wfn.org | [ACNS] Digest 10 Dec 2004

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

The following (12 items) is a compilation of the ACNS Digest articles
posted during the last two weeks, including reports from England, Canada,
South Africa, Australia, Nigeria, Burundi, the Diocese of Europe and the
Anglican Communion Office, and the Anglican Communion Office. The ACNS
Digest and its archive can be found here:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm

(253) 10-December-2004 - Southwark letter to the UK Chancellor on poverty -
England

This is the text of a letter sent by the Bishop of Southwark to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, 3 December 2004

Further to your 2 December 2004 pre-budget report, I am writing to you, in
my capacity as Vice Chairman for Community and Public Affairs of the Church
of England's Mission and Public Affairs Council, regarding the Government's
plans for the focus of the UK Presidency of the 2005 G8.

The Government's decision to prioritise debt relief and international
development will have given immense encouragement to a significant number
of people within the Church who have campaigned tirelessly on these issues
for many years. However, as both a member of the Make Poverty History
Coalition and the Trade Justice Movement the Church will continue to press
the Government, and the wider international community, to deliver on the
commitment made five years ago at the Millennium Development Summit to cut
by half those living in abject poverty by 2015.

Your proposals for an International Finance Facility (IFF) represents an
innovative mechanism for near term increases in development finance. The
Church will study this proposal carefully to see what steps it can take to
encourage partner churches in Europe and the US to lobby their own
governments to actively consider this proposal.

It is understandable that the UK Government's short term imperative is to
garner international support for this proposal. The Government will need to
address outstanding questions as to whether the IFF financing will be fully
untied, or made dependent on meeting specific economic conditions. To gain
wider civil society support, both here and abroad, the Government needs to
give assurances that the IFF will be financed through additional funds and
that IFF repayments will not reduce the level of future aid budgets. In
this respect the Church will continue to press the G8 to increase aid
levels to a minimum of 0.7% and to set a clear timetable for achieving this
target so that the MDGs can be met.

We remain convinced that increases in aid, whatever the mechanism, will
prove insufficient in realising the UN Millennium Goals, if steps are not
also taken to develop an international trading system that allows
developing countries to remove trade barriers at a pace and in a way that
lies within their own development plans. In a recent report, Trade Justice:
A Christian Response to Global Poverty, commended by the Church of
England's General Synod it was recognised that these steps will not always
be free trade policies.

Your pre-budget report that the Government intends to deliver the Doha
development round is encouraging. We will however study with care how the
Government responds to the findings of the Africa Commission. In this
respect we hope that the Africa Commission Secretariat and the British
Government will take seriously the recommendation made by the British
Overseas Aid Group's submission of 30 July 2004 that the G8 should "stop
enforced trade and investment liberalisation in Africa countries through
World Bank and IMF economic reform conditions and predatory WTO and EPA
trade negotiations. African governments must have the flexibility to put
poverty reduction and development ahead of liberalisation".

The Millennium Development Review Summit in September 2005 will be an event
of decisive importance in comprehensively reviewing the progress made
towards achieving the MDGs. While we continue to believe and pray that
these goals can still be met, we recognise that the international
community's efforts to date remain woefully inadequate.

The steps taken by the British Government at the G7 Finance meeting in
February 2005 and the agreement reached at the G8 in July are of crucial
importance. It is for this reason that the Church of England will mobilise
its members around key opportunities in 2005 to encourage the Government to
drive forward the struggle against poverty and injustice.

Please be assured of our thoughts and prayers throughout next year.

Rt Revd Tom Butler
Bishop of Southwark

(252) 10-December-2004 - Canada sends Christmas gifts to Ugandan orphanage
- Canada

The Anglican Church of Canada

BY DIANA MAVUNDUSE

7 DECEMBER, 2004 -- About 80 children at the Chain Foundation Orphanage in
Kampala, Uganda will be receiving Christmas gifts from Canada as a result
of an initiative by Anglican Video, General Synod's video production company.

"Most of the children at the orphanage lost their parents to HIV/AIDS,"
said Becky Boucher Anglican Video production manager. "We felt that we
needed to do something for them this Christmas."

A year ago, Anglican Video visited the orphanage while making a video on
AIDS for the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF). "We have
kept in touch with the children and this past spring, we were able with the
help of many friends and family, to send mosquito nets for each child's bed
as well as balls, badminton sets, crayons and paper," said Ms. Boucher.

For the Christmas presents, many people, including General Synod staff
answered our call for help, said Ms Boucher. "We have now received gifts
ranging from shoes, books, paintings and crafts which are all ready to go."

Gifts will be put in bags sewn by well-wishers who volunteered their time.
Ollyshoes, a shoe company based in Toronto will be providing eight cartons
full of shoes that will be shipped to Kampala, said Ms. Boucher. The
company has a program that provides shoes to children in need.

The Anglican Book Centre has donated wooden crosses that will be given to
the girls. People have also donated money for shipment of the goods.

Another major development has been a link between the children at the
orphanage and children at a school in Colorado, who had helped earlier in
the year. The children are working on a program to raise money for gifts to
be sent next Easter.

