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 - Archbishop Rowan: "Don't give up"
• Anglican Life - Exhibit to celebrate church's history
• Anglican Life - Melanesian Messenger relaunched
• Anglican Life - St Margaret's Hospital opening on schedule
• Anglican Life - Lord Eames concerned over Forces' chaplains cuts
• Comment - Sport as a mirror for society
• Digital Communion - ANZP's prayer book online
• Bookshelf - My Brother Vivian ...and the Christian Martyrs of Papua New Guinea
• The coming week's Anglican Cycle of Prayer.

ANGLICAN NEWS

• South Africa - First woman bishop elected in Africa - the Revd Ellinah Wamukoya
• South Africa - First female Anglican bishop for Africa elected in a 'spirit-filled' atmosphere
• England - Primates and bishops from three Provinces appeal to UN regarding Iraqi refugees
• England - Bishop of Durham To Serve On Banking Standards Committee 
• Wales - Review team offers radical vision for Church
• ANZP - Archbishops affirm Bible in Schools
• Global - Anglicans host major conference on health and healing
• Wales - Welcoming the Olympics: All the Bells
• Nigeria: Interfaith Delegation Releases Report on Violence
• Global, Middle East - UN chief urges Iraq, Iranian opposition group to work together to finish group's relocation
• Wales - Steel-worker's son is new vicar at Port Talbot
• England - London's churches throw open their doors to welcome visitors to the Olympics
• ANZP - Cardboard cathedral refused funding
• England - Christian Beginnings by Geza Vermes - review
• England - Scarecrows recall an historic day in 1662
• England - Christian challenge to drone war - 'Playstation mentality'
• USA, England - New friendships forged thanks to successful youth pilgrimage
  

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ANGLICAN LIFE

'No giving up' urged

By Ed Thornton, The Church Times

THE Archbishop of Canterbury has urged Anglicans not to give up on each other despite "deeply painful conflicts".

Preaching to guests from around the Communion at a eucharist at Lambeth Palace on Thursday of last week, Dr Williams spoke of "the alarming hint that if God can't give us up, we can't give each other up - as Anglicans and Anglicans together, but as Christians and Christians together, too.

"How very nice it would be if we could simply say: we're giving up now on fellowship: that's enough peace; that's enough attempts to be together. . . And in those moments - which are frequent enough, God knows - we ought to hear God saying: 'But I'm God. I'm not you. You can give up on each other, but I can't.' And maybe with that before us, we can think of what it is that God goes on asking of us, in terms of making and keeping peace.

"I'm not just talking about how we live through the deeply painful conflicts in our Communion, though that's important enough. I'm talking about those attitudes to one another that shape our lives and our policies . . . And I believe that, in our global Anglican family, in spite of all our tensions and divisions, we have learned a great deal more in recent decades about being there for one another, locally and internationally."

For more visit http://bit.ly/NCpL2J  

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Exhibit to celebrate church's history

By Alyssa Brewer, The Royal Gazette online

In celebration of St Peter’s 400 year history and recent renaming, the Masterworks Museum is hosting a special exhibit of art and artefacts from the church.

St Peter’s: Their Majesties Chappell in St. George’s will feature historic works on loan and works for sale by local artists.

The exhibit opens next week Friday and runs through August 29. The Queen officially bestowed St Peter’s Church with the title ‘Their Majesties Chappell’ earlier this year as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Gillian Outerbridge, secretary of The Friends of St Peter’s Church and the exhibit co-ordinator, said of the pieces to be displayed: “We’ve been loaned really interesting historic works from the Bermuda National Museum, St George’s Historical Society, Fay and Geoffrey Elliott, the Spurling family and the Bermuda National Trust. These show the developing town with the church in the midst.

Read more here http://bit.ly/O2hoOX  

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Melanesian Messenger relaunched

The Church of the Province of Melanesia have hired a new Communications Officer, Aldrin Peloko, who has relaunched the Church's magazine: The Melanisan Messenger.

This latest edition gives the reader an excellent insight into the life and work of the Province and also some of the challenges and joys of living and working in the region.

