Bishop S. Tilewa
Johnson is the current Bishop of Gambia and is the first
Gambian national to
hold the post. He was consecrated in 1990 and the challenge from the Archbishop,
The Most Revd. George D. Browne was to crystallize his many years of service
into a vision that would reflect the needs and aspirations of the people of God
in The Gambia.
After two decades as a priest among the Gambian People, sharing their aspirations, fears, hopes and anxieties, Bishop Tilewa was ready to take up the challenge.
His goal was to strike a reasonable balance between evangelism and social responsibility within a holistic and inclusive ministry: A ministry which seeks to nurture the soul, enlighten and empower the mind, nourish the body, protect the environment, promote advocacy and liberation for the sinned-against and downtrodden. Since that time the "slogan" for Diocesan development has been:
"Aiming to strike a reasonable balance between evangelism and social responsibility".
CURRICULUM
VITAE
NAME : JOHNSON, the Right Reverend Dr. Solomon Tilewa Ethelbert Willie
(prefers to be called ‘Tilewa’)
DATE
OF BIRTH : 27th
February 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH : Banjul,
The Gambia, West Africa
MARITAL STATUS : Married
FAMILY : Priscilla (spouse)
Njilan (daughter – 20 January 1982)
Jeggan (son – 17 September 1985)
Dado (daughter – 28 December 1989)
MAILING ADDRESS :
Bishopscourt,
P O Box 51, Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa
E-MAIL :
bishop@qanet.gm
home – (220) 497349
mobile - (220) 905227
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION : Church of the Province of West
Africa
(Anglican Communion)
EDUCATION:
PRIMARY
:
Wesley Primary School (1962 – 1966)
SECONDARY
: Gambia
High School (1966 – 1974)
UNIVERSITY
: Trinity
College, Umahia, Nigeria
Diploma in Theology (1977 – 1980)
University of Durham, Great Britain
B.A. (Hons) Theology (1982 – 1985)
Thesis:
“The Impact of African Communal Ritual on Modern Christian Missions 1821 –
1965”
Oxford
University, Great Britain
Certificate, Summer Programme in Theology
August 1997
Graduate
Theological Foundation,
Donaldson, Indiana, USA
Doctor
of Ministry (DMin) in Applied Ministries 1997 – 2000
Doctoral
Project: “A Bishop’s Manual for the Implementation of a Jointly Generated
Vision for the Diocese of Gambia for the Decade Beginning the Year 2000”
Foundation
Fellow, Graduate Theological Foundation – Oxford-Rome-Indiana
ECCLESIASTICAL
CONFERMENT'S : 1990
Consecrated Bishop
1980 Ordained Priest
1979 Made Deacon
EMPLOYMENT
:
BISHOP OF GAMBIA : HEAD
OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF GAMBIA WHICH COMPRISES THE REPUBLICS OF THE GAMBIA,
SENEGAL AND CAPE VERDE ISLANDS.
Overseeing
and directing the spiritual, pastoral and socio-economic needs of the Diocese.
In
line with the policy of the Government of the Republic of The Gambia,
spearheading the development activities of the Diocese through its development
arm, the Anglican Mission Development Ministries (AMDM) and in the following
sectors – Education, Health, Agriculture, Christian Education and Refugee and
Emergency Services. The task
encompasses project formulation; project monitoring and appraisal; raising
appeals through fundraising.
Keeping
abreast of developments as they affect the AMDM’s contribution to the country;
familiarization with Government, UN system and other development cooperation
activities in the country that offer a potential for AMDM’s appropriate
intervention.
Developing
links with NGOs and grassroots initiatives and enhancing AMDM’s work in the
country.
Developing
links and PARTNERSHIP-IN-MISSION with the global Church. Currently
partnerships are maintained with:
·
The Church in England through the Church Mission
Society (CMS) – funding and personnel (mission partners, experience placements
and group visits); the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (USPG)
– funding and looking at personnel; and the initial stages of looking at a
partnership with the Diocese of Chichester.
·
The Episcopal Church in the USA, through support to
projects.
·
The partnership with the Reformed Church in America
(RCA) has involved the placement of mission partners, funding for projects and
course of study for two priests. The
suggestion by RCA to withdraw
mission partners was agreed upon.
1985
– 1990 : Incumbent,
St. Mary’s Cathedral, Banjul
1982
– 1985 : Resident
Priest-in-Charge
Church of the African Martyrs, Farafenni,
The Gambia
Chaplain,
Anglican Training Centre, Farafenni,
The Gambia
Visiting Priest,
St. Peter’s Interdenominational Congregation,
Dakar, Senegal
1977
– 1980 : Student,
Trinity College, Umahia, Nigeria
Pastoral work – St. Michael’s Cathedral,
Aba, Nigeria
1975
– 1977 : Teacher,
Gambia High School,
Banjul, The Gambia.
