Anglican Communion Theological Education group (TEAC 2) commits to the
work of 'building up' the Church through theological education

Meeting in Canterbury at the beginning of Lent 2010, the first meeting
of the Steering Group of TEAC2, established by ACC 14 in Jamaica in May
2009, has been nourished and undergirded by the Scripture-soaked worship
of this Cathedral in which we have been privileged to share.

As we sought to express our vision for the fostering and celebration of
theological education in the Anglican Communion, a wealth of scriptural
wisdom formed and shaped our reflections. Lent is a time of discipline
and catechesis, of preparation to enable the baptised to share more
fully in the mysteries of the death and resurrection of Christ. We want
to share our perception that the path of theological education
appropriately reflects the Lenten journey in the life of the Church.
This path may begin inviting us out to the wilderness where 'silence
reigns' enabling us to listen more acutely to the voice of God; yet in
the wilderness we are also invited to pitch a 'tent of meeting', of
encounter with God and with others.

In the wilderness also God gives the gift of water and this visible
symbol of his presence (Exodus 17.7) is a reminder that God meets
physical and material, spiritual and intellectual needs of his people.
Theological education needs to take account of all these aspects.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Gospel story of the encounter
between Jesus and the woman at the well of Samaria (John 4.5-42) where
the need for, and gift of, water, vital for human existence, provides
the starting point for probably the most extended theological discussion
which Jesus has with any individual in the Gospels. We noted that this
text appears in the Revised Common Lectionary as a reading for the
Lenten period (Year A). We have discovered that the well that this story
taps into is indeed deep and offers rich resources to be explored in the
context of theological education.

Earlier work of TEAC produced the 'Signposts statement' which sought to
set out the essentials of the Anglican Way. This was widely shared in
the Anglican Communion, and used as a resource for the reflection on
Anglican identity at the 2008 Lambeth Conference. This statement about
the Anglican Way suggested that as Anglican Christians we are:

* Formed by scripture
* Shaped through worship
* Ordered for Communion
* Directed by God's mission

In our deliberations in Canterbury we have come to realise that this
four-fold 'Signposts' statement not only sets out the structure of the
Anglican Way but can also provide an appropriate framework for
theological education itself. This too needs to be formed by scripture,
shaped through worship, ordered for communion and directed by mission.

Our fruitful discussions have enabled us to draw connections between the
'Signposts', the Gospel narrative of John 4 and the needs of theological
education. We have noted, for example, that the discussion between Jesus
and the woman is embedded in the scriptural heritage which both shared;
that the need for 'true worship' is a significant focus of their
conversation; that it addresses the ordering of healthy relationships,
and the priority of living in God's time; and that the discourse has a
profoundly missionary thrust, ending with the affirmation by the woman's
Samaritan co-religionists that 'we have seen that this is the Saviour of
the world'. (John 4.42)

We have established our goals and priorities for the work of TEAC 2.
These will fall in five areas.

* Facilitation of networking
* Development of resources
* Funding
* Communication
* Advocacy

We have discussed and assigned specific tasks for TEAC that come within
these parameters. Out of this we have begun to develop our programme of
work for the forthcoming year. We intend to hold a consultation for
theological college principals, as well as building further on the work
done at a consultation organised for women theological educators in
2008. We will develop a database of Anglican theological educators, and
revise and update existing lists of Anglican theological education
institutions. We hope to develop an email network of those with
Provincial roles in training for ministry. We will seek to publish four
more booklets in the 'Signposts' series, each of which will offer an
accessible guide to an aspect of the 'Signposts' statement. We will
continue our programme of translating key resources into a variety of
the languages used in the Anglican Communion. We will explore the
viability of developing a web-based course in Anglican Studies. We will
work at issues of communication, developing further the TEAC section on
the Anglican Communion website. In particular we will ensure that the
'ministry grids', already published on this site, become more widely
known. We will continue, in so far as we are able, to work with a
variety of regional bodies and groups, to strengthen Anglican
theological education at the regional as well as Provincial level. We
consider that theological education is vital for the whole people of God
as they seek to give 'an account for the hope' that is in them (1 Peter
3.15).

As we have begun to plan our Steering Group meeting for 2011, we state
our commitment to using it as an opportunity not simply for meeting, but
also to be a time for offering practical support and advocacy for
theological education in an under-resourced part of the Anglican
Communion.

As members of TEAC 2 we are very conscious that we are building on the
foundations laid by the members of the earlier TEAC Working Party and we
want to offer them our gratitude. (A brief resume of some of the work
done by the earlier Working Party is listed at the end of this email.)
TEAC 2 holds similar values to its predecessor in relation to
theological education - that it should be life-long, multi-faceted,
accessible to all, encouraging active learning, attending to context as
well as content, and valuing the vital ministry of theological
educators.

