Anglican
WORLD MAGAZINE OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION • ISSUE 146 • SEPTEMBER 2017
Responding to the call Swapping a legal wig for a clerical collar
Celebrations in Khartoum Sudan inaugurated as 39th Province of Anglican Communion
The Lords Spiritual An exclusive glimpse into the role of Bishops in the House of Lords
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e d i to r i a l
Journeying towards Christ
THINKING OF THE Christian life as a journey reminds us that we are going somewhere. It encourages us to think ahead, and look forward with anticipation to the joy of arrival. A diverse group of Anglicans from around the Communion came together to journey through the Holy Land in June. Walking together, our visit symbolised the companionship and links within the worldwide Anglican Communion. It was a profound encounter which left no-one unchanged. In this edition we have two reflections on what it meant to walk together as pilgrims. The Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Francis have been journeying in ever closer Christian witness. Anglican World has brought together two leading ecumenists for an ‘In Conversation’ feature, charting recent progress. A journey of a personal kind features in the article by the Revd Kathryn Watt of Melbourne. Kathryn shares her vocational journey with us; a cradle Catholic and former senior lawyer in international financial services, she charts her gradual “For the Anglicans of Sudan, the progress towards Anglicanism and now ministry. ‘Walking the way of Christ in the precincts of parliament’ is beginning of a new journey” how the Church of England describes the role of the Bishops who sit in Britain’s Upper Chamber, the House of Lords. The Bishop of Southwark invited Anglican World to join him in the Chamber to find out more about this aspect of episcopal ministry. Finally, there was a moment of great joy for Sudan at the end of July when it formally became the 39th Province of the Anglican Communion. For the Anglicans of Sudan, this marked the beginning of a new journey as they seek to serve Christ and proclaim His word. I invite you to continue to pray for the Archbishop and all of the Church in Sudan.
Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon Secretary General of the Anglican Communion
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contents
Anglican
world Inside this issue ISSUE 146 SEPTEMBER 2017
Produced by The Anglican Communion Office St Andrew’s House 16 Tavistock Crescent London W11 1AP United Kingdom Registered Charity 7311767 Tel +44 (0)20 7313 3900 Fax +44 (0)20 7313 3999 E-mail aco@anglicancommunion.org Web www.anglicancommunion.org Serving the Instruments of Communion: The Archbishop of Canterbury The Lambeth Conference The Anglican Consultative Council The Primates’ Meeting And approximately 85 million Anglicans and Episcopalians in more than 165 countries President The Archbishop of Canterbury Secretary General The Most Revd Josiah Idowu-Fearon Editor Bernadette Kehoe Any comments, questions or contributions should be sent to The Editor at magazine@anglicancommunion.org Subscriptions: E-mail aw.subscriptions@ anglicancommunion.org UK £2.50 / US$4 / €3.50 for one issue. UK £10 / US$16 / €14 for four issues. See our website for how to subscribe to further copies of the magazine – visit http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ resources/shop.aspx Design and Layout Marcus Thomas e-mail info@marcusthomas.co.nz Printed by CPO, Garcia Estate, Canterbury Road, Worthing, W. Sussex BN13 1BW
All original material may be reproduced by Member Churches without further permission of the Anglican Consultative Council. Acknowledgement and a copy of the publications are requested. Permission to reproduce copyrighted work should be sought from the owner. ANGLICAN WORLD IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION OFFICE
¢ EDITORIAL
Archbishop Josiah on the journey of faith in its many expressions 2
Anglican
WORLD MAGAZINE OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION • ISSUE 146 • SEPTEMBER 2017
¢ COMMUNION NEWS
The latest from around the Anglican world 4 ¢ FEATURE
The birth of a new Anglican Province: celebrations in Sudan 6
Responding to the call Swapping a legal wig for a clerical collar
Celebrations in Khartoum Sudan inaugurated as 39th Province of Anglican Communion
The Lords Spiritual An exclusive glimpse into the role of Bishops in the House of Lords
¢ PROFILE
anglican world issue 146 SEPTEMBER 2017
Why a high flying Australian lawyer gave it all up to serve 8 ¢ PROVINCE PROFILES
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Cover photo Revd Kathryn Watt CREDIT: JULIAN WATT
Anglican Province of South America & Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea 10 ¢ WORLD VIEW
The Communion at a glance 12 ¢ FEATURE
¢ THE LAST WORD
Exclusive peek into the work of the Church of England Bishops who sit in the upper chamber of Britain’s parliament 14
A life of service to the Anglican Communion Office – a fond farewell from a long serving staff member 24
¢ FEATURE
In Conversation: two leading Anglican and Roman Catholic ecumenists in dialogue at a Benedictine monastery 16 ¢ FEATURE
A global wave of prayer: Thy Kingdom Come goes global 18 ¢ FEATURE
Anglicans on a journey of faith in the footsteps of Jesus 20 ¢ ANGLICAN YOUTH
How a Seventh century saint inspired young people to think about Europe and identity 23
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communion news
middle east
ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY’S PRAISE FOR “BRIDGEBUILDING” ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP IN JERUSALEM
LAMPAL
Bp Suheil Dawani & Abp Justin
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, concluded his longest pastoral visit to a diocese outside the Church of England by praising the Archbishop of Jerusalem’s “bridge-building” work between Israelis and Palestinians. Archbishop Justin’s 11-day “pastoral pilgrimage” was designed to provide an opportunity for him to hear from beleaguered Christians in the Middle East and to witness the Diocese of Jerusalem’s work in the area of reconciliation. Archbishop Justin began his visit in Jordan, where King Abdullah assured him that the country would continue to
speak out for the presence of Christians in the region. After that meeting, Archbishop Justin asserted that Christians “are the past in the Middle East, they are the present, and they must be the future.” During the following days he visited the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan, the two Anglican hospitals in Gaza and beleaguered communities in the West Bank - including the divided city of Hebron. He met the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other political leaders.
australia
TWO ANGLICAN AGENCIES JOIN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT’S HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE The Anglican Board of Mission and Anglican Overseas Aid have been selected to join the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, set up by the Australian government, with the aim of responding rapidly to global crises. The partnership has a particular focus on Pacific preparedness and resilience work and was announced by the Australian Government at a launch in Brisbane. The Anglican Board
of Mission and Anglican Overseas Aid will form a consortium of eight church based organisations selected to be in the partnership - the Church Agencies Network Disaster Operation (CAN DO). Left: Relief aid
england
CHURCH OF ENGLAND PARISH AT HEART OF RELIEF EFFORTS FOLLOWING LONDON INFERNO In the hours after a massive blaze ripped through a tower block in west London in June, nearby St Clement’s Church was rapidly turned into an emergency relief centre. It sheltered more than 100 residents as the blaze raged and was subsequently overwhelmed with donations. Revd Alan Everett said St Clement’s has always had a strong link in support of local residents: “Because of this church’s longstanding
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community outreach work, it is a highly trusted place. We are trusted by people of all faiths. This response is the social gospel. In the wake of the tragedy people might ask where is God? God is present in the hands that are reaching out to help.” Designated spaces were created within the church grounds for prayer, with clergy from throughout the area offering support to grieving relatives.
