The following is a roundup of the recent ACNS Digest stories, with reports from New Zealand, England, Kenya and South Africa. The ACNS Digest can be found here:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm
(624) 02-June-2006 - A Pastoral Letter from Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia. - New Zealand
East Timor and Indonesia
We join the prayers of many others for the victims of the political crisis in East Timor and the earthquake in Indonesia.
We know thousands of people all over the world are praying for those affected by these tragedies.
We give thanks for the contributions of all the peacekeeping forces in East Timor, and we remember especially the New Zealand and Fijian soldiers there.
We also give thanks for the work of many aid agencies in Indonesia, including the ministry of 'Christian World Service' and the 'Barnabas Fund'.
We encourage generous contributions to these and other funds.
Our hearts go out to all those who suffer so greatly at this time in both countries.
We seek to pray and act in the name of the God of Justice and Peace.
Archbishop Brown Turei, Archbishop Jabez Bryce, Archbishop David Moxon
Co-presiding Bishops in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
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(623) 02-June-2006 - Press Release from the Royal School of Church Music - England
June 2006
New musical office chairs in Salisbury.
The Royal School of Church Music has just moved its central offices from the Surrey Downs, to within the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral spire in Wiltshire.
The educational charity, which trains and supports the work of church musicians all over the world, is now running its operation out of Sarum College in the Cathedral Close in Salisbury where it will be based alongside other Christian training organisations already located there.
For the past ten years the RSCM (which celebrates the 80th anniversary of its foundation in 2007) has run its international operation for over 8,500 affiliated churches and individuals from Cleveland Lodge, set in the Surrey Downs near Dorking. However, the RSCM trustees have concluded that the work of the RSCM in the field is more important than a substantial building. Commenting on the move in the June edition of the RSCM's Church Music Quarterly magazine, the organisation's Director General Professor John Harper writes, 'What Sarum College will provide for us is an economy of scale and an infrastructure of internal services and support allowing staff to concentrate on RSCM matters rather than running a building.'
The departure from Cleveland Lodge has meant the relocation of two organs. The RSCM's own 1931 instrument has been moved on a long-term loan to a Shrewsbury church where a new organ school is being established. The second instrument, was made for Lady Susi Jeans the previous owner of Cleveland Lodge; it is to be moved to the Birmingham Conservatoire, close to the home of her archive.
To coincide with the move, the RSCM has announced the appointment of Sue Snell as the new Head of Education and Training. Mrs Snell has worked in staff development and management posts in Bath University .and Wiltshire County Council, and happens to be married to the composer and musician, Adrian Snell.
At Sarum College, visitors to the college bookshop will be able to peruse and buy RSCM publications. Professor Harper makes clear that it is not the RSCM as a whole that is moving to Salisbury. 'Most of the RSCM - our members, our volunteers, our regional staff - remains undisturbed. Only the "administrative hub" moves to new accommodation,' he writes. But at Sarum College the charity will once again be able to run residential courses; something that was not possible at Cleveland Lodge, thus reviving a popular tradition at Addington Palace, the charity's previous headquarters until 1996.
Notes for Editors.
More information about the work of the RSCM both in the UK and abroad can be found on their website: www.rscm.com
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http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm?years=2006&months=6&article=623 &pos=#623
(622) 02-June-2006 - Archbishop of Kenya: Response to the Statement from Bishop Gladwin - Kenya
Press Release from The Anglican Church of Kenya
I have read Bishop Gladwin's statement on arrival to England from his visit from Kenya with 20 others last week. I would wish to make it clear that when we heard that Bishop Gladwin after only a day's stay in Kenya was a patron of Changing Attitude which advocates the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people at all levels in the church, we distanced ourselves from him and his group as this is where we differ. When we differ with people in Africa, we still give them hospitality but this does not mean that we agree with them. WE DO NOT.
In Kenya we have these gay and lesbian people in the community but we do not approve of what they are doing. We speak to them and give them pastoral care so that they may do the right thing. We do not however believe that men should marry men or women marry women. We believe in marriage between a man and a woman ... (Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10)
I did not go further when speaking with Bishop Gladwin. We do not share his views as a patron of Changing Attitude. I have made no statement about whether we are in communion with him. We will wait for that to be done collectively by the Provincial Synod. But I can say that anyone advocating for the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the leadership of the church cannot be in communion with the Province of Kenya because we have said categorically that we do not support that. They are not abiding with our stand so we cannot be in communion with them.
Signed
The Most Rev. Benjamin Nzimbi
ARCHBISHOP OF KENYA & BISHOP OF ALL SAINTS CATHEDRAL DIOCESE
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http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm?years=2006&months=6&article=622 &pos=#622
(621) 01-June-2006 - Statement from the Bishop of Chelmsford - England
The Rt Revd John Gladwin:
It is very good to be home in Chelmsford after the most amazing and wonderful trip we have all shared in the past two weeks.
