Rector's blog

I am standing down as the Chair of the Bishop Simeon Trust.

Simeon Nkoane was the assistant Bishop of Johannesburg in the 1970s.  He was a charismatic figure with a passion for youth work especially amongst the poorest in the townships of that city.  One day, during the darkest moments of Apartheid, an English friend, Judith Scott, asked “what can I do to support you in your work?”  Simeon replied “Take some of the talented black youths out of the townships – specially those being targeted by the Security Forces – and give them an education in England, so that they can return as some of the leaders of the next generation”.

And so the work of the Bishop Simeon Trust was started, and has continued to this day with a focus on youth, education, leadership …. and, since the 1990s, work with those affected by AIDS.  20 years ago the Anglican Church in South Africa recognised that the Diocese of Johannesburg was too large, and decided to split it into 4 dioceses.  The eastern quarter was to become the Diocese of the Highveld, and Bishop Simeon was to have become it first bishop – but sadly he died of cancer too soon.  So David Beetge was appointed as the first Bishop; upon his untimely early death, Bishop David Bannerman was appointed, who holds that post today.  This story intersects with our parish’s history in 1997, through the fortuitous introduction to us by Stephen and Rachel Bampfylde of Bishop David Beetge.  So began a grace-filled relationship with him and the people of that Diocese; my being Chair of BST brought these two stories together.

In my five years as Chair of BST, the trust has moved on in two main ways:

 

20 years ago BST was merged with another Trust also working around Johannesburg, The Living South African Memorial, based at St Martin’s in the Fields, London. It was wonderful to bring together the passion and commitment of people from that parish which, being next door neighbours with the South African Embassy, has been in the forefront of the struggle against Apartheid for generations.  The two Trusts were welded and merged, but perhaps not fully united until recently.  It was particularly exciting for me last week to be travelling in South Africa with a new trustee who knows nothing of this history, and so can come to our work without that baggage.  I believe I can hand over a united board with less burden of the past.  It is remarkable how history of organisations can live on – but then we know that in this parish which was “united” as Holy Trinity and St Mary’s a mere 312 years ago!

Secondly, after a few years as Chair, I began to feel increasingly awkward about making significant decisions in Watford (the home base of BST) that affected the lives of thousands living in Jo’burg.  It felt most awkward when I was actually among the people of South Africa: I knew that some decisions had to be made much closer to the people whose lives were being affected.  We needed a South Africa based employee of BST.  So, a few years ago, we made the post of Director redundant, and shifted the post southwards.  You will understand that that process is not easy, but we have secured an excellent person now working in the Highveld, Bandi Biko, who I hope may visit us in England some time soon.

I have also overseen much ordinary work in the last five years: employees coming and going, developing better relationships with donors, and the recent highlight of securing the Comic Relief grant for the next five years.  So it feels a good time to be handing the reins over to someone else.  BST is in good heart and the commitment to continue the work is high.  We will continue the link this parish has with the people of this area, and I will continue to offer whatever support I can as a Canon of that Diocese.

I am doing this now as I have recently been elected to the Archbishops’ Council, and so I needed to clear some space in my diary to take on this new responsibility in this country.  My first meeting of that Council I will be attending today.  More about that later.

 

 

I was kindly greeted upon my return from South Africa by many of you asking about the fruits of my trip.  In particular, there were questions about whether the money donated to Comic Relief, through the Bishop Simeon Trust, for the people of South Africa is being well spent.  As we approach another Red Nose Day, this deserves a robust response: “Yes, yes, yes.  I know because I am partly responsible for spending such money”.

I was glad to come across the term ‘Poverty tourism’ before I fell into the mistake of doing it myself.  It’s easy to travel around, in awe of how dreadful conditions are in these townships, and perversely benefiting from (or even enjoying) being able to see such poverty.  So, I could tell you much about:

 

 

• The project that laid a concrete base for its wooden classrooms – only to find that the rats chew their way up, making holes in the concrete

   

• How beautiful it is to look at a crèche with 30 2 year olds sleeping after lunch, all lying together on their blankets on the floor, knowing that 70% or more are likely to be HIV+……

   

 

And so on.  Such tales can be motivational for fund-raising, but I won’t continue.  It would be offensive to them and demeaning for us.

