THE Anglican Church of Melanesia has today, the 17th day of April 2016 enthroned and installed the Right Reverend George Angus Takeli as the sixth Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Melanesia.
More than four thousand church members both overseas and locally came to witness the four hours service at Saint Barnabas Provincial Cathedral.
Amongst the thousands are the Governor General of Solomon Islands Sir Frank Kabui and Lady Kabui, Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Hon. Manasseh Sogavare and other members of Parliament, Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer Chancellor of the ACoM Justice Lyn Stevens, Archbishop of New Zealand the Most Rev. Philip Richardson, and bishops from the diocese of Auckland, Archbishop of Papua New Guinea the Most Rev. Clyde Igara, Bishops and clergy from the Anglican Church of Australia, Bishops and clergy from the Church of England, representatives from the Melanesian Mission Trust Board and Melanesian Mission UK as well as representatives from Mission Partners in USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and locally in the seven dioceses in Solomon Islands.
Senior Bishop of the Church and Bishop of the Diocese of Guadalcanal, the Right Rev. Nathan Tome enthroned the newly blessed Archbishop and the Vicar General of the Diocese of Central Melanesia, Fr. Philip Rongota installed him to be the Bishop of the Diocese of Central Melanesia.
In his first Sermon as the Archbishop of the Church, The Most Rev. Takeli preached on a theme:“Vision of an emerging church: Building a new community of God’s people in the Anglican Church in the Province of Melanesia”.
He called on all Anglican members in the Province of Melanesia to join with him to understand his “Vision of an emerging church: building a new community of God’s people in the Anglican Church of Melanesia”.
“This vision forms God’s appointed plan to renew His church in the Anglican Church in the Province of Melanesia today. The vision is to develop this church to grow mature in her Spiritual, socio-political, cultural, and economic wellbeing. The strategic goal in this vision is to develop this church to become self-support, self-reliance, and a self-propagating church. The basic strategic objectives for achieving this goal is 1. To establish an active missionary church through an active evangelism and renewal program. 2. To establish a strong administration for the effective delivery of mission work in this Provincial church. 3. To develop an aggressive and industrious attitude in her investment division to enable this church raise finances to support its own mission work,” Archbishop Takeli said in his Sermon.
“With the help and support and working together with my colleague Bishops and Priests and members of this church both in Solomon Islands and the Republic of Vanuatu and New Caledonia, the governments and non-government organizations both in Solomon Islands and the Republic of Vanuatu and New Caledonia, heads of other churches in both Solomon Islands and the Republic of Vanuatu and New Caledonia, with mission partners and friends both locally and overseas, I am confident that we can build this new emerging church in the Province of Melanesia beginning from today,” the newly new Archbishop said.
The day’s program ended with presentation of gifts from overseas guests, dioceses the ACOM Provincial Head Quarters in Honiara and Santo in Vanuatu and other representatives including the religious orders and family and entertainments.
The Archbishops who have taken up the post in the past are; The Most Rev. John Chisholm (1975-1975 died in Office), The Most Rev. Norman Palmer (1975-1987), The Most Rev. Amos Waiaru (1988-1993), The Most Rev. Sir Ellison Pogo (1994-2008), The Most Rev. David Vunagi (2009-2015) and now The Most Rev. George Angus Takeli.
Brief About the Archbishop
The Rt. Rev. Takeli was elected by the Provincial Electoral Board of the Anglican Church of Melanesia on the 12th of February 2016 at TNK, Tenaru area east Honiara.
He succeeds Archbishop David Vunagi who retired September last year (2015).
Bp Takeli, 56, comes from Suholo village Ulawa Island, Makira Ulawa Province. He was the first in the family of eleven. He was married to Lillian Takeli who passed away in 2014. He has since remarried to Ms June Mole in December 2015.
Bishop Takeli was ordained to the priesthood in 1995 and has served as a priest in the Anglican Church for sixteen years before being made the Bishop of Temotu.
Bp Takeli was undertaking a Doctoral Degree in Theology program at Charles Stuart University in Australia through Pacific Theological College when he was elected as the forth Bishop of the Diocese of Temotu in August 2009.
He also holds a Master’s Degree in Theology from the Auckland University, New Zealand.