The following is a roundup of the recent ACNS Digest stories, with reports from USA, England, Wales and Australia. The ACNS Digest can be found here:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm
(604) 04-May-2006 - The Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana Announces 'Jericho Road' - USA
Housing Initiative targeting New Orleans Central City Neighbourhood, is first of its kind
A Partnership of the Diocese of Louisiana and Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD)
New Orleans, Louisiana: Today, The Right Reverend Charles Jenkins, Bishop of Louisiana announced the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative (JREHI). JREHI is a faith based non-profit organisation formed in response to the destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. According to Charles Jenkins, the Chairman of the JREHI Board and Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana, Jericho's mission is to provide quality affordable housing in pre-existing neighbourhoods in New Orleans.
Bishop Jenkins said, 'Our first goal is to construct 150 homes in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. While doing so we pray that we will be able to collaborate with other faith groups in sharing this ministry so important to the future of New Orleans.'
The JREHI, LLC was formed in March and is a partnership of the Diocese of Louisiana and Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD). ERD provided the initial funding totalling $2.3 million which will be used for administrative management, property acquisition and construction. The funding from ERD, combined with planned financing from the Whitney Community Development Corporation will result in an investment in Central City of over $20 million.
According to Vice Chair of the JREHI, The Very Reverend David duPlantier, Dean and Rector Christ Church Cathedral, this is a challenging time in New Orleans but it is also an exciting time for opportunity and change in all neighborhood.
'Jericho' Road through its broad and diverse partnerships will transform New Orleans into an American City that will again set the standard for people of diverse ethnic, cultural and socio economic backgrounds to live together in mixed and vibrant communities. One of our City's most unique characteristics is that for hundreds of years people of vastly different backgrounds have lived in close proximity to one another inspiring and influencing culture, religion and family life. Jericho Road will continue that vital New Orleans neighborhood tradition,' Dean duPlantier said.
The Jericho Road 'Pilot Program', launched this week with the purchase of five empty lots from the Whitney Community Development Corporation, is the first step for the Jericho housing initiative.
The purpose of the pilot program is to implement and then critique all aspects of JREHI including: site selection; client identification and training; availability of homeowners insurance, cost of mortgage products and a realistic understanding of the building process post-Katrina. A variety of housing stock is being considered including, modular, steel, cement as well as traditional stick built. Jericho Road has begun to build neighborhood partnerships near the area of the newly acquired properties and throughout the Central City neighborhood.
Source: Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana: http://www.edola.org/ The Unlikely Missionary: http://www.unlikelymissionary.com/
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(603) 04-May-2006 - Communication from The Bishop of London - England
To All Clergy and Diocesan and Parochial Postholders
Dear Friends,
I am still here despite newspaper speculation supposedly emanating from 'friends' about my resigning at the end of my Sabbatical to become Dean of Westminster.
I am second to none in my appreciation of the significance of the Abbey and its potential but frankly the agenda before the Diocese of London and its parishes is so exciting that I am determined to be part of it and have no hankering to be anything but your partner in the gospel.
Part of the gospel agenda in London is to find fresh ways of relating to our neighbours who practice other faiths. An introverted and fearful church is a poor witness to Jesus Christ.
It is in this spirit that a new meeting place is being opened this morning at the St Ethelburga Centre by the Prince of Wales.
When we finished restoring the church we deliberately left a piece of ground behind St Ethelburga's anticipating the development of that part of the City and preferring to postpone the construction of a new hall for the Centre's mediation work until the aspect of the neighbouring buildings was clearer. It is on this piece of ground that we have been enabled by a private benefactor to erect a nomad tent made of goats' hair and Goretex.
As you know the first words of the oldest creed in the Hebrew scriptures are 'a wandering Aramean was my Father.' At the same time the 'tent of meeting' is richly symbolic especially for the faiths which in their different ways look back to Abraham.
The Temple is a high place of worship, the house is the place where members of the family gather but the tent which is a provisional not permanent structure can be a place of wider hospitality and meeting. Our intention at St Ethelburga's is to create 'a big tent' where all can feel at home and where the role of host can be assumed by different people in turn.