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Volunteers sorting donations
americas
MEMBER OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY IS FIRST WOMAN TO BE ORDAINED IN GUYANA The diocese of Guyana has its first ever female Deacon. Rita Hunter was ordained at Christ Church in Georgetown by the Bishop of Guyana, the Right Revd Charles A. Davidson. Deacon Rita is from the Akawaio tribe and hails from Jawalla in the Upper Mazaruni River, where she has resided all her life. Guyana’s first female Deacon
childhood. She became a Catechist in 1979 and a Eucharistic Minister two years later. Her dedication to the Church includes ongoing work on translation of the New Testament into the Akawaio language. She has also served her community as an interpreter, midwife and health worker.
Deacon Rita’s life in the Anglican Church began from her early
melanesia
ANGLICAN CHURCH OF MELANESIA SUPPORTS ISLANDS HIT BY TROPICAL CYCLONE The Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) worked closely with the National Disaster Management Committee in Vanuatu and was supported by Anglican agencies in the Pacific, after tropical cyclone Donna battered the Torres Islands. The cyclone was the strongest ever to be recorded in the southern hemisphere in the month of May. It destroyed homes and livelihoods. Many crops were completely
destroyed, including taro, cassava and yam, which are a staple part of the islanders’ diet. Anglican Board of Mission (ABM) reported that the Northern provinces of Vanuatu were the most affected. In particular the cyclone devastated the Torba Province in the Anglican Diocese of Banks and Torres, where many Anglicans live.
Cyclone damage in Vanuatu
england
NEW ANNUAL PRAYER DAY LINKS DIOCESES IN SOUTH AMERICA AND NORTHERN ENGLAND People in two dioceses on opposite sides of the globe have taken part in their first joint annual prayer day. The Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt Revd James Newcome, and the Bishop of Northern Argentina, the Rt Revd Nick Drayson sent reciprocal filmed messages of greeting. The prayer day builds on work that has been ongoing for more than twenty years to build stronger ties between the two dioceses. Since 1995 there have been a number of visits to and from Northern Argentina. There’s also been prayerful and financial support for a number of projects including a
Pastors and young people from Argentina in Cumbria, northern England
soup kitchen and medical services, refurbishment of a property as a home for Bishop Nick and ways
to restore Christian faith within Amerindian families.
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f e at u r e
A new province is born Celebrations as Sudan becomes 39th province of Communion TRUMPETS SOUNDED; a choir sang; people danced, waved flags and hollered for joy: the birth of a new Anglican province is a rare occasion and the people of Sudan celebrated in style as their church was welcomed into the worldwide Anglican family. Hundreds of worshippers were joined by distinguished guests from around the world at All Saints cathedral in the capital, Khartoum, for the inauguration of the province of Sudan in July. Hundreds more sat under cover outside in temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius, their exuberance undimmed by the searing heat. The primate of the new province, Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo – who was installed as Archbishop
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during the service -- was thrilled by the occasion. “I am so excited,” he said. “I am so grateful to everybody who was here... now we need the people of the world to continue to pray for us.” He also thanked the Sudanese government and said it was significant it had sent representatives including a minister. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, presided at the ceremony and presented Archbishop Ezekiel with a primatial cross. He said the birth of a new province was a ‘rare and precious’ event. “To be invited here to preach this morning is a privilege of which I could never have dreamed,” he said. “I thank the province of Sudan for
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Archbishop Justin presents Archbishop Ezekiel with a primatial cross
the honour of being here at your birth. Like all births, it comes with responsibility - it is for the Christians to make this province work and for those outside to serve, pray and to love this new province.” Archbishop Justin said the church in Sudan had known sorrows as well as joys. There were now many opportunities and many challenges. “There is land, there are churches, there are wonderful people. The church must learn to be sustainable financially, to develop the skills of its people and bless this country, as the Christians here already do.” There had been a more reflective moment before the celebrations began, as Archbishop Justin; the chair of the Anglican Æ
Æ Consultative Council, Archbishop Paul Kwong and the Archbishop of South Sudan, Daniel Deng, prayed and laid flowers at the graves of former bishops of Khartoum in the church compound. Then the marching band and choir struck up, and a colourful procession of archbishops, bishops and other guests headed down the street and into the main entrance of the cathedral, flanked by excited children, with press photographers and TV cameras scurrying to keep up. Sudan is predominantly Muslim but has around one million Christians. Archbishop Justin spoke of seeing Christians and Muslims ‘co-existing powerfully and effectively’ when he had visited the southern diocese of Kadugli a day earlier. Such tolerant co-existence needed freedom, he said. “My prayer for Sudan is that there will be freedom continually so that Christians may live confidently, blessing their country. The more they are free, the more they will be a blessing to Sudan, he said.” The archbishop praised the Khartoum government for welcoming refugees from the conflict in South Sudan. Abu Bakr Osman, the Minister of Religious Guidance and Endowments, said he was ‘overwhelmed with happiness’ at the occasion. He said there was feeling of the country coming together and that living in harmony and unity would be a source of strength. During the service, the leader of the Mothers’ Union in Khartoum, Mama Samira, led prayers for peace. Archbishop Justin praised the MU,
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Choir girls processing into cathedral
Archbishop Justin lays flowers at the grave of a former bishop of Khartoum
describing them as ‘the heart and love of the Church’. Sudan has been an internal province within the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan. The new province has five dioceses. Archbishop Daniel Deng, urged Archbishop Ezekiel to’ keep the light burning in all Sudan’. “The Church is commissioning you to be the light and hope for the country,” he said. “We are now entrusting the people of Sudan into your hands.” The last province to join the Anglican Communion was Hong Kong, in 1998. Its primate, Archbishop Paul Kwong said it was a great privilege to be at the service. “This is a significant and exciting moment in the history of our Anglican Communion,” he said. “It is a moment of celebration, encouragement and hope not just for Anglicans here, but all around the world. I look forward to walking closely with the province as it serves Christ and seeks to proclaim His word.” In a personal greeting sent to Archbishop Ezekiel, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, wrote of his joy and hope. “Your passion for Christ, for mission, and for peace, is most humbling,” he said. “The people of Sudan have suffered greatly from the effects of bitter conflict, and terrible poverty. It is in this climate that you have responded to the call to build His Church. Our message to you is that you are not alone. You are a precious part of a special family. Your brothers and sisters across the
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“I am so grateful to everybody who was here... now we need the world to pray for us.”
Communion will be praying for you today, and in the future as you grow in the love of Christ.” The service also heard greetings from bishops and clergy from around the world including Uganda and Singapore. Among the speakers were the Bishop of Egypt, Mouneer Anis; the Secretary of Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, Canon Grace Kaiso; the Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines; and representatives from the Lutheran Church, the World Council of Churches and the Council of Churches of South Sudan. There were also representatives from the Mothers’ Union, Church Mission Society, USPG and the Sudan Church Association. There has been an Anglican presence in Sudan since the first mission was established at Omdurman in 1899 by the CMS. Since then Sudan has come under the oversight of the Archbishops of Canterbury and Jerusalem. It applied to become a separate province in 2016. The move was approved after a fact-finding trip led by Archbishop Josiah. Afterwards he said he’d been impressed by what he saw and described spirituality of the people as ‘infectious’. None of those packed into All Saints cathedral for the inauguration could doubt that.
