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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
World Mission
Sunday, March 6
Archbishop
Bob Duncan has asked ACNA churches to observe March 6 as World Mission Sunday. Bishop
Don, in a letter to ANiC clergy and
parishes, suggests that this provides all of us with an opportunity
to engage in global mission. He suggested that, on March 6, each congregation consider
including mission-focused prayers and testimonies in the worship service, as
well as taking a special offering for missions, including ARDFC, our global aid
organization.
Calling
all ANiC youth groups
The youth
groupfrom Faith Anglican Church (Embrun, Ontario) would like to connect
with other ANiC youth groups. Faith’s youth group leaders, conscious of the
challenges young people facedeveloping and living the Christian life, believe
that developing friendships and support cross youth groups will help their
young people in their walk with the Lord. They say, “We have eight youth
attending regularly – ranging in age from10to 16 years old. We are
looking for a youth group that would be interested in participating in an old
fashioned “pen pal” exchange. We are hoping that through the writing process the
young people will find friendship and support from other teens experiencing the
same challenges as themselves.”
If your
youth group would be interested in such an exchange, please contact: Cathie atFaith
Anglican Church at:youth@faithanglican.ca.
Clergy
and spouse event in Ontario
On the
morning of April 9, 10am to noon, there will be a “Quiet Morning” with Bishop Don Harvey
for ANiC clergy and spouses. This will take place at Inniswood Church,
460 Yonge Street, Barrie. (Easy access from Hwy 400.) A special service marking
the launch of Celebration Church will follow that afternoon. Please confirm
attendance by email to the Rev Brian McVitty at celebrationchurchbarrie@gmail.com.
Vancouver
conference: Challenges & Christian ministry in a permissive age
Bishop Stephen
Leung’s Asian Mission in Canada is organizing a conference on March 21-22. The conference – which will be held primarily at Regent College
in Vancouver, 21-22 March 2010 – will explore the theme: Discerning
contemporary culture: Challenges and Christian ministry in a permissive age. The
excellent line-up of speakers include: Dr Brian Stiller, the Rev Warren Lai,
the Rev Ken Shigematsu, the Rev Dr David Pao, Dr Toni Dolfo-Smith, Mr Daniel Komori
and Dr James Houston – and more. Registration now before the earlier bird
rate expires. Evening sessions at Good Shepherd (Vancouver) are free and open to
the public.
Regional
church planting conference great success
The Rev
Sean Love and Bishop Ron Ferris report that the first Plant and Grow regional
church planting conference in Victoria on February 19 drew 40 participants and
was very well received. You can listen to the
sessions online at the St John’s Richmond website. Please pray for
upcoming regional conferences, including one tomorrow (Saturday) in Langley, BC.
Ottawa
settlement gets dizzying spin from Diocese of New Westminster
The
settlement between the congregations of St George’s and St Alban’s and the Diocese
of Ottawa – which was a asset split – was misleadingly characterized
by the Diocese of Ottawa in its public statement as involving the sale of St George’s
building to the congregation. Now the Diocese of New
Westminster has spun that story further saying this agreement “acknowledged
the correctness of the BC Court ruling that Dioceses of the Anglican Church of Canada
have ultimate control over the use of parish properties and assets” because “the
Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) has agreed to purchase St George’s Anglican Church
from the Diocese of Ottawa… The nature of the settlement
acknowledges the fact that in the Anglican Church of Canada structure the diocese
controls parish properties and assets. Priests and laity can leave the diocese
but properties remain under the control of diocesan structures.” A more
accurate account of the Ottawa settlement is reported in the Christian Week.
Once the congregation has vacated, the Diocese of Ottawa plans to move a
drop-in centre, Centre 454, into the St Alban’s building. Neighbours, unhappy about
these plans, have been expressing their concerns to the leaders of St
Albans. In response, and to correct misconceptions, the leaders of St Alban’s
are providing the neighbours with the following clarification:
To our
neighbours,
Contrary
to some reports, St Alban's Church is not moving Centre 454 into its premises. The
Anglican Diocese of Ottawa is moving the Centre in to the building after the
current congregation has left.
