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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
ANiC is printing a 2012 liturgical calendar
ANiC is producing a Liturgical Calendar for 2012 – a very
attractive liturgical calendar!
It’s a full colour, 8 x 10 inch (when folded) wall
calendar that features original artwork by some of the many extraordinarily talented
artists within the Anglican Network in Canada.
The days and colours of the Church Year are clearly
noted, making it a valuable resource for all of us and an essential companion
for clergy and church leaders. In formulating the Church Year, ANiC’s registrar,
the Rev Tom Carman, has tried to incorporate a range of traditions in order to
accommodate the diversity of practice within our church.
Proceeds from the sale of the calendars will go to
support ANiC’s church planting initiatives. They are priced at $10 apiece, with
discounts for bulk orders: 10 for $90 ($9 each) and 50 for $400 ($8 each). Churches
or church groups may wish to order in bulk to resell as their own fund-raiser –
or simply to pass on the savings to parishioners. (An order form is on our
website.) For those picking up their calendars at ANiC’s synod, you’ll
receive a bonus of one free calendar for every package of 10 you’ve ordered.
In endorsing the calendar, Bishop Don says, “Many
of you are aware of the emphasis I place on a proper observance of the Christian
Year as our new parishes take shape. I highly commend this calendar as a great
tool in accomplishing this on a regular basis… When you order a calendar for
yourself, consider getting extras to use as gifts, especially at Christmas. Not
only will it be beautiful and significant, but in a way it becomes a quiet form
of evangelism... At the same time, you will be helping us plant and build Biblically
faithful churches in the Anglican tradition.”
Because we are printing a limited number of
calendars, you may wish to get your orders in quickly.
A big “thank you” to our featured artists, to our
graphic artist Daniel Hartwig and to Jayne Kirby and her crew of volunteers at Christ
the King (Victoria) who are handling ordering and distribution.
Synod agenda posted,
speakers confirmed
On our tentative agenda you’ll
notice that our conference and synod keynote speakers are:
Bishop John Guernsey, who is newly installed as the
Bishop of ACNA’s Diocese of
the Mid-Atlantic and is well known to many ANiC members,
Canon Phil Ashey, chaplain and COO of the American Anglican Council.
Canon Ashey is spearheading two very-well-received initiatives designed to
train and equip clergy as well as church
leaders.
You’ll find more information on the speakers, the
lay conference and the synod on our website.
A featured speaker at the clergy conference is the Rev
Dawn MacDonald of Zacchaeus Fellowship who
will conduct a workshop for clergy on "Ministering to sexually broken
persons in our congregations". Dawn is well known to many in ANiC and will
be available throughout the event for private consultations and chats. You can
read Dawn’s testimony on the Zacchaeus
website.
Registration – Early bird registration for
the conference and synod is $295 for the three days. Please help us plan by registering as early as
possible. If you can’t attend the entire event, you can request a $50 day pass for
the lay conference on November 2 by emailing Synod2011@shaw.ca.
There is no need to register online if you only wish the pass for November 2. When
emailing, please provide your contact details and the names of each person for
whom you are requesting passes. You will receive confirmation by email.
Prayer – Please also remember to pray for synod. Recognizing that ANiC is
utterly dependent upon God, the Rev Garth Hunt has written a prayer for synod
which we’d very much appreciate parishes incorporating into their prayers each Sunday
leading up to the event. It is posted at the end of the Synod page on our website.
Introducing Jessica…
Jessica Underdown joined ANiC’s Burlington office
staff in August as an Administrative Assistant. She and her husband recently
moved back to Canada from England and are parishioners at Jessica’s long-time
home church, St George’s Burlington. Jessica says she is delighted to serve the
ANiC community.
Bishop’s report
Last week both Bishop Don Harvey and Bishop Charlie
Masters were with our clergy in New England for their annual retreat in Kenneybunk,
Maine. This week all of our bishops are at the College of Bishops Consultation
with our Primate in Sumas, Washington. Please continue to pray for our Bishops
during these challenging but exciting times.
We sorrow not as those who have no hope
ANiC
deacon, the Rev Paul Raymond Almond (St Aidan’s, Windsor, ON) left this life on
September 21 2011 and went to be with his Lord. Our thoughts and prayers are
with his family and his extended church family at St Aidan’s.
