“We are asking the question, ‘In light of who we are as a mission-based organization reaching out to the unchurched and the de-churched, how does that affect how we worship?’” Andy says. “All around the Mission, people are doing wonderfully creative things already, but often we aren’t aware of what each other is doing. My goal is to invigorate the conversation.”

Andy has strategically invited pastors and church leaders into the mix to share a united vision with their worship team and together map a path for Anglican worship in the next chapter of theAM.

“Often when considering attending a conference, pastors can think, ‘I won’t get much from doing that; I’m too tired,’” Andy says. “But I want to encourage everybody that it’s not so much what you take away but what you will bring by your presence, ideas and being part of the conversation that will inspire other people. I want pastors to understand that their input is so important to this.”

The theme “Preparing for Growth” sets an encouraging mindset for the future and provides a chance to learn from those in the trenches who are modeling growth. The 2012 Winter Conference Worship Band will lead attendees in refreshing times of worship. Along with Andy, a distinguished lineup of conference speakers includes the Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin, the Rev. Kris McDaniel, the Rt. Rev. T J Johnston and the Rev. Dr. Canon Ashley Null. In addition, more than 10 workshops will offer a wealth of practical insights to use in worship settings back home.

Andy believes each attendee will leave the conference invigorated and eager to continue learning from and growing with each other.

“We’re in an exciting place, ready to move into the next stage as theAM,” he says. “Attendees will be hugely encouraged as they realize they are part of a wider community, and it’s not ‘Here’s how I do it,’ or ‘You should do it like that,’ but ‘Here are people who are making the most of worship settings in their mission work, and how can we move ahead together in this?’”

Conference Details

Register here.

Date: February 16-18. The conference begins at 6:00 pm on Thursday, Feb 16, and ends midday on Saturday the 18 to allow delegates time to return home for Sunday.

Place: St. Peter's Church, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Cost: $150 per person or $200 for a Pastor and their Worship Leader.

Website: WorshipforMission.com

Twitter: @worship4mission

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Introduction

Nearly 700 laity, clergy, bishops, archbishops and guests gathered at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston, Texas, January 11-14, 2012, for worship, prayer, Bible study, teaching and fellowship. We were challenged and encouraged by a range of presentations from inside and outside the Anglican Mission and affirmed our commitment to evangelism through church planting. We came with an expectation for the Holy Spirit to be present and move among us, and we rejoice in His anointing our time together.

While we celebrated with joy our life and mission, we also acknowledged the difficult, and painful events we have experienced as a Mission over the last few months. We spent a significant amount of time together seeking God’s heart and acknowledging the pain of broken relationships. This led to frank and open discussions among bishops, clergy and laity – we shared our hearts and listened to one another’s concerns.

We give thanks for the presence, leadership, spiritual oversight and godly wisdom of our founding Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini, Moses Tay and Yong Ping Chung.

Reconciliation

1. Our bishops expressed their sorrow about the regrettable circumstances that have caused a tear in relationships we have long held dear in Rwanda. They are also grieved by the resulting confusion and pain this has produced for many in our local churches as well as its affect on their mission and ministry.

2. We remain committed to diligently pursue reconciliation with both our brothers and sisters in Rwanda and those who served with us in this Mission. Therefore, we are thankful for the recent meeting in Kenya convened by the Most Reverend Dr. Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council. We welcome his continued involvement in this process.

3. In humility, we seek unity in Christ Jesus with our brothers and sisters in North America. It is our intention to bless those who feel called to walk a different path in this time of transition.

Celebration

4. We celebrate God’s vision and the manner in which he has provided for 12 years of fruitful ministry as we have planted churches throughout North America.

5. Our messages, workshops and mission video underscored the transformed lives and communities that are the fruit of the ministry of our congregations.

6. We rejoice that through worship and prayer the Holy Spirit reconfirmed in the hearts of many the call to mission and released others into new areas of service and gifting.

7. We renewed our commitment to that which has laid hold of us and shapes us – a Kingdom mission within our valued Anglican heritage.

