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WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW

February 6, 2003

INDEX

AUSTRALIA: 1. THANKSGIVING FOR REV DR SIR ALAN WALKER (Wesley Mission) 2. RESTRUCTURE FREES RESOURCES (Mission Australia) 3. NEW PRINCIPAL FOR TABOR COLLEGE NSW (Tabor Press Release) 4. A BLESSED CELEBRATION FOR SYDNEY CHURCH (The Express) 5. MUSIC WITHOUT MUSICIANS (Baptist Advocate) 6. SERVICE HERALDS PARLIAMENT FOR 2003 (CSU / CRN)

OVERSEAS: 7. ASTRONAUTS PRAYED BEFORE LIFT-OFF (BBFI News/Beliefnet) 8. CHAPLAINS PROVIDE SPIRITUAL SUPPORT (Methodist Recorder) 9. MUSLIM CONVERT FACES EXECUTION (Christian Herald) 10. LICENSING BILL CHANGE OF HEART (Christian Herald) 11. SCRIPTURE NEEDS IN SOLOMON ISLANDS (Bible Society Aust) 12. ‘SALLY ANN’ HELP AS BANGLADESH SHIVERS (Salvtn Army News) 13. CHILDREN ON THE STREETS IN MALAWI (Tearfund) 14. HEADING FOR THE ‘COP SHOP’ (Christian Herald) 15. THE CHURCH FULL OF HOT AIR (Christian Herald)

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1. THANKSGIVING FOR REV DR SIR ALAN WALKER (Wesley Mission) A thanksgiving service for the life and ministry of the Rev Dr Sir Alan Walker Kt, OBE, MA, DD will be held at Wesley Theatre, 220 Pitt Street, Sydney on Tuesday, February 11 beginning at 10.30 am. Harold Henderson, a long-time friend of Sir Alan and former General Secretary of the Central Methodist Mission and the Rev Dr Chris Walker (one of Sir Alan’s three sons)

will deliver tributes. Superintendent of Wesley Mission the Rev Dr Gordon Moyes AC MLC will provide the thanksgiving service welcome. Sir Alan (aged 91) was one of Australia’s leading theologians, evangelists and broadcasters and is the former Superintendent of Wesley Mission (formerly the Central Methodist Mission). He is survived by his wife, Lady Winifred Walker and children, Lynette Sue, the Rev Bruce Walker, David Walker and the Rev Dr Christopher Walker, Senior Pastor of St Stephen’s Uniting Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney.

2. RESTRUCTURE FREES RESOURCES (Mission Australia) Mission Australia, one of the country’s leading community service organisations, has announced a restructure of its senior management team in order to streamline its administrative operations and focus more resources on its frontline services. Mission Australia CEO, Mr Patrick McClure OAM, said the principal aim of the restructure, the first since the organisation was formed three years ago, was to make management more efficient and channel more resources “to the coal face”. The key development has been appointing Kerrie Croaker, formerly General Manager Qld, NT & WA, to the new position of Mission Australia’s Chief Operating Officer.

3. NEW PRINCIPAL FOR TABOR COLLEGE NSW (Tabor Press Release) Tabor College in Sydney has appointed the Rev Dr Ian Pennicook (D Min MA, BTh, ThL, Cert IV WPT, JP) as Principal for NSW. Dr Pennicook has replaced the college’s founder and NSW Principal Dr Barry Chant, who has recently been appointed Senior Pastor at Wesley International Church, which is associated with Wesley Mission in Sydney. Dr Pennicook, an Anglican minister for 30 years and a graduate of Moore College, The Australian College Of Theology, The University of South Africa, Macquarie University and NSW Director of New Creation Teaching Ministry since 1986, has been lecturing at Tabor College NSW since its commencement in 1992.

4. A BLESSED CELEBRATION FOR SYDNEY CHURCH (The Express) Fifty years ago Riverwood Presbyterian Church was a shed without a ceiling where eight people worshipped once a week. Today it is a “proud building” with 60 members meeting regularly. On Sunday, February 9, it will celebrate with a 50th Anniversary Reunion. Ron and Jean White, foundation members, told of worshipping in the shed for two years and then in a fibro church, built for the grand sum of 750 pounds. Student ministers served in the young church and in 1975 the first ordained minister arrived. Former members and supporters are welcome to come along next Sunday.

5. MUSIC WITHOUT MUSICIANS (Baptist Advocate) Many smaller and remote churches would like to enjoy worship music of the highest quality, but cannot because of transient congregation members and a simple lack of numbers. Now technology has come to the rescue in the form of MIDI. Broome Baptist Church, Western Australia, was facing a period with no musicians – and no immediate likelihood of any arriving – so they embarked on a program to provide quality music without musicians. MIDI was the answer. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface and has been around for many years as a way of allowing musicians to create and record their own music electronically. MIDI is popular because the files are so small and do not contain actual recorded music. Instead, the music sequence is recorded as a series of numbers, which tell how the music is to be played back. For more information email Broome Baptist Church at

6. SERVICE HERALDS PARLIAMENT FOR 2003 (CSU / CRN) Federal Parliament commenced its formal activities for 2003 in Canberra on Tuesday 4 February 2003 at 8am in the Australia Centre for Christianity and Culture Chapel, in Barton, Canberra. ACC&C Chair and Anglican Archbishop of the Canberra and Goulburn Diocese, The Right Reverend Bishop George Browning, preached at the 2003 Parliamentary Service, which is held before the opening of Federal Parliament. This was the first time the Parliamentary Service has been held at the Centre. The Prime Minister, The Hon. John Howard, and Leader of the Opposition, The Hon. Simon Crean, lead up to 200 participants in prayer at the event. ACC&C is affiliated with Charles Sturt University (CSU) and is housed adjacent to the University’s School of Theology in Canberra.

