All Saint's with Christ Church, Snodland, was the venue for this year's annual Overseas Links Celebration Service in September.
Rochester Diocese enjoys flourishing friendships with the Anglican dioceses of Harare in Zimbabwe, and Kondoa and Mpwapwa in Tanzania, as well as an ecumenical link with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia (EELC) Find out more about each of the links.
Bishop Jonathan Gibbs, the Bishop of Rochester, led the service. Having recently returned from a trip to Tanzania, he spoke of his commitment to the links and the mutual benefit they bring.
He said it had been 'a deeply inspiring ten days'.
Each year, the celebration service focuses on one particular link, this year, it was the turn of Estonia. The Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia, Archbishop Urmas Viilm was present and was invited to preach.
He spoke of the joy that the friendships bring to the people and parishes of each diocese and the richness of learning that is gained from one another’s wisdom and life experience.
He also outlined the challenge of bringing the good news of Jesus to a very secular society back in Estonia, where 70% of people, whilst ‘religious’, do not identify with any named faith. He encouraged congregations in Rochester Diocese to 'make our lights shine brightly for Jesus.'
On Archbishop Viilm's hand was a ring; a gift he had received that weekend at the Church of King Charles the Martyr, Tunbridge Wells, which was a special sign of the sharing in fellowship and ministry that is enjoyed by our two Christian communities.
Photo: The former Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev James Langstaff (left), was also present to receive a special award from Archbishop Urmas in acknowledgment of the depth of his contribution to Rochester Diocese's relationship with the Church in Estonia.
Leading members of the Overseas Links teams, all of whom are volunteers and who work hard to enable the partnerships to flourish, took it in turns to pray – for good rain in Africa, for peace and protection for the people of Estonia, both ethnic Estonians and Russians.