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  ANiC Newsletter: 18 August, 2011 ... pdf version
    

Handle with prayer!

News – ANiC and AEN

Plan to attend
Are you coming to ANiC’s synod and spiritual life conference? Now might be a good time to find cheaper airfares! The dates are: November 2 for the clergy day and concurrent spiritual life conference for laity; while synod is November 3-4. All events are in Victoria, BC. More information is on the ANiC website. Please also remember to pray for synod preparations.


Ontario Court rules against St Aidan’s
Following the precedent set in the BC litigation between the Diocese of New Westminster and four ANiC parishes, the Ontario Superior Court ruled against St Aidan’s Windsor on 15 August 2011. Mr Justice T D Little ruled that the property and assets of St Aidan’s are held in trust for a St Aidan’s “parish” within the Diocese of Huron of the Anglican Church of Canada and that the terms “parish” and “congregation” were interchangeable and referred to
“a “distinct separate unit, rather than a compilation of its congregants at any one time”.

Within hours of the decision being released, the Diocese of Huron changed the locks on the building and asked the ANiC clergy and parish leaders come to remove all personal belongings. Both the rector of St Aidan’s, the Rev Tom Carman, as well as their legal counsel, were away on holidays when the decision was handed down.

“We were astounded by this unnecessarily hasty and harsh action,” said the Rev Carman, who also serves as ANiC’s registrar, “especially since they have little need for the building for their small congregation. Nevertheless, we have been blessed by the outpouring of love from the Christian community here in Windsor. We have had generous offers of assistance – including facilities for our congregation of 165 people.”

ANiC’s news release will soon be posted on our website. A conversation on the AEC blog provides further background on this situation. The court decision should be posted here at some point. And you can read two articles in the Windsor Star here and here. The Anglican Journal article is here.


BC Interior Bible study begun
Under the leadership of the Rev Bruce Chamberlayne, a small group is meeting for weekly Bible study in Kelowna. God willing, this Bible study will grow into an ANiC project.


Dr J I Packer’s sermon at John Stott’s Vancouver memorial service
Video of Dr J I Packer’s sermon at the Vancouver memorial service for John Stott is posted on AnglicanTV. The audio of the same sermon is on the Good Shepherd Vancouver website. You also can see a video of the funeral service from London’s All Soul’s Langham Place on AnglicanTV.


Three Bible-in-a-Day seminars to be held in BC
The Bible-in-a-Day seminar gives a coherent overview of the Bible in one short day and helps attendees grasp the “big picture” of Scripture – the breadth and depth and unifying story of the 66 books of the Bible. The seminar will help you get more out of sermons and Bible study and equip you to better explain the story of the Bible to others.

This fall, the Bible-in-a-Day seminar will be held at:
St John's Vancouver, September 17 – presented by the Rev Sean Love and the Rev David McElrea. (See the brochure on the St John’s Richmond website.)
Christ's Church Oceanside (near Parksville), October 8 – presented by the Rev Sean Love and Jeremy Graham (Regent M Div student and second-year Artizo intern.
St John's Richmond, October 29 – presented by the Rev Sean Love and Jeremy Graham.

If you can attend, DO!


Part-time priest needed for small congregation near Stayner, ON
The Way, a small ANiC Project in Sunnidale Corners – between Wasaga Beach and Stayner, ON – requires a part-time ANiC priest for Sundays-only ministry once or twice a month to preach and provide Holy Communion. The Way is a small congregation of up to 12 people. Although not a necessity, a priest with musical ability would be great. For further information please call The Way at 705-429-5931 or email theway.sunnidale@gmail.com.


Are you in Victoria? Please note our new phone number
We now have a local (toll-free) number that those in Victoria can use to call ANiC: 778 747-0189. If you are in the Victoria local calling area, please note this new number and use it when calling our office and personnel. Vancouver Island residents outside the Victoria local calling area should continue to use the 1-866-351-2642 toll-free calling number. ANiC now has local phone number in which we are asking those living in these communities to use when contacting us:

Victoria
Vancouver-area
Toronto / Mississauga
Winnipeg

778-747-0189
604-637-5671
289-288-4138
204-285-9899

Kitchener-Waterloo
Ottawa/Kanata
Montreal
St John’s, NL
519-772-7006
613-287-5501
514-317-9895
709-757-7140


Update on changes for Vancouver area churches
St Matthias and St Luke’s Church moves in style – On Sunday August 14, the people of St Matthias and St Luke’s Church (Vancouver) left their long-time building. Their new home is in the facilities of Bethlehem Lutheran Church – 320 East 15th Avenue, Vancouver – where the pastor and leadership have warmly and generously welcomed the ANiC congregation. The parish’s new Sunday worship time is 11am, which will be a combined language service – with translation for both English and Chinese-speaking parishioners.