In particular I hope that the tent will offer an encouraging venue for work which has already proved fruitful. 'Scriptural Reasoning' is a method of interfaith encounter which has been developed in an academic context but which now also embraces those involved in various forms of ministry. The idea is to gather believers (at present, Jews Christians and Muslims) to confront some of the contemporary challenges which are common to us all and to search the scriptures of our own traditions, Torah, Bible and Quran for understanding and inspiration.
While the encounter is not polemical there is no covert agenda which minimises the differences between faiths. In the case of the three faiths which in different ways look back to Abraham it is our common conviction that there is no 'fourth position' from which our faiths can be seen as mere local editions of some universal spiritual truth. Syncretism is not the agenda and indeed the experience of scriptural reasoning for a Christian is often to sharpen the sense of the uniqueness of the incarnation as well as identifying much common ground. There are already two London groups operating.
Questions from conversation partners in the course of reflecting on the scriptures accountably to one another, often opens up the depths in one's own faith. Scriptural Reasoning is frequently experienced as leading to the superficially paradoxical but fruitful result of deepening conviction while increasing respect among the participants. William Taylor recently wrote an article about Scriptural Reasoning in the Tablet and if you are interested in learning more, please consult the web site www.stethelburgas.org
Later this morning I shall be welcoming Prince Charles to the Centre to inaugurate the tent and I should be grateful for your prayers that the venture may be to the glory of God and his Son Jesus Christ and a real contribution to building bridges among people of faith in London.
Richard Londin.
Messages of Support Received for Today's Opening include:
Bono
St. Ethelburga's Interfaith Tent is one in which we all should find shelter. It's sad to admit that few understand or are even aware that Jews, Christians and Muslims are all tenants in the house of Abraham. All ethnic and religious tributaries erupt from the wellspring underneath that once undivided house. All bow their knee, tip their hat, or at the very least, call Abraham their biological fore father.
The way things stand now in the world of shout down extremism, it's hard to imagine such commonality could be whispered in reverential conversation. The pilgrims have stood back too long and let the noisy throngs have their day in the mad midday sun. As a result, the bloodied lives and territories of the Middle East have no real chance to rest in peace. The conflict has widened into a world wide conflict of interests and disinterests, away from peace and common ground, toward a deliberate dialogue of cross purposes.
In truth, this is a family feud. Always the worst. The 'tent project' is taking a crucial lead in starting a historic conversation where the three timorous voices of ancient monotheism, and the other great faiths, are set in the context of what they have in common. From this perspective the chasm and impasse of the present conflict in the Middle East and elsewhere look a little less daunting to clear. Father Abraham might begin a smile to discover his family dare to dream in this direction.
Desmond Tutu
Dear Children of the divine,
May you all be richly blessed as you gather to inaugurate this wonderful enterprise.
May you and all of us know that we are members of one family, the human family, God's family and may all we say and do enhance our sense of belonging. We can be human only together; we an be safe and secure only together; we can prosper only together. God bless you all richly today and always.
WJ Clinton
Warm greetings to everyone gathered in London, England, for the launch of the interfaith tent project of St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. I am delighted that the Tent will be opened by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and that he will be speaking about religious freedom.
The 21st century is unlike any previous time in history. Now more than ever, we recognise the importance of the ties that link us to other nations and other peoples - ties that have shaped our world into a truly global community. Today we have an unprecedented opportunity to weave a strong fabric from diverse threads and build a multiracial, multicultural and multiethnic international society.
Sadly, not everyone sees our world's diversity and interconnectedness as a blessing. As the terrorist attacks of September 11th in my country, and the devastating attack on the church at this very site, so painfully demonstrated, there are still those who place their differences above our common humanity, who prefer to demonize people who are unlike them rather than learn from one another.