"We hope this will create a bond of communication between the children and
that they will all learn from each other understanding their different
surroundings," said Ms. Boucher.

The orphanage is run by the Anglican diocese of Kampala. Children range in
age from three to 18 years.

http://www.anglican.ca/

(251) 10-December-2004 - ACP update for first quarter 2005 - ACO

[ACNS] The Anglican Communion Office has now updated the Anglican Cycle of
Prayer (ACP) web site with material for January-March 2005. The ACP is now
available for download in three formats at
www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/downloads.cfm. The main calendar page can be
found here:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/main.cfm

(249) 10-December-2004 - Church highlights government GMO support - South
Africa

The Cape Times newspaper has reported that the Church in Southern Africa
has spoken out against their government's support for genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) and food. More here:

http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=271&fArticleId=2334878

(248) 10-December-2004 - Wide variety of new leaders to be ordained -
Australia

Diocese of Tasmania News

An extraordinary variety of people were recently ordained into leadership
roles in the Anglican Church in Tasmania. The group included an industrial
photographer (now working for the University of Tasmania), a worker at
Boyer in the veneer industry (who also runs a Donut King franchise), a
former teacher, a grandmother, a former orchestral player, and a High
School lab technician.

Those ordained as Priests were Helen Phillips, a former teacher who now
works full-time for the Church with children and families across the state;
Louise Pascal from New Town parish who is also a chaplain at Calvary
Hospital, Ellen Clark and Martin Woolley from the Hamilton parish, Ian
Harvey from Burnie (who works with the Mission to Seafarers at the Burnie
Port) and Lance McCallum from the New Norfolk parish.

They were ordained by the Rt Revd John Harrower, the Bishop of Tasmania, on
Saturday 4 December, 10am, at St David's Cathedral, Hobart.

Bishop Harrower said, "I'm always amazed at the variety of people God calls
into leadership in the Anglican Church. We are a church whose leaders have
wide life experience, and that is one of our ongoing strengths within the
Tasmanian community."

"Some of these people will work full-time in the church, whilst others will
continue their careers alongside their role as Priest. It's wonderful to
see God continuing to rejuvenate the church throughout Tasmania."

http://www.anglicantas.org.au/

(247) 10-December-2004 - Cathedral's new look service settles in - Australia

Diocese of Sydney News

The controversial decision to replace St Andrew's traditional Evensong
service with one geared towards graduates is gradually paying dividends.

It has been three months since The Bible Talks was relaunched at St Andrew's
Cathedral. The Very Revd Phillip Jensen, the Dean of the Cathedral, is
currently doing a series working through the six boxes of 2 Ways 2 Live,
which people have invited friends and workmates to.

The 2 Ways to Live talk series is being promoted in cooperation with
Matthias Media who plan to record and package the talks for distribution
worldwide.

The first talk (Sunday October 17) entitled 'God Made or Self Made' will
examine the question of just who is in control of our world. The next five
talks will continue to work methodically through the key points of the
Christian gospel, explaining God's rescue plan for his world.

The Bible Talks (TBT) was established as a congregation in 1995 to teach
the Bible to young graduates and workers in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. The
church most recently met in the Great Hall of Sydney Boys High School
before moving to the Cathedral in August.

More here:

http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/sydneystories/cathedrals_new_look_service_sett
les_in/

(246) 10-December-2004 - Archbishop Nwankiti passes on at 76 - Nigeria

Church of Nigeria News

Abuja, 6 Dec 2004 - The Most Revd Benjamin Nwankiti, retired Archbishop of
Province 2 and Former Dean of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) is
dead. He died in Owerri at the age of 76.

Late Archbishop Nwankiti is survived by a wife, three children - (two boys
and a girl) and grandchildren.

In a condolence message, the Most Revd Peter Akinola, Primate of All
Nigeria, said the Late Archbishop would be sadly missed by the family, the
Diocese of Owerri and the Church of Nigeria whom he had served creditably
in his lifetime.

Burial arrangements released by family members said Archbishop Nwankiti
will be interred on 15 December, 2004 at his home church St Matthew's
Anglican Church Atta, Ikeduru.

Remarks: Please send us your reactions on the death of Archbishop Benjamin
Nwankiti. We may publish a selection of your comments.
communication@anglican-nig.org

(245) 10-December-2004 - Burundi Primate visits US Church - Burundi

December 4, 2004

[EEB Press - Burundi ] The Most Revd Samuel Ndayisenga, the Archbishop of
the Province of Burundi, and the Revd Pascal Bigirimana have just returned
from a visit to the Episcopal Church of USA at the invitation of the
Presiding Bishop, the Most Revd Frank Griswold.

It provided an opportunity to share the work and experiences of the
Province. They visited the Episcopal Church Centre and Trinity Church, New
York.

Among the dioceses visited were the diocese of Long Island where they met
the Rt Revd Orris G Walker, and the Diocese of Washington where they met
the Rt Revd John B Chane and visited African Palms.

