Drums herald a new era

IT was a spectacle unique in York Minster's 600-year history.

African dancers, some bare-chested, performed a dance of "rejoicing and thanksgiving" wearing colourful head plumage of red, white and black feathers and leopard-skin print skirts and T-shirts.

The ancient cathedral walls echoed for several minutes to the rhythms of their Ugandan drumming and high-pitched wailing.

The 3,000-strong congregation was mesmerised by the Bwola dance, which was performed to celebrate the inauguration of the new Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.

Fitting his flamboyant personality, Dr Sentamu led the way with his own choice of costume, a rainbow-coloured cope and mitre, which he had designed and made for the occasion.

The striking dress was based on a picture called The Tree of Life which hung in his private chapel in Birmingham.

Most of the service was dominated by ancient ritual and tradition, but the new Ugandan-born Archbishop put his own stamp on proceedings.

During the exchange of the Peace, African singers and dancers from an East London Mother's Union Group performed a Luo song of praise.

Dr Sentamu then joined the ceremony's worship band on his African drums during the African hymn, We Are Marching In The Light Of God.

Three nine-year-old pupils from the Minster School, Nick Ubhi, Eleanor Hudson and Zhenyi Ma, had their feet washed by the new archbishop during the service, in a symbolic reminder of Christ washing the disciples' feet. They were each presented with a cross from El Salvador bearing the words of Oscar Romero, "Peace will flower when love and justice pervade our environment".

Members of the congregation were earlier provided with games of the popular brain teaser Sudoku and a church-themed crossword to keep them occupied while they waited for the service to begin.

Intermingled with the colourful side of the ceremony was the traditional Church of England service.

In his sermon, Dr Sentamu called on Christians to extend the hand of friendship to other faiths and to spread the gospel message. Quoting Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, he said: "If our revolution isn't aimed at changing people then I'm not interested."

As the new Archbishop of York left the ceremony, the bells of the Minster rang out in celebration. He made a short journey to the nearby church of St Michael Le Belfrey which was used as an overflow area with people watching on TV screens.

As he left the Minster, balloons were released carrying the message "All are welcome".

Following the service, the congregation stayed in the cathedral to enjoy a Marks & Spencer picnic lunch and a glass of wine, laid on at Dr Sentamu's request.

The picnic bags, which consisted of a vegetable wrap, packet of crisps, piece of fruit and flap jack, were distributed by volunteers.

Bishop William Pwaisiho, 57, originally from the Solomon Islands, joined other musicians and dancers at the altar during the lunch to play his tribal drums.

"I'm just joining in the fun with my African friends," he said.

"This is a one in a million event for the Minster. It's becoming a really international church."

Adeyemi Dada, 63, originally from Nigeria but now living in London, said he made the pilgrimage to the Minster because Dr Sentamu conducted the ceremony when he was married at Holy Trinity Church, Tulse Hill.

"He is an inspirational leader and very sincere," he said. "He will bring a lot of humanitarian changes and sincerity."

SERMON: New archbishop makes ringing call for unity...

THE new archbishop urged Christians to stand shoulder to shoulder with "all those in society who are demonised and dehumanised".

Giving his inaugural sermon, Dr John Sentamu said Christians should also go and find friends among Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, agnostics and atheists.

He said this should not be for the purpose of converting them but for friendship, understanding, listening and hearing.

"Christians, our priority for making disciples is amongst the 72 per cent who in the last census said they were Christians! That's where our task lies."

But he also had a message for Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, agnostics and atheists: "Go and find friends amongst Christians, not for the purpose of converting them to your beliefs, but for friendship, understanding, listening, hearing."

The archbishop said it was a "scandal" of the Church in England that in the past decade, it had tried everything except sticking to Jesus' plan for the world - "corporate discipleship: fraternal belonging.

"We've had our reports, commissions, conferences, seminars, missions, synodical reviews, liturgical reforms - the lot. But little attention has been given to the question: "Who is Jesus and what does he mean to those who put their trust in him?"

He said the Church must once again be a beacon, "by which the people of England can orient themselves in an unknown ocean by offering them the Good News of God... in a practical and relevant way to their daily lives."

He asked whether, having shed an empire, England, "this great nation, and mother of Parliamentary democracy," had also lost a noble vision for the future. "We are getting richer and richer as a nation, but less and less happy."

Dr Sentamu quoted the revolutionary Che Guevera as saying: "If our revolution isn't aimed at changing people, then I'm not interested." The archbishop said the trouble with virtually all forms of revolution was that they changed everything except the human heart.