By responding to a terrorist bombing with the creation of a center for reconciliation and peace, the supporters of St Ethelburga's made clear that hatred and discrimination have no place in today's world. And 'The Tent', with its aim of bringing together people of various faiths to explore their traditions and engage in meaningful dialogue, is a wonderful step toward encouraging others to embrace our diversity, respect our differences, and unite around our shared dreams and values. I think it is particularly fitting that you have chosen to focus on religion as a means to replace conflict with understanding. As it says in the Koran, Allah created nations and tribes that we might know one another, not that we might despise one another; the Hebrew Torah warns never to turn aside the stranger, for it is like turning aside the most high God; and the Christian Bible tells us that we should love our neighbors as ourselves.
With best wishes for a memorable event and for much success in your important mission.
For further information: www.london.anglican.org
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(602) 04-May-2006 - Churches Together in Britain and Ireland on behalf of CYTÛN - Wales
Churches Together in Wales: New Chief Executive for Welsh Churches
The Revd Aled Edwards is to be the new Chief Executive of CYTÛN: Churches Together in Wales. For the last seven years Revd Aled Edwards has been the CYTÛN National Assembly for Wales Liaison Officer. He is a joint honours graduate in History and Theology of the University of Wales, Lampeter, where he served as President of the College's Christian Union.
The Revd Aled Edwards trained for the Anglican ministry at Trinity College, Bristol, and was ordained in the Diocese of Bangor in 1979. For eight years (1985-93) he served as rector of a joint Anglican/Presbyterian Local Ecumenical Project on the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd before becoming Vicar of the key Welsh language parish of Eglwys Dewi Sant in the centre of Cardiff.
He brings to the post of CYTÛN Chief Executive a strong commitment to ecumenism and a public profile in Wales as a campaigner for asylum seekers and refugees. He also has a thorough knowledge of devolved Welsh politics. 'I have a deeply held conviction,' Aled says, 'that ecumenism flows from the very will of God for his church and world. I believe passionately in a Wales where people come together in a vibrant and new sense of nationhood in a society where no-one gets left behind - especially the most vulnerable and excluded.'
The Revd Aled Edwards chairs a number of voluntary bodies including the Welsh Refugee Council and Displaced People in Action. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Welsh Affairs.
He helped set up the Inter-Faith Council for Wales in 2001 and subsequently the National Assembly's Faith Communities Forum. And has also produced and taken part in a number of services and celebrations to mark national events, including the inauguration of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999, the Wales Remembers event to mark the 60th anniversary of the ending of the Second World War in 2005, and last year's UK Police Federation Memorial Service held in Saint David's Hall, Cardiff.
A regular broadcaster on Welsh and English language radio and TV, he has authored a number of works, including Transforming Power - A Christian Reflection on Welsh Devolution and co-wrote Considering Contrasts and Futures - A Faith Reflection on Devolution with Graham Blount, the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Officer. He writes weekly articles for BBC Wales' Welsh language website Cymru'r Byd.
The Revd Aled Edwards succeeds the Revd Gethin Abraham-Williams, who retires as CYTÛN Chief Executive at the end of August. Welcoming his appointment, Gethin said, 'CYTÛN is blessed to have a candidate with his background and experience, and it gives me great satisfaction to know that he will succeed me in this wonderful ministry of helping the Churches to discover what they have in common and how they can work together in mission and service in the new Wales and beyond.'
The Revd Aled Edwards is married to Marie, a speech and language therapist. They have three grown-up children: Seimon, Meleri and Steffan.
He has a passionate interest in Welsh rugby and supports the Llanelli Scarlets. His other hobbies include watching Star Trek and the hit American political show The West Wing.
Ends
Notes to Editors
Members of CYTÛN: Churches Together in Wales are: Church in Wales, Presbyterian Church of Wales, United Reformed Church, Methodist Church, Covenanted Baptist Churches of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Roman Catholic Church, the Union of Welsh Independents, the Baptist Union of Wales, the Congregational Federation, the German Speaking Lutheran Church, the Salvation Army, and the Religious Society of Friends.
Please visit www.ctbi.org.uk for further information and resources.
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(600) 02-May-2006 - Advertising campaign to challenge Da Vinci Code film - Australia
The Anglican Church in Sydney will launch a cinema advertising campaign this month aimed at challenging the claims made by the Da Vinci Code that Jesus was not God, did not die on the cross and that he married Mary Magdelene and had a family.
