Archbishop Samy Fawzy, Archbishop of the Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria, said that the bishop is the head of the house, so he feels his responsibility that God has given him and assigned him to take care as the head of the house responsible for his family, because his heart is full and expanded with God’s love to accept everyone as members of his family, present his spiritual children to himself and take care of God’s flock.
This came during the activities of the first day of the Council of Anglican Provinces of African Bishops Training Conference known as CAPA, which is hosted by All Saints Cathedral in Zamalek.
And the archbishop continued: The bishop is the overseer, the overseer, or the shepherd who misses and takes care of the people, adding: The educated scribe, and what is meant here the bishop, has obtained his treasure to distribute, and to shine on others with the light that God gave him and to share with others the blessed knowledge and the more we share with others in faith and love the treasure increases and does not decrease.
As for Dr. Mouneer Hanna, the honorary head of the bishops of the Episcopal/Anglican Church, he gave a lecture entitled “What is a vocation” in which he stressed that calling is the truth that God calls the bishops with so that everything they have is invested with special dedication and a dynamic of living as a response to God’s call and service.
Bishop Mouneer explained: If we want to realize the goal, we must listen and answer God’s call, without which we will become a result of people’s requests and pressures and situations.
As Archbishop Bernard Ntahotori, the retired Archbishop of Burundi, began his speech by emphasizing, “When there is a bishop, there is a church,” addressing the bishops: the more you walk in that service, the more you will feel weak in the face of the huge amount of responsibilities that await you
Bernard stressed: The bishop is called to preserve unity in the parish, as it represents the body of Christ, whose growth you must plan and nurture its interdependence and relationships through education, training, and commitment before God.
Bernard pointed out: You have to define a vision through which you lead your church and your community towards heaven.
The conference sessions will be attended by approximately 30 bishops and their wives, representing the countries of Egypt, Ghana, South Sudan, Kenya, and Burundi. The conference will conclude on the eighteenth of August.
The conference sessions will discuss social and ecclesiastical issues such as the role of the media in consolidating the church’s service, the handing over of ecclesiastical authority, the church’s relationship with the countries in which it serves, as well as the church’s role in building peace, confronting conflicts and civil peace, among others.
