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Bishop Don calls for special prayer for peace in Kenya
Over this past year I have had several opportunities to visit and minister in Kenya and have developed a deep affection for Kenya and Kenyans. It is heart-wrenching to see this country – previously one of the most politically stable in Africa – overtaken so quickly by turmoil and violence. Already hundreds have been slaughtered, many simply because they belong to the “wrong” tribe. An additional 250,000 have had to flee their homes.
Kenya is a country of 36 million people from 40 tribes. About 5 million, or 14% of the population, are Anglican Christians, coming from nearly all of Kenya’s tribal groups.
Today is the 1st Friday of the month, the Anglican Essentials Canada day of prayer. Please add Kenya to your prayer concerns today.
Specific items for prayer include:
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Because this conflict has a strong tribal component, pray in particular that Kenyan Anglicans will maintain their unity even as their tribes clash. |
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Pray particularly for Archbishop Nzimbi, Primate of the Church of Kenya, his bishops and clergy. They need wisdom as they seek to use their influence for peace and minister in the midst of fear and chaos. Archbishop Nzimbi and the House of Bishops have been unwaveringly supportive of biblically-faithful Anglicans in Canada. We can do no less than stand in spiritual solidarity with them in their time of need. |
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Pray for fruitful negotiations between the government and opposition leaders. |
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Pray that the port of Mombasa will reopen so Kenya and neighbouring countries do not suffer further economic chaos and hunger. |
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Pray for the safety and courage for our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout Kenya and especially for Bishop Timothy Range (Mount Kenya South) who is a personal friend and who lives in an area that is particularly ethnically sensitive and volatile. |
For further information, see a statement from Archbishop Nzimbi and the Church of Kenya House of Bishops and background on the Church of Kenya website
ARDF-Canada (ARDFC) update
Some members have been asking about a Network fund for providing financial assistance in developing countries. The good news is that the Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada (ARDF-Canada) is on its way. The bad news is that it likely won’t be operational until the end of the year. Network has been working for some time to create this charitable fund which will be allied with the ARDF operated by the Anglican Communion Network (in the US). Unfortunately, it is a slow process achieving charitable status with Revenue Canada – which we need to issue income tax deductible receipts. We’ll keep you informed. If you wish, you could start setting aside money now for the ARDFC, then send it in when the fund is operational and receive a receipt.
Clergy retreat, Feb 26-28, in the Vancouver-area
Please send in your registrations for the pastors’ retreat as soon as possible so we can plan appropriately. If you need more reason(s) to attend the clergy conference – or to send your minister – there will be a number of very worthwhile training opportunities and events in the Vancouver area immediately following the retreat.
March 1, Saturday – Training in understanding and handling the Word of God
This one-day training workshop will provide clergy and lay leaders with very practical tools to rightly handle and understand Bible passages. The training is based on Bishop Paul Barnett’s Bible toolkit and comes with the Rev. David Short’s strong recommendation. David and his team have found this toolkit of great practical help in providing a good framework for sermon and bible study preparation
| Trainer: |
The Rev Sean Love |
| Time: |
9am - 3pm |
| Location: |
St John’s (Shaughnessy), Trendell Lounge, 1490 Nanton Avenue, Vancouver |
| Cost: |
$25 |
| Preparation: |
a text will be provided in advance and some preparatory work is required |
| Register: |
by emailing Jan Hobbis, jan@stjohnsshaughnessy.org |
March 2, Sunday – Pacific Coast Anglican Awakening: First Steps service
Bishop Bill Murdoch, of the Anglican Province of Kenya and Anglican Communion Network Dean for New England, will preach at this Common Cause Partnership service. All Anglican clergy are invited to robe and con-celebrate at the Communion service. It will be held at Fraserview MB Church, 11295 Mellis Drive, Richmond, BC. For details and to RSVP email Zenia Cheng at zenia@acicanada.ca
March 3, Monday – Common Cause clergy gathering
Clergy are also invited to a Common Cause Partners gathering on Monday March 3rd from 10am to 3pm, also held at Fraserview MB Church. Bishop Bill Murdoch will take part in this as well. For details and to RSVP, email Zenia Cheng at zenia@acicanada.ca
Church Planting seminar, February 14-16
Then, in just two weeks, there’s a Church Planting seminar led by the Rev Tom Herrick. (Yes, it is in Vancouver, as well!)
News shorts - Canada
Bishop Don talks to David Virtue and gives a personal perspective on the recent events in the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Rev Dr J I Packer a wide ranging interview covering the current crisis in the Communion, GAFCON, Lambeth, interventions by Global South Provinces in North America and speculation about the future.
