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

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This edition includes...

• This week's Anglican Communion news
• Anglican Life - Archbishop's appeal for Burundi
• Anglican Life - Anglican Archbishop goes back to school in South Africa
• Anglican Life - School leavers gather in Cathedral in Wales
• Anglican Life - US Episcopalians share recipes to raise funds
• Anglican Life -Islamic banking - discriminatory: Archbishop Nicholas Okoh
• Anglican Life - Opportunity for Melanesian mission
• Video - Christians in the Holy Land Conference, Birth of a new Nation: South Sudan
• Network profile - The International Women's Network
• Comment - Four small mugs. A reflection on a visit to Zimbabwe.
• The coming week's Anglican Cycle of Prayer.

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ANGLICAN NEWS

• Sudan - After carjacking Archbishop Deng calls for protection of civilians "to be taken seriously"
• Nigeria - Nigeria elects four bishops and an Archbishop
• England - Archbishop of Canterbury launches appeal for Christians in the Holy Land
• Sudan - Church of Sudan offers Anglicans digital record of historic day
• England - Archbishop Sponsors York Fairness Commission
• Ireland - Bishop's Appeal launches East Africa appeal
• England - Church of England: New Director of Ministry announced
• Bangladesh - Llandaff celebrates new partnership with Bangladesh
• England - Korea Church, Peterborough Diocese sign "declaration of intent" to explore links
• England - Archbishop of York's charity celebrates its anniversary
• Sudan - After carjacking Archbishop Deng calls for protection of civilians "to be taken seriously"

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ANGLICAN LIFE

Archbishop appeals to the UK Government on behalf of Burundi

From EAB Press the newsletter of the Province of the Anglican Church of Burundi

On the 5th July the Archbishop, the Most Rev. Bernard Ntahoturi, gave evidence at the Parliamentary International Development Select Committee’s enquiry into the UK government’s decision to end its bilateral aid programme for Burundi and close the DFID office in Bujumbura in March 2012.

He appealed to the UK government to reconsider its decision arguing that even though the £12 million programme might appear small compared to the global aid given by the UK it was a significant amount for a country that is one of the poorest and most vulnerable in the world as it emerges out of conflict.

He refuted the idea that the population of Burundi would not suffer from the decision and pleaded that Burundi should not be made an “aid orphan”. He maintained that loss of aid could have a domino effect in the region and send a negative message to others. The valuable experience and expertise of DFID would be a great loss to the country.

The notion of looking for other donors would be difficult because they already have their programmes and the hope that Burundi might trade its way out of poverty through “Trade Mark East Africa” – an initiative to increase trade and commerce within the region, part-funded by the UK - would not be a foregone conclusion.

Along with the Anglican Alliance for Development, Relief, and Advocacy within the Anglican Communion who facilitated the Archbishop’s visit, the Anglican Church of Burundi will continue to mediate for the country in order to secure future support.

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Anglican Archbishop goes back to school – higher primary school!

Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town

The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba is going ‘back to school’ – higher primary school – to celebrate Madiba Day 2011. 

He will be joined by his classmates of Pholosho Higher Primary School Class of 1974 for their first reunion in 40 years!  The main aim of the reunion is to launch Pholosho Old Boys and Old Girls Forum which will raise resources for the school and bursaries for the children of Alexandra who study there.

Joining the Class of 1974 in this day of celebration and commitment will be Minister of Basic Education, Ms Angie Motshekga, Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile, and Mr Obed Bapela, Deputy Minister of Communication.  A message of support is expected from Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, also a former learner at Pholosho Higher Primary School. The Deputy President, like Archbishop Makgoba, grew up in Alexandra.

“It’s been forty  years since we began school together” said the Archbishop,  “and some of us thought it was time to get together – but with a long term purpose as well.  Pholosho Higher Primary School, even under apartheid, gave us a good foundation on which to further our education.  In many ways, conditions are more difficult for the learners today and we want to assist the children of Alex in securing the same good foundation we enjoyed,” Dr Makgoba added.  “We would also like to challenge the ‘Old Boys and Old Girls’ of other schools to follow our example and do what they can to assist the institutions which gave them the educational base on which they have developed their lives.  I commend this as a tangible and lasting way of rising to the challenge to celebrate the life and legacy of Madiba.”

