Photo Credit: The Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf
The Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf is celebrating its 50th anniversary this week (2-5 February). Themed ‘A Year of Jubilee’ this milestone celebration is happening alongside the diocese’s annual Synod, hosted in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The week is gathering clergy and lay participants, colleagues from the Province of Jerusalem, Companion Dioceses of Thika and Exeter, Mission to Seafarers, the Mothers’ Union and Diocesan groups.
Alongside Synod business, the programme of celebration includes an Opening Eucharist at St Christopher’s Cathedral (2 Feb), where the Rt Revd Sean Semple, the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf preached. The service also saw the licencing of two clergy and the installation of six Canons. A mid-week Chrism Eucharist will follow a retreat led by the Reverend Franklin Isaac.
Speaking about the anniversary, the Rt Revd Sean Semple said: ‘In this Holy Year, we celebrate and give thanks to God for "guiding us safe thus far" and pray for his ongoing renewal, restoration and blessing for the future.’
Bishop Sean has also shared that he is ‘grateful for the opportunity to hold this special Synod in the Kingdom of Bahrain, known and respected for its hospitality to all faiths and its deep commitment to interfaith dialogue.’
2026 marks 50 year celebrations for the Province
The diocese's 50th anniversary is an important part of wider celebrations in its Province, the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East, which also formed in 1976. The province brought together the Dioceses of Jerusalem, Cyprus and the Gulf, Iran and Egypt into one province of the Anglican Communion. Egypt, then later became the Episcopal / Anglican Province of Alexandria in 2020, also encompassing North Africa and the Horn of Africa.
The beginning of Jubilee celebrations in the region started on Epiphany Sunday (6 January), when the Most Revd Hosam Naoum (Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem and Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem) installed Bishop Sean as Episcopal Canon on the Stall of Mt Tabor, at the Cathedral Church of George the Martyr in Jerusalem.
Bishop Sean described his installation as ‘a deep honour, for him and for the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf, deepening the bonds of affection and mutual support between the dioceses’.
Archbishop Hosam Naoum (left) and Bishop Sean Semple (right) at the Epiphany Sunday Service
Speaking at the service about the lives and ministries of Anglican Christians in the 50 years since the inauguration of the Province, Archbishop Hosam Naoum said that they ‘reflected the light of Christ into one of the most conflicted places in the world’, and that ‘from Galilee to the West Bank, to Gaza and across our borders into Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, our mission remains the same: to be a witness to the life-giving Gospel of Jesus Christ in an area torn by bloodshed and unrest’.
Diocese Celebrations: The Opening Service- St Christopher's Cathedral, 2 February
Bishop Sean Semple addressed the congregation at the opening Eucharist on the 2nd February at St Christopher’s Cathedral about the diverse nature of the church in the Gulf. Noting that the majority of parishioners come the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Africa, he said that the dioceses ‘serves as a powerful illustration to the Anglican Communion and to the world, of how multinational churches can exist and flourish, and do so in the Middle East. Perhaps it is fair to say that we go beyond illustration to a prophetic witness that confronts the many ignorant and toxic narratives about diversity, co-existence and religious tolerance in the world today.’
Turning to Leviticus and the theme of Jubilee, Bishop Sean said: ‘Leviticus calls on his people to sound the trumpet to hallow the fiftieth year, and to proclaim a year of Jubilee. This year our Jubilee celebrations hallow the fiftieth year of this unique Diocese, and express our deepest gratitude to God for bringing our improbable diocese through impossible circumstances “safe thus far”.’
Gala Dinner – 2 February
As part of the ongoing celebration, a gala dinner on the evening of the 2nd of February was organised in collaboration with This is Bahrain, a platform dedicated to promoting the Kingdom of Bahrain's proud legacy of religious freedom, peaceful coexistence, and cultural diversity. Speakers at the gala event included Bishop Sean, His Excellency Osama Bin Saleh Alalawi (Minister of Social Development), His Excellency Alastair Long (the British Ambassador to Bahrain) and ‘This is Bahrain’ chairperson, Betsy Mathieson.
Synod Meeting
Th Synod meetings are to include updates on Diocesan budgets and programmes, including Ministry training, the Ras Morbat Eye Clinic in Yemen, as well as feedback from special committees, including the Bishop’s Task Force and Constitutional Review Committee. There will also be a service at sea and talks on safe migration, celebrating interfaith tolerance and understanding and Creation Care.
The synod has invited Martha Jarvis, the Anglican Communion Special Representative to the United Nations, as a guest speaker. She will address the Synod about her experience of the United Nations and working with churches involved in national and community-level peace processes.
Martha Jarvis, Anglican Communion Special Representative to the United Nations, addresses the Jubilee Synod
Martha Jarvis said: ‘I am hugely looking forward to joining the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf for this Jubilee Synod,’ says Martha. ‘In many conversations at the UN, between political leaders and across our churches, we hear the cries of jubilee—the cries of pain in situations of injustice, and the cries of joy in situations of peace, health and new life. The Church has remarkable ways of amplifying these cries to point towards our ultimate freedom in Christ. It’s an honour to join Synod to explore further what that looks like in the years ahead in this region.’
About the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf
The Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf is the largest of the three dioceses of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. It's 12 times larger than the Diocese of Jerusalem, twice the size of the Diocese of Iran and is the 2nd largest Anglican diocese in the world after the Diocese of Europe. In terms of landmass, it covers half of the Middle East and is 15 times the size of the United Kingdom.
Read more about Bishop Sean Semple’s address at the Opening Service on 2 February
See the Diocese’s statement about the synod on Facebook.