Church proud of links with Sweden and Zambia
News Letter – All Saints’ Parish has a 14-year link with the Borgs Forsamling in the Diocese of Linkoping, Sweden. In May the parish welcomed a group of 23 visitors from Soderledsykrkan in Norrkoping, Sweden. This visit was the 12th exchange.
Archdeacon McBride said: “The relatively cheap flights from Dublin to Skavsta, the similarities in church doctrine with our Lutheran brothers and sisters and the excellence of the Swedish command of English has made our twinning link a great success.
“We have gained a tremendous amount from this link through friendships that have been formed between our leaders and youth groups. We have experienced life and worship in a different culture and church and have sent back to Norrkoping many Swedish ambassadors for Ireland.”
All Saints’ has an active link with Archbishop Albert Chama and the Diocese of Northern Zambia.
Parishioner, Mrs Paddy Wallace, is a former President of the Mothers’ Union in Ireland and she and her husband John previously lived in Zambia.During her term in office, Paddy revisited some her African friends as well as several thriving MU branches in Zambia.
With Paddy’s encouragement, Antrim Parish hosted Archbishop Albert for a week and he has returned on three occasions.
Archdeacon McBride and former curate the Rev David Ferguson, were privileged to visit Kitwe in the copper belt in Northern Zambia where they witnessed a church which is short on financial resources but blessed with people serving God with heart and mind and soul and strength.
“Our visit has further strengthened the link and it was great to see at first hand some of the projects the parish has helped to fund through its Smartie tube appeal,” said Archdeacon McBride. “Sunday by Sunday, filled tubes are put on the collection plate and several thousands of pounds have been collected which have helped to fund a farming project, replaced Archbishop Albert’s laptop and roofed several churches in the diocese.”
The Vicar of Antrim hopes to return to Zambia in 2014 to help with a new school project and a shelter for women who have been abused.
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/church-proud-of-links-with-sweden-and-zambia-1-5281817