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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
Legal updates
BC court awards costs to Diocese of New Westminster
in split decision – The St John’s Vancouver
website reports that “…the BC Court
of Appeal upheld the trial judge, by a majority of two to one, on our special
application on the question of costs.” The document outlining the Court’s
reasons for this decision is posted to the courts
website. The St John’s report continues, “This decision leaves us
pretty much where we were before the application, owing the Diocese in the
order $150,000 for their costs. We expect the Supreme Court of Canada will
decide any time between now and the end of June whether we will be granted
leave to appeal. If leave is granted, it is likely the matter of costs will be
put before the Supreme Court for further consideration… Please pray for our church,
our many ministries, our legal situation, and our legal funding…” The case
involves four ANiC parishes in the Vancouver area: St John’s Vancouver,
Saint Matthew’s (Abbotsford), St Matthias & St Luke’s (Vancouver).and Church
of the Good Shepherd (Vancouver). The Diocese of New Westminster’s website reports the
decision as well.
St Aidan’s (Windsor, ON) case
continues – St Aidan’s and the Diocese of Huron have been in court four days
in the past 2 weeks and the final half day is scheduled for June 13. It could
be several months before we hear a decision. The Rev Tom Carman thanks everyone
for praying and asks that you continue to pray for the final day in court, for
discernment for the judge as he deliberates on his decision, and for a spirit
of peace and joyfulness for the people of St Aidan’s as they await the decision.
More job
opportunities: Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministries
The Open Gate Anglican Network Church in Victoria
BC is seeking a full time rector. A parish profile is available on the church
website. Please send applications to the Rt Rev Trevor Walters.
The closing date is June 24, 2011.
Farringdon Independent Church in Brantford, Ontario is seeking a Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministries. The
rector, the Rev Paul Tinker, is an ANiC clergy member. This is a full-time
position which would be effective August 22, 2011. The deadline for applications
is June 30, 2011. For more information, see the ANiC website.
A
complete list of positions available in ANiC is posted on our website.
Ontario youth retreat, June 10-11
St George’s, Burlington is holding
another weekend youth retreat on June 10-11 at Faith Mission. It is open to youth from any church, 12-18 years old. The
weekend will consist of great worship, relevant sharing, fun outdoor activities,
hanging out with old and new friends, and excellent food! The retreat theme is “No Turning Back”, and youth will be encouraged
to deepen their commitment to following Jesus without being compromised by our
increasingly secular culture. Some of our St George’s youth will be confirmed, Sunday
June 12, so this will be a great extra preparation time for them. For information
and to register (required) see the church website – where
there is also a poster for download.
ANiC’s Theologian Emeritus, Dr J I
Packer to be honoured
Renowned theologian and ANiC’s Theologian
Emeritus, the Rev Canon Dr James Packer will be honoured by the Word Guild of Canada –
representing Canadian Christian writers – for outstanding career
achievement. He will be the recipient of the 2011 Leslie K Tarr Award. Dr Packer
is said to be “…among the most influential English-speaking theologians in
shaping the character of late-twentieth-century North American evangelical
thought."
Parish news
Hub (Ottawa,
ON), jointly with Acorn
Christian Listening Canada, is sponsoring an entry level Christian
Listening Course (Importance of Listening) in Hintonburg on June 15. Acorn
Christian Listening Canada’s mission is to bring healing to a broken world
through Christian Listening where any person can be transformed through Jesus’
love and care. The course from 6.45pm – 9.00pm will cover the fundamentals
of Christian Listening and is foundational to further training within the
Healing and Prayer ministries. Further information and pre-registration is
available by e-mail to info@acorncanada.ca or by telephoning (613) 721-9057. Numbers will be limited, so early
registration is recommended.
Calendar of upcoming events
– for your interest and prayer support
May
25-27 – Richmond, BC – Anglican Coalition in Canada church leadership conference
May
28 – Moncton, NB church planting workshop
May 28
– St Hilda’s (Oakville, ON) garage give-away event
May 28
- Christ the King (Victoria, BC) –
Bible in a Day workshop
June
6-20 – Asian Mission short-term
mission trip to Thailand and the Karan refugee camps
June
10-11 – St George’s hosts a youth
retreat at Faith Mission
June
11 – Saint Matthew’s (Abbotsford, BC) – Bible in a Day workshop
June
15 – Hub (Ottawa, ON) Foundational Acorn Christian Listening Canada
course.
