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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
Welcome Erica!
We are delighted to introduce Erica Cantelon who is joining ANiC staff part-time to help with ANiC communication. A professional journalist, Erica is married to the Rev Jess Cantelon, an ANiC deacon, and is the busy mother of three young children. She and Jess are currently based in Israel where Jess works with Christ Church Jerusalem. We will benefit from Erica’s unique perspective and insight into global Anglican news as she helps compile the newsletter.
Bishop Don on AnglicanTV
Kevin Kallsen of AnglicanTV has posted a fascinating interview with Bishop Donald Harvey, ANiC’s moderator and new dean of our province, the Anglican Church in North America. He talks about being dean, the conference, “New Wineskins” he was attending at the time, his reaction as an Anglo-Catholic to the pope’s offer to alienated Anglicans, the sacrifice of clergy who move to ACNA, momentous recent events in the Anglican Communion, the status of legal action in Canada. He talks about ANiC’s growth in Canada despite the persecution experienced, but adds, “Up to this point, we have never once gone in recruiting or proselytizing [although] sometimes we are criticized for not doing that.” He also says it is his view that the era we are going through will be seen in the future as a reformation of the same magnitude as that in the 1500s.
Legal update
On April 20, the ANiC Vancouver parishes’ lawyers are having a “Case Management Conference” with the Chief Justice of BC and the lawyers for the Diocese of New Westminster to sort out procedural matters in respect of the appeal.
ANiC parish and project news
ANNOUNCING… Good Shepherd Richmond (BC) – Good Shepherd (Vancouver) and St John’s Richmond are working together to launch a new church plant. It’s first Sunday service is on May 2 and on May 16 Bishop Don will officiate at the dedication. The new church will meet at 120-6751 Westminster Highway, Richmond. Please pray for God’s blessing on this forming congregation.
St John’s (Vancouver, BC) – Aaron Roberts and Keith Ganzer will be ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Donald Harvey on Sunday, April 25 at 3pm at First Baptist Church (corner of Burrard and Nelson Streets in downtown Vancouver). Please pray for them as they prepare for ordination.
Good Shepherd (Vancouver, BC) will hold a fundraising concert, From Thy Bounty 2010, on Saturday, April 24 at 7:30pm. Concert proceeds will go to help Karen refugees in the Myanmar (Burma)/Thailand border region. The program will feature sacred/secular choral music, art/folk songs and violin/piano duets. Admission is free and freewill donations are welcome. Tickets are available by calling the church at 604.872.1884.
Toronto Centre project has developed into a community of about 20 with a strong core group. They have a good relationship with Yonge Street Mission where they have served several times. Please pray for them as they look for: a venue in which to hold weekly evening services, a worship leader, and a pastor. For more information, email Claus Lenk or call (416) 445-0880 ext 102.
Welcoming a new clergy member
The Rev Dr Alistair Petrie, of Partnership Ministries and a retired priest from the Diocese of British Columbia, has joined ANiC. Partnership Ministries “is an enabling and servant ministry to the wider church, local, national and international, offering programs in spiritual warfare, community diagnostics, intercessory prayer, healing and reconciliation in Christ.”
Bishop Charlie offers a warning
Speaking to an interdenominational clergy conference in the Vancouver area in early April, Bishop Charlie Masters, ANiC’s national director, recounted his personal journey and, through it, the stories of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) and the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC). In telling how the ACoC slipped into increasing error to the point he and many like him were forced to leave, Bishop Charlie provided a warning that error could happen in any church and any denomination if faithful people are not vigilant and engaged in the battle.