Bishop Don reports that it was
“A great day here in Vancouver as this parish made its journey to Bethlehem Lutheran Church.” The service began in the old facility, then move in procession, following a car in which Bishops Don and Ron rode, where “the sunroof was open and the crucifer held the cross proudly up through it. It truly was a remarkable procession.” In a symbolic ceremony, the congregation gathered outside their new building – Bethlehem Lutheran – and were formally admitted and welcomed by Pastor Rink. Then St Matthias and St Luke’s rector, the Rev Simon Chin, lead his people into their new home.

See photos on DropBox – especially photo 278, which shows the process to the new church with the crucifer leading the process, held high through a car’s sunroof and the bus following, and photo #285 which shows Bishop Don using his crosier (pastoral staff) to rap on the door of the new church symbolically requesting admittance.

In his sermon, Bishop Ron Ferris’ challenged parishioners to continue the journey they’d begun:
“You have said yes to God! You have said yes, to an impossible journey. You have made a great crossing. You bear authentic Christianity to your community. But you bear it also to future generations, and to the world. You have entered, at cost, the Resurrection life, and you join with the apostles in bringing that Resurrection life to others… What privileged people we are, to know a God that has the power to bring us through the impossible.

We know the touch of God's grace… Rely on the Lord. He will bring you through. Be thankful. Tell the generations yet to come…. By following Jesus we have come to a living faith and a breakthrough experience in our own lives. Our gratitude and love compel us to share this sacred knowledge with others!... We know that we have been brought to this moment for a divine purpose. We have great expectations. Having come a long way, we know that the journey is not over. But with Jesus beside us, we dare to cross the impossible.”


St John’s Vancouver plans a series of events leading to their departure from the Nanton Avenue property. The St John’s website lists a number of transition events leading up to the congregation’s move to a nearby Seventh Day Adventist Church on September 25. These include a prayer day, an open house to say “good bye” to the current facility, participation in a block party with their new host Seventh Day Adventist church congregation, and advance tours of the new facility.

Court costs – The Diocese of New Westminster website states that a negotiated settlement of $155,000 had been received from the Vancouver area ANiC parishes as payment for legal costs awarded by the courts. This payment was also reported by the Abbotsford News.


Please pray
Lay minister Dave Kemp of ANiC’s Eternal Hope Anglican Church asks for prayer for his wife Mary Jane who in suffering severe complications from cancer surgery and is in hospital for rehydration.


Parish news

Church of the Messiah (Ottawa) has launched its new website.


Calendar of upcoming events – for your interest and prayer support
Aug 30 – Sept 1 - Youth Leadership Conference at St John’s Vancouver
Sept 12-14 – Simeon Fellowship annual gathering in Dallas, TX (of ACNA clergy & church planters)
Sept 15-17 – ACiC national conference in North Vancouver, BC
Sept 17 – Bible-in-a-Day seminar, St John’s Vancouver, BC
Sept 18 – St John’s Vancouver last service in old building
Sept 22-25 – A traditional silent retreat is planned for ANiC’s clergy in New England
Sept 25 – St John’s Vancouver first service in its new facility
Oct 8 – Bible-in-a-Day seminar, Christ’s Church, Oceanside, near Parksville, BC
Oct 29 – Bible-in-a-Day seminar, St John’s Richmond, BC
Nov 2 – ANiC Clergy Day, Victoria, BC
Nov 2 – ANiC lay conference, Victoria, BC
Nov 3-4 – ANiC synod, Victoria, BC
Nov 10-11 – Anglican1000’s Liturgy & the Arts conference, Durham, NC
Mar 6-8 – Anglican 1000’s 2012 Church Planting Summit in Plano, TX.
June 7-10 – ACNA Provincial Assembly, Ridgecrest, NC


On the front lines: Growing and planting churches
ANiC parish profile: St Luke’s (Pembroke, ON)
Several ANiC congregations have been able to purchase buildings and St Luke’s in Pembroke Ontario – about a two hour drive northwest of Ottawa – is one of them. Nine months after walking away from their old building in November 2008 when they joined ANiC, the people of St Luke’s purchased a large banquet hall and renovated it to create both a sanctuary and a church hall. Now in possession of a top-notch catering kitchen, the very active congregation has been making good use of it for events and outreach, including last December’s community Christmas dinner.