Conference addresses
pastoral care of women
St George’s (Burlington, ON) is holding its annual conference day
Saturday, Oct 29, 9am - 4:30 pm, at Crieff Hills. The speaker, Donna Lee Sisson,
a teacher at Women’s Ministries Institute will address Pastoral Care of Women. Cost
is $40 which includes lunch. Please email your attendance to office@stgeorgesonline.com.
Cheques should be made out to St George's (ANiC) noting Women's Conference in
the memo line. Send cheques to St George’s, 1295 North Service Rd, Burlington,
ON L7R 4M2. For more information, email or call Donna Rigo 905-335-6222.
Healing prayer
conference
Celebration Church (Barrie, ON) is holding a one-day Healing Prayer Conference on Sunday, October 16 with the
Rev Dr Mark Pearson, author of Christian
Healing: A Practical & Comprehensive Guide. Canon Mark Pearson is above all a man of God, who has intently studied what
God says and does in the field of healing. For over thirty years he has prayed
with people and taught people how to pray for healing, and has witnessed many
miracles of healing accomplished by God. If you need healing or wish to learn
about ministering to others, plan to attend. Full details and registration information is online. You
can also email Celebration
Church if you have questions.
Please pray for ANiC members working in Uganda
The
Rev Geoffrey and Rosalind Dixon of Christ's Church (Oceanside, BC) are n south-western
Uganda until the end of October, doing discipleship training with church leaders,
in conjunction with the Diocese of Ankole. The Rev Richard Roberts, deacon
at ANiC Church of the Ascension (Langley, BC) and Program Manager for Africa
Community Technical Service (ACTS) leaves for Uganda on September 28 for a
month. Your prayers are appreciated.
ARDFC update
The Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada has
entered its second year of operations, having completed one project –
working with the Diocese of Maseno West (Kenya) on malaria prevention –
and beginning another. Our current project, in which we are partnering with
Diocese of Kindu (Congo) helps reestablish refugees returning home after years
of war. The project encompasses both peace-building and agricultural
initiatives, providing farming tools, training, seeds and some livestock. For
more information, please see our
website.
We have also recently posted our
first ARDFC newsletter which attempts to answer the question, “Why
give to ARDFC when there are so many other charities around?” One reason is
that ARDFC offers donors confidence: Confidence that the projects are meeting
real needs; Confidence that the projects are helping churches in the Global
South be the hands and feet of Jesus as they minister in their communities, Confidence
that the money will be used as donors intended.
While the Anglican Relief and Development Fund
Canada (ARDFC) is relatively new, our US partner (the ARDF) is celebrating its
seventh year of operation, having delivered over $4.8 million in funding to
over 105 relief and development projects. Its international board of trustees
includes a number of Global South Primates who select the projects to be
undertaken. The ARDF has prepared an excellent
report on its ministry, values, methodology and track record.
November 13 – Day of Prayer for the Persecuted
Church
Sunday, November
13 has been designated as a global day of prayer for persecuted believers.
Today, more Christians than ever face persecution. In gratitude for the
religious freedom we still enjoy in North America, let us faithfully remember those
who suffer for their Lord. On November 13, in particular, all ANiC churches are
asked to join in this global prayer for the persecuted Church. Information and
resources for this prayer emphasis are online.
Update on St John’s Vancouver (BC)
St John’s Vancouver (BC) is now out of its longtime
building. According to the church’s
website, after last Sunday’s 10am Holy Communion service the
congregation processed out from the church, then drove to their new location to
continue the worship by “singing God’s praises and thanking Him for His
goodness to us” and eating lunch together. Desiring to be a blessing to the new
occupants, parishioners held a clean-up day at their former building before
moving.
While the ministry and worship location for St John’s
Vancouver is the Oakridge Adventist Church, St John’s office has moved to 2325
Burrard Street. And the new office phone number for all staff is (604) 558-4400.
In his moving letter to the congregation last Sunday, Canon David Short concludes: “…most of all I want to say how thankful I am.
