Vicente Msosa (born 18 February 1981) is a Mozambican Anglican bishop. He was the youngest bishop in the Anglican Communion when he was consecrated as bishop of Niassa in 2017 at the age of 35. Since 2024, he has been the first elected presiding bishop of the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola (Igreja Anglicana de Mocambique e Angola, or IAMA), the newest province of the Anglican Communion.
Vicente Msosa | |
|---|---|
| Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola Bishop of Zambezia | |
| Church | Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola |
| Diocese | Zambezia |
| In office | 2024–present (as presiding bishop) 2021–present (as diocesan bishop) |
| Predecessor | See created |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 2013 |
| Consecration | 25 February 2017 by Thabo Makgoba |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 February 1981 Chuanga, Mozambique |
| Denomination | Anglicanism |
| Spouse | Anastacia Msosa |
| Children | 3 |
Early life, education and career
editMsosa was born in Chuanga, Mozambique, in 1981. He was educated locally and after finishing secondary school, he moved to the Teacher Training College, where he studied to be a teacher. While working as a teacher he was also involved in evangelism.[1]
He studied theology at the College of the Transfiguration, in Grahamstown, South Africa, where he obtained a diploma. He was ordained a deacon and later a priest in 2013. He then studied for a degree in theology at Malawian Lake Anglican University.[2] He was the priest at the São Paulo's Church in Lichinga when he was elected bishop.[3]
Episcopacy
editThe elective assembly of the Diocese of Niassa failed to elect a bishop in January 2016, leaving the nomination to the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. He was selected in September 2016 and consecrated on 25 February 2017. Msosa's installation took place at the Cathedral of Lichinga at 1 April 2017, in a service presided over by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba.[3] He was one of the two ACSA bishops to attend GAFCON III in Jerusalem in June 2018.[4]
In 2021, when IAMA was formed as a Lusophone Anglican province, Msosa was appointed the first bishop of the Missionary Diocese of Zambezia when it was formed out of the Diocese of Niassa. In November 2024, Msosa was elected the first presiding bishop and primate of IAMA, succeeding Carlos Matsinhe of the Diocese of Lebombo, who had served on an acting basis since IAMA's inception. He is expected to align IAMA with the Global South movement in the Anglican realignment.[2]
Personal life
editMsosa is married to Anastacia and they have three children.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Bishop Vicente Msosa Biography at ALMA Official Website
- ^ a b Conger, George (19 November 2024). "Vincente Msosa elected archbishop of Mozambique and Angola". Anglican Ink. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ a b Conger, George (3 April 2017). "Church's youngest bishop installed in Mozambique". Anglican Ink. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- ^ Gafcon networks mobilise following cyclone, GAFCON Official Website