He outlined eight characteristics that make a church vulnerable:
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Parishioners are not Biblically literate |
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Ministry is left to the “professionals” |
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There is insufficient emphasis on rebirth |
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The “faithful” fail to engage the battle at the point where the culture is confronting the Church |
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The language of the Church is co-opted and the meaning subtly changed so theological shifts are cloaked in traditional “religious” language |
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The faithful are so busy with church-related activities they fail to do the most important task – preaching the gospel |
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The faithful, willfully or innocently, misunderstand the Biblical teaching on unity, so that, instead of the Biblical teaching of unity within the bounds of gospel truth, the focus becomes unity at all costs… “Just get along” |
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The faithful love to proclaim the gospel, refuse to defend it |
Since the theme of the conference, held at Willingdon Church, in Burnaby BC, was “Suffering for the Gospel”, Bishop Charlie, then explained the types of suffering experienced by clergy and parishioners who had come out of the ACoC to join ANiC. While acknowledging that this suffering was entirely different from that experienced today by Christians in Muslim, Hindu and communist countries, he mentioned several types of suffering that had been experienced by ANiC clergy:
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The weight of concern for parishioners, and the fear that their successor could be a “wolf” who would lead the flock away from the God’s truth |
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The impact of instability on families of clergy |
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The palpable shunning and shame even by colleagues and former friends |
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The legal battles in which the ACoC has even sued individuals – clergy and lay leaders |
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The financial impact in terms of reduced pensions and lost income |
Calendar of upcoming events – for your interest and prayer support
April 17-24 –Church of the Good Samaritan (St John’s, NL) mission to Guatemala
April 19-22 – Fourth Global South Anglican Encounter (GSE4) in Singapore, Malaysia
April 20 – ANiC Board meeting in Toronto
April 21 – ARDFC Board meeting in Toronto
April 24, 7:30pm – Good Shepherd (Vancouver) fundraising concert for Karen refugees
April 25, 3pm – St John’s Vancouver ordinations at First Baptist (Burrard & Nelson, Vancouver)
May 2, 2:30pm - St John Sudanese (Surrey, BC) baptism & confirmation service (Please note date correction!)
May 8, 9am-5pm – St George’s (Burlington) women’s conference: “Disciples making disciples”
May 14, 7pm – Church of the Ascension (Langley) banquet celebrating parish’s 1st anniversary
May 16 – Good Shepherd (Vancouver, BC) – Confirmation service
May 23 – St Stephen the Martyr (St John’s, NL) – Ordination of Marilyn Flower to the diaconate
June 3-11 – Anglican Church of Canada General Synod, Halifax, NS
June 7 - 11 – ACNA House of Bishops, Provincial Executive and Council meet in Amesbury, MA
Nov 3 – Clergy day, Ottawa, ON
Nov 4-6 – ANiC synod with Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali, Ottawa, ON
News shorts – Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
ACNA announces gain of over 100 congregations in nine months
A news release from ACNA announces, “New Anglican congregations are springing up all over North America. Since [ACNA’s] founding in June of 2009 with 703 congregations, an additional 106 new churches have either joined or have been planted by the Anglican Church, bringing the church’s total number of congregations to 809. “When we began in June of 2009, I issued a challenge that we plant 1,000 new churches in the five years of my service as your Archbishop. It is wonderful to see how much progress has already been made,” said Archbishop Robert Duncan.”
Archbishop Duncan to go to Global South gathering
The April 16th American Anglican Council newsletter reports that the four official ACNA representatives at this week’s Global South Anglican Encounter (April 19-23) in Singapore are: Archbishop Robert Duncan, Bishop John Guernsey, Mr Hugo Blankingship and the Rev Phil Ashey. The Rev Ashey writes, “Please keep each of us in your prayers as we seek to build bridges with our friends in the Global South…” He also asks for prayer for the Global South leaders and representatives, specifically for unity and “that they may not be seduced by the blandishments of endless communion processes or by the empty promises of ‘gracious restraint’ and ‘mutual affection’. Pray that they may reaffirm the role of the Primates in dealing with the current doctrinal and disciplinary disorder in the Anglican Communion, precipitated and aggravated by The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada.”
Ministries support evangelism, church planting, congregational development
The American Anglican Council (AAC) is focusing on key initiatives that promote evangelism, church growth and spiritual development.
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“Sharing our faith” conference – The first of these conferences will be held, April 30 - May 1 in Loganville, Georgia. Topics to be covered include: Motivating your church for evangelism, Integrating new believers into the church, and One-on-one evangelism. The AAC newsletter indicates that this and similar conferences are intended to help draw together ACNA churches in a region with the long-term objective of helping form regionally-based dioceses.