I am extremely proud of the twenty colleagues who accompanied me on the companion link visit to the four dioceses: Meru, Mbeere, Kirinyaga, and Embu which were formerly the diocese of Mt Kenya East.
As a result of all that has happened, our link is deeper, and the bonds of love and affection between us seem indestructible.
When this controversy hit the news, we as a group were determined that we would not be diverted from the central purpose of the visit: to building these important relationships between Christians in Chelmsford Diocese and in the wonderful, vibrant Anglican Church in Kenya. Now, having returned home, I am in a position to say we were entirely successful in that aim.
When we were in Kenya, I was conscious that we were living in 2 worlds: the world of African reality, as day by day we encountered the extraordinary and rich life of the Anglican Church in Kenya; and the world of public debate and the press, which seemed 1000 miles our from day to day experience of worship and the lives of the people of Kenya.
On the morning when we were confronted with headlines in the newspaper, I was launching into a day with the huge privilege of confirming young and older people in northern Kenya. These were people who are living in communities where they do not know if there will be enough food for them in the coming weeks. Then we moved on to encounter the work the church is doing with street children, many of whom have lost their families through HIV/AIDS, and we were challenged to share with them the need to hold on to hope in all the difficulties of their lives.
The Archbishop of Kenya was concerned over some of the issues that were raised, but we were not abandoned in the middle of the Kenyan bush as some may have had you believe. Though I can say that if we had been abandoned, Embu would have been a lovely place to spend the rest of our time in!
When we finally did get to talk to Archbishop Nzimbi, he wanted to assure us that a warm Kenyan welcome continued to surround us, and that the planned programme should continue. With his agreement, we decided to avoid any high profile occasions to avoid being drawn into any controversies which would divert us from the principal aim of the visit.
I want to put on record the warm appreciation of the whole group to the Anglican Church of Kenya, and especially the 4 dioceses with which we share a companion link, for the extraordinary warmth of their hospitality, the depth of Christian fellowship we experienced with them, and the privilege of witnessing some of their courageous work in their country today.
And I would like to add my thanks and appreciation to the whole of the party that came with me. We were utterly united in our purpose, and the bonds of affection between us grew as a result of our experience. I am grateful for the many messages of support we have received from all over the world.
We are well, we are in good heart, and our link is stronger and richer as a result.
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http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm?years=2006&months=6&article=621 &pos=#621
(620) 01-June-2006 - New Bishop of Birmingham appointed - England
The Queen has approved the nomination of the Right Reverend David Andrew Urquhart BA, Suffragan Bishop of Birkenhead, for election as Bishop of Birmingham in succession to the Most Reverend and Right Honourable John Mugabi Tucker Sentamu LLB MA MPhil PhD following his translation to the See of York.
David Urquhart (aged 54) was educated at Rugby and Ealing College Business School. He subsequently worked as a volunteer in Uganda for a year in 1971, and then joined BP and worked in various commercial roles for ten years before training for the ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He was curate at St Nicholas, Kingston upon Hull from 1984 to 1987, Team Vicar of Drypool from 1987 to 1992, and from 1992 to 2000 Vicar of Holy Trinity, Coventry. He has been the Suffragan Bishop of Birkenhead since 2000. He has also been chairman of the Church Mission Society since 1994 and chairman of Wirral Local Strategic Partnership since 2002. In 2005 he was made Prelate of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michel and St George.
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http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm?years=2006&months=6&article=620 &pos=#620
(619) 30-May-2006 - No Time for Petty Wrangling over HIV and AIDS says Archbishop - South Africa
On the eve of a UN high level meeting on HIV and AIDS to be held in New York from tomorrow (May 31), Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, has called HIV and AIDS a 'global emergency'. In response to reported bickering between different government representatives and between governments and civil society organisations over the wording of a political declaration on the disease, the Archbishop has called for urgent action.
'There is no time for wrangling over the wording of a political declaration when every minute of every day a child dies of AIDS and a child becomes infected with AIDS. Words, words, words won't help us in our fight against the pandemic. Now is the time for action. As Bono once put it: 'God is on his knees for us to act',' says the Archbishop.
'There are three things we need to do':
Firstly we need to develop a comprehensive, holistic and integrated approach by all stakeholders in dealing with the pandemic. We need multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral strategies in our fight against the pandemic.
Secondly we need constructive and creative partnerships between governments, the private sector and the broad church of civil society organisations including faith communities.
And thirdly we need a huge resource mobilisation in order to curtail the spread of the pandemic. Our ultimate objective is a generation without Aids. We believe that this is a real achievable possibility. We can do this through developing appropriate programmes that target young people, women and children and help create sustainable livelihoods among communities, especially the poor.
