Vicente Msosa
{{Short description|Mozambican Anglican bishop (born 1981)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Bishop
| honorific-prefix = The Most Reverend
| name = Vicente Msosa
| title = Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola
Bishop of Zambezia
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| church = Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola
| archdiocese =
| diocese = Zambezia
| see =
| term = 2025–present (as presiding bishop)
2021–present (as diocesan bishop)
| predecessor = See created
| successor =
| ordination = 2013
| ordinated_by =
| consecration = 25 February 2017
| consecrated_by = Thabo Makgoba
| rank =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|02|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Chuanga, Mozambique
| religion = Anglicanism
| death_date =
| death_place =
| spouse = Anastacia Msosa
| children = 3
| previous_post =
}}
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.
Early life, education and career
Msosa 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.[http://www.almalink.org/dioceses/dionia.htm Bishop Vicente Msosa Biography at ALMA Official Website]
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.{{cite news |last1=Conger |first1=George |title=Vincente Msosa elected archbishop of Mozambique and Angola |url=https://anglican.ink/2024/11/19/vincente-msosa-elected-archbishop-of-mozambique-and-angola/ |access-date=20 November 2024 |work=Anglican Ink |date=19 November 2024}} He was the priest at the São Paulo's Church in Lichinga when he was elected bishop.{{cite news |last1=Conger |first1=George |title=Church's youngest bishop installed in Mozambique |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409112805/http://www.anglican.ink/article/churchs-youngest-bishop-installed-mozambique |access-date=20 November 2024 |work=Anglican Ink |date=3 April 2017}}
Episcopacy
The 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.{{cite news |last1=Conger |first1=George |title=Church's youngest bishop installed in Mozambique |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409112805/http://www.anglican.ink/article/churchs-youngest-bishop-installed-mozambique |access-date=20 November 2024 |work=Anglican Ink |date=3 April 2017}} He was one of the two ACSA bishops to attend GAFCON III in Jerusalem in June 2018.[https://www.gafcon.org/news/gafcon-networks-mobilise-following-cyclone Gafcon networks mobilise following cyclone, GAFCON Official Website]
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. Msosa was installed as primate in January 2025 in Luanda.{{cite news |title=Installation of new Primate for the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola (IAMA) |url=https://anglicannews.org/news/2025/01/installation-of-new-primate-for-the-anglican-church-of-mozambique-and-angola-(iama).aspx |access-date=28 January 2025 |agency=Anglican Communion News Service |date=24 January 2025}} He has aligned IAMA with the Global South and the Global Anglican Future Conference. In addition to guest bishops from the Anglican Communion provinces of the Church of England and South Sudan, Gafcon General Secretary Paul Donison of the Anglican Church in North America and Miguel Uchôa of the Anglican Church in Brazil were also present.{{cite web |title=First fruits of the Anglican Church of Brazil partnership with the province of Mozambique and Angola |url=https://anglican.ink/2025/01/26/first-fruits-of-theanglican-church-of-brazil-partnership-with-the-province-of-mozambique-and-angola/ |publisher=Anglican.ink |access-date=28 January 2025 |date=26 January 2025}}
Personal life
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{S-rel|ac}}
{{S-bef|before=Carlos Matsinhe
acting}}
{{S-ttl|title=Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola|years=Since 2025}}
{{S-inc|rows=2}}
{{S-new}}
{{S-ttl|title=Bishop of Zambezia|years=Since 2021}}
{{S-bef|before=Mark van Koevering}}
{{S-ttl|title=Bishop of Niassa|years=2017–2021}}
{{S-aft|after=Lucas Mchema}}
{{S-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Msosa, Vicente}}
Category:Anglican bishops of Niassa