Christ our Teacher,
you alone are the way, the truth and the life:
so lead this Theological Education group in its work,
building trust and understanding,
that, in sharing our stories, vision and resources,
all your people may grow in faith
and your whole Church built up in love,
in the power of the Holy Spirit
and to the glory of the Father.
Amen.
(Colleen O'Reilly, originally written for TEAC1)

Members of TEAC 2 Steering Group

Archbishop Colin Johnson (Toronto, Canada, Chair)
Revd Dr Sathianathan Clarke (India) *
Canon Dr Ed Condry (UK, Canterbury)
Rt Revd Dr Michael Fape (Nigeria and TEAC Regional Associate)
Rt Revd Dr Chad Gandiya (Zimbabwe)
Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley (UK)
Revd Sally Sue Hernandez Garcia (Mexico and TEAC Regional Associate)
Rt Revd Kumara Illangasinghe (Sri Lanka)
Revd Professor Cynthia Briggs Kittredge  (USA)
Rt Revd Dr Stephen Pickard (Australia)
Very Revd Dr Patrick Tanhuanco (Philippines)
Revd Dr Joseph Wandera (Kenya and South Africa)
Ms Sue Parks (representing the staff of the Archbishop of Canterbury)
Mrs Clare Amos (Director of Theological Studies Anglican Communion
Office, and Secretary to TEAC 2)

* Dr Clarke was unable to be present at the 2010 meeting.


Notes:

ACC 14 Resolution 14.08: Theological Education in the Anglican Communion
(Theological Studies)

Resolved, 11.05.09

The Anglican Consultative Council:

* thanks the current members of TEAC for their work and
contribution to the development of theological education in the
Anglican Communion;
* welcomes the new phase of the Working Party;
* endorses the proposed structure and tasks as set out in the
submission received;
* welcomes the establishment of the informal network "Connecting
Anglican Women in Theological Education" and asks those
responsible for the work of TEAC to support and encourage its
further development.

The tasks accomplished by the first TEAC Working Party include the
following:

The production of a series of ministry grids setting out necessary
competencies, skills and qualities for the exercise of various forms of
ministry and Christian discipleship in the churches of the Anglican
Communion. These are available electronically at
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ministry/theological/teac/grids/index.c
fm

The setting out of a guidelist of books relating to the teaching of
Anglican Studies, which the group believed ought to be in the libraries
of all institutions training people for ordained Anglican ministry. Also
the provision of these books to over 35 colleges/training courses in the
developing world.

The translation of a core textbook for Anglican Studies 'Something in
Common', by Adrian Chatfield (published by St John's College,
Nottingham) into Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili and shortly French. Copies
of the translations have been distributed. Copies will also shortly be
available for purchase via a 'shop' on the Anglican Communion website.
The 'Signposts' statement, 'The Anglican Way: Signposts on a Common
Journey', which seeks to set out the essentials of Anglican identity and
ministry, and which was used as the basis for the session on Anglican
identity by the bishops at the 2008 Lambeth Conference. This is
available in a number of languages. See
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ministry/theological/signposts/english.
cfm

Establishing a series of booklets, 'the Signposts series', as a teaching
resource linked to the above statement. Copies of booklets already
published will be available via the Anglican Communion 'shop'. Further
booklets in the series will be published over the coming years.

Seeking to support and develop the ministry of theological educators. A
consultation for Anglican women theological educators was held in
February 2009, and there are a number of follow up projects from this
consultation.

Beginning the development of the 'Theological Studies' section of the
Anglican Communion website as a resource for theological education.

___________________________________________________________________

Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS 4690), London, March 11, 2010

Holy Food and Groceries

By Nicole Seiferth

[Episcopal News Service] Every week, the Food Pantry at St. Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco, California, gives away 11 tons of food from the altar in the middle of the sanctuary, to anyone who shows up, no questions asked.

Journalist Sara Miles, who founded the food pantry in 2000, put it into theological perspective during a conversation at Trinity Wall Street, New York, on March 5. "The Gospel forces us to see that the bread of heaven and macaroni are meant for everyone without exception," she said.

Miles has written two books about her experience with the pantry and at St. Gregory's: "Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion" and "Jesus Freak: Feeding, Healing, and Raising the Dead."

The people who gathered at Trinity understand where she's coming from. Most lead or work with food pantries, street churches, and drop-in shelters in their own communities.

"The food pantry is not a social service program," she said. "It's a Eucharistic community. By eating together in thanksgiving, by making Eucharist together, we will taste God: holy food and groceries."

One of the key elements of that community is its emphasis on volunteers who, according to Miles, "do it all" at the food pantry. "All kinds of inappropriate, unqualified people."

The rules are simple: anyone can participate in giving away the pantry's food. You can be homeless and volunteer. You can be a junkie. But you can't be high and you can't steal food. And when a volunteer is given a new job, he or she is asked to identify two more people whom they will pass that work along to, as well.

Giving away work and authority is no easy task for Miles, a self-described control freak. But she sees it as a key element to an authentic, successful food pantry. Too often, she said, churches work for -- but not with -- the people they are trying to serve.

"If you want your food program to die, do it for them," she said bluntly.

The people listening to Miles know something about the challenges of ministry with and not for people.

"How do you not lose it?" one participant asked.

Miles acknowledged that, like anyone else, she does lose it on occasion.

"It's really hard," she said. "It's not fair how people behave. God is merciful, not just. This work allows you to experience conversion in an ongoing way, which is not always a pleasant process."