By way
of background, the Pastor and Wardens of St Albans were personally sued by the Diocese
of Ottawa. As part of the negotiated settlement to drop the suit, we will
change our name and relinquish the building. The current congregation of St Albans
will become Church of the Messiah on July 1st and will continue to worship on Sunday
mornings at the Ottawa Little Theatre. On July 1st, the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa
will own the building and they will then move Centre 454 into the building. Unfortunately,
the lawsuit by the Dioceserequired us to move and we have no say in what
the Diocese does with the building once we have left. We are not part of the Anglican
Diocese of Ottawa.
The
proposed move of Centre 454 to the corner of King Edward and Daly raises
several issues.
The
issue is not whether the Centre should exist, but whether it should be placed
in this new location. As an initiative largely funded by the government and
partly administered by the Anglican Diocese, Centre 454 and its funding needs
should be addressed by the appropriate government bodies. If the Centre has to
move due to rent issues, this funding issue needs to be openly addressed before
the Centre moves to a new neighbourhood.
The
second issue pertains to the original purpose of the building. In its dispute
with the congregation of St Alban's, the Diocese of Ottawa maintained its claim
to legal ownership. The building, privately owned until 1877, was given in
trust to the Incumbent and Wardens to maintain the doctrine and worship of the Church
of England. A question may arise as to the terms of the original trust and its
purpose and how a drop-in centre fits, but this is something for the Diocese to
deal with as our congregation no longer has a say in such matters.
We will
continue to be your neighbours and we are committed to the flourishing of the
neighbourhood.
We wish
the Centre well in its quest for facilities.
The Pastor&
Wardens, St Alban's Church (Church of the Messiah), Anglican Network in Canada
You can
listen to a short, but
very good CBC interview with the Revs George Sinclair (St Alban’s)
and Paul Donison (St George’s, now St Peter & St Paul’s).
Diocese
of New Westminster asks court to award costs
The Vancouver Sun
reports that the Diocese of New Westminster has applied to the BC Court of Appeals, asking to be awarded court costs in its ongoing
legal dispute with four Vancouver-area ANiC congregations. The diocese is
apparently asking for $100,000 - $125,000, which is a fraction of its actual
costs.
Happenings
in our parishes
Celebration Church,
Barrie, ON – On Saturday, April 9, at 2pm, Bishop Don Harvey
will preside over the official launch of this new ANiC parish and the induction
of the Rev Brian McVitty as rector and the installation of the Very Rev Peter
Williams as honourary assistant. All are welcome! It will be held at: Inniswood Church, 460 Yonge Street, Barrie. (Easy access from Hwy 400.) Please
remember this event and this new parish in prayer.
All Saints Anglican Church (Rutland, VT), a mission of Holy Trinity (Marlborough, MA) reports and Bishop
Don Harvey confirmed seven parishioners and the reception of an eighth when he
and Archdeacon Michael McKinnon visited on January 23. As a surprise, All
Saints presented Bishop Don with a new hand-carved crosier (bishop’s staff)
made from Vermont white maple – which Bishop Don designated his “US”
crosier. [Corrected item from Feb 20th newsletter]
Have
you got our number?
When calling ANiC, most people use our toll-free
number, 1-866-351-2642. However, if you are in the following local calling
areas, you can also access the ANiC phone network by dialling a local number. By using the local number, you will help ANiC
save money. If you live in one of these
local calling areas, please make note of the number and try to use it when
calling ANiC. Thanks!