Thankful that you are willing to do something countercultural and
counterintuitive for the truth of God’s word; to lose something very valuable
for the surpassing worth of Jesus Christ; to hold the unity of the faith by
holding onto each other and acting together as one body; to joyfully accept the
confiscation of your property. God is not ashamed to be called your God, for he
has prepared for you a city.”
St John’s Vancouver has issued two news releases recently
to keep the media informed of their activities as they transition to the new
site. Media coverage has included:
Anglican Journal – September 22 2011 – Breakaway
Anglicans find new worship space
Winnipeg
Free Press – September 22 2011 – …congregation leaves historic church building…
Reminder: Ottawa clergy conference cancelled
For those who missed the news earlier, the Ottawa
clergy conference with Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali planned for October 15-17 has
been cancelled. Hopefully, an event will be organized for next year.
Parish news
St David’s the Faithful (Winnipeg, BC) now has a Facebook page.
Christ The King (Toronto, ON) is celebrating its 1st
anniversary with on October 16. At that service the Rev Jonathan Wong will be
inducted as priest-in-charge and the Rev Robin Guinness as associate priest. All
are invited. See poster
for details. The church is also plunging into a new sermon series on
the book of Jonah. For services and location, see the website.
Emmaus (Montreal, QC) – The Rev Keith Ganzer
was inducted as the new rector on Sunday September 18 by Bishop Charlie
Masters. The church also has a terrific new website!
St Andrew’s
(Delta, BC) – The Rev Dr Mike Dobson will be inducted as
rector of St Andrew’s on Sunday, October 16, 9am by Bishop Trevor Walters. The
service is held at the Tsawwassen Longhouse, 1710-56 St, Delta. You are
invited!
Calendar of upcoming events – for your
interest and prayer support
Oct 1, 7:30pm – Good Shepherd Vancouver missions evening with reports from Thailand & China
Oct 8 – Bible-in-a-Day seminar,
Christ’s Church, Oceanside, near Parksville, BC
Oct 16 – Christ
The King 1st
anniversary celebration
Oct 16 – Celebration Church (Barrie, ON),
Healing Prayer Conference
Oct 22, 7:30pm –
Fundraising concert for missions at Good Shepherd Vancouver
Oct 29 – Bible-in-a-Day seminar,
St John’s Richmond, BC
Oct 29 – Pastoral
Care of Women, St George’s (Burlington, ON) conference, Crieff Hills
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
Nov 13 – International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Mar 6-8 – Anglican
1000’s 2012 Church
Planting Summit in Plano, TX.
June 7-9 – ACNA
Provincial Assembly, Ridgecrest, NC
News – Anglican Church in North America
(ACNA)
Two dioceses in formation
The Charleston (South
Carolina) Post and Courier newspaper tells us that the Anglican Church in North America
has two new dioceses being formed in the US south-east. It reports, “ACNA includes nearly 700
congregations… in 21 dioceses. Two more regional governing bodies, the dioceses
of the Carolinas and the Southwest, soon will join them.” The Rev Steve Wood, rector of St Andrew’s in Mount
Pleasant, South Carolina has just been appointed Vicar General of the forming
Diocese of the Carolinas. His mandate is to organize the administrative
requirements for the diocese to launch. “The goal is to draft the canons
of the diocese, search for a bishop and finish establishing the administrative
structure by June 2012, when ACNA's provincial council next meets, he [the Rev
Wood] said.”
Consecration of bishops
The Rev Canon Dr Felix Orji, who has special ties
to some ANiC members, was consecrated – along with Bishop-elect Julian Dobbs and a four Nigerian clergy –
by the Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh on Sunday, September 25 in
Lagos. Bishop Orji once ministered at St John’s Shaughnessy (now St John’s
Vancouver). Both are in the ACNA diocese of CANA (convocation of Anglicans in
North America) which retains its historic ties to the Church of Nigeria.
Bishop Eric Menees was
consecrated September 24 in Fresno, California where he now leads
the ACNA Diocese of San Joaquin. Bishop-elect Kevin Bond Allen will be
consecration on September 30 in Seattle, Washington to lead the newly formed
Diocese of Cascadia. More information is available on the ACNA
website.
Bishop John Guernsey, one of the keynote speakers
at ANiC’s upcoming synod and lay conference, was recently invested in
Virginia to lead the recently formed Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic. A video of
the service is on AnglicanTV.
