The Fourth Anglican South to South Encounter took place in Singapore from April 19th through April 23rd, 2010. The theme for this encounter was: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ – Covenant for the People; Light for the Nations.”
A total of 130 delegates from 20 provinces in the Global South (comprising Africa, West Indies, Asia and South America) gathered together. They represent the vast majority of the active membership of the Anglican Communion.
There was a call to declare the next ten years a Decade of Mission and Networking with the Provinces urged to take up the matter, especially in expanding mission sending capacity to enhance networking among Global South Provinces. Churches were called on to pay greater attention to the role of Christian professionals in the mission, ministry and witness of the Christian community. And also to pay particular attention to the pastoral needs of the laity, especially women and young people, who are witnessing to their faith at the cutting edges of mission.
The concluding report from the Encounter noted that:
“During our plenary sessions, bible studies and small group discussions we were called back to a fresh vision of God, of the Church and of Christian leadership. We saw God in His stunning holiness and absolute sovereignty through Isaiah’s vision (Is 6: 1-13), and correspondingly saw our own ingrained sinfulness and utter foolishness in trusting man rather than God alone. We caught a “ big” vision of the Church from her role as ‘servant of the Lord’ (Is 42: 1-9) to bring God’s justice or ‘right order of living’ to the nations of the world. This established the absolute necessity and priority for the Church to disciple her members under the authority of the inspired Scriptures so that they may transform their societies and reach the nations with the Gospel. The fresh call upon the Church’s leadership, from the Servant of the Lord’s costly obedience (Is 50: 4-9), is to be courageous and fully confident of the Lord’s sustaining grace and final vindication.”
Dr Nazi-Ali is the retired Church of England bishop of Rochester, UK.
In this compelling interview in the The Catholic Herald, Nazi-Ali reflects on his own conversion, the EU’s impact on Britain and religious tensions.
This is a good read. Pray for Nazi-Ali as he ministers to persecuted Christians.
Only two more sleeps to the New Year (assuming you’re still awake at 12.00am on the 31st!). At this time of any year, we often become somewhat reflective on the year nearly passed. But 2010 marks the start of a new decade so our reflections this year are likely to span the last decade.
I know I have contemplated a number of times in recent days the significant changes in my life since the beginning of the decade. So many instances of the Lord leading, continuing His work of transformation (not a straight line!) and escalating family health struggles that have required me on numerous occasions to ensure my theology of suffering is very practicable.
Reflections on the exodus were a key aspect of Israel’s spirituality. And for each follower of the Lord Jesus, we will have our own ’exodus event(s)’ that will serve to give us great assurance of God’s presence and grace when we are journeying through difficult times. But I find it healthy not to stay too long in historical mode, but to press on and to look forward to the Lord Jesus’ return and the arrival of the New Heaven and New Earth. That’s God’s trajectory and it is amazing grace of God that we can be on that same trajectory as we continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.
If you have interest in reflections on America over the last decade (and the changes have been huge) then check out these opinion pieces in The New York Times.
Christianity Today has put together its own Top Ten News Stories of both 2009 and also the decade here based on their assessment of “the events, people, and debates of the past year that have shaped, or will significantly shape, evangelical life, thought, or mission.”
My ministry colleague, Richard Trist, the EFAC Victoria Training Officer, has recently prepared a brief update on “Recent Developments in the Anglican Communion“