One of the blessings of the difficult time of transition was the generosity and support they received from the ecumenical Christian community. Tim recounts how the church was partially furnished thanks to pews from both Roman Catholic and Salvation Army congregations, an altar and lectern from the Roman Catholics, and liturgical “hardware” from a Lutheran congregation.

St Luke’s holds two Sunday morning worship services – which Tim describes as largely traditional with contemporary elements – with an average combined attendance of 140. The congregation continues to grow as people join St Luke's both from other churches (including Anglican) and unchurched backgrounds. Recently however, they have also experienced the loss of a few key families who have moved away from the community.

Churches in small towns have some advantages, says St Luke’s rector, the Rev Tim Parent. Becoming known in the community is easier. When the congregation held a “grand opening” for the new facility in 2009, they invited the community and about 500 came. More recently, the parish picnic in June saw a number of neighbourhood children join in the fun, having been invited through a mailing from the church. A booth at the recent country fair allowed church members to give away Bibles and Christian literature and engage fair-goers in meaningful conversations.

Tim is excited about several ministries especially a recently launched weekly youth group, the development of active pastoral care and outreach teams, and expanded small group Bible studies. The parish looks to form partnerships through reaching out to the local community, Canada and beyond with the Gospel in word and deed. Opportunities for ministry are many, but more “workers”, especially ministry leaders are needed. Please pray for St Luke’s and its ministry in Pembroke.


News – Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)

Updates on the legal situation involving two ACNA dioceses
San Joaquin – Interviewed on the Anglican Unscripted weekly news video, A S Haley, canon lawyer and counsel to the ACNA diocese, recounts the history of the litigation between the ACNA Diocese of San Joaquin and the US Episcopal Church (TEC). He explains that TEC’s primary interest appears to be burying the ACNA diocese and individual trustees in litigation and legal costs, rather than moving to trial. After three years of litigation there are still no trial dates as TEC continually throws up challenges and files new complaints. You can hear his explanation beginning at the 20 minute, 25 second mark of the online video.

Fort Worth – Bishop Jack Iker of the ACNA Diocese of Fort Worth, also interviewed on Anglican Unscripted beginning at the 29 minute mark, explains the litigation in which his diocese is involved. He discusses how his diocese, like the ACNA Diocese of San Joaquin, allowed congregations that chose to stay in the Episcopal Church – at the time the rest of the diocese voted to leave – keep their buildings. Nevertheless, the Episcopal Church went to court.


New bishops to be consecrated
ACNA Primate Archbishop Robert Duncan will preside at the consecrations of both the newly elected bishop of the ACNA Diocese of San Joaquin, Eric Meenes, on September 24 and Bishop-elect Kevin Bond of the recently formed Diocese of Cascadia on September 30. Bishop John Guernsey – who had led the scattered congregations of the Diocese of the Holy Spirit until its member churches were transferred to geographically-based dioceses within ACNA – will be installed as the first bishop of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic on September 10.


Other ACNA news
Daily Breeze (LA area) – August 10 2011 – Anglicans find a home in Old Torrance
ACNA article – August 12 2011 – …Forth Worth hosts first Spanish-language Faith Alive weekend
Buffalo News – August 13 2011 – Anglican Church assumes central role in new diocese
Folsom Telegraph – August 16 2011 – Church service livens up funeral home


News – Canada

Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC) conference
The ACiC, a ministry partner of ANiC’s, is planning a national conference September 15-17 in BC.


The Global Leadership Summit
On September 29-30, the Canadian version of the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit will be held with remote locations across the country. For information and to register, see the website. The US version of this Summit, which attracted more than 100,000 church leaders, was held last week.


Case for tolerance based on selective Scripture
Writing in the Anglican Journal, the Rev Dr Gary Nicolosi urges toleration of different theological positions within the Church based on Jesus’ parable recorded in Matthew 13:24−30. This parable tells of a farmer’s instruction to his workers to wait until the harvest before pulling up the weeds – planted by an enemy – found growing amongst the good seed.

