By Kirk Petersen
The Most Rev. Jonathan Hart, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of West Africa, suffered a serious stroke on February 13, it was announced the following morning at the regular meeting of the Executive Council.
The Rev. Chuck Robertson, canon to the presiding bishop for ministry beyond the Episcopal Church, told the council that Hart cannot walk, but his speech is not impaired and he is alert. Robertson’s role makes him responsible for the Church’s international relations.
Robertson said the 67-year-old primate’s daughter Victoria “would be grateful for our prayers,” and the council prayed for Hart’s recovery and the well-being of those around him.
The Church of the Province of West Africa includes approximately a million members in eight countries: Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Hart became Bishop of Liberia in 2008, and continues to have that role since being named primate in March 2019.
Kirk Petersen began reporting news for TLC as a freelancer in 2016, and was Associate Editor from 2019 to 2024, focusing especially on matters of governance in the Episcopal Church.
