Cross Talk Visitors Summer 2008

St Matthew's is to host four overseas visitors this summer. Two are from our link Church, Christ Church Likas in Sabah Diocese, Malaysia, and two are from our link Diocese of Matlosane in South Africa. All will be attending the Cross Talk Diocesan conference at Swanwick 7-9 July, but they will also be around at St Matthew's for a week or two before the conference and possibly a day or two afterwards.

Please see the profile with this article about the Cathedral of the Resurrection, from which one of our South African guests, Metlhayotlhe Beleme, is a delegate.

We also have a South African Bishop coming to the the 10am service on Sunday 6 July. He is apparently a vibrant Christian and a great communicator.

It is a great privilege to host our brothers and sisters from overseas and to see for ourselves that unity in Christ transcends all races and cultures. Please join me in praying that we will all greatly enjoy and benefit from their visit.

However there are costs involved. In poorer countries air fares are prohibitively expensive and we are asked to help by subsidising £50 per guest. We have also been asked to subsidise the conference at £95 per guest. Some of the money has already been donated and a fund raising event is being organised - watch this space! However in all likelihood more will be needed. If anyone would like to contribute, please contact Keith Masters.

Finally we are asked to send our own delegates to the Swanwick conference. Please get in touch with Keith Masters if you are interested.

The original name of our church was St Michael. The church building as well as the rectory were standing on the land that was later declared to be “whites only” area. As a result, in the early 1950`s the church building and the rectory were demolished during this time when the Group Areas Act was still in force. The church was given a site on an area demarcated for the settlement of black people-now called Ikageng township 3-5 kilometers from the main town POTCHEFSTROOM.

In 1956 parishioners embarked on fund raising projects to build after acquiring a site for the church and subsequently a small structures was erected and the congregation in the settlement bore the name CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION dedicated in 1960.In the 1980`s the church building was extended because of the big size of the congregation. A simple church building that accommodates over 1000 people.

Today, the Church of the Resurrection which is now our Cathedral, is the biggest church building in the Diocese and the largest congregation. Due to the growing numbers, a chapelry was established in one of the new extensions. There is a church structure there which was recently built, and can accommodate about 600 worshippers which has proved already that it is too small for people who attend. St Augustine is the name of the chapelry.

This is the area of the township where newly arrived people have come to settle, they mostly come from farms. They are generally a struggling lot as most are unemployed, live in two roomed houses provided by the government while others live in corrugated iron shacks.

There is need to have full time priests there. We are currently raising funds so that we can

The Church of the Resurrection was elevated to the status of a Cathedral in 2004. According to our records, we have about + 1700 families. Apart from the chapelry we also have small congregations (outstations) in the farms. We have 8, which we normally visit after the main church service in the Cathedral on Sundays.

We are a staff of 5. I am the only one full time priest in the Cathedral-there is Tumelo Mashaba a full time deacon who is also the Diocesan Youth coordinator. I also have just been appointed Archdeacon of the Cathedral archdeaconry. The other 3 priests are self supporting - Joshua Dikhing- a teacher

We have a retired sickly priest in the parish by the name of Michael Molale and for the first time since February this year we have Mr. Tebogo Leping as a full time Secretary in the Parish Office. We have Parish Council of 15 people including 2 church wardens and 1 alternate church warden, meeting every second week of the month.

(a) Mothers Union- The largest organization in the Parish/Diocese. Basically the backbone of the church here. Pastorally, Financial support -by all means.

(b) A.W.F. (Anglican Womens Fellowship )- They take good care of the alter, from linen to vestments.

(d) Anglican Mens Fellowship and Evangelism- Looks after the Spiritual livelihood of the parish

(e) The Choir- We have the most powerful and strongest choir in the Diocese, of both male and female, young and old

(f) The Youth- Youngsters 16-35 who meet from time to time to share, bible study, sing

I do hope that this information will be of help to your parish. We shall bring with us a more detailed profile.

Born on the 21.01.1962 in Molepolole Botswana. Married to Thapelo with three children Thabiso, Lone and Sentle. I was ordained in 1992 after studying at Lelapa La Jesu seminary and the National University of Lesotho . I joined the Diocese of Matlosane last year (2007) August, as rector of the Cathedral of the Resurrection Potchefstroom from Botswana where I had served as Sub-Dean of the Cathedral of the Holy cross.