June
25 – St Timothy’s (Montreal,
QC) garage sale giveaway and youth barbeque
June
26 – St Alban’s, Ottawa celebrates its last Sunday in its long-time
building
June
30 – July 14 – Asian Mission short-term
mission trip to China, working with disabled orphans
June
(TBD) – Marlborough, MA church planting workshop
July
22-24 – St Matthias
& St Luke’s church camp with Bishop Don
Nov 2
– ANiC Clergy Day & laity spiritual life conference – both in
Victoria, BC
Nov
3-4 – ANiC synod,
Victoria, BC
On the front lines: Growing
and planting churches
Parish profile: Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church,
Moncton, NB
Easter
marked the first anniversary of Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church in New
Brunswick. While the Moncton congregation is the hub of Christ the Redeemer,
there are satellite churches in Sussex, Miramichi and Quispamsis –
although, on June 1, the Quispamsis congregation will launch as a church plant.
As the Rev Don Hamilton, a fan of the Chronicles
of Narnia likes to say, “Aslan
is on the move.”
The
satellite model is based on the concept of cultivating lay leadership. Both the
Sussex and Miramichi congregations are led by lay people, although the Rev
Hamilton visits once a month to conduct Holy Eucharist and provide reserved
sacrament for the intervening services. These congregations currently meet in a
library and a school. The Rev Hamilton says he has been overwhelmed by the
hospitality the Moncton congregation has been extended by the Wesleyan Church
which has graciously shared its facilities, not only for regular Sunday
worship, but also for other events such as Alpha and conferences.
This
coming Saturday, Christ the Redeemer is hosting a Plant and Grow conference for
those interested in planting new churches and growing existing congregations. The
speakers include the Rev Paul Donison from St Peter & St Paul (Ottawa), the
Rev William Beasley and the Rev Alex Cameron.
All of
the congregations are small in number – with a combined average Sunday
attendance of about 35 – but large in vision. In addition to Bible
studies, the Moncton congregation is currently offering a well-attended
Christianity 101, and twice a year they host Alpha classes with a significant
portion of the attendees being from a local addiction recovery centre. The
other congregations also offer Bible studies, Alpha and Christianity 101
courses. The vision is to grow – in number of parishioners, in number of
congregations, but most importantly in discipleship.
News – Anglican Church in
North America (ACNA)
Anglican 1000 conference
focuses on disciple-making
The Ancient Wisdom Anglican Futures
Conference focuses on thoughtful catechesis – an essential part of raising
up new congregations and communities of faith to reach North America with the
transforming love of Jesus Christ. Trinity School for Ministry and the Robert
E. Webber Center for Ancient Evangelical Future are co-hosting the conference
on June 16-18, 2011 in Ambridge, PA.
New ACNA diocese
forming
The ACNA website announces that 40 churches have joined together to form the
Anglican Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic. These are existing ACNA churches in what
is currently known as the Anglican District of Virginia and are part of a large
ACNA diocese. The constitutional convention meeting that voted to pursue
diocesan status also voted to elect Bishop John Guernsey as diocesan bishop. Bishop
Guernsey is currently Bishop of the ACNA’s Diocese of the Holy Spirit, which
bills itself as a “transitional diocese” since its constituent parishes are
scattered geographically. There is a growing trend within ACNA to reconfigure
into geographically based diocese.
ACNA Diocese of the
South pitches in to help with tornado relief
Working in partnership with Anglican Mission parishes in the region, the
diocese has gathered volunteers and two bus loads of food and supplies,
delivering these to relief centres in NE Alabama. An inspiring account on the ACNA website quotes Diocesan Bishop
Foley Beach saying, “The tornadoes, which ravaged the Southern United States,
left thousands homeless, over 300 dead, and countless lives turned upside down.
It is very difficult to fathom 226 tornadoes (a US record) in one day and the
destruction they caused. For me it was a privilege to help out in a small way
by joining a small team to deliver food and goods.”
Bishop Beach tells how God clearly lead them to two sites in desperate
need. He says, “As we prepared for the trip, we kept praying
about where exactly we should go. We wanted to go to places which might have
been overlooked... When the Anglican Church bus arrived… [at one center in dire
need], the relief center director informed the volunteers that they had run out
of food the night before. According to Bishop Beach, “She told folks, ‘The Lord
will provide.’ The next day, we showed up with a busload of food.” The entire account is worth reading.
More ACNA news
ACNA website – May 20 2011
– The Anglican
Church welcomes newly elected Bishop of the San Joaquin Diocese
Living Church – May 18 2011
– San Joaquin
(ACNA) elects new bishop
News – Canada
Diocese
of Athabasca Bishop urges patience ask for prayer for Slave Lake evacuees
The Anglican
Journal reports that Bishop Fraser Lawton (Athabasca) is asking us
to pray for those whose lives have been turned upside down by this tragedy and
for the emergency personnel working to make the town safe for evacuees return. Bishop
Lawton also told the Edmonton
Journals adds that while a number of churches and homes were
destroyed in the blaze, he believes the building in which the Slave Lake
Anglican congregation met is standing.
