wfn.org | [ACNS] News Digest 10 June 2005

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

The following is a roundup of the recent ACNS Digest stories, with reports 
from ACO, the US, Australia, Tanzania, Scotland and England. The ACNS 
Digest can be found here:

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

(396) 10-June-2005 - Archbishop Ndungane Indicts World Leaders On Poverty -
USA

[Washington - 7 June 2005] In a sermon to leaders and representatives from 
over 40 religious organisations, including every major faith group, 
Anglican Archbishop, Njongonkulu Ndungane said that he believes public 
opinion against poverty "is growing like never before." He was invited to 
speak at Washington National Cathedral in the USA by the Interfaith 
Convocation on Monday evening. The event was hosted by anti-hunger 
organisations: Bread for the World, Call to Renewal, America's Second 
Harvest and Mazon.

The Archbishop called this a "unique and historical occasion when all faith 
leaders in the USA from what are commonly known as the 'religious right' 
and the 'religious left' gathered at the Cathedral to issue a clarion call 
of 'no more hunger in the USA and in the world'."

In his sermon the Archbishop called poverty 'evil'. He said that despite 
the USA's enormous wealth, 36 million Americans are food insecure - that is 
they do not know where their next meal is coming from - and, of these, 13 
million are children. He said that what stands in the way of the ending of 
growing US and world hunger is not lack of resources but political will.

"Hunger arises when people become economically alienated, unable adequately 
to participate in the buying and selling of labour, goods and services, so 
as to be able to access enough to eat. That is why poverty and hunger are 
often found in rural areas," the Archbishop said.

He added that trade policies are still geared to the advantage of rich 
people and countries, which makes it far harder for poor countries and 
their populations to escape poverty. He said that despite the unprecedented 
growth in world economy, 800 million people go hungry every day and 30 
thousand people die daily of poverty-related causes. The Archbishop said 
that this is not only sinful and immoral but also a scandal and an 
indictment on world leaders.

Prior to giving his sermon the Archbishop said: "What we are calling for is 
a sustainable livelihood for everyone created in God's image. Aid alone 
cannot do that. What we are calling for is trade justice. Developing 
countries spend 300 million dollars to protect trade through subsidies and 
tariffs, yet if Africa increased its share of world exports by even 1%, 
this would generate 70 billion US Dollars. This is approximately five times 
what the continent receives in aid."

In his sermon, Archbishop Ndungane said that almost every religious and 
ethical tradition "calls on us to feed the hungry."  He made a passionate 
call for anti-poverty and anti-hunger organisations to continue to work 
together in strong coalitions to put pressure on politicians; to lobby 
locally, nationally and internationally; and to "fight hunger on every 
front - global justice, national policy making and support for every 
individual who is in need."

Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, has called a meeting of world 
leaders in September in an attempt to get the Millennium Development Goals 
back on track. Poverty and hunger will also be at the top of the agenda of 
the G-8 Summit in July and a major factor in the Doha Round of world trade 
talks due to be completed by the end of the year.

"This year, everywhere politicians turn, they will find poverty and hunger 
on the agenda. They cannot escape!" the Archbishop said in his sermon. "We 
must put all our weight behind this growing momentum for change because now 
we have the chance to make a difference... Politicians need to be left in 
no doubt that public opinion, domestic and international, demands justice 
in relation to poverty and hunger," said Archbishop Ndungane.

For further information or a full copy of the Archbishop's address please 
phone Penny Lorimer, media liaison for Archbishop Ndungane, on 27 82 894-1522

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(395) 10-June-2005 - Volunteers Run Program For Sudanese Refugees - Australia

In 2000, Melbourne University student Matthew Albert, and his friend Anna 
Grace Hopkins, answered a request on a noticeboard at All Saints Church in 
Footscray to help a Sudanese family who had recently arrived in 
Australia.  A few weeks later that first family invited their cousins 
along, and five years later, Matthew now heads 250 volunteers at the 
Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning (SAIL) Program, a non-profit 
organisation operating out of three Anglican Churches that aims to meet the 
needs of the single fastest growing ethnic community in Victoria.

Every week, over 400 Sudanese "SAILors" attend the six mini programs 
offered by the SAIL Program, including English as a Second Language 
tutoring for children and adults, playgroups for 0-5 year olds, 
extra-curricular short courses for school-aged children, excursions, Home 
Help for Sudanese single mother families, and camps.

