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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
New Archdeacons
announced
In a pastoral letter to parishes this week, ANiC moderator Bishop Donald Harvey unveiled a new
archdeaconry structure and several newly appointed archdeacons. This is his
letter:
Greetings in
the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ!
As our ANiC
family continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to
communicate effectively (and economically) with one another. This is hardly
surprising, since our area now covers the whole country and makes us
geographically the largest Anglican Diocese in the world. While this growth
gives us much joy, it also gives rise to some concern as we strive to maintain
a personal, pastoral relationship with all of our parishes and congregations.
At the moment
we have three Archdeaconries – one in the west, one in the centre and the
other in the east. They are large and cumbersome and have put strains on the
respective Archdeacons who are doing this supervision in addition to their
primary responsibility, the care of their parish.
The new
bishops and I have had much discussion as to how to improve the service such a
ministry requires and have reached the following decision.
We are going
to double the number of archdeaconries and in so doing reduce the workload for
each Archdeacon and the almost impossible area for which they have been
responsible.
So effective
Sunday, August 15, 2010, the seven archdeaconry areas and archdeacons are:
Vancouver Island – The Ven Ron Corcoran (re-appointed)
Remainder of BC – The Ven
Dan Gifford (a new appointment)
Prairie Region (unchanged) – The Ven Paul Crossland (re-appointed)
Ottawa and area – The Ven
Desiree Stedman (re-appointed)
Remainder of Ontario – The
Ven Paul Charbonneau (a new appointment)
Montreal and Atlantic Canada – The Ven Darrell Critch (a new appointment)
New England (USA) – The Ven
Michael McKinnon (a new appointment)
These
Archdeacons will be directly responsible to their respective area Bishop and
will work as a team with him. The number of parishes each has to care for will
be approximately the same, and most of their visits can be done by road.
The immediate
assignment for all Archdeacons will be to help prepare their parishes for our
November Synod in Ottawa.
Please pray
for our Archdeacons – and especially for your own Archdeacon – as
they prepare to undertake this challenging but very important ministry.
Your Moderator
and fellow labourer,
+ Donald
Call to prayer and
fasting, August 23-31
Received by email…
Call for prayer and fasting for the All Africa Bishops' Conference
The Archbishop's Cabinet of ACNA would like to let you know of a great
need and opportunity. From August 23-31, the second All Africa Bishops'
Conference will be gathering more than four hundred African bishops. The first
conference was held in Lagos, Nigeria. This time the meeting will be held in
Uganda. Our Archbishop is one of very few Primates or Bishops outside Africa to
be invited and will be attending.
It is an important gathering not only for Africa, but for the Anglican
Communion as well. We are asking for clergy and church members to join us in
prayer and in various types of fasting from now until the end of the
conference.
– The
Archbishop's Cabinet (The Most Rev Robert Duncan, The Rt Rev Keith Ackerman,
the Rt Rev David Anderson, the Rt Rev Bill Atwood, the Rt Rev John Guernsey, the
Rt Rev Don Harvey, the Rt Rev Charlie Masters, the Rt Rev Martyn Minns, the
Most Rev Leonard Riches)
ANiC financial update
Our thanks to all who sent their gifts to ANiC before our year-end. As
of June 30, our fiscal year-end, a preliminary financial report shows that we
were able to narrow the ‘gap’ dramatically. While we still had a
shortfall of about $45,000 for the year, thanks to a positive balance at the
beginning of the year, we were able to meet all our obligations despite income
being $130,000 below budget.
ANiC’s treasurer Claus Lenk says we can address the problem by:
| • |
Encouraging parishes to submit their contributions to ANiC on a regular
and timely basis |
| • |
Praying for a small team of individuals across the country who are led
by God to give regularly to ANiC – over and above their parish tithes |
More on the visit of
the Primate of SE Asia to Vancouver, Sept 18-19
ANiC’s global aid arm, the Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada
(ARDFC) is bringing Archbishop John Chew – Primate of
the Anglican Province of Southeast Asia, Bishop of Singapore and Chairman of
the Global South Primates Steering Committee – to a weekend of special
gatherings in Vancouver. The weekend of meetings, entitled Transformed people
transforming the world, will be held in the Anglican Network Church of the Good
Shepherd in Vancouver. All are
welcome to the public events.