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Building congregations that thrive: Sure foundations for congregational development is an initiative that will be rolled out in the fall, designed to help a cluster of congregations with evangelism, discipleship and mission. Each congregation will be required to develop a strategic plan which includes four "benchmarks":
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plant a new church |
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establish a local evangelistic community-transforming outreach ministry |
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partner with a Global South Anglican diocese for ongoing, short term missions |
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develop a discipleship process that “will lead inquirers to become fully devoted and reproducing followers of Jesus Christ”. |
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Clergy leadership training institute (CLTI), coming in February 2011, designed to “provide clergy with ongoing formation of leadership skills for mission, good governance, conflict resolution, congregational planning and development within and for the local church” as well as “pastoral care, peer support and continuing education through regional small groups and individual coaching.” The AAC announced in its newsletter that “Each regional CLTI will have three sessions, one every year for three years. Regional small groups will meet in between sessions. Our first session will be on "The Personal Life of the Leader…" |
Anglican 1000 church planting conference video now available
Video of a number of Anglican 1000 sessions is now posted to AnglicanTV, including: Archbishop Bob Duncan, Bishop Doc Loomis on “Planting from the ground up”, the Rev David Roseberry on “The way to go forward”, a seminary panel, Q&A sessions, the Rev Beasley on “Look up and step out”, keynote speaker Ed Stetzer on “If I were an Anglican” and “the harvest, the field and the worker”, two Bible teaching sessions by ANiC’s the Rev Jim Salladin, and ANiC’s the Rev Ray David Glenn on “Isaiah and the St George’s story”. Anglican 1000 is an initiative of our province, the Anglican Church in North America, to plant 1000 churches in five years.
ACNA in the news
Christian Post – April 17 2010 – Breakaway Anglican flock adds over 100 churches
News shorts – Canada
New Bishop elected for Diocese of Moosonee
The Anglican Journal reports Archdeacon Tom Corston is bishop-elect for the Diocese of Moosonee in northern Ontario. He says he is “fully aware of the problems, the concerns, the fears as well as the hopes and the riches of the church in the north.”
Anglican Church of Canada announces corporate sponsorship program
Sponsors are being sought for the Anglican Church of Canada’s (ACoC) upcoming general synod in Halifax at St Mary’s University, June 3-11. Sponsorship materials are available online. For a sponsorship of $30,000, the sponsor will receive passports for two to general synod, including all meals, a display booth, ad space in delegate materials, visibility through signage and advertising at the event, and a private luncheon with the Primate Archbishop Fred Hiltz. Other levels of sponsorship are also available.
Independent Anglicans in danger of losing facility
The Anglican Samizdat reports a small independent Anglican congregation in Hepworth, Ontario may lose the old church building in which they are meeting. The church building which is more than a century old now serves as a community centre, but is in danger of being demolished or sold due to the cost of repairs. The small congregation hopes to raise money to help finance the repairs.
Diocese of Montréal affirms the burka
The Montreal Gazette reports the Anglican diocese of Montreal has stood in support of the burka. “In a statement approved Monday night by local clergy and Bishop Barry Clarke, the diocese said [a proposed] bill erodes freedom of religion guaranteed under the Quebec and Canadian human-rights charters.”
News shorts – United States
Legal update
The court hearing involving nine ACNA churches and TEC’s Diocese of Virginia was heard this past week. You can find notes on the oral arguments here. A Washington Times report provides a glimpse into the arguments and counter-arguments of both sides, especially on the question of whether there has been a split in Anglicanism. This case has the potential to influence judgments in other states. Please pray for God to be glorified in the outcome.
TEC appoints liaison to focus on relationship-building with African dioceses
EpiscopalLife Online announces that the Rev Canon Petero Sabune has been named Africa partnership officer, serving as liaison for TEC with its partners in Africa. Although born in Uganda, he was ordained and has served in TEC.
Additional US news
Salt Lake Tribune – April 10 2010 – Utah’s next bishop could be gay priest
EpiscopalLIfe Online – April 13 2010 – Southern Ohio: Same-gender couples receive church’s blessing
News shorts – International
Growing demand for overhaul of Communion structures & discipline of ACoC & TEC
Following hard on the heels of Archbishop Henry Orombi’s letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of the Indian Ocean, Archbishop Ian Ernest, has written an open letter supporting the key points in Archbishop Orombi’s letters. He notes that there can no longer be any pretext of “gracious restraint” and speaks of the “disrespectful and high handed manner in which the TEC continues to dismiss the concerns of the rest of the Communion and to undermine the decisions taken by the Primates”. He says, “…it is now abundantly clear to me and to my people that the Episcopal Church has no intention of honouring any of the commitments it has made… [and is] hell bent on a course that is in radical disobedience to the counsels of God in Holy Scripture”.