The cinema advert will screen on 250 screens across Sydney for 4 weeks from May 11.
'Our aim is to get people to discover the truth about Jesus. The concept for the cinema advert was to engage with the same questions raised by the Da Vinci Code, but then also raise the question of how Jesus himself might respond to these claims,' says Allan Dowthwaite, CEO of Anglican Media Sydney.
The advert promotes a website, developed by Anglican Media Sydney, called www.challengingdavinci.com which includes material written by Dr Greg Clarke, director of CASE at New College, UNSW.
Bishop Robert Forsyth, chairman of Anglican Media Sydney, says that the campaign is important because, 'When it comes to Jesus, there is a huge information void for many people'.
'Our concern is that the Da Vinci Code will mislead people about the truth,' says Bishop Forsyth. 'We are not afraid of the film. We are not seeking to discourage people from seeing it. But we are well aware of the power popular films have in filling the information void about Jesus.'
A key part of the strategy involves linking people back into local congregations. As a result, the site also encourages people to find out the truth about Christianity by visiting seminars run by local churches.
This aspect of the campaign fits within the Diocese of Sydney's goal of seeing 10 per cent of the population of Sydney Diocese in Bible-based churches by 2012.
In October 2005, at the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, money was made available to Anglican Media Sydney for evangelism through the media in order to further the Diocese's mission goals.
'In 2006 alone, Anglican Media has set aside $150,000 to spend on promoting the gospel through the popular media,' said Mr Dowthwaite. 'About a third of this money is being spent on this particular campaign.'
Quick Facts about the campaign
-It is a 20 second advert.
-250 screens in the Diocese of Sydney
-15 multiplexes in Sydney, plus Wollongong and Shellharbour (which are also in Sydney Diocese).
-4 weeks from May 11
-We have bought Val Morgan's 'movie mix' package which means it will screen before many more movies than just the Da Vinci code.
The advert was conceived and produced by Anglican Media Sydney and has a slightly tongue-in-cheek tone. The advert can be viewed online at www.challengingdavinci.com/cinema.html
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http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm?years=2006&months=5&article=6 00 &pos=#600
(599) 02-May-2006 - Diocese of Texas elects Dena Harrison as bishop suffragan - USA
The Venerable Dena Harrison, archdeacon and canon for ministry in the Diocese of Texas, was elected April 29 as the diocese's second bishop suffragan. Harrison, 59, was elected on the third ballot during the election held at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston.
She becomes the 13th woman elected as a bishop of the Episcopal Church.
She will serve with diocesan Bishop Don A. Wimberly, Bishop Suffragan Rayford B. High Jr. and Assistant Bishop John C. Buchanan.
A bishop suffragan acts as an assistant to and under the direction of the diocesan bishop, and serves as a bishop for the whole church. Harrison will oversee pastoral and congregational development for the 64 Episcopal congregations in the Austin region.
Harrison was born and raised in Texas. She received the master of divinity degree from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in 1987. She was ordained to the diaconate later that year and was made a priest in early 1988. She served three parishes in Texas before becoming canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Texas in 2000. Harrison took her present position in 2003.
The Episcopal Church's General Convention will be asked to consent to Harrison's election because it occurred within 120 days of the convention, which runs from June 13-21 in Columbus, Ohio. Her consecration is set for October 7 at Camp Allen.
To be elected, a nominee had to receive a majority of the votes in both the clergy and lay orders on the same ballot. The number constituting a majority was based on actual votes cast. Election on the third ballot required 216 lay votes and 98 clergy votes. Harrison received 222 lay votes and 133 clergy votes.
Results of the three ballots are available at http://www.epicenter.org/edot/Default.asp.
The other nominees were: the Rev. James McGill, canon missioner at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston; the Rev. Albert Rodriguez, rector of St. John's, Austin and the Rev. Frankie Rodriquez, rector of Calvary, Richmond.
Information all the nominees is available at
www.epicenter.org/edot/Bishop_Election_Nominees.asp?SnID=1547410525
Article from ENS by Mary Frances Schjonberg
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