U.S., Swaziland bishops gather at La Chiesa

Bishop Alan Scarfe, with the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa headquartered in Des Moines (foreground), visits with Bishop Meshack Mabuza of the Anglican Diocese of Swaziland, Deacon Don Twentyman and Rev. Carl Mann of St. Alban's Church, Spirit Lake, at La Chiesa in Spencer. The former church building, transported and transformed into an Italian restaurant, has special meaning to those who gathered there Wednesday over the noon hour. (Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) [Order this photo]

A former Episcopalian church served as the lunchtime meeting place Wednesday for congregational members and leaders alike from Spencer, Spirit Lake, Des Moines and southern Africa. The gathering was a reunion of sorts. It also served as a way for the delegation to discuss details of an upcoming mission trip to Swaziland.

La Chiesa restaurant on Spencer's Grand Avenue, the former St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, hosted Dr. Terry and Stephanie "Stevie" Shively, of Spencer, Rev. Carl and Jane Mann, of Spirit Lake, Deacon Don Twentyman, Bishop Alan Scarfe, of Des Moines, and Bishop Meshack Mabuza, of Swaziland, for lunch.

One of the purposes of the Swaziland bishop's visit to Iowa was to meet with Rev. Charles Kunene, a priest from the Anglican Diocese of Swaziland who arrived in Iowa himself in April 2008. As part of the companion relationship between the Diocese of Swaziland and the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, Kunene was placed in southwest Iowa to serve the parishes of St. John's in Shenandoah, All Angels' in Red Oak, and St. John's in Glenwood.

Mabuza, the Swaziland bishop, arrived in Iowa July 18, and spent three days with Scarfe, Iowa's bishop, touring Kunene's parishes.

"It was a pleasure to find that Charles had been doing very well," Mabuza said. "The people there speak very highly of him and of his work with the church."

Kunene, who visited Spencer elementary students with the Shivelys in November 2007, has also spent his time while stationed in Iowa coaching a few people for ministry. Although he is scheduled to depart Iowa at the end of August and return to Swaziland, the Episcopal pastor's son plans to maintain the Iowa-Swaziland connection by attending classes at Wartburg College, in Waverly, this fall.

"It's been a different kind of trip this time," Scarfe explained of his southern Africa colleague's visit to Iowa to date. "Normally, the trips are somewhat what you might call 'promotional' in getting people into their lives and needs in Swaziland, and to support the ministries and the mission. The bishop is always having to raise development for his projects back home. I think that's part of his ministry that is different than, say, mine. He has to keep the links of his people with the people who can help, whether it's New York and Washington, D.C. or dioceses like ours. So, that's been one of the emphases of his trip."

"This time around," Scarfe continued, "was sort of a thank you to him for giving us Charles, who has worked with us over the last 2 1/2 years, and a recognition that Charles' presence has been a real enriching of our lives, as well as our understanding of how they form their leaders. (It has also helped us to) compare and contrast how we're trying to form leaders in an alternate way in the more rural, small town congregations of Iowa -- and using some of the benefits of the experiences too in Swaziland where they also have rural areas and can't bring the mission or seminary forms of clergy to those parts. So, it has been comparing and contrasting that. It's also been a celebration of Charles' presence. And, we shared the ordination and the commissioning last week."

Mabuza, on the other hand, deemed the two-way relationship between the two countries as a "rewarding" one to date.

"I have found the people of Iowa very hospitable, kind and warm," Mabuza said. "I appreciate the relationship that has been going on over the decades. It has been supportive to both sides and mutually developed (our congregations). I will pray that this kind of relationship would continue.

"We've been able to give and support our ministry and also to give in our own way in support of the ministry here," he added. " ... The people of Iowa have also supported a number of people in prayer, including the building of priest houses, the building of churches and support for the office. ... The other thing that we have received support on is integral for water purification, with chlorination to purify water. Not everybody in Swaziland has clean water, especially the rural folk. So, the chlorination has been used to purify the water. The other area has been in dental care. We have received a great deal of dental supplies from Iowa, and Terry (Shively) has spearheaded that."

The lunchtime meeting at La Chiesa also allowed those present to discuss details about when Dr. Terry Shively will conduct a dental oral health medical mission to Swaziland in 2011. The trip will mark Shively's second mission to Swaziland. He, his wife and Rev. Mann, of Spirit Lake, took part in a 2008 visit.

Trips such as Mabuza's to Iowa now, as well as the local delegates' past and upcoming missions to Swaziland, have marked a long-term relationship between the two countries.

"The Diocese of Iowa and the Diocese of Swaziland are in a companion relationship and have been for 20 years. We are just continuing on with that relationship," explained Rev. Carl Mann of St. Alban's Church in Spirit Lake. "We're going to be doing some planning on going back to Swaziland in 2011 to visit them. One of the purposes that we're doing today is so we could talk about some details about that because Terry will be doing a dental oral health medical mission in Swaziland.

"Other than that," he continued, "we thought it would be nice for the bishops to come here to the former St. Stephen's and have lunch."

When asked about his feelings associated with the former church they had lunch in yesterday, Mubuza simply smiled and said, "I wouldn't have found it a good idea. But, (the people of Iowa) may have their own views about it."

Iowa's bishop, a native of England, also replied with a smile.

"As I walked in the door, I didn't realize the church had actually been moved from where it was to where it is," Scarfe said. "I think if someone got the vision that this building would make a great restaurant, I want to know why the church didn't get that vision first and recognize why didn't we turn it into a multi-purpose building with a sanctuary that could be holy and an environment that could be recreational in it, and everybody could have benefited?"

The two Episcopal bishops, meanwhile, plan to travel to Des Moines next to see where Scarfe works. The two colleagues will continue to share their messages as they then depart Iowa on Thursday, Aug. 5, to drive to Wyoming.

"We're heading to a provincial synod consecration of the bishop of Wyoming," Scarfe said.

"So, he's coming as my guest there. And then we'll have a little vacation and show him how vast the United States is as he heads across the desert into the Grand Canyon and finally to Los Angeles. So, it's just been great and good to have a friend as well as a colleague," Scarfe said of Mabuza.