Videos of our Primate and more
AnglicanTV has two interesting videos of Archbishop
Bob Duncan. The first is an
interview with him about his experiences on September 11, 2001. The second is the
sermon he preached at Falls Church, Virginia on the 10th anniversary
of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
Another video – this time an interview with Canon Kendall Harmon – offers a uniquely compelling perspective on
the terrorist attacks now known as 9/11. Canon Harmon wonders if God’s
judgement was working in and through the events of 9/11 and whether we were
blind and deaf to a call to repentance.
Why Anglican?
Canon Phil Ashey in the current edition of the
weekly two-minute Anglican
Perspective video extols the beauty of Anglican worship.
News – Canada
Judge
cites sanction of abortion in issuing a suspended sentence for infanticide
A LifeSiteNews article on the sentencing of a young Alberta woman convicted of killing her baby, reports “An Alberta judge has let a woman who strangled her newborn son walk free
by arguing that Canada’s absence of a law on abortion signals that Canadians “sympathize”
with the mother….” Decrying this “fourth trimester abortion”, Dr Albert
Mohler notes that this decision “extends the principles underlying legalized
abortion.” He adds, “The willingness to kill within the womb leads
logically to a willingness to kill outside the womb…. this judge has simply
extended the logic of abortion…. If the “onerous demands” of parenthood justify
killing one’s own child, there is no logical reason to confine permissive
infanticide to newborns, or even to younger children.”
Faith
Today magazine free for college students
The Evangelical
Fellowship of Canada magazine, Faith Today, is offering students studying at Christian
postsecondary schools a complimentary
four-year online subscription.
Lutheran
appointed dean of Anglican cathedral
In
a first for Canada, the Rev Paul Johnson, a Lutheran minister, has been appointed dean (priest-in-charge of a
cathedral) of St John’s Cathedral in Winnipeg, mother church of the Diocese of
Rupert’s Land.
More
Canadian News
Anglican
Planet – September 25 2011 – After the
Fire [About VBS in Slave Lake, AB]
News – USA
Audacious
letter from TEC diocese asks former congregation to help meet shortfall
Canon Phil
Ashey discussed a congregation in Albuquerque, New Mexico which left
the Episcopal Church (TEC) Diocese of Rio Grande to form a new parish under the
Anglican Church in North America. They willingly walked away from everything,
their church building, endowments, bank accounts, everything. Now, two years
later, their former TEC bishop has written a “pastoral” letter informing them
of the diocesan council’s decision that the now ACNA congregation should be
responsible for their former parish’s shortfall in contributions to the diocese
- $20,000. While this extraordinary letter demonstrates unprecedented gall, it
also strangely serves to contradict the Episcopal Church’s mantra that "people
can leave, but churches cannot" – a mantra that has been repeated
cited by TEC in property litigating.
TEC purports to nullify decisions taken by diocese
Recent decisions taken by the Diocese of South
Carolina are “null and void”, according to the Episcopal Church’s (TEC). VirtueOnline
explains that “Last February, delegates to the 2011 [South Carolina]
Diocesan Convention gave final approval to amendments to the Diocese's
governing document eliminating "accession" to the Constitution and
Canons of the Episcopal Church.” The theologically conservative diocese, led by
Bishop Mark Lawrence, has remained within TEC while asserting its sovereignty
over its own affairs.
Other US news
Church of England Newspaper – Sept 9 2011 – Repairs
underway for Washington’s… Cathedral
Minneapolis Star Tribune – Sept 12 2011 – Ugandan
bishop and gay rights advocate to visit…
News – International
Global South Primates speak
In a September 9th
Communique following their meeting in China as guests of the Chinese
government, eleven Global South Primates rejoice in the growth of the Chinese
church, but focus primarily on issues in the Anglican Communion. Noting that
while the “…majority of Anglicans are found no longer in the west…”, Anglican
Provinces in the west have succumbed to the pressures of our secular culture,
unlike most Global South churches, which remain “…committed to our historic
faith and order”. While reiterating their commitment to the Communion, they
say, “Sadly, however, the Anglican Communion’s
Instruments of Unity have become dysfunctional and no longer have the ecclesial
and moral authority to hold the Communion together.” After listing examples of
the failures of the Instruments of Communion, which includes the Archbishop of
Canterbury, they insist “…that the Primates should be the proper moral and
spiritual authority for the monitoring of the Covenant.” They add that they are
planning a missions consultation to which orthodox Anglican churches will be invited;
and conclude that “We are committed to support faithful orthodox Anglican
churches and groups in the west which share our historic faith and order.”
