New Dean at St. Paul's Durban October 2008

The first black Dean of the Diocese in its long history, he is known as a powerful and inspirational preacher and a good trainer who works well as a team leader, with a consultative style of decision making. He is a warm approachable person who is accessible to all, and who is able to deal with people with great pastoral sensitivity. In addition to his parish experience, Father Sibisi has served as Archdeacon of both the North Coast and Durban Regions as well as serving on a number of diocesan committees and task teams and is therefore, well acquainted with the Diocese and the Province. Of particular signifi cance is his leadership of our Diocesan Youth Committee and his long involvement with the Soul Survivor Youth movement. Bishop Rubin describes him as Aa man of vibrant spirituality with a deep understanding of the various expressions of spirituality and churchmanship that make up this Diocese, uniting what is best in these streams by an Evangelical passion for the Gospel with a Catholic fi delity to the Church, and a heart for the renewing work of the Holy Spirit allied with a strong identifi cation with the poor and issues of social justice. He is himself a man of great integrity who is able to speak with a relevance and authority that is untainted by factionalism or petty party spiritedness. Father Ndabazinhle, who is married to Thoko with one child, Nobuntu, is to be installed on Sunday 18th January 2009 at 11am.

Other Stories in this edition:

Meeting of Bishops
A regular meeting of the Synod of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in Gauteng reviewed the ongoing mission, ministry and witness of the Church and some of the challenges of the context in which we live.

"Friendly Critics"
Some points on the role of the Church from Archbishop Thabo's latest encyclical letter

Bishop Beetge R.I.P.
The Right Revd David Beetge, Bishop of the Highveld, has died at the age of 69 after a long battle with lymphoma for which he had been undergoing chemotherapy.

New Dean at St. Paul's Durban
Archdeacon Ndabazinhle Sibisi, the current Rector of St. Paul's Durban has been appointed to succeed the Very Reverend Fred Pitout as the new Dean of the Cathedral and senior priest of the Diocese Ordained in 1979 he has served in the parishes of Newcastle, Wentworth, Inanda, Umhlali and fi nally St Paul's, Durban which has many points of similarity with that of the Cathedral.

New ecumenical agency
KwaZulu Natal has more ecumenical/inter church agencies than any of South Africa's other eight provinces.

Biblical Garden at St John's School
Inspired by a visit to a churchyard in the Karoo, St John's matric student Sarah Horner has single-handedly created a similar 'Biblical Garden' in a patch of bare earth alongside the school chapel where she is this year's senior Sacristan.

The Diocesan Companion Link
Moses Thabethe Writes:As Link Officer, I was invited by the bishop of Southwell and Nottingham, George Cassidy, for a month long visit to the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham in the UK.

Letter to the Editor
Dextor Soni Writes

Underberg tragedy
Near the conclusion of the Sunday Eucharist in Himeville a clearly distraught parishioner hopped over the altar rail into the sanctuary and approached the priest (who is also a highlt trained paramedic) telling him of the collapse of a tent at the Underberg Farmers' show.

New area of pastoral ministry for Dean Fred Pitout
Dean Fred Pitout, who retires from the Cathedral at the end of the year, has decided after much prayer and consultation to move into a different area of ministry by taking up a post at Michaelhouse as Secretary to the Old Boys' Association and Community Partnerships Manager This will include, as a non-stipendiary priest, involvement in the school's programmes of social action for boys and staff such as AIDS Hospice in Lidgetton, Sunfi eld Home in Howick and Asithithuke School near Nottingham Road, as well as seeking and developing new partnerships and programmes in underprivileged and under-resourced communities.