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f e at u r e
“Put on the whole armour of God” High flying lawyer with a new job title
JULIAN WATT
The Revd Kathryn Watt from Melbourne, a cradle Catholic, forged a highly successful career in international financial services. But she slowly felt the call to Anglicanism and ministry. One evening, the words “put on the whole armour of God” prompted her to reassess her whole life: EARLIER THIS YEAR I had the privilege of joining 24 people from different parts of the world who came together on the Canterbury Scholars’ programme, which brings people together who are early in their ministry journey. The cultural contexts within which we work are vastly different, but we have much in common. Many like myself, had an earlier career before finding our way into ordained ministry.
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Taking that step was for me utterly compelling, but involved a huge leap of faith. Not in God, my love of whom is steadfast, but in our Anglican Diocese, that they might accept me into ministry. When I decided to return to university to study theology, I was well established as a lawyer and executive in the financial services industry. Joining the ministry formation programme, I was relieved to find that I wasn’t the oldest person in the room, and then that I was not the only ‘new Anglican’ going through the selection process. While all past experience in life is relevant to ministry, I had, and still have much to learn. The most surprising thing in some senses was how ‘unsurprised’ people were at the change I was making, even though I
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“I reflected deeply on my priorities and with a great sense of relief, gave in to the need to work towards a life of serving God”
knew within my own heart that my relationship with God had reached a point of maturity which enabled me to serve. It was a great relief that others were so accepting of the change I needed to make. I was raised as a Roman Catholic. My mother’s family is large, Catholic
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and supportive, and dad, who converted to Catholicism, was very involved in parish, community and school activities throughout his life. Time as a student and then as a parent in the Catholic education system added significantly to the Catholic influence in my life. For a time when I was young I considered holy orders, and resisted what was a rather confused call. While I wanted to serve God and my community, I could not see how. The role of women in the Catholic Church simply didn’t match with anything I felt called to do. I was looking for more, and even tried visiting an Ashram for a short while, before drifting back to church. Frankly meditation and chanting weren’t the same without God. Nicholas and I married at my local parish, and our daughters were each baptised as infants and went through the usual Catholic sacraments. Motherhood is a vocation too, and I cannot imagine my life without Nic and the girls. So it was with a background of simple Christian faith that I worked my way through life. My legal career commenced at a large national firm and I ended up as General Counsel at the Australian subsidiary of an international financial services company, gaining lots of useful compliance experience along the way. I served on the board and was also on the board of a company which engaged with the top 200 companies in Australia on environmental, social and governance issues. Early in my career I gained some experience in human resources and also in running training programmes, which has been useful throughout my working life. Both
Parish duties
Ordination day
the law firm I worked at, as well as the large international fund management firm, were places with good leadership and solid values. Over the years I have also had a strong involvement in community activities, which included undertaking the Williamson Community Leadership Programme in 2005. This is a year-long, intense series of events focussed on community needs. We heard from dozens of leaders from the government, commercial and not-for-profit sectors. Our year group started the ‘Bridge’ project with the YMCA, which aims to reduce recidivism in youth detention. It has been a great success and we’re all proud of the positive impact it has had on many lives. It felt a lot like a practical application of Christ’s Gospel messages to us. I subsequently served as a volunteer on various not-forprofit boards and now serve on the boards of Anglicare and the Anglican Diocesan Schools Commission, as well as keeping in touch with my old industry through some board work, as my curacy is less than full time. Quietly over many years scripture and the messages of the Gospel have provided answers to various quandaries. While pondering a deeply difficult work related issue one evening, by chance I heard the words of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 6:10 – 17, being spoken by a woman, standing in an Anglican Cathedral, where there were other women, celebrating the life of a woman leader. ‘Put on the whole armour of God’ seemed a rather personal message at the time. It prompted me to ponder where I stood in my faith, my relationship with God, how I was living my life, and I also thought about the potential opportunities that I had as a
woman, outside the Catholic Church. The question I was being asked was not about what was convenient for me as a personal career choice, but what God wanted me to be and to do. I reflected deeply on my priorities, and with a great sense of relief, gave in to the need to work towards a life of serving God. My research and gut feeling both resulted in my quickly becoming an Anglican, as others I knew had. I enrolled at Trinity Theological College, taking my first unit as a part timer as I extracted myself from my career as graciously as I was able. My team, with whom I had spent so many hours, were not at all surprised at my decision to study theology and seek ordination. Nicholas and our daughters Maddy and Giselle encouraged me to follow my call to ordained ministry, with both practical and moral support enabling me to return to study. They didn’t even seem to mind that the change meant moving to a smaller home, along with various other disruptions. I now have the best ‘job’ in the world, in a busy suburban parish, my days filled with pastoral visits, running a youth group and trying to improve my sermons. I could not be happier. As I made the transition from the corporate world, I never quite worked out how to fill out that box on forms asking ‘Occupation?’ I took to writing a different thing each time. ‘Lawyer’, ‘Volunteer’, ‘Student’, ‘Company Director’ and ‘Home Duties’ were all accurate. To a point. I was some of these things but none in particular. I’m now delighted to firmly state ‘Assistant Curate.’
Kathryn with her family anglican world issue 146 SEPTEMBER 2017
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p rov i n c e p ro f i l e s
Anglican Province of South America
• The Anglican church was • In 1983, the province was officially recognised in South America in established - incorporating 1825 and the first Anglican building Argentina, North Argentina, was the Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and built in 1831 Uruguay • A strong missionary movement developed in the early and mid 19th century concentrating on indigenous Amerindians. • The first Anglican bishop, Waite Sterling, was consecrated in 1869 and there are now 15 bishops. Presiding Bishop is the Most Revd Greg Venables. (He also held the role 2001 – 2010) • Estimated number of Anglicans: 25,000 • 200 of the clergy are from the indigenous community
“It sees itself as a mission church, striving to stand up and ask people to look at the person of Jesus.”
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• The province is very diverse geographically and culturally, with remote rural areas as well as highlypopulated urban areas – sprawling cities, pampas, jungles, mountains, deserts and a lengthy coastline.
