wfn.org | [ACNS] DIGEST 28 Jan 2005

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

The following (9 items) represents a compilation of the ACNS Digest
articles posted for this week. News is included from Jerusalem, Lambeth
Palace, Nigeria, the US, England, and Ireland. The ACNS digest can be found
here:

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

(297) 28-January-2005 - Nablus Hospital and Church damaged in attack -
Middle East

A message from the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

Dear Friends,

I want to tell you about an attack that occurred on 18 January, damaging St
Luke's Hospital and St Philip's Church & Rectory, in Nablus.

The Israeli military forces staged an incursion into Nablus that night,
beginning at 1030pm and lasting until early morning. The military forces
destroyed a four-story building near the hospital, which badly affected the
hospital compound and it's buildings. St Philip's Church and rectory are
located just minutes away and they were also damaged, as well as many other
buildings in the immediate area.

The damage to the hospital compound is the following:

Forty five windows broken in the hospital building, the out patient clinics
building, the ArabCare building and the Administration building

A bullet entered room nine on the women's ward, breaking the window and
damaging the plaster of the walls

Six windows were completely destroyed

Five doors were destroyed completely

There was extensive damage to the electrical fittings

There was extensive damage to the ceiling in all buildings of the hospital
compound

There was damage to the motor of the elevator and the central heating burner

There were also many windows broken in St Philip's Church and the rectory
compound.

It bears mentioning that this is occurring in a time when the world is
turning its attention to peace making between Palestine and Israel.

Please keep the people of the St Luke's and St Philip's community in your
thoughts and prayers, as well as all the people of the region.

With my warm regards

Nancy Dinsmore
Development Office

Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
Email: devedjer@netvision.net.il

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(296) 28-January-2005 - Statement on Holocaust Memorial Day - Lambeth

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, issued a
statement to mark National Holocaust Day on 27 January.

"On the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we confront again
not simply the darkness of those years but the darkness that can always
take hold of the human spirit. One of the lessons we still struggle to
learn and a lesson that serves for old and young alike, is how frail our
commitment can be to what we profess: that God calls us in the light of his
love to honour and respect all of humanity as made in his image.

"Holocaust Memorial Day should make us think hard; about evil, about hatred
and about ourselves. We should take time today to remember all of the
victims of hatred and to reflect on the courage, dedication and commitment
that needs to be found in each one of us to prevent such darkness taking
hold amongst us."

ENDS

The Press Office, Lambeth Palace
Tel: +44 207 898 1200 /1280
Fax: +44 20 7261 1765

www.archbishopofcanterbury.org

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(295) 28-January-2005 - Church of Nigeria now has 91 dioceses - Nigeria

>From Church of Nigeria news

The Episcopal Synod of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has
announced the election of ten new Bishops.

In a statement issued at the weekend in Abuja, Director of Communication of
the Church of Nigeria, The Rev Canon Tunde Popoola said the election was
made at the Bishops' meeting held in The Chapel of St Peter, Ibru Centre
Agbarha-Otor in Delta state.

The names of the new Bishops are the Very Revd Ezekiel Ayodele Awosoga,
formerly the provost of the Cathedral of Our Saviour Ijebu is now the
Bishop of the Diocese of Ijebu.

The Revd Canon Solomon Gberegbara, formerly of St Simon's Church, Deken, as
Bishop of Ogoni Missionary Diocese.

The Very Revd Mathew Osunade, formerly of The Cathedral of St James Ibadan,
as Bishop of Ogbomoso Missionary Diocese.

The Venerable Samuel Chibueze Chukwuka, formerly of All Saints' Catheral,
Onitsha, as Bishop of Isikwuato Missionary Diocese.

The Revd Canon Johnson Chibueze Onuoha, formerly of Our Saviour's Church,
Garki, Abuja, as Bishop of Arochukwu/Ohafia Missionary Diocese.

The Venerable Joseph N. Musa, formerly of St James' Church Suleja, as
Bishop of Idah Missionary Diocese.

