Anglican Communion News Service

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 - Christians hold rally against church demolition
• Anglican Life - Parish's acolyte ministry includes those with special needs
• Anglican Life - Church of South India diocese to challenge ruling on properties
• Anglican Life - New religious education centre will "point people to Christ"
• Anglican Life - Westminster embrace for the United Reformed Church
• Anglican Life - The new-look St John’s College
• Comment - The Bishop of Khartoum celebrates 100 years of All Saints Cathedral
• Digital Communion - Being angels to neighbours in the local community
• Bookshelf - An introduction for students and lay readers on the Anglican tradition of doing theology
• And finally... Wearing your Provincial Church on your sleeve...
• The coming week's Anglican Cycle of Prayer.

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ANGLICAN NEWS

• England - Council Prayers unlawful rules High Court
• USA - Anglican Presiding Bishop invited to Anglican Provinces throughout Asia
• New Zealand - Bishop calls on solid faith to heal a shaken city
• England - Anglicans urge UK action for Nigeria's threatened Christians
• Bible in the life of the Church - Encuesta sobre como interactuamos con la Biblia
• England - England's Bishop of Bradford blogs on the Synod discussion on Nigeria
• Africa - CAPA Communique is a challenge to unlock its potential
• Africa - African Anglicans appeal for harmony, understanding between Muslims and Christians
• Africa - The final day of the 11th CAPA Council Meeting
• Africa - 11th CAPA Council Meeting - Day 1
• Brazil - New Alliance position to support the Church in Brazil
• Africa - 11th CAPA Council opens in Burundi
• England - General Synod: Archbishop Rowan speaks in debate on women bishops
• Bible in the life of the Church - "Y estaba muy bien…" - estudios de Cuaresma 2012 para toda la Comunión Anglicana
• Bible in the life of the Church - Encuesta sobre como interactuamos con la Biblia
• India/England - Church of South India priest to serve in Birmingham diocese
• England - Archbishop Rowan Williams: assisted suicide could spell 'disaster'
• England - Resourcing Christian Community Action: Parishes and Partnerships
• England - Diamond Jubilee Prayer and liturgical resources released
• Sri Lanka - Independence Day Message 2012 from the Rt Revd Kumara Illangasinghe, Bishop Emeritus of Kurunagala.
• Europe - Ecumenical group affirms relationship with Rome
  
  

 

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ANGLICAN LIFE

Christians in Lahore organise rally against 'mystery' compound, church demolition

From the Diocese of Peshawar's Frontier News newsletter courtesy of ‘The Mirror Update 6’

The Christian Action Committee organized a prayer service and protest rally today January 16, 2012 in front of the demolished compound of Gosha-e-Aman at Allama Iqbal Road, Garhi Shahu – Lahore.

Over 2000 persons including representatives of different Church denominations (Roman Catholic Church, the Church of Pakistan, Presbyterians and Full Gospel Assemblies), human rights activists, social workers and political activists participated.

Bishop Sebastian Francis Shaw (Catholic Church), Bishop Alexander John Malik (Church of Pakistan), Dr. Majeed Able (Presbyterians), Dr. Liaqat Qaisar (Full Gospel Assemblies), MPA Shahzad Elahi (PML-Q), MPA Najmi Saleem (APMA), MPA Pervaiz Rafiq (APMA), human right activists Ms. Neelam Hussain (WAF) and Ms. Shahtaj Qazalbash (JAC) addressed the rally.

The speakers and participants strongly condemned the illegal act on part of the Punjab government. They made the following demands:

• Return the possession of Gosha-e-Aman to its legal holders immediately
• Initiate a judicial inquiry of the incident and brought the culprits to justice for illegal demolition of building, destroying the Church, desecration of the Holy Bible and Holy Cross
• Pay all the loss to the legal property holders

The rally ended after peaceful protest for about two hours.

Bishops reject government land offer
Bishop Sebastian Shah of Lahore and Church of Pakistan Bishop Alexander John Malik dismissed the government’s version of events and its offer of land.

“They said nobody owned the land and mysterious activities were happening here; it’s a pack of lies. We were kept in dark”, said Bishop Malik during a protest yesterday in front of the demolished building.
More than 2,000 people including bishops, priests and pastors shouted anti-government slogans and blocked traffic close to the demolition site for two hours.

Several Catholic priests demanded a judicial inquiry. “We shall continue protesting until the government returns all the land it took and pays for the losses. We do not fear anyone and will fight for our rights”, said Father Morris Jalal.