GAFCON update
GAFCON leadership recently issued a statement that implies the dates and venue for the conference are possibly in flux. The statement said, "We have heard that GAFCON has aroused considerable interest and enthusiasm. We would encourage those who are planning visits to the Holy Land to coincide with GAFCON to await the announcement of the venue and the exact start and finish dates before making final plans"
Dr Vinay Samuel, Director, Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life, has responded to Bishop Tom Wright’s criticism of GAFCON . Bishop Wright had claimed GAFCON was driven by the agenda of three Anglican leaders: Bishop Martyn Minns, Archbishop Peter Jensen and Canon Chris Sugden. Dr Samuel implies this accusation is simply racist, saying, “To see GAFCON primarily as a product of manipulation and power-play is an offence to those who lead Churches with millions of members faithful to the Christian faith and growing in the midst of the most difficult challenges in the world.”
Common Cause Partner update
AMiA Winter Conference in Texas was, by all reports, outstanding. We were well represented by the Rev Canon Charlie Masters and Bishop Don. In addition, Dr J I Packer (a Network member) delivered daily devotionals from the book of Nehemiah.
News shorts – USA and North America
The Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMIA) – a partner in Common Cause – just completed its winter conference in Dallas attended by 1700. AMiA (including its Canadian arm, Anglican Coalition in Canada or ACiC) has grown from 11 congregations in 2000 to 133 at the end of 2007 with 62 new church plants planned – and has expanded into Mexico, Columbia and Puerto Rico. The conference saw the unveiling of a contemporary English version of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
Dr Ephraim Radner has urged TEC to halt its offensive against orthodox bishops and, specifically, against Bishop Bob Duncan of Pittsburgh. He says in part, “…I would urge TEC and other Anglican bishops to pray for and take action so that this process pauses indefinitely. They should do this for the sake of genuinely seeking discernment and resolution as to the ordering of our common life as Anglicans. There is nothing that legally demands that the process be carried through at this point and in the manner now laid out. There is every Christian reason to work for some other outcome …”
The Episcopal Church’s focused efforts to rally support in San Joaquin for “Remain Episcopal” garnered a crowd of 350 people. Read two different versions of the event – the official TEC’s and the “rest of the story”.
Bishop Martyn Minns in an interview with David Virtue talks about CANA (Convocation of Anglicans in North America) and the TEC’s relentless lawsuits against 11 CANA churches in Virginia. CANA is a Common Cause Partner and under the jurisdiction of the Church of Nigerian.
TEC’s Diocese of Virginia is in financial straits according to the Washington Times . One of the reasons cited is that parishioners are afraid their giving will go towards the legal battle with 11 orthodox churches that have sought refuge in CANA and the Anglican Province of Nigeria. The Diocese is reported to have spent $2 million to date paying legal bills.
Twelve priests in the Diocese of Pittsburgh have declared their intention to remain in the Episcopal Church (TEC) even if the Diocese votes to leave the TEC. Their statement citing practical (financial?) reasons.
News shorts - International
The Anglican Covenant Design Group, chaired by the Archbishop of the West Indies, the Most Revd Drexel Gomez, is currently meeting in London, examining responses to the draft Covenant and preparing the next draft for consideration at the Lambeth Conference. The Anglican Church of Canada is represented on the group.
The Guardian reports that the Archbishop of York visited the Vatican to reassure the pope that all is well in the Communion. The article also indicates warm relations exist between the pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
A group of 21 Church of England bishops have written Global South Primates to urge them to attend Lambeth.
The Church of England’s general synod will consider a proposal on February 12 that will allow dioceses, in effect, to confiscate parsonages from parishes. Another private members’ motion receiving growing support calls for churches to make Bibles available to worshippers. Synod member Tim Cox is concerned that, while Bibles are readily available in prisons, hotels and hospitals, they are all too often absent in Anglican churches in England. A Telegraph article on this story says that, “In 1536, Henry VIII made it a legal requirement for an English version of the Bible to be placed in every church, and they proved so popular with the public that they often had to be chained to the pulpit.”
A little (dark) humour
Clergy members and those in parish leadership will particularly appreciate a Telegraph article by Church of England rector, the Rev Dr Peter Mullen. In Line-dancing for the Church of England, Dr Mullen describes the parish-level impacts of the “dumbing down” of Anglicanism over recent years as liberal forces have been reshaping the church in the image of western culture.
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