The Rev. Chigozirim Onyegbule, formerly of Holy Trinity Church, Ubakala,
Umuahia, as Bishop of Ikwuano Missionary Diocese.

The Venerable Duke Timothy Akamisoko, formerly Director Ecumenism and
Inter-Faith Dialogue in the Primate's Office, Abuja, as Bishop of Zonkwa
Missionary Diocese.

The Venerable Babatunde Joseph Adeyemi, formerly of The Church of Pentecost
Festac Town, Lagos, as Bishop of Badagry Missionary Diocese.

Also, The Rt. Rev Simon Bala, formely Bishop of Gusau Diocese in Zamfara
Sate was elected the Bishop of Kubwa Diocese in the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT). He is on translation.

The consecration of the new Bishops has been fixed for 13 March, 2005 at
the Cathedral Church of the Advent Gwarinpa, Abuja.

Church of Nigeria News reports that the Episcopal synod last September
approved the creation of additional nine dioceses, bringing the total
number of dioceses to 91.

The Nigerian church has ten ecclesiastical provinces each administered by
an Archbishop. The provinces include Kaduna, Jos, Abuja and Ibadan. Others
are Lagos, Ondo, Bendel, Niger-Delta, Owerri and On the Niger.

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(294) 28-January-2005 - First US Hispanic woman bishop consecrated - USA

The Rt Revd Bavi Edna "Nedi" Rivera was consecrated the first bishop
suffragan for the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia on Saturday 22 January at
the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington, also making her the first
Hispanic woman bishop and only the 12th woman bishop in the history of the
denomination.

Rivera's father, the Rt Revd Victor Manuel Rivera, who served as the Bishop
of San Joaquin, California, from 1968 to 1988, was an opponent of women's
ordination. For years, father and daughter agreed to disagree about the
issue. But lately, feelings if not positions have begun to change. He was
present along with 20 other bishops from across the country for the
ordination service.

In electing Rivera, the diocese sought out a bishop who would lead the
church in its efforts to expand ethnic ministries, evangelism and the work
of faith formation. The service highlighted these areas of ministry.

Invitations were printed in Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Khmer and Arabic,
the languages of the ethnic congregations of the diocese. Children and
youth played significant roles in the liturgy just as they have in the
ministry of the bishop and as they do in the life of every worshipping
congregation.

"Children bring life to anything," Bishop Rivera said. "I really do believe
that is one of the places where we see the kingdom. These children hold for
us the vision of what the church and world can be. And they hold us to it."

Drawn from the congregations of the diocese, a children's choir and a
festival choir sang music selected from resources old and new, including
two local composers. In each element of the consecration, Bishop Rivera and
the service planners intentionally included all ages and ethnicities.

"How often can the church model what God's world is supposed to look like,"
Bishop Rivera asked. "How do we model listening to each other's cultures?
How do we model listening to children? The church is saying we do care."

The Episcopal Church was the first province in the Anglican Communion to
ordain a woman as bishop when the Rt Revd Barbara Harris was consecrated
bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Massachusetts in February 1989. Bishop
Rivera becomes the 16th woman bishop in the history of the 70
million-member worldwide Anglican Communion. The Diocese of Olympia
comprises 33,000 Episcopalians in the western half of the state of Washington.

Dr. Peter Strimer
Communications Director
Diocese of Olympia
pstrimer@ecww.org

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(293) 28-January-2005 - Church gives earthly matters top priority - England

The General Synod of the Church of England will debate a Christian vision
of a greener world at its forthcoming meeting in London on Thursday 17
February.

The debate coincides with the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol around the world.

In his foreword to the report Sharing God's Planet which accompanies the
debate, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, urges
Christians to recognise their duty to celebrate and care for every part of
God's creation.

"Receive the world that God has given", he writes of the importance of
celebration.  "Go for a walk.  Get wet.  Dig the earth."

In terms of the Christian's duty to the planet, Archbishop Rowan stresses
that for the Church of the 21st century, good ecology is not an optional
extra but a matter of justice.	It is therefore central to what it means to
be a Christian.

