THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST, PINETOWN

THE THIRD ANNUAL RUBIN PHILLIP PEACE LECTURE
Bishop Rubin Phillip, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba and Cardinal Wilfrid Napier	On 11 November St John’s was most honoured to welcome Archbishop Thabo Makgoba to deliver the Rubin Phillip Peace Lecture.  All who attended agree that it was a very special evening, beginning with Choral Evensong directed by Lance Phillip (Bishop Rubin’s son) who brought with him the Odeion Choir  from the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, where he lectures.  The service followed the traditional format of evensong, and the music, with Christopher Cockburn at the organ, was wonderful. Evensong was  followed by the lecture.  Archbishop Thabo’s theme was “If you want peace, work for justice”, which was very apt for this occasion as Bishop Rubin’s life has been dedicated to working for justice.  The respondent was Cardinal Napier. After the lecture, all went to the hall for a finger supper.  A marquee had been erected on the lawn outside the hall to make more room, so that people could mingle while they ate.  In spite of the rain, it was a very successful evening. Click here to read the full text of the Archbishop's lecture .               Some of the clergy attending the lecture, from left: Revd Sean Semple, Bishop Elijah Thwala, Revd Sue Brittion, Revd Andrew Warmback, Bishop Rubin Phillip, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Revd Alfred Nala, Bishop Funginkosi Mbhele, Revd Theo Ngubane and Bishop Nkosinathi Ndwandwe. Tracey Kotiah (left) and Deidre Capell with the    Archbishop	Lance Phillip directing the choir
Revd Andrew Warmback, Archbishop Makgoba, assistant churchwarden Matthews Buthelezi and churchwardens Edward Pines and Makhosi Cain.		The congregation during Evensong
Some of the clergy wives, from left, Rose Phillip, Lungi Makgoba, Alison Warmback, Matrina Mbhele, Swazi Thwala and Zanele Ndwandwe.		Revd Sue Brittion shows Bishop and Mrs Thwala to their seats.
Archbishop Makgoba, Alison Warmback, Christopher Cockburn and Revd Andrew Warmback		Richard and Liz Clüver with Lungi and Archbishop Makgoba

HISTORY OF THE ANNUAL RUBIN PHILLIP PEACE LECTURE 

The Rt Revd Rubin Phillip, Bishop of Natal, is internationally known for his solidarity work on behalf of those marginalised by society.   His prophetic voice in the name of justice, peace and the integrity of creation continues to be influential and effective. 

In 2009 Bishop Rubin was invited to Germany to receive the Bremen International Peace Award from the city of Bremen, which has a partnership with the city of Durban.   In Bremen he was greeted with acclaim, as a worthy recipient of this prestigious award. 

The Parish of Pinetown decided that it wanted to honour the Bishop in some appropriate way, as a mark of the respect in which he is held.   It was decided to inaugurate an annual Peace Lecture in Bishop Rubin's honour. 

Bishop Rubin graciously accepted this honour, and agreed to be the guest speaker at the inaugural Rubin Phillip Peace Lecture, delivered at a fundraising dinner on Friday 11^th December 2009.   The respondent to the inaugural Lecture was Graham Philpott of the Church Land Programme, which has been strongly supported and encouraged by Bishop Rubin as it works on issues of justice for a deeply marginalised sector of the population. 

A year later, on Friday 5^th November 2010, the second Annual Rubin Phillip Peace Lecture was delivered by Ela Gandhi, Chancellor of the Durban University of Technology (DUT), granddaughter of the Mahatma Gandhi, and a lifelong worker for peace with justice.   The respondent was Crispin Hemson of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), where he pioneered progressive, participatory adult education and skill training in conflict resolution and peacemaking, and who then moved to the International Centre for Non-Violence. 

In 2011,  the Parish was honoured to welcome Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, to deliver the third Annual Rubin Phillip Peace Lecture on Friday 11th November 2011.  We hope that the tradition of the annual peace lecture will continue for many years to come.

ARCHBISHOP THABO CECIL MAKGOBA – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY 

The Most Revd Dr Thabo Cecil Makgoba has served as the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa since January 2008.  

Born in Limpopo Province in 1960, he grew up in Alexandra Township of Johannesburg.  He matriculated at Orlando High, Soweto, and in 1989 obtained a BSc from the University of the Witwatersrand, completing his studies for the Anglican ministry in the same year.  He was ordained in 1990 and returned to Wits University for his Honours and Masters of Education in Applied Psychology and Educational Psychology, respectively.  His secular professional career has included part-time lecturing at Wits between 1993 and 1996, and he served as Dean of Knockando at Wits College of Education (formerly Johannesburg College of Education – JCE).  In 2009 he was awarded a doctorate on Spirituality in the South African Mining Workplace by the University of Cape Town.

Central to his career life has been his ordained ministry.  After curacy at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Johannesburg, chaplaincy at Wits, and parish ministry that included serving as Priest in Charge of St Alban’s, and then Rector and Archdeacon at Christ the King in Sophiatown, he became the Bishop Suffragan of Grahamstown in 2002 and was elected Bishop of Grahamstown in 2004.  In 2007 he became the youngest person ever elected to head the Anglican Church in Southern Africa, and, taking up this position in January 2008, succeeded Archbishops Njongonkulu Ndungane (who served from 1997 to 2007) and Desmond Tutu (1986 to 1996).

He served as a member of the Design Group for the 2008 Lambeth Conference, for which he was awarded the Cross of St Augustine by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams.  In 2009 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, from the General Theological Seminary of The Episcopal Church in New York, describing this as being on behalf of ‘all South Africans who were denied access to education’.

His interests include reading theology, walking, writing, and promoting leadership development.  He has set up, and serves on the boards of, a number of NGOs. His publications include ‘Connectedness’, a book of autobiographical reflections (2005), and a variety of pieces available through the website of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa (www.anglicanchurchsa.org) and his blog (http://archbishop.anglicanchurchsa.org).

He is married to Lungi, with whom he has two children, a son, Nyakallo (15), and a daughter, Paballo (10).