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Parish's acolyte ministry includes those with special needs

From the Episcopal News Service website

[Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta] Victor Catanzaro can’t see, and he can’t walk. And he doesn’t have a lot of strength in his upper body. But he can serve as an acolyte in an Episcopal church.

How can this be? Well, it takes a parish.

About three years ago, Betsy Jones, who serves as acolyte master at St. Aidan’s, Milton, approached Rector Rob Wood with a question. She already was used to the demanding role in which she supervises 65 acolytes who serve liturgically at the Alpharetta-area church on Cogburn Road. What’s one more challenge? “Do you think it would be possible for Victor to join the acolyte corps?” she asked Wood.

Acolytes at St. Aidan’s usually spend their first year as serving as torch bearers, observing what the more experienced acolytes are asked to do: carry the cross, banners and alms basins, assist at the altar, and other tasks. Victor’s four sisters already were on the team.

“Rob sat quietly, thinking it over,” recalled Jones. “Then he said, ‘Sure,’ and with a twinkle in his eye added, ‘But he can’t carry a torch!’”

It was determined that Victor’s primary roles would be to carry the cross in procession and receive the alms basins at the offertory. The challenge was to come up with a method for attaching the cross to his wheelchair; after some intense web surfing, none was found. Then a parishioner came up with a plan to insert a holder for the bottom of the cross in the center of a piece of wood that would fit under the arms of Victor’s wheelchair. Another acolyte, who came to be known as “Victor’s buddy,” could push the wheelchair from behind with one hand and use the other hand to steady the cross.

When Victor was on the rota to serve, members of the acolyte team took turns being his buddy. “But one Sunday, a relatively new acolyte named Patrick was serving with Victor and came up after the service to find out if he could be Victor’s buddy the next time he served. In fact, he said, he wanted to know if he could be Victor’s permanent buddy. ‘No problem,’ I said. ‘You’ve got the job!”

Victor is not the only acolyte with special needs. St. Aidan’s expansive welcome extends to children who have been diagnosed with ADHD, there’s one on the Asperger’s spectrum and another with muscular dystrophy. “We make accommodations for all of them so they can fully participate,” Jones said.

One Sunday recently when Victor and Patrick were serving, it was time for Victor to receive the sacraments. Patrick had been told that part of his job was to guide Victor’s hand to receive the bread. The chalice bearer would guide the cup to Victor’s lips. This time, however, the chalice bearer couldn’t reach over the altar. “So Patrick took the cup,” said Jones, “and without a second though gave it to Victor, saying softly, ‘The blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.”

“Afterthat, there wasn’t a dry eye in the first three rows,” Jones said. “Like I said, we’ve got some really special kids in our acolyte ministry.”

– Nan Ross is director of communication for the Diocese of Atlanta. This article first appeared in the Winter 2012 edition of Pathways Journal.

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Church of South India diocese to challenge ruling on properties

From Ecumenical News International

A diocese of the Church of South India (CSI) is preparing an appeal against a court order that has virtually stripped it of more than half its churches and institutions, inherited from the Basel Mission church.

“We are preparing a strong appeal to get this order quashed. We are hopeful that our appeal will be upheld by the (federal) Supreme Court,” Bishop J.S. Sadananda of CSI’s Karnataka Southern Diocese told ENInews Feb. 3 in a telephone interview.

The high court of Karnataka on Jan. 23 had ruled that the CSI diocese can no longer manage 40 of its 80 churches as well as over two dozen schools, hospitals and other institutions, citing technicalities in the transfer of these properties from the United Basel Mission Church in India (UBMC).

The UBMC, based in the west coast of India, had not joined in 1947 the CSI union, which was formed from the merger of Anglican and Protestant churches and is one of the oldest church unions in the world. The UMBC merged with the CSI in 1968 and transferred its properties to the CSI in 1972.

Some of the Basel Mission church members who objected to the church union, Sadananda pointed out, challenged it in court. The legal dispute went all the way to the Supreme Court which in 1988 upheld validity of the “merger” of the Basel Mission and the CSI.

“The [present] high court verdict against us is based more on technicalities [of the transfer of properties]. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will uphold [the appeal] as it has already approved the merger of the Basel Mission church with CSI,” Sadananda noted.

