Who’s Who in MANNA?

Elizabeth Thomas

Organising Secretary

Elizabeth lives in Oxfordshire with her family. She has been involved with Christian development work in Mozambique since 1995, running another small charity Maninga and visiting many times. She began working for MANNA in Oct ’14 and is constantly inspired by all it has done over the past 100 years and all it continues to do. In her spare time, she loves to play the ‘cello in a variety of settings.

Ruth Savage

Accounts Administrator

Ruth specialises in charity finance, has a BBA (Hons) Management degree and is a qualified bookkeeper and payroll administrator. She is also a member of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (MICB PM. Dip). Ruth lives and works in Essex with her husband and three young children where they are involved in their local church. 

The Trustees

John Tasker MA

Chairperson

John is involved in building multicultural churches. He is a lay pioneer minister in the Diocese of London and has been a trustee of MANNA since 2009, becoming chair in 2019. He first went to Angola on a parish visit with his wife Anne in 2005, and returned with a passion for developing mutually-supportive relationships within the world church. This has led to being diocesan twinning officer for the ALMA Partnership between the Anglican Churches of Angola, London, and Mozambique for fourteen years. He continues to visit the Anglican Church in Angola frequently, having been a Commissary for the Bishop of Angola.

John has a background in education and business systems strategy, and has just completed a masters in theology with Church Mission Society (CMS), focusing on pioneer mission. His dissertation looked at the missional opportunities in engaging with diaspora communities in London. He also works with diaspora churches nationally as a trustee of Missio Africanus, and their pioneering programme with CMS that has created the first courses in African Diaspora Christianity. He and Anne are both involved in mission with multicultural communities in inner London and enjoy walking in beautiful places when they find spare time.”

Venerable Christopher Cunliffe

After six years of Modern History at Christ Church, Oxford, Christopher Cunliffe migrated to Cambridge to read Theology and train for ordination. After job-sharing a curacy with his wife, Helen, in Chesterfield, he returned to Oxford as Chaplain of Lincoln (1985-9). This was followed by another chaplaincy in London before becoming an ecclesiastical civil servant, working for the national church in the area of clergy recruitment and selection and then Director of Ministry in the Diocese of London. After an interlude as a Bishop’s Chaplain, he became Archdeacon of Derby in 2006. He has tried to keep up with academic interests during this time, and through chairing MANNA (Mozambique and Angola Anglican Association) has a strong interest in the church in those countries, acting as a Commissary for the Bishop of Angola. He has visited Mozambique once, and Angola three times. In his spare time Christopher enjoys music, reading (especially fiction and poetry), walking, African history and culture, particularly Angola and Mozambique, and fly-fishing.

The Revd Preb Joseph Fernandes

Originally from Portugal, Joseph has lived in the UK for many years. He serves as the Rector of the Parish of Acton, St Mary’s & All Saints, a Prebendary of St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Diocesan Chaplain for Gypsy, Roma, and Travellers in the London Diocese. A founding member of the AMEN Network, he holds a Master’s degree in Theology and a BA in History. He has visited Mozambique on several occasions, including one visit alongside Archbishop Justin Welby. Passionate about social justice, he is dedicated to advocating for marginalised communities.

Canon Rev. Philippa Boardman

Philippa was amongst the first group of women to be ordained in the Diocese of London 20 years earlier in 1994. Here she is pictured with the first women to be ordained in Mozambique on a visit in 2014. Her involvement with Mozambique goes back to 2002, while Vicar of St Paul, Old Ford in Tower Hamlets, Philippa’s church was amongst the first in the Diocese of London to be twinned with a parish in Mozambique, Bairro Popular in Lichinga. This deprived parish in London’s East End, made a significant contribution through an annual pledge, to the building of the Town Centre church in Lichinga opened amidst much rejoicing in 2015. It was named St Paul’s! Today Philippa works as the Vicar at St Mary Magdalene, Wandsworth Common.

Rev. Carla Vicencio Prior

Carla is Portuguese but has lived in the UK for 30 years. She lives in Derby with her family and was ordained in 2015. She is currently Canon for Community Learning at Derby Cathedral. Carla has a background in business and marketing and has a Masters in Theology, with her dissertation looking particularly at the theological foundations for interfaith work. She has travelled extensively in Europe, South America and Eastern Africa and has lived in 6 different countries over the years. She met her husband in Tanzania. As a Christian she has a passion for social justice. She also loves reading, learning new languages and food.

Rev Canon Dr. Helen Van Koevering

Helen has a rich & long-standing history with Mozambique. She first went to Mozambique in 1985 on a mission trip and later met her husband Mark in Maputo and they married at St Stephens & St Lawrence, Maputo by the then Fr. Carlos Matsinhe (who is now Bishop of Lebombo). They moved to Lichinga, northern Mozambique to begin the project that was to become Kuchijinji and later became the centre of the Diocese of Niassa and their 3 children were born there. In 1997, Helen & Mark attended Trinity College, Bristol and then were both ordained as priests & during this time Helen became secretary for MANNA. In 2003 they returned to Niassa and Helen became Director of Ministry amongst many other things and Mark was the Bishop. The Diocese grew and thrived in so many ways. In 2015, Helen & Mark moved back to West Virginia, USA but Helen’s love & commitment to Mozambique remains steadfast.

Rev. Jake Cunliffe

Jake has been the assistant curate at the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Toronto in Canada since 2022. Originally from London, UK, he spent the prior seven years working and studying in Ohio and Connecticut in the USA. Jake has a Masters degree in World Christianity in which he looked particularly at global church partnerships, and he visited MANNA’s partners in Angola in 2015. To relax, he loves to follow sport (especially cricket), go on walks with his spouse, Jenna, cook and sing.

Gilberto Da Silva Afonso

Gilberto is a native Angolan and has grown up in the UK. He holds a MSc in Defence, development and diplomacy from St John’s College, Durham University. Gilberto currently works as the Vocational Recruitment and Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Church Mission Society and he is passionate about seeing the message of the Jesus Christ transform people’s lives. In his spare time, he enjoys writing and composing music, running, cooking and enjoys travelling with his wife.