Dr Nicolosi writes:
“Bishop Paul Moore of New York told a story several years ago about an incident that occurred in his junior year at General Theological Seminary. Some of the students were upset by a headline in The New York Times stating that the bishop of Birmingham (England) did not believe in the resurrection of Jesus. The students rushed to their theology professor, Dr. Marshall Boyer Stewart. “Dr. Stewart, Dr. Stewart,” said the students, “what are we going to do? The bishop of Birmingham, a real English bishop, does not believe in the resurrection!” Dr. Stewart put his face in his hands, sighed and said, “Well, the bishop of Birmingham will die someday, and the next bishop of Birmingham probably will believe in the resurrection.” That, Bishop Moore said, is how Anglicans deal with heresy!

“In the weeds and wheat parable, Jesus wants us to trust God to deal with the weeds. So, when you become exasperated at all the “weeds” in the church that you perceive need to be gotten rid of, why not take a deep breath, be patient and trust God that truth will prevail in God’s own way and in God’s good time? Practising tolerance is not weakness— it reflects our faith in a great God whose Spirit guides the church still.”


Unfortunately the article ignores Jesus’ explanation of this parable to his disciples found just a few verses – in Matthew 13: 36-43 in which Christ explicitly states that the field is the world – rather than the church as Dr Nicolosi asserts – and the good seed, the
“sons of the kingdom”, coexist with the “sons of the evil one” until the time of the harvest at the “close of the age” when “the weeds will be gathered and burned with fire” (ESV).


News – International

Looting in England due to godlessness say church leaders
The recent rioting, looting and anarchy in London and elsewhere has highlighted the breakdown in values and family life. In a letter to the Telegraph, senior church leaders including Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali say it is the loss of a moral framework that has led to “the plunge into the new barbarism”. They say,
“We must take steps immediately to strengthen the family as a place for moral and spiritual formation where our children first learn about boundaries… What we instil in children today will determine in the future how they govern a nation, influence our policies and ultimately determine the quality of life in our communities. We each make choices and decisions based on our value systems. Godlessness has only produced selfishness and greed. The well-tried Christian faith has given us hope in the past and can do so again now.”

Writing on Anglican Mainstream, Canons Chris Sugden and Vinay Samuel say that, traditionally, policing in Britain was
“based the notion of a self-ordering population which is founded on a sense of right and wrong...” They point out that, in recent times, British youth “have been told that any form of moral order, any form of objective morality is purely an exercise of power by a socially dominant group… The state and politicians have systematically undermined the contribution of religion to public life and moral order, stigmatizing religion as oppressive and exclusive and tolerable only in a very limited personal space.” And “the church has been complicit in accepting the undermining of the moral order…” They call for a return to teaching the law of God.

The Vicar of St Marks Battersea Rise parish sees this moment as an opportunity for the Church. Paul Perkin writes,
“…this is our kairos moment. ‘For such a time as this’ the church should be seen to be the church in action, God’s people, ‘repairing the broken walls’…”

Prime Minister David Cameron said
“the problem… is a complete lack of responsibility, a lack of proper parenting, a lack of proper upbringing, a lack of proper ethics, a lack of proper morals. That is what we need to change.” The Christian Institute reports another leader saying, “We have developed into a ‘Gimme’ society stuffed full of rights without an understanding of responsibility.” Others have pointed to the collapse of the family, absent fathers, the undermining of institutional authority, consumerism, and a lack of moral education. Mike Ovey, Principal of Oak Hill College in England, in a perceptive article says the rioting is in fact violent looting and that it is an indictment on our materialistic, consumer society where wealth is our god.

According to the Anglican Communion News Service, the Archbishop of Canterbury told the House of Lords that the keys to ending this criminal behaviour were education
“that builds character, that builds virtue”, “rebuilding the skills of parenting”, and “rebuilding education itself”.


The “listening process” designed to undermine and mislead
In a fascinating and revealing article, the vice-provost of the Cathedral in the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Dave Doveton, has written an important scholarly analysis of the “dynamics and effect of the ‘listening process’ as presently structured by the Lambeth bureaucracy” of the Anglican Communion. He notes that
“those participating are expected to suspend all critical faculties; the aim is to arrive at some understanding of the other persons ‘world and thought’ and an empathy with the person. Doctrinal convictions are excluded; they play no part in the process…”

Mr Doveton cites the Apostle Paul’s letters to Timothy in which
“he repeatedly and expressly addresses the topic of doctrinal purity and the responsibility of a church leader to be a steward of correct doctrine… warning about false teachers and their teachings is repeated several times in both letters.” Based on Paul’s instruction in 1Timothy 4:7 to have nothing to do with “silly myths”, but rather pursue godliness, Mr Doveton demonstrates how the personal story telling employed in the “listening process” serves as societal Myths – important and socially significant stories which encapsulate a worldview and serve to “establish and justify all human conduct and activity”. Specifically, he details how most stories employed in the “listening process” fit the Hero Myth format – a powerfully persuasive form of storytelling that conveys values, ideological frames of reference and beliefs.

