Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean | |
---|---|
Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | Anglican |
Scripture | Holy Bible |
Theology | Anglican doctrine |
Polity | Episcopal |
Primate | James Wong |
Associations | Anglican Communion, Global South |
Territory | Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles |
The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean is a province of the Anglican Communion. It covers the islands of Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles. The current Archbishop and Primate is James Wong, Bishop of Seychelles.
The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean is a member of the Global South and the Global Anglican Future Conference, and has been involved in the Anglican realignment. Archbishop James Wong attended GAFCON III, in Jerusalem, on 17–22 June 2018, and GAFCON IV in Kigali, [1] on 17-21 April 2023. The province was represented at the event by a ten-member delegation, six from Madagascar and four from the Seychelles. [2]
The Bishop of Antananarivo has been the Ordinary of the Anglican Church in Antananarivo [3] in the Indian Ocean since the diocese's erection in 1969. [4] The current bishop is Samoela Jaona Ranarivelo.
Bishops of Antsiranana have included Gabriel Josoa (until 1982), Keith Benzies (1982 to his death in 2002), Roger Chung Po Chuen (until 2012), Oliver Simon (2012–2015) and Théophile Botomazava (2015-2021).
The diocese of Fianarantsoa, has been established since at least 2003 [5] and Gilbert Rakotondravelo had been the Bishop of Fianarantsoa since before 2010. [6]
Jean-Claude Andrianjafimanana had been the (Anglican) Bishop of Mahajanga, since before 2003. [5]
When Grosvenor Miles was appointed assistant bishop of Madagascar in 1938, he based himself in Tamatave, with the intention that this would become a diocesan see when the diocese of Madagascar was divided up; [7] but, in fact, the diocese of Tamatave was not created until 1969. [8] It was subsequently renamed the diocese of Toamasina. [9] The inaugural bishop was James Seth from 1969 until his death in 1975. [10] Jean-Paul Solo has been the (Anglican) Bishop of Toamasina, since before 2011. [11]
Todd McGregor was elected in 2006 to become a suffragan/assistant bishop over the Toliara (Tuléar) missionary area of the Diocese of Antananarivo, to prepare that area to become a diocese. On 21 April 2013, the new Diocese of Toliara was erected out of Antananarivo diocese and McGregor became the first bishop diocesan. [12] On 14 March 2021, the Rt Rev Dr Samitiana Jhonson Razafindralambo, formerly the assistant bishop, was elected the next bishop and installed as the 2nd Bishop of Toliara on 25 April 2021. [13]
The Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East is a province of the Anglican Communion. The primate of the church is called President Bishop and represents the Church at the international Anglican Communion Primates' Meetings. The Central Synod of the church is its deliberative and legislative organ.
The Toamasina Province is a former province of Madagascar with an area of 71,911 km². It had a population of 2,855,600 (2004). Its capital was Toamasina, the most important seaport of the country. The province was also known as Tamatave Province.
The Church of the Province of West Africa is a province of the Anglican Communion, covering 17 dioceses in eight countries of West Africa, specifically in Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Ghana is the country with most dioceses, now numbering 11.
Toamasina, meaning "like salt" or "salty", unofficially and in French Tamatave, is the capital of the Atsinanana region on the east coast of Madagascar on the Indian Ocean. The city is the chief seaport of the country, situated 215 km (134 mi) northeast of its capital and biggest city Antananarivo. In 2018 Toamasina had a population of 325,857.
The Catholic Church in Madagascar is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
The Anglican Church of South America is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion that covers six dioceses in the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.
The Pro League Championnat de Football National Division 1 is the premier football league in Madagascar. Prior to 2019, it was known as the Three Horses Beer-sponsored THB Champions League.
The Anglican realignment is a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada. Two of the major events that contributed to the movement were the 2002 decision of the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada to authorise a rite of blessing for same-sex unions, and the nomination of two openly gay priests in 2003 to become bishops. Jeffrey John, an openly gay priest with a long-time partner, was appointed to be the next Bishop of Reading in the Church of England and the General Convention of the Episcopal Church ratified the election of Gene Robinson, an openly gay non-celibate man, as Bishop of New Hampshire. Jeffrey John ultimately declined the appointment due to pressure.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toliara is one of five Metropolitan archdioceses with an Ecclesiastical province in Madagascar, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toamasina is one of five Latin Metropolitan archdioceses on Madagascar, yet depends on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
The Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is a communion of conservative Anglican churches that formed in 2008 in response to ongoing theological disputes in the worldwide Anglican Communion. Conservative Anglicans met in 2008 at the Global Anglican Future Conference, creating the Jerusalem Declaration and establishing the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA), which was rebranded as GAFCON in 2017.
James Richard Wong Yin Song is a Mauritian-Seychellois Anglican bishop. He is the archbishop and primate of the Anglican Province of the Indian Ocean, and fourth bishop of The Seychelles.
Remi Joseph Rabenirina is a former Malagasy Anglican archbishop. He was Archbishop of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean, from 1995 to 2005.
Ranarivelo Samoela Jaona is the current Malagasy Anglican bishop of the Diocese of Antananarivo. He was consecrated on the 29 June 2008 at the cathedral of Saint Laurent's in Ambohimanoro, and is the fourth bishop of Antananarivo.
The Cathedral of Saint Patrick is the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Toliara, in the south of Madagascar. The Diocese of Toliara is within the Eklesia Episkopaly Malagasy, and is part of the Indian Ocean Province
The Cathedral of Saint James in Toamasina is the Cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Toamasina, Madagascar.
St Paul's Theological College (1876–2004) was an Anglican theological college for the Diocese of Mauritius in Beau Bassin-Rose Hill. It was replaced by the Diocesan Training Centre.
James Seth was an Anglican bishop in Madagascar. He was the first bishop of Tamatave from its creation in 1969 until his death in 1975.