The Reunion will take place on 16th July at 11h00 at Pholosho Higher Primary School, 116 12th Avenue (corner of 12th Avenue and London Road,) Alexandra.  Ms Motshekga, Mr Mashatile and Mr Bapela are expected to address the Forum.

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School-leavers gather at Cathedral to celebrate end of term

By Anna Morrell, Church in Wales

From wiggly caterpillars and sandpits to learning to sail and making model replicas of the Second Severn Crossing – hundreds of pupils from across South Wales shared treasured memories of their primary school years at a special service for school leavers this week.

More than 500 Year Six pupils who have just a week or so left in primary school gathered at Llandaff Cathedral on Tuesday to celebrate the end of their time at primary school and to prepare for their next giant step up to secondary school. They were joined by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, who gave them an address and presented them with leather bookmarks.

They waved their homemade school banners as they sang hymns and placed personal mementoes, which they had chosen to remind them of their time in primary school, on a table at the front of the church. These included photos, toys and props from shows.

Pupils from each school then stood up and talked about what they enjoyed most at primary school. Top of the list were  “making lifelong friends” and outdoor trips, although there were also a few other stirring memories, such as an exploding milk carton and squashing yourself into small red chairs. Key smells, meanwhile, included freshly cut grass and gone-off milk.

The pupils come from 23 Church in Wales schools across the Diocese of Llandaff – from Aberdare to Neath, Pendoylan to Grangetown (full list below). They were joined by their parish priests who are regular visitors at the school, helping out in lessons and with services and assemblies.

The Archbishop told the children, “The great thing about meeting here altogether is that you realize that you are part of a wider Church family and that you are loved and protected. It is natural to feel a bit scared at moving schools but if you think about it, you have been here before, when you left nursery school or crèche, and this is just one more step along the way. Remember that God’s spirit is with you, helping you with everything you face.”

Revd Edwin Counsell, director for education for Llandaff Diocese, said, “This is a very special event because it brings together children from schools across the Llandaff Diocese. Year Six is an exciting time with lots of new responsibilities and interesting things to learn.  It is also tinged with sadness, because children will be saying goodbye to friends and teachers who they have known throughout their time in school.  This service looked back at their years in primary school and also looked to the future as they prepare for new schools, new friends, new challenges and new opportunities.”

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Islamic banking - discriminatory: Archbishop Nicholas Okoh

 By Foluso Taiwo, Church in Nigeria (Anglican Communion)

The head of the Anglican church in Nigeria the Most Rev Nicholas. Okoh has called on the governor of Central Bank Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to make adequate arrangements for non-interest, banking generally and allow different groups to tap from it. Primate Okoh said his emphasis on Islamic banking is discriminatory.

Archbishop Okoh made the call at a news conference held at IBRU Centre Agbarha-otor Delta State.

He said the church has closely followed the CBN governor as he arranged and rearranged his proposals.

According to him it is heavily skewed to put other interest banking at a disadvantage. He said many Nigerians are worried the way and manner CBN governor rides rough over other people’s faith to promote Islam.

He said emphatically that there is more to Islamic Banking than meets the Eye adding that it is part and parcel of Islamic evangelism.

The cleric said it is a follow up to the OIC members, the sharing agenda, awkward membership of D8 and the demand by Boko Haram for the application of sharia all over the country. In his view, in ten years from now Islamic banking would have grown and matured to what it is intended to be, a religious oppressive instrument and tool for social coercion of the poor to convert to Islam.

The primate of all Nigeria Anglican Communion said there is a world of difference between the examples they are using like United Kingdom, United States of America and India because they watch over their constitution jealously. He finally added that the approach of the CBN governor on the issue of Non interest Banking as it affects non-Muslims is less than sincere.

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Now that looks like a recipe for success...

From the weekly bulletin of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington

"Many thanks to all who have submitted recipes for the Diocesan Cookbook! So far we have received recipe submissions from members of more than 33 parishes, but would love to have each parish represented with at least one recipe.

