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Anglican Communion Consultation on Evangelism and Church Growth

Posted On : February 18, 2009 4:23 PM | Posted By : Webmaster
ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/2/18/ACNS4579
Related Categories: ACO - Mission

As a follow up on the aspirations and desire of the Bishops at the 2008
Lambeth Conference "to develop a worldwide vision and strategy of church
planting, growth and mission",[1] taken forward by the Joint Standing
Committee of the ACC and the Primates,[2] the Secretary General of the
Anglican Communion, The Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon, invited a small but
diverse group of people involved in evangelistic and church growth
ministry, from around the Communion to a consultation to take forward
the recommendation of setting up an Evangelism and Church Growth
Network.

The group met at St Andrew's House (London) on 10-11 February 2009, and
began their meeting with sharing their personal experiences of the ways
in which they have been involved in the ministry of evangelism and
Church growth.

By the end of a two-day engaging meeting the group had a common mind on
the following:

Aim and Purpose:

That in commitment to holistic mission reflected within the five marks
of mission,[3] a 'network' was necessary to enhance collaborative work
and mutual support by establishing an 'Evangelism and Church Growth
Initiative (ECGI)' with the PURPOSE of promoting evangelism and Church
growth in parishes, dioceses and provinces of the Anglican Communion, in
order to bring people to Christ as Lord and Saviour and that they might
become life long disciples within the community of God's people.

That this aim and purpose will be achieved by:

* Facilitating prayer and mutual encouragement
* Developing strategies to reach unreached peoples
* Recommending resources & sharing good practice
* Encouraging training in E&CG for the whole people of God
* Sharing stories, news and strategies
* Identifying key issues for specific consultation
* Building links with other E&CG networks within and beyond the Anglican
Communion

Way Forward:

A report from this meeting will be presented to the ACC-14 in May 2009
for Communion wide ownership and formalisation of the initiative.

It was also agreed that a biblical and theological basis for Evangelism
and Church Growth should be developed and shared widely within the
Communion.

> Ends

For further information on Evangelism and Church Growth Initiative,
please contact the Mission Desk at the Anglican Communion Office
(john.kafwanka@anglicancommunion.org)

> Footnotes:

1. "We acknowledge the growth of the Church in areas of the southern
hemisphere and the many fresh expressions of church in the whole
Communion. At the same time we are called as a Communion to develop a
worldwide vision and strategy of church planting, growth, and mission.
While we encourage these strategies we must be conscious of those
diocese and provinces which are yet to achieve self-sufficiency and
respond in appropriate ways to address the areas of need."P.13 and
paragraph 42 (Programmatic concerns)of 'Lambeth Indaba'.

2. RESOLUTION 2: MISSION DESK AT THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION OFFICE THAT the
Joint Standing Committee of the Primates of the Anglican Communion and
the Anglican consultative Council...encourage the Secretary General to
proceed with the setting up of an Evangelism and Church Growth Network.

3. The Five Marks of Mission are: To Proclaim the Good News of the
Kingdom; To Teach, baptise and nurture new believers; To respond to
human need by loving service; To seek to transform unjust structures of
society; & To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain
and renew the life of the earth.

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