David Beetge

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David Beetge was Bishop of the Highveld, South Africa, and Dean of the Province of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa -- the most senior bishop next to the Archbishop of Cape Town. Born at Witbank in October 1948, he died in Johannesburg on 27 September 2008. [1] [2]

The Diocese of the Highveld is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa covering the East Rand in Gauteng province and the southern part of Mpumalanga province in South Africa. The bishop's seat is at St Dunstan's Cathedral in Benoni.

South Africa Republic in the southernmost part of Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White), Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.

Anglican Church of Southern Africa province of the Anglican Communion in Southern Africa

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa, known until 2006 as the Church of the Province of Southern Africa, is the province of the Anglican Communion in the southern part of Africa. The church has twenty-eight dioceses, of which twenty-one are located in South Africa, two in Mozambique, and one each in Angola, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Saint Helena. In South Africa, there are between 3 and 4 million Anglicans out of an estimated population of 45 million.

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Early career

Beetge began a career in the commercial world, becoming, in his late 20s, company secretary of ICI (a computer consultancy) in South Africa. He had qualified through the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators. He commenced theological training at St Paul’s Theological College in Grahamstown, subsequently earning bachelor and honour degrees in theology at the University of South Africa. He obtained a master's degree in theology from the University of Natal. [1] [2]

The University of South Africa (UNISA), and colloquially Unisa, is the largest university system in both South Africa and Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, UNISA has over 300,000 students, including international students from 130 countries worldwide, making it one of the world's mega universities and only such university in Africa.

University of Natal university in South Africa

The University of Natal was a university in Natal and later became KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-Natal on 1 January 2004. It was founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg and expanded to include a campus in Durban in 1931. In 1947, the university opened a medical school for non-white students in Durban. The Pietermaritzburg campus was known for its agricultural engineering programmes, hence the nickname "the farmers" whilst the Durban campus was known as "the engineers," as it concentrated on other engineering programmes.

Ordained ministry

Beetge was ordained as a priest in 1981. He served in various churches before being made vicar general, and later bishop, of the new Diocese of South Eastern Transvaal in 1990, which from 1998 became known as the Diocese of the Highveld. [2] Beetge served the worldwide Anglican Communion with distinction as co-chairman of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission (IARCCUM). Archbishop Thabo Makgoba characterised him as "an outstanding and exemplary leader” of the church. [2] In England he was remembered as an advocate of Christian unity and a champion of the poor and those living with HIV/AIDS. The then Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, said following Beetge’s death that "The Anglican church worldwide [had] lost an exceptional man, warm, intelligent, utterly dedicated, imaginative and that many had 'lost a deeply valued friend'." [1] [2]

Anglican Communion International association of churches

The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion. Founded in 1867 in London, England, the communion currently has 85 million members within the Church of England and other national and regional churches in full communion. The traditional origins of Anglican doctrines are summarised in the Thirty-nine Articles (1571). The Archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, recognised as primus inter pares, but does not exercise authority in Anglican provinces outside of the Church of England.

Thabo Makgoba South African bishop

Thabo Cecil Makgoba is the South African Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town. He had served as Bishop of Grahamstown.

Rowan Williams Archbishop of Canterbury (2002–2012)

Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He served as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the Bishop of Monmouth and Archbishop of Wales, Williams was the first Archbishop of Canterbury in modern times not to be appointed from within the Church of England.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Sison, Marites N. (1 October 2008). "Bishop David Beetge, champion of the poor, dies in South Africa". Anglican Journal. Anglican Church of Canada . Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bishop Beetge R.I.P." Anglican News. Anglican Diocese of Natal. October 2008. Retrieved 2016-08-02.


Anglican Church of Southern Africa titles
Preceded by
Inaugural		 Bishop of the Highveld
1990-2008 		Succeeded by
David Bannerman


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