On the morning of September 18 (Saturday), there will also be a special
gathering where ANiC, ACNA and ministry partner clergy and lay leaders will
meet with Dr Chew in a smaller group setting.
Dr Chew is one of the most respected leaders in global Anglicanism
– and now, as the newly elected chair of the Global South Primates
Steering Committee, he becomes one of the most influential. Please join us at these events to hear
from this godly, global Anglican leader!
Dates: September
18-19 (Saturday and Sunday)
Location: Anglican
Network Church of the Good Shepherd
189 West 11th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
Please see the ARDFC website where information, posters and bulletin
inserts are available both in English and in Chinese. Those who wish to attend the dinner in
honour of Archbishop Chew on September 18 can register online.
Donations for Southern
Cone needs
The 19 June 2010 newsletter mentioned the financial needs experienced
both by Archbishop Greg Venables personally as well as by the Diocese of
Argentina for repairs to the house Archbishop Greg and his wife Sylvia live in
– repairs necessitated by severe storm damage. If you wish to
help, there are several options:
| • |
To partner with the Diocese of Argentina and support Archbishop Greg’s
ministry as bishop and primate, you can make an online donation through the Ekklesia website. Please note that receipts for these gifts can only be
claimed on Canadian tax returns if you are reporting US-source income. See the “Clarification” item in the June 29
newsletter.) |
| • |
If you wish to help Archbishop Greg personally, you can also send money
via the Ekklesia website. Please note that gifts of this sort are
not “tax receiptable”.
On the Ekklesia website, click on
the donate button (on the right side of the page). Once you have entered your donation amount and the method of
payment, on the next screen you will be able to click on “Add special
instructions to the seller” (to the left of the total donation amount). In the small window that opens, please note
how you wish to designate your donation. |
Ordination planned
On Sunday, August 29 at 2:30pm the Rev Jess Cantelon will be ordained to
the priesthood at the Church of the Good
Shepherd, St Catharines, ON. Please pray for Jess and his family as
he prepares for ordination. All
are invited to this service. Until
recently, Jess served as a deacon at Christ Church Jerusalem.
Church planting
workshop planned for September 9 in Delta, BC
Canon Ron McCrary,
from Anglican 1000, ACNA’s visionary church planting office, will be in the
Vancouver area on September 9 to hold a workshop on church planting and church growth.All
clergy and lay people seriously interested in church planting in ACNA are
invited.
Time: September
9 (Thursday), 10am-4pm
Location: Delta
Town and Country Inn (Terrace Room), 6005 Highway #17 (near the junction with
Highway #99, and close to the ferry terminal and the airport)
Cost: $15 for lunch + $20
contribution requested to help offset other workshop costs. Payable by cash or cheque upon arrival
at the workshop.
Registration:
Attendees must preregister by contacting Bishop Ron Ferris by email or by calling 778-278-6525. Please note, the deadline for preregistration
is August 31.
Please come and bring others who are
interested in church planting! For more information see Bishop Ron’s letter of invitation
on the ANiC website.
ANiC bishop ministers in England
ANiC’s area bishop
for Western Canada, Bishop Trevor Walters, preached this past Sunday at two
Anglican churches in Worcestershire, England and lead an open discussion about what's
happening in ACNA and ANiC. According to
Anglican Mainstream:
“At Christ Church, Bishop Trevor took as his text Jesus' words in Luke
12:32 'Be not afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give
you the kingdom.' He spoke powerfully about the way that the expectation of
Jesus' return as a real event in history underpins the Kingdom's reversal of
worldly values and how we need to guard against a lazy reading of the Bible
which accommodates it to what is fashionable.
Bishop Trevor's message came with an integrity which arises out of his
many years of pastoral experience and the costly stand for the gospel
whichhe and his colleagues in the ACNA have taken. Bishop Trevor
continues to be rooted in the congregation of St Matthew's in Abbotsford,
BC where he was previously rector and under whose leadership a series of new
churches were planted, despite a long running, continuing and costly battle to
resist ejection from the church's property by the leadership of the Anglican
Church of Canada.
It was a great privilege to share in this experience of gospel
partnership and a very encouraging reminder that despite so much compromise
with the prevailing secularism, a new and vital paradigm of Anglican faith and
order is emerging.