Forms
I to V – Technical Drawing, Cabinet Making and Woodwork
RELIGIOUS
·
President, Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Gambia
·
President, Diocesan School of Evangelism
·
Executive Director, Anglican Mission Development
Ministries (AMDM)
·
Vice President, Gambia Boys’ Brigade Council
·
Chairman, Board of Governors, Rev. J. C. Faye
Memorial School, Banjul
·
Member, Diocesan Radio Ministry
·
Chairman, Management Committee, St. Mary’s Primary
School, Banjul
·
Chairman, Social Outreach and Development
Sub-Committee, Gambia Christian Council
·
Chaplain, Diocesan Mothers’ Union
·
Honorary Chaplain, Missions to Seamen
CIVIC
·
Chairman, National Dialogue Team, Strategy for
Poverty Alleviation
·
Chairman, National Committee on Christianity,
Population and Development
·
Member, National Population Commission
·
Member, National Consultative Council for Social and
Economic Policy
·
Member, Council of elders for Conflict Prevention
and Management in the Economic Organisation of West African States (ECOWAS)
· Dean, Church of the Province of West Africa (CPWA)
Anglican Communion
·
Chairman, Continental
Committee for Ministry to the Uprooted, All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC),
Nairobi, Kenya
·
Member, General Committee, AACC, Nairobi, Kenya
·
Member, Executive Committee, AACC, Nairobi, Kenya
·
Member, World Council of Churches (WCC) Faith and
Order Plenary Commission
·
Member, Global Ecumenical Network Forum (Advisory
Body to the World Council of Churches Refugee and Migration Service)
·
Member, International Ecumenical Consultative
Committee for Refugees (IECCR)
·
Vice President, Church Mission Society (CMS),
London, UK
·
Provincial Regional
Coordinator, Decade of Evangelism
·
Associate, Monastic Order of the Holy Cross
·
Chairman, the Gambia Christian Council
·
Chairman, The Association of
Non-Governmental Organisations (TANGO) of The Gambia
· Chairman, Independent Electoral Commission (IEC),
Republic of The Gambia
·
Vice Chairman, Provisional Independent Electoral
Commission (PIEC), Republic of The Gambia
· Member, Commonwealth Observer Group to General and
Regional Elections, Guyana, December 1997
·
Chairman, Coordinating Committee for Liberian
Refugees (CCLR), Banjul
· Vice Chairman, Commission on Humanitarian Affairs,
International Council for Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)
·
Member, (observer status), Executive Committee, ICVA
· Member, Donor / NGO Central
Coordinating Committee, Ministry of Health, Republic of The Gambia
·
Member, Reference Group to draft the World Council
of Churches (WCC) Statement on “Uprooted People”
·
Member, Inter-Faith / Inter-Church Sub-Committee,
the Gambia Christian Council
·
Member, Management Committee of The Gambia National
Branch of the African Society of International and Comparative Law
·
Member, Constitutional Review Commission, Republic
of The Gambia
·
First Chairman, The Gambia Public Works and Capacity
Building Project (GAMWORKS)
·
Member, Board of Directors,
Gambia Youth for Christ
·
Chairman, Commonwealth Liaison Unit, The Gambia
·
Chairman, Evangelical
Fellowship of The Gambia
·
“An Epistle from the
Churches in Africa to the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland”.
Address to the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland
Assembly. Swanwick England,
February 1992.
·
Address to the General Synod of the Church of
England session – ‘Africa Today – Crisis and Opportunity’.
London, England, November 1993.
·
“Christian Relations with Islam: The Gambia”.
Presentation to a Plenary Session of the 1998 Lambeth Conference.
Canterbury, England, July 1998.
·
“Building God’s Kingdom On
Earth In The Age Of Globalisation: Africa’s Challenge To The Church In
U.S.A.”. Commencement Address at
the Graduate Theological Foundation Indiana Graduation.
Indiana USA, May 2000.
·
“Bear Ye One Another’s Burdens”.
Series of Five Meditations on St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians,
presented to the Partners-in-Mission Consultation and Provincial Synod, Church
of the Province of West Africa. Accra,
October 1997.
·
“Batum Yalla – Word of God.
The Centrality of Scripture in the Life of the Church”.
October 1993.
·
“The Root of All Evil: Unjust Disparities of
Wealth” in Jokkoo, Technical Co-operation Magazine of the United Nations
System in The Gambia, Vol. 2 No. 2 – 1992.
United Nations Development Programme: Banjul 1992.
·
“Regionalisation Policy of the Ministry to the
Uprooted. Genesis and Progress”.
All African Conference of Churches: Nairobi 1998.
·
“Holiness”.
Series of Meditations presented to the clergy of the Diocese of Harare at
Retreat – Harare: January 1999.
Keen
sportsman in Basketball (played on the Gambia National Basketball Team from 1970
– 1977), Lawn Tennis, Table Tennis, Pool / Snooker. Badminton, Squash,
Swimming, Yoga Exercises and Cricket.
Led
cricket teams as captain and umpired test matches between African countries held
in Banjul, The Gambia.
Captain,
Bishop’s Eleven Cricket Team
Reading,
debating, writing, counselling
(Thumb - in conference)
