After a period of nine months in which the interfaith training course Emouna Belgique (https://www.emouna.be/ ) has been organised online only, on 16th June, because of relaxations in the emergency measures, the final session this year was able to take place in person, and it was the Anglicans' turn to host. Observing the Covid-19 regulations, the day included presentations by students of their group projects, the giving of diplomas in association with UCLouvain, lunch in the courtyard, and an afternoon art session. The Revd Charles Kabera graduated from Emouna this year, and we offer him hearty congratulations! Next year, Emoena België will be organised in Dutch rather than French (https://www.emoena.be/ ) and another of our prison chaplains, Egbert van Groesen, will represent the Anglican Church as a student.
Licensing of the new chaplain to Leuven
On 8th June 2021 Bp Robert officially licensed Dr Catriona Laing as chaplain of St Martha and St Mary in Leuven. Adhering to all Covid-19 restrictions, the service went ahead in the chapel where St Damian of Molokai is burried and Bp Robert has written in his blog about the very spiritual experience. We wish Cationa all the best in her ministry.
The Central Committee masters Persopoint
The Chaplain-President and the Secretary continue to attend sessions at the Ministry of Justice each Friday in June in order to master the online Persopoint system from the summer, enabling the Central Committee to handle directly matters of the appointment, registration, pay and conditions of the Anglican clergy and readers who draw State stipends in Belgium.
Central Committee involved in new book
On 11th June, The Chaplain-President attended the online book launch of Religious Radicalism: Demarcations and Challenges (Brussels, Uitgeverij ASP, 2021), to which he had contributed a chapter on the historical relationship between Dutch Protestantism and aggressive Dutch colonialism. There are sobering lessons to be learned by the modern Churches from this difficult history, and the Central Committee commits itself to open, friendly and equal dialogue and action with the other faiths and lifestances in our land.
Evadoc AGM
On 19th June 2021 the Chaplain-President attended the online AGM of Evadoc (Protestant-Evangelical Documentation), a subgroup of Kadoc (Catholic Documentation), who tend to the parish archives of Evangelical and Anglican congregations in Flanders. Board members of the Evangelical Theological Faculty (ETF) also joined.
Relaxations to the Covid emergency rules in churches
From 9 June, following negotiation between the Ministry of Justice and the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid, in-person worship inside churches, synagogues, mosques and temples will become possible for up to 100 people masked and spaced 1.5m apart, with outside worship possible for up to 200 people masked and spaced 1.5m apart. The full details can be seen in the interfaith National Protocols (indoors, NL and FR, and outdoors, FR and NL). There is also an Explanatory Document from the Central Committee, which can be seen here. The Anglican parishes may now prepare new parish protocols to show how these rules would work in their own buildings. This is real progress along the road to an exit from the pandemic and we are grateful for it!
Vaccination campaign in the Brussels Region
Meeting of the Federale Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog/Dialogue Interconvictionnel Fédéral
The Central Committee is a member of two official governmental dialogues: the Dialoograad/Conseil de Dialogue, which brings together the federal government (normally the Prime Minister and/or the Minister of Justice) and the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid, and the VILD (Vlaamse Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog) which brings together the Flemish regional government and the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid. There is also an informal gathering called the FIDIF (Federale Interlevensbeschouwelijke Dialoog/Dialogue Interconvictionnel Fédéral), at which the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid meet with representatives from the Ministry of Justice to prepare projects of mutual interest. On 3rd June, the Chaplain-President and Secretary attended a treams meeting of the FIDIF to discuss several matters including the preparation of a major conference on the theme of reactions to the covid pandemic from the point of view of the lifestances.
Finalising the National Protocol for indoor worship
On 2nd June, the Chaplain-President and Secretary spent the afternoon and early evening in a zoom meeting with the Ministry of Justice and the other Recognised Religions discussing and putting the finishing touches to the new National Protocol for indoor worship, valid for all the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid after the expected partial relaxation of the emergency covid measures from 9 June. The Central Committee will be in touch with parishes very soon about the details of the National Protocol.
Recognised religions meet with cabinet Somers
On 2nd June the Recognised religions met members of the cabinet of Minister Somers to discuss the draft decree for recognition of congregations. As always, the meeting happened in a respectful and jovial atmosphere, though the Recognised religions did raise several concerns concerning the draft text. Ministers will be discussing the text this Friday.