Recipes can be submitted online or can be mailed to: Diocesan Cookbook, Episcopal Church House, Mount St. Alban, Washington, D.C. 20016. A printable flyer and information about the project can be found here – please post and share:
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?EpiscopalDioceseofWa/a0b4900bae/a179f16025/9a8e692d5e

The cookbook will benefit the diocesan Hunger Fund, which makes grants to feeding programs in all parts of the diocese.

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Mission 2012 - Living a Simpler Lifestyle

Following on from mission team visits to the UK in 2000, 2005 and 2008 we are looking forward to welcoming a group of 15 Melanesian Brothers and Sisters in 2012.

During this mission we aim to establish 'communities' for a week at a time in various areas of the UK. People can then join these small comunities of Sisters and Brothers to live alongside them, prayer together, explore spirituality, work out in the local community and spend time together discussing issues such as environment, advocacy, peace and reconcilliation.

More details will be availoable soon but if you would like to find out more then give Dave a call on 01284 701 988 or email.

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COMMENT

Four small mugs

Clare Amos writes about her visit to Harare in February

Sitting in our kitchen at home are four small tin mugs. They have been there for a few months, since I visited Harare in the middle of February. The mugs are decorated with the crest of the Mothers’ Union, and the letters CPCA. That stands for the phrase Church of the Province of Central Africa – because that is the Province of the Anglican Communion to which the Anglicans of  Zimbabwe belongs (as well as the Anglicans of Malawi, Zambia and Botswana).  I bought the mugs from the Mothers’ Union shop in Harare – intending to give them as a gesture of solidarity to the Mothers’ Union in Upchurch. I still intend to do that – so I will try and get them to Upchurch as soon as possible! (If you are a member of Upchurch Mothers’ Union please keep reminding me until I do!)

What had taken me to Harare was a meeting of the Anglican Communion theological education working group which I am responsible for as part of my work in the Anglican Communion Office.  Bishop Chad Gandiya, the Anglican bishop of Harare, is a member of the working group, and we had chosen to hold our meeting in Harare as a gesture of solidarity with Bishop Chad.  As well as having our business discussion, the working group, largely composed of people involved in theological education from different parts of the Anglican Communion, offered two days of training for the clergy of Harare Diocese – and a number of other parts of CPCA. I am sure that we learned as much as we gave. We certainly stood in awe of our Anglican brothers and sisters in Harare who face persecution on a regular basis (there is no other word for it) for their faith.

The story goes like this: Some years ago there was appointed as bishop of Harare a certain Nolbert Kunonga who was and is a crony of Robert Mugabe. There may have been an element of corruption in his appointment – but whether or not that was the case, the bullying and unchristian behaviour of Bishop Nolbert soon became apparent. It didn’t take long before the other bishops of the Province decided that Bishop Nolbert needed to be replaced and they went through the due constitutional process that legally allowed his dismissal. Eventually Bishop Chad was appointed in his stead. But (as you might expect) Bishop Nolbert  was not keen to recognise the new situation – and with President Mugabe’s help has been making life difficult for Bishop Chad and his people ever since.

So the ‘proper’ Anglicans (linked to Chad) are locked out of all the churches in the diocese and they meet in a variety of other settings: schools, halls, outdoor parks – wherever they can find a place. But it hasn’t led to the decrease of the church – instead rather its growth. So my colleagues and I on the theological education working group all found ourselves preaching to congregations of 500+  on the Sunday morning. It was a powerful and moving experience. We learned a hymn that is a favourite of Bishop Chad and his clergy – in English it repeats the words ‘Watch and pray’ and we certainly felt that was what we discovered from our friends in Harare.  (I have the music for this on an electronic file and would love to share it on some occasion.)

But I mentioned persecution – and that doesn’t simply mean being locked out of your church. Shortly before we arrived Bishop Chad and a number of other clergy had received sinister death threats and while we were there an elderly lay worker – Jessica – was killed apparently because she was a faithful Anglican.

It was while I was in Harare that I learned of the sudden death of my mother. Difficult though that situation was – there was a sense that I could not have learned of such sad news in a better place – among courageous Anglican brothers and sisters willing to suffer and die for their Christian faith.