Despite the negative verdict, he said, the high court has given 90 days for the CSI diocese to appeal the verdict, after which the court would hand over the administration of churches and institutions in dispute to a government receiver.

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Archbishop dedicates new Religious Education Centre in Wrexham

From the Church in Wales

The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan has officially dedicated the new St Giles’ Centre for RE and Faith Development in Wrexham hoping it will promote “respect, tolerance and responsibility”.

He was joined in Wrexham by Bishop Gregory and other local dignitaries on Saturday 14 January to see the Centre officially opened and to formally dedicate it. The Mayor of Wrexham, Councillor Ian Roberts officially cut the ribbon.

The RE Centre is designed to raise the standards of Religious Education not just in Wrexham but across Wales. It has three members of staff who have been jointly appointed to the project with Wrexham Council.

It’s hoped the £500,000 development will fulfil three aims. Firstly to promote good quality RE teaching in schools, secondly to help the church to be effective in its work with young people and thirdly to help the building at St Giles’ point people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Schools already visit the centre and there are 21 workshops to teach pupils about Christianity. They don’t just focus on facts, they explain the reasons behind certain aspects of the faith, so the session on Baptism is called “Baptism and Belonging” while the session on Marriage is called “Marriage and Faithfulness”.

Commenting on the new facility, the Archbishop said:

“Learning about different religions and what it might mean to take religion seriously as well as seeing life from other perspectives is more important than ever for young people today.

“It teaches them values such as respect, tolerance and responsibility and raises awareness of our common humanity.

“The challenge for this new centre will be to equip teachers with high quality materials that will engage and inspire children, whether they are in Sunday school or teenagers. I am delighted to be dedicating it and I wish it every success.”

Gavin Craigen is the Executive Director at the St Giles’ Centre and added:

“Our aim is to see Religious Education taught more effectively to children and young people – not just in Wrexham but across Wales; and for young people to become excited and positive about their faith.”

On Sunday there was a Benefice service at St Giles where Bishop Gregory dedicated the new altar built as part of the re-ordering work at the Church, while the Archbishop dedicated the refurbished Davies Gates.

Find our Press Release here
Find out more information about the St Giles’ Centre here
There are more pictures from Saturday and Sunday on our Flickr page

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Westminster embrace for the United Reformed Church

by Glyn Paflin in the Church Times newspaper

BLACK gowns, the mark of the Reformed, and gorgeous Anglican copes were seen together in proces­sion in Westminster Abbey on Tuesday evening, when members of the United Reformed Church and the Church of England joined to lay to rest the bitterness of 1662.

The Archbishop of Canterbury described that year as “a political as well as a religious watershed”, one that challenged Christians of both denom­inations to move away from infantile faith to greater maturity.

The service marked both the 40th anniversary of the inauguration of the URC — uniting Presbyterians and Congregationalists — and the 350th anniversary of the Act of Uniformity. Under the Act, Presbyterian and Independent ministers had been forced out of the livings that they had held since the Commonwealth period.

But that “Great Ejection”, as the order of service pointed out, had followed the suppression of epis­copacy and of the Prayer Book, and the executions of Archbishop Laud and King Charles I. So there were wounds on both sides of this historic rift to be healed.

“. . . And, therefore, ministers must smart when the Church is wounded, and be so far from being leaders in division, that they should take it as a principal part of their work to prevent and heal them. . .”

These were the words of the great Puritan divine Richard Baxter which set the mood of the reflections that followed. They included “an historical testimony” from Bishop Brian Duppa (1558-1662), as well as contemporary testimony from a pioneer ministerial partnership in Liverpool, and a URC minister in an LEP, the Revd Ruth Whitehead, who now officiates at Prayer Book rites, and said: “I am Churches Together in Whittlesford.”

In the course of a scholarly sermon, Dr Williams spoke ap­preciatively of divines such as Philip Doddridge, Isaac Watts, C. H. Dodd, and John S. Whale; quoted from Bernard Lord Manning; and sug­gested that the critical tradition of Old Dissent — quite different, he explained, from the Methodist wit­ness — meant that monarchy and episcopacy could never again be what they had been in 1662.

He held out the “attractive” vision of two Churches shaped by legacies of the Anglican parson-poet George Herbert, and Baxter, “who so loved” him, as they drew together prayerfully into a friendly future.

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The new-look St John’s College
Lloyd Ashton on www.anglicantaonga.org.nz  

Beginning the Journey Together.

