Self-supporting Archdeacons.....

I hadn’t heard of self-supporting Archdeacons before. Archdeacon Marshall Guma works for the Department of Education and doesn’t receive a stipend from the Diocese of Matlosane. In addition to overseeing and directing this Southern Archdeaconry he also has his own Parish of St Joseph’s, Atamelang. He tells me how the parish had not paid its Diocesan Share for nine years. Such is his drive and strength of leadership that the entire debt has now been paid off and the last quota was paid in advance. He is a man of high and exacting standards who brings vast experience from his work which has focussed on community development. He shows me a training centre, a library and computer centre which he set up. Wherever we go people wave at him and greet him as ‘Father’ and have their stories of how he has helped them to find work and progress.