From netman at cpsa.org.za Tue Mar 3 21:22:08 2009 From: netman at cpsa.org.za (Netman) Date: Tue Mar 3 21:22:23 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Fw: , Thabo Makgoba, on the storms and flooding Message-ID: Statement from the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, on the storms and flooding in Soweto and in KwaZulu Natal Tuesday 3 March 2009 Archbishop Thabo Makgoba has visited scenes of flooding and death in Soweto, and sent messages of support to areas of KwaZulu Natal where storms have also caused fatalities and destruction. The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, who grew up near the Jukskei River in Alexandra, was shocked at the scale of the damage, and assured those he met of his prayers, and of the support of the Anglican Church, including financial support through its relief and social development organisation, Hope Africa. The Archbishop spoke of the need for greater sensitivity to the environment, at every level from national government to local community planning, pointing out that many factors from the disappearance of wetlands to the concentrations of urban developments can contribute to greatly increased risks of flooding, even from normal volumes of rainfall. He added that human responsibility - a God-given gift, which we must choose to use wisely - was relevant here too, and not only in the wider problem of global warming and climate change. In messages to the Bishop of Johannesburg, Brian Germond, and the Bishop of Natal, Rubin Philip, Archbishop Makgoba said: 'On behalf of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, I offer our condolences to those who have lost loved ones. They, and all who have been injured, and who have lost homes and livelihoods through these storms and flooding, are in our hearts, and in our prayers. In the days ahead, may they find comfort and strength in the promise of Jesus that he is with us always, and that nothing, not in life nor in death, can separate us from the love of God.' The Archbishop added, 'I encourage our churches and parishioners to offer what help they can - remembering the words of Jesus, that we shall all be called to give account of whether we have fed the hungry and cared for the needy.' He also called on governments and local authorities concerned to take the necessary steps in providing both immediate help and longer term resources for reconstruction, while bearing in mind issues of environmental sensitivity and sustainability. He went on to say 'The whole world must urgently recognise that this is God's creation. We have no other. It is for all of us to treat it with respect, and hold it in trust for the generations that come after us.' Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Inquiries: Cynthia Michaels on 021- 763-1320 (office hours) Note to editors - The Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which Archbishop Makgoba heads, encompasses Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, St Helena, South Africa, Swaziland and Tristan da Cunha. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/cpsa.news/attachments/20090303/d4a5bf88/attachment.html From netman at cpsa.org.za Tue Mar 3 21:24:06 2009 From: netman at cpsa.org.za (Netman) Date: Tue Mar 3 21:24:15 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Women's World Day of Prayer Message-ID: <7158CF6711DF4B5DA0166218E9EF64B5@jenkins> Women's World Day of Prayer 'In Christ There Are Many Members Yet One Body' On Friday 6 March over 3 million people worldwide will be praying and worshipping together during an annual day of prayer, using a service prepared by Christian Women in Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is a land of many ethnic groups and over 800 distinct languages of which more than half are unrelated. As a result, there is great cultural diversity, yet the women of Papua New Guinea have emphasised the oneness there is in Christ. In spite of gender inequality, women in Papua New Guinea are beginning to take their place in professions previously closed to them. There are now women who are pilots, engineers, doctors, lawyers, judges, lecturers and also officers in the military forces. In this way, they make a very positive contribution to their nation. Further information and resources can be found on the Women's World Day of Prayer website at www.wwdp-natcomm.org. The symbol chosen for this year's Women's World Day of Prayer comprises the Cross and a bilum. Bilums are hand-woven string bags, which are widely used among Papua New Guinean societies. They are very strong and used to carry everything from food to a baby (who can see out through the holes in the bag!). Sometimes a bilum is suspended on the branch of a tree and becomes a cradle for a sleeping baby. Men also use bilums to carry heavy loads. Where cultures are so diverse, this simple string bag is common to many. By placing the bilum on the cross in this symbol, the women of PNG seek a unity where they are not merely held together as though they were gathered into a string bag. They seek a vibrant unity where love is genuine, and where the many, many communities of Papua