494949
(244) 01-December-2004 - Archbishop Morgan calls for Ukraine prayers - Wales

The Most Revd Dr Barry Morgan has urged congregations across Wales to hold
the Ukraine in their prayers as tensions continue to rise following recent
elections. The Archbishop plans to use a confirmation service at All Saints
church in Barry this evening to say:

"During the past few days, the Ukraine has been very much in my thoughts
and prayers, and I hope that this is being replicated in congregations and
by individuals across Wales. It is clear that all the people of the Ukraine
have felt the impact, in some measure, of the uneasiness arising out of the
recent election held there.

"Those of use who live here in Cardiff have of course a particular link
with the Ukraine since the city of Cardiff is twinned with Lugansk.

"My prayer at this time is that a peaceful solution will be found to the
present situation and that legitimate and peaceful protest will not lead to
bloody confrontation. We pray also that the visit of EU foreign policy
commissioner Javier Solana, as well as the Polish and Lithuanian presidents
and representatives of the Russian administration will help lead to a just
and lasting political solution."

(243) 01-December-2004 - All Saints' Waterloo celebrates Jubilee - Europe

All Saints' Episcopal Church in Waterloo, Belgium Celebrates
Silver Jubilee, Silent Auction Raises 10K o>, for Youth Outreach Program

We marked this special occasion with a weekend of celebration from Friday
November 12 -Sunday 14 November. In addition to our Jubilee Events, we
celebrated the life and work of our late rector, Worth Campbell, who passed
away 7 September, 2004. A memorial service was held 13 November on Worth's
behalf. Eighty three members (including some of our founding members) came
together in good cheer for an elegant Silver Jubilee Dinner that raised
10,000o>, for our Youth Outreach Project Fund.

Friday 12 November All Saints' hosted an organ recital by Mr. Hywel Duck
who performed: "Presenting the Chorale Prelude" along with Ms. Anne de
Graeve's contribution of "Some Lighter Entertainment on the Organ."

We topped our weekend off with a special Silver Jubilee Festival Eucharist
with preacher and celebrant the Rt Revd Pierre Whalon, Bishop in Charge,
Convocation of American Churches in Europe presiding over the service.

The All Saints' community extends a special and warm thanks to its founding
members who are still with us in Brussels: Mike and Pam Breton, Julia
Leigh, and Catrin and David Williams. We are grateful for the faithful
support of our long-time members: Brenda Barleycorn, Carole Ducastel, Hywel
Duck, Paul Francis, Nick Fern, Paddy Latham, Carole and Peter Ludlow,
Denise Pinney, Jackie and Keith Price, Ken Jeynes, and Judy and Terence
Whaley.

We thank our priests who have guided our flock over the years: Ted
Berktold, Worth Campbell, Geoffrey Hahneman, Charles Atcheson, Kempton
Baldridge and Jean-Pierre Herman. Our interim priests we appreciate as
well: John Buchanan, Jack Childs, Fletcher Lowe, and Ted Petterson, as well
as the rotation of priests from Holy Trinity including Peter Duplock. We
especially thank our former Bishops Krumm and Bigliardi, Bishop Jeffery
Rowthorn and our current Bishop Pierre Whalon.

Located near Waterloo, Belgium, All Saints' Church extends an invitation to
people of all faiths to join our common life and worship. Established in
October 1979, All Saints' is affiliated with the Convocation of American
Churches in Europe. At this time, All Saints' serves about 100 area families.
1979-2004 All Saints' Episcopal Church, Waterloo, Belgium

Our Worship Center:

Church of Centre-Notre Dame -d'Argenteuil 563,
Chaussee de Louvain, Ohain, Belgium.
email: allsaintschurch@aol.com
www.episcopalchurch.org/europe/waterloo
Rector: The Reverend Kempton D. Baldridge
Telephone: +32 (0)2 384-3556

(242) 01-December-2004 - Bishop Egbunu enthroned in Lokoja - Nigeria

Abuja, 1 Dec 2004 -The Rt Revd Emmanuel Egbunu has been enthroned as the
second Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lokoja.

Bishop Egbunu was enthroned on Tuesday at the Cathedral Church of the Holy
Trinity Lokoja during an elaborate ceremony attended by 15 bishops
including the Primate of All Nigeria, Most Revd Peter Akinola.

Until his enthronement, he was Suffragan Bishop of Abuja and he has served
as a priest in the Dioceses of Minna and Jos, both in Northern Nigeria.

He told members of his new diocese that he saw his enthronement as
homecoming for the native child, as this was the first time he would be a
church worker in his home diocese. Bishop Egbunu used his sermon to
announce to the congregation that God has given him a Vision of
Transformation for the diocese.

"God is the God of transformation and transformation is not just necessary
because something is wrong. But like someone who is travelling you start
your car, you engage the first gear and as you continue with that journey
you change gear.

"Not because of the problems but simply because you must move on and when I
talk about transformation I mean God is calling our attention to some other
things,' he said.

He challenged the clergy to lead the transformation by preaching the
message 'by word and their lives', adding, 'our perspectives must be
transformed'.

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