Archbishop Ernest, who is also chair of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, then says, “Consequently, I feel constrained by my conscience to uphold my duty as shepherd of the flock and to forthwith suspend all communication both verbal and sacramental with both the TEC and the ACC – their Primates, bishops and clergy until such time as they reverse their theological innovations, and show a commitment to abide by the decisions of the Lambeth Conference. This suspension of communion would not include those bishops and clergy who have distanced themselves from the direction of the TEC (such as the Communion Partners group).”
Archbishop Ernest concludes by expressing his full support of the letters and actions taken by Archbishop Orombi and Archbishop Mouneer Anis and calling for “…an overhaul of the structures of the Communion to bring them into line with the changed demographics which are the reality of our church today. If over 80% of Anglicans live in the global south, why is this not reflected in communion structures?” He, like Archbishop Orombi says he will only attend future Primates meeting if the Primates control the agenda, and “on condition that the Primates of TEC and the ACC are not present”.
VirtueOnline provides a good overview of the growing momentum for reform in the Communion.
The term “gracious restraint” has become increasingly common when referring to the “moratoria” called for by the Primates in regard to same-sex blessings and the ordination of partnered homosexual bishops. In recent, documents, a number of Primates have noted that the evidence demonstrated the Episcopal Church refused to exercise “gracious restraint”.
Dr Stephen Noll discusses the Covenant and Anglican Communion polity
In an AnglicanTV interview, theologian Dr Stephen Noll, vice chancellor of Uganda Christian University discusses the current crisis in the Anglican Communion and the proposed Covenant. He says the Covenant is an attempt to assist in the reformation of the Communion and has been in process for 3-4 years. A long-time supporter of the Covenant, Dr Noll expressed the hope that there will be a common agreement to revise the most egregious problems with the current draft, known as the “Ridley Draft”, specifically:
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Restore the Primates to their proper role in overseeing the Covenant, rather than the newly announced “standing committee” which has no legitimacy. |
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Eliminate the concept of a “two-track” Communion. “Unfortunately, we have two different religions headed in different directions.” A revised draft should define “who is in, and who is not in...it should bind people to the authority of scripture.” |
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Make the Covenant binding, with clear discipline of erring Provinces. |
Other interesting points Dr Noll made include:
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The Anglican Communion is “more or less universally acknowledged” to be weak in constitutional polity. The Covenant would be an attempt to correct that. In the meantime, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion bureaucracy have “stepped into the vacuum and have taken over power which is not theirs by right… and have actually caused some of the problems we’re facing in the Communion.” |
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“No governance structure is going to solve the problem of human sin and human corruption”. |
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“It is impossible for a communion to hold together” in light of current circumstances. |
Please continue to pray for Global South meeting, April 19-23
As the 4th Global South Encounter convenes at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Singapore, please pray for God’s hand upon all who attend. The Global South has posted a prayer guide with specific praise and prayer items for each province. A prayer posted on the “Lent & Beyond” prayer blog asks God to “prepare all who convene in Your Holy Name in Singapore. Please cut and expose all entanglements and influences of unscriptural agendas and make them completely pure instruments of Your will.”
Baroness Cox confronts growth of Islam
Baroness Caroline Cox, a member of the House of Lords and an evangelical Anglican, spoke recently on what she sees as the growing threat of Islam, particularly in Britain, to over 800 international archbishops, bishops, clergy and laity gathered at last week’s New Wineskins Conference in North Carolina. According to VirtueOnline she said, "There is an urgent need for Christians to wake up and to think strategically. Remember the price the martyrs paid. Islam is thinking strategically, we must do so without compromising our democratic principles. We must say NO to Sharia Law. We must say NO to Sharia financing and banking laws and to encourage Christians to invest for mission. Christians must regain a holistic mission sense.”