He concludes:
“It is clear that the metaphoric, non-rational dynamic of the ‘listening process’ abstracted from rational theological debate, exercises a powerful and subversive influence on the doctrinal convictions of Christians… Those with commitments to orthodox Anglican teaching who may take part in the listening process need to be aware of its assumptions about the nature of truth and the mythic power on which it draws as they make their own theologically rooted contribution. Some may well think the process is so flawed and excluding of serious theological contributions that they cannot themselves participate.”


“Sea changes in the Anglican Communion”
In a paper posted on the American Anglican Council website, Professor Stephen Noll provides an overview of last decade in the Anglican Communion and carefully shows how and why so much of the Communion became estranged from the western provinces – such as the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) and the Episcopal Church of the US (TEC) – and even from the Archbishop of Canterbury. He shows how the bureaucracy in the Anglican Communion have neutralized the Instruments of Communion including the Primates Council and why one by one the Primates are coming to realize the futility of continuing to work with the hijacked official Communion bodies.

Professor Noll says that, after a stormy past decade in the Communion, the sea is now calm,
“but the topography of the Communion is permanently changed”. Many of the Provinces have chosen to no longer participate in Communion bodies and “have broken communion with the official Anglican Provinces in North America”, so there are few voices representing the Biblically faithful global Anglican majority to create waves in official Communion meetings. He says, “They judge that the breach of biblical faith and practice initiated by the North Americans and condoned by the Lambeth establishment is intolerable and irrevocable. Much as they may have looked to the Church of England as their spiritual and missionary mother, they have concluded that she has broken faith with her own heritage and fostered the current division.” According to Professor Noll, the only remaining question is whether the GAFCon affiliated Churches will form into a more formal Communion, leading to a “sea change in Anglican history”.


Anglican Communion Liturgical Consultation examines marriage rites
The Anglican Communion News Service announced that 56 Anglicans – most from western churches – met recently to continue work on marriage rites. They looked at the theology of marriage, the cultural contexts, and the ritual of marriage. At the request of the US Episcopal Church, they also looked at TEC’s
“exploratory theological rationale and liturgical principles for the development of rites for the blessing of committed same gender relationships”. The Rev Dr Eileen Scully of the Anglican Church of Canada will chair the steering committee for the next year.

The Church of England Newspaper notes that
“A push by the Episcopal Church to bring same-sex marriage into the theological mainstream was repulsed last week by delegates attending the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation (IALC) in Canterbury. The IALC was not persuaded by the theological or liturgical arguments—including a mock same-sex blessing ceremony–offered by the Episcopal Church delegation on the merits of same-sex blessings and declined to include the US’s views in its final report on marriage.”

The article continues:
“While some members of the IALC, including its new chairman, Canadian-member the Rev. Dr. Eileen Scully, were generally supportive of the US view, the majority were not. One participant told CEN the objections fell in two general groups: those who believed the concept of same-sex blessings was un-Biblical, and those who were perturbed by the “aggressive” push by the US team to seize control of a study process on rites for traditional marriage to include their own agenda.”


From around the Communion and the world
Sudan – The Catholic News Agency reports that Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail, of Sudan's Episcopal Diocese of Kadulgi, in testimony before a US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee said, “The Nuba people fear that we will be forgotten, that the world will stand idly by while mass killings continue without redress… Our hope is that the United States will lead the international community in taking prompt, effective action to protect tens of thousands of displaced people, including an untold number of civilians being killed house-to-house and bombed by their own government.” South Kordofan, home of the Nuba people, lies just north of the newly-established Republic of South Sudan.

The Church of England Newspaper quotes others accusing the Sudanese government in Khartoum of “Arabizing” the region by killing or forcing out the black Nuba tribes people from their ancestral home. It explains:
“Lying along the border between North and South Sudan, the oil-rich region of South Kordofan lost almost half its population, an estimated 500,000 people, during the second Sudan civil war of 1990-2005. Promises by the Khartoum government to permit a referendum on whether the region would join South Sudan or remain under the control of the Khartoum government have not been honoured.”