In a response
posted on Anglican Mainstream, Canon Dr Vinay Samuel, Director of
the Oxford Centre for Religion and Public Life, addresses a concern many will
have in reading the Primates’ statement. He says, “It is my hope that the obviously cordial
relationship that developed between the Primates and their Chinese hosts would
have made it possible for the Primates to share concerns about the problems
faced by Roman Catholics and House churches in China.” He expresses the hope
that the Primates would have privately challenged “the Chinese government to
see all Christian churches in China as resources for national development and
unity.”
The Church of
England Newspaper says this statement is a repudiation of the
Archbishop of Canterbury’s chosen course. The article says, “With the Anglican Covenant process under increasing pressure from
liberals and conservatives, and his programme of dialogue around the topics
dividing the church, but not addressing the divisions within the church,
rejected by a majority of the Communion, Dr. Rowan Williams’ international
agenda appears to have all but collapsed.”
The state of the Communion
The most recent
edition of the Anglican Unscripted video – which bills itself
as the only Anglican podcast – is very interesting. In a wide-ranging
conversation, commentators Kevin Kallsen and George Conger – both
long-time journalists covering Anglican matters – engage several insiders
and experts as they cover: the history and current state of the Anglican
Communion, the future of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the controversy roiling
and potentially splitting the Church of Ireland, the latest developments in the
US Episcopal Church including how it is financing its litigation,
Based in part of the recent Communique released by
leaders of the Global South, they make some interesting observations regarding:
| • |
The colonial “conceit of the central administration
in London” in dealing with the Global South and “the real distain the ACC
[Anglican Consultative Council] is held in by leaders of the Global South. They
feel it is a corrupt body.” |
| • |
The turmoil in the Communion, which they say was created,
“Not so much [by] bad decision-making from Lambeth Palace as [by] the absence
of decision-making from Lambeth Palace, allowing the Anglican Consultative
Council staff to make decisions”. Canterbury’s unwillingness to act or even
speak in the face of hundreds of depositions in the Episcopal Church and the
Anglican Church of Canada directly lead to the creation of the Anglican Church
in North America. They say, “ACNA does not exist because of the actions of Presiding
Bishop Katharine Schori; the ACNA… exists because the Archbishop of Canterbury
did not do anything”. |
| • |
The activities of the Global South leaders, who, faced
with a vacuum of moral authority in Lambeth Palace and official Communion
structures, are setting up their own structures. While remaining firmly in the Anglican
Communion, they believe “the head of the Church is Jesus Christ. It should not
be someone appointed by [British politicians].” |
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali writes on the Islamic
extremism and proposes action
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali writes in the Telegraph,
“At the heart of extremism is an ideology, a world-view… Such an ideology
expects Islam to dominate rather than to accept a subservient place in world
affairs… its ultimate aim is a single Islamic political, social, economic and
spiritual entity.” He then goes on to discuss the radical Islamic elements to
the “Arab Spring” revolutions burning through North Africa and the Middle East.
The solutions he offers include:
So what should be done about the rise of this kind
of Islamism? In the Muslim world, the answer is clear. Democracy is not enough
in itself or it could simply become a tyranny of the radicalised. It must be
accompanied by internationally backed guarantees of liberties for women,
non-Muslims and even moderate Muslim opinion. There must be one law for all and
the equality of all before the law. A common view of citizenship will prevent
the re-appearance of the dhimma for non-Muslims, under which they are little
better than subject peoples without equal rights.
In the West, too, citizenship is where to begin.
This means the West will need, once again, to acknowledge the Judaeo-Christian
tradition and aspects of the Enlightenment that have made it what it is. How
can we expect others to integrate when we are suffering from amnesia about our
own identity?...
