The Archbishop of Canterbury is going on a pastoral visit to the Anglican Church in Eastern Congo as the guest of the Most Revd Henri Isingoma, Primate of the Church of the Province of Congo.
Prior to this the Archbishop will visit Kenya where he will be received by the Most Revd. Dr. Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop of Kenya, and have fellowship with the Christian community in the country.
In the course of his visit to Kenya, Dr Williams will join in with the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Diocese of Nakuru which will include the presentation of certificates to clergy who have completed 25 years of continuous service. He will attend the dedication of a site for the building of the proposed Kenya Anglican University (KAU) near Mount Kenya and visit local development initiatives where churches and their communities are trying to overcome poverty and adapt to climate change – including a successful biogas project in Machakos Diocese. He will also participate in a symposium in Nairobi to discuss the Church’s mission in the 21st century. During the visit he will learn about the role of the Kenyan church in national reconciliation.
The Archbishop’s official programme for the Democratic Republic of Congo will begin in Bunia, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he will meet with church and government leaders and also young people including former child soldiers. Dr Williams will then travel to Boga where he will celebrate with the church and community in the founding place of the Anglican Church in Congo. He will also meet with survivors of sexual violence, as well as indigenous people who have been displaced by the conflict from their homes in the rainforest. He will also preach at a Eucharistic service at St Apollo Cathedral before returning to Bunia to visit the new Anglican University of Congo to meet staff and students.
Before leaving London for Nairobi, the Archbishop said:
“I greatly look forward to visiting Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo during the coming week. Both countries have maintained a faithful witness through traumatic times and still need our prayer and urgent support in their search for democratic stability and hope for all their citizens. The Anglican Church in both countries plays a crucial part in this process and I want to pay tribute to the Church and its leaders for their consistent witness and generous service.”