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Handle with prayer!
News – ANiC and AEN
Full synod coverage on the AEC blog
If you can’t come to synod, you can follow along as Kate
live-blogs it on the AEC blog.
Synod 2011 theme: “Jesus Christ the same, yesterday,
and today, and forever.”
Registration for ANiC’s synod,
conference and clergy day is now closed with a capacity crowd of 209 coming
together in Victoria, November 2-4.
Please make synod a top prayer priority this week.
Prayer for Synod 2011
Almighty
God, our heavenly Father, whose only Son, our Lord Jesus, never wavers or changes,
but is constant and steadfast in His covenant love and mercy toward the Church,
meet with us in power at our upcoming synod we pray. Give wisdom and strength
to those who are seeking You for direction and
strategy. Endue our bishops with the courage of the Apostles as they seek to
lead Your people in the power of the same Spirit that
was given at Pentecost. Protect us from making any decision that is not in
keeping with Your perfect will for ANiC, and forgive us for the many times in
the past year that we have ignored the promptings of the Spirit and relied on our
own strength and human wisdom. May our eyes be firmly fixed on Your blessed Son, the author and finisher of our faith –
who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. This we fervently ask in the
name of that same Son, our Saviour and Coming King, Jesus the Christ.
Welcoming
another congregation
A new ANiC
project has formed in Kelowna, BC. This is ANiC’s first congregation in the BC Interior.
The Rev Bruce Chamberlayne is giving pastoral leadership to this forming church community which meets regularly on Wednesday evenings.
If you know friends in Kelowna who need Christian fellowship in the Anglican
tradition, please put them in touch with the Rev Chamberlayne – by calling
250-212-9569 or emailing bchamberlayne@hotmail.ca.
The Kelowna
project is the third congregation to join ANiC in October. The others are Church
of the Resurrection, Halifax, NS and New Song, Port Perry/Scugog, ON. Please
support all three new congregations in prayer and by telling friends who live
in those communities.
ANiC
has three types of congregations:
| • |
Projects are forming congregations, aiming to grow into church plants, which have
applied and been formally accepted as projects in ANiC |
| • |
Church
plants generally are more established congregations, usually with pastoral
leadership, growing attendance, and regular Sunday worship
which have applied for and received formal recognition as church plants
in ANiC; |
| • |
Parishes generally are well established, with pastoral leadership, membership and financial
stability, and formal organizational structures – which have applied for
and received formal recognition as parishes in ANiC. |
For
more information see ANiC’s church planting page on our website.
Anglicans
in the Elora – Fergus – Centre Wellington region invited to
meetings
Those
living in the vicinity of Elora, Fergus and Centre Wellington (in Ontario) who
are interested in connected with like-minded Anglicans, are invited to meet
with the Rev Zena Attwood and Mr D'Arcy Luxton on Sunday afternoons at 2:30pm
at The Brew House on the Grand, 170 St David Street S, Fergus. These informal gatherings
will run each Sunday in November. For more information call 519-846-0483.
Welcoming another priest…
The Rev Chris Zoephel has been appointed rector of The
Open Gate Anglican Network Church (Victoria, BC) effective February 1. Chris and
his family currently serve at Holy Trinity,
Meridian, Idaho – a congregation which is part
of the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), a ministry partner with our province,
the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
ANiC
priest’s book gets five star review
The November
edition of Christianity Today is set to publish a review of the Rev Dr Craig Bartholomew’s
new book, Where Mortals Dwell: A Christian View of Place for Today. The review
should soon be available
online. The Rev Bartholomew, of Church of the Epiphany (Hamilton, ON),
is a professor of philosophy, religion and theology at Redeemer University College.
The book explores the important role of “place” in the Scripture narrative.
Good Shepherd concert raises “extraordinary donation”
for mission
Winsor Yung of Good Shepherd Vancouver says “Praise the Lord for His provision”. The 415 people attending Good Shepherd’s
“From Thy Bounty 2011” fundraising concert on October 22 gave beyond expectation,
donating almost $38,000. This is almost double the target set by concert organizers.
The concert featured performances by the BC Children’s Choir, Grace Melodia,
and the Vancouver Academy of Music Stradivari Ensemble.