Direction for the Future

8. Our bishops will prayerfully and diligently seek appropriate Anglican jurisdictional connections.

9. We acknowledge with appreciation the greeting from the Most Rev. Robert Duncan, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), by his representative, the Rev. Canon Jack Lumanog.

10. We are committed to faithfully walking through a discernment process as we explore the specifics of forming an emerging missionary society.

11. Our bishops continue to provide episcopal oversight and care for our clergy and congregations. As they have expressed, we enjoy a deep love, pastoral connection and commitment to mission together.

12. We are thankful that our leaders have committed to healthy internal communication and support their decision not to respond to negative characterizations in the media.

Closing

We urge our clergy and laity to pray and fast for the Anglican Mission as we seek to hear God’s voice and obey His will. We commit to walk forward together in fruitful ministry with great anticipation and expectation.

The Anglican Mission has freely and without compulsion given 10% of the revenue it receives from parish tithes to the support of the Province of Rwanda as part of its 10%-10%-10% principal of giving. In addition, other gifts have been given to the Province of Southeast Asia as well as other global Anglican movements like GAFCON, ACNA, CAPA and Global South Encounters. (see Tithe Gifts to Rwanda chart*)

The method of giving the tithe to Rwanda has always been done in consultation with the Archbishop of Rwanda. Gifts were directed in three ways: (see Anglican Mission Tithe Gifts 2004-2010 chart) 1) a portion of the moneys were sent directly to the Province of Rwanda, 2) Travel related expense for the Province and its leaders were paid directly by the Anglican Mission, as agreed to by the Archbishop, and therefore did not go to Provincial Accounts, 3) Designated support as part of the tithe was paid for or given by the Anglican Mission to assist in cases of special need. (see Designated Support as Part of the Rwandan Tithe chart)

Questions have been posed concerning roughly $1,200,000 that was given by the Anglican Mission but did not go into the Provincial accounts. As addressed above, approximately $800,000 was part of the tithe that paid expenses for the Province directly from the Anglican Mission or was designated to another need.

The remaining $460,000 was a designated gift given to the Anglican Mission for special projects in Rwanda. The donor gave Anglican Mission complete discretion to use this money in support of Rwanda in whatever way it saw fit. In consultation with the Archbishop, these funds went to support items like PEAR Theological College, the Provincial Convention, Diocesan support and the purchase of a provincial vehicle. These were not a part of the Anglican Mission’s tithe to Rwanda and were given over and above the tithe.

*These PDF's may take a moment to load.

As you may know, on December 5, in response to unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances, the Anglican Mission in the Americas withdrew from the pastoral oversight of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. In addition, Bishop Chuck Murphy resigned as Primatial Vicar and Bishops Murphy, Sandy Greene, Todd Hunter, TJ Johnston, Philip Jones, Doc Loomis, John Miller and Silas Ng, as well as retired Bishop John Rodgers, resigned from the House of Bishops of Rwanda.

During this interim period, the Anglican Mission is under the oversight of our founding Archbishops Emmanuel Kolini, Moses Tay and Yong Ping Chung until we have a new provincial home within the Anglican Communion. Bishop Murphy is meeting with these overseeing archbishops in London next week to discuss options for the best way forward.

While these events came as a significant surprise to all of us, and circumstances beyond our control have necessitated rapid decisions and actions, we are very encouraged about our future in the Anglican Mission and see a powerful missional opportunity to move toward formation of a missionary society. Since we highly value continuity, this is a logical, consistent progression of what God has been doing in and through the Anglican Mission since 2000. The missionary society concept provides the appropriate structure for us to be...a mission, nothing more, nothing less and in many ways represents "a long obedience in the same direction."

We ask and encourage you to pray for our brothers and sisters in Rwanda, offering thanksgiving and praise to God for the way they, and the Province of S.E. Asia, once took us in as "spiritual refugees." The Anglican Mission will be forever grateful for our partnership in the Gospel with Rwanda and for providing a spiritual home for us.

Look for more information in special video messages tomorrow.

