Bishop Matthew recently led a delegation from Manchester Diocese on a trip to our partner link diocese of Lahore. This was Bishop Matthew’s first visit to Pakistan, which enabled him to further his relationship with Bishop Nadeem Kamran, the 10th Bishop of Lahore.
The Diocese of Manchester has had a link with the Diocese of Lahore, Church of Pakistan, for 42 years. On this visit, both bishops reaffirmed the warmth of the partnership between each diocese, emphasising mutual benefits and opportunities for mission.
Particular emphases for the visit included the empowerment of women and ministry in Muslim communities. Important conversations were also had around safeguarding and the procedures needed to keep all of God’s people safe.
Another focal point of the trip was Education, which is a long-standing strength of the link between the two dioceses. During the visit, the group was privileged to attend the opening of Lahore Diocese’s new ‘Cathedral School Premier’ early years school. This new initiative by Lahore Diocese aims to provide an exceptional facility where children are given the very best start to their education. Scripture teachers were also given a training session on telling Bible stories, and the delegation then went into various schools and led sessions with Christian children, encouraging them to ask questions and explore the biblical text.
Bishop Matthew led a training session in the new Lahore Diocese Theological College and had conversations about Church Planting, during which shared his own experiences and learned about the challenges of planting new churches in Pakistan.
The delegation from Manchester included two of our Curates who spent valuable time with Lahori incumbents, broadening their experience of ministry in a completely different context. They were also able to preach in different churches in urban and rural settings across the Diocese of Lahore, and much time was spent reflecting, praying and participating in sung worship.
Our Lahore link has flourished thanks to visits to each diocese, and work is underway to link various projects together. Although the needs of Manchester and Lahore diocese vary, the link benefits people and communities from both dioceses and provides opportunities to support and learn from one another, thereby furthering God’s Kingdom.
The Rt Rev Dr Matthew Porter, Bishop of Bolton says: ‘It was wonderful for the team to visit Lahore, experiencing generous hospitality, strengthening our partnership and learning together about contextual mission. Historic bonds were fortified and new heartfelt friendships established.’
The Rt Rev Nadeem Kamran, Bishop of Lahore, says: ‘It was a joy for the whole diocese to welcome again our friends from Manchester, and very special to host Bishop Matthew for the first time. The visit was a great encouragement to us, with wonderful times of fellowship, prayer and ministry together. Many of us were inspired by hearing what God is doing in Manchester and we look forward to seeing our partnership continue to bear fruit as our churches serve the people of Pakistan through education and other forms of outreach.’
Manchester Diocese has a group that meets to promote our partner link with Lahore Diocese. If you want to be involved, please contact revgeorgereeves@outlook.com for more information.