Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean

Christianity portal Church of the Province of

the Indian Ocean
The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean is a province
of the Anglican Communion. It covers the islands of Madagascar,
Mauritius and the Seychelles. The current Archbishop and Primate
is James Wong, Bishop of Seychelles.

The Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean is a member of

the Global South and the Global Anglican Future Conference, and
has been involved in the Anglican realignment. Archbishop James
Wong attended GAFCON III, in Jerusalem, on 17–22 June 2018,
and GAFCON IV in Kigali,[1] on 17-21 April 2023. The province
was represented at the event by a ten-member delegation, six from
Madagascar and four from the Seychelles.[2]

Dioceses Archbishop James Wong

Classification Protestant
Madagascan dioceses Orientation Anglican
Scripture Holy Bible
Theology Anglican doctrine
Diocese of Antananarivo
Polity Episcopal
The Bishop of Antananarivo has been the Ordinary of the Primate James Wong
Anglican Church in Antananarivo[3] in the Indian Ocean since the Associations Anglican
diocese's erection in 1969.[4] The current bishop is Samoela Jaona Communion,
Ranarivelo.
Global South
Territory Madagascar,
Mauritius and the
Diocese of Antsiranana
Seychelles
Bishops of Antsiranana have included Gabriel Josoa (until 1982),
Keith Benzies (1982 to his death in 2002), Roger Chung Po Chuen (until 2012), Oliver Simon (2012–
2015) and Théophile Botomazava (2015-2021).

Diocese of Fianarantsoa

The diocese of Fianarantsoa, has been established since at least 2003[5] and Gilbert Rakotondravelo had
been the Bishop of Fianarantsoa since before 2010.[6]
Diocese of Mahajanga

Jean-Claude Andrianjafimanana had been the (Anglican) Bishop of Mahajanga, since before 2003.[5]

Diocese of Toamasina

When Grosvenor Miles was appointed assistant bishop of Madagascar in 1938, he based himself in
Tamatave, with the intention that this would become a diocesan see when the diocese of Madagascar was
divided up;[7] but, in fact, the diocese of Tamatave was not created until 1969.[8] It was subsequently
renamed the diocese of Toamasina.[9] The inaugural bishop was James Seth from 1969 until his death in
1975.[10] Jean-Paul Solo has been the (Anglican) Bishop of Toamasina, since before 2011.[11]

Diocese of Toliara

Todd McGregor was elected in 2006 to become a suffragan/assistant bishop over the Toliara (Tuléar)
missionary area of the Diocese of Antananarivo, to prepare that area to become a diocese. On 21 April
2013, the new Diocese of Toliara was erected out of Antananarivo diocese and McGregor became the first
bishop diocesan.[12] On 14 March 2021, the Rt Rev Dr Samitiana Jhonson Razafindralambo, formerly the
assistant bishop, was elected the next bishop and installed as the 2nd Bishop of Toliara on 25 April
2021.[13]

Diocese of Mauritius

See: Bishop of Mauritius.

Diocese of Seychelles

Archbishops
1973–1976 Edwin Curtis
1978–1983 Trevor Huddleston
1984–1995 French Chang-Him
1995–2005 Remi Rabenirina
2006–2017 Ian Ernest
2017–present James Wong

References
1. Conger, George (19 April 2023). "Shared beliefs, but different aims — GAFCON and GSFA
not ready to merge" (https://anglican.ink/2023/04/19/shared-beliefs-but-different-aims-gafcon
-and-gsfa-not-ready-to-merge/). Anglican Ink. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
 2. "GAFCON III largest pan-Anglican gathering since Toronto Congress of 1963" (https://anglic
an.ink/2018/06/20/gafcon-iii-largest-pan-anglican-gathering-since-toronto-congress-of-196
3/). Anglican Ink. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
3. "Anglican Communion" (https://web.archive.org/web/20180807032558/http://www.anglicanc
ommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=243). Archived from the original (http://www.anglicanc
ommunion.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=243) on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
4. Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975-76 London: Oxford University Press, 1976 ISBN 0-19-
200008-X
5. Africa South of the Sahara 2003, p. 608 (https://books.google.com/books?id=1KBP7QbalX0
C&pg=PA608) (Accessed 22 February 2017)
6. Diocese in Europe Calendar and Prayer Diary, July to December 2010 (https://www.slidesha
re.net/BPfanpage/diocese-in-europe-calendar-and-prayer-diary-july-to-december) Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20170223125243/https://www.slideshare.net/BPfanpage/dioce
se-in-europe-calendar-and-prayer-diary-july-to-december) 23 February 2017 at the Wayback
Machine (Accessed 22 February 2017)
7. "Church Times: "The Church in Madagascar", 19 May 1939, p 547" (https://www.ukpressonli
ne.co.uk/ukpressonline/view/pagview/ChTm_1939_05_19_547). Retrieved 10 June 2022.
8. Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1973-74, 85th Edition, p 1370.
9. "Church Times: "Death of USPG missionary", 14 May 1982, p 3" (https://www.ukpressonline.
co.uk/ukpressonline/view/pagview/ChTm_1982_05_14_003). Retrieved 8 June 2021.
10. "Church Times: "Death of Bishop James Seth", 11 April 1975, p 20" (https://www.ukpressonli
ne.co.uk/ukpressonline/view/pagview/ChTm_1975_04_11_020). Retrieved 8 June 2021.
11. Diocese of York Prayer Diary — October 2011 (http://www.staintonwithhilton.org.uk/content/
pages/documents/1317836492.pdf) (Accessed 22 February 2017)
12. Diocese of Toliara — A Brief History (http://dioceseoftoliara.org/en/2016/08/11/a-brief-history-
of-the-diocese-of-toliara) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180807032655/http://dioc
eseoftoliara.org/en/2016/08/11/a-brief-history-of-the-diocese-of-toliara/) 2018-08-07 at the
Wayback Machine (Accessed 22 February 2017)
13. "Diocese of Toliara -Who we are (Accessed 24 July 2021)" (https://dioceseoftoliara.org/en/w
ho-we-are/).

External links
Anglican Communion website information (http://www.anglicancommunion.org/tour/provinc
e.cfm?ID=I1)
An Order for the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist / Un ordre pour la célébration de la Sainte
Eucharistie (http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/mauritius.html) from the Diocese of
Mauritius

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