"It's more about exposure to activities than quantified achievement," says 
Matthew.  The program provides what may be for some children the only 
English language social interaction they get.  Some of the children speak 
Arabic, the 'official' language in Sudan, while others speak their tribal 
language or Swahili.

The team of volunteers, who come from all age groups, give between three 
and twenty-five hours each a week to the programs, which run every week 
from February to December.

"All of the SAIL students are refugees from Sudan," says Matthew, 
explaining that while the Darfur crisis has attracted headlines in recent 
times, the civil strife has been raging for decades, costing nearly two 
million lives and crippling the economic and social development of the 
nation.  Four and a half million Sudanese have been displaced.	The camps 
through which most Sudanese have passed before coming to Australia are 
violent, subject to attack, and rife with disease.

"Almost all Sudanese SAILors have experienced some kind of trauma," Matthew 
says.

As well as helping the Sudanese arrivals to integrate into the community, 
the SAIL Program offers Community Talks designed to inform and empower the 
community about issues pertinent to them including housing, health, 
migration, tracing lost family members and job-hunting.

"Our ultimate aim is to be obsolete," Matthew told The Melbourne 
Anglican.  He finds it exciting to be part of an organisation that is 
helping the most recent arrivals to Australia to find their feet in the 
community, and he is encouraged and inspired by the strength and 
determination of the Sudanese who attend the program.

"They are so motivated to make it work.  They are so resilient," he says.

The relationships built up between SAIL volunteers and refugee families are 
such that "the one to one relationship means that the 'tutors' get as much 
out of it as the 'students'."  Matthew and Anna Grace still spend every 
Christmas with the first family they helped.

Matthew is delighted by the support the Anglican Church has given since the 
very beginning.  "The Anglican Churches have been so welcoming of the 
project," he says.

The SAIL Program has campuses at All Saints Footscray, St. James Dandenong, 
and St. Eanswythe's Altona.  "The Vestries of the churches involved have 
been very supportive, and so have the Melbourne Anglican Foundation and 
Irene Donohoue Clyne [Diocesan Coordinator of Cross-Cultural Ministry]," he 
says.

Prospective volunteers can apply online on the SAIL website.  Donations to 
support the program can be made to the Tax Deductible Migrants and Refugees 
Settlement Fund at The Melbourne Anglican Foundation, 209 Flinders Lane, 
Melbourne, VIC 3000

Article from The Melbourne Anglican - June 2005

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(394) 10-June-2005 - Numbers Recommended To Train As Clergy Rise - England

A total of 564 men and women were recommended to train as future clergy in 
the Church of England in 2004; the highest number in six years. The figure 
represents an increase of more than 10 percent over the 505 recommended in 
2003. It has only twice been exceeded in the last 20 years: in 1986 and 
1998. The recommendations include 284 men and 280 women.

There were 51 selection conferences last year, attended by 727 candidates 
testing their vocations. This year is expected to see 52 selection 
conferences with more than 740 candidates.

"God still calls, people respond, and the Church rejoices - it's very 
encouraging," said Ven Dr Gordon Kuhrt, Director of Ministry.

The increase in 2004 was among candidates in the 50 plus age bracket, where 
recommendations rose from 150 in 2003 to 210. The Ministry Division is 
responding to this trend through a young vocations initiative. The 
initiative will include teams of clergy and ordinands in their 20s giving 
presentations in parishes or Higher and Further Education chaplaincies, 
taking stalls at university careers fairs, and encouraging incumbents and 
chaplains to actively recruit.

"Attracting young people to ordained ministry is key for the Church's 
present and future mission and ministry," said the Rt Rev John Gladwin, 
Bishop of Chelmsford, who chairs the Ministry Division. "What young people 
may sometimes lack in terms of experience they more than make up for in 
terms of energy and potential."

Further information available from:

Steve Jenkins tel (020) 7898-1326

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(393) 10-June-2005 - Anglican Centre In Rome Appoints New Associate Priest 
- ACO

The Revd Dr R William Franklin, former Professor of Church History at St 
John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota and General Seminary, New York, 
former Dean of Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University, and current 
Associate Rector for Education at Trinity Church, Boston has been appointed 
as Associate Priest and Visiting Fellow of the Anglican Centre in Rome from 
September 2005. His appointment significantly strengthens the staffing of 
the Anglican Centre alongside the Director, the Rt Revd John Flack and Fr 
Jonathan Boardman, the Senior Tutor.

