Honduran Bishop Meets with SAMS Board

Mississauga meeting participants, from left, Bishop Peter Mason, Arlene Heale, Dick Breadner, Hugh Rowlinson, Frank Main, Trevor Smith, Eva Breadner, Bishop Linda Nicholls, Bishop Lloyd Allen and Denys Reades. The Reverend Stephen Peake and Bill Kingston are absent from the photo.

SAMS representatives and several interested individuals met with Bishop Lloyd Allen of Honduras in Mississauga June 21-23 to review developments in Honduras and to look at support for this ministry in the future.

The diocese is focusing on four key areas . . . theology, sustainability, social justice and stewardship, all under the mission statement, "Proclaiming, serving and discipling, we make the Kingdom of God available wherever we are." (a translation from Spanish)

A ten-year (2010-2019) diocesan strategic plan is expected to be finished by September 2010, the Bishop reports. “We are seeking to move from a culture of dependency to a self-sustaining church. The goal is for our urban churches to be able to support 50% of clergy costs, pensions, housing, and transportation in the coming years. And we want each parish to have its own microeconomic project in place to help finance the church.

“Because of limitation of diocesan resources I have had to ask pastors to stop opening new parishes. Our pastors respond that they cannot stop people from asking us to minister to them.”

The discussions generated a number of potential changes to the existing support program, including possible discontinuation  of ministries which Canadian parishes no longer support. The Bishop will also be identifying three or four strategic initatives which he would like to see us focus on in the future.

Such new projects would be the subject of a partnership covenant for a specific and limited  period of time (three years suggested), most likely on a declining scale.

Other suggestions included greater use of current communications technology (You Tube, Skype, Facebook, Cell phones) to enhance communication between Honduran communities and Canadian supporters (parishes and individuals), and to again explore the possibility of an English speaking Honduran to come to Canada in the future to meet with various parishes. 

Bishop Allen spoke very positively on the work being done by Nelson and Kara in Roatan. The Bay Islands are strategically important to the diocese because of their history, and the Bishop hopes to add one or two missionary priests to the region to drive this growth in the coming year. He has also placed young clergy in La Ceiba and Tela to boost youth interest and energy in this important deanery.

It was agreed to meet again in one year's time, to review progress, either in person or through electronic means.