From Some of Our Archbishops and Bishops:

"I do believe the Spirit is leading you. I therefore accept your request to be on the team for the apostolic oversight...I thank God to serve Him with people who are ready to pay any cost for the sake of the gospel. Take heart and be courageous, the victory is HIS. He has the Master plan." Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini

"The birth and the growth of AMIA up to this point has been God's way of showing His gracious favour upon our obedience. We have been faithful in the last season. He has now called us to enter into a new season and to make plans for a more permanent mission structure that will take us onward to the next season." Archbishop Yong Ping Chung

"The Mission will emerge from these struggles stronger and better prepared for the next 50 years." Bishop Doc Loomis

"I think our partnership with Rwanda was a one between godly leaders who arose from within a specific and unrepeatable set of circumstances and with a very specific mission: planting churches and engaging in evangelism. Archbishop Kolini once told me that he envisioned taking us in like foster children until we could grow up and find our adult place in the church." Bishop Todd Hunter

"I have had a long relationship with Chuck Murphy and have grown to appreciate the way he leads with vision, clarity, passion and wisdom. I still do. At this moment of transition, I trust his vision and desire to become a missionary society. We have grown up as a mission under his leadership. This moment calls for bold, thoughtful action and +Chuck is giving that." Bishop Philip Jones

Read Bishop Murphy's personal letter* to Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje in which he outlines a chain of events over the last six months clarifying issues that have been aired in the media recently. Read the joint letter of resignation from Anglican Mission bishops here*.

Read other pertinent documents here*.

*The letters are PDF's and may take a moment to load.

We have extended the deadline for Early Bird registration to December 5.

WINTER CONFERENCE 2012
January 11-14
Houston, Texas

Leaders believe this new platform for ministry will help them fulfill their response to the Great Commission, as well as provide increased seating capac­ity and day-to-day control over facilities. They also believe the construction of their own sacred space will facilitate mu­tual encouragement toward faith and obedience.

Learn more at Apostles Columbia.

Click here for a free download.

Learn more at Annie Lawrence Music.

Passages: How Reading the Bible in a Year Will Change Everything for You

By the Rev. Brian Hardin
December 2011

The founder of the immensely popular Daily Audio Bible, Brian Hardin shows readers how reading through the Bible in a year will change their life and the lives of others. Passages shows readers how to read the Bible and offers practical ideas for immersing themselves in God’s life-giving words. Here readers will discover that reading the Bible can be a breathtaking adventure.

Learn more here.

Be a Blessing: A Guide to Safe and Sane Pastoral Care

By the Rev. Sherry Adams

Ever wish you knew more about personalities or had taken additional classes in Pastoral Care to deal with the myriad personal problems brought to you on a daily basis? This book is meant to help! Written by a licensed psychologist and minister with over twenty years experience in counseling, this resource contains practical tips on how to recognize what you are in fact dealing with, and then what to do to be of significant help.

Learn more here.

The Christology of the Family

By the Rev. Dr. Michael Lessard

This book is about learning to care for one another as Christ cares for us. The family has been affected by our culture of entertainment and immediacy and lost sight of its primary purpose—to care for one another as the Good Shepherd cares for His sheep. The Christian family needs to reclaim the heart of the Gospel and create new disciples, not just church members. All disciples are to be caregivers, whether at home with family, at work, or in the Church.

Learn more here.

November 3, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A Statement from the Anglican Mission in the Americas
Correcting Erroneous and "Anglican Unscripted" Video Information

The Anglican Mission leadership was deeply disturbed and disappointed by the November 3, 2011 edition of “Anglican Unscripted” presented by Mr. Kevin Kallsen and the Rev. George Conger. A portion of their broadcast made false and potentially damaging assertions about the Anglican Mission that must be addressed:

On Tuesday, October 25, Mr. Conger made a call to Cynthia Brust, our Director of Communications, requesting confirmation of a “source’s” claim that the Anglican Mission Council of Bishops met the week before and decided to break their relationship with the Anglican Province of Rwanda. He was told that the information was not correct and that the source was misinformed. He followed up with an email dated October 31, indicating it was a “query” from the Church of England Newspaper. It read in part: “What I have been told is that the Anglican Mission is exploring pulling out from the oversight of the Church of Rwanda. It will either find a new sponsor from among the GS primates, or ask Archbishop Kolini to be its sponsor. The reason for this move, I am told, is friction over the decision of the Rwandans not to approve some episcopal appointments proposed by the Anglican Mission.” We responded to that email early yesterday afternoon (November 2) making it very clear that Mr. Conger’s source or sources were ill informed and clearly stating the Anglican Mission’s and Rwanda’s mutual desire to remain connected. Here is a portion of that email:

I appreciate your inquiry but do want to reiterate what I said on the phone. Based on the details you have outlined in your email, your source(s) is (are) ill informed.

The Anglican Mission has been in conversations for some months internally and with Rwanda leadership about shaping the best structure to both express and facilitate our consistent vision to be “a mission, nothing more and nothing less.” All of the concepts discussed, including the creation of a defined “society for apostolic work,” or “Missionary Society,” include an expectation that we will remain connected to Rwanda, and theAM leaders are working collaboratively, as always, with Rwandan leaders. These conversations with leadership on both sides of the Atlantic remain ongoing, and it is important to note that no decisions have been made – we are in a process of conversations only, and frankly any public discussion is premature at best.

Regrettably, Mr. Conger, who did not give a deadline, express any sense of urgency regarding a response, or indicate his plans to air this story at all on “Anglican Unscripted,” chose to air the video yesterday, which has now been widely distributed, without confirmation from the Anglican Mission and with unnamed sources that can only be considered as propagating unfounded rumors. Mr. Conger apparently disregarded an official Anglican Mission response refuting the erroneous information, and Mr. Kallsen made no effort to contact us in order to corroborate unsubstantiated rumors. We find these facts and the manner in which “Anglican Unscripted” representatives handled this situation unconscionable.

Below are specific corrections of the false and confusing details aired in the video:

1. Bishop Chuck Murphy enjoys a positive, honest, open and collaborative relationship with Archbishop Onesphore Rwaje and the House of Bishops of Rwanda. As was communicated to Mr. Conger, discussions about the possibility of formalizing what has long been the stated vision of theAM’s functioning as a missionary society, is simply that – a possibility being discussed that represents a consistent trajectory. Remaining connected to Rwanda remains a high value in these conversations, and we have no reason to believe this would change. Mr. Kallsen’s and Mr. Conger’s claims otherwise are untrue. Tied to this issue, the suggestion that the Anglican Mission does not intend to remain a part of the Anglican Communion is false.
2. There has not been “friction” or “discord” about appointing bishops for the Anglican Mission. A planned discussion of the possibility of new bishops at the Rwanda House of Bishops meeting in June was not brought forward simply because the two-day meeting had to be reduced to one-day due to a funeral. The very full agenda did not allow for a conversation about new bishops.
3. Bishop Murphy has in no way changed his personal position on women’s ordination to the priesthood, but the Anglican Mission in the Americas has made room for two integrities and two positions on this issue for two reasons: the Province of Rwanda does ordain women to the presbyterate, and the Anglican Communion is in a period of reception. There is no general acceptance of women’s ordination in the Anglican Mission, but we have chosen to live in the tension of two theological positions out of mutual respect. This policy is clearly explained on our website. No bishops or priests in the Anglican Mission have been asked to violate or change their convictions or theological positions. Despite what Mr. Conger indicated in the video, this is the exact position of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA); the only distinction is that ACNA is structured in geographic dioceses, and the Anglican Mission embraces a primarily affinity-based network model.
4. No bishops have expressed to Bishop Murphy any intention of leaving the Anglican Mission.
5. When Canon David Roseberry and Christ Church Plano chose to affiliate with the Anglican Church in North America, he never communicated that this decision was based on the issue of women’s ordination.

We want to reiterate that Anglican Mission leadership has been considering a proposal centering on formalizing a missionary society, discussing this proposal widely in an ordered and sequential way. Because internal conversations with the Anglican Mission leadership and with Rwanda are ongoing as we seek to discern the will of God and the right way forward through wise counsel and prayer, we cannot state categorically what will happen, but we can with confidence and transparency refute false assertions.