Parish, church plant and
ministry news
Emmaus Anglican
Church (Montreal) is seeking a full-time rector. The job description and parish profile are posted on the ANiC website. Deadline for applications is September
24. CVs should be sent to rmbresnen@gmail.com.
St Matthias & St
Luke’s (Vancouver) is inviting parishioners from
other ANiC churches to a slide show and presentation, chorale performance, and
fellowship evening on Sunday, August 29 at 8pm at the church. The 17 parishioners who just returned
from a Holy Land Pilgrimage are excited to share all they learned from their
study tour. See the poster for details.
Holy Trinity,
Marlborough, MA – You can see a short video of the July 23rd ordination of the Rev Michael
Bickford to the priesthoodby Bishop Don Harvey.
The Table, Victoria,
BC, a three-way
partnership between ACiC, REC and ANiC, is planning its public
launch on September 12. There are currently 50-60 people attending five home
groups. Please pray for the home
group leaders, for needed financial support, and for wisdom and
faithfulness for the church planting team.
Christ’s Church
Oceanside (near Parksville, BC) held a garage sale recently where everything
was free. Taking a page from St
Hilda’s book, Christ’s Church parishioners held the Great Garage Giveaway on
August 14. The local paper, the Oceanside Star, helped publicize
the event. Commenting on the
AEC blog, Lyn reports that the event went “…amazingly well”… We were
blessed as we gave and prayed for blessing on those who received! We had a
great time!”
Calendar of upcoming
events – for your interest and prayer support
Aug 29, 8pm –
St Matthias & St Luke’s Pilgrimage “Show & Tell” at the church. All
welcome!
Aug 29, 2:30pm
– Good Shepherd (St Catharines, ON) – Ordination of the Rev Jess
Cantelon
Sept 9, 10am-4pm
– Church planting
workshop, Delta, BC
Sept 13-16 – BC
Court of Appeal hearing in Vancouver
Sept 17-19 – St Luke’s, Spiritual renewal seminar with Bishop
Malcolm & Ven Paul Crossland
Sept 18 – St
George's Ottawa,Day of Prayer in preparation for ANiC synod (with Garth
Hunt)
Sept 18-19 –
Archbishop Chew visits Vancouver on behalf of the ARDFC
September 23 - 26 -
Clergy retreat in New England
Sept 24-26 – St
Timothy’s (Montreal), Pursuing Intimacy with God led by the Rev Garth Hunt
Sept 25 – ACA conference at St Brides, Clarkson, ON entitle “The plans I have for you”
Sept 29 – Holy
Trinity, Marlborough, MA - Ordinations to the priesthood
Oct 16 – Billy
Graham Association Cross the Street
conference, Burlington, ON
Nov 3 – Clergy
day, Ottawa, ON
Nov 4-6 – ANiC synod with featured speaker Bishop Michael
Nazir-Ali, Ottawa, ON
Jan 25-27 –
ACNA 2011 church planting summit in Plano, TX with speaker Tim Keller
March 29-31 – ANiC’s 2011 pastors’ retreat near Abbotsford, BC
News shorts – Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
Calling all church planters… Anglican 1000 Church Planting Summit,
January 25-27
ACNA’s church planting summit this year will feature renowned speaker,
author and pastor Tim Keller of Redeemer
Presbyterian Church in New York City. Keller also helps lead Redeemer City to
City, an organization which focuses on the planting of churches for
the renewal of global cities.
Date: 25-27 January 2011
Location: Plano, Texas
Registration and
information: Available soon on the Anglican
1000 website
ACNA has set the
audacious, humanly impossible goal of planting 1000 new churches in the first
five years of its existence. Last year’s first church planting summit
attracted over 300 people – many of them Canadians. Since then, the
Anglican 1000 office reports it has been contact, on average, once per day by
someone seriously interested in pursuing church planting.
The Anglican 1000 blog notes that “The Anglican
Church in North America began with 703 congregations. Now, there are 607
congregations plus 231 ministry partner congregations across the United States
and Canada. That is an increase of 135 Anglican congregations that have been
added or planted in North America!” Some of ANiC’s new church
plants and projects are featured on the website,
including: Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church (Moncton, NB), St Andrew’s Anglican Church · (Delta, BC), Church of the Ascension (Langley, BC), Emmaus Anglican Church (Montreal, QC) and St Paul Anglican Bible Church (Stoney Creek, ON).