We need a commitment to English as the lingua
franca and the teaching of history that reveals the “golden thread” of a
cohesive world-view.
We should be clear that integration does not
necessarily imply assimilation. It is possible to be fully integrated as
citizens but also to hold on to our culture, religion and language.
Worldwide Lutheran Church wanders down well-trod
path toward heresy
The Anglican
Journal reports that the “worldwide Lutheran church is seeking to
address the issue of homosexuality and the church within a global context… as
it appears in different contexts” with “A lot of listening to each other…” in
order to “…reach comprise”. The article continues: “A traditional
interpretation of the Bible says homosexuality is sinful, and that view is
often found in the developing world… Many churches in the developed world have
a more liberal interpretation of the Bible, but there also the issue has caused
tension with more traditionally-minded believers. For instance, the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America in 2009 voted to open ordained
ministry to gay people in committed relationships, but in 2010, conservative
American Lutherans split to form the North American Lutheran Church.”
Traditional Anglican Communion Archbishop urged to
resign
Archbishop John Hepworth who spearheaded the
initiative to get the Roman Catholic Church to create an Anglican Ordinariate
to receive Anglican congregations has lost the
support of much of his communion with few willing to follow him into
the Ordinariate and some actively calling for a change in leadership.
Anglican Mission in England, “game changer”
The launch of the Anglican Mission in England with
its panel of bishops is a “game changer” in the UK, argue Canons
Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden. It demonstrates an unwillingness to
participate in Church of England politics as defined by that churches
establishment and responding to issues in a piecemeal, fragmentary manner. They
write: “AMIE is a standing together that demonstrates a different way of doing
things. It has a different view of mission through planting churches and
organizing for growth rather than seeking power and influence in the present
system. It has a different view of being Anglican which embraces a global
Anglican identity based on the Bible rather than a technical institutional
identity. It has a different view of episcopacy that is not prelatical or
monarchical but missional, accountable and focused on service.”
Canterbury’s
“theology of moral decision-making” explored
The
Rev Charles Raven reviews a recently released book on the current Archbishop of
Canterbury’s theology of moral decision-making. The review provides more
interesting insight into Dr Williams’ mind. The Rev Raven concludes, “…One of the keys to making sense
of recent history of the Anglican Communion is to recognise the deep
determination of Western liberals to overcome the set-back they received at the
1998 Lambeth Conference and it is a serious weakness that this booklet does not
take account of the ways, practically and theologically, that Rowan Williams’
has served that agenda - not least by justifying the avoidance of decisions.”
From
around the Communion and the world
South East Asia – The Province of South East
Asia has elected its 4th Primate to succeed Archbishop John Chew when he steps down next year.
Archbishop Elect Bolly Lapok, from the diocese of Kuching, will be installed on
12 February 2012, in Kuching, Sarawak
Somalia – Compass
Direct News reports that another “kidnapped Christian convert from
Islam was found decapitated on Sept. 2… in Bakool region, in southwestern
Somalia.”
Kenya – AllAfrica reports that the
Anglican Church of Kenya is actively distributing aid in Kenyan communities
hard hit by the drought and famine in the Horn of Africa.
Nigeria – Christians continue to
be killed by armed Muslim extremists in villages in central Nigeria –
more than 100 in the past month. And now International
Christian Concern reports that “Christians in Nigeria are concerned
about reports of a possible alliance between Boko Haram, a local radical
Islamic group and Al-Qaeda. The Nigerian government discovered that the August
26 attack on the United Nations office in the country was a collaborative
effort of the two groups. The car bomb attack killed 23 and wounded 80 people. Boko
Haram has been responsible for the killing of Christians, moderate Muslims and
security officers in Nigeria… Members of Boko Haram fight to introduce Sharia
law all over Nigeria.”
On September 22, Islamists killed eight more
Christians. “Suspected militants from the Boko Haram Islamic sect… went to
shops owned by Christians… ordering them to recite verses from the Quran … If
the Christian traders were unable to recite the verses, the gunmen shot and
killed them...”