The report has practical ideas for the local church to adopt at ground
level, from recycling to car-pooling, and an education programme to promote
this to churches is in place with  government backing. (1)

But Sharing God's Planet also suggests that there's a spiritual dimension
to be brought into Christian worship.

'Creation Care Prayers' and the use of natural materials in worship such as
organic bread and wine are just some of the ideas suggested in the chapter
"a practical Christian response"; ideas which the Archbishop commends in
his foreword: "I have called upon our Church to undertake an ecological
audit...such local, internal responses are vital."

If Synod approves the measures they will be passed to dioceses for approval
and action across the Church of England.

Sharing God's Planet (ISBN 0 7151 4068 X) is published by Church House
Publishing, priced ï¾£5.99, and is available from all Christian bookshops
and Church House Bookshop, 31 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BN, tel.
020-7898 1300, email bookshop@c-of-e.org.uk, or on the web at:
www.chbookshop.co.uk (mail order available).

ends

Notes to editors

1. DEFRA's Environmental Action Fund is supporting the Conservation
Foundation's programme of environmental education to churches and other
faith groups.

The last such report for Synod's consideration was Christians and the
Living Environment (1992).

Further information from:
Peter Crumpler or Arun Kataria	tel 020 7898 1326

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(292) 28-January-2005 - Agenda published for England 2005 Synod - England

Synod agenda features debates on women bishops, the Anglican Communion,
clergy terms of service, the environment and higher education.

The agenda for the February Sessions of General Synod (February 14-17)
includes three high-profile debates: on women bishops; the future of the
Anglican Communion and clergy terms of service (including the question of
the clergy freehold).	There is also a major piece of liturgical business
(the draft Ordinal) and a substantial private member's motion on senior
Church appointments.

There are in addition two significant debates in areas where the Church
engages with the wider community.  A debate on the environment will address
a subject of major public concern, on which the Church can offer a
distinctive contribution.  A debate on issues in higher education will
examine the values of higher education and the ministry and mission of the
Church in higher education institutions.

Women Bishops

The report of the working party, chaired by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt
Revd Michael Nazir Ali, Women Bishops in the Church of England? was
published in November.	The report explores the theological arguments for
and against the ordination of women bishops and considers the issues that
the Church may have to face in the future, depending on which course it
decides to adopt.  This includes the question of whether provisions should
be made for those conscientiously unable to accept women bishops.  There is
to be a whole morning's debate, introduced by the Bishop of Rochester on
the theological dimension of this issue. After lunch the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, will move a motion on behalf of
the House of Bishops setting out proposals for what should happen next,
including a debate and vote at the July Synod to decide whether to embark
on the legislative process.

The Anglican Communion

The Windsor Report from the Lambeth Commission on Communion, chaired by the
Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Robin Eames, was published on 18
October.  The commission was set up at the request of the Primates of the
Anglican Communion in October 2003 in the light of strains in the Communion
arising from developments in the Episcopal Church of the USA and the
Diocese of New Westminster in Canada.  These concern the ordination to the
episcopate of a person being in a sexual relationship with a partner of the
same sex, and the blessing of committed relationships of same sex
couples.  The Lambeth Commission's brief was not to look into these
underlying ethical issues but to consider the legal, theological and
practical issues for the Communion arising from those actions.

The Primates will be meeting in Belfast a few days after the Synod meets,
to consider the response to the Report from across the Anglican
Communion.  That meeting is of great significance for the future cohesion
of the Anglican Communion.

In considering the Church of England's response, the Synod will be informed
by a short report from the House of Bishops in the name of the two
Archbishops covering  a  report to the House from the Chair of its
Theological  Group (the Bishop of Rochester) and the Chair of the Faith and
Order Advisory Group (the Bishop of Chichester).  The motion before the
Synod urges the Primates to take action, in the light of the Windsor
Report's recommendations, to secure unity within the constraints of truth
and charity, and to seek reconciliation within the Communion.

