Elaine Storkey steps down as Tearfund President; American Anglicans increasing aid to Syrian refugees as airstrikes near; Church of Nigeria to launch TV channel; Bible ‘most entertaining book’ says recovering alcoholic
Elaine Storkey steps down as Tearfund President
Dr Elaine Storkey is moving on after 16 years as President of Tearfund. The academic, theologian and preacher will stand down next month, having served in the role since 1997.
“In an era when the rich get richer, and the poor of the world face greater economic, social and ecological burdens it is more vital than ever that Christians work together for justice and sustainable development,” she said.
“Tearfund strives to be faithful to its fundamental Christian vision and to work with partners across the globe to fight poverty and transform communities.
“My years as President have brought me in close contact with amazing people, whose consistent witness to Christ’s redemptive love in the midst of hardship and disaster has made an enormous impact on my own life.
“Many of those relationships will go with me into the future, as I remain profoundly grateful for what they have taught me and for the deep privilege of serving them, through Tearfund.”
Her contribution to the organisation will be celebrated next month at a reception in the House of Commons hosted by Stephen Timms MP.
“We are very grateful to Elaine for her service to Tearfund over many years,” said Matthew Frost, Tearfund’s Chief Executive.
“Elaine has given her time and expertise generously and tirelessly, representing Tearfund both the UK and overseas and has helped us to develop a better understanding of justice, particularly in the area of gender.
“We have valued Elaine’s theological insight which has inspired many to a deeper understanding of God’s call to each one of us. Her passion to speak out against injustice has inspired many in their own journeys of faith, and there are many among our staff, supporters and our global partners who have been helped immensely by her wisdom.
“We will of course stay in touch with Elaine, and we hope and pray that she continues to inspire others and to be blessed herself by her ministry.”
A new President has not yet been appointed by Tearfund and the development agency continues to be represented publicly by its Vice-Presidents, who include former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, Alpha Course pioneer Nicky Gumbel, and Reheboth Foundation founder the Reverend Celia Apeagyei-Collins,
American Anglicans increasing aid to Syrian refugees as airstrikes near
While President Barack Obama weighs punitive airstrikes and increased military action against Syria, American Anglicans are increasing their humanitarian aid to the huge flow of Syrian refugees that have already fled to nearby countries.
White House spokespersons said today that it is no longer a question of whether the US would lead European allies in an attack on the regime of Bashar al-Assad, but only a matter of “where or when” it would occur.
Some concerned local parishes in North Carolina and Virginia from the Diocese of the Eastern United States, Anglican Province of America (APA) are already involved in a month-long campaign to collect emergency offerings to aid refugees in partnership with the Christian Aid Mission based here. Over 1.3 million refugees, 80% of which are women and children, have fled to nearby states where local indigenous churches and missions are involved in first-response aid to refugees.
Meanwhile the Most Rev Walter Grundorf, Presiding Bishop of the APA, is studying a proposal submitted to the Bishop’s Advisory Committee to make Syrian Refugees the designated cause for the 2014 Lenten Offering Campaign for Foreign Missions. The annual Lenten appeal is the primary source of funding for the global outreach of the church.
Fr. David Haines, the Vicar General of Foreign Missions for APA is continuing to study the proposal presented to the APA Annual Synod by Christian Aid Mission staff last month in Annapolis, Maryland. The proposal would increase help to indigenous missions and church organizations in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.
Fr. Glenn Spencer, rector of All Saints Anglican here in Charlottesville, says that this is the most crucial humanitarian crisis right now. His parish missions committee is already contributing to the emergency relief effort.
“We have to help in this,” he said in support of the proposal for partnership with Christian Aid, “we cannot stand by and do nothing.”
The church’s local missions committee and members of the men’s group are already collecting aid. The proposal from Christian Aid Mission asks the APA to provide grants for additional delivery vans and support for the “Tents of Peace” and “Meals for Peace” outreach programs already being supported by the mission.
Until recently, refugees have streamed across the borders into Lebanon and Jordan at a rate of from 5-6,000 a day. In both countries, refugees make up nearly a fifth of the current population. On Wednesday, reports from Israel and nearly every frontline state say that the threat of imminent American missile attacks on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad are already increasing the flow of refugees.
The International Anglican Women’s Network (IAWN)
The International Anglican Women’s Network newsletter July 2013 is now available to download, by clicking here.
http://ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/news/Commtte/ccud/IAWN/July2013.pdf
IAWN have developed a closed Facebook group. If you wish to join this group, please click on www.facebook.com/groups/IntAngWomen and click the ‘Join Group’ button.
Church of Nigeria to launch TV channel
Nigerians will soon be able to tune into programming from the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) thanks to the launch of the Church’s very own cable TV channel.
The channel has been several years in the planning. Back in December 2012 the Primate, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, told the Church’s Standing Committee that progress was being made on the TV project.
Writing for the Diocese of Amichi website, the Revd Canon Chukwuebuka Chukwuemeka said the Primate told the Standing Committee in Abuja, “The work on the studio is progressing steadily. We have made the first line of payment and the technical committee of experts has been inaugurated.
“The new vision of the Church of Nigeria, revised in 2010 stated that to expand mission work media facilites – such as cable television, radio and print media – should be established and existing ones fully utilised.”
In May of this year, the Primate announced to Synod members that there was a test transmission for ACNN TV showing on Channel 91 of MyTV.
On Tuesday a job advert appeared on the Province’s website: “The Anglican Cable Network Nigeria (ACNN TV) hereby invites applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the position of the General Manager” indicating that the launch date is now perhaps only a few months away.
The Province’s Communications Director the Ven. Foluso Taiwo told ACNS that the channel would be a tool for evangelism. “The vision is to reach the unreached. The main focus is salvation,” he said adding that the Church of Nigeria wanted to deliver the “undiluted Word of God”.
ACNN TV will be good news for Anglicans in the Province such as the Revd Uche Nwoye who, writing on the Diocese of Offa’s website, welcomed the initiative saying the Church would be “lost in space” without a television station. Without such a medium, he warned, the church would fail to reach an “already moving generation”.
Others on the same web forum were also positive about the plans, but called for careful consideration about the ongoing costs of such a project.
Bible ‘most entertaining book’ says recovering alcoholic
A Christian-based centre in London is helping people to recover from addictions, using the Bible.
The New Hanbury Centre, in Shoreditch, East London, helps recovering addicts by giving them skills including literacy, computing, cooking and gardening.

But, 18 months ago, they started holding Bible study classes too, at the request of one of the recovering alcholics.
Fifty-year-old Eddie Dunne said, ‘I asked for the Bible study class to be set up because I wanted to know what I didn’t believe. And, it was an alternative to drinking.’
Eddie drank for 27 years and considered suicide. But now he says, ‘Coming here has totally changed my life. There’s a lot for me to take in. But I think that the Bible is the most entertaining book that I have.’
Bible Society’s Head of Campaigns, Advocacy and Media, Matthew Van Duyvenbode said, ‘One of the key themes running through the Bible is transformation. The Christian Scriptures are full of stories about individuals, communities and whole societies being transformed by encountering God – sometimes in very surprising ways.
‘The New Hanbury Project and many others like it show that the Bible continues to inspire positive transformation in every area of our society.’