Following Miles' presentation and sharing Holy Communion, the workshop participants had an opportunity talk with each other about their ministries -- a rare opportunity for some.

Mary Eaton, who leads the Wooster Fellowship, a non-denominational outdoor church in Wooster, Massachusetts, called Miles' presentation "a reaffirmation."

Steve Ruelke, who runs Ekklesia Newburgh, a street church in Newburgh, New York, said that the workshop was "a reminder we're not there alone. I know Mary's up in Wooster doing same thing, in her style."

Valeria Vasilevski and Phillip Trimble are new to both Trinity and the kind of ministry some of their fellow participants have been doing for years. Practicing Buddhists, they saw a sign calling for volunteers for Trinity's Brown Bag Lunch program last October while attending a Trinity Choir concert. Since then, they have become two of the program's most dedicated volunteers, providing lunch to anyone who's hungry every Tuesday and Thursday in Trinity's churchyard.

"The Brown Bag is very compatible with Buddhism because both place great emphasis on giving rather than receiving," Trimble said.

Vasilevski echoed Miles' point about a ministry's community.

"We've really bonded -- the volunteers and the people who come as our guests," Vasilevski said. "People want lunch, but they're also hungry for something else."

"A spiritual life is a physical life," Miles said. "What are we here to do on Friday and Sunday? We are here to raise the dead."

Nicole Seiferth is assistant editor for website and parish publications at Trinity Church Wall Street.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Episcopal News Service, March 11, 2010

Episcopal News Service provides information and resources which we
consider to be of interest to our readers.

However, statements and opinions expressed in the articles and
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those of Episcopal News Service or the Episcopal Church.

Archbishop of Canterbury visits the West Bank and Gaza 

[Episcopal News Service/Lambeth Palace] Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams visited the West Bank and Gaza Feb. 22-23 as part of his four-day visit to the Holy Land.

Accompanied by Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani and Church of Ireland Bishop Michael Jackson of Clogher, Williams met with representatives of the local Christian community, the Palestinian Authority and local civic authorities, and visited church-run institutions in the health sector.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad hosted Williams at a reception for the local community in Ramallah on Feb. 22. The reception was also attended by Mayor of Ramallah Janet Khouri and Governor of Ramallah Leila Ghannam.

During a 20-minute discussion, described by a Lambeth Palace press release as "lively and engaged," Williams and Fayyad spoke about the challenges currently facing the Palestinian community in the West Bank, the state of the peace process, and prospects for continued improvements for the economy.

According to the release, Fayyad "spoke warmly of the vibrant and important contribution made by the Christian community and Anglican institutions such as St. Luke's Hospital in Nablus to the whole of the Palestinian community, regardless of faith. He also spoke of his personal concern at the continuing shrinking of numbers of Christians living in the West Bank and of the importance of halting, and ideally reversing, that process. The archbishop spoke of his and the Anglican Communion's pride in the contribution local Christians were making to the service of the whole community in very challenging circumstances."

Williams and Dawani paid a pastoral visit to the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on Feb. 23 while Jackson toured the newly renovated St. Luke's Hospital in Nablus. The hospitals are among more than 35 institutions run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.

Concerning the visit to Gaza, the Lambeth release said: "The continuing humanitarian crisis was evident with acute, and well-documented, shortages of basic foodstuffs, medicines and building materials. In the face of the very grave situation facing the inhabitants of Gaza the Ahli hospital provides desperately needed health care. Though small in size the hospital provides in-patient care to a maximum of 80 patients with a range of medical and surgical needs, as well as providing in 2009 care or treatment to 42,000 outpatients (nearly double the figure for 2008)."

Williams and Dawani rededicated the hospital's St. Philip's Chapel, which had been damaged during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has been newly renovated for use by the hospital staff and community.

Suheila Tarazi, hospital director, explained the vocation of the hospital and its staff to respond to the Christian imperative to serve the poor. "We seek to bring hope to the hopeless and bring good news to the poor," she said. "Ahli is a tangible sign of how Christians can serve their fellow human beings in love." Tarazi paid tribute to the cooperative spirit which exists between the Christian and Muslim communities in responding to the current crisis.

In Nablus, Jackson described the ministry at St. Luke's Hospital as "nothing short of inspirational. Despite tremendous shortages of equipment and medicines St. Luke's serves the whole of the community without exception, to the very best of its capacity and with a dedication which is humbling to witness. I want now to ensure that, alongside my own diocese which already has a relationship with St. Luke's, others in the church know how great the needs are, what can be, and is being done often with very little basic equipment, and respond generously in whatever ways we can."

According to the Lambeth release, Williams recalled the appeal in 2009 to which all three faith communities -- Jewish, Muslim and Christian -- had responded so generously in support, among other humanitarian projects, of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in the wake of the January 2009 conflict, a three-week military operation during which Israel attempted to target militant Palestinians, allied with Hamas, who were firing rockets into Israel from Gaza. Many innocent Palestinian and Israeli lives were lost during the conflict.

Israel continues to impose a blockade on Gaza that began in June 2007, resulting in an ongoing humanitarian crisis for the 1.5 million residents, 80 percent of whom are unemployed.

