WORLDWIDE PHOTOS Ltd The Religious Media Agency

WEEKLY NEWS REVIEW

March 13, 2003

INDEX

AUSTRALIA: 1. NEW DEAN “SOCKS IT TO ‘EM” (Worldwide Photos) 2. LAUNCH OF NEW BOOK AND NEW BOOKSHOP (Worldwide Photos) 3. PADDLE-A-THON BY CHRISTIAN SURFERS (Chrstn Surfers Intrnl) 4. HYMNS OF PRAISE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (The Baptist Advocate) 5. NEW PRESBYTERIAN INLAND MISSION PATROL (Aust Presbyterian) 6. LITTLE VESTS OF MANY COLOURS (Journey)

OVERSEAS: 7. ARCHBISHOP’S CALL TO BE COURAGEOUS (C of E Newspaper) 8. CONVERSION ENDANGERS IRANIAN CHRISTIANS (Challenge Weekly) 9. HOUSE OF COMMONS’ IRAQ REBELLION WELCOME (Methodist Recorder) 10. CHURCH DEMOLISHED AFTER DEVASTATING FIRE (Methodist Recorder) 11. FUTURE CHURCH LEADERS ENTER TRAINING (The Slvtn Army-NZ) 12. BOMBING VICTIM BURIED IN ISRAELI CEMETERY (Baptist Press) 13. ENGLAND ‘FAILING OUR CHILDREN’ (C of E Newspaper) 14. CENTENNIAL CONGRESS MOVES AHEAD (BWA) 15. CHURCHES SAFER WHEN UNLOCKED (ACNS)

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1. NEW DEAN “SOCKS IT TO ‘EM” (Worldwide Photos) The Very Rev. Phillip Jensen was welcomed in a Commencement Service, as the eleventh Dean of Sydney, in St Andrew’s Anglican Cathedral, Friday, March 7 at 7.30pm. Throughout the service, the Dean sat with his wife Helen and family members, before donning his robe and mounting the pulpit for the sermon. His sermon pulled no punches. It gave him the opportunity to share with those present, and the media reports that followed, his unashamed priority to preach the gospel and the Lordship of Jesus Christ, acknowledging other religions but uplifting an evangelical presentation of Christianity. There was the challenge to the media to be more balanced in the presentation of Christian beliefs and reactions to community and world events. The Service included a selection of readings and prayers by close friends and fellow clergy from the Dean’s previous parish.

2. LAUNCH OF NEW BOOK AND NEW BOOKSHOP (Worldwide Photos) On Saturday, March 8, the Kentigern Resource Centre was launched, as well as a new book, “Identifying and Developing Christian Leaders” by the author, Ian Jagelman. The founder of Kentigern, Martin Levine, explained his aim to fill the void created by the closing of Christian bookshops in Sydney, especially The Openbook, the Lutheran distribution centre which has gone onto the internet for its literature ministry. Lecturer John Capper, PhD (Cambridge) presented a summation of Mr Jagelman’s second book and appreciation for the expertise shared through its pages. As Mr Jagelman explained, many can teach theology but there are so few experienced leaders teaching leadership in the training colleges these days.

3. PADDLE-A-THON BY CHRISTIAN SURFERS (Chrstn Surfers Intrnl) On Saturday, March 15, a team of surfing enthusiasts co-ordinated by Christian Surfers International, will paddle 20km from Stanwell Park to Wollongong, south of Sydney, in an endeavour to raise funds and support for their organisation and the sponsorship of children through Compassion Australia. Brett Davis, the International Director explained that their target for this annual fundraising event is $10,000, which will be raised through the surfers, aged 12 to 43-years-of-age and friends sponsoring them for each kilometre. For further information phone Christian Surfers on (02)

4268 2783.

4. HYMNS OF PRAISE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (The Baptist Advocate) On Sunday, March 16, the Winthrop Baptist College Auditorium will host an “Hymns of Praise and Inspiration” in support of High School Chaplaincy work within the City of Melville, Western Australia. Last year, the inaugural presentation raised over $1,500 and the organisers from the Mt Pleasant Baptist Church classed it as an “overwhelming success”. It has been reported in the state’s Baptist publication, “The Baptist Advocate”, that “with continued community support this inter-denominational event, which appeals to all generations, is sure to become an annual occurrence”.

5. NEW PRESBYTERIAN INLAND MISSION PATROL (Aust Presbyterian) The Presbyterian Inland Mission is to start a new patrol ministry in the Pilbara-Kimberley area of North-West Western Australia. However, approximately $160,000 is needed to purchase a suitable four-wheel drive and fund it for the first year. After that, about $60,000 will be required to cover the ongoing needs of this second Western Australia patrol. For further information contact the PIM Superintendent, Rt Rev Jack Knapp on (02) 4358 1940.

