Anne Lloyd, former Church Secretary of St Andrew’s, and also of the Association Friends of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, yesterday attended a Service of Thanksgiving commemorating 50 years of faithful witness and ministry in the Diocese, which was held at St Clement Danes in London.

Maintaining the strong Kyrenia connection, Linda Smith is now the current Secretary of the Association of Friends. For more information or to become a Friend of the Diocese, please go to: https://www.cypgulf.org/association-of-friends/

Bishop Sean’s sermon reflected on the Diocese at 50, and on the challenges that lay ahead—not just for Cyprus and the Gulf, but for the Church everywhere.

“Anglicanism, with its moderate theology and well-established governance, is well received in the Middle East. We have the reputation of being respectful and committed interfaith and ecumenical interlocutors able to promote dialogue across boundaries and divisions.

“We are well known for our humanitarian outreach, through St George’s Clinic in Baghdad, which is greatly supported by Mosaic Middle East; and through the Ras Morbat Eye Clinic in Aden—run entirely by Muslim staff, in a war-torn area, as a ministry of an Anglican diocese. Here light is literally brought into the darkness of people’s lives.”

He referred too, to a Diocese offering “Christian love and belonging to migrants drawn to the Middle East from all over the world…. For migrants experiencing culture shock, loneliness and the pains of separation from their families, our churches provide a spiritual ‘home from home’, and a spiritual family.

Bishop Sean concluded:
“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”