The Lambeth Palace release said that Williams, during his visit, "urged a greater awareness of the humanitarian crisis and isolation which had ensued, to ensure that the people of Gaza were not forgotten."

Williams paid tribute to the "constant, caring and skilled work done by the hospital and its staff for people of all backgrounds, regardless of faith. It was a model of service born in, and sustained by love -- a model response to our Christian calling."

He also paid tribute to the contribution of the diocese, out of all proportion to its numerical presence, and pledged the continuing prayers and support of the Anglican Communion as a whole, and his personal support and prayers for all who felt so little hope for the future. His continuing prayer and hope, he said, was for "peace and for justice for all the people of the region."

On Feb. 22, Williams held a series of meetings with the three most senior heads of churches in Jerusalem: Theophilus III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and members of the Holy Synod; Torkom II, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem; and Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Along with Dawani and Jackson, the archbishop led the Anglican delegation in the fourth meeting of the dialogue with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

Williams also was received by Israeli President Shimon Peres. In a 40-minute meeting "they discussed the current state of relations between Israel and Palestine, the contribution of Christian communities and their institutions -- especially schools and hospitals -- to national life, the importance of interfaith dialogue, and a range of environmental issues, including water," the release said.

On Feb. 21, Williams and Dawani were received by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the culmination of a two-day visit to the Kingdom.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Episcopal News Service, February 24, 2010

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consider to be of interest to our readers.

However, statements and opinions expressed in the articles and
communications herein, are those of the author(s) and not necessarily
those of Episcopal News Service or the Episcopal Church.

Archbishop of Canterbury in Jerusalem

On 22 February, the third day of his visit to the Holy Land, the
Archbishop of Canterbury was received in a series of meetings by the
three most senior heads of churches in Jerusalem: His Beatitude
Theophilus III, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and members of the
Holy Synod, His Beatitude Torkom II, Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem,
and His Beatitude Fouad Twal, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.

The already warm relations that exist between the various local Churches
in Jerusalem were underlined, as was the common responsibility of the
Church globally to confirm and strengthen the presence of vulnerable
Christian communities in the Holy Land including in Jerusalem. Each
encounter reiterated that everything possible needed to be done to
ensure that the Christian communities in the Holy Land could continue to
flourish and contribute to the wider good of all communities in the
region.

Accompanied by the Bishop in Jerusalem, Rt Rev Suheil Dawani and Bishop
Michael Jackson, co-chair of the Anglican Jewish Commission, the
Archbishop led the Anglican delegation in the fourth meeting of the
dialogue with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

The meeting was characterised by a deepening sense of trust and
openness, and a growing determination to work towards a greater mutual
understanding between the faiths, and especially between the Jewish and
Christian communities in the Holy Land.

This growing mutual respect and confidence was symbolised by the
delegations together visiting Yad Vashem. Following a guided tour,
members of the delegations stood together in a moment of reflection
beside the eternal flame at the Hall of Remembrance. The Archbishop of
Canterbury and Bishops Dawani and Jackson laid a wreath and prayed
silently together.

A copy of the communiqué from the dialogue can be found below.

Following the visit to Yad Vashem the Archbishop was received by the
President of Israel, Shimon Peres. In a forty minute meeting they
discussed the current state of relations between Israel and Palestine,
the contribution of Christian communities and their institutions -
especially schools and hospitals - to national life, the importance of
inter-faith dialogue, and a range of environmental issues including
water.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Communique of the Fourth Meeting of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and
the Archbishop of Canterbury

The fourth regular meeting of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chief
Rabbis of Israel took place at the Jerusalem offices of the Chief
Rabbinate of Israel on 22nd February 2010 / 8th Adar 5770 in keeping
with their joint protocol signed in 2006/5766

The Most Revd. Dr. Rowan Williams accompanied by the Rt. Revd. Michael
Jackson, Bishop of Clogher and co-chair of the Anglican Jewish
Commission; the Rt. Revd. Suheil Dawani, Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem;
and the Revd. Canon Guy Wilkinson, the Archbishop's Secretary for Inter
religious Affairs, were welcomed by Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Rishon LeZion and
Chief Rabbi of Israel, supported by Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Chief
Rabbi of Haifa and co-chair of the Anglican-Jewish Commission; Rabbi
David Rosen, Advisor to the Chief Rabbinate on Interreligious Affairs,
Rabbi David Brodman, Rabbi Professor Daniel Sperber and Mr Oded Wiener,
Director-General of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

After initial warm greetings and expression of thanks to the Creator of
the Universe for His Providence - in particular for the ongoing
friendship between the principals and their respective colleagues - warm
mutual appreciation was expressed for the work of the Anglican Jewish
Commission whose most recent meeting had focused on the meaning and
significance of Jerusalem in the Jewish and Christian traditions.

The Archbishop reflected on the presentations and on the concluding
statement of that meeting and expressed his own hopes and prayers and
those of his Church that the spirit of deep understanding and mutual
respect that pervaded the substance and form of that meeting will soon
be reflected on the ground between the different faith communities
through a just and peaceful resolution of the conflict in Jerusalem and
the Holy Land as a whole.

Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen responded, echoing the sentiments of the
Archbishop and adding the hope that genuine peace and reconciliation
will be one in which provision is made not only for the respect of
separate holy sites of each faith, but also for open access to sites
holy to more than one faith in a manner acceptable to all relevant
parties. All present expressed gratification with the progress of the
Dialogue to a degree that enabled honest and frank exchange in
discussion of both convergent and divergent vital issues. This was
considered of great significance in giving a renewed impetus for a
continuation and deepening of the Dialogue.

Chief Rabbi Amar and Archbishop Williams offered their reflections on
the theme of the forthcoming meeting in London of the Anglican Jewish
Commission on creation and human responsibility for the environment.
They spoke of their common understanding of the creation as a gift of
the Creator entrusted to humanity. They emphasised that Scripture
insists on the integrity of both the spiritual and material for any
effective approach to environmental concerns.

Discussion also took place concerning the life and needs of the diverse
Christian community in Jerusalem and the Holy Land and a clear
commitment was made to find practical ways in which greater mutual
understanding between communities could be brought about and to which
the special relationship of the principals could contribute.

The deliberations concluded with a commendation of the work of the
Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land and a commitment to
continue the Dialogue and the work of the Anglican Jewish Commission.

Following the meeting the delegations went together to Yad Vashem. The
Archbishop, with Bishop Suhail Dawani and Bishop Michael Jackson laid a
wreath in recognition of the abiding significance of the Holocaust and
as a commitment to the struggle against the continuing evil of anti
Semitism and all racial hatred and bigotry.

___________________________________________________________________

Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS 4688), London, February 23, 2010

Consultation maps out future operations of Anglican Refugee and Migrant Network

Representatives of Anglican Churches in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea
and the United States together with Anglican Church-backed
non-governmental organisations conducted a fruitful discussion to design
the plans and future operations of the Anglican Refugee and Migrant
Network (ARMN) at the Consultation on ARMN held from 11 to 14 January
2010 at St. John's Cathedral in Hong Kong.

At the end of the four-day consultation, representatives endorsed the
general objectives of the ARMN, which are to encourage coordination,
consultation and action on refugee/migration issues with the Anglican
Communion, with partner communions, with ecumenical agencies, and with
governments within their respective Provinces; to alleviate human
suffering; and to determine and eliminate the root causes which lead to
forced migration and create refugees.

To facilitate the work of the ARMN, of which Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui
(HKSKH - Province of Hong Kong Anglican/Episcopal Church) would be the
host organisation and managing agent on behalf of the Anglican
Communion, the representatives proposed that a Global Management
Committee be formed to serve as the body that designs and directs the
policies, strategies, and programmes of the network based on the
objectives set.

The Global Management Committee will also be responsible for the hiring
of a Network Coordinator who will be responsible for implementing ARMN
objectives.

Pending the approval of the ACC and/or other mandated bodies, the
organisations that attended the ARMN Consultation in Hong Kong will
serve as the Provisional Global Management Committee.

An Executive Committee composed of HKSKH, Dean of St. John's Cathedral,
the Mission For Migrant Workers in Hong Kong (MFMW) and the Asia Pacific
Mission for Migrants (APMM) will be formed to supervise the day-to-day
operations of the network through the Network Coordinator.

Hosted by HKSKH, the consultation featured sharing of work on refugees
and migrants by the participants and the finalisation of the concept of
the ARMN and its work to be forwarded to the Anglican Communion Office
for their comments.

Attending the consultation were: the Very Revd Andrew Chan of St. John's
Cathedral (Hong Kong), the Rt Revd David Lai of Taiwan Episcopal Church
(Taiwan), the Revd Joachim Kim of Towards Peace in Korea (South Korea),
Ms. Deborah Stein of Episcopal Migration Ministries (USA), the Revd
Dwight dela Torre (Hong Kong), Ms. Cynthia Abdon-Tellez of the MFMW and
Mr. Ramon Bultron of the Hong Kong-based regional group APMM.


Issued by:
The Very Revd Andrew Chan  Chairman
Consultation on ARMN, Hong Kong
20 January 2010

___________________________________________________________________
 

Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS 4683), London, February 12, 2010

'Animators' appointed to promote evangelism and church growth throughout the Anglican Communion

February 12, 2010

[ACNS] Following a resolution passed at the 14th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, a Core Group of Animators has been appointed to promote the "Evangelism and Church Growth Initiative" under the auspices of the mission department of the Anglican Communion. Its first meeting was held Jan. 11-15 at St. Columba's in Woking, England.

The main purpose of the Evangelism and Church Growth Initiative is to promote evangelism and church growth work throughout the Anglican Communion, according to a Feb. 12 announcement from the Anglican Communion Office. As well, as facilitating the sharing of news, stories, experiences and strategies of various evangelism and church growth initiatives. ECGI objectives are:

• Facilitate prayer and mutual encouragement;
• Develop strategies to reach unreached peoples;
• Recommend resources & sharing good practice;
• Encourage training in evangelism and church growth for the whole people of God;
• Sharing stories, news and strategies;
• Identify key issues for specific consultation;
• Build links with other evangelism and church growth networks within and beyond the Anglican Communion;
• Encourage practical engagements in evangelism and church growth as signs of hope; and
• Promote centrality of evangelism and church growth within God's holistic mission to be on people's agenda throughout the provinces and instruments of communion.

