Licensing of Charley Thomas as Dean of Lusaka

LICENSING OF CANON CHARLEY THOMAS
NEW DEAN OF LUSAKA CATHEDRAL

SUNDAY 21ST October 07

We had a knock on the door at 6am! The cook called through the door saying breakfast was ready. We’d thought it would be at 6.45am! So we hurried up, showered, dressed and went to the dining room. Breakfast was fried egg ( very nice though I think it had been made before 6am!), spam and bread that we could toast, followed by a banana and orange segments.
Then we went with Rodgers and Esther to the Cathedral. The Girl’s Brigade and all the various uniformed groups were congregating when we arrived. Rodgers and Ken went off to robe and Esther and I went into the Cathedral to a row at the front reserved for clergy and Bishop’s wives. I sat next to Bishop Derek’s wife (Central diocese) and Liz Maurice. Also on our row, was Bishop David’s wife, Noreen, and Susan Rivett. Susan and her husband Peter are from England and know John Simons (who was the previous vicar at Holy Trinity, Nailsea), and Chris and Janet Faull (two of our congregation at HT), as they were with SOMA ( Sharing of Ministries Abroad) and Crosswinds. They came to Mapanza Mission Station, Peter as Chaplain to the large boarding school. Then the Bishop asked him to be the parish priest as well! They have 16 churches as well as the chaplaincy! Rev Charley Thomas’s family were sitting in front of us in the front row.

The service lasted 4 hours from 8am – midday! There were several choirs – Cathedral Praise Team, Diocesan Choir, Mary Sumner choir, Mother’s Union, and at various times during the service they would burst out in song and dance. The choirs were wonderful to watch and listen to. It was a lovely service with a lot of variety and very lively.

During the installation of Rev Charley Thomas, as Dean, one of the questions and response was this:
Bishop: ‘My brother, will you proclaim God’s word with boldness, teach the truth and banish error?’
Priest: ‘ With God’s help I will.’
Bishop:’ People of this parish will you hear what is preached, apply it to your lives, and by word and deed commend the gospel to others?’
People: With God’s help we will.’
Bishop David then said ‘ That means listening to the sermon and not reading your parish news!!’

He made funny remarks quite a lot. He introduced Bishop John Osmers, as ‘retired but not tired!’ Bishop John is missing one hand, die to the South African Government security forces (during apartheid) sending him a parcel bomb that blew off his hand. He is head now of St John’s Theological in Kitwe, in Zambia.

Buomba was amazing with their music and dance. They are a Roman Catholic cultural worship group from Kaunda Square Catholic parish and performed twice during the service. Towards the end of the service different groups – cell groups, Bishops, Mother’s Union, Youth, Clergy Wives, etc. all came up to the front to shake hands with Charley and all his family, wife Rachel and children, Tony, Mollie, and 3 yr old Jolly. His mother too was there at the service – she had come over especially from India where she lives. Many brought up gifts for Charley. At the end of the service there was a large procession out. Everyone greeted each other on the Cathedral steps and in the grounds. Then followed refreshments – drink, sandwich, chicken drumstick, and 2 varieties of samosas, and sausage. We ate it in a tent (put up in the Cathedral grounds), which became very hot, as the tent was made of plastic material and there was no through breeze. We greeted various folk, everyone was so welcoming and friendly.

A red carpet was being put out on the steps of the Cathedral ready for another big service in the afternoon, for Independence Day, with the President expected. Eventually we went back to ZAC with Rodgers and Esther, dropping George (who lectures at St John’s Seminary, in Kitwe) off at a house. There was a fierce some dog there, so he wouldn’t get out of the car until the security guard on the gate had secured it behind a fence!!

In the afternoon we changed into cooler clothes and sat under the pagoda where there was a gentle breeze. We had a short nap, and then I wrote up my diary. At 6pm we went with Rodgers and Esther back to the Cathedral for a ‘pot luck’ supper. We arrived to find no one around, except 2 ladies coming out of an Alpha course! We discovered the supper was supposed to be at 6.30pm. We’re learning to live by Zambian time and the supper actually materialised at about 8pm!! Bishop Derek never made it – he’d gone to bed!! I joined the ladies sitting around the table. I met Irene and Pinky from Zimbabwe. Four of them had driven here for the service – it had been a 12hour drive from their homes in Zimbabwe! That’s longer than the flight we had from UK, which had been 10 hours. Irene is a primary school teacher and we got talking about the lovely Zambian dresses. We both said we’d like one, and she was doing a drawing of one I liked of a lady called Wanga, who was wearing a lovely green dress. She was trying to do the design so she could have one made when she got back to Zimbabwe. I went over to Wanga and chatted with her saying how lovely her dress was. She gave me all the details of where to buy the material and the person who could make it. I took a photo front and back, and said I’d send the photo by email to Irene. Austin and Pinky came with her. I also sat next to Rachel and Jollie (4 yrs). Rachel is Charley’s wife – Canon Charley Thomas, Dean of Lusaka Cathedral. I spoke with Margaret Katongo Willombe, who is the National Coordinator of Mother’s Union. I met her 2 children, Bevan and a daughter, who’s name I forget. They are both studying in Australia, in Perth. Margaret gave me her contact details as she may come to England sometime. I also sat next to George Kateka and his wife Hilda and chatted with them. He was Master of Ceremonies this morning at Charley’s Licensing service.

We had a delicious ‘pot luck’ supper of rice, chicken, chapatti, pumpkin leaves, etc. Ken chatted with a number of the men. We came home about 9.30pm. Esther said we could go shopping for material tomorrow when I am free, probably after lunch. In the morning I think our itinerary includes The British High Commission, and then lunch with some of the clergy and wives. Esther and I are then hoping to be able to have a bit of free time to go shopping! Bishop Peter has a bad back – I said I could give him some back exercises. I think the plane journey was part of the cause.