Archbishop Clarke, Adrian Dorrian and Keith Scott
with the Third Year Students at St John’s Anglican Seminary in Kitwe
Since the last update from Zambia, the Church Mission Society Ireland team (Archbishop of Armagh Richard Clarke, the Society’s Patron; Revd Adrian Dorian, the Society’s President; and Jenny Smyth, CMSI’s Mission Director) have been busy. Time has been spent adjusting to new settings, and organising practical matters like obtaining local currency and seeing around Kitwe. Despite being Zambia’s second largest city, and located in the country’s copper belt, Kitwe is a city with high levels of unemployment - although it is full of small traders and enterprising citizens.
The team joined the students of St John’s Seminary for evening prayer, after which they had a chance to briefly meet the students (with whom they will be working more closely in a few days time). Each member of the team had the chance to introduce themselves and bring greetings from the Church of Ireland and CMS Ireland. One of the seminarians, Geoffrey Banda, has just recently returned to Zambia after ten weeks in the Diocese of Cork, where he was hosted by CMSI friend the Reverend Robert Ferris in Blarney (Robert has been in Zambia with CMSI several times, including a placement with Keith and Lyn Scott during their first assignment with CMSI some years ago while Robert was a student at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute). Geoffrey’s placement was funded through the Bishops’ Appeal Harman Scholarship and co-ordinated by CMSI.
The first couple of nights of the trip saw the Archbishop and Mr Dorrian staying in Lifesong Lodge, a social enterprise connected with a number of Christian organisations whose work is primarily with Street Children. After a chance conversation that proved most providential, at the request of Amy Singleton, who heads up Kachimfwa Charity, the Archbishop blessed the property and dedicated it for the continued good work it helps to fund. Kachimfwa provides vocational training for at risk young adults, teaching them life skills and providing support for these as they seek to reintegrate into day to day life in Zambia.
Please continue to pray for the team, as they forge new relationships, re-establish old connections and as they prepare to meet more people in the Diocese. Please also continue to pray for them as they prepare to preach over the weekend and teach in the Seminary.
Reporting back, Revd Adrian Dorrian said: ‘A team experience like this is always exciting, engaging and (of course) exhausting! We have already been richly blessed through the people we’ve met, and each new experience leaves one eager for more. It has also been a particular privilege for me personally to catch up again with Keith and Lyn Scott, CMSI’s Mission Partners. As this is their second stint in Zambia, they bring much experience and with that experience comes unique insight into CMSI’s longstanding partnership with the Diocese of Northern Zambia. Keith and Lyn were well received in the Lecale Area Mission Partnership, where I minister and I look forward to bringing their greetings and their stories back to share in South Down.’
Archbishop Clarke with staff and friends of Kachimfwa after he blessed their work and their premises.
Archbishop Clarke and Keith Scott (CMSI Mission Partner)
in St Michael’s Cathedral, the Diocesan Cathedral for Northern Zambia