Report: Ashley Null elected Bishop of the Diocese North Africa

“The Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of North Africa is delighted to announce that The Revd Canon Dr Ashley Null has been elected as the next bishop of North Africa.  The Electoral Synod met on 4 February in N’Djamena, Chad, in the context of a Diocesan Synod that will continue until 6 February.

If the Synod of the Province of Alexandria confirms this election Dr Null will become the second, and first elected, bishop of the Diocese of North Africa, covering five countries (Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia) and including the territory of the see of St Augustine of Hippo.

Dr Null holds research degrees from Yale and the University of Cambridge. He has received numerous awards for his work, including Fulbright, National Endowment for the Humanities and Guggenheim fellowships as well as being elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries in London. He currently holds a research post funded by the German Research Council at Humboldt University of Berlin and is a visiting fellow at the Divinity Faculty of Cambridge University and St. John’s College, Durham University. His project is editing the private theological notebooks of Thomas Cranmer,

Commenting on the election the current bishop, the Rt Revd Anthony Ball, said ‘I am delighted that Canon Ashley offered, and has been chosen to share, his varied experience and renowned gifts as a pastor and theologian in the service of this wonderful diocese.  As the Chair of the Board of The Alexandria School of Theology he is already familiar with the Diocese.  He will now have the chance to broaden and enhance the work he has done for many years to promote and encourage Christian witness in this cradle of Christianity. I look forward to working with him and wish him every blessing as he prepares to assume his new role.’ ”

– Report from The Jerusalem and the Middle East Church Association in the UK.

A bit more background on Bishop Anthony Ball, who is quoted above –

“On 30 November 2021, shortly after the Province of Alexandria was recognized as a new Anglian Communion province, Ball was consecrated as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Egypt. He held this role on a part-time basis while remaining resident at Westminster Abbey. In January 2024, at a service in N’Djamena, Ball was installed as the first diocesan bishop of North Africa—which covers Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia—while retaining his appointments at Westminster.” – Source, Wikipedia.

Photo of Ashley Null: Gafcon.

Back to school in East Africa

“As kids are heading back to school in Australia, the school year is also beginning in East Africa where there are over 2000 children in schools and education programs supported by Anglican Aid.

We praise God that Tarime Girls Secondary School in Tanzania is due to open this week. …”

– Anglican Aid has this news for your encouragement and prayers.

Former Archbishop and his Driver freed in Nigeria

“Nigerian media report that former Archbishop Godwin Okpala and his driver have been released from captivity. The two men had disappeared December 6 as Okpala, former Archbishop of the Niger Province, was en route to a funeral.

No report made clear whether the church paid a ransom for the two men, or who had kidnapped them, though there are frequent tensions between Anglicans and radical Islamists in Nigeria. …”

– There have been many reports of kidnappings in Nigeria in recent weeks – The Living Church has this report on the highest profile example.

Sydney and Tanzania Celebrate Over a Century of Mission Work

“This year Synod celebrated 130 years of partnership between the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the Anglican Church of Tanzania, a fellowship that dates back to 1893. ‘We have sent about 400 missionaries to Tanzania,’ said the Rev Canon Peter Sholl, international director of the Church Missionary Society Australia, adding: ‘About 250 of those have been from NSW.’ …”

– A cause for thanksgiving – story from Tara Sing at SydneyAnglicans.net.

A Cloud of Witnesses: Australian Anglicans in Tanzania – Rev Dr Colin Reed

“The Letter to the Hebrews encourages us with the account of the great cloud of witnesses in the Old Testament – people who lived by faith looking forward to Jesus. The Moore College Archives encourage us with some of the witness of people of more modern times who have stepped out in faith looking to Jesus as they went to serve God in Tanzania. How do they encourage and challenge us today? What shaped their faith? What shaped their passions? What were their aims in mission? How do they ‘strengthen our feeble arms and weak knees’?”

Colin Reed spoke at a Moore College Library Lecture earlier this month. His fascinating lecture will be of great interest to anyone wanting to know more of the history of CMS in East Africa, and many people he mentions will likely be familiar to our readers.

Rev Dr Colin Reed grew up in Africa and (along with his wife Wendy) served with CMS as a missionary in Tanzania, on staff of the NSW & ACT Branch, and as Principal of St Andrew’s Hall.

Over many years, Colin has studied and written on the history of the Church in East Africa.

Watch here.

And on YouTube, there are timestamped links to topics mentioned in the lecture.

“They are really growing!” — Good news from Kenya

The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid shares this encouragement from Norm Gorrie in Marsabit, Kenya –

“This is Joseph, our first MTS apprentice in the Department of Mission (with the Anglican Church of Kenya), powerfully teaching 2 Ways to Live to around 600 students. …”

– Read and watch here.

Latest George Whitefield College newsletter

Screenshot

The latest newsletter (May 2024) from George Whitefield College in Cape Town has been uploaded to their website.

Good to see what’s happening, and as fuel for your prayers. (Click PRINT FULL NEWSLETTER for the PDF version.)

After 20 years of partnership, there’s still work to be done

“The link between Sydney and the gospel work of African Enterprise is continuing, with clergy about to relaunch teaching Moore College’s Preliminary Theological Certificate in African cities under the AE umbrella. …”

– Encouraging news via SydneyAnglicans.net.