Meanwhile, the role of the core group will be to enhance and facilitate collaborative work, mutual support and prayer, and to stir up the passion for action in evangelism and church growth work in the Anglican Communion.

"The Evangelism and Church Growth Initiative is therefore a forum for sharing ideas, experiences, skills, and mutual support of those involved in evangelism and church growth in parishes, dioceses and provinces of the Anglican Communion, in order to bring people to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and become life long disciples within the community of God's people," according to the ACO announcement. "The Evangelism and Church Growth Initiative is committed to holistic mission, as expressed in the Anglican Communion's five marks of mission."

The full report of this initial meeting and progress reports will appear on the mission section of the Anglican Communion website.

Core group members attending the January meeting are:

• Bishop Ken Okeke, Church of Nigeria Mission Society
• The Rev. Trevor Pearce, Southern Africa
• Bishop Patrick Yu (convener), Canada
• The Rev. Canon Mark Oxbrow, Faith2 Share, United Kingdom
• Bishop Bill Godfrey, Peru
• The Rev. Canon Rosemary Mbogo, Kenya
• Linda Jones, United Kingdom
• The Rev. John Kafwanka, mission director, Anglican Communion Office
• The Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general, Anglican Communion Office
• The Rev. Dr. Julian Linnell, Anglican Frontier Mission, United States
• Stuart Buchanan, mission department, Anglican Communion Office

Other core group members not present at the meeting are:

• The Rev. Anthonio Kibwela, DR Congo
• The Rev. Irfan Jamil, Pakistan
• Bishop Moon Hing Ng (deputy convener), Malaysia
• Bishop Richard Naramana, Solomon Islands

_____________________________________________________________________________

Episcopal News Service, February 12, 2010

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Archbishop of Canterbury urges church to see issues 'three-dimensionally'

By Matthew Davies

[Episcopal News Service] Complex issues in church and society should be approached with a "three-dimensional vision," Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams urged members of the Church of England's General Synod during his Feb. 9 presidential address.

"Seeing something in three dimensions is seeing that I can't see everything at once: what's in front of me is not just the surface I see in this particular moment," he told synod members gathered for their Feb. 8-12 meeting in London. "So seeing in three dimensions requires us to take time with what we see. It may help us look more critically at solutions that seek to do too much all at once; and perhaps to search for structures that will keep open the ability to learn from each other."

General Synod is the main governing body of the Church of England. It meets at least twice a year.

Williams' comments came on the eve of a debate during which synod will consider a one-sentence resolution that would have it "express the desire that the Church of England be in communion with the Anglican Church in North America." The ACNA is made up of individuals and groups that have left the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, as well as those that have never been members of those two provinces. Opponents have criticized the legislation, saying that it interferes in the life of another province.

Although Williams did not directly address the pending debate, he described recent experiences of "three-dimensionality" he said he had encountered in Episcopal Church parishes and said he knows that similar stories could be told of parishes in ACNA. "There is the simpler sense of three-dimensionality which just reminds us that the other we meet is the person he or she is, not the person we have created in our fantasies," he said.

Williams described his recent visit to the Episcopal Diocese of New York's parish of St. Ann's in South Bronx, one of the most violent and impoverished communities in the city. "I watched them feeding several hundred people, I was taken to the after-school club where local children learn the literacy and other skills they don't get in their public schools," he said. "I spoke with an astonishing Hispanic woman who has single-handedly created a campaign against gun crime in the Bronx that seeks to bring a million women on to the streets in protest, and I saw how prayer unobtrusively shaped every aspect of this work and how people were introduced to Jesus Christ."

Williams said that the experience at St. Ann's reminded him of another parish he'd visited in New Orleans in 2007 -- "a local church planted as a result of the relief work of the diocese, when local people begged for a church to be opened because they had seen the love of Christ in the work done with and for them."

These encounters, he said, represent "three-dimensionality in the Episcopal Church which some are tempted to dismiss as no more than a liberal talking shop."

Williams then recalled a telephone conversation in December with Archbishop Henri Orombi of Uganda, "discussing what was being done by Ugandan Anglicans in the devastated north of the country -- in the rehabilitation of child soldiers and the continuing, intensely demanding work with all victims of trauma in that appalling situation, work that no one else is doing or is trusted to do; and the ongoing work of care for those with HIV, where the Uganda church was in the forefront of African responses to that crisis." He described this as "three-dimensionality in a church that has been caricatured as passionately homophobic and obsessed with narrow Biblicism."

Williams opened his address with some comments concerning the debate on the Equality Bill, a proposed act of the U.K. Parliament designed to protect discrimination in employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. The bill has been criticized by some Church of England members, including bishops in the U.K.'s House of Lords, who are concerned it would restrict the rights of religious organizations to decide whether gay people and women are suitable for certain jobs.

Williams said that the debate over the status and vocational possibilities of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the church "is not helped by ignoring the existing facts, which include many regular worshippers of gay or lesbian orientation and many sacrificial and exemplary priests who share this orientation. There are ways of speaking about the question that seem to ignore these human realities or to undervalue them; I have been criticized for doing just this, and I am profoundly sorry for the carelessness that could give such an impression."

