THE late Bishop of Swaziland, the Rt Revd Ellinah Wamukoya, who died from Covid earlier this year (News, 22 January), is among the 36 recipients of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth Awards 2021, which recognise outstanding contributions to the Church of England, the Anglican Communion, and wider society.
Bishop Wamukoya, who was the first woman to become a bishop in Africa (News, 27 July 2012), was posthumously awarded the Langton Award for Community Service for her leadership in the area of sustainable development and creation-care in the diocese.
A former RC Archbishop of Juba, the Rt Revd Paulino Lukudu Loro, became another posthumous recipient of an award. He died on Monday, having been awarded the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation for “consistently demonstrating exceptional commitment to the defence of human rights and contributing to peace and ecumenism in South Sudan” (1983-2019).
Scientists, musicians, academics, activists, peacemakers, doctors, and clergy were among the other recipients announced by Archbishop Welby on Wednesday.
A former Primate of the Province of West Africa, the Most Revd Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, was awarded the Cross of St Augustine for services to the Anglican Communion over 40 years, “especially in the West Africa and specifically Ghana”.
A former Primate of South Sudan, the Most Revd Danial Deng Bul, received the Hubert Walter Award for his “ability to mobilise different religious, political and tribal groups for peace and reconciliation”.
A former director of the Council of Christians and Jews, Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko, also received this award for her work promoting Jewish-Christian dialogue in the UK, and discussing Israel-Palestine, the rights and diversity of Christians of Israel, and Arab-Israeli rights in Israel.
Other recipients of this award include Sarwat Tasneem for her contributions to “deeper understandings across faith communities” and her pioneering of “female, Shia Muslim engagement” across communities; and the Mayor of Ealing and chair of trustees of the Shree Ram Mandir, Umesh Chander Sharma, for his fostering of interfaith relations.
The rap artist and author Guvna B (Isaac Borquaye) was given the Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness. His album, everywhere + nowhere (2020) was the highest charting “non-explicit” rap album that year. His book Unspoken: Toxic masculinity and how I faced the man within the man (Harper Inspire, 2021), in which he urges young people to reject the values of secular culture, became an Amazon bestseller (Feature, 19 February; Interview, 15 June 2018).
Other recipients of the Alphege Award include the writer, broadcaster, and priest, the Revd Richard Coles, for his position as “an admired and popular Christian presence” in the public eye; Pippa Cramer, who created the Connections network for over-65s and more recently the national Daily Hope helpline (News, 1 May 2020); and the author and Professor Emeritus of Evangelism, Dr John Bowen.
A former Bishop of Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, and Vicar of St Andrew’s, Chorleywood, the Rt Revd David Pytches, was also awarded the Alphege Award for his founding of the New Wine and Soul Survivor Christian festivals and pioneering the practice of church-planting.
Sir Christopher Clarke was awarded the Canterbury Cross for legal services to the Church of England, including his work for the Archbishop’s Commission on the relations between the Deaneries of Jersey and Guernsey.
Other recipients of the Canterbury Cross include Charles George QC, for his application and development of ecclesiastical law; the Revd Professor Gina Radford and the Revd Dr Brendan McCarthy (Interview, 3 April 2020) for their work providing medical advice for churches and the C of E’s senior leadership during the pandemic; and Caroline Spencer for her service to the diocese of Canterbury and General Synod over 36 years.
The chief executive at Urban Outreach Bolton, Dave Bagley MBE, received the Langton Award for Community Service for his work in Christian social care. Esmé Page also received the Langton Award for her Cornwall Hugs initiative which offered holidays to residents and firefighters who experienced trauma and loss after the Grenfell Tower fire (Interview, 12 April 2019). Kerry Beaumont was given the Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship for service to music and worship at the cathedrals of St Davids, Ripon and Coventry, where he has been director of music.
The Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism was awarded jointly to Bruce Kent and Dr Valerie Flessati for their lifelong commitment to peace, campaigning for nuclear disarmament.
Full list of recipients of the Lambeth Awards 2021 in alphabetical order (as released):
Dave Bagley MBE — The Langton Award for Community Service. For outstanding Christian social care, serving over 22,000 of the most vulnerable people in Bolton.
Kerry Beaumont — The Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship. For outstanding service to music and worship at the cathedrals of St Davids, Ripon and Coventry, with particular reference at Coventry to outreach, recruitment and nurture of boy and girl choristers to create a cathedral choir with diversity at its heart.
Isaac Borquaye, more commonly known as Guvna B — The Alphege Award for Evangelism and witness. For being an outstanding, faithful and vibrant witness to Jesus Christ using his gifts and the medium of recording, performance and video to proclaim the good news.
Dr John Bowen — The Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness. For his attractive articulation of the love of God for all people, with a particular heart for those who have not yet heard the name of Jesus, and for his mentoring and discipling of Christian leaders.
The Most Revd Danial Deng Bul — The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. For his outstanding ability to mobilise different religious, political and tribal groups for peace and reconciliation.
Sir Christopher Clarke — The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England. For his outstanding legal service to the Church of England, including his contribution to the successful outcome of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on the relations between the Deaneries of Jersey and Guernsey and the rest of the Church of England.