The donations will support the two projects that Asian Mission in Canada short-term mission
teams were involved with this past summer. Good Shepherd
and the Asian Mission in Canada, a ministry of the ANiC, have long-term
commitments to both of these projects:
| • |
Relief and development work among the Karen refugees
on the Thai-Myanmar border |
| • |
Care of disabled orphans in Changsha and Sanmenxia, China |
November 13 – International Day of Prayer for
the Persecuted Church
On November
13, please join churches around the world in marking the International Day of Prayer
for the Persecuted Church. Check the website for
free resources that you can use in your church.
Calendar
of upcoming events – for your interest and prayer support
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.
Mar 20-22 – ANiC clergy
retreat, Cedar Springs, WA
June 7-9 – ACNA Provincial Assembly, Ridgecrest,
NC
News –
Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
ACNA releases 2010 statistics
Brad Root, chief operating officer with the
Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) reports that not all ACNA churches reported
last year meaning our province’s statistics for 2010 are not complete. However,
based on the information received, ACNA has compiled a summary
report which Brad explains in a letter posted on the StandFirm website.
At the end of 2010 there were a reported 659
churches in ACNA dioceses. In addition, there were 293 churches in
organizations with which ACNA is partnering in ministry. Of those churches
reporting, the average Sunday attendance was almost 50,000. Combined estimated
average Sunday attendance for all churches was over 78,000, and estimated
membership – churches were not asked to report membership – for
ACNA churches and our ministry partner churches was projected to be almost
104,000. Of the over 3000 baptisms reported, almost 1000 were people aged 30
and over, indicating a significant number of new Christians.
ACNA and ARDF
leaders meet with bishops from the Sudan
The ACNA website describes the meeting recently attended by Canon Jack Lumanog, ACNA, and Canon
Nancy Norton, Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF), in Egypt of bishops
from north Sudan. Following the separation of (north) Sudan from South Sudan in
July, Christians in the north have come under intensified persecution as that state becomes more radically Islamist. Similarly Christians in Egypt
are more frequently targeted as Islamists gain more political power in the
aftermath of the “Arab Spring” revolution.
An Egyptian priest asked
the North Americans for prayer, saying, “‘Canon
Jack, pray for us because we are suffering in Egypt physically. And Anglican
Christians in Egypt will pray for you as you are suffering spiritually and
theologically in America.’”
The ACNA’s report states, “The [Sudanese] bishops shared projects of relief and development which needed
financial assistance… ARDF… [is] working on connecting
these projects with the needed financing.” ARDF-Canada (or ARDFC) is the
Canadian affiliate of US-based ARDF.
ACNA in the news
Pittsburgh
Post Gazette – October 26 2011 – Property litigation
involving… Diocese is over
Church of England
Newsletter – October 21 2011 – Pittsburgh
property loss for Duncan
News –
Canada
Arrangements for shared
episcopal ministry begin to take shape in Montreal
The Anglican
Journal reports:
“Bishop
Leonard Whitten, retired bishop of Western Newfoundland, will provide some
guidance to several clergy and parishes in the diocese of Montreal who disagree
with its bishop’s positions on same-sex marriage if details of a tentative
agreement can be worked out.
“The
tentative agreement on “shared episcopal ministry” was disclosed by Bishop
Barry Clarke of Montreal Friday, Oct. 27, in his address at the opening eucharist of the annual diocesan synod. He described the
move as a pastoral response to the concerns of parishes and clergy unable to
accept positions he and the diocese have taken on the issue in recent years…
“Bishop
Clarke said in his address that the accord is “a pastoral response to a need
that needs to be addressed.” He said parishes and clergy availing themselves of the arrangement would still ultimately be
under his authority…
“Bishop
Clarke told the diocesan synod a year ago that he planned to move ahead on the
shared episcopal ministry in the new year. The 2007
synod asked the bishop to authorize a liturgy for the blessing of duly
solemnized civil marriages and this was done last year. At least two such
blessings have taken place without fanfare since then.