ANiC moderator and
treasurer elected to ACNA’s executive committee
ACNA’s recently
elected executive committee met in Ambridge, PA on August 10 to formally assume their positions and begin work. ANiC’s moderator Bishop Donald Harvey, as dean of ACNA is an
ex-officio member, while ANiC treasurer Claus Lenk is one of the twelve members
(six clergy and six laity) elected by the provincial council in June. The new
committee acts as the board of directors and replaces a transitional executive that
was formed by the Common Cause movement prior to ACNA’s formation.
According to an ACNA
report, the executive committee “approved a draft congregational annual report,
which, beginning this year, all congregations of the church will be asked to
complete. The yearly congregational report… is intended to strike a
balance between simplicity and gathering useful information about every church
in the province that will allow leaders to understand and respond to what is
happening in the church…. This year, diocesan bishops will be able to make
their reports in electronic format, with the goal to ultimately make it
possible for every parish to enter their information online.”
The committee also
heard from ACNA’s chief operating officer Brad Root that ACNA ended the fiscal
year with a small surplus of $30,000.
Other ACNA news
Sand Paper – Aug
5 2010 – St Raphael’s
Episcopal priest moves on to create new church
Anglican Curmudgeon
– August 4 2010 – Oral arguments set
in San Joaquin and Pittsburgh cases
Anglican Curmudgeon
– August 7 2010 – Faux Pittsburgh
loses bid to dismiss appeal
Christ Church news
release – August 8 2010 – Georgia churches
could be in danger of losing buildings and property
Church of England
Newsletter – August 9 2010 – No break in pace
of Episcopal Church lawsuits
News shorts – Canada
Bishop N T Wright to
lecture at Trinity Western University, Langley, BC
Prominent New
Testament scholar and former Bishop of Durham Tom Wright is scheduled to
deliver a series of lectures November 16-17 at Trinity Western University near
Vancouver. One 16. Details are
on the TWU website.
Primate heartened by
decision to not separate TEC from the Communion
In a recent meeting
of the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion it was decided that the US
Episcopal Church should not be separated from the rest of the Communion because
it “would inhibit dialogue and… would therefore be unhelpful.” The primate of the Anglican Church of
Canada (ACoC), Archbishop Fred Hiltz told the Anglican
Journal he found the decision “encouraging” and a step toward
healing.
Meanwhile, Christ
Church Cathedral in Vancouver hosted a special communion service in partnership with Integrity to open the 27th annual Pride Parade in which an Anglican delegation participated.
Putting the church
back in the heart of the community
The Evangelical
Fellowship of Canada is partnering with the Billy Graham Association and others
to bring a major Christian conference, Cross
the Street 2010 Conference, to Burlington, Ontario on October 16. The event is designed to help us engage
our communities with authentic faith by equipping “people with practical tools to help put the Church back into the heart
of the community”. More
information is available online.
Quebec grassroots
group organizes to oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide
A grassroots group
has formed in Quebec to oppose the provincial governments push for
euthanasia. The Living with
Dignity group has both English and French websites that are collecting signatures for their online petition.
Other Canada news
Church of England
Newspaper – July 30 2010 – Dog offered Holy
Communion at Toronto parish
CanadianChristianity.com - July 29 2010 - Anglican Catholics
take historic steps toward Rome
Toronto Star –
August 15 2010 – New sex charges
against former choirmaster
BC Local News –
August 16 2010 – A lot of life left
in our local Anglican Church
CBC News –
August 16 2010 – Iqaluit’s ‘igloo’
cathedral being rebuilt
News shorts – United States
New Zealand Church declines
to endorse the Episcopal Church (USA)
An article in the
Huffington Post reports that a spokesperson for the Anglican Church
of New Zealand said, "Nobody makes any bones about the fact that she
[TEC’s presiding bishop] does represent tension… There is not going to be an
endorsement of where the Episcopalian Church is going.” This statement to media came as
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church(TEC) was in
New Zealand recently on her “whirlwind tour of six Anglican provinces”, including
Canada, Scotland, Wales, England, Australia and New Zealand.