That was the title on the order of service for yesterday’s powhiri and eucharist for the 2012 community at St John's College, and for its new Tikanga Pakeha Dean, The Rev Dr Helen-Ann Hartley. And while it definitely wasn’t scripted, perhaps it wasn’t surprising that at three or four points during the service you heard this word: Visas.

The Rev Dr Frank Smith (Dean of the Polynesian students) first mentioned it during his speech of welcome on behalf of the tangata whenua. A couple of his new students weren’t able to be at the welcome, he said, because they’re still waiting for their visas to come through. Immigration hassles, he said, were a cross Pacific people had long had to bear.

And then there was Fr Emmanuel Vallaidam who, till recently, had been priest in charge at St Luke’s Laucala Bay in Suva, and who this year is a student in the college’s Anglican Studies programme. He was one of those chosen to respond for the manuhiri – and he said how his family had arrived just three days earlier, and he was entirely grateful to God for his family being able to be at St John's at all.

And then there was Dr Hartley herself. She’d been granted a visa in the nick of time to fly out before snowstorms shut Heathrow – and she’ll be joined soon by her husband, Myles, who’s just had his visa granted. The point, perhaps, is that visas go hand in hand with travel – and the people of St John’s College in 2012 have never been more cosmopolitan, more multicultural, or more drawn from Nga Hau e Wha .

Not just the students, either. That multicultural theme was there for all to see in the ministry party: we had a Maori bishop presiding (Kito Pikaahu); a Kenyan liturgist (Irene Ayallo) – with a Maori woman (Jenny Te Paa) and an Englishwoman (Helen-Ann Hartley) serving the chalice. We even had a contribution from a Pakeha male, too – from Archbishop David Moxon, in fact, who preached the kauwhau. But the days when it was odds-on that Pakeha males would be in charge of everything … they seem to have long gone, disappeared into the dim and dark past.

And it was Archbishop Moxon himself who, after the service was over, marvelled at that diversity, and teased out its threads: Never before, he said, had the Pakeha students at St John’s College been led by a woman. An Englishwoman, moreover – whose fellow deans are a Maori woman (Dr Jenny Te Paa) and Samoan man (Dr Frank Smith), and who are all accountable to a College Commissioner who is also a woman (Mrs Gail Thomson).

And when Archbishop David surveys the 2012 student body, he sees “a vast range of ages, stages in life and backgrounds.” He says Anglicans seeking theological education these days have options – but he believes that St John’s, being a residential community, offers a unique experience in multicultural living.

“That is its strength. It offers an excellent way to prepare someone for the New Zealand church of tomorrow – which is only going to get more diverse, more multi-cultural and more gender-equal. St John’s College,” he said, “is a very good lab for what’s out there in the mission field.”

For his sermon, Archbishop David spoke from the Gospel reading for the day – Mark 7: 14-23 (“It is not what goes into a person that defiles them, but what comes out of a person…”) to encourage the students to become more deeply aware of their hearts – and he described, in a show-and-tell portion of his message , a spiritual exercise that he’d first adopted when he was embarking on his own theological training, and which he maintains to this day.

Later in the service, he and Gail Thomson led Dr Hartley through her installation vows.

She herself then spoke briefly – and paid homage to Maori protocol by speaking of her maunga, Meall Fourvanie, the hill in the Scottish Highlands near where her mother was born; of her awa, the river Wear, which flows from Sunderland (where she grew up) around Durham Cathedral (her spiritual home) to the sea, and of her iwi , including a tupuna called McLeod who’d travelled to this land to settle, “and in whose footsteps I follow.”

She spoke of her journeying, from climbing Meall Fourvanie as a four year old, to arriving at St John’s College in Aotearoa in 2012. And she concluded by quoting from Dag Hammarskjold, the former Secretary General of the United Nations: "For all that has been, thanks, for all that is to come: Yes!'"

After the powhiri and service the community gathered for a meal in the Waitoa Room and the Dining Hall.

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COMMENT

A speech by the Bishop of Khartoum celebrating the Centenary of All Saints Cathedral

Khartoum, Sudan, January, 1912- 2012

Your Grace Archbishop Daniel
Your Excellencies
Friends from Abroad
Sisters and brothers

It pleases me to welcome you to Khartoum and to All Saints Cathedral, in the Diocese of Khartoum of the Episcopal Church of Sudan in this important and historic occasion in which the glory and honor go to our God who was able to keep his faithful people to build the house for His praise which lasted for 100 hundred years. Today we have gathered to thank him and to give honor to him for what he has done for us in the last one hundred years in this building and the old one near to the republican Palace, now being used as museum. Thank you so much for coming to join us in this celebration. Those of you who have come from abroad have shown us that we are not alone but we have friends who walk along side us and that the church is one united throughout the world for the witness of Christ.

