Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Archbishop of Canterbury  - 'Bishops need stillness'

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said that Bishops need to make time for stillness and silence if they are to find the strength to show leadership to the church.

Archbishop Williams was speaking in sermon at the consecration of the new Bishop of West Malaysia, The Rt Revd Ng Moon Hing in St Mary’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur on Saturday 5th May. A congregation of almost 900, sitting in the body of the church and its two extensions, heard Archbishop Williams describe life for a bishop as something that should first of all be listening to God:

‘Day by day we bishops need to spend time in stillness and in silence, waiting and praying for the Holy Spirit, praying that the Word of God will richly come alive and that light will shine out of our darkness, the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. These earthern vessels show that power belongs to God and not to us… No bishop’s ministry will survive more than 24 hours without that silence, that blessed ‘doing nothing’ which is at the centre of what God is doing in us.’

‘Let no-one be under any illusion; being a bishop is not always simple, straightforward, easy or popular task (and I think I hear a murmur of assent there), yet it is a privilege and an exciting task, because it involves helping the church in being what God wants it to be; to be what God alone can make it be. It is exciting because it is about being with the risen Jesus; about being there with Peter and John on the seashore where Jesus calls, gives and sends.’

‘Our mission is not to conquer the world, to subdue others… our mission is to draw people to the company of Jesus; new words to speak, new thoughts to think and new love rising in their hearts.’

Later in the service, Dr Williams joined the Archbishop of South East Asia, the Rt Revd John Chew and more than a dozen other provincial and visiting bishops, in laying hands on the new Bishop in consecration.

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Archbishop of Canterbury - project is true 'ray of hope' in Malaysia

A church project in Malaysia has been described as ‘the work of the Gospel’ by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams. Archbishop Williams was visiting the ‘Ray of Hope’ centre run by two Anglican churches in Malaysia around a hundred miles south of Kuala Lumpur on Sunday 6th May.

At the centre children from a few months old into their teens with severe learning difficulties are given education and care to enable their families to help them make the most of their capabilities. As well as social skills, the youngsters at the centre are helped in skills for life and employment.

The Ray of Hope Centre is an outreach project of St Peter’s Church and St Augustine’s church. The project’s chairman, Datin Mary Yeoh both welcomed Archbishop Williams and briefed him on the work of the centre. Also present was the Rt Revd Ng Moon Hing, the new Bishop of West Malaysia, consecrated the day before, who was fulfilling his first engagement as bishop of the diocese. Bishop Hing served in the parish before his consecration and remains closely in touch with the project.

Following a Eucharist in the centre’s chapel, Archbishop Williams toured the facilities, which include a computer room and a room laid out as a café in order to help children acquire skills for use in the work environment. The visitors were briefed about the work of the project and its plans for expansion as well as the challenges faced in meeting the needs of children with difficulties and their parents.

Archbishop Williams joined the youngsters for singing and games and the guests were then served coffee in the centre’s ‘café’.

‘It’s an absolutely wonderful project,’ said Archbishop Williams, ‘and this is exactly what preaching the Gospel can mean when Christians are given real inspiration and make things happen. When a church looks to serve those around them and helps to give them what they need, then they are showing the love of Christ and making Him visible in the world. This is a true ‘Ray of Hope’ and there are many examples of this in Malaysia.’

Archbishop Williams’ visit to South East Asia continues.

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Items from: Lambeth Palace