The Revd Dr R William Franklin will also be Associate Priest at the 
Episcopal Church of St Paul-Within-the-Walls and the English Church of All 
Saints Rome and Associate Director for External Affairs at the American 
Academy in Rome.

Stephen Platten, the Bishop of Wakefield and Chairman of Governors of the 
Anglican Centre said, "We are delighted that Professor Franklin is joining 
the staff of the Centre.  This is a clear signal of our commitment to the 
Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue at this time of a new pontificate."

For more information please contact:
The Rev Dr R William Franklin
Associate Rector
Trinity Church in the City of Boston
617-536-0944 X371
617-536-8916 FAX
617-306-3777 Cell
mailto:bfranklin@trinitychurchboston.org
http://www.trinitychurchboston.org

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(392) 08-June-2005 - Scottish College of Bishops Releases Statement -
Scotland

The College of Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church released a 
statement, yesterday, concerning future discussion of issues raised by the 
Windsor Report in the Province.  The text of that statement follows:

Discussion up to the Present
Like all provinces in the Anglican Communion, we are at present sharing in 
two processes of discussion. In the Scottish Episcopal Church, we recently 
considered the Study Guide issued by the Working Party on Sexuality. 
Responses were collated and made available in the Province. The College of 
Bishops then made and circulated its own response to that material in 
February 2004. Similarly, the Windsor Report was considered in the 
Province. When responses to it were collated, the College made and 
circulated its own response both to it, and to the Primates' Communique in 
March 2005.

Between now and Lambeth 2008, we are committed, as a Province, to sharing 
in the wider debate taking place across the Anglican Communion. We must, 
therefore, seek in a spirit of generosity to engage with and appreciate the 
full range of views that have been expressed and continue to be expressed 
both within our Province and elsewhere in our worldwide Communion.

The Issues Now Before Us
The Anglican Communion is at present attempting to deal with three major 
issues on this subject:

1. Its attitude to people of homosexual orientation, including those who 
are in long term same-sex relationships;

2. Whether acceptance extends to ministry in general and, in particular, to 
ordination to priesthood and episcopacy;

3. How the church can hold within a single communion those who differ in 
their response to this issue and believe that this is, for various and 
differing reasons, an issue of fundamental importance.

Material for Further Consideration
The members of the College of Bishops recognise that they have a teaching 
and pastoral responsibility.  They, therefore, wish to create an 
environment in which passionately held views can be expressed and heard in 
an atmosphere of charity, acceptance and honesty.

They are aware that there is a danger that even to encourage debate on this 
subject is to raise concern that 'traditional' positions may be modified, 
that an open attitude may become more closed or that what has been an 
informal acceptance of difference may be made more difficult just by the 
process of debate.  However, such a debate must take place in every 
province of the Anglican Communion, as we move to the Lambeth Conference in 
2008.

Everyone who engages in this debate must consider a number of factors:
1. The interpretation and the authority of scripture - what it says and how 
it is to be read;

2. An examination of the tradition of faith and the documents which have 
been produced as part of the Anglican Communion's own examination of this 
issue.	These most recently include the Resolutions of the 1998 Lambeth 
Conference, the Windsor Report and the Primates' Communique. Further 
material will arise between now and 2008, possibly as a result of the 
coming meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council;

3. Experience of the presence and the ministry of people of homosexual 
orientation within the life of the church;

4. Ways in which our understanding of gender and sexuality has developed 
and continues to develop in our society.

In all this, we must seek to be open to learning the truth of God from one 
another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The College's Commitment and Invitation
The College of Bishops, therefore, affirms its commitment to the task set 
before the whole Communion - to engage openly and prayerfully with the full 
range of issues and material which are now part of this debate.

The College invites the Province to share in this process, listening to 
each other and to voices from other Provinces with that same spirit of 
generosity as has characterised our own debate so far.

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(391) 08-June-2005 - Dioceses in India and Brazil Receive CMPC Grants - USA

The Diocese of North East India and the Diocese of Santa Maria, Brazil each 
received grants from the Church Missions Publishing Company (CMPC) at the 
meeting of its Board of Managers in May.