New Guinea are of one heart and soul. "In Papua New Guinea we are many and we are diverse. Our 800 languages represent as many cultures and traditions. Our rugged landscape can isolate us from one another but the love of God empowers us to embrace one another and to embrace you, our brothers and sisters around the world." Loving and merciful God, God of oneness and unity, though we have different cultures, languages, colours and traditions, we are one in your Spirit. Thank you for opening our inner hearts to see the Lord Jesus Christ as the one who has united us. Though we are many members, in Christ we are one body. Let us go forth, empowered to make a difference so that people around the world will see and feel the oneness of Christ in this broken world, and be compelled to draw closer to God. May the source of oneness and unity bind us together with his endless love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (from the WWDP order of service written by Christian women from Papua New Guinea) ___________________________________________________________________ Anglican Communion News Service, London, From netman at cpsa.org.za Tue Mar 3 21:27:58 2009 From: netman at cpsa.org.za (Netman) Date: Tue Mar 3 21:28:09 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Anglican Women Theological Educators meet Message-ID: <431BA035F6CF4138A0C82136FF2FB42A@jenkins> Anglican Women Theological Educators meet in Canterbury, England 'It is an injustice to deprive women of the possibility of theological education.' Meeting at the International Study Centre, Canterbury, England, 23 February - 2 March 2009, as a group of about 35 Anglican women theological educators, we received the challenge that our task was to help 'change the world'. Mindful of the comment of Max Warren that, 'It takes the whole world to know the whole Gospel', we affirm that it is essential that women's theological perspectives are explored and shared as part of our commitment to proclaim 'the whole Gospel'. Women were present from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America and Zambia. From peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za Thu Mar 5 14:41:28 2009 From: peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za (Gail Allen) Date: Thu Mar 5 14:42:09 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] To the Laos.doc Message-ID: <9CF667DCE6C20E47B9A4A9DFE93DAED24236E092A0@HMC-MBX04.he.businessgateway.co.za> Hereunder please find the Archbishop's March 2009 To the Laos. Sent by: Gail E Allen (Mrs) Provincial Executive Administrator Provincial Executive Office Anglican Church of Southern Africa 20 Bishopscourt Drive BISHOPSCOURT 7708 Western Cape Fax: 021 797 1329 Switchboard: 086 100 1171 ext 1328 International: 021 763 1300 ext 1328 e-mail: peoadmin@anglicanchurchsa.org.za web: www.anglicanchurchsa.org Archbishop Thabo Makgoba To the People of God - To the Laos March 2009 Dear People of God In my last letter, I promised to share reflections on the February meeting of the Anglican Primates (the leaders of our 38 churches around the world). It was remarkable coming together in Alexandria, a cradle of African Christianity enjoying a tremendously rich Christian heritage though today it lies in a Muslim country. While there we participated in the dedication of St Mark's, the Anglican Pro-Cathedral. In his sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury reminded us of the need to see Christ in one another, recognising that Christ alone is the foundation of our building and our work, the one who prays in and through us. By the grace of God, and encouraged by this message, we found we were able to be very frank together about our continuing disagreements over human sexuality, and about the way we handle those disagreements. We prayed, worshipped God, and studied Scripture together, seeking to be faithful to the call of God in Christ, and to discern the Holy Spirit's leading. We felt that at heart we shared a common concern for the Anglican Communion and a strong desire to see it flourish and remain united. I offered our experiences of holding on to one another in continuing fellowship through all the pains of Southern Africa's past, as an example of hope and encouragement in our current traumatic divisions. (The Synod of Bishops reaffirmed this message later in February. I hope you have seen the Pastoral Letter which we issued to record our meeting. If not, it is online at www.anglicanchurchsa.org.za. Please pray for Dean David Bannerman as he prepares to be consecrated Bishop of the Highveld.) At the Primates meeting, we found a fresh spirit of open, respectful dialogue, engaging at a new and deeper level, and we unanimously agreed that our Communiqu? should be entitled 'Deeper Communion: Gracious Restraint'. We approved various measures for going forward, including professionally mediated conversations to try to heal our most painful divisions. We also affirmed the continuing development of an Anglican Covenant through which we can better express our mutual commitment to the 'bonds of affection' between us. To sum up - our differences remain, and are serious, but