Vancouver-area 604-637-5671
Winnipeg
204-285-9899
Montreal
514-317-9895
St
John’s, NL 709-757-7140
Toronto / Mississauga 289-288-4138
Kitchener-Waterloo
519-772-7006
Ottawa/Kanata
613-287-5501
Calendar
of upcoming events – for your interest and prayer support
March
3-5 – Blackburn
Hamlet Church (Ottawa) – Healing the Whole Person seminar
March 5
– Langley, BC church
planting workshop
March
21-22 – Asian Mission
inaugural conference, Vancouver, BC
March
25-26 – Rekindling the Fire: Power in the Church Conference
March
25-27 – ACiC renewal mission in Vancouver
March 29-31 – ANiC’s 2011 clergy
retreat near Abbotsford, BC
April2–
Ottawa, ON church
planting workshop
April 6–
Burlington, ON church
planting workshop [Note new date]
April
9, 10am-noon – Barrie, ON – Quiet morning for clergy and spouses at
Celebration Church
April
9, 2pm – Barrie, ON – Official launch of Celebration Church
April
12-14 – Gospel Coalition conference,
Chicago, Illinois
April
30– Montreal, QC church
planting workshop
May 28–
Moncton, NB church
planting workshop [Note new date]
June
(TBD) – Marlborough, MA church
planting workshop
ANiC in
the news
Ottawa
Citizen – February 24 2011 – Conservative…
parishes formalize split from Ottawa diocese
On the front lines: Church plant and project
profile
Many
ANiC lay leaders, priests and even a bishop have taken up the Anglican1000
challenge to share the Gospel in new ways and focus on mission and church
planting. This exciting and sometimes overwhelming vision has spurred on ANiC
church planters – lay and ordained alike – to work hard as they trail
blaze, excited to see what the Lord will do. With every newsletter we hope to
offer a window into this ministry. This time we profile
St Paul in Stoney
Creek, ON
St Paul
Anglican Bible Church, Stoney Creek, ON
St Paul is an ANiC project in Stoney Creek, near Hamilton, Ontario. The people of St
Paul shared about the ups and downs of their journey in a St
George’s (Burlington) newsletter article. The folks at St Paul are
boldly and bravely learning as they go. They say they have received good
encouragement and instruction from a church planting coach and, this year, they
have decided to focus on a weekly Bible study, building up 25 to 50 people to
form a strong launch team. They write, “Most importantly, we have been reminded
over and over to listen to the Holy Spirit to hear what it is the Lord has for
us to do in our community.”
The
people of this project are committed to going out into their community to meet
neighbours, form friendships and minister to people “where they are”. They say, “As we listened to the hearts of those we met and learned of challenges or
hurts, we prayed for those individuals and sent them cards letting them know we
were praying. These cards have proven to be a real ministry and have opened
doors to deeper conversations and relationships.”
Speaking
of their door-to-door ministry during the Christmas season, they wrote: “It was
great fun to watch people's faces transform from suspicious to wonder to smiles
as they realized we weren't there to sell them anything, and that we'd like to
take them out for coffee just to get to know them. ...On our last afternoon of
deliveries, we met an older gentleman who said he wouldn't be having a merry
Christmas as his wife had had a stroke just the week before. We asked if we
could pray for him and his wife to which he was very receptive.”
The
people of St Paul’s ask for prayer, that “more opportunities to meet and talk
with our neighbours would be presented, that we would recognize them, and act
on them; and especially, that we each would indeed be a friend and allow the
Holy Spirit to work through us, not push our own agenda.”
News
– Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
Rekindling
the Fire: Power in the Church Conference, March 26, Akron, Ohio
“Rekindling
the Fire: Power in the Church” conference is set for March 25 - 26 at
St Luke's Anglican Church, Akron, Ohio. It will be hosted
by Bishops Roger Ames, David Anderson, and David Bena and is intended to
reignite ACNA churches with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to
rekindle a fresh fire for mission, to help us fall in love with Jesus all over
again, and to celebrate our faith together "along the Way. Topics will include:
• |
The Power to Serve: Tools in the Toolbox –
Bishop David and MaryAnne Anderson |
• |
The Power to Break Free:Generational Healing –
Bishop Roger and Gretsie Ames |
• |
The Power to Heal:Healing the Whole Person
– Bishop David and Mary Ellen Bena |
“The
Lord is still in charge of His church”
Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council writes of his
experiences visiting church leaders across the US. He tells of the
experiences of various congregations as they have responded to losses –
such as losing their buildings – by expanding their ministries to the community
and focusing more on missions. The report is encouraging and worth reading. He
concludes, “The lesson I take away from these
churches is that no matter what primates and the people who manipulate
Communion structures do, the Lord is still in charge of His church. Take heart
as you read the latest news or face difficulties in your own ministry because
that which is from God cannot be stopped by men.”