Disgraced Pennsylvania
bishop reinstated
Charles E. Bennison
Jr., Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, has been reinstated after being defrocked in 2008 in a lower court for “behavior unbecoming a
member of clergy.” Bennison had been charged with covering-up the sexual abuse
of a 14-year-old girl by the bishop’s younger brother who, at the time, was the
youth pastor in the church where Bennison was rector. The court ordered the reinstatement saying, “because the
statute of limitations has run out (after 10 years)... we have no choice under
the canons of the church but to reverse the judgment of the trial court that
(he) is guilty." The
churches in Pennsylvania have greeted the news with dismay, some have told him he would not be welcome in their parishes, and
others have urged him to step down.
Proposition 8
overturned; TEC bishops celebrate victory for same-sex marriage
A California judge
recently overturned the democratically approved “Proposition 8” and
reinstituted same-sex marriage in the state. StandFirm in Faith
notes that the judgment presents profound implications for both religious
freedom and for who oppose the homosexual agenda. For example, the judgement
notes, “Religious beliefs that gay and lesbian relationships are sinful or
inferior to heterosexual relationships harm gays and lesbians.” The judge also stated, “Gender no longer
forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals"
and traditional marriage is "nothing more than an artifact of a foregone notion that men and
women fulfill different roles in civic life."
In a commentary in
Christianity Today, Dr Albert Mohler said the importance of the
decision was “difficult to exaggerate” and was “a huge win for the homosexual
community, and a significant step toward the full normalization of
homosexuality within the culture”. He added that, in addition to the decision, the judge released a “set of
‘findings’ that include some of the most radical statements about marriage yet
encountered.” Dr Mohler concluded by saying, “Whatever
happens on appeal, the decision handed down yesterday… will reverberate for
decades to come. Yesterday, a very important gavel fell on marriage. The
central institution of human civilization suffered a direct hit, and its future
hangs in the balance.”
Episcopal Life
reports that California TEC Bishops welcomed the ruling. Bishop Jon
Bruno (Los Angeles) enthused, "Justice is advancing, thanks to today's
ruling affirming Californians' constitutional right to marriage in faithful,
same-gender relationships.” Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves (El Camino Real) said “Our
policy of blessings in the diocese for same-sex couples has been in effect for
years and will continue.” On the Diocese of
California website, Bishop Marc Andrus is quoted saying, “We rejoice
today and tomorrow we continue the fight, lending our strength, the blessing of
God, to those who need it."
Other US news
Times-Herald – August
14 2010 – Christ Church at
center of lawsuit, controversy
VirtueOnline –
August 16 2010 – Clergy sex victims
challenge 8 Episcopal bishops (Pennsylvania)
News shorts – International
TEC grants continue
to fund African church
Some African dioceses
remain dependent on TEC funding despite efforts at a meeting of Global
South leaders earlier this year where much time was devoted to
vision in mission and working toward financial independence from the West.
TEC’s wealthy Trinity Wall
Street Church recently published its 2nd quarter 2010
grants showing significant funding of African churches and projects, including
a grant for the All African Bishops Conference. Episcopal Café
notes that Uganda’s Archbishop Henry Orombi responded to corruption
in the Western Anglican church in a pastoral letter in 2006, saying, “We will
no longer apply for grants from the Trinity Grants program of Trinity Wall
Street, UTO (United Thank Offering), Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), or
scholarships through the Episcopal Church Center (815). No Bishop or Diocesan
Secretary should sign grant applications to these organizations.”
Discredited Communion
governance under the microscope
With the Standing
Committee’s recent high-handed decisions fueling criticism of that body, the
Anglican Consultative Council’s legal advisor Canon John Rees has responded on
the Anglican Communion’s official website. However, his attempt, meant to calm fears and justify the
Standing Committees’ actions, may have achieved the opposite effect.
The Church of England Newspaper
reports that Global South leaders said “the claim of inconsequential
revisions advanced by the ACC was misleading… they note the new constitution
engages in a power grab… encroaching upon the authority and prerogatives of the
Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates Meeting.” The report goes on to quote an Australian former member of
the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), Robert Tong saying that recent actions
by the Anglican Communion Office were a “con” that showed the “constitution [of
the ACC] is held in contempt”.