Clare Amos is Director for Theological Studies based at the Anglican Communion Office, and is a member of one of a group of six churches in the countryside between Sittingbourne and Rainham in North Kent who work and witness together. http://www.thesix.org.uk

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NETWORK PROFILE

For the next few weeks we're going to profile each international Anglican Network
This week it's the International Women's Network

IAWN, the International Anglican Women's Network, was formed in November 1996 to be the organization through which the voices of Anglican women would be reported to the Anglican Consultative Council. The IAWN Steering Group for 2009 - 2012 was elected in March 2009. The International Anglican Women's Network is one of the networks of the world wide Anglican Communion. Within official church structures, it reports to the Anglican Consultative Council.

International Anglican Women's Network - Mission Statement

Our Vision : To be a bold and prophetic voice for Anglican women throughout the Anglican Communion and in the wider world.

Our Purpose: To enable and empower all women of the Anglican Communion to work cooperatively at national, provincial and communion-wide levels to strengthen the ministries of women in God’s world and to ensure women are influential and equal participants throughout the entire Anglican Communion.

Way forward, 2009–2012

1. Elimination of all forms of violence against women and children, especially trafficking.
2. Elimination of extreme poverty, by ensuring access to health care, safe water, and employment opportunities.
3. Promotion of gender equality throughout the Anglican Communion.
4. Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
5. Promotion of gender budgeting, which is a key to all of the above.

Current News Items

• 15-Jun-2011 Woman ordained priest in the Episcopal Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East
  
• 25-May-2011 Caroline Christie, Diocese of Newark, presents the Girls Statement at CSW55
  
• 08-Apr-2011 Mme Mugisa Isingoma addresses the launch of Tearfund's report 'Silent No More'
  

For more information visit http://iawn.anglicancommunion.org/index.cfm

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VIDEO

Christians in the Holy Land Conference 2011

The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of Westminster speak of their hopes for the International Conference on Christians in the Holy Land, being held at Lambeth Palace on 18-19 July 2011

http://www.youtube.com/user/lambethpress  

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Republic of South Sudan: A new nation is born

By Matthew Davies, ENS

On July 9, the world welcomed its newest nation: the Republic of South Sudan. With photos by the Rev. David Copley and Reuters.

Video: http://bit.ly/rrfqus

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ANGLICAN CYCLE OF PRAYER Click here for the full ACP

Friday 15-Jul-2011
Psalm: 24    Gen 9:1-7
Northwestern Pennsylvania - (Province III, USA) The Rt Revd Sean Walter Rowe
Pennsylvania - (Province III, USA) The Rt Revd Charles Ellsworth Bennison

Saturday 16-Jul-2011
Psalm: 25:1-18    Gen 9:8-17
Perth - (Western Australia, Australia) The Most Revd Roger Adrian Herft
Perth - Goldfields Country Region - (Western Australia, Australia) The Rt Revd Tom Wilmot
Perth - Northern Region - (Western Australia, Australia) The Rt Revd Mark Burton
Perth - Southern Region - (Western Australia, Australia) The Rt Revd Kay Goldsworthy

Sunday 17-Jul-2011     Pentecost 5
Psalm: 26    Acts 7:17-22
Peru - (South America) The Rt Revd Harold William Godfrey

Monday 18-Jul-2011
Psalm: 27    Acts 7:23-34
Peshawar - (Pakistan) The Rt Revd Humphrey Peters

Tuesday 19-Jul-2011
Psalm: 28:1-3,5-9    Acts 7:35-43
Peterborough - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Revd Donald Spargo Allister
Peterborough - Brixworth - (Canterbury, England) The Rt Revd John Edward Holbrook

Wednesday 20-Jul-2011
Psalm: 29    Acts 7:44-53
Phulbani - (North India) The Rt Revd Bijay Kumar Nayak

Thursday 21-Jul-2011
Psalm: 30    Gen 11:1-9
Pittsburgh - (Province III, USA) The Rt Revd Kenneth Price

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Disclaimer: The Weekly Review is a summary of news, information and resources gathered from around the Anglican Communion over the past week. The views expressed in Weekly Review do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Anglican Communion Office.

 

 

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