Key theme: • The province asks itself, “What is the significance of Christianity in South America in the 21st Century?” • It sees itself as a mission church, striving to stand up and ask people to look at the person of Jesus. There is still an interest in the relevance of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century, amid enormous cultural diversity in South America
Prayer requests: That the Anglican Church might speak in relevant, significant terms at this moment in history and in this place – “so that what we’re talking
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about has significance and we at all times understand how to avoid becoming a ‘club.’ We want to be a church that people look at and feel attracted to and inspired by.”
p rov i n c e p ro f i l e s
Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea (ACPNG)
• The Anglican Church first came to Papua New Guinea in 1891 with the arrival of two missionaries at Dogura in the Milne Bay Province. Gradually the work of the church spread • The Anglican Church reached the more heavily-populated Highlands by 1953 and was part of the Province of Queensland • In 1977 two years after PNG’s national independence, the ACPNG became an independent Province within the worldwide Anglican Communion • Membership of ACPNG is now estimated at 200,000, approximately 4.6% of the population. It is concentrated in certain areas throughout the country. However considering its size, the Anglican Church has played an important role in the development of PNG. Of particular note is the significant contribution that ACPNG has made in working with people in isolated and island communities • The total estimated number of priests is 89 and the total estimated number of parishes is 70
• In September 2017 a new Archbishop takes office. He is Bishop Allan Migi, a former bishop of NGI Diocese • In July 2017: Archbishop George Takeli and Bishop Nathan Tome from the Anglican Church of Melanesia attended the ACPNG Provincial Council meeting to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, forging closer ties within Melanesia. Following the signing Archbishop Takeli and Bishop Mervin Clyde of Papua New Guinea planted two Modawa trees in the grounds of St John’s Cathedral in Port Moresby
Prayer requests: For peace and unity with greater understanding in our various ministry and mission as one family of God in the expansion of his Kingdom; for God’s continued blessing and guidance for the work of Mothers’ Union; for the youth globally - may word of God inspire them and mould them to become good citizens of his Kingdom; for the work of all religious orders - may the Lord continue to uphold them in their ministry and
mission to the communities they serve; for the work of Anglican Alliance. Lord we thank you for the continued work and support with prayers that our overseas church partners render to ACPNG. Thank you that we are part of this great family, the Anglican Communion, as it continues to uphold the five Marks of Mission.
Our prayer: Come, holy spirit, and fill our hearts with your gifts, let our love be true and our charity be generous, help us in all our needs and grant us the knowledge to do what is right. Inspire and lead us in to dialogue with people from diverse cultures and appreciate the cultural differences and respect them through the power of the Gospel. Advise us in our doubts, strengthen us in our weakness, and protect us when we are tempted and console us when we are afraid, graciously hear us, O holy spirit and pour your light into our hearts, mind and soul, help us to live a holy life and grow in goodness, peace and grace.
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world view
The Communion at a glance EUROPE Anglicans and Old Catholics met in Germany in July and examined the results of a survey conducted across five European countries. Members of the Anglican–Old Catholic International Coordinating Council (AOCICC) received the results of a survey entitled ‘Belonging together in Europe’ commissioned by the Council in 2015. The Council said it was encouraged by the 106 responses from five countries. The survey reflected a high level of
awareness of the relationship of full communion between Anglicans and Old Catholics, with respondents requesting more resources for joint worship services. The survey illustrated the varied ways in which the churches are engaging with each other, especially in areas where congregations from both churches are present in the same place. The results also indicated a desire for a more strategic approach to mutual engagement in service, witness and mission.
AMERICAS A conference took place in Chicago, facilitated by a group of more than 60 Episcopal bishops working to curtail the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. “Unholy Trinity: the Intersection of Racism, Poverty and Gun Violence” was a three-day event grounded in scripture, liturgy and theology. The conference featured a “three-note” panel of African-American leaders offering perspectives on poverty, racism and gun violence and included Bible study focused on the conference themes as well as a prayerful procession to sites of gun violence on Chicago’s South Side. Workshops at the conference were devoted to helping participants work with police, young people, legislators, the media, anti-violence advocacy groups and other constituencies to reduce gun violence. “Our goal is to continue creating a network of Episcopalians inspired and equipped to work against gun violence and the social forces that drive it,” said Bishop Mark Beckwith of Newark, one of three co-conveners of Bishops United.
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PAKISTAN
Interfaith and religious harmony is essential to bring about “guaranteed long-term peace and stability” in Pakistan, senior faith leaders said at a peace conference organised by the Diocese of Peshawar. Bishop Humphrey
Peters, who is now the new Primate and Moderator of the Church of Pakistan, convened the meeting which brought together leaders of minority faiths, including Christians, Hindus and Sikhs, with leaders of the majority Muslim faith. Bishop Humphrey highlighted interfaith achievements and praised those who had been working to promote peace in a region which has been the repeated target of extremist and terrorist groups. The initiative was supported by the German branch of the international
SOUTH SUDAN Anglican leaders in Africa sponsored a church-led initiative to end the conflict in South Sudan. The Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa invited South Sudanese church leaders to Zambia in July to press for the guns to be silenced. The move comes after a group including leaders from CAPA and the ecumenical Council of Churches of South Sudan visited refugee camps in northern Uganda to hear
first-hand the stories of those who have fled the fighting. They were joined by church leaders in Uganda which has taken in 1.25 million South Sudanese refugees. One camp – Bidi Bidi – has more than 226,000 refugees. CAPA chair, Archbishop Albert Chama, said many of the delegation had been left in tears by what they encountered there
SWAZILAND
Environmentally friendly stoves were the prize on offer in Swaziland to winners of an artwork competition which threw up the challenge of making mats out of plastic waste. Creators of the successful entries were given ‘rocket stoves’ – so called because the stoves use small twigs rather than whole branches and the “rocket” part of the stove concentrates the heat to make them very fuel efficient. The stoves help to reduce deforestation and are very useful for rural people. Swaziland suffers from severe environmental challenges, recently suffering a devastating drought and there is much erosion caused by deforestation. The Bishop of Swaziland, Ellinah Wamukoya, launched the plastic artwork competition for the Mother’s Union (MU) with the objective of encouraging people to recycle and to reduce waste being disposed of in the environment.
PHILLIPPINES Anglican Mission Agency, the USPG is standing in solidarity alongside the Philippines Independent Church following the arrest of a bishop on what it describes as ‘the spurious charge of illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions’. The Rt Revd Carlo Morales, Bishop of Ozamis – together with his wife, aide and driver – were in a vehicle with Romel Salinas, a consultant of the National Democratic
Front (NDFP), a group which promotes ‘national freedom and the democratic rights of the people’. The police had a warrant for the arrest of Mr Salinas, but no warrant for Bishop Carlo and his companions. According to human rights lawyers – the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) - the arrest of Bishop Carlo was therefore illegal.
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Walking the way of Christ in the precincts of Parliament by bernadette kehoe
TWO STATUES OF the bishops who are known to have been present when the Magna Carta was sealed in 1215 look down as sentinels from a great height, over the Upper Chamber of the United Kingdom’s parliament, the House of Lords. The stone mitres are a reminder that the unelected Upper House was formed by a coming together of religious leaders and landed gentry, known respectively, as the Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal. These days the Lords Spiritual comprise 26 bishops of the Church of England. They read prayers before daily business and contribute to the scrutiny of proposed legislation that has been approved by the lower house, the House of Commons. Anglican World accompanied the Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun, on a day when he was taking part in a debate on the recent Queen’s Speech, which sets out
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An image of King Edward I presiding over his parliament c.1300 with assembled Lords Spiritual on the left (Bishops in red with Abbots and Priors in black), Lords Temporal and members of the Commons on the right)
the government’s forthcoming legislative programme: Inside the robing room, Bishop Christopher prepares for his session in the Chamber; amid the
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pomp and splendour of the House of Lords, with its magnificent architecture, stained glass, splendid art and sumptuous furnishing, I wonder how all this fits with a Bishop’s ministry as a shepherd to his flock? Bishop Christopher explains that he sees this aspect of his ministry as an important way of contributing to British public life. Bishops also speak in relation to their links with overseas churches. Bishop Christopher has spoken in the Chamber on the Holy Land and Zimbabwe; he makes annual visits to the dioceses of Manicaland, Matabeleland, Central Zimbabwe and Masvingo which are linked with the Diocese of Southwark and Cathedral. On the day of the Queen’s Speech debate, which opens a new session of parliament, he doesn’t shirk difficult issues - addressing the recent “calamity and terror” in Manchester and London which left scores dead and dozens injured.
