The Cluster Meetings

In preparation for the Society Assembly to be held in Maidenhead in June 2008, a number of Cluster Meetings was held. 

The Asian Cluster Meeting took place between 5^th and 7^th November 2007 in Kuching, Sarawak.  Brendan Mulhall represented the General Council.  Piet Kooman and Nico Schipper represented Pakistan; Vincent Oates represented India; Liam Durrant for the Philippines, Albert Jacobse for Malaysia and Domingo Arnaiz and Paul Pratap were co-opted to represent the Asian members.

The meeting started with an Introductory talk given by a guest speaker Dr Jeffrey Goh on Mission in Asia and the contribution of the missionaries as experienced by the local people. 

The meeting centred on the question of the formation of an Asian Region.  Reasons for and against the setting up of the Region were discussed at length. 

Several reasons were given for setting up this Region: to give Asian members more influence in organising mission in Asia, to enable more appropriate and focused planning for Asia, to give a stronger focus on Asia and to allow for cross fertilization to take place within Asia.

The implications of an Asian Region were considered: it would necessitate a change of structure of the General Council if the Regional acts on behalf of the Council and also on behalf of the members of the Region and would be considered an ex-officio member of the Council.

The meeting considered it feasible to establish an Asian Region: there are already a large number of Society activities going on in the area; there is a strong likelihood that future personnel is assured in view of the present numbers of Asian students in Formation and there are further opportunities of recruitment in Asia which cold be pursued.  Financial viability is possible if a new Asian Region benefits from the New Regions’ Fund as recommended in Chapter 2005.

Those present at the meeting were in favour of setting up an Asian Region.  Steps for its implementation were recommended.  These include choosing a ‘Regional Elect’ before the next Chapter.  The Chapter would endorse this person if the establishment of an Asian Region were approved.  The Asian Regional should then become a member of the General Council and could reside in Iloilo, the Philippines.  The Region should have a larger outreach to facilitate the members from Asia engaging in mission in Asia and also there should be a greater openness to recruitment in the Region.  It is necessary to emphasise solidarity and unity with the other Regions.  It was further recommended that Basic and 1^st Cycle Formation be under the Region but the 2^nd Cycle Formation Centres should come under the direct responsibility of the General Council.

The African Cluster Meeting took place at the Mill Hill House in Nairobi, Kenya from 4^th November to 9^th November 2007.   It was attended by Fons Eppink, representing East Africa, James Juma fro South Africa, Franz Kristler for Sudan, Maurice McGill for Cameroon, John Kirwan representing the Democratic Republic of Congo, with Stanislaus Bondoko and Richard Njoroge representing the African members.  Bernard Phelan was the facilitator and representing the General Council was Michael Corcoran. 

After a morning of recollection facilitated by Tom Kearney, the participants heard the various comments from the younger members from Africa concerning the establishment of an African Region.  The next morning, the participants gave reasons for and against the setting up of an African Region.  In the afternoon, they discussed the implementation process.  The plan for the establishment of the African was endorsed by all present and they began to work out the implementation process for the Region.  A Regional for Africa would be appointed after a consultative vote of all members residing and working in Africa and he would reside in Nairobi.  Then the Area or Group leaders in each African country would be appointed by the General Council in the light of the consultative vote for the Regional.  Those forming the Regional Council could meet twice a year in different venues.  Each Area/Group leader would have his own council of consultors.  Finances of the Region would initially be dependent on the CSA with an inbuilt move towards financial independence.   The relationship between the New African Regional and the Councillor of Africa would have to be worked in due course.  The term of office of this new Regional would be decided by the next chapter. 

The next day, the participants worked out a timetable for the establishiment of the Region.  The date for the end of terms of office for present Regional and Society Representatives and Group Leaders would be set to coincide with the establishment of the African Region.  The process of nomination ad consultative vote would begin in February 2008 with the establishment process completed by the end of May 2008.  An African Regional Bursar would then be appointed. 

The Cluster Meeting in Latin America took place alongside the Annual Assembly of the Mill Hill members there.  It was held from 19^th November to 22^nd November 2007 at Ilha Grande, Brazil.  There were eleven participants comprising of eight members working in Brazil, one from Bolivia and another from Ecuador.  The General Council was represented by Jos Boerkamp.

Of relevance to the Society Assembly is the discussion on the future of Mill Hill members in Latin America.   The participants were of the view that there was no long-term future for mission work in Latin America for Mill Hill members although there were greater challenges than there were twenty-five years ago, given that Brazil is a ‘review area’ and not a ‘focal area’ coupled with the dwindling number of Mill Hill members and few ordinations annually.

The American-European Cluster Meeting took place in Maidenhead at the end of the Regional’s Meeting on Thursday, 14^th February 2008 with members of the European and North American Region present with Tony Chantry representing the General Council.  It was observed that the process of unification of the various regions in this area would take longer than expected in Africa or Asia.  A new structure for the General Council with one of the Regionals being a member of the General Council was recommended.  The membership in Latin America would also need to be involved in the process leading up to an eventual Euro-American Region.