However, Williams told synod members that "very few Christians were contesting the civil liberties of gay and lesbian people in general; nor should they have been."

"The basic conflict was not between a systematic assault on Christian values by a godless government on the one side and a demand for licensed bigotry on the other," he said. "It was over the question of how society identifies the point at which one set of freedoms and claims so undermines another that injustice results."

Concerning the issue of assisted suicide, Williams cautioned that "the freedom of one person to utilize in full consciousness a legal provision for assisted suicide brings with it a risk to the freedom of others not to be manipulated or harassed or simply demoralized when in a weakened condition."

Other topics addressed by Williams were the proposed Anglican covenant, a final draft of which has been sent to the provinces for their consideration and possible endorsement, and the debate on women bishops, which synod will take up at its July meeting once a committee has completed its work of revising draft legislation.

In his concluding remarks, Williams said: "It is only a three-dimensional vision that can save us from real betrayal of what God has given us. It will oblige us to ask not how we can win this or that conflict but what we have to give to our neighbor for sanctification in Christ's name and power. It will oblige us to think hard about freedom and mutuality and the genuine difficulty of balancing costs or restraints in order to keep life moving around the Body. It will deepen our desire to be fed and instructed by each other, so that we are all the more alarmed at the prospect of being separated in the zero-sum, self-congratulating mode that some seem to be content with."

Williams urged synod members that they "may be able to show to the world a face rather different from that anxious, self-protective image that is so much in danger of entrenching itself in the popular mind as the typical Christian position. I deeply believe that this church and this synod are still capable of showing that face and pray that God will reveal such a vision in us and for us."

The full text of Williams' address is available here.

 Matthew Davies is editor and international correspondent of the Episcopal News Service.

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Episcopal News Service, February 9, 2010

Episcopal News Service provides information and resources which we
consider to be of interest to our readers.

However, statements and opinions expressed in the articles and
communications herein, are those of the author(s) and not necessarily
those of Episcopal News Service or the Episcopal Church.

'The Bible in the Life of the Church' project launched by the Anglican
Communion

'Our engagement with the Bible has several aspects to it - rather like
the different parts of a house. The actual black print on white paper on
which the words of the Bible are written resembles the front door of the
house - our point of access and welcome. Then as we enter the house we
find ourselves standing on Christ the Rock, who is the living
foundation-stone of the whole building in which we are located. The
walls that separate us room from room can be linked to the different
contexts which we bring to our study and exploration of the scriptures,
which affect the shape and parameters of our reading. But overarching
all, as a roof for the entire building, is the world-wide Church which
both embraces and offers a generous boundary for our reading.'

This striking image was offered by Archbishop David Moxon of New Zealand
as he opened the first meeting of the Steering Group of 'The Bible in
the Life of the Church' which gathered at St Andrews House, London, 30
November - 3 December 2009.

'The Bible in the Life of the Church' is a major project being
undertaken over three years by the Anglican Communion, mandated by the
Anglican Consultative Council at its Jamaica meeting in May 2009. It is
seeking to discover how Anglican Christians read the Bible, recognising
the very diverse contexts we inevitably bring to this reading. With the
support of the Anglican Communion Department of Theological Studies, the
work of this Bible project will largely take place in a number of
Regional Groups based around theological education institutions in
Kenya, Southern Africa, South East Asia, Oceania, North America and
Britain. Representatives of each of these regions were present at the
opening Steering Group meeting in London and together set up the process
that the Regional Groups will seek to follow throughout the coming year.


We are also planning to set up a number of "User Groups" that will
enable input from other parts of the Anglican Communion. We also have on
the Steering Group members from Latin America and Nigeria. The "User
Groups" will take part in the project by testing out material that
emerges from the work of the Steering and Regional Groups.

In order to enable the overall task with which this 'Bible project' has
been entrusted, it has been agreed to ask those who will be
participating to undertake first of all some serious biblical engagement
with the Fifth Mark of Mission of the Anglican Communion. The Fifth Mark
of Mission speaks of the missionary imperative, 'to strive to safeguard
the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.'
We hope that, through exploring together a selection of key biblical
passages which relate to this theme - widely acknowledged as one of the
most crucial challenges facing the Churches and humanity today - we will
be able to offer evidence of the way in which we, as Anglicans, actually
handle the Bible and to identify principles of biblical interpretation.

Reflecting on the Steering Group meeting, Stephen Lyon, the project's
administrator said, 'those involved left London excited by the
possibilities of the project. It will involve the grass roots as well as
scholars; encourage an excitement in exploring the Bible; take seriously
the diversity of our Communion while acknowledging the foundational
place Scripture has always played in our common life.'

Clare Amos, the Anglican Communion's Director for Theological Studies,
echoed this commitment to ensure that the project takes seriously the
widest possible range of Anglican experience. 'At our meeting in London
we shared both our high hopes for the task, and a range of creative ways
of taking this work forward. We want the people of the Anglican
Communion as a whole to share the sense of urgency and importance that
the project is generating. It is vital that different regions of the
Anglican world are empowered to make their distinctive contributions.
Stephen and I believe that among our responsibilities will be to ensure
that news about the progress of the work is shared widely. One of the
tools for this will be a section dedicated to the project on the
Anglican Communion website. So watch this space!'

