Ridsdale, Philip
Date of creation: 1972 to 2000
Extent: 12 boxes
CCCW Catalogue: RID
Keywords: Congo, Zaire, Uganda, Anglican Church, Province of Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire
Philip Ridsdale (1915-2000) graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1937. In 1938, he went to Uganda as a CMS lay helper. After service in World War II, he trained for the priesthood at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and returned to Africa in 1949 and worked in Bunyoro District and Ruwenzori Diocese until 1964 when he and his family returned to England. In 1971, Ridsdale returned to Africa, this time to Boga, Zaire, and was consecrated the first Anglican Bishop of Boga-Zaire in 1972. On his retirement in 1980, he had established new dioceses and overseen the creation of the Province of Rwanda, Burundi, and Zaire in the Anglican Communion. In the mid-1970s the Ridsdales had founded the Zaire (from 1997 Congo) Church Association and they continued to work actively for it in retirement.
This collection focuses on his ministry in Zaire, including correspondence, papers, and photographs related to theological education the Anglican Theological Institute in Bunia; the establishment of new dioceses in Bukavu, Boga-Zaire, Kindu, Kisangani, Shaba/Katanga, and Nord Kivu; and general papers related to Christianity in Zaire, including several theses by local churchmen. There is also significant insight into the political and security situation in Zaire with particular relevance to the impact of the wars on the church and its followers. The papers were microfilmed by Adam Mathew Ltd. in March 2006
Further resources:
- .pdf catalogue of this collection
- Papers of the Congo Church Association in the CCCW Archive
- Other papers of Philip Ridsdale, relating mainly to Diocese of Boga 1970s-90s were microfilmed for Yale University in 2001. A copy of the microfilm is in the CCCW collection.