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AGHERTON PARISH CHURCH
The Church of John the Baptist
Harvest Appeal 2022
Important Update on Harvest Appeal 2022
If at first you don't succeed.....try and try again!
This is how the vestry felt when our planned mission project (to help the Diocese of Yet generate funds for clergy salaries) ran into problems. Our hope was to bring one of the clergy (Rev Nelson) from Southern Sudan for a short time to Agherton Parish to build up his business skills in order that he could return and assist with the Coffee Project in his home diocese. Unfortunately, the Home Office rejected the application for a Visa and therefore Rev Nelson will not be able to visit. Thankfully we have a new plan in place that will allow us too support Bishop Levi and his clergy in the Coffee Project.
Rev Nelson will be sent to a short term business course in Uganda to acquire the necessary skills for the project. Agherton Parish will support him in this by helping with the cost of the course and then when he returns our previous plan to support him with two years salary will continue as before. I am glad the project is going ahead and that the Diocese of Yei will get the support they need to support their clergy. The one disappointment is that we won'thave the Rev Nelson with us and therefore not be able to build face to face relationships with him.
We will have to double our efforts to link with him over Zoom and video links as our project mow moves into a new stage. Bishop Levi, like me , wish to again thank you for the support that made this project possible for our brothers and sisters in Christ in Southern Sudan.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
REV MALCOLM
Part 1.... YEI
This August we were delighted to welcome Bishop Levi and his wife Mama Agnes all the way from the diocese of Yet in the souther Sudan. During their short trip they spent some time with Rev Malcolm, Brian, Frank Dobbs, members of the Mothers' Union and other parishioners chatting and sharing lots of information about life in our respective dioceses.
Bishop Levi told how many of his clergy are unpaid and somehow have to try and fund themselves independently. He revealed that one of his main priorities for the diocese of Yei is to try and generate an income for pastors and local people for evangelism, discipleship and to try and improve training for teachers and clergy. Of the 110 teachers working at present in Yei only 13 are trained. The way he intends to do this is by establishing a diocesan-wide coffee growing enterprise.
The Select Vestry have agreed that the best way Agherton can help and support Bishop Levi and his diocese in their initiative would be to bring a person from YEI to Agherton to work shadow for a period of approximately eight weeks. During this time the person would be trained in the use of IT and project management help draw up a business model to best manage the venture, thus seeding a way that the diocese can support their clergy. It is estimated that our involvement would be a two year commitment costing £2500 per year (this being a years salary) to support the people of YEI in this way.
Click the white arrow on the image to hear a message from Bishop Levi.
MORE news to follow as we get more details about the project
Part 2...PAKISTAN
Should the Harvest Appeal raise more than £5000, which it now has, it was agreed by the Select Vestry that any surplus funds should go to help the people of Pakistan as they struggle to deal with the consequences of their recent catastrophic floods. It is proposed to channel this funding through the annual Connor Bishop's Appeal.