Holy Trinity Francophone leadership discusses LLF
On 31 May, the Chaplain-President joined the French-speaking leadership of Holy Trinity Brussels (Reverends John Wilkinson, Jean-Bosco Turahirwa and Charles Kabera, Mrs Grace West and Mr Eric Sibomana) to discuss ways in which the Church of England report Living in Love and Faith ("LLF": Living in Love and Faith | The Church of England) could be discussed in the large Francophone African community in the parish.
Increased role for the Central Committee in managing State stipends
On 1st June, the Chaplain-President and Secretary attended the first in a series of weekly meetings and workshops at the Ministry of Justice to learn the skills required to use the new computer programme from later this year at the Ministry of Justice for the payment of traitements/wedden to ministers/officiants of the Recognised Religions and Laïcité/Vrijzinnigheid. The creation and supervision of the dossiers for each minister will be devolved to the Central Committee. Pay-levels will remain exactly as before!
VILD meeting
On 21st May the Interlife stance dialogue (VILD) met to discuss the present Covid-19 stituation, the new draft decree of the recoginition of faith communities in Flanders, and the position of LGBTQIA+ people within the recognised religions. Also, the mandates of the working groups for poverty and the spiritual caregivers were renewed.
Christian churches in Belgium meet
The Concertation of Christian Churchers in Belgium met on 5th May to discus news for the member churches, and to organise future ecumenical activities and services.
New Archdeacon
Sam Van Leer, the Associate Chaplain in Utrecht (The Netherlands) has been appointed as the new Archdeacon of Northwestern Europe. Sam was already the interim Archdeacon after the resignation of Paul Vrolijk in November. We wish Sam all the best in his role.
Prison chaplains meet
For the first time since last summer, the full Anglican prison chaplains team (Prisons — Central Committee Anglican Church Belgium (centralanglican.be)) was able to meet with the Chaplain-President and Secretary on 27 May at Holy Trinity Brussels, observing all distancing and hygiene measures. In a full agenda, we had Bible study on the Ascension, followed by a full tour de table from the chaplains, speaking of their experiences in the prisons during the pandemic, then some points of administration before closing prayer.
New faces on the Central Committee
We are delighted to announce the appointment by the Minister of Justice of Mr Eric Sibomana as a Member of the Central Committee. Eric is the first member of the Central Committee to be born in Rwanda, and he brings a deep experience of Francophone Anglicanism into our counsels. He works as one of our wonderful team of stipendiary Anglican prison chaplains in Belgium. We also welcome as Observers on the Central Committee, appointed by the Chaplain-President, the Revd Sunny Hallanan and the Revd Augustine Nwaekwe. Sunny is the rector of All Saints' Waterloo (as well as of Mons, Charleroi and Namur) and Augustine the chaplain of the English Church Ostend (as well as of Knokke, Bruges and Kortrijk). They bring their vast experience of American and Nigerian Anglicanism to our deliberations. Chaplain-President Jack, Vice-President Stephen and Secretary Jo Jan welcome them with great pleasure and look forward to our first meeting in person soon.
#IDAHOBIT2021
On 17th May, International Day Against Homo- Bi- and Transphobia, the Chaplain-President and the Secretary joined the other heads of the recognised life stances and Buddhism and representatives of all Flemish political parties except one at the Flemish Parliament for the official signing of a charter (NL) calling for an end to discrimination and of homophobic harrasment and violence. The life stances commit to being a “safe haven” for all.
Meeting with Minister Somers
On Monday 10th May, the heads of the recognised religions met online with Mr Bart Somers, Flemish Minister of internal affairs, societal cohesion, and equal opportunities. This meeting was part of the regular contacts between the reconised religions and Mr Somers and his cabinet. On the agenda were the draft decree on recognitions, the fight against homophobia, and the current Covid-crisis.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
New rules for outdoor worship
Following the national Covid vaccination campaign, the Recognised Religions and the Ministry of Justice have been discussing a new protocol to allow outdoor worship in Belgium. Mr Van Quickenborne, the Minister of Justice, desired that all the Recognised Religions and the Vrijzinnigheid/Laïcité should produce a common text - and this has given us all a great opportunity to welcome Mr Carlo Luyckx, president of the Buddhist Union of Belgium, to our deliberations, since Buddhism is now very close to achieving full legal recognition: https://justitie.belgium.be/nl/themas_en_dossiers/erediensten_en_vrijzinnigheid/erediensten_en_georganiseerde_vrijzinnigheid We therefore have two protocols for worship. The NAP#11 for indoor worship (the full text will be published next week) and the NP#1 for outdoor worship (the FR and NL texts are here). We hope to announce further relaxations to the indoor protocol in June.