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Bishop Christopher’s cathedral was at the epicentre of the London Bridge attack and was closed temporarily in the aftermath. Talking of the values that underpin British society, he welcomed but asked questions about a recently announced government ‘Commission for Countering Extremism’ which will ‘defend pluralistic values across all our communities:’ “I think, my Lords, one needs to be clearer in defining what is meant by “pluralistic values.” If, my Lords, we mean a framework that encourages those with differing beliefs and views to live in harmony and mutual respect, that is something which Bishops will support. If it means everything is relative and there are no core common values or that absolute values are discouraged, then I think we have gone too far.” Bishop Christopher said he understood the desire for a review of counter-terrorism but felt “the emphasis may be in the wrong place” – and he argued that the answer to recent outrages was “diligence, the resources to deliver such vigilance and a society resilient enough to face down the threat of hatred.” He also commented on the deadly tower block fire in London – and noted that there had been recent “significant reductions” in the funding of fire and emergency planning services as well as police numbers: “My Lords, these services upon which our well-being and upon which our very lives depend, often operate to the limits of their capacity. We must take responsibility to ensure that they are not pushed beyond the limits of capacity.” A few minutes later, as we left the Chamber, Bishop Christopher’s speech attracted a favourable reaction on Twitter from the former Leader of the opposition Labour party in the House of Lords: This prompts me to ask Bishop Christopher how difficult it is to not take political sides? “It is not difficult at all,” he replies. “I have 33 years’ experience as a parish priest and in cathedral ministry, as an archdeacon and a bishop. I have related and ministered to an enormous range of people of goodwill who entertain a considerable variety of opinions. I have no desire to exhibit a partisan approach but I am passionate for justice and the flourishing of all the children of God.”
Previous speeches indicate his concern over the plight of child refugees in Calais and of Palestinian children. So has being able to speak out in this political context made a difference? “It makes a difference because a Church of England bishop is part of the establishment, perhaps, although I do not care for that term – and also part of an international body which operates relationally. We are listened to both because our fellow peers, including Ministers believe we understand them, but also because we have experience from our local diocesan contexts spread across the country - as well as through our links overseas of what is happening at a very local level and more globally. The wider Church enables that to happen, as well as being a great blessing to me personally.” I ask Bishop Christopher what aspects of being a Lord Spiritual he has found most surprising - and also frustrating: “‘Surprising’ would be too strong a word, but the readiness of other peers to hear what the Church has to say and to seek advice outside the chamber. Frustrating: having a limited amount of time to develop a line of argument.” Secular voices argue strongly that the Lords Spiritual are anachronistic but Bishop Christopher says history can’t be ignored: “The Archbishop of Canterbury has said it is a great privilege to have a voice and a seat in the Second Chamber as a Bishop; we should make our presence felt and engage seriously for as long as we remain a welcome presence. Secularism is fairly strong in this country, but the majority of the population still identify themselves
as Christian. Other faith groups welcome our presence in the Lords. It may seem unusual to have an assembly with designated members from an Established Church: our absence would not exclude a Christian world-view, but our being there does guarantee it. We are here because Parliament was not founded in, for example, 1970. It is the collective wisdom of many generations that allows us to sit where we do. But I am very mindful that members of the House of Commons get there by election and the predominance of the elected house should not be challenged.” Reform of the House of Lords has been discussed by successive British governments for more than a century. The most recent proposals, five years ago, called for a mostly elected chamber and also outlined a reduction in the number of Bishops who would be allowed to sit in the Lords. But the legislation was never introduced. Whilst secularists argue that religious leaders have no place in a modern legislature, the Church of England’s official line is to give a robust defence of the Lords Spiritual: “Bishops provide an important independent voice and spiritual insight to the work of the Upper House and, while they make no claims to direct representation, they seek to be a voice for all people of faith, not just Christians.......Bishops seek to walk the way of Christ in the precincts of Parliament and will deal with other members of the Lords on that basis, not least in private conversation and with parliamentary staff likewise. They remain a distinct and particular witness in one of the oldest legislatures in the world.”
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Medieval tile from Westminster: Ampleforth claims descent from the pre-reformation community at Westminster Abbey
The sons and daughters of Benedict:
‘In Conversation’ with two leading ecumenists by bernadette kehoe
IN A SERMON marking the feast of St Benedict earlier this year, the Director of Unity, Faith and Order of the Anglican Communion, Canon John Gibaut, referred to all Christians as “sons and daughters of Benedict.” This prompted Anglican World to invite Canon John to take part in a conversation on ecumenical progress with a Benedictine monk and leading Roman Catholic Biblical scholar, Fr Henry Wansbrough. The dialogue took place in the glorious setting of Ampleforth Abbey in northern England where Fr Henry has been a monk for over 60 years. Fr Henry has edited the New Jerusalem Bible and was on the Pope’s Biblical Commission for a decade. He regularly leads pilgrimages to the Holy Land and despite being in his eighties he still runs regularly and is also a keen gardener and singer. Interestingly, Fr Henry’s mother was Jewish before converting to Catholicism; his father was Anglican, his grandfather was an Anglican vicar and his great grandfather was the first Anglican
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Bishop of Brisbane, Australia. This, says Fr Henry, has given him “well spread tentacles.” Canadian Canon John Gibaut has served on several national and international ecumenical dialogues and commissions. He spent ten years in parish ministry – “with a distinct ecumenical dimension” and he was a Professor at the Faculty of Theology, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, a Pontifical University. He has also served as the Director of the World Council of Churches’ Commission on Faith and Order: “Ecumenism for me is part of my vocation as a Christian and my vocation as a priest.” ARCIC, the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission began work in 1967. Canon John is the Anglican co-secretary and Fr Henry is a Catholic member of the dialogue. Ecumenical relations received a powerful, symbolic boost in October 2016 when the Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Francis held a joint service of Vespers in Rome. Catholic and Anglican Bishops from all over the world were present. Fr Henry and Canon John began their
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conversation by contrasting the warmth of that gathering with their memories of how things used to be: Fr Henry: “When I was young, there was a fierce divide between Catholics and others and it was an act of bravado among Catholic young people to speak of the Archbishop of Canterbury as “Mr” so and so: “Mr Ramsey” for example, was intended as a deliberate insult. When I was a student at Oxford, I formed a rugby club called ‘the Mongrels’, bringing together Catholic and Anglican students. Someone suggested that we should start the committee meetings with a prayer but we as Catholics were not then allowed to pray with non-Catholics so we had to say we could play together but we could not pray together.” Canon John: “I too remember those days in my neighbourhood in Toronto and the rivalry and little boy violence between the two communities: we didn’t like Catholics! In my mid- teens my parish was invited to a celebration of the Mass and I remember being very very anxious about what the Mass was. It turned out to be such a “let down” Æ
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because I realised, this is simply the Holy Eucharist! I recognised its rhythm, its structure, its language. For me that was a defining moment.” Fr Henry: “In the mid ’70s I had never been to an Anglican Eucharist. It came to me as a great surprise when I discovered how beautifully the Anglican Eucharist is celebrated – and particularly by women. It came as a great surprise when I found that there had been a document of agreement about what the Eucharist was.” Canon John: “After the release of early ARCIC agreements, the ecumenical excitement in Canada in the early ‘80s was almost palpable. We could almost taste and see the unity we assumed was just around the corner. It didn’t happen in that way but the desire was real and there is a great theological value to the desire.” Fr Henry: “The aims of ARCIC are full corporate unity. I think there are too many blockages for that to be considered as an immediate aim. But, how far we do agree has been an enormous enlightenment to me: on the Eucharist, on ministry, on church structure, on our aims and our theology in general. The greatest difficulty seems to me that within the Anglican community there is a much wider range of belief. The Anglican Communion welcomes any Christian to communion, whereas Roman Catholics regard sacramental communion as a symbol of unity achieved. The second difficulty is women priests and bishops. I know many women priests in the Anglican church who are admirable, prayerful, wonderful at liturgy and in the pastoral sphere and women bishops also. But there are almost insuperable obstacles to accepting women priests and bishops – one being the Eastern churches: can we accept women to priestly ministry in the knowledge that this will be a further obstacle to unity with the Churches of the East? Are we making one union and destroying another?” Canon John: “I was much heartened last year in Rome at the common declaration between Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin, when, echoing their predecessors, they said “we’re pilgrims on the way – and we trust the Holy Spirit.”
