[Anglican Communion News Service] Bishop Anthon Poggo, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, has visited the Diocese of Kapsabet in the Anglican Church of Kenya. His visit has been hosted by the Rt. Rev. Paul Korir, bishop of Kapsabet; Celine Korir, president of Mothers’ Union in the diocese; staff from the diocesan office and the church community in Kapsabet.
The Diocese of Kapsabet was established in 2016 and has 47 parishes, 96 clergy, 50 secondary schools and 150 primary schools. The diocese was developed from the Diocese of Eldoret and it covers the entire Nandi County.
The diocesan vision describes a church that’s working for “A sustainable and transformative diocese rooted in the Word of God for ministry and service to the church and society.” Their motto is “Leading a Legacy: Building a Missional Church.”
The secretary general’s visit on July 16 began with Eucharist at St. Barnabas, Pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Kapsabet. Korir presided and Poggo gave a sermon on Ephesians 6 and the teachings of St. Paul about the armor of God.
The service was followed by a time of fellowship, facilitated by Korir and members of the diocesan staff. It included introductions from church teams including the Youth and Children Ministry Council, Mothers’ Union Council, the KAMA Council (Diocesan Men’s Council), the Standing Committee of Synod and the clergy of the diocese.
Presentations were shared about two diocesan community projects. The first is the Jipe Moyo project, established in response to COVID-19. The second is the “Safe Communities” project, implemented by Mothers’ Union department, aimed at combating gender based violence within the community. Both projects were funded by the Anglican Communion Fund, and the diocese expressed appreciation for the funding.
Speaking about the sense of community in the diocese, Korir said, “We the Diocese of Kapsabet find our joy and strength from the local church… we are self-willing and self-motivated clergy who inspire ministry to the glory and honor of God…. We have a team behind a vision and the church is growing due to the commitment of clergy and lay leaders.”
During the fellowship, Poggo spoke about the role of the Anglican Communion Office as secretariat to the Anglican Communion. He described the Instruments of the Anglican Communion and also the work of IASCUFO (Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order), with which Korir is involved. Poggo also updated the congregation on the ongoing discussion series on the Lambeth Calls, being facilitated by the ACO’s Episcopal Ministry Team.
Time was given to address questions from the congregation, relating to different perspectives in the Anglican Communion on matters of human sexuality, the ordination of women and Anglican identity. The secretary general’s encouragement was that mission is contextual and that every church of the Anglican Communion is autonomous. Each must consider the needs of their context and respond to the issues in their context.
During the afternoon, the secretary general was taken to visit the construction site of a new multi-purpose community and commercial center called the ACK Kapsabet Plaza. The diocese is raising funds to support the build. The vision is to create a facility that combines shops, offices and community services to benefit the area. In time, it will generate funding to support the ministry and work of the diocese.
The day concluded with a visit to meet the staff at the diocesan office in Kapsabet.
Speaking of his visit, Poggo said, “The Anglican Communion is a family, a network of local churches around the world, faithfully serving their communities. I passionately believe in the ministry of the local church. It is powerful in sharing good news and bringing transformation to community life. The Diocese of Kapsabet is a wonderful example of what a thriving and faithful church looks like. It’s been a joy to visit. On behalf of the Anglican Communion Office, I express my thanks to Bishop Paul, Celine and family, and the wider church community for their warm welcome and rich hospitality.’
Commenting on the secretary general’s visit, Korir said, “The visit the secretary general has made to the Diocese of Kapsabet has been a wonderful blessing. We have met as people to people. As a rural diocese, we have experienced the localization of the ACO and the instruments. The ACO has spent time in the mission field listening and learning about how our ministry. Thanks to Bishop Anthony’s time with us, we have a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges affecting the global communion. We have been able to think about how it’s part of all our roles to deal with things as family. So, let’s be family, let us reason together, strengthening family bonds and ties.”
While in the Diocese of Kapsabet, Poggo also visited the Kamarich Empowerment Tea Factory, in Kaboi. Tea production is one of the main occupations of the local community and people of the parish. He was hosted by Isaish Kidet, the operations manager, who explained that the factory is owned by 10,000 “small scale farmers” in the area, who have combined their resources to develop the factory in 2021, along with another site in the region. Every year, the tea factory processes 20 million tonS of tea leaves, producing over 5 million kilos of black tea.
Read more about Poggo’s visit to the tea factory here.
The secretary general’s visitation will continue to other dioceses in Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan.