World Mission

While Beccles and the villages mean the world to us, our Mission Focus team exists to encourage all our members to have a vision of the wider outreach of the church across the world.

We particularly want to show our support for all our Christian sisters and brothers who work to bring Christ’s love to the needy, the vulnerable and to all those who are most disadvantaged in whatever societies they live.

The parish supports a number of organisations, including the Church Mission Society (CMS), the Bible Society, Christian Aid and the Children’s Society.

Catherine, our CMS Mission Partner

Catherine Lee is our CMS Mission Partner, based on the campus of St. John’s University in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. She works as an assistant university chaplain and is also involved in outreach work to many schools and churches. In addition, Catherine provides support to the Diocese of Taiwan office where, amongst other things, she produces a regular English language newsletter covering all the Episcopal churches in Taiwan. We keep in regular contact with Catherine via email, telephone, Link Letters and also during her four-yearly trip back to the UK.

The Rukungiri Orphan Partnership

We have long been inspired by Rev John and Alice Tumusiime’s infectious faith. The Partnership had its origin about 20 years ago, when several groups of “double orphans” adopted John and Alice and came to live in their home. There was an obvious need for education, so practical as ever, John ad Alice decided to convert a block of three skills workshops they had into classrooms and started building more with the help of mission teams from abroad.

Friends of John and Alice in the UK began a fund to help with this work and to sponsor orphans. As funds allowed and land was made available, accommodation was built for visitors to stay; and also the Gables in 2000 replaced the former skills training centre. Of course prayer is in all this. And as Alice said, “We have been living on miracles with no budget, but the Lord has given us dreams and enabled them to be fulfilled.” (There are no Government grants).

Now the Primary School is top-performing with a committed professional Staff plus a Matron as there are several hundred boarders, and other non-teaching staff. It was an answer to prayer to find a local qualified Counsellor and set apart, then decorate with volunteer help, a special Room for them. Orphans have fears and effects of traumas. A Nursery School was completed last year very near.

Getting food for hundreds of children, when there is little available locally was yet another challenge met with prayer and vision and action; this time seeking farmland to grow food on. Our own Harvest Appeal has fed into this. It is a privilege and a joy to be, with Alice and John, in the Partnership which this “multi-blessing” Mission and Ministry remains.

Find out more about the Rukungiri Orphan Partnership here