we are determined to tackle them together as far as we can. We also discussed many other issues that concern the life of Anglicans within our world, among them the situations in Sudan and Gaza, coordination of Anglican relief and development bodies, and the importance of good theological education that helps us live faithfully to the gospel in our many different cultures and circumstances. But at the top of the agenda was Zimbabwe. We issued a strong statement in support of the people and churches there, and urged President Robert Mugabe to respect the outcome of the elections of 2008 and to step down. We called for the implementation of the rule of law and the restoration of democratic processes. We decided a special Representative should travel to Zimbabwe to exercise a ministry of presence and show solidarity. We also proposed various ways of engaging politically with SADC and the African Union. The world-wide Anglican Communion joined our Province in observing Ash Wednesday as a special day of prayer for Zimbabwe. Thank you for sharing in this. The Archbishop of Canterbury has also launched a worldwide appeal to facilitate aid for Zimbabwe. As I said in Alexandria at the time, 'If we don't intervene we will be failing God in terms of "when I was hungry you fed me and when I was poor you cared for my needs".' (See Mt 25:31-46.) These verses from Matthew's gospel were also in my heart when I visited the scenes of fatal flooding in Soweto, and met some of those whose lives had been turned upside down. Flooding has also caused deaths in KwaZulu Natal - and who knows what other disasters may occur before this reaches you. As I said in my messages of support to the Bishops of the affected areas, those who can give practical assistance must do so in response to Jesus' command; and all of us must pray. We must also take responsibility - as democracy invites us to do - to hold our governments to account in pursuing policies that are environmentally sensitive, and which do not exacerbate the effects of bad weather (for example, through the draining of wetlands, or allowing inadequate urban development); as well as on wider issues of preventing global warming. God gives us the gift of free will in choosing how we treat our world. We must do so wisely, and hold it in trust for the generations that will come after us. Here in South Africa, we pray for 'gracious restraint' as we approach April's General Election. Across the country, encouraged by civil society groups in which the churches play a leading role, political parties are signing codes of conduct: a promise of respectful behaviour towards one another, in word and action. I hope that Anglicans in South Africa will do what you can to help promote political tolerance and a better understanding of democracy. And may the whole Province join in praying that these elections will be free, fair and peaceful; and that we will elect true and honest individuals, who will dedicate their lives in the service of everyone who lives in this land. We pray also for Mozambique, which is preparing for elections later this year. 'Deeper Communion: Gracious Restraint' would also be a good slogan for our Lent and Easter observances! Through 'restraint' - stepping back from distractions and complications into a simpler way of being - we can make more space for God in our lives. Penitence and fasting (from anything from food to television!) can help us recognise with greater honesty, and with greater discontentment, how bad it is for us to live without God. For then we have a greater appreciation of, and desire for, how good it is to live with God! And in this way we can be drawn into deeper Communion with him. So may I encourage you to 'press on' towards Easter, 'with eager faith and love'. I pray that you may all be caught up more fully into God's love for us, shown in Christ's self-giving on the cross for the sin of the world, as we look forward to celebrating the joy of his resurrection and triumph over evil and death. Yours in the service of Christ, +Thabo Cape Town -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/cpsa.news/attachments/20090305/00234e4e/attachment.html From peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za Thu Mar 19 14:21:56 2009 From: peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za (Gail Allen) Date: Thu Mar 19 16:24:33 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Call to prayer for ACSA - Communion re situation in Madagascar Message-ID: <9CF667DCE6C20E47B9A4A9DFE93DAED2423C396E95@HMC-MBX04.he.businessgateway.co.za> Below is a copy of a press release made by the Archbishop. Gail E Allen (Mrs) Provincial Executive Administrator Provincial Executive Office Anglican Church of Southern Africa 20 Bishopscourt Drive BISHOPSCOURT 7708 Western Cape Fax: 021 797 1329 Switchboard: 086 100 1171 ext 1328 International: 021 763 1300 ext 1328 e-mail: peoadmin@anglicanchurchsa.org.za web: www.anglicanchurchsa.org A Call to Prayer for Madagascar In response to a call issued by Archbishop Ian Ernest of the Indian Ocean, I appeal to all members of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa