Anglican Communion News Service

Weekly Review 30 October – 5 November, 2010

A weekly roundup of Anglican Communion news plus opinion, reviews, photos, profiles and other things of interest from across the Anglican/Episcopal world.

This edition includes...

 

• This week's Anglican Communion news
• Anglican Life – Canon Kenneth Kearon in Sri Lanka;
  -- Free tools and advice for churches on new website.
• Video – See and hear about the lives of Christians in Iraq and the Anglican church there.
• Comment – Hollywood actress and Reader. The life and times of Adjoa Andoh.
• Publication of the Week – Pilgrims, marriage enrichment and Knights Templar. It’s the e-newsletter of the Diocese of Jerusalem.
• Bookshelf – How do church communities confront HIV & AIDS? A book by Gideon Byamugisha suggests some ways.
• The coming week's Anglican Cycle of Prayer.

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ANGLICAN NEWS

• England – Archbishop of Canterbury’s Diwali Message for 2010
• Southern Cone – Report of the Southern Cone Synod 2010
• Europe – Bp Whalon welcomes French offer of help for injured Iraqi Christians
• Iraq - Grieving Christians mourn dead from Iraq church bloodbath
• Zambia – Bishop’s centenary address celebrates Zambia Church’s role in society and the Communion
• Ireland – Church of Ireland Rector breaks preaching record
• Egypt – A Communiqué from the Anglican/Al-Azhar Dialogue Committee
• England – Queen Elizabeth II to inaugurate Church of England General Synod
• Nigeria – Archbishop Okoh tells electorate to vote out looting leaders
• AN&P – Aotearoa, New Zealand, & Polynesia diocese gives $120,000 for Haiti
• Europe – Latest issue of the newsletter of the Anglican Centre in Rome now available

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ANGLICAN LIFE

Anglican Church of Ceylon celebrates

By Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Canon Dr Kenneth Kearon

The Diocese of Colombo in the Anglican Church of Ceylon has just ended four days of celebrations which began with a magnificent eucharist in the modern cathedral in the city centre on Friday, and ended with a celebratory dinner in the cathedral grounds on Monday evening, with the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds (Church of England) the Right Revd. John Packer and his wife Barbara as chief guests. Other guests included the Asia Secretary of USPG Mrs Rachel Parry, and Hugh Skillet, representing CMS, as well as other mission partners.

The diocese was formed in 1845 and originally covered the whole island of Sri Lanka, but what was being celebrated was not its foundation but the establishment of participatory government in the church through its Diocesan Council (or Synod). Inclusion and participation were the themes which ran though the whole series of events, with church services using Sinhalese, Tamil and English languages equally. Tamil and Sinhalese symbols shaped the liturgy, and drumming, trumpets, Western and local hymns providing the music. Young people were prominent in all aspects of the celebrations.

The Anglican Church of ceylon (the title ‘Church of Sri Lanka’ is reserved for the hoped for united church) today comprises two dioceses, and recent constitutional changes have opened the way for a third. In common with many other parts of the Anglican Communion, mission is taking centre stage in church life, with an emphasis on peace and reconciliation work in areas affected by the recently-ended bloody civil war, and also on outreach work among workes on the many tea plantations. 

New Episcopal website launch to provide free tools and resources for Church

A new website has been launch that offers vestry members and other people of faith, resources and tools to respond to the changing needs of the Church. Building upon the spiritually grounded, practical Vestry Papers articles that have inspired and informed vestry members since 1995, ECF Vital Practices for leading congregations http://www.ecfvp.org uses the Internet to both expand its offering and its audience.

Vital Practices explores new ways of supporting congregations by building online communities of Episcopalians who share their stories, experiences, and best practices, who learn from one another, and who discover support to help sustain their leadership and their ministries. It includes articles by experts and peers, blogs for sharing ideas about faith and leadership, stories about real life lessons of change and leadership, tools for stewardship, communications, and opportunities for you to share your stories and examples.

