Diocese of Chichester

CHICHESTER Diocese has had Companion Links with the Anglican churches in West Africa and Kenya since the Sixties. Over the years it has built mutual fellowship and cultural exchange through hospitality and worship. Churches and individuals in Chichester Diocese have supported link dioceses by offering grants to students studying in a recognised college.

One is Carlile College in Kenya and two students who have completed their courses with a supporting grant from Chichester Diocese are Jane Wambui Irungu and Martin Abel Lenaola.

They recently spoke to Father Andrew Birks via Zoom. Fr Andrew is priest in charge of Chidham parish in West Sussex and a member of the Diocesan Overseas Council.

Jane, 34, who is married and a mother, studied for a diploma in Christian mission and civic responsibilities.

She told Fr Andrew: “I was, and am, so much involved in teens’ ministry in my church and in the society. My ministry also involves empowering women and caring for children who cannot speak for themselves. I am involved in mentoring these groups, women, teens and children.

After graduation I am planning to continue with studies and do a degree in community development in St Paul University. I will be learning as I also serve my community in Baringo Diocese.

“I really want to thank you so much for your support towards my studies at Carlile College. Sincerely speaking, if it was not for you I could not have managed to do my diploma, which will help and equip me to continue serving my community, who need not only to be preached to but also to be educated on ways to improve their standards of living.”

Carlile College’s Mission School trains evangelists who, after training, are strategically placed within the Anglican Church in Africa and any other church organisation with specific areas of engagement. Most graduates are serving as evangelists who help organise and mobilise the church for community outreach through open air meetings, revival meetings, Bible study and the like.

They also serve in Sunday School ministry, women’s ministry and youth ministry and among the less fortunate in the society. The college has grown to be a pan-African institution, drawing students from nearly 20 countries in Africa.

Martin Lenaola, 30, studied for a diploma in Christian mission.He is now a priest in the Diocese of Maralal in Samburu County.

He said: “I was ordained, and I am now working in children ministry as a curate in the pro-cathedral. I was born and grew up in a very remote area and grew up as a partial orphan after I lost my mother in the year 2002. We were a family of six in number, I being the second born.

“My mother passed on when I was still young and because my father was a drunkard man, I separated with him and I went to stay with my grandmother who brought me up with a lot of challenges. I started rearing chicken to enable me to go back to school. And after a period of two years God opened another door for me and I joined the secondary school. Every Saturday I could sell eggs to have the school fee.

“On behalf of myself and Carlile College community, I would like to say thank you very much for your great support to me to complete my studies with care. Thank you once more for your love and support toward my studies.”

By supporting the training of students at Carlile College, our diocese is making a difference to new priests and mission in parishes in our link dioceses. We look forward to continuing our long and positive co-operation with Carlile College in this important work. The Diocese of Chichester has official links with six dioceses in the Province of West Africa -The Gambia, Guinea, Freetown in Sierra Leone, Bo in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Cameroon - and five in Kenya - Nakuru, Nyahuru, Kericho, Maralal and Baringo.

For more information, contact Rev Christine Keyte at companionlinks@chichester.anglican.org