Writing on the Global South
Anglican website, Michael Poon, convener of a subgroup of the
Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order, tasked to review
the Communion structures, says, the ACC constitution fiasco “…raises disturbing
questions on the continuing viability of the Anglican Communion...” He continues:
“Communion
infrastructures have arisen in haphazard ways since 1945. The new ACC
Constitution, I fear, is another instance… [which] may well derail the already
difficult processes in the adoption of the Anglican Communion Covenant. Churches
in the southern continents may well be tempted to look for more radical
alternatives for a more permanent solution to recent Anglican disputes.
“…The British
registration of [the] ACC Constitution carries huge implication for autonomous
provinces (Church of England included). Chancellors need to scrutinise whether
it undermines the autonomy of their provinces, many of which are situated in
countries that are sensitive about foreign control of religious bodies within
their national boundaries. Doesn’t the “Archbishop [of Canterbury]’s role as
the pivotal Instrument of Communion” (in Rees’ words) – now conferred
legal status, represents a violation of national and ecclesiastical
sovereignty?
While StandFirm documents the
dominance of the Standing Committee by western Churches allied with the
Episcopal Church (TEC), a paper posted by the
Anglican Communion Institute concludes that TEC is intent on “…
making the Communion over in its own image.” The author says:
“Since the Standing
Committee has decided that, in so far as it is concerned, TEC’s position in the
Communion is to be decided through an indefinite period of dialogue, it is
essential to understand just how TEC understands this process. TEC’s recent
history makes one thing perfectly clear. Dialogue, for TEC, is not a
process of disciplined argument designed to clarify issues, expose false
reasoning, and arrive at a truth both parties can hold. It is not even a
process of critical examination that occurs before taking a disputed
action. Rather it is an aggressive form of self-promotion built around
“talking points” rather than disciplined argument—talking points that are
meant to beat down opposition to a disputed action already taken. In
short, the decision made by the Standing Committee is in reality a decision to
allow TEC more time to gain acceptance for its actions. It is not, in
TEC’s mind, a time to subject those actions to “consequences” or to critical
examination…
“TEC’s recent history
reveals that it now has a standard way of doing business—one that exposes
its pleas for dialogue as disingenuous. What is that way? One makes
changes in disputed aspects of the life and order of the church by breaking the
rules and then calling for conversation rather than “consequences.””
Finally, in a stunning piece of in-depth
investigative reporting, StandFirm reveals that Janet Trisk –
the newest member of the Standing Committee whose appointment is widely recognized
to have been illegal under ACC rules – is an active member of an
organization that denies the objective existence of God and holds that religion
is entirely a human construct.
See also:
Where did you pick that up?
An October 2nd conference in London called “Where did you pick that up?” will focus on the
sexualization of children in the schools. Details are on www.anglican-mainstream.net.
More on the Church of
England (CoE) synod and women bishops
The reaction to the
CoE’s general synod decision to proceed with women bishops continues to elicit
responses. Fifteen CoE bishops wrote a letter to
clergy which acknowledges that Anglo-Catholics would choose a
variety of responses, some choosing to stay and fight, others choosing to go to
the Roman Catholic Church.
Recent media reports include:
News in brief from
around the world and the Communion
Afghanistan –
Ten members of the International Assistance Mission were massacred while
returning from giving medical care in remote villages in northern Afghanistan. According to the
Christian Post they had received permission from the government of
Afghanistan to run the eye clinic and were trekking 100 miles back from the
remote clinic when they were robbed and shot. The Church of England
Newspaper reports that the organization is registered as a Christian
charity but said it does not proselytize.
Argentina – The Church of England
Newspaper reports that Argentina has become the first South American
country to recognize gay marriage. Some political analysts suggest the decision is a political lash-out at
the Roman Catholic Church by President Cristina Fernandez rather than a focus
on marriage legislation itself. Archbishop Greg Venables (Southern Cone) criticized the government for
acting without consulting the people. He said, “I can only bless what God
blesses”.
Pakistan – Monsoon
flooding has caused wide-spread dislocation and devastation. The Diocese of Peshawar is offering
emergency relief. The Anglican Communion
News Service reports, “The United Nations has estimated that
almost one million people have been affected” and that "Thousands of
villages are under water and hundreds of people are either dead or missing."