The Diocese of North East India is surrounded by other countries - Nepal, 
Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Myanmar. It is comprised of people who speak many 
languages and dialects. Among the priorities listed on its web site are the 
Rejuvenation of Pastoral Ministry and the Equipping of God's people for 
Participatory Learning. As a result of this grant of $3,000, the diocese 
will be able to publish pastoral and liturgical material in the languages 
and dialects of its people: Diocesan Rules and Guidelines will be printed 
in Assamese and English; copies of the Service of Dedication for a Church 
Building and of the Order of the Lord's Supper will be printed in Assamese; 
copies of the Confirmation Service will be printed in Karbi; and copies of 
Prayers for Special Occasions will be printed in both the Assamese and 
Khasi languages.

The Diocese of Santa Maria is in Southern Brazil (web site). Anglican 
chaplaincies were established in Brazil in 1810, with missionary work 
dating to 1889. In more recent times, Brazil has undergone what has been 
called an explosion in the growth of Pentecostal churches. In addition, as 
a country Brazil has encountered great economic and social upheaval. The 
Bishop of Santa Maria, the Right Rev. Jubal Neves, comments, "We are facing 
a very complicated time when many sites and booklets arise. The Church 
needs to offer good materials in order to avoid losing identity and [our] 
singular role as Anglicans today." The grant to him of $3,000 will go to 
publish a book of diocesan pastoral letters to help foster Anglican 
identity in the Latin American context.

CMPC uses interest from an endowment put in place by West Hartford native 
Edith Beach and her sisters. Beach was "a pillar of St. James' Church." She 
and her sisters funded The Pan-Anglican, a magazine about mission in the 
Anglican Communion established and edited by then bishop, The Rt. Rev. 
Walter Gray. When the magazine ceased publication, the endowments came to 
support missionary publications.

Applications for grants may be found here. The deadlines are 15 April for 
Spring grants and 15 November for Fall grants. The maximum grant is 
normally $3,000.

For more information, please contact the Rev. Rachel W. Thomas at (860) 
873-9547.

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(390) 08-June-2005 - Large-print Book of Common Prayer Available on CD - USA

Ann Dahlen of the Diocese of Quincy in Illinois has prepared a large-print 
Book of Common Prayer CD.  The CD can be used to help prepare large-print 
materials for worship services.  Equally, visually impaired persons can use 
the CD as a resource for their devotions.

Ms. Dahlen has been preparing large-print materials since April 
2003.  These materials have been used at Trinity Episcopal Church, Rock 
Island, Illinois, and at the past two conventions of the Diocese of 
Quincy.   The large-print CD ministry, she says, "is a labour of love in 
thankfulness to God for his many blessings and in loving memory of my 
father who had visions problems."

The recently completed CD is formatted in Word.  Pages are laid out for 8 
1/2 x 11 inch paper.  The main body of type is 18 point.

Since March 2005 Ms. Dahlen has distributed more than 130 CDs to 44 diocese 
in the United States, as well as to the Convocation of American Churches in 
Europe in France.

The response to Ms. Dahlen's efforts has been enthusiastic:
"There are several in our congregation that need the larger print - myself 
included - and it will be put to good use," wrote Patsy Ender of the Church 
of the Nativity in Grand Junction, Colorado.  "I have had to convert some 
texts myself and do appreciate the time spent by you to get this ready.  We 
all send our thanks for a job well done and much needed."

"I am a Deacon in our Diocese and have Macular Degeneration in both eyes," 
wrote the Rev. Melanie Christopher of Lakewood, Colorado. "I truly have a 
difficult time reading the Prayer Book. May God bless you for undertaking 
this ministry to help so many people like me that have low vision."

"At 56, I had cataract extraction and an interocular lens implant that went 
all wrong," wrote Patricia Russell of Ransom Canyon, Texas. "After several 
months of being legally blind in my right eye I really appreciated the old, 
worn, partial large print BCP our parish had. Since that time I've been 
looking for a better option than the partial book. You and your ministry 
are the answer to my prayers."

"I think what you have done is a wonderful gift to all who have vision 
difficulty, even those of us who refuse to admit it," wrote the Rt. Rev. 
Creighton Robertson, Bishop of South Dakota.

"We are very happy that we were able to find this CD," wrote Joy Luke of 
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Bloomington, Illinois. "Everyone will 
appreciate the efforts you have made to make reading and following along 
easier. Our church has been looking for this material for our visually 
impaired members for quite some time and want to express to you how much of 
a difference you are making in many lives."

"Thank you so very much for the offer of the CD - BCP service in large 
print," wrote the Rev. James R. Hempstead of Church of the Nativity in 
Boyne City, Michigan. "We have need of such a wonderful gift in our small 
congregation."

