The Global Council of the Anglican Youth Network has on 13th May 2023 elected new Global Co-Conveners. They are Mr. Reginald Pepsival Robertson from Ghana and Miss Paula Mello Alves from Brazil.
The two immediately take over from Mr. Clifton Dillon Nedd from Grenada and Revd. Fungai Catherine Ngangira from Zimbabwe who have serves as joint leaders of the worldwide network of Anglican Young people and Youth Workers since 2016.
Rev. Fungai Cathrine Ngangira,from Zimbabwe, Outgoing Co-Convener
Rev. Fungai Cathrine Ngangira was born and raised in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe before moving to the UK, over five years ago where she trained for ministry and was ordained priest in July 2021.
Rev. Cathrine previously serves as an administrator for the Anglican University project in Harare Diocese, Zimbabwe. She was a youth delegate and representative for the Peace and Justice Network at the sixteenth and seventeenth meetings of the Anglican Consultative Council in Zambia 2016 and Hong Kong 2019. Rev. Cathrine was also a member of the Lambeth Conference 2022 Design Group.
Cathrine holds a BA in Theology, Mission and Ministry from Cranmer Hall, Durham University. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Purchasing and Logistics from Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe. She is serving her curacy in the parish of Holy Cross Bearsted in the Diocese of Canterbury.
Mr. Clifton Nedd, JP, AKC from Grenada, Outgoing Co-Convener
We recognise the indelible contribution of Mr. Clifton D. Nedd as he concludes his term as Co-Convener of the Anglican Communion Youth Network. Clifton came to the network at the critical point when the network w as being restructured and restarted. He brought a tremendous experience in youth development, leadership formation, and institutional governance to help reposition the network as an advocate for and model of good youth development practice in the communion.
Clifton has served as the Anglican Consultative Council’s Lay Member of the Church in the Province of the West Indies. He is a cradle Anglican from Grenada in the southern Caribbean who has served his local parish, diocese and province in various roles including youth director, vestry/church council member, synod delegate, and strategic planning consultant.
Clifton has also served his country and region in areas related to youth development and monitoring and evaluation. He was as a member and later a training facilitator for Grenada’s National Youth Parliament; and when the country of Grenada was devastated by a massive hurricane, he served on the National Advisory Council for Reconstruction and Development. Clifton has provided consultancy services to several governments and international development agencies including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Clifton has achieved academic success in areas including Management, Social Sciences, and Education. In additon to other qualifications, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and a Master of Arts degree in Religion in Contemporary Society.
Clifton is the Caribbean Regional Facilitator for the Anglican Alliance, a Justice of the Peace in Grenada, and an Associate of King’s College London.
Clifton will continue to give support to the network in a new staff role as the Governance and Administrative Officer.
New Co-Conveners, Mr. Reginald Pepsival Robertson and Miss Paula Mello Alves
The Global Council is made up of elected Co-Chairs and Secretaries of the ACYN Regions, Marks of Mission committees, administrative committees, the Youth Members of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) and the ACC standing committee youth member.
Reginald Pepsival Robertson from Ghana
Reginald Pepsival Robertson is an energetic young individual who is affable, resolute, and serviceable. A devoted Anglican who is loyal, committed and communicates well. Having respect for the views of others coupled with his strong interpersonal relations and helping others bring out their best potential are a few of the qualities he wields.
He is currently the International Relations Officer and a Broadcast Journalist at ADOATV (A television network for the Anglican Diocese of Accra)
He is a member of the Anglican Young People's Association in Ghana and has served the Anglican Communion Youth Network as Co-Chair for the Communications and Logistics Committee as well as a member of the Global Council. His vision to see a united youth for the AFRICA 1 Region of the ACYN got him to be elected as the Regional Co-Chair in March 2023.
Reginald's passion and contribution towards youth work and development has also won the admiration of Global Council members to elect him as Co-Convener for the Anglican Communion Youth Network to serve a three (3) year tenure.
Miss Paula de Mello Alves from Brazil
Paula de Mello Alves is Brazilian, lives in the south of the country, in the city of Porto Alegre. She has a Law degree, is a lawyer, and is currently studying the last year of Theology.
In 2022 Paula began her preparation process seeking for the ordained ministry in the Southern Diocese of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil. As part of the process, she serves as an intern at Paróquia da Ascensão in her hometown.
Since 2014 she has been working with youth as part of the coordination group in her diocese, and for the last 4 years she was part of the group responsible for working with youth in her province.
Paula began to participate in the earliest virtual meetings of the Anglican Communion Youth Network, Region of the Americas, continued as part of the small regional leadership group, and represented the Americas region on the ACYN Steering Group which later became the ACYN Global Council.
Paula currently leads the ACYN Americas regional translators’ group which collaborates to organize interpreters for meetings of groups of people who speak the different languages in the Americas region. In March 2023, Paula was elected as Regional Co-Chair for the Americas and represents that region on the Global Council of the Anglican Communion Youth Network (ACYN).
Paula has won the admiration of Global Council members who have elected her as Co-Convener of the Network to serve a three-year (3) tenure.
Anglican Communion Youth Network (ACYN) is a growing platform which works to promote and support the ministry of young people and youth workers within the Anglican Communion.
Member Churches of the Anglican Communion are grouped into seven regions: Africa, Americas, East Asia, Europe, Middle East & South Asia, and the Pacific.
Contact the ACYN: [email protected]
acyn.anglicancommunion.org
The writer is a Journalist with ADOA TV and a member Accra Diocesan Council of the Anglican Young People Association (AYPA) Ghana. Georgina Shantel Naa Anyema Collison [email protected]