However much I want to help, I must relate to the people I meet in these projects in South Africa as equals, as fellow human beings.  To see them only through the lens of ‘poor disadvantaged people’ is to be blind to their riches and to what they can bring into a relationship with us.  So, as we seek to make it possible for about 6 people to visit us from the same parish that we visited in 2008, we are building relations with friends, colleagues and equals.  Our lives will be richer through knowing them; their lives will flourish through friendships here.  We will learn together.  That is the only sure foundation for a good link.

Yet, as I visit the projects, I am keenly aware that these people can be helped by developing management skills, by increasing their confidence in networking with other projects, by ensuring they build links with local businesses and municipal officers, and by raising levels of aspiration and self-esteem.  You may have heard of Maslow’s “Hierarchy of needs”: the theory is basically that we have different levels of needs, the higher levels (including personal fulfilment) can only be satisfied when the lower levels (such as security and food) are being met.  I am not so sure how realistic this is.  I meet  people whose basic needs are not always met (they are hungry and their housing is very very minimal), yet who can be passionate about creating a better life in terms of spiritual and personal fulfilment.  Oddly, it’s by increasing the aspiration for the higher needs (self respect and confidence) that can change basic attitudes about what they eat and their sexual behaviour.

Comic relief are firm in requiring each project to consult and act upon the expressed needs of the beneficiaries; what a project does cannot be determined by a Guildford Rector!  Yet, the guidance and encouragement we offer are as important as the money that makes some things possible.

“Peer education” has a long and successful history in this culture.  This happens when one or two from the community are given an education or a special experience, not for their own use alone, but so that they bring this back for the benefit of their community.  It is key to BST’s work.  Over the next 5 years, we will be seeking to train over 600 teenagers in some aspects of working with HIV, but our goal is to reach 12000 in the communities we serve.  This will happen because we will also set up methods to ensure that each person we have trained reaches out to 20 peers.  That is also what we are doing in the parish with the likely visit of 4 children in the autumn.  They will be expected to enthuse their peers, and so draw many others into the cycle of growing respect, encouragement and self confidence.

 

 

I have been in South Africa for 3.5 days this week.  It seems an awfully long way to go for such a short time, but it was well worth it.  The time was packed with lots of meetings and business conversations, as I was travelling with 3 other members of the Bishop Simeon Trust (BST).  But we also managed to visit some of the projects, run by local volunteers, supported by the Highveld Diocese, and partly funded by BST.  Before I tell you about the purpose and achievements of the trip, let me describe just one project, for such people are at the heart of what is important in this work.

Leth’itemba has recently had a really rough time.  The Management Board fractured into 2 camps, such that one side was reporting the other side to the Police.  But, this situation has been turned around so that the children and the staff are recognisably happier.  About 90 infants from 0 – 6 years old meet on a plot no larger than 10 x 20 metres.  Many are orphans, a large number will be HIV positive, but the enthusiasm of the teachers is what is profoundly “infectious”.  During their time in the project the children are socialised (since, otherwise, they spend much of their time unattended and isolated in their shacks), learn personal skills and disciplines, begin to speak English and develop a high self-esteem (that is always one of the key task of these projects – it makes such a difference).  By the time they leave, the local schools are keen to have these children in their intake for they are often well above average in all sorts of ways (and that is having come from really deprived backgrounds).  The project staff were delighted to see us, since it felt, amongst other things, to be an affirmation of putting behind them the unfortunate rifts, and starting afresh.  I have enormous admiration for what they can achieve with so few resources; for their part, they are so ready to express their appreciation.

 

 

 

 

 

We travelled to South Africa because Comic Relief has awarded BST a grant of £1 million over the next 5 years.  Ironically, within an hour of arriving back today, I was told by a friend in Guildford how much she did not like the way charities raised funds today.  She voiced the frequently held attitude “but how do we know that the money will be well spent?”.  Well, the answer (as regards Comic Relief money) is: “that’s what I went out to establish this week”.  