The Revd Richard Coles — The Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness. For outstanding witness as an admired and popular Christian presence in the public arena.
Pippa Cramer — The Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness. For her exceptional work in finding creative ways of bringing God’s love to the over 65s.
Charles George QC — The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England. For his unique contribution to the application and development of ecclesiastical law.
The Revd Aidan Harker — The Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism. For his wholehearted, wide-ranging and sustained commitment to ecumenism.
Elizabeth Harris-Sawczenko — The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. For outstanding work promoting Jewish-Christian dialogue in the UK, balanced and nuanced discussion of Israel-Palestine, the rights and diversity of Christians of Israel, and Arab-Israeli rights in Israel.
Archbishop Colin Johnson — The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion. For extraordinary efforts and leadership in sustaining communion through initiating ongoing dialogue amongst Bishops across the Anglican Communion – especially Canada, Africa, the UK and the USA — following Lambeth 2008 through to 2020.
The Revd Canon Dr Isaac Kawuki Mukasa — The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion. For extraordinary efforts and leadership in sustaining communion through initiating ongoing dialogue amongst Bishops across the Anglican Communion — especially Canada, Africa, the UK and the USA — following Lambeth 2008 through to 2020.
Bruce Kent and Dr Valerie Flessati — The Lambeth Cross for Ecumenism. For exceptional, tireless and lifelong dedication to the Christian ecumenical search for peace, both individually and together.
Professor Kwok Pui-lan — The Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship. For outstanding leadership and contribution to Asian Feminist and Post-Colonial Theology rooted in an Anglican ecclesiology.
Rupert Lang, BMus, MA (Cantab) — The Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship. For more than forty years as an outstanding organist and choir director, Rupert Lang’s innovative and beautiful compositions have enhanced the liturgy and mission of the Church and extended the reach of Canadian liturgical music to secular audiences around the world.
The Revd Peter Laurence OAM — The Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship. For his achievements in making an Anglican education accessible for thousands of Australian families, through establishing and expanding a national network of low-fee Anglican schools; and for his dedication in representing Anglican schools nationally, including his leadership in the development of work on Anglican identity in schools.
The late Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro — The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. For consistently demonstrating exceptional commitment to the defence of human rights and contributing to peace and ecumenism in South Sudan (1983-2019).
Canon Rachel Mash — The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion. For raising awareness of and the urgent need to implement the Fifth Mark of Mission in the Anglican Communion.
The Revd Dr Brendan McCarthy — The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England. For outstanding work in his capacity as the Church of England’s Medical Ethics, Health and Social Care Policy Adviser during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Revd Bassi Mirzania — The Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness. For her nearly 20 years’ tireless and exceptional service as founding Chaplain to the Persian/Iranian community in Great Britain.
The Revd Omid Moludy — The Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness. For the outstanding role that he has played in evangelism and discipleship amongst ethnically diverse communities.
Esmé Page — The Langton Award for Community Service. For answering the call to provide holidays of hope to residents and firefighters who experienced the trauma and loss of the terrible fire in Grenfell Tower.
Bishop Luke Lungile Pato — The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion. For outstanding lifelong service to the Church and society through theological education as well as in ecumenical relations.
Bishop David Pytches — The Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness. For exceptional contributions to the renewal of the Church’s capacity for evangelism and witness through the founding of the New Wine and Soul Survivor Christian festivals and the pioneering practice of church planting.
Revd Professor Gina Radford — The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England. For outstanding work providing medical advice for churches and the Church of England’s senior leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Catriona Robertson — The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. For her outstanding contribution to interfaith relations, which has enriched and deepened relationships of trust between faiths at every level from grass roots to international.
The Revd Philip D. Roderick — The Dunstan Award for Prayer and Spirituality. For his outstanding contribution to the development of contemplative prayer in the UK and abroad, by his vision and inspiration in founding and establishing the Quiet Garden Movement, the community of Contemplative Fire, and Hidden Houses of Prayer.
Dr Hilary Russell — The Langton Award for Community Service. For her exceptional work initiating and supporting the social justice ministry of the Church and the churches — particularly relating to sustainable and affordable food policy in Liverpool — over many decades.
The Most Revd Daniel Yinkah Sarfo — The Cross of St Augustine for Services to the Anglican Communion. For an outstanding and selfless contribution over 40 years to the life and witness of churches of the Anglican Communion, especially in West Africa and specifically Ghana.
Desmond Arnold Scott — The Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness. For his passion for social justice and working for people and communities to have the opportunity to attain their full potential.
Hany Abadir Shafik — The Langton Award for Community Service. For his outstanding Christian contribution to health care in Egypt.
Umesh Chander Sharma — The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. For his exceptionally committed civic service fostering good inter faith relationships, both locally and nationally.
Caroline Spencer — The Canterbury Cross for Services to the Church of England. For exceptional service to Canterbury Diocese and the wider Church of England for over 36 years.
Sarwat Tasneem — The Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation. Sarwat has made outstanding contributions to deeper understandings across faith communities and been a pioneer of female Shia Muslim engagement across communities.
The late Bishop Ellinah Wamukoya — The Langton Award for Community Service. For outstanding leadership in the area of sustainable development and Creation Care in the Diocese of Swaziland (Eswatini).