More Canadian news
Saanich
News – May 16 2011 – St Philip’s
spared closure under Anglican restructuring
News – United States
Communion without baptism gains traction
The Church of
England Newspaper reports that the Episcopal Church (TEC) Office of
Congregational Vitality has posted a video to TEC’s website in which a
clergyman enthusiastically tells of his church’s habit of inviting everyone to
partake in Communion regardless of belief or baptism. Officially, TEC’s canons
still prohibit this practice.
Church asked to invite Muslims into teachers of
other religions into their pulpits
Ethics Daily
reports a joint initiative by two organizations – Interfaith
Alliance and Human Rights First – is encouraging Christian churches to
invite Jewish and Muslim clergy to read their sacred text from the pulpit. The
initiative is promoted as countering fear of Muslims. A number of Episcopal
churches seem to be joining the initiative. The Montclair Patch reports that
the Muslim call to prayer was to ring out in St John’s Episcopal in Montclair,
New Jersey this past Sunday in an interfaith service involving a local assistant
Imam. The report says “During the service, verses
from the Holy Qur’an will complement verses from the Holy Bible. Passages from
Qur’an will be part of the Communion service as well.”
July marks dangerous change in TEC canons
Bishop David Anderson of the American Anglican
Council reminds his
readers that in July new canons come into effect in the Episcopal
Church (TEC) which dramatic shift power from the local parish to the bishop and
from dioceses to the Presiding Bishop, centralizing power. He says, “…changes to the disciplinary canon (Title IV) go into full force and
effect, and revisionist bishops will be able to remove parish leaders on the
flimsiest of charges. Likewise, if a bishop doesn't fully go along with
Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori's agenda, she will be able to remove the
bishop on the flimsiest of charges… Rectors will no longer be able to protect
their flock, nor will bishops, for the long arm of the national church will
reach down even into the pew where Mom and Pop sit… The immediate problem is
how the change in Title IV will redistribute authority and power and strip away
safeguards and protections previously available.”
Series of video interviews with
three TEC bishops discusses issues in their church
Anglican TV has posted a
series of 10 videos in which “three long-time veterans of the
struggle to maintain an orthodox theology in the Episcopal Church”. The three
bishops interviewed are: Bishop Fitz Alison, Bishop Bill Wantland and Bishop
Alex Dickson.
More US news
Fort Worth Star-Telegram –
May 15 2011 – A legal
dispute with Episcopal Church hierarchy sends the wrong message
News – International
From around the Communion and the
world
England – Despite his
earlier statement saying Freemasonry was incompatible with Christianity, the Telegraph
reports that the Archbishop of Canterbury appointed “the Rev
Jonathan Baker as the next Bishop of Ebbsfleet despite knowing he was an active
and senior mason.” Although Bishop-elect
Baker initially defended his Masonic membership, he later said he would leave
the masons.
Syria – The Barnabas Fund
reports the Christians in Syria are being strong-armed into joining
the protests against the Syrian government. It says:
“Christians are coming under
increasing pressure to join the uprising - or leave. In one Christian village
outside the southern city of Deraa a home came under fire by a group of masked
men on motorbikes, while Muslim residents in the village of Hala have issued an
ultimatum to their Christian neighbours either to join the demonstrations
against President Bashar al-Assad's regime or to leave. Their demands are
making life extremely difficult for the Christians, who have closed their shops
and are considering what course of action to take. Churches have also received
threatening letters…
“Christians have largely stayed
away from the protests, having generally been safe and well-treated by the
secular Baathist government, which has allowed them a considerable amount of
religious freedom. They are fearful of what may replace it as Islamists attempt
to hijack the demonstrations, which were originally concerned with political
and economic change.
“In a letter to Western leaders,
a senior Syrian church leader appealed for them to "Ask the Heads of State
of Arab countries to work for real development... But don't encourage
revolutions". He said:
“The situation has deteriorated into organised
crime, robbery, fear, terror being spread, rumours of threats to churches...
Fundamentalist groups are threatening citizens and wanting to create ‘Islamic
Emirates'... Christians especially are very fragile in the face of crises and
bloody revolutions! Christians will be the first victims of these revolutions,
especially in Syria. A new wave of emigration will follow immediately.
“Some fear that for Christians a
post-Assad Syria could deteriorate like post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. Saddam, like
Assad, restrained the influence of militant Islamists, but after his fall they
were free to wreak havoc on the Christian community; hundreds of thousands of
Christians were consequently forced to flee the violence. Many of them went to
Syria, which has a long-standing history of welcoming Christian refugees, but
the current unrest is driving some back to their dangerous homeland.”
