ONGWEDIVA - Reverend Lukas Kaluwapa Katenda is now the bishop for the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church Namibia (Reach-Na).

Katenda became the newly elected bishop of his church, succeeding the late Peter Kalangula, the founder bishop of the Reach-Namibia. Katenda, the former pastor at Anglican Diocese of Namibia, has been a priest for more than 15 years. He was elected during the ordinary synod held recently at the parish of the church in Ondangwa.

He will be consecrated on October 6 this year. Katenda confirmed the consecration to New Era in a telephonic interview, maintaining that the election process was transparent, and “there was no question of things under the table”. He said the synod used the principal of good governance and accountability.

Reach-Na, previously known as the Church of England in Namibia (CEN) was launched in 2007 as a Christian community in the reformed Anglican tradition, headed by Bishop Kalangula. The late bishop died in 2008 while in retirement. He was 82 years-old.

After the death of Kalangula, CEN became trivial and its existence started fading.   That was until 2017 when Katenda and other Anglican parishioners resigned from Anglican Church of Southern Africa (ACSA) and relaunched CEN as Reach –Na.

According to the press release issued by the church last week, in terms of Article VII of the Constitution and Canons of the denomination, “the synod was tasked to; among agenda items elect a bishop who will, in terms of apostolic succession” be second in succession to late Bishop Kalangula who is the founding Bishop of the Reach-Namibia. This hence led to the election of Katenda.

In total, Reach-Na has four Deanery and 16 constituted churches in Namibia that are made up of Southern Beanery which cover Tsumeb, Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Windhoek; Ohangwena Deanery which consist of Ohangwena itself, Eenhana, Oshikunde and mission to Omuthiya, Ongha Deanery which include Onamutai, Indangungu, Onanime, Eko lanahambo; Ongangwa which consist of Oshakati East and West, Ongwediva and Omungwelume and Omuthiya mission, and there is Omatwadiva that take mission into Angola.

“As a deer longs for the flowing streams, so their souls long for God. Those whose souls are thirsty for God, the living God, it is time for them to come and behold the face of God,” said Katenda.