It's All Anglican To Me

(Copyright 2008 by Janice Seto)

by Janice Seto
October 26, 2008

Greetings from the Fujairah Worship Centre, part of the Diocese of Cyprus & the Gulf in the Anglican Communion! As I wrote in the Spring 2008 issue on The Flying Angel, Fujairah lies outside of the Straits of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. In August 2007, I left Canada to fly to Dubai to teach at the Fujairah Women's College in the United Arab Emirates. Amazingly, I walked just three blocks from my apartment for weekly services in the Anglican tradition.

Thanks to the course "Anglicanism 101" led by the Rev Canon Karen Fast at St John the Divine in 2005, settling into worship as an Anglican in the Arabian Gulf has not required a steep learning curve. The Gulf states that are part of the diocese include Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, and the UAE. The other part is Cyprus. The recently-installed new bishop, Michael Lewis, an Englishman, has his official residence in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Our diocese of Cyprus & The Gulf is one of the four dioceses making up the province of The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & The Middle East. The other 3 dioceses of the province hold the historical earthly roots of Christianity: Jerusalem, Iran, and Egypt & North Africa .

We do not have full-time clergy in Fujairah as we are a small community of less than a dozen people. Falling under the guidance of Holy Trinity Church, Dubai, we have the Rev John Weir overseeing the Anglican Chaplaincy of Dubai, Sharjah & the Northern Emirates of the UAE as Senior Chaplain. He runs the 'mothership' which is a compound of four two-story buildings surrounded by a ten foot wall with no cross visible from the road. The Chaplaincy Council rents a two bedroom apartment in Fujiarah with the living room set up as a chapel. For the weekly holy eucharist with our congregation, John has the Rev Nelson Fernandez as our regular celebrant. With his wife, Sudha, and their two year old daughter, this native of Kerala, India travels about 90 minutes on a paved highway through the desert from his home church, St Luke's at Ras Al Kheimah (RAK), to be with us.

Besides continuing on the editorial team for Aspire, I also contribute to Palm Leaves, the newsletter of Holy Trinity. I also have visited the Anglican church on the other side of Dubai, which is Christ Church, headed by the Rev Stephen Wright, and I have met Rev Stephen Miller, clergyman for the Mission to Seafarers. There are ongoing discussions of the role of Fujairah – could we become a retreat centre? After all, this is an accessible small city along the sandy coastline of the Indian Ocean. I am part of those talks too, as well as the instigator of monthly potlucks!

A surprising question I am often asked is, "So what is the name of your bishop?" I answer that the name of my bishop is the name of the new bishop of Cyprus and the Gulf. The response that follows is often, "No, no, who is your bishop back home in Canada?" Since I reside here in the UAE, the answer to the question is in fact, "Michael Lewis". While I am here in the UAE, Michael Augustine Owen Lewis is my bishop.

The Anglican Communion's organizational structure was crafted with a deliberate eye towards decentralized authority. Provinces of the Anglican Communion are defined along geographical lines. Any inkling of divided loyalties would lead to ineffective carrying out of objectives and the mission, His mission. In short, where you are determines who represents you in the Anglican Communion. Geography clarifies who is in charge of designated territories or spheres of influence. The person in charge is sometimes appointed, but is often elected by secret ballot; always the process is guided by the Holy Spirit. I like the fact that each province is autonomous. Harold Munn explained that, in the more hierarchical Roman Catholic Church, when the Pope comes to Victoria, he is in charge. When the Primate of Canada or the Archbishop of Canterbury visit, they are guests of the bishop in charge. It reminds me of sibling relationships – when Christmas dinner is served, everyone is a guest of the host.

The Most Rev Fred Hiltz is the head of the Anglican Church in Canada, as the primate. In the USA, the primate of the Episcopalian Church, is Katherine Jefferts Schori. Here, the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, is led by president-bishop, the Rev Dr Mouneer Anis. Things do get confusing in light of the fact that most Christians come from outside of the country for temporary work and the Christian church itself is very new in this part of the Gulf.

As a representative for Fujairah on the Chaplaincy Council in Dubai, I have observed the interesting dynamic that comes out of the multi-national Christian community. Senior chaplain John Weir, has seen challenges over his decisions about which different Protestant groups can rent space. As senior chaplain for the Anglican communion in Dubai & Sharjah with the Northern Emirates, he has to abide by the rules of the diocese. There are absolute criteria which must be met by applicants for space. Their message must be consistent with the mission of the Anglican church in the diocese. As Holy Trinity Church operates through the grace of God - and under the good will of the Arab rulers of the country – groups that advocate converting Muslim citizens of the UAE cannot be housed in the Anglican compound. In the period between the retirement of the previous incumbent and the appointment of Michael Lewis, groups that were turned down appealed to the bishop in their original country. However, in his initial steps as new leader, Bishop Michael Lewis has set a tone: "Together, whatever our different and highly varied circumstances, let's carry on delighting in our common life in Christ." (This comes from Palm Leaves, Nov 2007 issue.)

That is a glimpse into what being an Anglican is like in the middle of the Gulf States. No matter where you are, the question is how to fulfill your mission to love your God with all your heart and soul, and love your neighbour. Part of what I have seen here in the Chaplaincy of Dubai, Sharjah & the Northern Emirates is outreach to the construction and quarry workers in their labour camps. The different congregations meeting in the Anglican church are focusing on how to do the Work with this segment of the expat community. More on that in the next issue of Aspire.

"Again, the Lord said to him, 'Feed my lambs'." John 21:16.