Another
congregation settles with TEC, agreeing to disaffiliate from ANCA
The
people of Church of Our Savior (Oatlands, Virginia) have settled with the Episcopal Church, relinquishing claim to the property, leasing back
the building, and disaffiliating from ACNA and their current diocese, the
Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America (CANA). For an interesting
background on the lawsuits in Virginia see an article entitled: “The Episcopal
Church wages jihad against eight Virginia churches”.
ACNA
member on Anglican Consultative Council’s Evangelism group
The Church of
England newspaper reports that the inclusion of Dr Julian Linnell, an
ACNA member, on the Anglican Consultative Council’s (ACC) Evangelism
and Church Growth Initiative has roused anger from some
“liberal” commentators. In response, a spokesman for the ACC said Dr Linnell
was included in the group because of his expertise “…as leader
of the Anglican Frontier Mission and his significant experience of evangelism
to unreached peoples” – not as a representative of ACNA and should not be
interpreted as formal recognition of ACNA.
ACNA
missionary partnerships forming
In a short American Anglican Council video, Canon
Daryl Fenton talks about his work building partnerships with Asian Anglican
Churches to address pressing needs and reach people who do not know the Savior.
He specifically talks about the work in the provinces of Myanmar and South East
Asia and partnerships forming between ACNA parishes and Asian dioceses and
deaneries.
More
ACNA news
Washington
Post – February 20 2011 – …parish in Va.
settles property dispute with Episcopalians
News
– Canada
Diocese
of Ontario elects a new bishop [correction]
The
Diocese of Ontario has elected the Rev Canon Michael Oulton to replace Bishop George Bruce on June 11. The Rev
Oulton, a Wycliffe graduate and current rector of Christ Church (Belleville), is
a trained lawyer who practiced law before going into the ministry.
Canadian
bishops travel to Tanzania to dialogue with African bishops
Ten
African bishops – from Sudan, Botswana, Malawi, Burundi, Ghana, Kenya,
Tanzania, South Africa – and nine western bishops – predominantly
Canadians – met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania last week. The six
participating Canadian bishops are all from theologically liberal dioceses:
Niagara, Ontario, Ottawa, Huron, New Westminster and Toronto. The two staff
members supporting the meeting were Canadian – including the Rev Canon Dr
Isaac Kawuki Mukasa, who is the ACoC’s “Coordinator for Dialogue”. Three of the
four observers at the meeting were from Trinity Church Wall Street –
possibly the wealthiest church in Anglicanism – while a fourth was from
the Episcopal Church. There was no public comment, however, on the distribution
of aid money.
The statement
from the meeting can be read on the Anglican Church of Canada
website. The ACoC’s statement on the meeting is here and the Anglican
Journal story is here.
Why was
All Saints closed?
In a letter to the
editor, the chair of a now closed Niagara Falls church steering
committee, recounts the history of the Diocese of Niagara’s efforts to close
down this orthodox, growing congregation in order to realize $480,000 from the
sale of the building and the take-over of parish trust funds.
News
– United States
Debate
rages within TEC over sweeping new power for Presiding Bishop
A new
canon slated to take effect this summer in the Episcopal Church provides
unprecedented power to the Presiding Bishop to intervene in diocesan affairs
– particularly in relation to clergy discipline – even over the
protests of the diocesan bishop. The Anglican Communion Institute has posted several
articles expressing alarm at this development. Canon expert A S Haley
also expressed
deep concerns about this method of giving metropolitan powers to the
Presiding Bishop.
News
– International
Canterbury
stands up to government pressure
The Telegraph
reports that “the Archbishop of
Canterbury has vowed to defend the Church’s traditional stance on marriage
against Government moves to introduce homosexual weddings in churches”.While he has not made the
comments publically, he is reported to have told members of parliament at a private meeting that “…the Church of England
would not bow to public pressure to allow its buildings to be used to conduct
same-sex civil partnerships”.