“However,
there have been protests in recent months against the induction of partnered
gay priest, Very Rev. Paul Kennington, as the dean of Montreal and rector of
Christ Church Cathedral and the ordination as a deacon of a partnered gay man,
Rev. Robert Camara. Canon [Bruce] Glencross said the six priests involved in
the new agreement with Bishop Whitten are the same ones who signed a protest
against Deacon Camara’s ordination…
“Bishop
Whitten, now 75, was a priest and bishop in Newfoundland for 41 years and
retired in 2003 after six years as bishop of Western Newfoundland. Since
retirement, he was active with a group called Sharing of Ministries Abroad, or
SOMA, which organizes short-term teaching ministries abroad. He was director of
SOMA for five years and has worked in Malaysia, South Africa, Indonesia,
Singapore, Mexico, the United States and the Arctic. He is also active in
training for a group called Anglican Renewal Ministries…”
AEC blog covers the Diocese of
Ottawa’s activity at St Alban’s
Since ANiC’s Church of the
Messiah congregation walked away from its building – St Alban’s, Ottawa
– as a result of a negotiated settlement earlier this year, the Diocese
of Ottawa has been working to plant a new congregation in that building. The AEC blog has found some interesting tidbits about the activities at the new St Alban’s. For example, the diocesan newspaper reports that “The hymn list… included songs by Van
Morrison and Leonard Cohen. And the words for the Prayers of the People owed much
to Helplessness Blues by the Fleet Foxes.”
A second AEC blog post notes remarks made by
Bishop John Chapman in his charge to the Diocese of Ottawa synod regarding that
negotiated settlement between the two ANiC congregations in Ottawa and the Anglican
Church of Canada diocese. Again Bishop Chapman misleadingly says that the
diocese’s ownership of the two properties involved was established in the
negotiation. In fact the complex settlement saw one ANiC parish – now
called St Peter and St Paul’s – retain its property while the other
– now known as the Church of the Messiah – gave up its property
based on a financial transaction. The agreement required that the specifics of
the settlement not be disclosed. For more information see ANiC’s 13
February 2011 news release.
News
– USA
New president for Nashotah House
seminary
The Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reports that Nashotah
House Theological Seminary installed its new dean and president,
retired South Carolina bishop the Right Rev Edward Salmon on October 27. He
succeeds the Rev Robert Munday.
TEC dioceses to merge
The Eau Claire,
Wisconsin Leader-Telegram reports that the Episcopal Church dioceses
of Eau Claire and Fond du Lac will merge to form a new diocese in northern
Wisconsin. Conventions of the two dioceses have approved the merger
which is expected to be implemented in 2013. Combined, the two dioceses
have 55 congregations – most quite small.
Dwindling membership
VirtueOnline
reports that, based on the latest attendance figures for the
Episcopal Church (TEC) “…in 26 years there will no longer be anyone attending
an Episcopal church”. TEC has experienced steady declines in average Sunday
attendance ranging from three to five per cent per year over the past five
years. The Christian Post also notes that an official
Episcopal Church fact sheet shows the membership of that church has fallen
below two million; at its peak in 1966, TEC membership stood at 3.6 million. Citing
a number of factors, including the departure of many for the Anglican Church in
North America and other denominations, one commentator also says, “The
spread of universalist theology within Episcopal seminaries has extinguished
the urgency of winning souls…” The Christian
News Wire notes that average Sunday attendance in TEC – which
was 657,831 in 2010 – is less that one-third of its official membership
numbers.
Charges again Bishop Lawrence
send chilling message
Writing on the TitusOneNine blog, the Rev Gavin Dunbar an
Episcopal Church rector in Georgia writes, “…the message being sent by these charges (as by the evident hostility of
the Presiding Bishop) is that conservative dissent will not be tolerated within
the Episcopal Church, and that significant theological differences will be
resolved by coercion. One could hardly devise a stronger incentive for
conservatives to leave… This case raises a question for us: given the
ascendancy of the agenda of “indiscriminate inclusivity” in the Episcopal
Church - will there be a secure place in the Episcopal Church for the
conscientious dissent of those who hold to historic Anglican doctrine and
worship?”
Other US news
Church of England
Newspaper – October 28 2011 – US Executive
Council rejects… Covenant
Church of England
Newspaper – October 28 2011 – US diocese
asked to rehabilitate Pelagius
News –
International
GAFCon meetings planned for 2012
and 2013
Canon Phil Ashey, writing in the latest American Anglican Council newsletter,
reports on his attendance at a Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA)
planning meeting in London. He says:
“Next year, there will be a conference of
about 200 leaders from the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans held in London in
the spring. The theme of the gathering will be “Jesus Christ: Unique and
Supreme,” based on Colossians 1:15-20…
“[In
2008], the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) took place in Jerusalem,
which gave birth to the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a global movement
committed to the renewal and reformation of the Anglican Communion around a
common confession (The Jerusalem Declaration). GAFCON was not just a moment; it
is a movement.
