Diocese of Niassa

The Diocese of Niassa (pt. Diocese Anglicana do Niassa) it is one of the three Anglican dioceses of Mozambique, part of the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola.[lower-alpha 1] This diocese is geographically the central of the three, the others being the Diocese of Lebombo and the Diocese of Nampula.

Diocese of Niassa
Location
Ecclesiastical provinceMozambique and Angola
Archdeaconries6
Statistics
Parishes32
Congregations426
Members65,500
Information
RiteAnglican
CathedralSt. Bartholomew, Messumba
Current leadership
BishopLucas Mchema
Website
Diocese of Niassa

History

Mark van Koevering, an American of Dutch descent, was the diocesan bishop from 2003 to 2015. The diocese itself was not able to elect a bishop after three days of election to succeed him and so it was delegated to the synod of bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in September 2016 where the Synod elected Vicente Msosa as the bishop elect, being consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Niassa on 25 February 2017.[1]

Structure

Niassa diocese is divided into six archdeaconries: Cobue, Lunho, Lichinga, Milange, Rio Chire and Lurio.

The diocese has 426 congregations, over 65,500 worshipers, and 55 priests. It has a link with the Diocese of London in the Church of England.

List of bishops

On 5 December 2021, Vincente Msosa was transferred from Niassa to Zambezia;[2] on 6 May 2022, Lucas Mchema was elected to become bishop of the diocese.[3] Mchema was consecrated bishop on 9 July 2022 at Messumba.[4]

Coat of arms

The diocese registered a coat of arms at the Bureau of Heraldry in 2001 : Per fess wavy Or and Azure, in chief a dug-out issuant Brunatre, seated therein a fisherman proper, vested about the loins Argent and holding pendant from a handline Sable a fish Argent, in base three barrulets wavy of the last; the shield ensigned of a mitre proper.[5]

Anglican realignment

Under Bishop Vicente Msosa leadership, the Diocese of Niassa has been supportive of the Anglican realignment. He was one of the two bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa to attend GAFCON III, in Jerusalem, on 17-22 June 2018.[6]

References
  1. This diocese was formerly part of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa
  1. "Church's youngest bishop installed in Mozambique, Anglican Ink, 1 April 2017". Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  2. ALMA London [@ALMALondonD] (5 December 2021). "Photos from Milange where Bp Vicente was collated as Bp of Zambezia..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  3. ALMA London [@ALMALondonD] (6 May 2022). "A very warm welcome to our 9th partner Bishop. Welcome Revd Lucas Mchema..." (Tweet). Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  4. "Eight new bishops consecrated". Diocese of London. 17 June 2022. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  5. Brownell, F. G. (2002). Heraldry in the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, 1847-2000: Coats of Arms of the Dioceses, Collegiate and Parish Churches, and the Order of Ethiopia. Heraldsholme CC. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-620-28606-0.
  6. Gafcon networks mobilise following cyclone, GAFCON Official Website
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