Prayers
for those in New Zealand affected by the earthquake
The Anglican
Journal reports that the devastating earthquake that struck Christchurch
on the south island of New Zealand on February 22 killed more than 160 people,
injured many more, and 200 people remain missing. A number of Anglican church
buildings including Christchurch Cathedral were severely damaged. Christians
have been in the forefront of ministering to those devastated by the
earthquake. Please continue to pray for those in Christchurch.
Our
primate Archbishop Bob Duncan sent ACNA members an urgent prayer
request on the day of the disaster. He wrote: “I hope you’ll join me in prayer for Bishop
Matthews and the clergy of the Diocese of Christchurch as they attend to the
needs of those who are suffering in the aftermath of this tragedy. Please also
pray for the families of those who were killed, for those who are missing and
injured, for aid workers, military personnel, government officials, and other
volunteers who are part of the rescue and relief efforts. We know that the Lord
can work in powerful ways, especially in the midst of crisis.
More information can be accessed
here:
Church of England Newspaper –
February 22 2011 – Christchurch
devastated by earthquake
Christian Century – February
25 2011 – …”shattered
churches, grieving parishioners”
Globe and Mail – February 24
2011 – NZ quake
leaves…bishop with respect for ‘Mother Nature’
Episcopal New Service –
February 23 2011 – …Anglicans
begin to pick up the pieces
West
Indies bishops call for family first values
The Church of England
Newspaper reports that the bishops of the West Indies are “calling
upon Caribbean Christians to come out of sinful relationships and immoral
practices and adopt an attitude that puts the family first.” In declaring the Year
of the Family, Archbishop John Holder said, “we can never over emphasise the
critical role the family plays in stabilising and enriching society.”
Around
the Communion and the globe
Egypt – Compass
Direct News reports that the Egyptian army attacked two Coptic
Orthodox monasteries on February 28, shooting a monk and six church workers.
Several attacks on churches are also reported. The Assyrian International News Agency
confirms the attacks.
Pakistan – The only Christian minister in the Pakistani government was murdered March 2 by cloaked Taliban assassins. Shahbaz Bhatti was reportedly killed
because of his opposition to Pakistan’s widely criticized “blasphemy law”. This
law is frequently used to unjustly persecute Christians and other minorities in
Pakistan. Mr Bhatti’s government portfolio was minister responsible for
minorities. He was in Canada only weeks ago, seeking Canadian help in dealing
with extremism in his country. The Anglican
Journal reports that this is the second assassination in less than
two months of a politician who opposed the blasphemy laws. In a recent short
interview posted to YouTube you can hear Mr Bhatti’s powerful
testimony and his declaration that he is ready to die for Christ and for
defending the marginalized and persecuted minorities of Pakistan.
Writing in Christian
Today, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali said he is “horrified” by the murder
of Mr Bhatti. He writes, “This is yet another instance of the
Talibanisation of the country… Extremists are now operating with impunity in
every part of the country. The constant teaching of hate in the text books, in
sermons and devotionals in radicalised mosques and madrassas and on the streets
is the background to this situation.”
Saying that only the armed forces
has the power to combat this extremism, but may not have the will, Bishop
Nazir-Ali concludes, “The way ahead must lie in revising text books, reforming
madrassas and regulating mosques so that people are not continually being
drip-fed with extremist ideology and the conflict it creates in cities, towns
and villages.”
Israel –
The Bishop of Jerusalem, The Rt Rev Suheil Dawani, has had his residency permit
to live in Jerusalem revoked by the Israeli Interior Ministry. He was reported to have been told last August that his visa would not be renewed because he “acted
in concert with the Palestinian Authority by fraudulently selling land owned by
Jews to Palestinians… falsely registering Jewish-owned land as land belonging
to the church”. Bishop Dawani denies the charges and is appealing the decision
in court. Another
report reveals that Dawani had been offered an alternative status –
a work permit – that would have allowed him to stay in Jerusalem, but he declined.
Zimbabwe – The
Zimbabwean reports that, Bishop Chad Gandiya, of the
Anglican Church in Harare, has appealed
for police protection, alleging that renegade former-bishop Nolbert Kunonga was
behind the murder of an 89-year-old female Anglican priest. The Zimbabwe
Independent reports that five Anglican bishops in the country have
received death threats from followers of Kunonga – a close ally of the
country’s long-time dictator, Robert Mugabe, who has been able to use his
political clout to enlist police in preventing Anglicans from using their
church property.