He also quoted a former Archbishop of York, Michael Ramsey, who had spoken in 1960 of his longing for the day when the Church would learn the faith afresh from the Christians of Africa and Asia.

"He ended his address by saying: 'I should love to think of a black Archbishop of York holding a mission here, and telling a future generation of the scandal and the glory of the Church.' Here I am!"

"I think it's great having a black Archbishop of York"

DOREEN Lawrence, the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence, and the Ugandan Prime Minister were among the packed congregation at York Minster.

Dr Sentamu played a leading role in the inquiry into the killing of Stephen in 1993 in London.

Mrs Lawrence said she had a strong friendship with him, and he had sent her a personal invitation to attend the service.

"I think it's great having a black Archbishop of York," she said. "I think he will bring humour. The church can be quite serious. His outlook is very lively and he will bring harmony and laughter, like what happened today.

"I am really happy and pleased for him. He will do a lot for the community."

The Ugandan Prime Minister, Apolo Nsibambi, who led a delegation to the service, said Dr Sentamu was a great friend of his.

"We have received a great deal of economic, financial and scientific aid from Britain and other countries," he said. "Perhaps we could very humbly offer some spiritual aid back to Britain."

Charles Senkubue, who took part in a display of African dancing and drumming, said he had flown specially over to Britain for the service.

"I have performed in front of large numbers of people before but never in a church like this," he said. "It's beautiful."

Out of Africa

YORK'S new Archbishop, Dr John Sentamu, said he hopes to help make the city an "amazing" place to live.

Speaking a day after he was enthroned in a ceremony at the Minster, Dr Sentamu said he thought the service was "wonderful."

He said: "The service had something for everybody. The fact is that people stayed in the Minster with music going on, having a fantastic time until nearly 4.30pm. I thought it was wonderful."

Dr Sentamu also said he plans to devote a third of his time as Archbishop to work in the city and 20 per cent to the region.

"I am simply saying to everybody that together we can make a difference," he said.

"As a little boy my mother used to say it is only teeth together that can chew food, a tooth alone cannot do it.

"If we all joined forces together we could make this place an amazing area to live in."

He said: "I love meeting people because I think they give me energy.

"All of the titles and names in the end do not make me.

"What makes me is meeting people."

Dr John Sentamu's arrival as the 97th Archbishop of York marks the culmination of an extraordinary life.

He was born in Uganda on June 10, 1949, and received a good education, graduating in law from Makerere University, Kampala.

The 56-year-old was an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda, and practised law both at the Bar and at the bench.

His conversion to Christianity occurred when he was ten, after being inspired by churchgoers in his community.

"I stooped down and drank. New life flooded my whole being," he has said of the experience.

In 1974, the father-of-two fled Uganda for England after becoming an outspoken critic of Idi Amin's regime, and suffering life-threatening injuries after being beaten up on the orders of the dictator.

He initially read theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he gained a Masters Degree and a Doctorate, before training for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, then part of the Cambridge Federation of Theological Colleges.

Following his ordination in 1979, he served as assistant chaplain at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and from 1979 to 1982 was chaplain at HM Remand Centre Lachmere House and curate of St Andrew's, Ham, in the Diocese of Southwark.

Between 1982 and 1983, Dr Sentamu was curate of St Paul, Herne Hill, and from 1983 to 1984 priest-in-charge at Holy Trinity, Tulse Hill and parish priest of St Matthias, Upper Tulse Hill.

He then became vicar of the joint benefice of Holy Trinity and St Matthias from 1984 to 1986.

The new Archbishop became priest-in-charge of St Saviour Brixton Hill between 1987 and 1989, and he was appointed Bishop of Stepney in 1996 and Bishop for Birmingham in 2002.

Dr Sentamu has always reached out to the wider community and is a particular expert in race-relations.

He was adviser to the inquiry into the racist killing of Stephen Lawrence in the late 1990s and chaired the Damilola Taylor review in 2002, when he was Bishop of Stepney.

He was a prominent campaigner on gun crime in Birmingham, where he has also worked closely with MG Rover workers after the collapse of the car firm.

Dr Sentamu is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and his interests include music, cooking, reading, athletics, rugby and football.

He is married to Margaret, a selection secretary on the Archbishops' Council, and they have two grown-up children, Grace and Geoffrey.

More pictures from Wednesday's enthronement service

Updated: 10:39 Thursday, December 01, 2005