Review of Clergy Terms of Service

This Review, under the chairmanship of Professor David McClean, was set up
by the Archbishops' Council in 2002, following its response to the
Department of Trade and Industry's discussion document on Employment Status
in relation to Statutory Employment Rights.  Its terms of reference were to
review the terms under which the clergy hold office, to ensure a proper
balance of rights and responsibilities, and to consider in this context the
future of the freehold and the position of the clergy in relation to
statutory employment rights.

The Review Group's first report, on the position of clergy without the
freehold or employment contracts recommended a new form of tenure for
clergy, to be called common tenure. This was welcomed by Synod in February
2004. The Group's second report, now before Synod, proposes applying common
tenure to clergy with the freehold, defining incumbents' rights in terms of
employment law rather than ownership of property, providing an enhanced
Human Resources function across the dioceses, and adopting a general
framework for ministerial review.  Synod is asked to welcome the report,
provide for a period of consultation with the dioceses and agree that the
Archbishops' Council should appoint an implementation group to follow up
the recommendations in the report as a whole.

The Ordinal

The major item of liturgical business for the February Synod is the
substantial Revision Stage for the Ordination Services for deacons, priests
and bishops, which received First Consideration by the Synod in February
2004.  These will replace the ordination services in The Alternative
Service Book.

Senior Church Appointments

This private member's motion from Mr Anthony Archer seeks to ask the
Archbishops' Council to set up a working party to undertake a wide-ranging
review of the offices of suffragan bishop, deacon, archdeacon and
residentiary canon, and the law and practice regarding appointments to
these offices.	In doing so, the motion proposes that the Church should
adopt an integrated, consistent and transparent method of making
appointments to senior ecclesiastical offices.

Issues in Higher Education

This debate will examine the values of higher education, suggesting it has
the purpose of expanding horizons, addressing ethical and religious issues
and developing potential rather than simply creating a more effective
workforce and enabling the country to be more competitive
internationally.  The context for the debate is last year's Higher
Education Act, the Government's target of 50 per cent of young people going
on to higher education and decisions on university funding.  The General
Synod will debate higher education from a Christian perspective, on the
basis of a report from the Board of Education, together with questions
about the Church's ministry and mission in higher education
institutions.  It will examine specifically the Church's provision of
university chaplains.

Environmental issues

The environment is a topic of major public concern and has implications for
personal behaviour, business and government action - both domestic and
international.	The Government has stated that its priority for its
presidency, later this year, of the G8 meeting, and of the European Union,
will be climate change.  In 2004 the Archbishop of Canterbury made a number
of significant interventions on the environmental crisis.  There is growing
interest in the contribution that world faiths can bring to this issue and
the debate will be an occasion to affirm that a distinctive and effective
Christian contribution can be offered.	The debate that is being sponsored
by the Mission and Public Affairs Council will be supported by a report
Sharing God's Planet:  A Christian Vision for a Sustainable Future. The
motion will be moved by the Bishop of London as Chair of the House of
Bishops Environment Panel.

There will also be a relatively small amount of legislative business and a
few items of other business, mainly of a domestic character.  One item of
wider interest is a Diocesan Synod Motion from Ely on the subject of Church
of England services in Local Ecumenical Partnerships.

The February Synod will include a farewell to the Archbishop of York, who
as Archbishop has been Joint President of the Synod since 1995.  There will
also be a service of Holy Communion, at which the Archbishop of Canterbury
will preside and preach.

The agenda can be found on the Church of England website at:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/about/gensynod/agendas/feb05.html

ends

Further information from:
Peter Crumpler or Arun Kataria	tel +44 20 7898 1326

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(291) 28-January-2005 - Archbishop Ndungane voices disappointment over AU -
Africa

The Most Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane, the Archbishop and Cape Town and
Primate of Southern Africa is reported to have criticised the African Union
and African media after his visit to Somalia. SABC news carries a story here:

http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,2172,96400,00.html

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(290) 28-January-2005 - "Alcohol in the life of young people" raises
concerns - Ireland

Young people's lives are being ruined by the misuse of alcohol with
consumption per capita in Ireland the highest in the European Union.