Egypt – Christian
Today reports that “at least 78 people have been injured in another
round of clashes between Christians and Muslims in Egypt”. The violence started
when gunmen shot at Christians as they continued a sit-in outside the state
television building in Cairo. The sit-in was held to call for equal rights and
greater security after recent Muslin attacks on Christian churches.
The Church of
England reports that heads of Christian churches in Egypt, including
Bishop Mouneer Anis, Primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East, met with Muslim leaders
in an effort to head off further attacks. The religious leaders have formed “…the
Beth el-Elia group (House of the Family), composed of senior Muslim and
Christian clerics that seeks to end the religious violence plaguing Egypt… The
Beth el-Elia group was seeking to find ‘a real strategic plan’ to combat
sectarian violence, to ‘transform this difficult situation’.”
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali and
Baroness Caroline Cox are calling the world’s attention to the growing attacks on Christians in Egypt. In an open
letter they, together with others, note that:
“The
collapse of the powerful state apparatus and the subsequent power vacuum this
created, however, quickly opened a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of social problems that the
Mubarak regime had either maintained or failed to address. As anticipated, we
are now witnessing political struggles for power and influence in the new
Egypt. While most of this is a necessary part of the emergence of true
democracy in Egypt, the increase in and intensity of attacks on Christians are
indicators of imminent civil unrest and the potential for widespread
ethno-religious violence that demands an immediate response.”
Iraq – Writing in
the Guardian, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali recounts how the savage
attacks on Christians and churches in Iraq have not stopped the work of St
George’s Anglican Church in the heart of Baghdad. He writes:
“Every day of the week St
George's hums with activity: the clinic is full to capacity with patients
receiving primary medical care that the hard-pressed state hospitals are unable
to provide. Most are Muslim, and most of the staff is Christian but it seems
not to matter a whit. Unemployed and disabled people can collect a weekly
ration that just about enables them to survive. There is a small school for
children, and, in the desert of war, a bookshop. Most of all, there are people
to listen, to give advice, to help with food, clothing and shelter.”
He adds, “While politicians,
diplomats and soldiers seek to bring some sort of order to society, a gathering
of leaders from all the different faiths has succeeded, at least for the time
being, in halting the worst violence against Christians and other religious
minorities… There are now plans, with the support of a number of religious
leaders – Muslim, Christian and others – to move from
"top-down" dialogue to local dialogue in the towns and cities of Iraq
about the building of peaceful and secure communities.”
Sudan – There are reports that the Sudan might be on the brink of war again. On the weekend, Northern
Sudan seized control of a disputed oil-rich region – the Abbey district. Under
the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, both the north and the south were required
to keep troops out of this region until a vote on its future could be held. Southern
Sudan is to become an independent country in July. Please pray for a peaceful
and just resolution.
More international media coverage
Living Church – May 12 2011
– SE Asia
Accedes to Anglican Covenant
Anglican Church of Canada –
May 16 2011 – Two more
provinces affirm Anglican Covenant
Church Times – May 20 2011
– Church of
Ireland ‘subscribes’ to Anglican Covenant
Church of England Newspaper
– May 20 2011 – Ireland backs
Anglican Covenant
Soul food
Thought
Miracles
are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across
the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see. – C S Lewis
(h/t
StandFirminFaith.com)
Just for fun
Q – How dry is it in Texas?
A – It's so dry…that the
Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling,
the Methodists are using wet-wipes,
the Presbyterians are giving out rain-checks,
and the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn back into water.
To the optimist, the glass is half-full. To the pessimist, the glass is
half-empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
www.mikeysFunnies.com
Please pray...
For
our bishops and clergy and their
families – especially for a good rest for Bishop Charlie
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 St Aidan’s (Windsor), its legal counsel
and the continuing court case
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
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 Anglican
Church of Canada dioceses pursuing eviction of and legal costs against ANiC congregations, clergy and
wardens
For
donations to the ANiC legal defense fund which supports
parishes involved in disputes with their former dioceses
For
the implementation of ARDFC’s new Congo project seeking to help war-torn
communities become reestablished and promote peace-making. May God use it to bless Congolese and bring many to Christ
For persecuted Christians especially in
China, North Korea, Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan,
Malaysia and other Muslim and Communist lands
For
countries in Africa and the Middle East where radical Islamists are seeking to leverage the political instability to
gain control.
For
peace in the Sudan and a speedy, just resolution to the dispute over control of
specific regions.
For
Christians, churches and aid agencies working in Japan and for the victims of
the disaster there
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
And now a word from our sponsor
We ask you, brothers, to respect
those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to
esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among
yourselves. And we urge you, brothers,
admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with
them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do
good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice
always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in
all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do
not despise prophecies, but test everything;
hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
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