“The
purpose of the 2012 leadership conference will be to gather existing and
emerging FCA leaders – laity, clergy, theologians, youth, bishops, women
and men – to promote the ongoing renewal and reformation of the Anglican
Communion. These leaders will truly represent this global movement of Anglicans
all over the world. We hope and pray this will set the stage for a larger
“GAFCON II” meeting to be held in 2013...
“[When asked] “Is it worth continuing the battle
within the present structures of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion?”
Archbishop [Eliud] Wabukala [of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCon Primates
Council] reminded us of the East-African revival. Like GAFCON and the
Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, it, too, was a movement and not just a
moment. The East African Revival was a Holy Spirit-directed movement that cut
across tribes and races from Rwanda to Tanzania. It was a revival within the
Anglican church where the people involved in it spoke
out against sin in the church, stood up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and
influenced each other. The East-African revival gave birth to a new generation
of leaders who ultimately renewed those Anglican Churches so that millions of
people could come to faith in Jesus Christ.
“This is another reason why the Fellowship of
Confessing Anglicans exists – to faithfully point out sin in the Church,
stand firm for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and renew the Anglican Communion. Like
that great revival, we are part of a Holy Spirit movement, empowering existing
and emerging Anglican leaders who will renew and reform the Anglican Communion.”
From around the Communion and the
world
Sudan – Barnabas Fund
reports that (north) Sudan’s president has announced plans to impose
an Islamic constitution and strengthened Sharia law. It reports this raises “the
threat level for Christians and other non-Muslims in the country.”
Libya – The Christian
Science Monitor reports that Libya’s transitional leaders are
emphasizing the Islamization of Libya and have confirmed that Sharia Law will
rule. The report states, “Just as in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, Islamists
have emerged from yet another Arab Spring uprising as the most powerful group
in the country. How far they will go will be decided at the ballot box —
in Tunisia this week, in Egypt in November and in Libya within eight months.”
Eritrea – International
Christian Concern reports that three more Christians, imprisoned for
practicing their faith, have perished in military prison camps due to harsh
conditions, starvation and denial of medical care. The report states that about
1500 evangelical Christians are believed to be in prison solely because of
their faith. Please pray for the church in Eritrea, for the families of those
imprisoned, and for an end to government persecution.
Thailand is experiencing its worst flooding in 50 years. Flood waters have swamped much of the country, submerging rice fields and shutting down
hundreds of factories; over 900,000 families and businesses have been affected
and hundreds of lives have been lost. Christ Church Bangkok,
where one of ANiC’s suffragan bishops, Bishop Stephen Leung, preached last
June, reports that it has not yet been flooded, but has sandbags around the
building as a precaution. However, a number of parishioners are affected. Please
pray for Thailand and the Anglican ministries there.
New
Zealand – Christ Church
Cathedral will be at
least partially demolished due to damage suffered in the earthquake
last February. Salvageable parts of the building will be incorporated into a
new structure mixing old and new elements.
England – St Paul’s Cathedral in London is reopening after being closed for over
a week due to an encampment of “Occupy London” protestors on its grounds. With plans
forming for the eviction of protestors and the cathedral’s reopening, the Canon
Chancellor of the cathedral, Gilles Fraser, announced his resignation. Fraser
had welcomed the protestors earlier. Writing in
the Huffington Post, the Rev David Ould speculates Fraser’s
departure was due to differences with the dean of the Cathedral over St Paul’s
response to the protestors.
Then,
just days later, the Guardian
reports that “The perceived dithering and divisions of church
officials over the protest camp outside St Paul's in London have claimed a
second major scalp with the resignation of the cathedral's dean, the Right Rev
Graham Knowles. The dean – whose job is sufficiently senior that a
replacement must be approved by the Queen – announced that mounting
criticism over the cathedral's handling of the situation made his position
‘untenable’.”
The
Archbishop of Canterbury, in a public
statement, called the resignations, “very sad news”
Soul
food
Just for fun
Copyright
Gospel Communications International, Inc - www.reverendfun.com
Resources
Bishop
Ron Ferris recommends the movie "Courageous", now showing in local theatres.
This Christian movie communicates a positive message about fatherhood and faith.
