Yesterday (Tuesday 27th) Archbishop Richard Clarke and myself spent the day teaching in St John’s Anglican Seminary in Kitwe. CMSI Mission Partners Lyn and Keith Scott are on the staff at the seminary and an in-depth visit to St John’s is a central part of our programme here. As I’m staying on campus, I’ve been able to join the ordinands for their Morning Worship each day this week. Yesterday, I delivered a class on constructing liturgies, talking the ordinands through the ‘A

The concluding element of the CMSI Partner Visit to the Diocese of Northern Zambia involved Archbishop Richard and myself visiting different areas in the diocese and spending time with the people there. Archbishop Richard spent two days with his Zambian counterpart, Archbishop Albert Chama. On Monday, they toured the city of Kitwe, which is the second city of Zambia and the base for the diocese. This included calls at several churches and a tour of a meeting facility the dioc

The CMSI Zambia team, consisting of Archbishop Richard Clarke, Jenny Smyth and Rev Adrian Dorrian arrived safely in Zambia on Tuesday afternoon, 20th February. Adrian provides a brief update from Kitwe. The journey from Dublin airport to Kitwe proved a long, but not unpleasant one for the team – the three travellers arrived safe and well, along with our luggage. As well as personal items for the journey, we brought with us various items to be used by Keith and Lyn Scott in th

When I worked as one I always relished the meaning of the word midwife: with women. It encompasses the full range of the job role which can swing from quiet watchfulness to urgent action. Yet for the whole time it is not really the midwife who is working, it is the woman alongside whom she stands who labours. As Partnership Coordinator for South Sudan and DRC my role is not dissimilar. Our Global Partners in these nations struggle hard in the search for peace and labour persi

Following updates from our global partners, CMSI is echoing a call to pray and fast for South Sudan and DR Congo during Lent. The mass movement of people within and outside these two countries is not stopping. Over many years, sustained violence and insecurity in both countries resulted in huge numbers of people leaving their homes in search of safety and refuge. Following a recent, tentative peace agreement in South Sudan some people have begun to return home, but this bring

On Monday 19th February, CMSI’s Patron, Archbishop Richard Clarke, will join the society’s Mission Director, Jenny Smyth and the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Rev Adrian Dorrian, on a partner visit to the Diocese of Northern Zambia. As part of the programme, the archbishop will preach at a Confirmation Service in St James’ parish, Buchi and will participate in the confirmations alongside Archbishop Albert Chama. Archbishop Richard and Adrian will also contribute to teaching

Keith did not go down to the woods that day, but he was still in for a big surprise. Berry, one of our colleagues here at the seminary, was leaving for a new post in South Africa. We had to have a farewe ll staff meeting. Francis suggested this should involve lunch somewhere. 'Somewhere' was a little restaurant a few kilometres out of the city. It’s a pleasant spot with a pool and a decent line in food. The plan was that all the staff would travel out together from the semina