Visit from the Bishop of Kagera
Tanzanian Bishop Visits Haverhill to Help Celebrate Renewal of the Church in Suffolk
The Bishop of Kagera in the Anglican Church of Tanzania arrived in Haverhill on Friday 23rd January to help the local church share in county-wide celebrations over the weekend. The Rt Revd Darlington Bendankeha visited St Mary’s Church, Haverhill and shared in a programme of services and activities which demonstrated the church’s strong links with the community.
He then joined the congregation on Saturday morning for a service of celebration, during which he talked about his own ministry as a bishop in rural Africa, and reflected on his visit to the UK. Bishop Darlington said, ‘One thing that I will take back with me to Kagera is how important the church is to the local community. It was wonderful to see so many different people come into the church over the course of the day, and to see the church go out to connect with people where they are.’
The church doors were open all day on Friday, with people welcome to come and use the facilities the church has to offer. Bishop Darlington spoke to people using the church as a Warm Space, with support and funding for this coming from West Suffolk Council, as well as clients and volunteers from REACH Community Projects who operate their Welcome Space from the church in the afternoon. He also helped to serve guests at the church’s regular Family Café, providing a hot meal for families and those otherwise isolated or struggling.
The rector, the Revd Max Drinkwater, was one of those who helped to host and welcome the bishop during his visit. Max said, ‘It was wonderful to see people enthused and excited about the bishop’s visit. People are rightly proud of their community here in Haverhill and were pleased that the bishop wanted to experience this for himself and bring his blessing to us from the church in Tanzania.'
The church in Suffolk has had links with the church in north-west Tanzania for over 25 years, and Bishop Darlington was able to renew that commitment to supporting one another as Suffolk welcomed our new Bishop, the Rt Revd Joanne Grenfell on Saturday. Bishop Darlington had an important role to play in the service of welcome and enthronement for Bishop Joanne, anointing her at the start of her new ministry. At the service in Haverhill on Saturday morning, Mr Drinkwater prayed for Bishop Darlington and sent him to the cathedral with the people’s commissioning and blessing.
He said, ‘To have Bishop Darlington with us on the morning of Bishop Joanne’s welcome was a fantastic way of making a meaningful connection between what is happening here in Haverhill and the life of the church in the rest of the county. It meant that we were able to contribute to the welcome that our new bishop received and gave people here a way of expressing their joy and excitement at her arrival.’
Bishop Darlington did not just experience activities at St Mary’s during his visit, but was also taken out to see life elsewhere in the town. He enjoyed a performance at Haverhill Arts Centre of the Centre Stage Company’s Little Red Riding Hood, and was given a tour of local manufacturer Herma’s premises on Hollands Road. Mr Drinkwater said, ‘I am pleased that the bishop was able to see how people’s faith connects with their everyday life.’ He also spent time at the Link on the High Street, meeting volunteers who help to connect people to the resources and support available in the town. At the end of his visit to Herma, Bishop Darlington was asked to pray a blessing on the factory, and talked to staff about their connections to both church and community in the local area, as well as their global connections.
At the end of his visit, Bishop Darlington was presented with hand-made gifts to take back to his family in Kagera. St Mary’s Church hopes to maintain connections to the church in Tanzania in the future, and looks forward to making the most of the opportunities locally to share in the renewal of the life of the church.
