Anglican Communion News Service

The design committee planning the Africa Anglican Bishops Conference (AABC) for October, which met in Nigeria last week, has clarified that the conference is not a reaction to current crises in the Anglican Communion. The clarification came in a press release issued today from the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA).

The release stated that CAPA primates first planned the AABC conference in August 2001 and that its purpose was to act as a unique forum for African bishops to show fellowship and to consult on common challenges in the continent. The topics to be discussed at the conference will include HIV/AIDS, political instability, technological stagnation, poverty and ecclesiastical issues, but not the worldwide Anglican Communion. Some 144 Bishops have confirmed that they will attend the meeting in Lagos between 26-31 October 2004.

The design committee, which includes the Most Revd Peter Akinola, the Archbishop of Nigeria, the Most Revd Emmanuel Kolini, the Archbishop of Rwanda, and the Most Revd Donald Mtetemela, the Archbishop of Tanzania, thanked the Church of Nigeria for agreeing to host the conference, which will cost more than $500,000.

The committee added in its release that it was hoped that inter-diocesan relations would be improved after the conference so that the dioceses in Africa could more actively share information and other resources of mutual interest.

Article By Justus Waimiri in Nairobi and ACNS