In 1999 (13) years ago, ECS celebrated centenary of its establishment. It was when Revd. Llewellyn Gwynne and Dr. F.J. Harpur set their feet in Omdurman, sent by CMS and were able to plant this church that lasted one hundred year in 1999. People gathered together, the youth and people celebrated by singing songs and hymns. The compound of the Diocese of Khartoum in Omdurman was packed with people who came all over the country. Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord George Carey gave a very moving sermon accompanied by the Bishop of Salisbury, David Stancilffe. ECS Centenary brought to Khartoum, the Dean of the Province and Acting Archbishop, Bishop Joseph Marona who was living and caring for God’s flock on the other side of the country due to war situation. People gathered throughout Southern Sudan to thank God for what He has done in this church for the last one hundred years. Speeches were given by many people. Songs and hymns were sung and poems were composed in expressions of thanks and gratitude to God the Lord of the Church. Some people met under trees, others under the lights of stars and still others met under the rocks and caves to offer praises to the God who sustained them for a hundred years.

We can rightly call CMS our Grandmother who gave birth to ECS and supported it to this day.  ECS is ministering God’s people throughout the country and indeed in the new born country, the Republic of South Sudan. During the ECS centenary celebration, Abe Enosa said this:

        “By the rivers of the Sudan, Christ will reign forever. The Sudanese will raise their hands in prayer to our God, we will sing forever. In humble spirits like birds of the air. We will celebrate the love of God for us. When God will make us his unparalleled heirs.

            Let the rivers flow, the rivers of life too. Heaven and earth will testify that God has taken us into his bosom. The birds, the creatures in nature testify that, up in the heavens God reign supreme. On earth the Sudanese will sing to His praise!

           Celebrate, Oh Church of God in the Sudan. Sing praises to the God of love. You are Messengers of peace and love. To our God, let your voices ring in the Sudan. Travel light on boats made of reeds. You may be, in the eyes of men, a simple weed, but you have endured for one hundred years!” (But God is not Defeated, page. 15)

After 13 years since these words were said, today we are celebrating one hundred years of the establishment and foundation of All Saints Cathedral in Khartoum, and it seems to me that these words are so relevant to our time today. We celebrated ECS centenary as one country, today we celebrate this centenary of All Saints when Sudan becomes two countries. Immediately after the independence of South Sudan, Sudan has put Christians as 3 percent of the total population of over 33 million. We may be, in the eyes of many, a simple weed, but we have endured for over one hundred years as ECS and one hundred years as Cathedral Community! Last year for the first time in the history of the Sudan, some of our children could not celebrate Christmas with their families on Christmas Day because they had to be in their schools as there was no public holidays! This is because we, as Christians are considered to be only 3 percent and therefore, do not deserve for a public holidays even on a religious feasts like Christmas! I hope that our government will reconsider this unjust decision so that next Christmas our children will join us for Christmas celebration.

As Christians, we have hope in Jesus. We suffer from the injustice at present but we should have faith rooted and based on the hope of Christ Jesus. Suffering and pain may paralyze us and inhibit our desire to be. Hope tells us that life is somehow worthwhile in the face of evil and suffering irrespective of evidence of the contrary. In hope, says Isaiah Dau, we see the light at the end of the tunnel and that something good will come out of our suffering and there is reason to live. In hope we are saved (Rom. 8.24), hope does not disappoint us (Rom.5.5). as we celebrate this centenary, let us have this hope.

Thanks and appreciations:

We give thanks to God to our forefathers who have gone before us and who have planted the seed of this Cathedral Church that lasted to one hundred years. The CMS, our grandmother has done a great job. Bishop Gwynne and his team have done marvelous job. Our Sudanese fathers and mothers have done a very good job. People like John Malou, Eluzai G. Munda who were on the staff of the Cathedral before Ephraim Natana was made the first Sudanese Provost which brought an end to expatriate leadership. It is to be noted that Brain de Saram was appointed Provost after Provost Patrick Blair, but was not granted a visa and as a result, Ephraim was appointed.  Bishop Butrus Tia Shokai and Bishop Ephraim A. Natana played  a great role in getting the new site for the new Cathedral when it was confiscated by the government as well, H.H. Gabriel Geiu who followed up the compensation of the site. We thank President Jaffer Numeiri for decreeing to offer this site and thank God for Abulgasim Mohamed Ibrahim,Minister of Youth and Sports, who agreed to offer this site when the Muslims rejected to have a church near to the Muslim cemetery.