Scandal in the Roman Catholic Church
Father Raymond De Souza responds in the National Post to excessive media attacks and outright lies in the sexual abuse scandal engulfing the Roman Catholic Church. An editorial in the Church of England Newspaper agrees, saying “The avalanche of criticism of the Roman Catholic Church over child-sex abuse and cover-ups is now reaching indecent proportions, especially in the reportage of The Times. There is a sad history of anti-catholicism in countries like Britain and some shrill reporting is getting dangerously close to unpleasant prejudice rather than fearless exposure of the truth… The fact is that sexual abuse occurs within all the churches and outside them as well.”
The National Post also reports that “The Vatican’s second-in-command says the pedophilia scandal rocking the Roman Catholic Church can be blamed mainly on homosexuals in the priesthood, remarks that have outraged gay rights groups and rekindled criticism over the Church’s history with homosexuality.”
Despite the outrage and the back-tracking at the Vatican, a Catholic News Agency (CNA) article claims the evidence supports the original assertion. They quote a US psychiatrist, Dr Richard Fitzgibbons, who has treated priests involved in pedophilia. Dr Fitzgibbons says the linkage between “homosexuality and sexual abuse of children” is “supported completely by the John Jay study report and by clinical experience,” Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons told CNA. “In fact, every priest whom I treated who was involved with children sexually had previously been involved in adult homosexual relationships. Fitzgibbons, who has been the director of Comprehensive Counseling Center in West Conshohocken, Penn. since 1988, has worked extensively with individuals suffering from same sex attraction (SSA) and priests accused of pedophilia.”
News in brief from around the world and the Communion
The Congo – The Anglican Communion News Service reports that Bishop Sylvestre Bahati (Diocese of Bukavu) was the target of a recent assassination attempt, but escaped by paying an undisclosed sum of money. The report states that "civil war and ethnic strife in the Congo has claimed four million lives since 1994 and is widely recognized as the bloodiest conflict since World War II…Today, a lack of resources in the Congo prevents the Anglican province from being financially independent and self-supporting, and many of the church's clergy and bishops survive without a salary." ACNA’s US-based Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) has worked closely with Bishop Bahati on development projects in his diocese. Please pray for Bishop Bhati, his diocese and the people who suffer from the lawlessness in the Congo.
Sudan – The now concluded elections in the Sudan seem to have been peaceful but AllAfrica reports numerous irregularities and violations “so serious and widespread that the elections cannot be considered free and fair”.
Iran – The Church Times reports that a bomb exploded, once again, near Baghdad’s St Georges Anglican Church on Easter morning causing “severe” damage.
Nigeria – The Church of England Newspaper reports that there are calls for an investigation into the role of the Army in the recent massacres in the Jos area of Nigeria. There are concerns that there may have been collusion between the military in the area and Muslim forces that ambushed and slaughtered hundreds of Christians while they slept in their villages.
Zimbabwe – The Church of England Newspaper reports that on Easter Sunday the ousted and discredited former Bishop of Harare Dr Nolbert Kunonga “…led services for 100 worshippers under heavy police guard at St Mary’s and All Saints Cathedral, while outside the cathedral over 1000 Anglicans loyal to current bishop Chad Gandiya celebrated Easter.” Dr Kunonga, a supporter of dictator Robert Mugabe, has had the backing of local police as he continues to defy court orders to share the church buildings with the current bishop and his parishioners.
Chile – Youth from Anglican churches in Santiago have been clearing rubble and holding children’s programs in the devastated village of Putu where the earthquake had destroyed the adobe brick houses. Photos are posted on the Anglican Mainstream website.
England – The Telegraph reports that Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, is actively supporting Christians who have lost their jobs and faced legal discrimination because of their religious beliefs. These Christians are taking a stand because recent court rulings in Britain mean that “the right to express the Christian faith must take second place” to others’ perceived right. They ask that judges who have demonstrated prejudice against Christianity stand down from cases involving matters of religion.
Jerusalem – The Church of England Newspaper reports that the Primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East has written the former bishop of Jerusalem, Bishop Riah Abu al-Assal, demanding he “…return £1 million to the diocese, or explain why he is entitled to keep the money.” Bishop Anis called the matter a “scandal” and suggested the matter may have to go to the secular courts.