In a time when the Anglican expression of faith faces a high degree of turmoil, such false, uncorroborated “reporting” is irresponsible at best. The “Anglican Unscripted” video has understandably caused great confusion and some angst among our own clergy and laity as well as throughout the wider Anglican network represented by a number of websites and blogs. We are left to wonder what prompted such a deliberate dissemination of inaccuracies and believe it is incumbent upon Mr. Conger and Mr. Kallsen to issue a retraction.

The work and the relationship between the AMiA and the Province of Rwanda remains solid and cherished, as we discuss and explore together the future shape of our life and our work in the mission from the Lord which we share on two continents. As always, we ask for your prayers and support as we continue to seek the best way forward together in growing the Lord’s Kingdom on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Most Rev. Onesphore Rwaje
Archbishop and Primate
Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda

The Rt. Rev. Charles H. Murphy, III
Primatial Vicar and Chairman
The Anglican Mission in the Americas

On September 18, hundreds of friends and family gathered at All Saints Church in Chapel Hill-Durham, North Carolina, to celebrate the ordination of six new deacons in the Anglican Mission. Three hailed from All Saints Durham while others represented Christ Church in Washington, North Carolina; Church of the Apostles in Raleigh; and Holy Trinity Raleigh. During the joyous celebration, Bishop Terrell Glenn laid hands on the men and women and blessed their new ministry. The Rev. Steve Breedlove of All Saints gave a charge from 2 Corinthians and Luke 17 to the new deacons. Eleven other clergy from six different churches participated in the service, followed by a light supper for all the guests.

“It was such an incredible experience … such a beautiful time of worship,” says Virginia McCray, one of All Saints’ new deacons. “What an honor it was for me to be ordained in my home parish where I am loved and supported by so many.”

Steve believes the new deacons stand ready and equipped to fulfill their calling.

“God’s Spirit was powerfully present throughout the service,” he says. “The church that is serving North Carolina received an infusion of dynamic gifts from the Lord.”

Learn more at All Saints Church.

Check out this valuable Stewardship Resource E-Library.

This month, DAB expanded to include the latest smartphone technology in the form of apps for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android operating systems. The apps contain the daily readings, DAB Kids (“read by kids for kids”), DAB Proverb (“five minutes of pure wisdom every day”), audio and video teachings, messages from Four Winds Mission, and live audio and video events at the Wind Farm Cafe, the church’s coffeehouse. Despite competing with apps by Rachel Ray and Craiglist, DAB is now ranked No. 3 on the Lifestyle Category of Top Paid iPhone Apps.

Learn more about the apps at Daily Audio Bible online.

“Bob is our longest serving CFA and has helped lead postulants through the process for well over six years,” notes Archdeacon H Miller, Executive Director of theAM. “He has also been very involved in incarnational leadership coaching and the work Terry Walling has been doing with the Mission. He will be a great addition to ourteam currently serving the Mission Resource Center.”

"A primary value of theAM is assisting gifted leaders to take next steps for abest contribution," Bob says. "Whether beginning a ministry path, identifying a major role or leaving a legacy, the Anglican Mission is committed to leadership development at every level for a life that makes a difference."

Bob and his wife Sue will be relocating from Colorado to Pawleys Island in the next few months. Please pray for their transition.

At the fifth annual Worship Leaders’ retreat this May, host Andy Piercy, Director of Worship Development for theAM, had his eyes firmly fixed on the future. The two-day event, held in Atlanta at a Hilton Garden Inn, centered on the theme “Move Ahead Together” and explored a passion to raise up the next generation of worship leaders in theAM.

“It’s always been important, but as we gather speed and launch more churches, we need to be raising up people from within,” Andy says. “Worship is such a high priority in theAM, and Bishop Murphy is really eager to see it advance. We tend to look outside ourselves for leaders we bring in, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but we do need to raise people up ourselves with our values.”