About the Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF)

ECF is an independent, lay-led organization that helps congregations and other Episcopal groups develop leadership and raise resources for ministry. It is about transformation, growth, and responding to God’s call in very practical, innovative, and spiritually-grounded ways. In addition to Vital Practices, some of its other ministries include: the Fellowship Partners Program, The Vestry Resource Guide, Annual Giving & Stewardship Services, Capital Campaign Services, Planned Giving, and Endowment Management Services.

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VIDEO

Canon Andrew White on Christians in Iraq

After a bomb killed almost 60 Iraqi Christians last week, Canon Andrew White (known as the Vicar of Baghdad) tells CNN why Christians there are “petrified”, are afraid to come to church. He also shares his response to personal assassination threats are. Click here or paste this link into your browser http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2010/11/03/ctw.intv.vicar.white.cnn?iref=allsearch

He reflects on the situation on YouTube here and asks for prayers at this difficult time.  Learn about the only church in Iraq: St George’s Church in Baghdad and see the first ever Iraqi deacon here: http://www.vimeo.com/16497229 You can follow Canon White’s Twitter feed here: http://twitter.com/vicarofbaghdad

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COMMENT

Combining two very different worlds

London actress Adjoa Andoh made her Hollywood debut this year with a role in Clint Eastwood’s film Invictus, playing Nelson Mandela’s chief of staff. Back home in South London, she has just completed her first year as a Reader in the parish of Herne Hill. Interview by Nick Mayhew-Smith she tells The Bridge (the newspaper of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark, England) how she manages to combine two very different worlds. Click here to download the newsletter

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PUBLICATION OF THE WEEK

This week’s publication is the e-newsletter of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem which can be downloaded here or visit the Diocese’s website at http://www.j-diocese.org/

This month’s newsletter includes:

•  News briefs
• A visit from the CMS Australia leadership
• Knights Templar visit Bishop Dawani and the diocese
• Visiting pilgrims from Oxford, UK and Kingston, Jamaica
• Marital enrichment conference
• And lots more…

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BOOKSHELF

Church Communities Confronting HIV & AIDS by Gideon B. Byamugisha

HIV & AIDS together constitute one of the most serious challenges to human life in our time. The consequences are often grave for individuals, families, whole communities and nations. How can Christians respond to this worldwide problem? This book is designed to equip church leaders and their communities with the means to save, protect and prolong lives, and, above all, enable people to live positively in the face of the HIV & AIDS epidemic. The authors forcefully argue for this involvement to be seen, not as an additional activity to ministry, but as a calling that enriches ministry’s essential meaning and value. Byamugisha’s straightforward explanations of HIV & AIDS and suggestions for Christian responses are complemented by case studies from around the globe.

ISBN 978-0-281-06239-3
Publisher SPCK
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THE COMING WEEK’S ANGLICAN CYCLE OF PRAYER (click the link for the full details of the ACP)

Friday 05-Nov-2010
Psalm: 37:1-11    Isa 53:1-5
The Most Revd Daniel Deng Bul Yak Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan & Bishop of Juba
Assistant Bishop of Juba - (Sudan) The Rt Revd Joseph Makor Atot

Saturday 06-Nov-2010
Psalm: 37:23-33    Isa 53:6-12
Kabba - (Province of Ondo, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Samuel Olayanju

Sunday 07-Nov-2010     Pentecost 24
Psalm: 119:33-48    Jn 10:1-10
PRAY for Iglesia Episcopal de Cuba

Monday 08-Nov-2010
Psalm: 38:1-9    Jn 10:11-21
Kano - (Province of Kaduna, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Zakka Lalle Nyam

Tuesday 09-Nov-2010
Psalm: 38:10-22    Jn 10:22-30
Kansas - (Province VII, USA) The Rt Revd Dean Elliott Wolfe

Wednesday 10-Nov-2010
Psalm: 39    Jn 10:31-42
Kanyakumari - (South India) The Rt Revd G Davakadasham

Thursday 11-Nov-2010
Psalm: 40:1-10    Isa 54:4-10
Karachi - (Pakistan) The Rt Revd Saddiq Daniel

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