Others report that satellite images of what appear to be newly dug mass graves, corroborates eyewitness reports of systematic killings.
“This is a state-sponsored ethnic cleansing campaign where the government of Sudan is killing its own people through a campaign of artillery shelling, aerial bombardment, and house-to-house killings,” says Jonathan Hutson of the Enough Project’s Satellite Sentinel Project. Please pray that the UN and world powers will intervene to bring peace.

Religious Dispatches provides an excellent overview of the atrocities in South Kordofan and the world’s inaction and the Sudan Tribute adds accounts from Sudanese refugees.


Horn of Africa drought & famine – A Church of England article notes that Kenyan Archbishop Eliud Wabukala has attributed much of the blame for the famine in northern and eastern Kenya to government structural failures – a failure to plan for these cyclical droughts, and a failure to store excess harvests for times and areas of famine. According to the article, “The United Nations Food & Agricultural Organization reports that over 11 million people, including 2.3 million children under the age of five, are in urgent need of food and water in the horn of Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Kenya following two years of drought that has left over 10,000 dead. The situation is particularly acute in Somalia, the UN’s refugee agency reported, where 3.7 million people are facing food shortages.”

Canon Chris Sugden adds that
“the Anglican Church of Kenya has a Board of Development and Social Services which oversees a number of programmes including famine relief and ensuring food security. They work in nine regions covering the whole country. It is directed from the Archbishop’s office.” The Church currently is feeding 4000 families and plans to buy and transport more food to the famine areas. It addition, the Church plans to drill for water in the regions devastated by drought.

The Anglican Communion News Service reports that the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa led a two day ecumenical meeting in Nairobi to rally support for the famine relief work and instigate action to address underlying systemic issues. According to an Anglican Journal article, the Anglican Church of Kenya “
says it has spent since last year over 300 million Kenyan shillings (US$3.2 million) in famine related interventions.”

North Korea – International Christian Concern is urging us to join an International protest to save the North Korean Refugees” on September 22. “This protest will call Chinese embassies and consulates throughout the world to stop the repatriation of North Korean refugees” and “bring global awareness to China's cruel policy that violates its international treaty commitments…” If repatriated to North Korea, refugees often face death and atrocities. For information on how you can become involved see their flyer.

New Zealand – The Church of England Newspaper reports that plans have been unveiled to build a temporary cathedral – made largely of cardboard and recycled paper – for use while the permanent cathedral is under construction.

ZimbabweChristianity Today reports that “Pastors and advocates report that a new wave of persecution is washing over the churches of Zimbabwe as the country prepares for a new round of elections called by President Robert Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF party… Churches that have opposed the ZANU PF party line have met with violent suppression.”

The Anglican Communion News Service tells of clergy being evicted from their rectories. It concludes:
“The Anglican Church in Zimbabwe has been under attack from the excommunicated bishop, Dr Nolbert Kunonga, since 2007. Kunonga, with the support of police and henchmen, has seized CPCA church property and used violence to break up church services. In a recent media interview Dr Kunonga was quoted as saying he aimed to control the 3,000 Anglican churches, schools, hospitals and other properties in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Malawi.”

NigeriaPersecution.org reports that radical Islamists have again killed Christians in the city of Maiduguri in their ongoing campaign to rid northern Nigeria of Christianity and impose Sharia law. Over the years, church buildings have been burnt and many Christians have fled. The remaining Christians request our prayer support.

EgyptInternational Christian Concern notes that recent hearings on Capitol Hill heard reports of “the recent escalation of violence toward Coptic Christians in Egypt, as well as reports of disappearances [kidnappings], forced conversion and forced marriages of Coptic women and girls”.

Belize – The Church of England Newspaper reports that “The Anglican Diocese of Belize has joined the country’s other Churches in opposing reform of the Caribbean nation’s sodomy laws.”

Pakistan – With Christians facing death on trumped up charges based upon the country’s notorious blasphemy laws, we are asked to sign an online petition supporting Asia Bibi, a middle-aged mother of two young girls sentenced to death in Pakistan for telling her coworkers that “Our Christ sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins… Our Christ is alive.”


Soul food

Just for fun
An overweight man was put on a diet by his doctor.