We were there to ensure that the management and governance of the Diocese’s Social Responsibility committee, its field officers and its Board, are functioning as well as possible.  So, for example, we have to improve significantly in the next 5 years the processes of monitoring, evaluating, verifying and learning from the experience.  This is expressed in dry analytical business-speak – but the importance of this is felt directly by the beneficiaries.  Leth’itemba has been a classic example of what happens when there is poor governance, when oversight is not exercised by impartial “senior” figures, and when the mission and ideals are lost amongst factional in-fighting.  

I don’t want to paint too bleak a picture, for most projects have excellent volunteers and staff (who are generally paid a pittance – say, £100 per month for full time work).  But I witnessed this time how much a project can truly flourish when volunteers are fully supported by good management who do all the sorts of things that can so easily be forgotten when the immediacy of caring for the desperately needy presses upon you.  This includes networking with other projects, seeking new partners, doing publicity, finding new sources of income including local business sponsorship, and recruiting new volunteers.

None of this is Rocket Science.  But this week my task has been to encourage the growth of these basic capacities so that each individual project, as well as the Diocese itself, can flourish and so that you can be confident that the money you give to Comic Relief on Red Nose Day will be well spent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I heard St Paul speak today.

As we listened to Paula Gooder on the Study Day at St Mary’s, we heard her describe the people that Paul moved amongst; she explained what difficulties Paul was dealing with, and showed us how Paul was unique in being well educated in Greek Philosophy, Rabbinic argument, and the culture of the Roman Empire.

Paul’s words felt fresh, alive and vibrant.

So, for example, those texts from Paul that taunt and torment us today can be seen as Paul guiding the early Christian communities into the profound truth about what it means to be “in Christ”.  Paul was a man who clearly thrived working alongside strong and spiritual women, and who longed to increase the respect accorded to women, and wanted to protect them from improper behaviour in Christian assemblies.  

Paul knew in the most intimate and profound way that the Christian calling was to be drawn into the life of God’s own true self.  This means that something special has already begun in us, which will not be completed until the end of all things.  Paula told us about a beautiful conversation she had had with a 4 year old: “How does Jesus make us real?” the little girl asked.  And before Paula could answer, the girl said “I reckon he draws us first, and then colours us in!”

 

 

I fly to South Africa on Sunday evening for a 4 day business trip.  The excellent news that occasioned this is that the Bishop Simeon Trust has successfully applied to Comic Relief for funding for another 5 years.  About 50% of the income of BST comes from Comic Relief; we also receive some other grants, and the rest comes from personal donations.  The latter is important as that is “unrestricted income”.  Though all the money is used in essence to support development projects around Johannesburg, especially those connected with families affected by HIV and basic education, the Trust needs some money that it can use wherever the need is most keenly felt.  The downside of large grants (such as from Comic Relief) is that it is specified in advance where we have to spend the money for all of the 5 years.  Some flexibility is vital.

Anyway, Comic Relief awarded BST £1 million to spend over the next 5 years.  This is an enormous seal of approval for the work being undertaken there, and the effect it is having.  My challenge this week is to establish with our partners (mainly the Diocese of the Highveld) the training schedules, the management boards and the reporting structures so that communities and individuals will have their standards of living improved in the most effective long-lasting way.  For example, one emphasis that we are required to make is to ensure that beneficiaries are as fully involved in the decisions about the projects as possible.  A laudable aim, but it takes some ingenuity to do this when some are struggling day to day for survival.

During this brief visit, I will meet with the Bishop, David Bannerman, whom I met on my first day of my first ever visit to the Diocese nearly 10 years ago.  I will also be seeing Carol Beetge (the widow of the previous Bishop and visitor to this parish, David Beetge), Lynne Coull, Sharron Dinnie and friends from the parish of St Peter’s and St Paul’s Springs.  It’s going to be a mix of familiar faces and new situations.  Comic Relief is not allowing us to stand still – we have to improve our patterns of work – and, since they are giving us £1 million, that is understandable.  My task is to urge everyone to move things on, without being discouraging, and yet also appreciating the good that is already being done.  Tactful strength is my prayer.

So if you buy a Red Nose in a few weeks time, some proportion of that will be going to our friends in South Africa.  I promise that I will do my utmost to spend your money wisely.