As we thank God for what he has done in both Cathedrals old and new through his faithful people, we are particularly grateful for those who contributed money to build the old Cathedral which has become the centre of Christian faith in Khartoum and teaching. Now, Sudan is not the same as we knew it one hundred years ago due to the split, I am aware that there are going to be many tough challenges ahead in the next one hundred years, but I am also aware that our God is bigger than the challenges that lie ahead of us. The same God that sustained the Church for the last 100 years, will sustain it for the next 100 years. Many people say, the Church has gone to the South with Southerners, but I say, the Church has been here in the Sudan before even it went to the South! The Sudanese eunuch in Acts 8: 26 to the end, bears witness to this fact. In this celebration I would like to say that our forefathers were here, we are here and our children and grand children will be here for the next 100 years to come and beyond.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the pastors in this Diocese, particularly the Archdeacons for their faithful service and contributions they have made to impart the spirit of love and unity among the people. My heart and appreciation goes to the pastors from South Sudan whom after the independence found themselves in a very difficult circumstance, yet they continue to bear witness to this day. Some of them have left to be in the new country, I say may God bless you richly and increase in you his fire to impart on his people. Those of you who have come to celebrate with us, thank you.

The youth have played a significant role in all the churches, particularly in the Capital. The inspiring songs and activities have been appreciated by many people including Muslim brothers and sisters. I cannot forget the work of women who form the majority in all the churches of the Diocese and I think it is true throughout the Episcopal Church of the Sudan. Some of the churches today are being run by the women because many have moved to the Republic of south Sudan and the rest are working.

In this Cathedral centenary celebration I would like to say, we strongly reject the notion that the remaining of the Sudan there is but only one religion, there is but one language, there is but one culture. Sudan will continue to be multi-religious, multi-langue and multi-cultural. I am aware that some of us may fall on the way as some of our forefathers during the past years, but some will reach the final destination of faith. We should have courage and face the future with the hope of Christ who is the author and the finisher of our faith.

Award:
In this celebration we will be giving small awards to some individuals as a symbol of our appreciation and gratitude for the sacrifices they have made during their life of service in either old or new Cathedral. Some of these individuals were able to serve in both Cathedrals. The most important persons to be honored are the planter of this Church, Episcopal Church of the Sudan, Bishop Llewellyn Gwynne, the architect of the Old and New Cathedrals, Mr. Robert Weir Schultz and Mr. Abdin Mehaisi . As we do this and offer this simple award, we would like to say that their contributions are and will continue to inspire us to continue in their steps to the end of our life as they did.
Reasons to Celebrate:

• Give thanks and praises to God for what He has done for the last one hundred years.
• Primary aim of this celebration is to encourage God’s people to follow footsteps of those who served God faithfully until some of them died in his service.
• To unite the Church of Christ to work together as a body of Christ particularly this new era of Sudan after the independence of South Sudan. It is to make a very Big Noise that, we, as Christians are here and we intend to be here for God’s purpose until he comes to take us home.
• To mobilize intercessors all over to strengthen prayer in every Church to continue to pray for the future of the two countries to have good and strong relations for the service of the people of Sudan and South Sudan.
• To continue offering social services and humanitarian assistance to all people.

Future Plans:

• I would like to launch a Bible study known as Bishop’s Bible Certificate (BBC) for those who would like to have a deep knowledge of the Bible where by each attendant will be offered a certificate in Bible knowledge. Please pray for this new project in the Diocese to attract many for the good and expansion of God’s work in this part of the country.
• We would like to see this Cathedral completed in having its tower in the next 15 years so that the next centenary celebration, the shape will look different than it is today.
• Complete the Bishop’s house within the Cathedral premises.
• To complete the community Centre which was only built as Youth Hall and the rest is to be completed and we do ask good wishers to come to our aid.
• Develop the two sites of Amarat street one and Burri site which were part of government compensation with the Cathedral site.