Jerusalem – Patriarchs and leaders of churches in the Holy Land, including Anglican bishop, the Rt Rev Suheil Dewani, joined together to issue a letter in which they speak of “the power of the “principalities and powers” of this world which promote agendas of division and oppression to bring harm to God’s people…” This letter is noteworthy because of the historic animosity between many of the signatories and because it follows so closely the recent visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy Land where he was warmly received by those leaders and patriarchs.
International media coverage
Living Church – April 13 2010 – Two Archbishops express dismay
This Day – April 15 2010 – New Anglican Primate for Nigeria
Church Times – April 16 2010 – Anglicanism has lost its integrity, conservatives say
Church of England Newspaper – April 9 2010 – Dr Williams’ comments ignorant and unhelpful, Irish Anglicans claim
Church of England – April 9 2010 – Irish warning to Episcopal Church over Glasspool election
Nigerian Best Forum – April 18 2010 – My greatest Challenge as…Primate (Archbishop Akinola)
Soul food
God’s created order marred by sin
Promoting sexuality in schools – CitizenLink reports that a Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) campaign to promote an annual “Day of Silence” in schools has prompted Exodus International to respond with a “Day of Truth” campaign. The Day of Truth is designed to promote a “respectful dialogue among students on the issue of homosexuality”. Focus on the Family’s education analyst Candi Cushman says the “Day of Silence” and the GLSEN materials distributed to educators are designed to turn “kids into political lobbyists for GLSEN's adult-driven agenda”. She says, “We agree that every student should be protected from bullying and harassment and that no student should be hurt or ridiculed, no matter who they are or what they believe. But parents need to be aware that the Day of Silence unnecessarily politicizes and sexualizes the school environment, paving the way for classroom lessons that advocate and normalize things like same-sex marriage and cross-dressing."
Youth sexuality – A news release from the American College of Pediatricians “cautions educators about the management of students experiencing same-sex attraction or exhibiting symptoms of gender confusion… Dr. Den Trumbull, vice president of the College explains “We are increasingly concerned that in too many instances, misinformation or incorrect assumptions are guiding well-intentioned educators to adopt policies that are actually harmful to those youth dealing with sexual confusion.” The College reminds school superintendents that it is not uncommon for adolescents to experience transient confusion about their sexual orientation and that most students will ultimately adopt a heterosexual orientation if not otherwise encouraged. For this reason, schools should not seek to develop policy which "affirms" or encourages these non-heterosexual attractions among students who may merely be experimenting or experiencing temporary sexual confusion. Such premature labeling can lead some adolescents to engage in homosexual behaviors that carry serious physical and mental health risks. There is no scientific evidence that anyone is born gay or transgendered. Therefore, the College further advises that schools should not teach or imply to students that homosexual attraction is innate, always life-long and unchangeable. Research has shown that therapy to restore heterosexual attraction can be effective for many people.”
A website created by a coalition of health professionals, www.FactsAboutYouth.com, provides factual information on sexual development. It is a response to a 2008 brochure issued to US schools entitled Just the Facts about Youth and Sexual Orientation and published by the American Psychological Association (APA). The website says this brochure “…is biased and grossly misleading. [It] omits critical facts and makes recommendations that are refuted by decades of scientific research and extensive clinical experience. Most alarmingly, the recommendations offered will place young people at increased risk of grave psychological, emotional, and physical harm.”
Abortion – LifeSiteNews reports that, a grassroots movement in North Dakota is collect the 12,844 signatures needed to get a measure on the November 2010 election ballot that would “…prohibit physicians from decapitating and crushing the skulls of live unborn children during abortions…” If they succeed, citizens of the state will have the opportunity to vote on this measure.
The National Post reports that Winnipeg Conservative Member of Parliament Rod Bruinooge has introduced a private members bill, Bill C-510, that “…would criminalize ‘coercing’ a woman into an abortion through threats of violence, withdrawal of financial resources or a place to live”. The bill, nicknamed “Roxanne’s Law” after a young woman who was brutally murdered in Winnipeg when she refused to get an abortion, is not thought to have much chance of success. You can check out the proposed legislation.