Compass Direct News, a
website devoted to telling the stories of persecuted Christians, reports that Christian girls in Pakistan are vulnerable to and frequently sexually
assaulted while police refuse to act. Increasingly radical Muslims consider the
tiny minority of Christians in the country to be enemies and fair game for
attack. It also reports that on July 15, “A dozen masked men shot five Christians to death as they came
out of their church building” in Sukkus, Pakistan. A march was held in
London, England on July 31 to protest the persecution and murder of
Christians in Pakistan.
South Africa –
A forensic audit of the Diocese of George has revealed that 6
million South African Rand ($850,000 Cdn) is not accounted for. While the
investigation is still in progress, the bishop has resigned and two
administrators were fired. The
diocese is now struggling to pay clergy salaries. Complaints of financial
mismanagement were first lodged in January 2009.
Wales – The
Church of Wales has promoted a convicted sex offender to the role of Archdeacon.
Australia – Sydney Anglican
reports that an Anglican judicial panel has overruled the diocese of
Sydney’s decision to interdict the administration of the Lord’s Supper by
deacons.
Other international
news
Australia
Broadcasting Corporate – August 6 2010 – Sunday Profile:
The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen (Lengthy interview
on the role of religion in the upcoming national election.)
Living Church –
July 29 2010 – Bishop praises
‘brave and faithful’ Church [in the Congo]
Soul food
One of the shortest
and best sermons you’ll ever hear
This 1 minute and 42 second rap sermon on YouTube needs a wide distribution! There is much food for thought for all of us in our 21st century media-crazy culture.
Worth reading/viewing
Dr Albert Mohler’s
commentary, “The inerrancy of
Scripture: The fifty years’ war… and counting” sheds light on the
current attack on inerrancy by revisionist theologians.
ANiC’s Theologian
Emeritus, Dr J I Packer is interviewed of a range of theological issues.
A book review of William Murchison’s Mortal Follies: Episcopalians and the Crisis of Mainline
Christianity offers more insight into steady decline of the Episcopal Church
(US) due to “the rejection of orthodoxy in favor of cultural and political
fads”.
Resources
The Ugley Vicar offers his top
five questions for determining the orthodoxy of Anglican ministers
or candidates for ministry.
The Evangelical
Fellowship of Canada offers a number of resources including:
Just for laughs
A little girl asked
her mother, "Where did people come from?" The mother answered,
"God made Adam and Eve and they had children, and that’s how all the
people on earth were created."
Two days later the
girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, "Many years
ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved."
The confused girl returned
to her mother and said, "Mom, how is it possible that you told me people
were created by God, and Dad said we came from monkeys?"
The mother answered,
"Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and
your father told you about his."
Courtesy: Mikey’s Funnies, www.mikeysFunnies.com
Please pray...
For our bishops and
clergy and their families – especially clergy wives battling illness. For physical and spiritual
refreshment over the summer months.
For ANiC’s seven Archdeacons,
most of whom are newly appointed and taking up this new responsibility in
addition to their parish duties.
For ANiC projects, church
plants and parishes, and for their proclamation of Good News to those in their
communities who desperately need new life in Christ.
For the launch of The
Table church plant in Victoria, BC on September 12.
For the planning and
preparations for ANiC’s 2010 synod in Ottawa, November 4-6.
For funding of
the Anglican Relief & Development Fund Canada’s Kenya Malaria Prevention Project. Donations are urgently needed to begin
this life-saving and life-changing project.
For much needed donations to the legal cases and disputes involving ANiC
congregations:
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For the Vancouver-area
parishes appealing the earlier court decision, including a recent costs award
against the parish trustees, as well as for their legal counsel Geoff Cowper
& Stanley Martin as they prepare for the appeal to be heard Sept
13-16. Particularly pray for St
Matthew’s Abbotsford as the Diocese of New Westminster seeks to hold services
in their church. |
| • |
For the Ottawa congregations which are newly embroiled in legal action. |
| • |
For St Aidan’s
in Windsor, as litigation is about to move forward, increasing 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 dioceses pursuing eviction of and legal damages against ANiC congregations
and wardens. |
| • |
That we would seek to glorify God by our conduct in all court proceedings. |
For 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 All Africa Bishops Conference in
Uganda, August 23-31.
For Christians
in Pakistan and Pakistan who are suffering violent opposition.
For repentance
and revival in our nation – a new hunger for God and a thirst for His
Word.
And now a word from
our sponsor
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because
of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for
him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the
beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8
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