We welcome the Bishop of Ho
and begin a new friendship
by Keith Osborne
Gregarious and affable, the Bishop of Ho blew into our diocese like a fresh summer breeze.
On Saturday evening, May 26, our Bishop Claude Miller met the Rt. Rev. Matthias K. Medadues-Badohu from our new Companion Diocese of Ho in East Ghana at the Fredericton airport. So began a whirlwind tour of much of the diocese during which the bishop was overwhelmed by the pace of the tour and the number of people he met but delighted with his new-found companions and enthusiastically returned the love with which he was greeted.
Bishop Matthias remained with us until June 11 when he flew to the U.K. in an attempt to renew much needed financial support for his struggling diocese. Our friend from Ghana is very much a pioneer as he strives to get a newly-founded African diocese on its feet financially as well as to meet the needs of his people in the Volta Region of East Ghana. May we seek to encourage him by our love and prayers.
As chair of the Mission Outreach Team, I was greatly assisted by members of the Companion Diocese committee as we worked out a busy itinerary for Bishop Matthias. It didn't take long to fill every hour of his schedule because many people were more than willing to welcome him into their homes and parishes.
After a bit of time to recover from jet lag, Bishop Matthias attended the Atlantic Theological Conference at the Cathedral one day and visited Taylor College in Saint John the next. He visited the Deanery of St. Andrews, preached in the Parish of Hampton, worshipped in the chapel at Rothesay Netherwood School, attended a Choir School evening at St. James, Lakewood and spent a full day in the Moncton area as the guest of Archdeacon Richard McConnell.
Completely immersed in the blessings of a good Maritime welcome, Bishop Matthias was driven back to Fredericton on June 4 by the Rev. Leo Martin of Hampton and was then taken in hand by Heather Carr of the Parish of Stanley for the four days prior our diocesan synod. To complete this busy schedule, Heather planned visits with people from the parishes of Stanley, Doaktown, Blackville, Newcastle, Chatham, New Bandon, Bathurst and St. Mary's, York. As in the previous week, many blessings were received, friendships made and bonds of affection forged which all help to establish our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Ghana. Heather took a tired bishop back to Fredericton for synod where we witnessed the signing of the Companion Diocese Covenant that commits us to this relationship for the next five years.
Companion partnerships are ratified through the administrative channel of the Anglican Communion and we pray that this venture will be a blessing to the people on both sides of the Atlantic.
By virtue of our mandate we are committed to establishing bonds of fellowship and ministry to edify the Body of Christ in a mutually beneficial way with our new Companion Diocese. Our committee is now proceeding in a prayerful way, with wisdom, discretion and sensitivity, so as to honour and do justice to the cultural differences between the two sides.
Bishop Matthias was afforded some quiet, private space in a bed and breakfast in Fredericton for the last few days of his visit. He preached at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, June 10 and left for Great Brittain on June 11.
Bishop Claude is invited to pay a return visit to Ho in the near future and under his leadership we will seek to establish links between parishes and mission stations in Ho and archdeaconries in our own diocese.
Bishop Matthias left us laden with gifts and with a grateful heart for his new link. We were blessed by his presence and now commit ourselves to prayer for the Diocese of Ho in their challenge of establishing dynamic and viable ministry to their people. Let us go forward with faith and hope, that the Lord who brought our friend to us from so far away may continue to bless and inspire us in making this venture one which will bear fruit for God's kingdom.
The Rev. Capt. Keith Osborne is rector of the Parish of Pennfield as well as chair of the diocesan mission outreach team.