The doctor instructed: "I want you to eat regularly for two days then skip a day. Then eat regularly again for two days, then skip a day. Repeat this pr
ocedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least five pounds."

When the man returned, he shocked the doctor by having lost nearly 20 pounds!

"Wow, that's amazing!" the doctor said. "Did you follow my instructions?"

The man nodded. "I'll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead on the third day."

"From the hunger, you mean?" asked the doctor.

 “No,” the man replied emphatically. “From skipping.”


Moral revolution testing the church
In a perceptive article, Dr Albert Mohler, describes the moral revolution in which taboos are not just falling but are being held up as good. He says,
“…it is a moral inversion that has left those holding the old morality now accused of nothing less than ‘moral deficiency’.” He challenges the Church:

“In this most awkward cultural predicament, evangelicals must be excruciatingly clear that we do not speak about the sinfulness of homosexuality as if we have no sin. As a matter of fact, it is precisely because we have come to know ourselves as sinners and of our need for a savior that we have come to faith in Jesus Christ. Our greatest fear is not that homosexuality will be normalized and accepted, but that homosexuals will not come to know of their own need for Christ and the forgiveness of their sins.

“It is now abundantly clear that evangelicals have failed in so many ways to meet this challenge… We have failed to see the challenge of homosexuality as a Gospel issue. We are the ones, after all, who are supposed to know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only remedy for sin, starting with our own.

“We have demonstrated our own form of homophobia—not in the way that activists have used that word, but in the sense that we have been afraid to face this issue where it is most difficult . . . face to face…

“There is no escaping the fact that we are living in the midst of a moral revolution. And yet, it is not the world around us that is being tested, so much as the believing church. We are about to find out just how much we believe the Gospel we so eagerly preach.”



Resources
Marriage – The US Conference of Catholic Bishops has compiled materials to promote and defend the historic, Biblical understanding of marriage – including some excellent videos.

Preaching – Dr Albert Mohler has reprinted a1987 interview with Dr John Stott on preaching.

Bible appBible.is – part of the Digital Bible Project – now offers more that 542 languages on its free Bible app. Already, the app has reached 5 million downloads.

Blessing your workplace – See a list of 30 ways Christians could bless their places of work and build relationships with non-Christian co-workers.

Witness – The Sydney Anglicans website has a thought-provoking article on sharing our faith called, “5 strangers a day”.

Anglican Perspectives – The August 10th Anglican Perspective – a very short, inspiring three-minute video – encourages us, when confronted with bad news, to remember that God is in control. His resources are more than adequate for our circumstances. The August 18th Anglican Perspective talks about Christians responsibility to be salt – preserving society from further degeneration – and light – proclaiming God’s Truth and showing His love.


Food for thought
God wants to turn your test into a testimony; your mess into a message.
Posted on the American Anglican Council Facebook page


Please pray...
For the leaders and people of St Aidan’s Windsor who are considering their next steps in light of the recent court decision.

For ANiC churches involved in property disputes with the Diocese of Niagara:
St George’s (Burlington, ON), St Hilda’s (Oakville, ON) and Good Shepherd (St Catharines, ON).

For
ANiC congregations in transition, leaving long-time church buildings and settling into new facilities. Praise God for His provision and for the generosity and outpouring of love from other Christian churches in their communities.

For ANiC
synod planning and preparations.

For our
bishops, clergy and lay leaders, and their families – especially those in need of healing.

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
ARDFC’s new Congo project which is helping war-torn communities become reestablished and promoting peace-making. May God use it to bless Congolese and bring many to Christ.

For peace and an end to the killing in the
Sudan. For God’s hand of protection to cover His Church.

For
persecuted Christians in Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Zimbabwe and China – and especially for those suffering unimaginable abuse and atrocities in North Korea, Eritrea & Somalia.

For the nation of
Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

For those ministering in the
famine areas in the Horn of Africa. Pray that the Islamist militias in Somalia will relent and allow aid to safely enter territories where people are starving.

For the
GAFCon Primates & Fellowship of Confessing Anglican leaders as they plan meetings of Biblically faithful Anglicans in 2012 & 2013. Pray also for the new Anglican Mission in England.

For all those in positions of leadership and influence in the
Anglican Communion, that they would seek to honour and obey God above all else.

For repentance and revival in
our hearts and in our nation, for a hunger for God and His Word.


And now a word from our sponsor
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

…the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation…

Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah


Psalm 9



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