Canon John in Fr Henry’s study
So it may not be in my time, or in my son’s time, but the work we do contributes to that working of the Holy Spirit. The non-ordination of women is an obstacle for Anglicans. But I also look at the way that Catholics, Anglicans and others engage in social justice together – advocacy, relief and development. I look at the way that this Pope and this Archbishop engage each other not just as theologians but as people who want to see our churches engaged in action against things such as human slavery. I think of interchurch families. Also theological education. The effects of Catholic biblical scholarship, ecumenically, have been enormous. We may not be able to receive Holy Communion together but there’s a certain biblical communion that we share.” Fr Henry: “I think the prophetic gestures of Pope Francis have been of enormous importance – the visit to Lampedusa led the Christian world; the gesture by Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin of sending out 19 pairs of bishops together, to spread the gospel of peace; their proposed journey together to South Sudan; their work together for refugees have all been of enormous importance. Archbishop David Moxon (the Anglican co-chair of ARCIC) recently told me how at a Papal blessing, Pope Francis thrust the crozier into his hand and said ‘you do the blessing now!’ What does that say about Anglican orders?” Canon John: “When I attend Mass, it’s appropriately painful and it
should be - but that pain of longing to receive Holy Communion together, I think there’s theological worth to that. If we didn’t care it wouldn’t matter but we do care and it does matter – and that caring is one of the things that pushes me to continue in this work.” Fr Henry: “When I attend an Anglican service, my feeling now surprises me. My feeling is that Christ is present in that gathering and in the work that is being done and in the Scriptures. I can really participate in an act of worship in an Anglican church – something which I would have never thought possible 20 years ago.” Canon John: “I have found some of my most inspirational ecumenical thinkers, both Anglican and Roman Catholic, to have been monks and nuns. There’s something in the monastic spirituality of welcome that’s able to cross all sorts of divides. I think of some of the leaders in the ecumenical movement in the early part of the 20th century – so many were Benedictines and Dominicans. So I think there is in the history of the modern ecumenical movement something that is deeply indebted to monastic communities and to Benedict himself.” Fr Henry: “I think monasticism has been important for ecumenism, as a testimony that what really matters is holiness. The search for God is common to both our churches; we pray in the same way with the words of the Bible. We are both heirs of the spirituality of the fathers of the desert.”
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Thy Kingdom Come:
The wave of prayer goes global In the days leading up to Pentecost Archbishop Justin visited Canterbury, Winchester and Guildford where beacon events were being held
CHRISTIANS FROM RIO de Janeiro gathered at in the Catedral Anglicana do Redentorv on May 31 and prayed for peace – in their country and for the world. Participants from different churches/Christian denominations were present and three short sermons were given by Anglican Bishops, a Pastor from the Vineyard Church and the local Methodist Minister. It was just one of thousands of Thy Kingdom Come events - a focused 10 days of prayer between Ascension and Pentecost for the
“International leaders have already started conversations on how they can be involved in 2018 and there is no doubt the momentum is growing” 18
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empowering of the Holy Spirit to enable evangelism and witness. The initiative grew out of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York’s Evangelism Task Group, established following the General Synod debate in November 2013 on ‘The Pearl of Great Price’. Synod had tasked this group to have at its heart the primacy of prayer, in particular to call the nation to pray for evangelisation. In 2016 Thy Kingdom Come was born. But in 2017 it can be said that this great movement of prayer became truly global with people from 85 countries taking part. There were specific constituencies we sought to encourage and resource; individuals, families and churches and cathedrals. The resources that we produced sought to serve a variety of traditions and styles, ages and outlooks. All resources were translated into six languages and available for free on the website,
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they included the ‘Kingdom kit’ for children to engage with over half term, a Novena, prayer diaries, service plans, prayer stations, bookmarks and Bible studies. The drive was to engage as many as possible in ways authentic to each, but inviting all into a more profound and committed pattern of prayer for the 10 days. Many people organising events and activities for Thy Kingdom Come have pointed to the importance of placing physical resources in people’s hands as a critical tool for making the event tangible and encouraging engagement. In these situations, the quality of design and content are of huge importance in communicating the value of taking part. The website sought to engage people with a sense of the breadth of prayer, with all being encouraged to #pledgetopray. Those who signed up received a daily video for each of the 10 days straight to their inbox.