Egypt – An Anglican
Journal article states that human rights organizations are concerned
that religious freedom is coming under pressure in Egypt in the lead up to
anticipated November elections. It reports, “Christians account for around 10
percent of the Egyptian population and have long suffered discrimination, as
well as violent attacks.” But “since the fall of the Mubarak regime in February…
there have been a number of attacks by extremist Muslims on churches, Coptic
villages and members of both the Coptic churches (who account for 95 percent of
Egyptian Christians) and other Christian denominations.” Converts to
Christianity are particularly vulnerable to persecution and receive little
government protection.
Sudan – Following the independence of South
Sudan, Christians remaining in Sudan, are increasingly targeted by Islamists
who are seeking a purely Islamic state. Compass
Direct News reports that “Muslim extremists from Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Bangladesh arrive in Sudan every two weeks to undergo training
in secret camps in Khartoum before they are sent to various parts of Sudan to
preach Islam and demolish church buildings… On July 18, a group of Muslim
extremists attacked the home of Anglican Church of Sudan Bishop Andudu Adam
Elnail in an attempt to kill him and two other pastors… who all happened to be
out of the house at the time... No one was hurt, but the assailants left a
threatening letter warning them of similar attacks.”
China – The Anglican
Journal notes the increasing role China is playing in the economy
and development of Africa – including church construction projects.
Zimbabwe – The Washington
Post reports that the renegade excommunicated bishop of Harare has
been taking over Anglican hospitals, orphanages, schools and churches in the
country with the protection and help of police and the country’s dictator,
Robert Mugabe. It notes that “Bishop
Nolbert Kunonga was excommunicated four years ago after he was accused of
inciting violence in sermons supporting longtime President Robert Mugabe’s
party… [however] Kunonga insists he split from the Anglican church because of
its position on gay marriage.”
The Church of
England Newspaper reports that, in an effort to prove the falseness
of Kunonga charges, the legitimate Bishop of Harare has declared that “Anglicans
who contract same-sex marriages or gay civil unions will be excommunicated… His
remarks come as church leaders in Central Africa denied charges leveled by the
breakaway bishop of Harare that the Church of the Province of Central Africa
had endorsed the “pro-gay” agenda of the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church
of Canada.”
Ireland – The Church of
England Newspaper reports there is fear of a split in the Church of
Ireland after the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory permitted a dean to formalize a
same-sex union in contravention of the Church’s formal position on human
sexuality. This bishop later was
advised by “Church leaders in Northern Ireland… to stay away from
the Sept 8 consecration of Bishop Patrick Rooke at St Patrick’s Cathedral in
Armagh. The bishop had been told his support for clergy gay civil unions had
broken the collegiality of the church and his presence would cause some
participants in the ceremony to refrain from receiving the Eucharist with him.”
Japan – The Sydney
Anglicans website provides an update on earthquake/tsunami recovery
efforts in Japan. CMS missionary Karen Darda reports that “…the past few months
have seen an outpouring of Christ’s love crossing [denominational] boundaries…
Christians in Japan have been tireless in their efforts.” The report notes that
87,000 people lost their homes and livelihoods and 5000 people are still
missing. Karen says that “Uncertainty and panic is just below the surface and,
because of many months of ongoing earthquakes and aftershocks, people are
living with a lot of stress.” She asks for prayer “…that there would be wise
and sensitive evangelism by Christians… [and] for the nation’s ongoing clean-up
and reconstruction and spiritual and emotional healing...”
Pakistan has been hit by another devastating flood.
In an appeal for funds, the Anglican
Communion News Service reports that 5.4 million people are affected
by the floods. “Already 248 people have died, and communities that had barely
recovered from the devastating floods of last year have seen their homes and
livelihoods destroyed a second time.”
Ecuador – The Episcopal
News Service reports that the US Episcopal Church (TEC) held its
recent House of Bishops meeting in the tiny, 2153-member Episcopal Diocese of
Ecuador. After years of poor leadership, the diocese is hopelessly divided. Now
the diocesan bishop and the entire standing committee have resigned. TEC
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Shori has appointed an interim bishop. The StandFirm blog provides the background which includes TEC’s caviler imposition of bishops on the
diocese despite the unequivocal rejection by the diocesan governing bodies of
those bishops.