7. ASTRONAUTS PRAYED BEFORE LIFT-OFF (BBFI News/Beliefnet) At a concert, dedicated to his friend, Rick Husband, the commander of the space shuttle Columbia, Steve Green shared that: “Rick was a quiet man, but never quiet about sharing his faith in Jesus Christ.” Before the crew boarded the space shuttle 17 days ago, Rick, a Member of a Charismatic Church, stopped them all and prayed for them. NASA workers commented that in all their years working there, they had never seen a commander pray with his crew. Just prior to takeoff, a NASA control person commented that it was a perfect day for launch and Rick replied “The Lord has given us a beautiful day.” Rick left a recorded devotional video for each of his 2 children for each of the 17 days he would be gone. That was 34 videos that he took the time to record so that his children would not miss their daily devotions they had with their dad. The other astronauts were Kalpana Chawla – a Hindu; William McCool – a Roman Catholic; Ilan Ramon – was Jewish; Laurel Clark – a Unitarian; David Brown – an Episcopalian and Michael Anderson – a Baptist.

8. CHAPLAINS PROVIDE SPIRITUAL SUPPORT (Methodist Recorder) Army chaplains in the United Kingdom, are busily ensuring that British troops are spiritually supported for any conflict as the 25,000 to 30,000-strong British task force is deployed in the Gulf. According to Deputy Chaplain General for UK Land Forces the Rev David Wilkes, the early stages of deployment were quite busy. The role and responsibility of a chaplain was to ensure soldiers were given the kind of spiritual guidance and support they might need at such a time, he said. The non-weapon-carrying chaplains go wherever soldiers go and Mr Wilkes said: “This support is not something given in a detached way. Wherever the soldiers are required to go, the chaplains go with them.”

9. MUSLIM CONVERT FACES EXECUTION (Christian Herald) Christians in Widnes are fighting to overturn a Home Office decision in Britain, to deport an Iranian asylum-seeker, who has become a Christian while living in the UK. Members of Farnworth Christian Fellowship say 36-year-old Shahin Pasbaksh will certainly be executed if he returns to Iran, as he faces the death penalty on two separate counts. Campaigners won a temporary reprieve in the courts on 8 January, and are now hoping further publicity will help his case before the next court hearing.

10. LICENSING BILL CHANGE OF HEART (Christian Herald) The Government has tabled an amendment to the Licensing Bill which ensures that places of worship will be exempt from the requirements for public entertainment licensing. At the same time, the Government also proposes to exempt churches and village halls from a need to pay licensing fees. The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, spoke in the Second Reading debate in the House of Lords against the Bill’s proposals to licence musical and dramatic events held in churches and other places of worship.

11. SCRIPTURE NEEDS IN SOLOMON ISLANDS (Bible Society Aust) The Bible Society in the South Pacific is making preparations to meet the Scripture needs of the 3700 residents of two remote South Pacific islands where extensive damage was caused by Cyclone Zoe at the end of December. Winds estimated at up to 350 kms per hour (220 miles per hour) swept across the islands of Tikopia and Anuta at the eastern end of the Solomon Islands chain. With islanders’ immediate practical requirements now being met, Christians in Queensland, the Australian state closest to the Solomon Islands, have expressed a desire to meet any need for Scriptures in the aftermath of the disaster. On such occasions there is often a renewed interest in the Bible among non-believers who are seeking hope and comfort in a difficult situation.

12. ‘SALLY ANN’ HELP AS BANGLADESH SHIVERS (Salvtn Army News) Cold weather is being blamed for hundreds of deaths in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Temperatures have fallen below zero as biting winds sweep down from the Himalayas and heavy fog hangs over much of the region. Each year, cold weather at this time of year claims casualties in a region where millions live without power, shelter or warm clothing. A government official from Uttar Pradesh reports, ‘Most of the people who died were pavement dwellers who sleep under trees or under the open skies. In response to this exceptional emergency The Salvation Army is distributing sweaters and warm clothing. Sweaters and other woollen items are manufactured in their own workshop, known as ‘Sally Ann’. Five thousand sweaters, blankets and other items of warm clothing are being distributed by local Christian organisations. Working in partnership with the Lamb Christian Hospital, The Salvation Army is giving urgent assistance to 2,000 people located in poor rural and tribal communities.

13. CHILDREN ON THE STREETS IN MALAWI (Tearfund) As starvation looms for more than three million people in Malawi, Tearfund reports a worrying increase in the number of children coming onto the streets in a desperate search for food and money. Tearfund partner, Chisomo Children’s Club, reported that between January and March last year – when hundreds of thousands were starving – there was a 150% increase in the number of children on Blantyre’s streets compared with the previous year.

14. HEADING FOR THE ‘COP SHOP’ (Christian Herald) A former police station in Heysham, England, is to be transformed into a COP (Creating Opportunities) Shop for young people. The venture has been sponsored by Heysham Parish, the police and various community organisations. Activities to be offered by the Shop will include quad biking, rock climbing, canoeing and natural history. The Rev David Tickner, Rector of Heysham, said: “It may not be direct evangelism, but it is an example of the Church creating opportunities for ministry to young people.”

15. THE CHURCH FULL OF HOT AIR (Christian Herald) Mike Gill of Southampton has created an air-filled church for mobile weddings or services where-ever people wish to hold them. The world’s one and only inflatable church is 47ft long by 25ft wide and 47ft high. It comes complete with “stained glass” windows, which are actually airbrushed artwork and inside it has an inflatable organ, altar, pulpit, pews, candles and a gold cross. The doors are flanked by air-filled angels and the “church” can be built in three hours and disassembled in less than two. It can be set up anywhere, from a garden to Malibu beach. High heels are no problem, as it has a hard floor – but please, “No smoking”!!

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