Members of the Steering Group

Chair: Most Revd David Moxon , Archbishop and Co-Presiding Bishop of the
Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia and Bishop of
Waikato.

Regional Group representatives:

Oceania - Dr Charles Sherlock, Executive Officer, Board of Ministry,
Anglican Diocese of Bendigo, Australia.
Southern Africa - Revd Dr Jonathan Draper, the academic coordinator of
Biblical Studies at the School of Religion and Theology part of the
University of KwaZulu, South Africa. Also involved will be Prof. Gerald
West, Professor in the School of Theology, University of Natal and
Director of the Institute for the Study of the Bible, School of
Theology, University of Natal.
East Africa - Revd Dr Kabiro wa Gatumu, Senior Lecturer in Biblical
Studies at St Paul's University, Limuru, Kenya.
Europe - Dr David Allen, New Testament lecturer at the Queen's
Foundation, Birmingham, England.
North and Central America - Revd Robert MacSwain OGS, Instructor of
Theology and Christian Ethics, School of Theology, University of the
South, Sewanee, Tennessee, USA
South East Asia - Diocese of Singapore.

Theological Consultants:

The Rt Revd Dr Michael Olusina Fape, Bishop of Remo Diocese, Nigeria and
a member of the Steering Group in his capacity as the Regional
Coordinator for TEAC (Theological Education in the Anglican Communion).
Dr Ellen Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and
Practical Theology, Duke University, North Carolina, USA.
Dr Clara Luz Ajo Lazaro lives and works in Cuba as teacher in the
Ecumenical Seminary at Matanzas and will act as a liaison with the
CETALC network in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Anglican Communion Office staff:

Mrs Clare Amos, Director of Theological Studies at the ACO
Mr Stephen Lyon, project manager and administrator.

For further information contact Stephen Lyon at stephenplyon@gmail.com

___________________________________________________________________

Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS 4680), London, Press Release, January 28, 2010

Archbishop of Canterbury wraps up Trinity Institute conference

By Lynette Wilson

[Episcopal News Service] In summary of the discussions, panels and lectures presented during the Trinity Institute's conference on building an ethical economy, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams identified four repeated themes in his closing remarks: language, education, definition of self and trust.

"Building an ethical economy is something that will engage us on all of these levels, and I trust and hope that in the light of these discussions that engagement will indeed go forward," Williams said. "We belong to churches and communities of faith, have resources that we are bound to share … We are able to hold up models, images, ideals, not as distant abstractions, but as matters rooted in our very identity and faith."

To build the kind of ethical economy Christians envision, Williams said, it is necessary to examine language usage and challenge common assumptions; to look beyond education as the transfer of knowledge, to include what is gained through practice and relationships; for people of faith to establish a clear definition of themselves (identifying the myths and fantasies that need to be shed); and to establish a trust at all levels of society that will hold humanity together.

Williams was in New York to participate in the Trinity Institute's 40th National Theological Conference --"Building an Ethical Economy: Theology and the Market Place," exploring the intersection between economics and theology, held at Trinity Wall Street in New York's financial district Jan. 27-29. The conference officially began Jan. 27 with an evening Eucharist, where Williams celebrated and Archbishop of Burundi Bernard Ntahoturi preached.

The archbishop opened and closed the conference. Williams' lecture "Theology and Economics: Two Different Worlds?" began day two of the conference Jan. 28.

In exploring the intersection between economics and theology, the conference sought to explore questions and themes including: "Is capitalism a belief system?"; "What is wealth and how should it be measured?"; "constructive models of economics and consumerism"; and "envision ways to build an economy that is both ethical and just." The conference included presentations, panel discussions followed by Q&A sessions and theological reflection groups.

During his visit here, the archbishop also made a stop at St. Ann's Episcopal Church in the South Bronx, and participated in a panel and gave the address at an event organized by the office of the Anglican Observer at the United Nations Jan. 26 and held at the Desmond Tutu Center on the campus of The General Theological Seminary. He also took part in discussions at the United Nations and, along with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, met with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

William's wife, Jane Williams, a theologian and writer, accompanied Williams on his visit. Jane Williams met with bishops' spouses, including Richard Schori, the husband of the presiding bishop, and Karen Sisk, wife of New York Bishop Mark S. Sisk, at a luncheon Jan. 27. Similar to the Episcopal bishops' spouses' network, Williams has formed "The Spouses Vine," the Anglican spouses' network, she said. 

The archbishop is scheduled Jan. 30 to give the annual Father Alexander Schmemann Memorial Lecture at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Yonkers, New York, and to receive an honorary doctorate of divinity degree from the seminary.

Lynette Wilson is a reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service.

 _____________________________________________________________________________

Episcopal News Service, January 29, 2010

Episcopal News Service provides information and resources which we
consider to be of interest to our readers.

However, statements and opinions expressed in the articles and
communications herein, are those of the author(s) and not necessarily
those of Episcopal News Service or the Episcopal Church.