We have just published a collection of experiences from across the Diocese.

This publication, Buildings on Sure Foundations, tells stories of how buildings that lay locked and empty have been reopened through a commitment of time, money and energy from those who longed to see them filled by new worshipping communities.

It also records simple things: an open door, a new way of using a space, a new welcome to the community.

“I was glad when they said to me, ”˜let us go to the house of the Lord!’”
Psalm 122:1

We hope to recount all these in more detail through Capital Vision 2020: the tale of one hundred new and renewed worshipping communities, and church buildings opened up to the communities around them; stories of possibilities in new and old places.

London’s churches are as varied and colourful as London’s communities. They are places where different strands come together, both temporal and eternal: places of quiet and prayer in a busy city; places of history and beauty; places of celebration and mourning; places of splendid ceremony and ministering to the poor.

Churches are also places where international visitors of all faiths and none can connect with God.

They are buildings on sure foundations, built with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.

Read it all and you can read Buildings on Sure Foundations [pdf]

In Nairobi on Monday, members of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya called upon Obama to refrain from discussing the gay agenda, reports CNSNews.com.

“It is important for us as Kenyans to know that the U.S. is not God,” evangelical Bishop Mark Kariuki was quoted by local media as saying.

Kariuki added that Obama should not use the visit to “talk about the gay issue.”

Irungu Kangata, a lawmaker in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) party, said, “We are telling Mr. Obama when he comes to Kenya this month and he tries to bring the abortion agenda, the gay agenda, we shall tell him to shut up and go home.”
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Kenyan religious leaders have been warning the United States for several years about the harmful influence of the militant LGBT agenda on culture and society. In 2013, Kenyan Cardinal John Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi and president of the Kenyan Episcopal Conference, joined other African leaders in open dismissal of Obama’s calls for acceptance of same-sex marriage when the American president visited Africa at that time.

“Those people who have already ruined their society”¦let them not become our teachers to tell us where to go,” said Njue in response to Obama’s statements promoting same-sex marriage. “I think we need to act according to our own traditions and our faiths.”

Similarly, Ruto rebuked Obama for promoting same-sex marriage in Africa during his visit. Speaking at a Catholic Church, Ruto said, “Those who believe in other things, that is their business”¦We believe in God.”

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said on Monday that Obama would not avoid the topic of the gay agenda during his visit.

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When Frances “Rita” Eby died in January 2014 at age 96, her daughter knew where she would inter her mother’s cremated remains ”“ she would bury them in the rose garden at St. James the Great Episcopal Church in Newport Beach.

“Her church was so close to her heart,” said Eby’s daughter, Trish Norman.

Eby, Norman and St. James had a history. Eby was a congregant and volunteer at the church for 60 years. And Norman, 75, was confirmed at the church and attended Sunday school there.

So last month, when the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles shuttered the church on Via Lido as part of a plan to sell the property, Norman was concerned about what would become of the remains of her mother and 11 others buried in the rose garden.

Norman was further disturbed when she heard that the land could be sold to a developer to build luxury townhouses, a sale that might raise $15 million for the diocese.

“Who does that? You wouldn’t go into Pacific View and build townhomes there,” she said, referring to a local cemetery.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected the gay marriage offer by the United States of America, stating that sodomy is against the law of Nigeria and abhorrent to our culture.

The spokesperson of the president, Femi Adesina said that the issue of gay marriage was discussed during Buhari meeting in the US but he rejected the offer.

“The issue of gay marriage came up here yesterday. PMB was point blank. Sodomy is against the law in Nigeria, and abhorrent to our culture,” he posted on his Twitter handle.

Recalled that Nigerians have expressed fear that Obama might pressurized Buhari to sanction gay marriage in Nigeria in order to get the support of the United States.

Civil Society Organisations, also urged Buhari not to listen to the US government on issues of Gay rights, so as to protect the laws and values of Nigeria.

Read it all and there is another report from the Daily Trust in Abuja here

The Bishop of the Diocese of Evo, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. Innocent Ordu, has restated that the Church of Nigeria condemns same sex marriage, homosexuality and lesbianism.

He also said the Church of Nigeria has an “impaired relationship” with churches in Western countries that have lent their support to same sex marriage and other vices condemned by the bible.

Ordu spoke in Port Harcourt yesterday at a press briefing to herald the third session of the third synod of the diocese scheduled for July 29 to August 2 at the Chapel of Grace and Knowledge, Archdeacon Crowther Memorial Girls’ School (ACMGS), Elelenwo.
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a few years ago, we discovered that some sections of the church, particularly, in the Western world began to toy with some sensitive aspects as regard the spirituality and doctrine of the church; and the Church of Nigeria, you know, took their position on those issues, particularly the issue of human sexuality.

“Even apart from the stand-point of the scripture, on the strength of culture, we are first and foremost Africans, Nigerians and we come from different cultures, traditions. There are certain things that even our cultures abhor. Our firm position on those things is strengthened much more by the position of the scripture that they are evil. So, we cannot on one hand be preaching against other evils of society, of the average community and we are upholding another evil because of a distorted position or understanding of some persons.

“So, the position of the Anglican Church, for instance, on this matter of homosexuality, lesbianism and the rest of them is that it is against scripture and any arm or part of the church worldwide that advocates it, is breaching the provisions and tenets of the scripture and we cannot be in any form of relationship with such an arm of the body of Christ until proper positions are taken or reversed by those who advocate such.

