TURNED OUT TO BE THIS GLORIOUS! MY DEAR BELOVED WIFE, PRISCILLA IS ELATED AND DEEPLY THANKFUL TO THE LORD FOR GRANTING US GOOD SUCCESS! THE ANGLICAN FAMILY IN WEST AFRICA IS OVERJOYED - YOUR PRESENCE AND PARTICIPATION HAVE IN NO SMALL MEASURE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EXTRAORDINARY SUNDAY!
AFTER THANKING YOU FROM THE VERY BOTTOM OF MY HEART......PLEASE ALLOW ME TO DO ONE MORE THING.... TO ANNOUNCE THE PRO-TEM ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES I WILL BE ASSIGNING MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS OF THE INTERNAL PROVINCE OF WEST AFRICA (IpWA). THESE PRO-TEM ASSIGNMENTS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE FIRST SYNOD OR ASSEMBLY OF THE SAID INTERNAL PROVINCE IS CONVENED.
THE BISHOP OF FREETOWN WILL BE THE IN CHARGE OF ESTATE DEVELOPMENT AND PROPERTY MATTERS
THE BISHOP OF GUINEA, WHO IS THE CURRENT CPWA DEAN, WILL ALSO SERVE AS THE BISHOP IN CHARGE OF WORSHIP AND LITURGICAL MATTERS
THE BISHOP OF LIBERIA WILL BE THE BISHOP IN CHARGE OF THEOLOGY AND THEOLOGICAL FORMATION IN OUR INTERNAL PROVINCE
THE BISHOP OF BO WILL SERVE AS THE BISHOP RESPONSIBLE FOR MATTERS RELATING TO AGRICULTURE, ECOLOGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
THE BISHOP OF CAMEROUN WILL BE THE OVERSEER OF OUR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND WOMEN MINISTRIES IN THE INTERNAL PROVINCE
THE BISHOP OF GAMBIA WILL BE THE BISHOP RESPONSIBLE FOR ECUMENICAL AFFAIRS AND INTER-FAITH MATTERS
IN PREPARATION OF THE FIRST SYNOD OF THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED INTERNAL PROVINCE, I WOULD BE INVITING SOME PRIESTS AND MEMBERS OF THE LAITY TO CONSTITUTE A SMALL COUNCIL OF ADVICE. WE WILL WORK MOSTLY VIA THE INTERNET AND SKYPE.
THE MEMBERS OF THE SAID COUNCIL OF ADVICE WILL BE JUSTICE SAMUEL OLU MACARTHY CHANCELLOR OF GUINEA, JUSTICE JAMESETTA WOWLOKOLI. DEPUTY CHANCELLOR OF LIBERIA, JUSTICE DR ADE RENNER- THOMAS, CHANCELLOR OF FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE, SISTER HANNAH ACY PETERS (THE GAMBIA), ONE PRIEST TO BE NOMINATED BY BISHOP OF CAMEROUN AND ANOTHER PRIEST TO BE NOMINATED BY THE BISHOP OF GUINEA.
THIS TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL SERVE UNTIL THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST SYNOD OF THE IpWA. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS WILL BE ASKED TO RATIFY ALL CONCRETE PROPOSALS FROM THIS GROUP.
DO PRAY FOR THE PRIMATE'S APPOINTEES AS THEY UNDERTAKE THE FOUNDATION BUILDING ASSIGNMENTS IN PREPARATION FOR OUR FIRST FORMAL ASSEMBLY AS A NEWLY CREATED INTERNAL PROVINCE WITHIN THE CPWA.
I END THIS STATEMENT BY REITERATING OUR GRATEFUL THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE ACCOMPANY US IN THIS JOURNEY THUS FAR.
MADAM VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS - YOUR EXCELLENCY, AJARATOU DR ISATOU NJIE-SAIDY, AND YOUR DISTINGUISHED ENTOURAGE, REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC - H. E. SHEIKH PROF. ALHAJI DR YAYA A J J JAMMEH, I WISH TO SAY THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH FOR COMING AND ALSO TO ASSURE YOU THAT I MEAN EVERY WORD STATED IN THE SOUVENIR BROCHURE ON PAGE 5.
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO THE SAID TEXT, THIS IS WHAT I SINCERELY STATED, " I CANNOT END WITHOUT EXPRESSING ON BEHALF OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF THE PROVINCE OF WEST AFRICA, THE DIOCESE OF GAMBIA AND ON MY OWN BEHALF, OUR SINCEREST THANKS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT WE HAVE ENJOYED FROM HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA SHEIKH PROFESSOR ALHAJI DR YAHYA A J J JAMMEH AND THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT OF THE GAMBIA IN THE EXECUTION OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THIS ENTHRONEMENT. MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS AND STRENGTHEN THE HARMONIOUS RELATIONS WHICH HAPPILY EXIST BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE IN OUR DEAR MOTHERLAND."
MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, I AM SO DELIGHTED THAT THE HEAD OF STATE HAS ASKED YOU TO GRACE THIS HISTORIC OCCASION.
GOD BLESS ECOWAS, GOD BLESS THE CHURCH OF THE PROVINCE OF WEST AFRICA, GOD BLESS THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF THE GAMBIA.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
++TILEWA WEST AFRICA
XVIII.XI.MMXII