Bishop Sean Semple has oversight of a Diocese that includes half the Middle East, and which has a significant, largely ex-pat, Christian presence. Stretching from Iraq to the Yemen and including virtually everything in between, it is at the absolute heart of the present regional crisis and war. The countries of the Diocese have been and continue to be attacked. Yet, as he ruefully admits, the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf is not what comes readily to mind for people, especially Christians, in the West. It is effectively hidden in plain sight. And he believes passionately that it has a story to tell.
I meet him at his Cyprus HQ on Monday morning as he is collecting data from all his churches for the previous day and making contact with his clergy. With so many different scenarios – the Diocese covers ten political jurisdictions, depending how you count them – he is keen to keep abreast of the situation on the ground. He believes that the role of the Bishop in these circumstances is to make sure that local clergy are encouraged and equipped, knowing that the Bishop is closely supporting them, in prayer and with whatever other means he can.
He is aware of the specific pastoral need for those who may be far from their natural home and family support mechanisms. In this situation he is proud of the efforts being made by local churches. Possibilities vary according to local circumstances. In Doha, people are unable to travel or gather, so everything is online, but very imaginatively so; whereas in the UAE it is possible to have in-person services. Even then, of course, some people are still afraid to travel. He quotes some figures from the previous day. In Abu Dhabi there were ten warning alerts during a service that brought together 85 adults plus children. In neighbouring Jebel Ali, also affected by alerts, there was a congregation of 167 and 31 children in Sunday School.
In his sermon the previous day at the Installation of the new Dean of Nicosia, Bishop Sean had commended the example of the sister cathedral in Bahrain. Bahrain has come under sustained attack and there everything is online. A strong Council and excellent locum priest have provided daily online services viewed by people from around the Diocese and indeed the wider world. “Occasions like this show a person’s mettle,” he says. All in all, the clergy and congregations are “in good heart.”
The Bishop thinks that the wider Church world needs to know what is going on in this uniquely placed Diocese (and believes JMECA has a role to play here). It has a special ministry of welcome and hospitality; it is placed as a Christian presence exuding a message of love and hope. It is perhaps the most inclusive of all Anglican Dioceses. Most Gulf congregations have literally dozens of different nationalities present each worship day (which may be Friday as well as Sunday). It has a unique opportunity for interfaith dialogue and for ecumenical cooperation.
Following a most successful Synod meeting in February in Bahrain, there are exciting plans for mission and growth. The Bishop cites a couple of examples. In Cyprus there is a new emphasis on student chaplaincy, particularly in the north of the Island. And in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Regional Government, which has already issued a Licence for a new church in Erbil, has just invited him to a prayer breakfast to take the project further. “There is enormous potential for this Diocese to offer a Christian space in many ways and places,” he says.
He is anxious though that the challenges of the present are responded to with Gospel assurance. Acknowledging that this is a time of stress and uncertainty, he is well aware of the need to encourage perseverance. He quotes Romans 5:
…we also exult in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
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