Our Linked Dioceses

The Diocese of Manchester is linked with the dioceses of Lahore in Pakistan, Tampere in Finland, Namibia. Our links are a means by which people can grow to know each other, learn from each other and encourage each other in their worship, witness and mission.

Lahore link

The Diocese of Lahore is part of the United Church of Pakistan. It places great emphasis on pastoral ministry, caring not only for the spiritual health of church members but also for sharing the love and grace of God through education, medicine, and other ministries.

As well as running 22 church schools, all of which have a reputation for high academic standards, the Diocese of Lahore delivers a programme to empower women, vocational training, and several community development and income generation schemes.

Over the last 25 years, our link has been strengthened by linking churches and schools, providing financial help when the Diocese of Lahore delivered a humanitarian response to the 2011 and 2013 floods, and rebuilding a school after arson attacks. Exchange visits include teachers from Lahore working with church schools in Manchester and Bishop David celebrating Easter with Christians in Lahore.

Although our needs are different, the link benefits people and communities on both sides as they share and learn from one another.

For further information please contact Revd George Reeves at revgeorgereeves@outlook.com or Revd Dave Thompson at dvjt@outlook.com.

Tampere link

Our link with the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Tampere developed out of the Porvoo Agreement. Since the link was formed, we have grown in friendship and mutual learning in a variety of ways, including:

Parish links
Visits from parish clergy, parishioners and diocesan staff
Placements, both long and short-term
Joint spiritual retreats in Finland and the UK
Participation in each other's diocesan conferences.
Young people confirmation camps in Finland and the UK
Isonen on the Road Youth Leadership programme
Joint theological reflection project and conference.

For further information on the link, please contact Revd Jo Farnworth at joannafarnworth@aol.com or phone 0161 330 4925. For the youth leadership programme or confirmation camps, Susie Mapledoram at SusieMapledoram@manchester.anglican.org.

Namibia Link

Established in 1995, our link with Namibia aims to encourage the development of faith and enrich the spiritual lives of people within the dioceses of Manchester and Namibia.

We do this through direct parish-to-parish links, which currently include five parishes and three primary schools. We support youth and adult exchange programmes, education links, social and economic support programs of positive health schemes, poverty reduction programmes, and ongoing clergy training and support.

We challenge our church members to explore issues of poverty and social justice affecting people whose faith is shaped by a different culture. This includes those living in the poorest communities in the northern regions of Namibia, as we engage with families devastated by the effects of the HIV pandemic and communities whose livelihoods depend on subsistence agriculture and find themselves victims of climate change.