Another tendency is for churches to avoid looking for a worship leader until they need one. “If we don’t have a stockpile of people ready to go, we have to go look at other churches,” Andy says. “But if all our worship leaders actively start to raise up one person from within their team, within a couple years, we’ll have raised up quite a few people.”

Practical and hands-on, the event centered on fresh insight from Piercy and others in theAM who have raised up worship leaders. Thirty-nine primary and secondary worship leaders from all types of Anglican churches—Vineyard-style worship settings to traditional, high church milieus—traveled from around the country to learn from one another and enjoy a time of restoration and renewal. In the diverse crowd, it wasn’t odd to see a pipe organist sitting beside a young hipster with tattoos and gauges.

“We also had a variety of ages and experience levels,” says Ronda Perry, Andy’s assistant and event planner. “Our youngest worship leader is 15, and her mom comes with her. She has a beautiful heart and passion for God. She loves coming because she has developed all these mentor relationships.”

While relaxed, attendees were constantly engaged. One day, a funny skit challenged them to rethink their preconceived ideas of who a worship leader is. Daily sessions included a “showcase,” or chance for a worship leader to share a song they’d written or used successfully at their church. Andy offered practical tidbits on everything from how to do a sound check to making your worship set less interruptive to the Holy Spirit. Interspersed were powerful prayer times, workshops, plenty of food and lively discussions.

Marty Reardon, worship leader at Trinity Anglican Mission in Atlanta, says Andy modeled this year’s theme by sharing the platform with leaders he’s invested in over the years, like Marty and David Clifton of Apostles Anglican Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

“It’s not easy to hand off that role. There was a lot of honor and trust that was modeled for everyone there,” Marty says. “It was a call to do something beyond what we’re doing, to be a leader of leaders. Hopefully we’ll see these worship leaders become pastors and mentors of people.”

Attendees’ comments on a post-event questionnaire affirmed the effectiveness of the retreat, Ronda says. “One participant said, ‘I was reinvigorated for the development of new leaders and inspired to create a space and process for new leaders to be raised up.’ Many said it was the best retreat we’ve had yet.”

If you are a worship leader and would like to be invited to next year’s Worship Forum, or if you would like Andy Piercy to teach on worship development at your church, email Ronda Perry.

(Chicago)-- Over 3,000 Rwandans living in North America, and friends of Rwanda, will gather in Chicago June 10-12 for an event to celebrate the up-from-the-ashes story of this small East African nation. Many people remember Rwanda from the 1994 genocide that saw ethnic neighbor-on-neighbor violence claim the lives of nearly a million of the country’s citizens in a short one hundred days. Now the horror of that decimating event is being matched by the renaissance this country is experiencing in its business, cultural and social fabric.

Organized by the North American Rwanda ‘diaspora’ community, the weekend’s theme is ‘Agaciro: Our Heritage. Our Future’. This two-day event is a chance for both Rwandans living in the diaspora and friends of Rwanda to learn about the progress Rwanda has made over the past 17 years, the importance of Rwanda’s rich heritage, Agaciro (dignity) in the country’s journey and the opportunities that Rwanda’s continued development opens for them

Many Rwandans fled their country in the time leading up to genocide, and Rwanda Day in Chicago is an opportunity for the country’s leaders to share their recent gains with expatriate citizens now living in North America. In addition to Rwandan VIP’s and dignitaries the weekend-long gathering will highlight a visit from President Paul Kagame, who will speak at a public meeting on Saturday the 11th, followed by a Q and A session. There will also be a number of discussion panels highlighting growth and opportunity in the country, as well as musical and cultural performances.
With genocide as a backdrop a mere 17 years ago, Rwanda is experiencing unprecedented renewal. With an average GDP growth rate of 8 percent for the past 10 years, this small landlocked country in central Africa is witnessing an all time high in economic activity and social progress. The World Bank ranked Rwanda the world’s top reformer while CNN calls it the biggest success story of the continent.

“Rwandans are coming together to heal the divisions, and as a result we are experiencing a new beginning rooted in reconciliation,” affirmed Bishop John Rucyahana, President of Rwanda’s Unity and Reconciliation Commission, who will be attending the Chicago event. “Our story of hope is very powerful, and we want to be able to share it with the world.”

