Bishop Dinis Sengulane
Bishop Dinis, the previous Bishop of Lebombo and the longest serving bishop in the Anglican Communion retired in 2014. After his 38 years as a Bishop, an incredible service was attended by thousands and the last two Presidents of Mozambique to mark this momentous occasion.
His unique ministry is recognised internationally for helping to bring peace to Mozambique in 1992 after 16 years of civil war. Consecrated as bishop in 1976, Bishop Dinis became one of Africa’s greatest peacemakers with a mediation role between the rebel group Renamo, and the Frelimo government.
His ‘Preparing the People for Peace’ programme and the ‘Swords into Ploughshares Project’, where weapons were exchanged for agricultural and domestic equipment, cemented peace. Since 1997 over 800,000 weapons have been taken out of commission and turned into notable sculptures like the ‘Throne of Weapons’ in the British Museum.
Other work that Bishop Dinis has undertaken, includes advocacy work through the Rollback Malaria initiative to combat this disease, which is Africa’s biggest killer.
He married his first wife Esperanca Berta in 1977 and they had four children together. Tragically she was killed in a car accident at Zove in 1998. In the years following this tragedy, a school, health centre and church was established at Zove.
In 2012, he married Lina Valoi and today Bishop Dinis is still very active in the Mozambican church.