Prayer Request:

• Church in the Sudan after independence of the Republic of South Sudan to continue her mission without any hindrances and restrictions
• Situation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Many people have been killed in these two areas and are still dying. We want to see war stops and that the warring parties get to the negotiating table, that forgiveness and reconciliation happens which I believe will bring durable and lasting peace in the region
• Darfur, we appreciate the Duha peace efforts, but the conflict remains on the ground which needs permanent solution. It is my prayer and hope that the other functions will join the peace talks so that the problem comes to an end.

Conclusion:
I would like to thank God for the preparatory Committee under the Leadership and Chairmanship of Dean Sylvester Thomas Kambaya and his Deputy Revd. Musa Elgadi, Principal of SBTI and all the members without which this function could not have taken place. I thank all those who have contributed to the budget in order to have this occasion. May the Lord bless you richly for His service.

May the God who brought us that far keep us for His service. May he guide our shaky feet and our faith strong to do His will in the Sudan for His glory and praise. To God be the Glory for all the things He has Done.

           Celebrate, Oh Church of God in the Sudan. Sing praises to the God of love. You are Messengers of peace and love. To our God, let your voices ring in the Sudan. Travel light on boats made of reeds. You may be, in the eyes of men, a simple weed, but you have endured for one hundred years!”

Ezekiel Kondo, Bishop of Khartoum
Khartoum January 2012

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DIGITAL COMMUNION

Being angels to neighbours in the local community

From the Diocese of Salisbury's YouTube channel

Since March 2009, former district nurse Daile Wilshere has pioneered a befriending scheme in parishes near the South Coast. The volunteer 'Community Angels' show love and care to their needy Neighbours.

http://bit.ly/xrCoZu

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BOOKSHELF

Anglican Theology

By Mark Chapman

An introduction for students and lay readers on the Anglican tradition of doing theology

Description from the publisher's website

This book seeks to explain the ways in which Anglicans have sought to practise theology in their various contexts. It is a clear, insightful, and reliable guide which avoids technical jargon and roots its discussions in concrete examples. The book is primarily a work of historical theology, which engages deeply with key texts and writers from across the tradition (e.g. Cranmer, Jewel, Hooker, Taylor, Butler, Simeon, Pusey, Huntington, Temple, Ramsey, and many others). As well as being suitable for seminary courses, it will be of particular interest to study groups in parishes and churches, as well as to individuals who seek to gain a deeper insight into the traditions of Anglicanism. While it adopts a broad and unpartisan approach, it will also be provocative and lively.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Identity of Anglicanism (8,000 words)
This chapter addresses the question of Anglican distinctiveness. After a brief outline of Anglican history, it discusses different understandings of Anglican identity, emphasising the close connections between polity and church order and the development of theology. It focuses on the question: what makes Anglicanism different from the other churches and denominations which emerged from the Reformation? A provisional answer suggests that the key theological methods which developed in the formative period of Anglicanism (sixteenth and seventeenth century) meant that there was very little that was unique to Anglican theology in relation to Christian doctrine. Instead, Anglicanism became a set of ways for approaching Christianity adopted in a specific context in relation to a particular set of practical problems and issues. The key theological theme is that of contextuality, provisionality and openness: this will be illustrated using writers from across the globe.

Chapter Two: Norms and Methods in Anglican Theology I (10,000 words) This chapter addresses the question of fundamental theological norms and resources. It discusses the role of scripture and the writings of the Fathers through a detailed engagement with the key writers of the Anglican tradition, particularly from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. What emerges is a theological and apologetic tradition based upon the Fathers and the writings of the undivided church which often stands in tension with the more confessional theology of the Reformers: rather than a comprehensive and harmonious solution based upon a specific confession, there is a often a fundamental conflict in Anglican historical theology.

Chapter Three: Norms and Methods in Anglican Theology II (12,000 words) This chapter moves on to develop the problem outlined in chapter two as it was shaped in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the emergence of Evangelicalism and ‘Anglo-Catholicism’, as well as more liberal approaches to biblical interpretation and theology. The importance of context is also discussed, particularly in relation to the expansion of forms of Anglicanism across the world from the seventeenth century. Crucially, this chapter raises questions about post-colonialism and cultural assimilation which have profoundly affected the ways in which Anglican theology has developed in recent years. This chapter also addresses the ways in which Anglican identity has been shaped by its engagement in ecumenical dialogue with other theological traditions.

