The arrival of Bishop Ronnie Elijah Brailsford, Sr. to the 19th Episcopal District on 11 April 2022 was not to be a time of holiday. He wasted no time arriving for work at the District Head Office at 20 Phillips Street in Johannesburg. He met in person various auxiliary and component leaders, and he visited various properties of the Church, including our educational institutions, the RR Wright Theological Seminary (RR Wright), and Wilberforce Community College (WCC). On Saturday, 23 April 2022, Members of the District travelled back home after closing a successful Mid-Year Conference prepared for 600 attendees.
This Mid-Year Conference was the first in-person meeting of the District since the 2019 series of Annual Conferences and planning meeting in December 2019. It took close to two and a half years for members of the 19th to be in fellowship once again to do God’s business under the leadership of Bishop Brailsford, Sr.
Thursday, 21 April, from around 2 pm, many people were begging to arrive at the Quest Conference Estate in Vanderbijlpark, being met by officials checking temperature, sanitising hands, ensuring masks are on, and completing the registration. The registration desk was ready with personalised registration tags. The reception hall was alive with people standing in small groups, chatting, greeting each other with excitement, yet reminiscing about many who were not there because they had since passed on. Clearly, the three days were not enough to cover how people missed each other’s fellowship and worship.
As dusk set in, a reminiscent sound of the Bishop, Presiding Elders, and Retirees’ processional rang out. The opening marked the beginning of the three days planned to end on Saturday, 23 April. The opening and retirement service led by Presiding Elders ended with the handing over of plaques to eight retirees, namely, the Revs. GM Ramatong, PJ Mengoai, SS Maboe, AM Sebelebele, EB Chweneemang, B Chinula, M Kgosana, and MP Seloane. To God be the Glory.
Bishop Brailsford, Sr., made it clear that no day should commence without meditation, so the Elders Elect were set aside to lead all morning devotions. Each day started promptly at 9 am and went immediately into the business sessions. Respective leaders shared reports and presentations from various components, including from Sanlam
The Ordination Worship Experience commenced in the early evening with the various Boards of Examiners’ Deans leading the procession of 35 candidates (Deacons and Elders Elect) and two Deaconesses. This total comes from the 2020 and 2021 Annual Conferences, which were only able to elect these candidates and pass them on to the following year’s classes without ordination due to the restricted travels because of COVID, thus preventing the Bishop from being in the country. The 19th District was blessed with the preaching by Bishop Harry Lee Seawright, who preached virtually reading from the Gospel of Matthew 16:13-20, 24–26 on the subject “The cost of being chosen.” This ordination was evocative of the last Thursday in March 1949 ordination of more than 120 candidates by Bishop Isaiah Hamilton Bonner at Bethel AME Church, Cape Town. This massive ordination was a result of the World War that prevented the travel of Bishops to South Africa for over ten years. The late Rev. Scott had told the story that as Bishop IH Bonner docked off, men and women from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Nyasaland (now Malawi), Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) all came to Cape Town to meet the Bishop and Supervisor NJ Bonner singing the Sotho hymn, “Se teng Seliba sa mali aletareng ya tefelo” ending on the Sunday with more than 120 men ordained. Bishop Brailsford enters the annals of the 19th Episcopal District as the first to ordain such a huge cohort in one sitting and the second highest since Bishop Bonner 73 years ago. The Bishop took his time, ensuring that each candidate received their ordination in the most dignified way without compromising COVID protocols. This ordination Worship Experience included the consecration of two Deaconesses and two persons for local orders (one deacon and one Elder). The majestic picture of a u-shaped makeshift altar rail spanning over 30 metres to accommodate the kneeling of at least 20 candidates at a time was a picture etched indelibly in many people’s minds; this was indeed the most distinctive memorable ordinations we have experienced.
One of the highlights of the Midyear conference was the spirit of generosity of the people of the 19th in support of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Disaster Relief. Members stood one after another at the call for monetary pledges and other necessities to pledge financial support. Officials will transport most of the clothes and blankets to KZN before the end of April 2022.
Leaders gave updates on the educational institutions, RR Wright and WCC. There is indeed conspicuous progress each time the various Boards report. These reports were followed by a moment of teaching and empowerment by the Rev. LS Moobi, PE, the Rev. NNA Matyumza, PE, and the Rev. TG Klaas.
The three-day event was closed on Saturday evening with Bishop Ronnie Elijah Brailsford, Sr. preaching on the subject, “Where do we go from here?” based on Acts 1:4-8 and handing out ordination, consecration, pastoral transfers, and appointment certificates.
The logistics teamwork was on top of things, albeit marred by the intermittent loss of power.
To God be the Glory.