The pandemic is too big an issue for petty jealousies about what others are doing and possessiveness from any sector,' says Archbishop Ndungane.
The Review of the Declaration of Commitments on HIV and AIDS will be held in New York from May 31 to June 2. Participants from governments and civil society organisations will discuss concerns and experiences both formally and informally. The formal civil society hearing will be held at the UN tomorrow (Wednesday May 31).
For further information, please contact Penny Lorimer, Media Liaison for Archbishop Ndungane on 0027 (0)82 894-1522.
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http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/archive.cfm?years=2006&months=5&article=6 19&pos=#619
(618) 30-May-2006 - Communities love their churches-now it's time to listen to their needs - England
says Church researcher
Roadside shrines, bouquets and teddies and the widening appeal of prayer stations, labyrinths and beads are all indications that images are the new words for people today, says the Church of England's chief statistician and researcher.
In Christian Roots, Contemporary Spirituality, a book published this week by Church House Publishing, the Revd Lynda Barley, Head of Research and Statistics for the Archbishops' Council, says people have 'almost journeyed full circle' from the days when stained glass windows told the Christian story to the non-literate congregation. And churches are responding by making way for symbols again, such as providing prayer bracelets and commissioning new religious art.
The book's publication marks one of the few times that such a wide range of research on the subject of Christian belief in Britain has been collected in one place. The book surveys the nature of religious belief in practice today and not only points to the continuing search for 'spiritual nutrition' but also ways that the Church is feeding that hunger.
Christian Roots, Contemporary Spirituality acknowledges that while public recognition of faith in Britain has declined over the last fifty years, the nation's latent Christian culture emerges most strongly at times of national significance or crisis.
'Faith is bubbling under the surface of modern day Britain,' says Lynda Barley. 'The twenty-first century has brought fresh reflection and outbreaks of faith when disasters have struck.' She argues that the biggest challenge for local churches is how they can develop a way of communicating their message with those who have little or no direct contact with the Christian faith, or who have rarely or never attended a church service. The 'increased privatisation' of religion in Britain means that churches need to find creative ways of reaching people who have a spiritual 'itch' - and are just waiting for the Church to 'scratch' it, she says.
'The importance of personal prayer in individual lives is one of the best kept secrets in modern Britain,' Lynda observes. 'The Church needs to listen to the nation's need for prayer.' She highlights the fact that parishes who have grappled with this by setting up prayer stations or organising prayer marathons have found that support for these initiatives exceeded their expectations.
While recognising that 'the Church has foundations of faith that mean it cannot act as a spiritual supermarket where people make their own selections of belief,' Lynda has discovered how churches are building on those foundations and tapping in to the residual Christian faith expressed at key events throughout the year, especially Christmas. For instance, churches are responding what she calls the 'modern-day mission challenge' by creating opportunities linked to The Children's Society's popular Christingle services or organising Christmas Tree festivals. Holy Trinity, Cuckfield, in Sussex, welcomed 1,500 visitors over just three days during their last festival, packing 48 decorated trees into the church including trees illustrating different aspects of the Church's ministry.
Other churches have focused on the opportunities presented by 'family specials' - services that respond directly to the importance that people place on family bonds. These vary from wedding vow renewal services around Valentine's Day, or annual services of memories, as in New Romney, Kent, where 300 people attended last year to light a candle for those who had died and to gain mutual support from other worshippers. Lynda comments: 'Remembering is a key phenomenon in Britain today. We have become a nation for whom memories and the remembrance of them, particularly with the loss of loved ones, is very important.'
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in a foreword to the book supports the use of evidence-based research to encourage local churches: 'The significant contributions churches make to individual lives, communities and wider society are often not fully understood either by those inside or by those outside the institution. Good research can help us properly reflect on the place we find ourselves. Evidence-based research is an accepted part of modern life and the dialogue it creates can powerfully help local churches consider before God their place in his mission to today's world.'
Pulling together the strands of research and examples of ways that local churches are seeking to respond proved an eye-opening undertaking, even for the Church's most experienced statistician. 'Being open to the research evidence yields both encouragements and challenges for local churches as they move into the twenty-first century, says Lynda Barley. 'Many find that the surprising sign of the times is that our Christian roots continue to be valued by many but in ways relevant for (modern-day Britain).'
Christian roots, contemporary spirituality, priced ?6.99, is available from Christian bookshops from 22nd May or from Church House Bookshop, 31 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BN, e mail bookshop@c-of-e.org.uk, or on the web at: www.chbookshop.co.uk (mail order available).
Christian Roots, Contemporary Spirituality is the first in the 'Time to Listen' series written by Lynda Barley. The next, Churchgoing Today, is due to be published ahead of the July group of sessions of the Church of England's General Synod.
Source: Church of England Communications Office
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http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/archive.cfm?years=2006&months=5&article=6 18&pos=#618
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