Chapter Four: Liturgical and Sacramental Theology (8,000 words) This chapter expands into applied theology by discussing the relationships between theology and the practice of prayer and worship: perhaps more than any other western tradition, Anglicanism has been a religion of practice. The chapter discusses the importance of liturgy, architecture and spirituality in Anglican theology, looking in detail at the theologies embodied in liturgical texts and Anglican spiritual writers. Again detailed discussions of the classical writers will illustrate the key issues sometimes highlighting the tensions and conflicts over eucharistic and sacramental theology.

Chapter Five: Moral Theology (10,000 words) This chapter addresses Anglican approaches to ethics, focusing in particular on the relationships between church and state, which were of vital importance in the early years of Anglicanism. The contextual differences between the provinces of the Anglican Communion in this area highlight the diversity across the world over the role of the church in the political order. In addition, other moral problems will be raised – including the currently contested issue of human sexuality – which again emphasise important questions about the role of the biblical and theological tradition in settling contemporary disputes and dilemmas.

Chapter Six: Ecclesiology (10,000 words) This chapter discusses the development of the theology of authority and church order in the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. It highlights the problems inherent in a set of churches which developed with only a loose regard for one another rather than with a strong central control. It assesses the so-called instruments of unity, as well as the rise of democracy and synodical government in the local churches. Questions are raised about the theology and functions of episcopacy and ministry, as well as the role of the laity in decision-making.

Conclusion: The future of Anglicanism (7,000 words) The final chapter addresses recent developments in Anglican theology, particularly the call for an Anglican Covenant and a greater degree of centralisation across the worldwide Communion. It asks the question as to whether Anglicanism will mutate into a set of churches with loose family resemblances, or whether it will develop into a global church with a strong central decision-making authority. I will conclude with a brief set of personal reflections on the future and tasks of Anglican theology.

Author(s)
Mark Chapman, Mark Chapman is Vice-Principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, and a Reader in Modern Theology at the University of Oxford, UK. He has written widely on modern church history, ethics and theology. His books include Ernst Troeltsch and Liberal Theology (Oxford), The Coming Crisis (Sheffield), Blair's Britain (DLT) and Anglicanism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford).

Reviews
‘Is there such a thing as Anglican Theology? This is what Chapman explores in this rigorous but stimulating book. In a well presented but compact review, he shows how a plurality of theologies – especially of the church and authority – have always characterised Anglicanism.He begins with Henry VIII, but he could as well have begun with Bede and used the same rigorous method. He quotes primary as well as secondary sources and reveals step by step the lack of historical perspective in those who claim that their understanding is the right – or indeed the only – Anglican position. Since a theology of development is always potentially threatening, this timely study is important, not just for the Church of England but for the whole Anglican Communion.’ - David Stancliffe, formerly Bishop of Salisbury, UK.

Publisher's website is here http://www.continuumbooks.com/books/detail.aspx?BookId=133823&SntUrl=144344

You can also get it at other online shops including Amazon

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AND FINALLY...

While browsing the world wide web, staff at the Anglican Communion Office stumbled across T-shirts on Amazon for those who want to show what Province they're from...Someone out there really loves their Province!

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ANGLICAN CYCLE OF PRAYER Click here for the full ACP

Friday 10-Feb-2012
Psalm: 90: 1-6    Wis. 10: 15-end
Arkansas - (VII, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd Larry Benfield

Saturday 11-Feb-2012
Psalm: 139: 13-18    Wis. 11: 1-14
Armidale - (New South Wales, Australia) The Rt Revd Peter Robert Brain

Sunday 12-Feb-2012     Epiphany 6
Psalm: 144: 1-4    Wis. 11: 21-26
PRAY for The Church of the Province of Central Africa The Most Revd Albert Chama Archbishop of Central Africa & Bishop of Northern Zambia

Monday 13-Feb-2012
Psalm: 149: 1-5    Wis. 12: 12-18
Arochukwu/Ohafia - (Aba, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Johnson Onuoha

Tuesday 14-Feb-2012
Psalm: 33: 1-9    Prov. 23: 15-25
Aru - (Congo) The Rt Revd Dr Georges Titre Ande

Wednesday 15-Feb-2012
Psalm: 119: 105-112    Prov. 24: 21-34
Asaba - (Bendel, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Justus Mogekwu

Thursday 16-Feb-2012
Psalm: 34: 15-end    Prov. 25: 11-28
Athabasca - (Rupert's Land, Canada) The Rt Revd Fraser Lawton

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