Central Africa – The
Anglican Province of Central Africa has elected the bishop of Northern Zambia, Albert Chama, as its new primate. Archbishop
Chama had been the acting dean of the province since Archbishop Bernard Malango
resigned four years ago. The province includes Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and
Malawi.
Laos – Compass
Direct News reports that 62 Christians were forced from their
village after refusing to renounce their faith and are now living in crude
shelters at the edge of the jungle, lacking food and water. Their homes and
livestock were confiscated.
Tanzania – The Church of
England Newspaper reports that the Primate of Tanzania, Valentino
Mokiwa, has accused multi-national mining firms of “despoiling the land and
disrupting the culture of Africa” and is urging African governments to “put the
needs of their people before tax revenues”. The Archbishop explained that “The
use of chemicals in the extraction process has terrible effects on the
environment, rivers are ruined, people are dying… but they claim to be working
with the community, building clinics and schools… Yes they do build schools and
clinics but they are substandard, unlike the ones they build for their own
employees.”
Other
international headlines
Church
of England Newspaper – February 25, 2011 – Middle East
approves women priests
Church
of England Newspaper – February 25, 2011 – Fears for
Christians in North Africa
Church
of England Newspaper – February 25, 2011 – ‘Return to
tradition’ is watchword for…bishop
Church
of England Newspaper – March 4, 2011 – Indian Synod
rejects bishops plea for… power
Soul
food
Just for fun
Jock, a
Scottish painter, was very interested in making a pound where he could. So he
often would thin down his paint to make it go a wee bit further and for the
most part, he got away it.
Eventually
the local Presbyterian Church decided to do a big restoration job. Jack bid on
the painting job and got it. And so he set to, with a right good will, erecting
the trestles and putting up the planks, and buying the paint and... yes, I am
sorry to say, thinning it down with the turpentine.
Well,
Jock was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly done, when
suddenly there was a horrendous clap of thunder. The sky opened and the rain
poured down, washing the thin paint from all over the church… and knocking Jock
fair off the scaffold to land on the lawn.
Now,
Jack was no fool. He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty, so he fell on
his knees and cried, "Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?"
And
from the thunder, a mighty Voice spoke, "Repaint! Repaint! And thin no
more!"
Evolving
moral values
LifeSiteNews
reports that parliamentarians were told recently in expert testimony
by a psychologist that pedophilia is a “sexual orientation” comparable to
homosexuality or heterosexuality and that this orientation cannot be changed.
Dr
Albert Mohler provides an
insightful article exposing three key ideas that shape the modern
mind, paving the way for our evolving moral standards to the point of accepting
same-sex marriage – and perhaps one day soon, pedophilia – as rational
and progressive.
With
the traditional understanding of marriage under attack in Britain, Andrew Carey
asks in a Church of
England Newspaper article, “How has it happened so quickly? Only a
decade ago it could not even have been envisaged that the ground would shift so
far.” He concludes, “The Church must argue passionately and compassionately for
the ideal of marriage. It is good for the whole of society.”
In
another Church of
England Newspaper article, the Rev Canon Dr Chris Sugden says the
traditional definition of marriage is worth upholding despite the capitulation
of governments to antagonistic and intolerant moral agendas.
Chuck
Colson, in his regular Break Point
commentary, discusses tactics used to marginalize and dismiss traditional
conservative views in the “gay marriage” debate – tactics such as
demonization. He concludes: “So-called
gay-marriage is a legitimate moral and political topic for debate – for
civil debate, that is. And name-calling, demonization, and intimidation are
nothing but attempts to shut off the debate and to shout down the opposition. Democracy
isn’t supposed to work that way. Now let me be plain. Should marriage be
reserved for one man and one woman? Yes. Is saying so publicly an act of hate?
