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> The Standing Committee Daily Bulletin - Day 3

Posted On : July 28, 2010 7:19 PM | Posted By : Webmaster
ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2010/7/28/ACNS4718
Related Categories: ACC  ACC - SCAC  ACO

> Day 3 of 4: Monday 26 June, 2010

> In brief

* Call for Anglicans involved with evangelism and church growth to share
their successes.
* Anglican relief and development alliance all about "sharing
experience, knowledge and best practice".
* More than 80 Anglican Communion women attend UN meeting in New York.

> Evangelism and Church Growth Initiative

Building on the report to the Standing Committee, ACO staff Stuart
Buchanan and Revd John Kafwanka presented on the ACC and Lambeth
Conference-mandated project the Evangelism and Church Growth Initiative
(ECGI). The initiative aims to promote evangelism and church growth work
throughout the Communion and to facilitate the sharing of news, stories
experiences and strategies of various evangelism and church growth
initiatives.

They explained that this is not a mission commission or a network, but
something that is quite different for example focusing on equipping
churches to reach the unreached. Mr Buchanan said Anglicans who register
with the Initiative receive the regular newsletter in which they would
find stories of impactful evangelism and church growth activities.

> Anglican Relief and Development Alliance

Revd John Kafwanka reported that the Alliance had progressed in two key
areas since the last report to the Standing Committee: 1) the public
consultation that had concluded in February that sought opinions and
information from individuals, provinces, dioceses and
mission/development agencies and 2) the fact that significant funding
had been secured that would help support the core activities of the
Alliance for at least the initial three years.

He then gave a review of the recent Alliance consultation meeting at
Lambeth Palace, postponed from April, that saw delegates visiting from
countries including Melanesia, the Philippines, Australia, North India,
Uruguay, the USA, the DRC and South Africa. The purpose of the
consultation was to review the responses from the public consultation
and plan together and agree on the shape of structures and membership,
and look at priority areas and action points to be taken forward for
short and long term and how these might differ from region to region.

After feedback from the Committee, Mr Kafwanka stressed that the
Alliance was meant to be a forum and opportunity to learn from one
another and from other's experience. "It is about sharing experience,
knowledge and best practice," said Mr Kafwanka. "It is about seeing gaps
and then building capacity where it's lacking to allow Anglicans to be
much more effective in what they do."

> Networks

Presenting on the work of the Networks, Revd Terrie Robinson said some
significant challenges facing them included funding, communications, and
promoting the work that they do. However, the Standing Committee also
heard about the many good things the Networks had achieved in particular
the Anglican Health Network's fundraising efforts that have enabled it
to hire a full time co-ordinator. It also came in for praise for its
soon to be launched health micro-insurance programme that will pilot in
Tanzania.

In March this year the Anglican Peace and Justice Network marked its
25th anniversary in Geneva; the International Anglican Family Network
continues to produce its celebrated newsletters showcasing work from
around the Communion-most recently on the issue of trafficking. The
International Anglican Women's Network was heavily involved with the
United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women and more than 80 women
from across the Communion attended the meeting in New York. More
information about the Networks can be found on the ACO website
(http://www.anglicancommunion.org/networks/index.cfm)

> Network for Interfaith Concerns

Mrs Clare Amos, Director of Theological Studies and Co-ordinator of
NIFCON, was joined by the Revd Canon Guy Wilkinson, National Inter Faith
Relations Adviser for the Church of England and Secretary for Inter
Faith Relations to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Revd Rana Khan,
Administrator for Inter Religious Dialogue.

Mrs Amos gave a presentation on Christian Zionism as an introduction to
a Standing Committee-mandated report on the subject due to be presented
the next ACC. She then shared a first draft of set of principles of
advocacy for the NIFCON group to better enable the Network to speak out
on behalf of those suffering persecution.

> Department for Unity, Faith and Order

The Director of Unity, Faith and Order, the Revd Canon Alyson
Barnett-Cowan presented her report to the Standing Committee. The
IASCUFO group working on the Instruments of Communion hoped to have a
discussion paper ready for the next meeting of IASCUFO.

> Progress of the Covenant

Canon Barnett-Cowan reported that the Anglican Church of Mexico was the
first Province to adopt the Covenant. Other Provinces had reported on
the process they had adopted and there was much appreciation for the
depth of seriousness with which the Covenant was being considered.

There was a further discussion about the role of the Standing Committee
with respect to the Covenant which noted that the decision-making bodies
with respect to the Covenant were the Instruments of the Communion.

> Legal advice on the Covenant

Following a request from the Province of Aotearoa, New Zealand &
Polynesia the Committee received legal advice from the ACC's legal
adviser Revd Canon John Rees on the scope of Clause 4.2.8 of the
Covenant and then requested that it be sent to the General Secretary of
The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia.

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