Dr Albert Mohler discusses a US case where an abortion doctor is being sued for killing the wrong baby. He was to abort a baby thought to have Down syndrome but mistakenly destroyed its twin. Dr Mohler asks, “What is the real scandal here — that this doctor was ready to kill a baby with Down syndrome, or merely that he aborted “the wrong baby?” The answer to that question will tell us all we need to know about the conscience of the age.”
In a poignant satirical “open letter” published in First Things, Joe Carter writes to fetal humans, outlining the “Four reasons you might be aborted”. He discusses: the practices of in vitro fertilization where multiple embryos are implanted resulting in subsequent “selection reduction”; and the increasingly common practice of aborting babies with chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome; abortion based on gender – or what some are calling “gendercide” – and the increased risk or abortion if babies are female.
Resources
Pastors’ and church leaders’ conference – All the talks from the Together for the Gospel conference are now posted online. This year’s theme was The Unadjusted Gospel and speakers included: Mark Dever, R C Sproul, John Piper, Albert Mohler, John MacArthur and Ligon Duncan.
Disappointed with your church? Kevin DeYoung of the Gospel Coalition has written a series of short articles “dealing with disappointment in the church”
Part 1 – Discusses “situations which lead people to feel unloved”
Part 2 – For pastors and elders when “you are criticized for being unloving”
Part 3 – For “the hurting and disappointed”
Evangelism – Kevin DeYoung summarizes “seven habits of highly evangelistic Christians”:
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They are people of prayer. |
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They have a theology that compels them to evangelize. |
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They are people who spend time in the Word. |
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They are compassionate people. |
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They love the communities where God has placed them. |
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They are intentional about evangelism. |
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They are accountable to someone for their evangelistic activities. |
Visitation – The Sydney Anglican website encourages us – especially clergy – to make visiting parishioners in their homes a priority. The writer says, “Visiting people in their homes says that you care for them… [It] is an obvious way of growing community, care and discipleship.” Included in the short article are ideas for “doing” visitation. Visitation, the author says, “…is the task and responsibility of the whole people of God. But perhaps New Atheism's publishing success is a case of winning a battle and losing the war.
Prayer – Another article from the Diocese of Sydney offers more tips to assist us in prayer:
Of interest…
Writing in the Guardian, Madeleine Bunting discusses the proliferation of books about God flowing from the debate generated by strident atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. She notes, “The paradox of New Atheism is that in its bid to make religion unacceptable, it has contributed to making it a subject that is considered worth talking about again.”
Just for fun
Mahatma Gandhi, as you may know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail, and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him… Are you ready for it? Brace yourself... a super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Laughter is the shortest distance between two people -- Victor Borge
Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effect -- Arnold Glasow
The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter -- Mark Twain
What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul – Yiddish Proverb
Laughter is an instant vacation -- Milton Berle
www.mikeysFunnies.com
Please pray...
For Aaron Roberts and Keith Ganzer who will be ordained to the diaconate April 25 in Vancouver.
For the ANiC (April 20) and ARDFC (April 21) board meetings this week.
For funding of the Anglican Relief & Development Fund Canada’s Kenya Malaria Prevention Project – as well as for funds for Chile earthquake relief.
For ANiC projects, church plants and parishes, especially as they seek to proclaim the Good News to those in their communities who desperately need new life in Christ.
For the Church of the Good Samaritan (St John’s, NL) mission to Guatemala, April 17-24
For our bishops and clergy and their families.
For legal cases and disputes involving ANiC congregations:
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For the Vancouver-area parishes which are appealing the earlier court decision and for their legal counsel, Geoff Cowper and Stanley Martin as they prepare the appeal. |
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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. |
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For the leaders and parishioners of the dioceses pursuing eviction of and damages against ANiC congregations and wardens in court. |
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That God will be glorified in all court proceedings. |
For the work of the Anglican Communion Alliance (ACA) at the ACoC’s General Synod in June and for the pre-synod ACA-sponsored cross-Canada speaking tour of Canon George Kovoor.
For Christians facing violence and persecution in the Congo, Nigeria, Sudan and other Muslim countries.
For the pivotal Global South meeting, April 19-23 in Singapore, and for Archbishop Duncan and the ACNA representatives attending.
For the US court decisions, especially the case in Virginia.
That our nation would return to God and His moral principles.
And now a word from our sponsor
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Abraham, his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
Psalm 105:1-6 ESV
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