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From New Zealand to Alaska; the West Indies to South Africa; Malaysia to Cuba, the vision of Thy Kingdom Come not only captured people’s imagination but was used alongside the outreach programmes that were being planned or which grew out of the TKC initiative. The daily prayer videos were issued at 4am in each time zone, beginning with New Zealand, so that wherever you were in the world you could wake up and find the link in your inbox. The Mothers’ Union had a global moment of prayer, broadcast on the internet around the world so although it originated in Hull it was seen in the Caribbean, Ghana and around the world. It was crucially important to harness the networks of mission agencies and diocesan links in addition to the official Anglican channels of communication helpfully provided
by the Communion office so that we overcame any communication problems in less accessible parts of the globe. This year saw the Lusitanian Church in Portugal translate Thy Kingdom Come material into Portuguese and use it with their own evangelistic programme. In Canada the Prayer Fellowship, led by the Primate’s Chief of Staff, saw that leaflets went to rural Anglican churches to encourage participation. In Hong Kong and Malaysia the Archbishops have paid tribute to the vision and fellowship Thy Kingdom Come provides them in their leadership of mission in the Asian environment stating that tens of thousands were involved. We were so encouraged by the enthusiastic involvement of the Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna who not only produced one of the prayer videos but also used his social media accounts to promote ‘Let the light shine.’ The Coptic Bishop and the President of the Methodist Conference produced prayer videos and gave us their support and encouragement. The Bishop of Cuba, who leads a Church in a far from easy environment, found being asked to do one of the 11 prayer videos a marvellous encouragement and affirmation of her own ministry. International leaders have already started conversations on how they can be involved in 2018 and there is no doubt that the momentum is growing. It is not
“Ordinary Christians all over the world started praying for their friends to know Christ, which is, in the beginning and the end, what it is all about”
all about great Cathedral events, thousands of social media contacts, or great evangelistic schemes. Ordinary Christians all over the world started praying for their friends to know Christ which is, in the beginning and the end, what it is all about. As we have prayed for God to give us increased confidence, faith and expectation that He will use us as His witnesses, we now need to walk in that faith and allow God to turn our continued prayers into action. We are excited to see in 2018 and beyond how this great wave of prayer continues to embed in the life of the church. However the focus now is to encourage each of us as individuals and the churches we are part of to consider how God will use us to be part of the answer to the prayers we have prayed. Emma Buchan, Project Leader, Thy Kingdom Come
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Anglicans walking together in the Holy Land CREDIT
ANGLICANS FROM AROUND the Communion took part in a 12-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land in June, with the theme of ‘walking together’. Five primates as well as the Anglican Communion Secretary General, Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, accompanied the pilgrims. Among the highlights of the tour were visits to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nazareth, Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee. Archbishop Josiah shares his thoughts on the pilgrimage – and below, there is a reflection from first-time pilgrim Alice Wu from Hong Kong.
“though one family, we each are moving along the same road at our pace, without coercion”
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Archbishop Josiah: The idea of “walking together” came out of the Primates’ gathering and meeting in January 2016. This pilgrimage idea was borne out of my desire to put into practice what the Primates gave to the Communion. We wanted to send a powerful message to the entire Communion that if the commitment is there, it is an idea that can be lived out. It was a diverse group from the West Indies, Canada, South Africa, Burundi, West Africa, Nigeria, the United States, the Middle East and Hong Kong. We had bishops, priests and lay representatives; high church and low church; married and single! Young Anglicans were represented as well as the not soyoung! It reinforced a sense of what it means to be part of the worldwide Anglican Communion for the participants. For a good number, it was their first time of learning about the Anglican Church in other countries that looks very different in administration from their own. It was a new experience for those
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from African provinces to learn that bishops from the West are not as powerful as in some of the African provinces. The daily prayers and Eucharist were very unifying: all the participants felt like one family due to their familiarity with the liturgy. My key memories are of walking down the mountain of the Beatitudes and seeing every member walking at his or her pace; it reminded me of the Communion. Though one family, we each are moving along the same road at our pace without coercion; that meant so much to me. Secondly, staying in Nazareth, at the home where Jesus might have spent his childhood was very moving. The night spent there with the Sisters, the privilege to have a first-hand experience of the tomb where the body of Christ might have been laid in Jerusalem made the whole account of the death and resurrection of Jesus more plausible to me. The Sunday morning visit in the company of Primate Suhail Dawani to the Temple Mount/al Aqsa Mosque was also very moving for
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me. That visit was a showcase of the deep and friendly relationship between the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities in the Holy Land. We had the minister responsible for this holy place accompany us all through and unlike the tourists, we had a guided tour of both mosques. I was so moved that I spent a significant time praying for these three religious communities and our Communion for reconciliation and understanding with respect for differences. This pilgrimage was not an ordinary pilgrimage - a lot of prayers and discernment went into its planning, particularly the make-up of the participants. We felt the time spent together should be quality time for all and both Canon John Peterson and the Revd Phillip Jackson did a very good job in helping us to focus on our theme. The team blended very quickly, we bonded well and I did not notice any member feeling out of place. It was all one family coming from the different parts of our Communion. There are several things this pilgrimage together has demonstrated: that members of this Communion are at different places in their journey together. That without prejudice or an attitude of being judgemental, we can journey together. That every tradition has some positive things to give to the Communion and that we can all share together from each other’s
special blessings. That with an open mind, we can listen to each other’s faith journeys with some understanding and be together without necessarily agreeing on everything. The pilgrimage has taught us that we are a very diverse family, rich in our differences and giftedness, that our effectiveness would be in giving the opportunity to each to live out our Christ-centredness within our cultural environments. This journeying together has also shown that every part of the Communion has something to give to the other, we only need to create more opportunities for inter and intra activities so we can understand each other better. Alice Wu, Hong Kong: On our first night in Jerusalem, we were asked what our expectations were for this pilgrimage. As a first-time pilgrim, I really had no idea what to expect although I had a distinct feeling that it would be life-transforming. Perhaps it was ignorance that had led me to draw a blank when asked that question, but how can a first-time pilgrim know what to expect? I had studied the books on the reading list. I had tried to put names of places on the map -- and yet, I knew, until I had set foot on
“It was phenomenal; it was awe-inspiring; it was life-changing; it was eye-opening.” these places, they would remain mere dots on a map. Perhaps it was the fact that it felt wrong for me to have expectations at all. Expectations felt like drawing up a “to do” list, and if I have long outgrown making a demand list for God and mistaking that as praying, how can I reasonably try to shrink and fit God into my limited capacity to comprehend? Perhaps it was that and more. When it was my turn to share my “expectations”, I was only able to admit that I had not dared to have expectations but that I had asked God to open my eyes, to see new meanings to “words” I know I have yet to fully understand. Like many pilgrims who have come before me, I say, now that I have completed my first “pilgrimage”, that words Æ
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St George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem
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cannot adequately describe the experience. It was phenomenal; it was awe-inspiring; it was lifechanging; it was eye-opening. It was all of those things and much more. It still makes me feel heady every time I think back on those 12 days. But I’m at once lost for words because even those words I had just used to describe the experience have taken on different and deeper meanings. The experience of standing on Holy ground -- each and every one of those sites on the itinerary -- was overwhelming. I have never felt so deep the urge to be close to Him, to follow Him, and for the first time, I felt connected to the woman who touched Jesus’ cloak, only I wasn’t aware of my “illness” nor did I have her faith. Like plague building up in arteries, pebbles have settled in my heart, making my heart stony. As I stood in front of the Western Wall early on in the pilgrimage, I was struck by how underwhelmed – emotionless – I felt, even as women next to me wept and wept. It made me feel out of place, of being rejected as an outsider, of being exiled, as I stood
“God has given me a new understanding, renewed hope -- new eyes, a new heart and a new spirit.”