"Thank you and God bless you for your willingness to share the large-print 
copy of the Prayer Book on CD after your initial work," wrote the Rev. 
George Berlin, Rector of St. Philip & St. James Episcopal Church, Denver, 
Colorado. "We have a nice group of folk here who can use this service very 
much."

"I am an Episcopal priest and I work both in a church and as a chaplain in 
a nursing home. In addition, I am visually impaired," wrote the Rev. Kuulei 
Green of Chattanooga, Tennessee. "Thank you for your 'labour of love' and I 
plan to share it in both places where I work."

"As a person with RP (Retinitis pigmentosa) who is in the process of losing 
my sight, your work will help me continue to serve the church," wrote the 
Rev. Stan Upchurch, Archivist of the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma and a 
Deacon at St. John's Church in Norman, Oklahoma.

Donations are always welcome!
The large-print CD is free except for the cost of postage.  Nevertheless, 
Ms. Dahlen would welcome donations to help defray costs of her growing CD 
ministry.  Costs include blank CDs, CD cases, labels, and postage stamps 
for thank you notes. All donations of money or supplies are greatly 
appreciated and will help continue this ministry.  Several Bishops, clergy 
and churches have already generously contributed to the CD ministry.
.

To order a CD:
To order a copy of the CD, send a self-addressed, stamped 6 x 9 inch 
envelope with three 37 cent stamps attached (four if it's a padded 
envelope) to: Ann Dahlen, 1900 6th Avenue, Apt. 513, Rock Island, IL 
61201.	If you are outside the U.S. and want to order a CD and need postage 
cost information, or if you have questions or need other information about 
the CD, please email Ms. Dahlen at largeprint-help@aol.com or 
anndahlen3@aol.com.

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(389) 08-June-2005 - Church of Tanzania Plans New University - Tanzania

The Anglican Church of Tanzania (ACT) recently released a Bishops' Appeal 
and fundraising plan for the establishment of a new Anglican University.

The University - to be called St. John's University of Tanzania - will be 
located in Dodoma in Central Tanzania.	Dodoma is the capital of Tanzania 
and the location of the headquarters of the ACT.   The University will also 
have branches throughout the country and will be linked to existing 
institutions within and outside the ACT such as hospitals, colleges and 
Bible Schools.	Ideally, the University will enrol its first students by 
September 2006.

In their appeal, the Bishops of Tanzania presented four reasons for 
undertaking this new project.  First, the University would help to 
re-establish the Church's role in the provision of social services to the 
community, a role which was critically weakened by the nationalisation 
policies of the 1960s.	Through its network of 19 diocese, the ACT has been 
trying to reinvigorate its activities by building new secondary and primary 
schools.  "The establishment of an Anglican University," say the Tanzanian 
Bishops, "will be a visible apex of a regained initiative."

Second, as a young and developing nation, Tanzania's educational needs are 
growing rapidly.  In order to address these needs, the government of 
Tanzania has invited the private sector - including religious institutions 
- to establish, own and run schools and educational institutions.   The 
Bishops believe that "it is important for the ACT to recognise the 
Government's generosity and seize the opportunity to participate in the 
provision of education at the highest level."

Third, as the government of Tanzania promotes primary and secondary 
education, the number of secondary school graduates is increasing 
tremendously.  These graduates must be afforded the opportunity of a 
university education to prepare them "to play a key role in ensuring that 
Tanzania is able to cope with the religious, social, and economic demands 
of our time as well as the challenges of globalisation and information 
technology."

Fourth, the creation of an Anglican University is part of the Anglican 
national education policy endorsed by the General Synod of 2002.  This 
policy "recognises that a young nation such as Tanzania needs a well 
trained work force and good leaders for today and tomorrow who also have 
reverence for God."  Equally, the training of pastors prepared both to 
minister to the spiritual needs of their congregations and to attend to 
their parishioner's wider social aspirations will have to take place in a 
university setting.  With these goals in view, the University will offer 
degrees in theology and religious studies, and will also offer Church 
professional degrees and degrees in a variety of secular disciplines.

The Bishops of Tanzania aim to raise 30 billion Tanzania Shillings 
(approximately $30 million) to cover initial University costs.	The Bishops 
will be raising these funds from members of the ACT, from local and 
international organisations, and from friends overseas.

Full text of the Bishops' appeal can be found here
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