No. Will I and hundreds of thousands of others continue to press the point and
to defend traditional marriage? Yes, we will. And as God gives us the strength,
we will not be cowed into silence, which is exactly what the other side is
trying to do.”…
Commenting on a breath-taking decision by two British judges that ruled a Christian couple
were unfit to be foster parents simply because of their traditional views on
homosexuality, The Spectator’s Melanie Phillips, calls the ruling “illiberal
and intolerant”. She notes that the judges said “…there was no place in law for
Christian beliefs – that Britain was a ‘largely secular’, multi-cultural
country in which the laws of the realm ‘do not include Christianity’.” Her
conclusion is that “The atheist inquisition is in full swing. And western
liberal society takes another step towards the edge of the cultural cliff
– pushed towards the drop by the English judiciary.”
Chronicling
the racist agenda of Planned Parent-hood
The website Blood
Money presents overwhelming evidence of a racist agenda fueling
Planned Parent-hood the foremost abortion provider in the US. In addition to
documented historical evidence, they cite the following statistics:
“According
to the Guttmacher Institute, black
women are 5 times more likely than white women to have an abortion.
Since Roe v Wade, 10% of the white race has been wiped out, but 28% of the
black race has been wiped out. The black community makes up only 12% of the
American population, but they have 36% of all the abortions–so black babies are dying more than 3x as fast! By 2008, close to 14,000,000 black babies have been killed by abortion.”
Of
interest
Families
with younger children might appreciate the Lenten Cross readings and
activities recommended by the Lent and Beyond prayer blog.
Two articles in the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada’s Church and Faith Trends examine the “renewal
movement” within the United Church of Canada – a mainline denomination
that led the way in liberalization. The author, Kevin Flatt, concludes: “The biggest challenge to the continued
survival of the renewal movement… will come from the rapid decline of the
United Church… If the relatively linear trends of the last two decades are
projected forward, it appears that Sunday school enrollment will hit zero about
ten years from now, with attendance at Sunday worship drying up about ten years
after that… [A]t that time, the question facing Evangelicals and other
conservatives who remain committed to the United Church will no longer be how
to survive in their denomination, but how to survive and thrive after its
collapse.”
Thought
Only
one life, ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last – C
T Studd
Please pray...
For our
bishops and clergy and their families
For ANiC
projects, church plants and parishes, and for their proclamation of the Good
News to those in their communities who desperately need new life in Christ
For
Celebration Church (Barrie, ON) and the official launch on April 9
For St
Paul Anglican Church (Stoney Creek, ON) and their efforts to connect with
people in the community
For the four Vancouver-area ANiC parishes and their legal counsel as they await the
decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on their application for leave to
appeal
For other ongoing legal challenges faced by ANiC parishes, including the
ongoing litigation involving St Aidan’s (Windsor) and the ANiC parishes that
were formerly in the Diocese of Niagara – and their mounting expenses
For all the congregations involved in court proceedings and disputes. Pray
for a continued focus on, and blessing upon, their ministry in the midst of
this turmoil. Pray for peace for the wardens and trustees who are on the front
lines and bear the burden of risk and responsibility
For the leaders and parishioners of the ACoC dioceses pursuing eviction
of and legal costs against ANiC congregations and wardens
For donations to the ANiC legal defense fund which supports
parishes in disputes with their former dioceses
For the implementation by the Diocese of Maseno West (Kenya) of the malaria prevention project,
sponsored by the ARDFC. May God use it to bless Kenyans and bring many into
relationship with Christ
For persecuted Christians, especially in Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia and
other Muslim lands
For the
Sudan and the peaceful implementation of independence for the South.
For the
people of Christchurch, New Zealand. May they turn to God and find comfort and
hope
For repentance and revival in our hearts and in our nation, for a hunger
for God and His Word
For all those in positions of leadership and influence in the Anglican
Communion, that they would seek to honour and obey God above all else
For the GAFCON and Global South Primates of the Anglican Communion as
they plan for meetings of orthodox Anglican leaders
And now
a word from our sponsor
God is
our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be
moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the
mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There
is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the
Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when
morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is
our fortress. Selah
Come,
behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought
desolations on the earth.
He
makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the
spear; he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be
still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be
exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our
fortress.
Psalm 46 ESV
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