The Church Mission Society and St John’s

CMS is working in 37 countries worldwide, but St. John’s has links with Andrew and Maria Leake in Salta in northern Argentina and Allan and Anne Lacey in Uganda.

The Laceys have just returned to the West Nile District of Uganda and are settling back into life there. They have moved to a modern house in the town of Arua. This is the District Headquarters, a rapidly growing town on one of the routes into newly- independent South Sudan. It is a busy hub for trade, the movement of NGOs in and out of Sudan and across the nearby western border to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Laceys have just sent their first Link letter since their return and it is full of interesting news, pictures and prayer topics. To see a copy, ask

Barbara Cottier, or download a pdf from the CMS website by contacting  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by 
telephoning 01865 787527.

A proportion of the money raised during the Mission weekend will go to CMS to support the Laceys and to  help the Leakes empower indigenous people of the Salta to secure ownership of their traditional lands.

A small group of CMS supporters meets on the third Friday each month in Ebbisham Court, Whittington College to pray. New folk are always welcome to join us.

Why not sign up to receive Prayer Space, a weekly email, which gives details of current prayer needs, so that you can support CMS in prayer.

Barbara Cottier

Allan and Anne Lacey have now been working in the Madi/West Nile Diocese in NW Uganda for over two years. Allan is working with clergy to update their Bible knowledge and when he visits the Archdeaconry centres Anne goes too so that the teaching can include matters of health too. Anne is the Director of Health for the Diocese looking after the five church Health Centres, overseeing a malaria prevention programme and generally helping the staff there to have the resources they need. They are often working in islolated places. Fortunately these days mobile phones are a common and useful means of communication.
Allan has also set up a reprographics unit in the Diocesan offices which enables the Diocese to produce photocopies and other materials, one of which is the first part of a guide to the Lectionary for the pastors in the Diocese.
Travelling is a big part of their life, often over very rough roads.

ANDREW & MARIA LEAKE have worked in Northern Argentina for many years, first with SAMS but now under the aegis of CMS since the merger of the two societies. They are engaged in the long-running campaign to support the rights of the local indigenous people in Salta Province, whose homelands and natural resources are threatened by widespread commercial deforestation and agriculture. They are now engaged in the process of buying up land to be protected and conserved for the Indian population, to preserve their way of life and provide sustainability. Their eldest son, Tomas, is at university in Cordoba; Cecilia, now 16, is looking at options for higher education, and Carolina (13) is at a local school.

Barbara Cottier distributes their prayer letters, and further information can be obtained from Philip and Rosemary Tadman who have long-standing links with South America.

CMS LINK