Anglican Communion News Service

Some 250 Anglican Church leaders from around the world will arrive in Cape Town at the end of the month (October) to consult on community transformation.

The event, from October 30 to November 2, has been organised by Sharing of Missions Abroad (SOMA) and will hosted by the Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane. The intention is to provide a forum for Anglican church leaders to listen to what God is saying to the church regarding its role in community transformation.

Included among the guests are the Archbishop's of Congo and Rwanda as well as Bishops from Australia, Burundi, Chile, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Clergy and lay-leaders, from these and another 12 countries, will also be attending.

A keynote speaker will be George Otis Jr., an internationally known researcher on community transformation and the producer of the video 'Transformations'. In it Otis has recorded examples of areas where churches, united in leadership and prayer, have radically transformed their communities. Church leaders from many of these communities will also be speaking in Cape Town.

The week following the consultation, SOMA speakers will address the ecumenical organisation 'Community Transformation Cape Town's national conference on community transformation. This will be open to the public and is endorsed by leading Cape Town church leaders and politicians. It will take place from 2 to 4 November at the Lighthouse, Parow.

A citywide prayer meeting will be held November 5, from 1pm to 4pm, at the University of the Western Cape (UWC)Sports stadium in Belville South. Thereafter, SOMA mission teams will conduct smaller conferences and workshops countrywide.