Reformation
Day, October 31 – Many Christians mark Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95
Theses on the Wittenberg Castle Church door on 31October 1517. The Gospel
Coalition website has an interesting historical account of the
events leading to the Reformation, including how Luther escaped martyrdom and was
kidnapped for his own safety. However, the article argues that the Reformation is
not over and “that the gospel itself is at stake, just as it was in the 16th
century.”
Profiting
from abortion
LifeSiteNews
reports that aborted fetal cells are used in research for new
PepsiCo products which the company says will result in “great tasting,
lower-calorie beverages.”
In a second LifeSiteNews
article, we are told that “…most people would be shocked if they
knew the extent to which fresh aborted fetal tissue and aborted fetal cell
lines are used in biomedical research.” However, a new not-for-profit company,
Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute of Seattle, is “dedicated to providing
scientific research, education and resources to encourage safe, moral, pro-life
medicines and therapeutics.”
The article reports that Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute “…is also investigating the health consequences of
aborted human DNA and cellular contaminants in medicines. And that includes the
“hot button” issue of childhood vaccines. According to their website, www.soundchoice.org, 90% of children
vaccinated in the last 10 years were most likely injected with aborted fetal
DNA components. Sound Choices’ founder, stem cell scientist Dr Theresa Deisher,
indicates “there is evidence to suggest that
fetal DNA contaminants could lead to serious health consequences and may be
contributing to the rise in childhood leukemia, autism and other autoimmune
disorders” She says, “Even the FDA has acknowledged the dangers of having fetal
DNA contaminants present in our vaccines. Just how dangerous remains to be
seen, but it’s unconscionable not to do the research and find out.”
Celebrating
baby number 7 billion; the myth of over-population
Writing in
LifeSiteNews, Steve Mosher, president of the Population
Research Institute and the author of Population Control: Real Costs and
Illusory Benefits, says the birth of the seventh billion person on earth is a
cause for celebration. He notes that “the
so-called “population explosion” has been [driven by] a real explosion in
health and longevity” and that as the world’s population has increased, life
has been getting better – contrary to doomsayers’ predictions. He says:
“By
nearly every measure of well-being, from infant mortality and life expectancy
to educational level and caloric intake, life in Africa, Asia, and Latin
America has been getting dramatically better… World food and resource
production has never been higher… In fact, under-population, not overpopulation, is
the real threat that much of the world faces today. Some 80 countries
representing over half the world’s population suffer from below replacement
fertility — defined as less than 2.1 children per woman. The populations
of the developed nations today are static or declining… Countries with below replacement rate fertility will eventually die out. It’s just a question of
time. Even in the developing world family size has shrunk, from around 5
children per woman in 1960 to less than 3 today. And the decline continues.
“According to the UN’s “low variant projection”
— historically the most accurate — the population of the world will
peak at 8 plus billion in 2040 or so, and then begin to decline. High fertility
rates are becoming rare. The UN numbers for 2010 show only 10 countries with
population increase rates at or above 3.0 percent. By 2050, persons aged 65 and
above will be almost twice as numerous as children 15 years and younger. The
economic consequences of population aging will be closing schools, declining
stock markets, and moribund economies.
“Let us also join together in celebrating the birth
of Baby Seven Billion. He or she is a sign of our future, our hope and our
prosperity. People are our greatest resource. Extraordinarily gifted people
have helped to enrich civilization and lengthen life spans. But the fact is
everyone, rich or poor, is a unique creation with something priceless to offer
to the rest of us.
“Baby Seven Billion…is not a liability, but an
asset. Not a curse, but a blessing. For all of us.”
Please pray...
For ANiC’s clergy day, conference and synod this
week in Victoria and for all traveling to attend.
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 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 ARDFC’s new Congo project which is helping
war-torn communities return to faming and which promotes peace-making.
May God use it to bless
Congolese and bring many to Christ.
For persecuted Christians in Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sudan and China –
and especially for those suffering unimaginable atrocities in North Korea,
Eritrea & Somalia.
For restoration of peace in Egypt,
for those who have been injured or bereaved, for justice and political equality
for the Christians, and for wisdom for Archbishop Mouneer Anis.
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 get to those who are starving. Pray for God’s mercy.
For Anglican Church ministries in Thailand during
this time of wide-spread flooding.
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
Since then we have a great high priest who has
passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our
confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with
our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet
without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need… In the days of his
flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears,
to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his
reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he
suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to
all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of
Melchizedek.
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-10
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