I take this opportunity to thank you all and all our member churches for electing me chair of the upcoming CWM AMM 2023. Thank you very much for your confidence in me as a person and, by extension, in the UCCSA that we could provide leadership for our partnership at this very important level of the work of CWM. I take this election very seriously and pray that we all work together as best as we can to make the AMM successful.  A special thank you to CWM’s General Secretary and Staff for facilitating this process and our hosts, the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan. Thank you again, and see you soon.

I am Rupert Isaac Hambira (BA-UB, BTH-Rhodes, MANorthwest), an ordained minister of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa. Since my ordination, I have served as a local church minister, Chairman of the Regional Council, Synod Secretary, Director of Synod Ministerial Training, chairman of the Denominational Theological Commission and I currently serve as the President of the denomination that spreads over seven countries in Southern Africa. I am a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC). I was also a CWM missionary with the Congregational Federation (UK) from 1995 to 1997.