THE INTER DIOCESAN WEST AFRICA LINK

THE ANGLICAN DIOCESES OF GUILDFORD, CHICHESTER AND PORTSMOUTH are linked with the ANGLICAN CHURCH IN WEST AFRICA and NIGERIA

IDWAL formed in 1978 The Portsmouth Diocesan Synod reaffirmed its support for IDWAL in June 2002 (unanimously). IDWAL’s most recent report to Synod was in November 2011.

PORTSMOUTH’S LINK (since 1998) has been (mainly) WITH GHANA All the Deaneries in Portsmouth Diocese are linked with a Diocese in Ghana. Alverstoke Parish (Gosport Deanery) is linked with Wusasa (Nigeria) CHICHESTER linked with SIERRA LEONE, GAMBIA, LIBERIA, GUINEA and CAMEROON GUILDFORD linked with NIGERIA (about 12 dioceses)

Strategy approved in 2002 Links primarily about building relationships mutual support, sharing experience Develop deanery to diocese links Develop parish to parish links Encouragement of visits to/from West Africa Support St. Nicholas Seminary Cape Coast Invite parishes to contribute to Idwal funds

Since 2002 Visits to Ghana by Deanery groups Parish to parish & school to school links (now about 35) Parish Visits from UK Deanery and Cathedral support for specific projects Visitors from Ghana Exchanges with St. Nicholas Seminary, Cape Coast Financial support to St. Nicholas Seminary : Emergency help for Flood Relief in Tamale – about £6000 (appeal co-ordinated by Cathedral) sent in November 2007 Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Pre-Lambeth 2008 Hospitality Diocesan Library ‘exported’ to Ghana 2010

Deanery to Diocese (Ghana) Links etc Bishop’s WalthamWiawso FarehamSekondi & Wiawso GosportAccra HavantKoforidua & Ho Petersfield Cape Coast & Dunkwa East Wight Sunyani and Tamale West Wight Sunyani and Tamale PortsmouthHo Portsmouth Cathedral Sunyani Cathedral & Kumasi

ST. NICHOLAS SEMINARY 46 students, from Ghana, (and other parts of West Africa), including two women ordinands) Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2003 – over £8,000 raised to complete new teaching block (completed 2007) Bishop’s Lent Appeal 2008 – £18,347 to purchase vehicle IDWAL made a £2,000 pa grant to Seminary in 2008, 2009, 2010 and purchased computer labels for Library in 2011 £3,500 given by Bishop Christopher at Installation (September 2010)

The Future 1. We made a commitment to regular prayer for our partners. We should include each diocese in Ghana and St. Nicholas Seminary in the Daily Prayer Guide on a regular basis. 2. As more dioceses and parishes are created in Ghana, our original Deanery-Diocese structure will no longer work so effectively. We have explained to our partners that although we will continue to encourage new parish- parish and school-school links, there will never be enough ‘Portsmouth’ partners to fulfil requests from Ghana. We have explained that in the UK, parishes are free to make their own choices about overseas links.

The Future 3. We should explore how our central Diocesan resources, especially human resources, in Discipleship (including CMD and lay training), Education, Spirituality, Management and Administration, etc etc. might benefit the Link. 4. We should continue to work closely with USPG in respect of our partnership with St. Nicholas Seminary, and give some attention as to how we might help the accommodation building project. 5. Diocesan Synod might approve a motion renewing our commitment to the Ghana link, at an appropriate time in 2012.

The Future 6. We might consider making a partnership agreement with the Anglican Church in Ghana, expressed in a formal document, similar to the existing agreement between Sunyani and Portsmouth Cathedrals, perhaps to coincide with the election of a new Archbishop of Ghana (likely to happen end of 2012 or beginning of 2013). 7. We should hold a specific IDWAL act of worship once a year, perhaps to coincide with a visit from Ghana.