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there with my prayer beads. I did not go with a written prayer to be slipped into the cracks of the wall. That notion felt too contrived to be authentic to me. “The outsider” would come back to me throughout the pilgrimage, and each time it did after the visit to the Western Wall, it brought uncontrollable and unstoppable tears. At Capernaum, as the group gathered at the ruins of a synagogue and contemplated on the Pharisees plotting to kill Jesus with the Herodians, I could not shake the thought that Jesus had come to Capernaum, having been rejected by His own people at Nazareth, only to be rejected again and plotted against. I also kept thinking of Jesus’s ministry to those deemed unclean and unworthy, to tax collectors, to those ostracised, to those relegated to the margins of society. And for the very first time, these were not words I read off the pages of the Bible. They felt real -- real with raw emotions. As pilgrims, we are not supposed to bask in comfort; we are called to be rejected and to accept the rejected. At the [Orthodox] Church of St. George in Burqin, better known as “The Church of the Ten Lepers”, tears fell as the Gospel was read. Only one of the ten turned back to praise and thank Jesus, and he was a foreigner, a Samaritan. Those tears kept falling -- at Jacob’s Well, at the Jerusalem Princess Basma
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Center, at the Prison of Christ at St. Peter on Mount Zion, as we walked the Stations of the Cross. How many times have I turned my back to Christ? How many times have I walked away from Him after all He has done for me? How many times have I rejected Christ by turning away from the ostracised and marginalised? At the holiest of sites, I felt awestruck by both the close proximity to the Divine and how far we are from being true pilgrims. The shoving, pushing, and invasion of space at The Church of the Holy Sepulchre made me realise how easily we, whether we are pilgrims on the Holy Land, or more importantly, lifelong pilgrims following Christ’s footsteps in our lives and in our communities, fall into the trap of monopolising God, and in the process, push, ostracise, reject and hurt those travelling on the same path. I have failed to live up to being a true pilgrim, and what an underwhelming pilgrim I have been. But God has given me a new understanding, renewed hope -new eyes, a new heart and a new spirit. I had, unknowingly, touched the edge of the Lord’s cloak, and He had healed me of the pebblestones of my heart. Today, I can finally say, just as Job said: I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.
a n g l i c a n yo u t h
Seventh century saint
inspires young Europeans to build bridges not walls Youth gathering in Echternach b y j o s h ua p e c k e t t , c h u rc h o f e n g l a n d
TWENTY-ONE YOUNG ADULTS from nine countries joined together for an international pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Willibrord in Echternach, Luxembourg, over Ascension in May. We came from Anglican and Old Catholic churches across Europe. The aim was to meet and talk, worship and enjoy time with one another. Out of this we hoped to share our vision for the future of our two Churches. Much work has been done formally over the years by senior members of the Churches, but we wished to explore how building relationships between young Christians, across national borders and church boundaries, might further the unity between us. Why Echternach? It is where St. Willibrord is buried. He was born
“Willibrord has always had a special unifying significance for Anglicans and Old Catholics”
in the Kingdom of Northumbria in seventh century England, educated in Ireland and went on to travel across the Netherlands to teach people the Christian faith. Given his background in Britain and Ireland, and becoming the first bishop of Utrecht, Willibrord has always had a special unifying significance for Anglicans and Old Catholics. In a world in which people want to build walls and erect barriers, Willibrord might inspire us to build bridges between different nations and cultures, and stand up for what we believe: justice and God´s love for everyone. The 21 young people were Anglicans from the Church of England, the Church of Ireland and the Lusitanian Church of Portugal. The Old Catholics came from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Old-Catholics are a group of national churches which at various times separated from the Roman Catholic Church. Early on we presented to each other about the important aspects of Anglicanism and Old Catholicism, which really allowed everyone to get a feel for the contexts from which we came. Workshop topics included : ‘Writing your own
spiritual biography,’ ‘Curating your identity’ and ‘Faith and Identity;’ the latter involved discussion on what defines our identity and how identity is constructed. I thought that this was an incredibly important conversation to have when many in society across Europe are asking the same questions of themselves. These practical, often personal conversations set the theme for what we would produce next. We spent time in groups wrestling with the following questions: What does it mean to be a Christian in the context that you live? What challenges do I see? What visions and hopes do I have? What must the Church do to address these issues? The results of those conversations were then formed into a declaration on unity and faith in action, called the Willibrord Declaration. A beautiful reflection, given at the Friday’s evening prayer, asked us to consider the abiding presence and love of God with all people, and reflect on the call to unity. “He will lead us all into the New Jerusalem, where there will be no temple because people will know God by themselves and will not forget that they are one.”
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the last word
“looking back, it has been an exceptional, amazing journey”
ACNS
Christine Codner
A fond farewell
to the Anglican Communion Office Christine Codner, Executive Officer at the Anglican Communion Office in London, has just retired after 34 years. Here she reflects on her time at the ACO:
I BEGAN WORKING for the Anglican Communion Office in 1983, under the leadership of the then Secretary General, Canon Samuel Van Culin. I still remember at my job interview how alarmed I was when it was implied I was to stay on for the next Lambeth Conference – which was five years later! But having harnessed our energy and vision towards what was to be my first ACC meeting, in 1984, in Badagry, Nigeria, along with the preparations for Lambeth ’88, there was borne a spirit of mutual desire for the continuation of support for God’s mission and for Him to take charge, hence the years
rolled over into two more Lambeth Conferences (1998, 2008) and many more ACC meetings. It is now with a real mix of emotions I say farewell following these past decades from a job that has grown very much into a vocation. Being young, enthusiastic and working out how to live and work as a Christian drove my discipleship and growth in faith. Looking back, it has been an exceptional, amazing journey ......... from moments of great fear that all the computer files were being wiped out when lightning struck the building at our ACC meeting in Singapore in 1987; to the spectacular and bumpy ride on the back of a camel on the Mount of Olives with my colleague, Deirdre Martin, during our time with the Primates on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1989.
The ride was paid for by the Primates for photographs to add to their memorabilia! (Sadly no picture could be found before going to press)! There is another journey that I recall in particular – not a long journey but an important one. When news of Terrie Waite’s release in Beirut suddenly came through in 1991, myself and my colleague, Jim Rosenthal, on a wet and stormy day raced off in my small car to RAF Lyneham to cover the press conference about his release. We went through all the traffic lights; thank goodness not many traffic cameras existed back in those days. Sadly it was all over by the time we got there! Many memories swirl around of Communion travels far and wide. To name but a few: doctrinal commissions, meetings of Primates, and ecumenical dialogues that have left a whole host of images of table thumping, divine liturgies, rituals, and late night working. I am grateful to all whom I have met on this journey, for all the kindness and friendships. It has been a pleasure encountering so many of you over the years, and I pray that God will richly bless you. I feel honoured to have had this wonderful privilege to serve the wider Anglican Communion in this way, as well as working with wonderful friends and colleagues to implement and sustain the work of this office for God’s Kingdom and His Church. Christine Codner BA (Hons), MA Recently retired Executive Officer Anglican Communion Office
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