In a report entitled 'Alcohol in the life of Young People' launched today
by Church of Ireland Primate and Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Robin
Eames, the Church's Social Justice and Theology Panel identifies worrying
trends in the drinking habits of young people in Ireland.

The Very Revd Gordon Wynne, chairman of the Social Justice and Theology
Panel, said: "This Report is not age preaching to youth. Alcohol is an
issue for the whole of society and as well as looking at how we can educate
young people about the effects of over-indulgence in alcohol, this Report
looks at how people in other countries are tackling the same issues. We
hope it shows how a fuller and more exciting life is lived when drunkenness
is avoided."

In commending the Report, Archbishop Eames said: "This is one of the most
important Church reports on young people for some time and I welcome it as
a serious and balanced study.
"The alcohol culture is now one of the most influential and negative
ingredients in the lives of young people. In both the Republic and Northern
Ireland the misuse of alcohol across the age-ranges contributes daily to
road fatalities and injuries, anti-social behaviour on our streets, the
breakdown of family relationships and the health and enjoyment of life.

"For young people alcohol misuse is now a stark reality and is accepted as
a way of life for far too many. Society can no longer wipe its hands of
responsibility through simple condemnation of the alcohol culture among our
youth. Far more needs to be done to understand what contributes to the
rapid rise in teenage drinking. The Church must come to terms with this
social evil and take every opportunity to encourage the full understanding
of the problem. Society as a whole must recognise the danger and the
consequences for a new generation of young people of the misuse of alcohol."

Archbishop Eames emphasised what he described as 'frightening statistics'
relating to alcohol misuse among young people.

"In the Republic there has been a 370% increase in levels of intoxication
in public places by underage drinkers since 1996. 35% of sexually active
teenagers cite alcohol as a factor in their engaging in sex. 60% of boys
and 54% of girls aged between 15 and 17 years of age admit to having been
'really drunk'.

"One in five cases of emergency admissions to Irish hospitals are alcohol
related.

"Alcohol consumption per capita in Ireland is the highest in the European
Community.
"In Northern Ireland the statistics are just as dramatic. Almost 80% of
teenagers surveyed claim to have consumed alcohol by the age of 16.

"No matter what reasons are being advanced in the United Kingdom for
lengthy opening hours of bars and restaurants where alcohol is available
surely we are entitled to ask what effect these changes will have on the
alcohol culture of young people?

"I commend this excellent Report to all parishes."

The Church in Society Social Justice & Theology Panel included Dean Gordon
Wynne, Cashel & Ossory Diocese (Chairman); Dr Brendan Coffey, The Medical
Centre, Bagenalstown; Sgt Martin O'Halloran, Bagenalstown Garda Station;
the Revd Dr Andrew Pierce, Irish School of Ecumenics; the Revd Philip Heak,
Diocesan Youth Officer, Cashel & Ossory.
Ends

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(289) 28-January-2005 - Archbishop Akinola co-chairs tsunami relief
committee - Nigeria

>From Church of Nigeria News

The Federal government of Nigeria has established a Relief Committee on
Tsunami Disaster and appointed the President of the Christian Association
of Nigeria (CAN), His Grace the Most Revd Peter Akinola, the Primate of All
Nigeria, as the Co-Chair of the committee with His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad
Maccido, the Sultan of Sokoto.

Already the Nigerian government has responded to the monumental catastrophe
which caused the untimely death of over 200,000 people by contributing the
sum of one million dollars to the United Nations Relief Fund for the
Tsunami victims.

In the light of above, the leadership of CAN appeals to all Christians in
the country and beyond to donate generously to the victims of the
unfortunate incident.

Please send in your donations to the "Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund' through
the following banks in all the states of the Federation.

1. First Bank of Nigeria PLC- Account Number: 4062050014410
2. Habib Bank Nigeria PLC - Account Number: 01301192952
3. Zenith Bank Plc- Account Number: 6011327329

For further inquires please contact the secretary of the Committee at the
following address:

Political Affairs Office of the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation Merit House, 4th Floor, Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja
Nigeria Telephone Numbers: 08034518811, 09-4134529, 09-4134532

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