“Coming To Cameroon Was Really Important”

Your Grace, what motivated your visit to Cameroon? There is a part of the epistles which says I have heard of your faith. And as Archbishop of Canterbury I heard of the faith of the Anglican church in Came­ roon and in Ghana. So coming to Came­ roon was really important for me, for my first visit to Africa. There is an Anglican church that is deep in faith and gene­ rous in compassion for their community. And so for me to come and say that they are valued in the sight of God is quite important for me. You have been to three of the ten regions of Cameroon. Can you des­ cribe your experience? They say Cameroon is famous for its hospitality and that is what I have ex­ perienced; the real hospitality offered to me. But also, I have been able to see people of hope in a whole range of dif­ ferent situations, whether they are po­ werful or people in ordinary communi­ ties. And they are people of hope and for me that has been the real encoura­ gement. And to see a church that is so­ metimes suffering with the complexi­ ties of life in some of those regions but are hopeful that God is doing a new thing is wonderful. It has been a real privilege for me to see a church and that is deep in faith, but also one that shines like light and salt in the world. A church that does not only preach the gospel of Christ but also transforming their communities, whether in agricul­ ture, or schools or the mother’s union. They are just wonderful and my mes­ sage to them was that God sees them and blesses them. I encourage them to stand firm in their faith and continue in the faith as they are doing to be salt and light in Cameroon. What possibly could be your priori­ ties as Head of the Anglican Com­ munion and as first female to hold such a position? I think my sense of calling to this role is to be a shepherd and a pastor. I mean, I have a pastoral heart. So for me, whether it is the Anglican Commu­ nion or the Church of England, it is that I am a pastor. I am a shepherd. And the­ refore, how do I encourage and safe­ guard the flock? How do I ensure that they are fed in whatever part of the world they are spiritually? And so the­ refore, I am not only working with the Bishops in the Church of England, but the Primates across the Anglican Com­ munion to nurture and encourage them in their calling to be shepherds and pastors. I also have a sense that I want to encourage the confidence in the gospel and the church right across the world, and enable people to talk about the hope that they found in Jesus Christ, whether it is some of the people I have met over the last few days or in the House of Lords in the UK Parlia­ ment to speak about what Christ means to the nation, or global leaders. You have a background in medi­ cine. How useful is that in your pastoral work? I am a nurse by background. In fact, I was the Chief Nursing Officer, which is an important difference to a nurse. And I think what I have learned is to inhabit that role as a spiritual leader. Of course, I had one vocation, which is to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. And so that ini­ tially meant that of a nurse, and then it was as a priest. And there are many nurses and midwives who, in fact, I have met some over the last few days, whose vocation was in nursing or in midwifery. So they were following Jesus Christ and doing that. So there is a sense in the fact that I am the Archbishop today be­ cause of my nursing background. It has enabled me in a sense to get alongside anybody, to sit with people in places that maybe they are not ...