For more information, and to register, visit www.rwandaday.org. All events will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, East Wacker Drive in Chicago.

At first, the Rev. Geoff Hatley and the 25 families at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Madison, Alabama, didn’t know what to do to help. But taking their cues from a nearby Baptist church and its national disaster response system, Hatley and his parish joined spontaneous relief efforts in the small communities of Toney and Harvest. They began chain sawing fallen trees, putting tarps over damaged homes, and helping survivors sift through debris for valuables. The church also brought supplies to the hill town of Flat Rock, where many people are uninsured and living in tents.

“When we first started digging through [debris] in Toney, it was just 2x4s knee deep,” Geoff says. “It’s a suburb with 2,000- to 2,500-square-foot homes, just leveled, even to the foundation, ripped off their anchor bolts. What we learned while working is, don’t look around you; just focus on your area. When you look up, it’s a depressing sight.”

St. Andrew's worked side by side with about 10 volunteers from Church of the Redeemer in Nashville, Tennessee, and two from Prince of Peace Church in Melbourne, Florida. Their work crew also consisted of Baptists, Methodists, Evangelicals and Anglicans. Due to St. Andrew’s central location, Geoff began serving as coordinator for relief efforts, fielding calls from churches and directing them to affected areas.

“At the end, we held hands with the family and prayed in a circle,” says Julie Ryan, a Prince of Peace member and executive administrator to Bishop John Miller. “I saw their faces—they were so appreciative that we were there. We prayed for their situation and how they were going to rebuild their lives, and that they would put their trust in the Lord. It was very moving.”

“After a week or two, we started to see a lot of progress. We found a lot of treasures that families thought they lost. They broke down in tears when you found their stuff,” Geoff adds.

After almost four weeks, the cleanup is finished in their immediate area, and the insurance companies are taking over. Still needed are carpentry skills to rebuild homes, and volunteers for organizations like Habitat for Humanity. To aid in this process, and to build a communication network for future disaster relief, Hatley urges theAM churches to get involved.

“We’ve had a moderate response from theAM churches,” Hatley says. “We’re still young so we’ve got to learn a lot about this kind of thing. Nationally and network-wise, there needs to be a group of men and women who are willing to learn about disaster relief from other churches and groups, like the Baptists and Methodists. Right now, we’re just trying to think long-term what we can do.”

Make a financial contribution or learn more about relief efforts at StormHOPE.

Rich worship, Bible study, prayer and challenging presentations on building momentum as a church planting movement marked the spring gathering of Anglican Mission Network Leaders. The group of 14 Network Leaders and several other guests met Monday, May 2 - Thursday, May 5, at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center outside Little Rock. Steve Addison, author of Movements that Change the World, shared insights from his 20-year study of effective church movements around the world.

Bishop Philip Jones, who oversees Mission Networks assisted by Canon Allen Hughes and Judge David Young, opened the first evening with a call to move beyond thinking about mission in terms of “what” and “how” in order to focus on “why.” Andy Piercy led worship enhanced by a time of directed prayer. On Tuesday, Bishop Chuck Murphy offered a Bible study focused on the “next chapter,” emphasizing the need to remain constant and consistent in the essential elements of theology, polity and distinctive culture of theAM, and he also facilitated a ministry time on Wednesday night.

In his talks, Steve Addison highlighted five characteristics of effective, transformational movements: white-hot faith, commitment to a cause, meaningful relationships, rapid mobilization and adaptive methods. He emphasized that Jesus came to establish a missionary movement in order to change the world and that we are all in ministry because of what He began. Each presentation was followed by “table conversations” designed for leaders to process the information and brainstorm the “so what” – how Steve’s concepts can be practiced and lived out in theAM.

Look for a more detailed article about Steve Addison in the summer issue of the Wave.

We also have a S-2-S Manual that includes partnership details, guidelines and ideas to help you get started. To request a manual or to initiate a S-2-S Partnership, please contact the Rev. Canon Tim Smith via email or call him at 601-566-3813.