to hold the people of Madagascar in their prayers in the coming days and weeks. Archbishop Ernest has told the Communion that after weeks of opposition protests and turmoil - in which more than 135 people were killed - the Malagasy army on Monday threw its weight behind the opposition leader, Andry Rajoelina, and stormed a presidential palace in the heart of the capital, Antananarivo. The army also seized the central bank. After Archbishop Ernest sent his appeal for prayer, the President of Madagascar resigned and tried to hand power to a military directorate. But the generals - many of whose troops have declared their support for the opposition - simply handed power to Mr Rajoelina. These developments have led the chairperson of the Southern African Development Community, President Kgalema Motlanthe of South Africa, to declare the opposition's actions as unconstitutional. The African Union's Peace and Security Council has demanded that the authorities in Madagascar adhere scrupulously to the constitution. In a decision not yet explained, Madagascar's constitutional court has apparently ratified this power-grab. We pray for those who have died and their families and for those who have been injured, we condemn the killings and we affirm the need for those on all sides in Madagascar to respect life as given by God. We also pray that democratic governance in accordance with the protocols of SADC and the African Union will be promoted and upheld throughout the region and the continent. The return to African politics of coups d'etat, assassinations and seizures of power - such as those we have seen in Mauritania, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and now Madagascar - is deeply alarming. This should not be happening in 21st century Africa. Yours in the service of Christ + Thabo Cape Town -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://lists.sn.apc.org/pipermail/cpsa.news/attachments/20090319/49983e4c/attachment.htm From peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za Tue Mar 24 15:10:35 2009 From: peoadmin at anglicanchurchsa.org.za (Gail Allen) Date: Tue Mar 24 15:10:58 2009 Subject: [Cpsa.news] Archbishop's Statement on Flooding in Namibia and Angola Message-ID: <9CF667DCE6C20E47B9A4A9DFE93DAED2423C852888@HMC-MBX04.he.businessgateway.co.za> The Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba, speaks on flooding in Namibia and Angola, in advance of the London G20 Summit Tuesday 24 March 2009 'Continuing exaggerated weather patterns across Southern Africa are a further illustration of the urgent need to tackle global warming' Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said on Tuesday, calling for swift and decisive global action on climate change. Speaking in the week before the G20 summit, the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town said 'We have had enough of talking. The international community cannot continue to prevaricate while countries like ours are increasingly suffering inestimable human cost, in deaths, displacement, and the destruction of livelihoods. Northern Namibia is experiencing the worst flooding in decades, as is Southern Angola. This year has already seen serious storms, flooding and loss of life in Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa, as well as in Mozambique, where we are told we should expect further flooding, while other parts of the country suffer extensive drought.' In a message to Bishops Andre Soares of Angola and Nathaniel Nakwatumbah of Namibia, Archbishop Makgoba said 'On behalf of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, I offer condolences to those who have lost loved ones. We assure them, and all who have been injured, or suffered loss through these floods, of our love and prayers.' He called on churches to give what support they could, in prayer, and in practical help, to those who had been affected. The Archbishop added, 'I am reminded of the Biblical story of Noah and his ark. After the flood subsided, God made a covenant with all creation, promising never to destroy it again - a covenant based on the sanctity of life, the integrity of the created world, and the dignity of difference. Yet a covenant requires two parties, and it is for us, humanity, to play our part also in preserving human life, and protecting our environment, through differentiated approaches that allow each nation to pursue healthy and sustainable living for all its people.' Referring to the global credit crunch, Archbishop Makgoba said 'The time has come for all of us to take stock. We can use the current crisis as an opportunity to create new international economic and environmental systems that overcome the injustices of the past, and promote best practices that will benefit not only the richest and most powerful, but also those in greatest need. And while we call on those who will meet in London next week to play their part, each one of us must to what we can to preserve our planet, and support those who are suffering hardship.' Issued by the Office of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town Inquiries: Cynthia Michaels on 021- 763-1320 (office hours)