“The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has what we locally here, back home in Nigeria, define as ”˜an impaired relationship’ with any other province, that is a National Church or part of the Anglican world that supports or advocates or champions this evil that the scriptures condemn, which now they said men are free to marry fellow men; women are free to marry fellow women and all that. We are saying God abhors it; please, change your posture on this and come back to the original biblical position of God on these issues; and if you are not ready to do that, we too cannot be in communion with you. That is the position of the church.”

On the fate of the Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, who took appointment as Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC), Ordu said the archbishop did not consult the primate of the church before taking up the position.

“The position of the Primate is that since a good number of those who are part of the ACC are in support of the gay rights movement and all that, a Nigerian Bishop, knowing the position of the national church here, ought not to accept a position in that body, because doing so will mean that we have all keyed into whatever negative posture these other ones are holding,” he said.

He added that while the church was not happy that the archbishop took up the appointment, he was not aware if he would be sanctioned.

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..Pope Francis, who was born in Argentina, knows how to talk in a language that is not simply a replay of liberation theology. During his trip, which included visits to Ecuador and Paraguay, he repeatedly invoked the idea of a “Patria Grande,” a great Latin American homeland, brought about through greater social, political, and economic unity. Such appeals for unity have been made in the recent past by the likes of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, but they have their origins in the stirring rhetoric of Latin American independence heroes such as José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar.

Notably, Pope Francis was a crucial figure, behind the scenes, in the recent secret diplomatic rapprochement between the United States and Cuba. In May, Cuba’s President Raúl Castro, a lifelong communist, went to the Vatican to see Francis and remarked, “If the Pope continues to speak like this, sooner or later I will start praying again and I will return to the Catholic Church””and I’m not saying this jokingly.” Evo Morales, for his part, said, “For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a Pope””Pope Francis.”

But it is not only the leftists of Latin America who see something in the pontiff. Paraguay’s conservative President, Horacio Cartes, was equally effusive, lauding him for “his direction [that] lights the way and also gives us a grand task: to work together, with sacrifice and perseverance, so that we might have a country that is more equal for all.”…

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Remember the more specific you are, the more the rest of us can enjoy it–why you chose this book, what specifically you like/liked about it, etc.–KSH.

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Almighty God, Lord of the storm and of the calm, the vexed sea and the quiet haven, of day and of night, of life and of death, ”“ grant unto us so to have our hearts stayed upon Thy faithfulness, Thine unchangingness and love, that, whatsoever betide us, however black the cloud or dark the night, with quiet faith trusting in Thee we may look upon Thee with untroubled eye, and walking in lowliness towards Thee, and in lovingness towards one another, abide all storms and troubles of this mortal life, beseeching Thee that they may turn to the soul’s true good. We ask it for Thy mercy’s sake, shown in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High; and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

–Psalm 50:14-15

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, welcomed the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to Lambeth Palace today for a morning of prayer and conversation.

Archbishop Justin met with Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who is visiting from Nigeria, and his delegation, including Pastor Agu Irukwu, Chief Overseer of the RCCG in the UK.

They discussed possibilities for further collaboration between the Anglican and RCCG churches and communions, nationally and internationally…

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MUTOKO ”“ A pastor allegedly went berserk last week, vandalizing church property belonging to Mutoko Centre Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa.

Apostle Tirivangani Gunduza is reported to have pulled the roof off the Anglican church after he had been served with an eviction order by a messenger of court.

Gunduza who belongs to the ex-communicated Anglican Church leader, Nolbert Kunonga’s faction is said to have failed to stomach the eviction news hence he vandalized property at the church.

“Gunduza was appointed pastor by Kunonga although he had not gone through any training to lead the church.

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PTSD is considered an anxiety disorder. People may feel afraid when they’re no longer in danger, or continue to relive traumatic events. They have a damaged “fight-or-flight response,” says the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

Several ways exist to measure and diagnose PTSD. This study used measures ranging from full PTSD to major symptoms falling just short of a diagnosis, an important aspect of the study, said Rachel Yehuda, director of the Mental Health Patient Care Center at the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center in New York City.

“The idea of ‘subthreshold’ PTSD is extremely important. We tend to think of combat veterans as having or not having PTSD,” Yehuda said. “This study reminds us that the effects of combat trauma really do last a long time and justifies the long-term treatment that combat veterans receive.”

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Ten years after its founding, the Anglican Alexandria School of Theology (AST) celebrated its first graduating class to receive the degree of Masters of Arts in Theology, at Saturday the 18th of July at Alexandria. The grandaunts were: four students joined commencement exercises with 27 others who received a Bachelors in Theology, plus one who completed a two-year diploma program.

Dean. Samy Fawzy, principle of AST, congratulated the graduates for their efforts over the past four years, despite the difficulties Egypt has experienced. Rev. Atif Mehany, dean of the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, urged them further in his commencement address to overcome the challenges following the Arab Spring and fulfill their responsibilities to serve both church and society.

Dean. Fawzy conferred the degrees with Bishop. Grant LeMarqand, vice-chairman of the board of AST, and Archbishop. Mouneer Hanna Anis, chairman of the board of AST, Archbishop of Egypt, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa, and president bishop of Jerusalem and the Middle East. They were joined by Bishop. Peter Tasker, representing the archbishop of Sydney and AST partner institution Moore College in Australia.

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Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday temporarily suspended the death sentence of a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, her lawyer said, in a case that hit global headlines after the murder of two politicians who tried to intervene on her behalf.

Asia Bibi, a farm worker and mother of four, became the first woman to be sentenced to death under Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law in 2010.

The Supreme Court will soon begin hearing an appeal against her conviction, said lawyer Saif-ul-Malook.

“The execution of Asia Bibi has been suspended and will remain suspended until the decision of this appeal,” Malook said. No date had been set for her execution, he added.

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