The Primate of the Province, The Most Revd David Vunagi, writes of the relaunch: "The Melanesian Messenger plays a significant role in the mission of the Church of Melanesia. While information technology has developed greatly to help us do things better and faster, print media is still important in our two countries, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

" It helps greatly in dissemination of information to the mass of our population who live in rural areas where there are no internets and other forms of modern communication. The mission of the church continues to be our priority but we need to take stock of our ways of doing mission. We cannot continue to rely on routine and traditional methods where a big portion of the so called mission programs is taken up by endless singing of choruses."

To read more from this publication download it at https://www.drivehq.com/folder/p10068742.aspx

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St Margaret's Hospital opening on schedule

From the Family Magazine, of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea

The head of the Anglican Church of PNG, the Most Revd Joseph Kopapa announced on the 24th of June 2012 that the opening of St Margaret’s Anglican Hospital is on schedule and has been planned for late August 2012.

The Level 4 District Rural Hospital is the first Church/Government partnership in Papua New Guinea. Initial operations will be as a satellite of Popondetta General Hospital. Further the hospital, of 30 beds, will offer all services complete with weekly specialist visitations.

The dedication and formal opening of the hospital will be on Monday, October 22, 2012 and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, during an official Head of State visit. The new hospital’s major donors
include the Anglican Board of Missions - Australia, Asia Development Bank and the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea.

In January 2012 the National Department of Health (NDoH) inspected the St. Margaret’s facilities and pointed out serious flaws in ventilation and the construction of a minor theatre that needed to be addressed before the facility could be opened as a Level 4 District Hospital.

Following this situation we engaged our architect David Gole to devise a solution for the air flow
in the outpatient area . Further minor theatre room swinging doors into sterile areas and a rise in the roof of the OR theatre to accommodate better ceiling lights are planned.

Read the rest of this article in the very first issue of Family Magazine, the official publication of the Anglican Church in Papua New Guinea at http://bit.ly/LC9yfz  

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Lord Eames concerned over Forces' chaplains cuts

From the Church of Ireland Gazette

In response to an enquiry in the House of Lords, retired Archbishop of Armargh, Lord Eames, has been told that reductions to the Armed Forces announced by the Government in its 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review will lead to fewer chaplains.

Answering a question by Lord Eames as to what impact planned reductions in the future strenght of the Armed Forces would have on the number of chaplains, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence, Lord Astor of Hever, said it was planned to cut the number of chaplains in the Royal Air Force from 76 to 68 by 2018.

Lord Astor provided the information before the 5th July announcement by the Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond MP, that the Army would lose 20,000 regular soldiers by 2020 and that the Territorial Army would be doubled to 30,000.

It is understood that the number of Army chaplains will be reviewed in the light of these changes. In their joint-forward to the Strategic Defence and Security Review document, Prime Minister, David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it was "vital" to bring "back to balance".

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COMMENT

As the Olympic Games kick off this coming week, Oxfordshire educator and school chaplain Robert Jackson writes for the Bible Society about sport as a mirror for society

Whilst Solomon was constructing his Temple in Jerusalem, there were a number of men who would gather on a ? at surface of grass a couple of thousand miles away and bash a ball around with paddle shaped sticks. Solomon’s Temple, notwithstanding its grandeur, is long since destroyed, but the descendants of the ball players are still hard at it to this very day. I’m talking, of course, of the ancient sport of Hurling and the Irish who have been risking limb, if not life, in pursuit of this singularly passionate game.

Just as the commercialisation of American Football belongs very ? rmly in the United States where they seem to have the ability to spot the commercial potential of pretty much any human activity (including religion), so somehow, Hurling
and the Irish seem to be made for each other. Of late, they might have introduced helmets, doubtless a reaction to some European edict on health and safety, but they have resolutely refused to individualise team members with squad numbers let alone names on the backs of shirts. There is something very Irish about the way they simply get on with it in the attractively unassuming but committed manner that makes the Irish such a hit the world over.

The origin of the Games
Soon after the Solomon’s Temple was completed, a group of warring city-states a few hundred miles away created a sporting and religious institution that in spite of a 1500 year break, is still around today… the Olympic Games. At the
heart of the games were bragging rights. Were the men of one city greater than those of another? Whilst this could be established in mortal combat, killing ones opponent robbed one of the opportunity to rub his nose in it and so the cities agreed to a truce every Olympiad (four years) so that their men could demonstrate their masculine prowess in running, throwing, leaping, wrestling and horsemanship. In this celebration of masculinity, the athletes competed naked
and women didn’t feature save, doubtless, as attractive objects to serve the athletes. The rivalry was intense and the cities prepared their athletes and if they won, great was the rejoicing and the athlete was made for life. There were no silver or bronze medals because coming second was no more commendable than coming last – it was winner takes all.