More international news
Daily Nation – September 10 2011 – Anglican head
to visit Harare over ‘attacks’ against church
Church of England Newspaper – September 9 2011 – 3 NZ no’s for
the Anglican Covenant
Church of England Newspaper – September 16 2011 – Archbishop
was sexually abused
Soul food
Just for fun
An elderly lady was
well-known for her faith and for her boldness in talking about it. For
instance, she would stand on her front porch and shout, "Praise the LORD!"
Next door to her lived
an atheist who would get so angry at her proclamations he would shout, "There
is no Lord!!"
Hard times set in on the
elderly lady, and she prayed for God to send her some assistance. She stood on
her porch and shouted, "Praise the LORD. God I need food! I’m having a
hard time. Please LORD, send me some groceries!!"
The next morning the
lady went out on her porch and noted a large bag of groceries and shouted,
"PRAISE THE LORD!" The neighbor jumped from behind a bush and said,
"Aha! I told you there is no Lord. I bought those groceries; God didn't."
The lady started jumping
up and down and clapping her hands and said, "Praise the LORD!! He not
only sent me groceries, but He made the devil pay for them. Praise the LORD!"
www.mikeysFunnies.com
Thought
Many Christians want to serve God, but only in an
advisory position.
PayPal bows to lobbyists’ pressure in shutting down
pro-family accounts
LifeSiteNews
reports that “Under pressure from homosexual activists, PayPal has
decided to deny service to famed Brazilian pro-life and pro-family Christian
activist Julio Severo” who has authored “several books including a work on the
homosexual movement in Brazil… Severo’s use of PayPal has been targeted in
recent weeks by the homosexual group “All Out,” which has created an online
petition to urge PayPal to dump Severo and nine other PayPal users as purveyors
of “hate” and “extremism.” Severo’s site expresses love of homosexuals and a
concern that homosexual behavior is destructive to those who participate in it.”
The article urges the signing of a
counter-petition against the persecution of pro-family Christians
targeted in the PayPal campaign.
Resources
Prosperity Gospel denounced – What is often called the “prosperity gospel”, which links material
blessing to spiritual holiness, is even more popular in Africa than in North
America. But Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, primate of Nigeria, has courageously
denounced this corruption of Jesus’ teaching. According to
the Church of England Newspaper, in an August 21 media interview,
Archbishop Okoh warned of the danger of this false gospel which leads people
into materialism.
In an excellent
video posted to YouTube, Rev John Piper clearly explains why the
so-called “Prosperity Gospel” is so very dangerous.
Church websites – Sydney Anglicans technology
blogger, Steve Kryger has collected examples of inspirational church websites.
Fatherhood – The same people that created the
movie Fireproof, have now released Courageous, a movie about
God’s intentions for fatherhood. It will be in a limited number of theatres
across Canada beginning September 30. For show times in your area and to order
tickets online, please
visit CourageousCanada.ca.
Infant baptism – The Sydney
Anglican website provides practical advice on how to respond to
requests from non-church people for baptism of their infants. It suggests
explaining to the non-churched parents that baptism is about the 3 Bs –
believing, behaving and belonging – and invite them to explore these
three further with you so they can decide with integrity if they want to pursue
baptism.
Morality and youth – A New York
Times article explores the research on young people’s understanding
of morality and found that morality has become divorced from any basis for
decision-making. So many now see morals as personal, relative and based on
transient feelings, resulting in the lose of a shared social moral framework
Please pray...
For ANiC churches in
Ontario involved in property disputes: St Aidan’s (Windsor), St George’s
(Burlington), St Hilda’s (Oakville) and Good Shepherd (St Catharines).
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 our missionaries,
including the Rev Geoffrey &
Rosalind Dixon and Deacon Richard Roberts currently working in Uganda.
For ARDFC’s new Congo
project which is helping war-torn communities return to faming and promotes
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 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 nation of Israel.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
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 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
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in
you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till
the storms of destruction pass by.
I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his
purpose for me.
He will send from heaven and save me; he will put
to shame him who tramples on me. Selah
God will send out his steadfast love and his
faithfulness!
My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid
fiery beasts—the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your
glory be over all the earth!
They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed
down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is
steadfast! I will sing and make melody!
Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will
awake the dawn!
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the
peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.
For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your
glory be over all the earth!
Psalm 57
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