Drumbeg and Egypt – a living relationship
Drumbeg Parish has had a long–established link through CMSI with the Diocese of Egypt, but the past few years have seen significant rejuvenation and growth in the relationship to the benefit of both partners.
Rector of Drumbeg, Revd Willie Nixon, takes up the story.
“When I first came to Drumbeg eight years ago, there was very little awareness of a CMSI link with Egypt. I discovered that a few folk in the parish had been involved in fundraising for the Harpur Memorial Hospital in Menouf, but there was no sense of any wider ownership of this partnership.
“The big starting point for our renewed relationship was when a team of five parishioners visited Cairo on a CMSI team in 2017. We have two Sunday morning services at Drumbeg, and two quite distinct congregations. This visit had representatives from both groups and helped this link to become a point of unity in Drumbeg. In this sense, I’ve seen CMSI and the Egypt link as being a servant to our church. When the team came back, I knew that this was going to be a relationship.”
Visitors
In 2018, Willie joined a CMSI teaching visit to Egypt, alongside parishioner Nigel Quinn and Canon Brian Follis from Hillsborough.
“I loved that time and was really refreshed by it, but some of my most life transforming experiences have been when people from the outside have come into my church life and my own faith life,” says Willie. “I really wanted that for other people in Drumbeg, so during the past year, we have hosted three visits from our Egypt partners and they have been a real blessing.”
One such visitor was the Rt Revd Samy Fawzy, Area Bishop of North Africa, who was the preacher at the Down and Dromore Diocesan Synod last June.
“When Bishop Samy came to stay, we invited him to contribute to our annual prayer weekend. During my time in Drumbeg, I’ve felt compelled by God to share with politicians that Jesus is someone who we can unite around, someone who can break the deadlock. So, I wrote, by hand, to the local MLAs, our MP, and all the local councillors, to tell them that we were bringing a guest bishop from Egypt and to invite them to meet him. And I said that I’d like him to pray for the things that matter to them as politicians in this area. Sixty–four people came from the village community, along with twenty–two political representatives. Bishop Samy prayed for them and invited them to share their prayer requests for the community. It was a very powerful moment.”
“On another morning, Bishop Samy prayed for our own church leaders. He went to each person in turn, asked their name, laid hands on them and prayed with them. I saw God doing something in our church that morning to really encourage us.”
“Relationship is the key”
When asked what makes the link with Egypt so special, Willie says that relationship is the key.
“One of the things about this relationship that has been startling and exciting is that we’re not tired of it. I think it’s because it’s living; it’s not about a project. A project tends to have a lifespan, but a relationship is an ongoing thing.
“The great thing about a relationship is that you begin to care about the people. And the coming and going has made us to be more of a family, rather than a distant thing that we’re throwing money at. Egypt feels much nearer now. These are our brothers and sisters now, not just people we support.”
With thanks to CMSI. A version of this interview first appeared in their InMission magazine.