At this point, we can introduce the Bible which, it has to be said, does not appear to be terribly concerned with sport. Having said that, the Apostle Paul does remind the Corinthian Christians ‘…do you not know that in a race all
the runners run, but only one gets the prize?' In due course, it was the Church that ended the Games that were as much a pagan religious festival as they were a sporting event. Theodosius banned pagan practices AD 393 and many
think that this signalled their demise.

Read more here http://bit.ly/Mz6mCI

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DIGITAL COMMUNION

Enjoy the online version of the Prayer Book of the Anglican Church of The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

here: http://anglicanprayerbook.org.nz/

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BOOKSHELF

My Brother Vivian ...and the Christian Martyrs of Papua New Guinea

By Patrick Redlich

Japanese troops in Papua New Guinea during World War II murdered a group of Christians who became known as 'The New Guinea Martyrs'. The Reverend Vivian Redlich, an English missionary priest, was believed to have been in this particualr group, but following new evidence, his brother Patrick has painstakingly pieced together Vivian's life and the known details of his death.

With the truth acknowledged, reconciliation between descendents of the perpetrators and the Redlich family took place in 2009. Among the martyrs were Vivian's fiancee May Hayman, a nurse and Mavis Parkinson, a teacher.

"This is an epic story engagingly told, of a down-to-earth priest, fun to be with, trapped in a nightmare world of invasion and betrayal when he was at his happiest, just engaged to be married. His long mysterious death was an inspiration for many and a cause of deep shame for a few. Now his brother has recreated for us his colourful life and times." Rowan Callick, Asia-Pacific Editor, The Australian

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go the Vivian Redlich Trust Fund for the training of teachers and clergy for the Anglican Church in PNG. It is available by emailing pngbook@gmail.com or, for Anglicans in PNG by calling the National Office on 4724111.

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Jonathan Boardman book launch in Rome

Boardman's book follows the cultural themes throughout Umbria's complex history, its uniquely rich artistic legacy and its lively modern trends. From its theatres to its factories, from its farmhouses to its town halls, from its churches and cathedrals to its restaurants, he charts what is distinct about the people who have made this their home. These include the ever-present waves of new settlers, be they invading Goths or today's economic migrants and ex-patriot settlers. He also mines the rich literary vein laid down by such foreign visitors as Smollett, Goethe, Byron and Henry James while not neglecting the local Latin and Italian heralds of Umbria's charm. Boardman is rector at the All Saints Anglican church in Rome, as well as Archdeacon of Italy and Malta for the Church of England. He's the author of "Rome" in the Cities of the Imagination series.

For more information visit http://bit.ly/NFXGGu

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ANGLICAN CYCLE OF PRAYER Click here for the full ACP

Friday 20-Jul-2012
Psalm: 40:1-10 1 Sam 15:12-35
Eastern Oregon - (VIII, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd Bavi Edna Rivera

Saturday 21-Jul-2012
Psalm: 41 1 Sam 16:1-13
Eastern Zambia - (Central Africa) The Rt Revd William Mchombo

Sunday 22-Jul-2012 Pentecost 8
Psalm: 119:49-64 Mk 12:13-17
PRAY for L'Eglise Episcopal au Rwanda The Most Revd Dr Onesphore Rwaje Archbishop of L'Eglise Episcopal au Rwanda and Bishop of Gasabo

Monday 23-Jul-2012
Psalm: 42 Mk 12:18-27
Egba - (Lagos, Nigeria) The Rt Revd Emmanuel Adekunle

Tuesday 24-Jul-2012
Psalm: 43 Mk 12:28-34
Easton - (III, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd James Shand

Wednesday 25-Jul-2012
Psalm: 44:1-8 Mk 12:35-40
Eau Claire - (V, The Episcopal Church) The Rt Revd Edwin Leidel

Thursday 26-Jul-2012
Psalm: 45 1 Sam 16:14-23
Edinburgh - (Scotland) The Rt Revd Brian Smith

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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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