Anglican Church Elects New Archbishop of Burundi

A new Archbishop of Burundi has been elected on 2nd June 2005. The Rt Rev Bernard Ntahoturi, who is the Bishop of Matana diocese will become just the third person elected for this position, and will be enthroned in a ceremony with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.

Ntahoturi has had a rich theological background, being ordained in 1973, he then went on to gain full theological training at Ridley Hall and St John’s, Cambridge for three years.

After this he went onto undertake education and also fill a civil service position before moving on to a position as the Provincial Secretary of the EEB, which he served as for 5 years. He then became Bishop of Matana in 1997.

In addition he has served as the vice-moderator of ACT International for 2 years. He also is a member of the Anglican Consultative Council Standing Committee for ACC 9-11, and is a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

More recently he has filled the position of President of the National Council of Churches in Burundi.

Looking into his new role for the Anglican Church he said, "I see the Church as an instrument of God’s reconciling and healing ministry in a country torn by years of ethnic conflict and acute poverty. I hope to see the dioceses of the Anglican Church of Burundi working together to seek God’s will so as to respond to the challenges of the 21st century."

An enthronement has been scheduled to take place on 17th July to coincide with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev Rowan Williams’ visit to Burundi at that time.