Pretoria Anglican head Bishop Allan Kannemeyer blessing new dean Reverend Moses Thabethe. Picture: Supplied
Pretoria - Reverend Moses Thabethe was installed as dean of the Anglican Church of Pretoria to a large congregation and an audience of religious leaders from other cathedrals over the weekend. He becomes the 21st dean of the diocese.
Thabethe was accompanied by his family to the St Albans Cathedral in the Pretoria CBD on Saturday when he received the honour fitting of a man who has served the church for at least two decades in leadership.
Church warden Kebalepile Matlhako said that in the Anglican Church of Pretoria the dean is the second in command within the diocese structure.
The installation was conducted by Pretoria Bishop Allan Kannemeyer and his assistant, Chaplain Moloko.
“This is quite a big event, whereby the dean is officially licensed as a dean and he signed what we call a canonical obedience, and takes an oath to uphold the constitution of the church and the rules of the diocese,” Matlhako said.
“The people are really excited. You may know that the previous dean was actually inter-rector, so this is a momentous occasion because this is the dean we know will be here for the cathedral for some time.”
He said, with the congregation having cheered for him while other church leaders welcomed him and said they would proudly work with him to execute the work of the church, meant a lot to members of the church.
The Pretoria diocese has nearly 500 000 members and by location it covers the whole of Tshwane up to Bronkhorstspruit and towards Mpumalanga. It also reaches Rustenburg in the North West region.
According to the rules of the church, the dean’s appointment is made by the bishop after consulting widely with the bigger church and the senior members of the church about who is the best person to take up the position.
Thabethe had an interesting career in the church, whereby he served in various churches over the past two decades as a priest before coming to Pretoria. He was a rector in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
He was also a senior priest in the diocese of Johannesburg whereby he was responsible for the training of clergy.
Pretoria News
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