6. LITTLE VESTS OF MANY COLOURS (Journey) Hundreds of baby, vest-type singlets knitted by members of the Coorparoo Uniting Church in Queensland, are clothing new, abandoned, sick or orphaned South African babies. It all started with a request from Jan Niven, a Coorparoo Uniting Church member now living in Johannesburg, for knitters to make vests for babies born to poor mothers living in a large township close to Johannesburg. News that some of the vests would clothe new-born babies, some presently taken home wrapped in newspaper, stirred the knitters to create a total of 960 vests and several crocheted rugs.

7. ARCHBISHOP’S CALL TO BE COURAGEOUS (C of E Newspaper) The Church must be confident and courageous in proclaiming its message, urged Dr Rowan Williams, in his first formal sermon as the Archbishop of Canterbury. To those who have criticised and opposed him since his appointment was announced, he could not have delivered a more evangelical statement of intent, boldly telling the audience of millions that it needs Christ. His vision is clear: he wants the Church to be unafraid to share the Gospel, and he wants it to be unafraid to become involved in politics, to stand up for what it believes in. He wants to lead a Church that is brave.

8. CONVERSION ENDANGERS IRANIAN CHRISTIANS (Challenge Weekly) New Zealand immigration authorities seem oblivious to the fact that Moslems who convert to Christ face severe punishment – often death – in Islamic countries. For the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle the subject has become much more than a philosophical debate, since two of its members face imminent deportation to Iran. The church leadership regards the men as genuine Christians and is dismayed that authorities won’t accept their conversions, let alone the danger they would face if sent home. The church is praying urgently for the men, hoping for a miracle on their behalf. Without a breakthrough the two brothers, one of whom has a wife and young family, will have to leave for Iran any day. However, their Kiwi supporters are frantically petitioning the Minister of Immigration, Lianne Dalziel, to prevent it.

9. HOUSE OF COMMONS’ IRAQ REBELLION WELCOME (Methodist Recorder) THE strength of the House of Commons rebellion against the Government over a possible war with Iraq has been welcomed by a Methodist peace campaigner. A total of 121 Labour MPs were among 199 MPs – almost a third of the lower house – who voted for an amendment which said that the case for military action against Iraq had not yet been made. The amendment was defeated and the Government’s motion passed. The president of the Methodist Peace Fellowship, the Rev Dr Kenneth Greet, saw the vote as “a very substantial protest vote, bigger than any previous Labour revolt in the current Government and I think it therefore underlines the immense public unease about war with Iraq. I think that, if Britain and America attack Iraq without a second UN Security Council resolution, opposition will very greatly increase and threaten the Prime Minister’s position.”

10. CHURCH DEMOLISHED AFTER DEVASTATING FIRE (Methodist Recorder) A FIRE which destroyed a church in east London is being treated as suspicious by police. Manor Park Methodist Church, in the London Mission (Newham) circuit, was so badly damaged in the mid-week blaze that the building had to be demolished. Six fire engines attended the fire, which tore through the 1960s-built church, melting its copper roof. Worshippers held an emotional Communion service in the church hall, which was not seriously damaged, on the following Sunday. The main church building – which had extended its Communion area two years ago – was destroyed by the fire. The burnt-out shell of the church was demolished on advice from the structural engineer that it was a public danger. Detectives are investigating the circumstances of the fire.

11. FUTURE CHURCH LEADERS ENTER TRAINING (The Slvtn Army-NZ) The Salvation Army in New Zealand and Fiji, has accepted 21 new trainees into a two-year residential training programme for officers (ministers). The trainees, known as “cadets”, will study under the sessional name of “Bridgebuilders”. This name applies to all Salvation Army officer-training sessions worldwide that commence training in 2003. Twelve cadets will train at The Salvation Army’s Booth College of Mission in Upper Hutt, New Zealand and nine at The Salvation Army’s School for Officer Training in Suva, Fiji. Territorial Commander Commissioner Shaw Clifton said, “we can never have enough people offering themselves for full-time service as Salvation Army officers, the need is greater than ever.” Public welcome meetings for the cadets were held in both Wellington and Suva last Sunday, March 9.

12. BOMBING VICTIM BURIED IN ISRAELI CEMETERY (Baptist Press) The life and death of 14-year-old Abigail Litle was likened to a bridge between the United States and Israel before her body was buried in a simple wooden coffin draped in the flags of the two nations near the Mediterranean Sea. Hundreds of people from Israel’s evangelical and Messianic communities, with estimates ranging from 500 to 1,400, attended Litle’s funeral March 9 in the Christian section of a small cemetery in Haifa, mourning her loss, along with seven other teens and seven adults killed when a 20-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a Haifa bus March 5. Her parents, Philip and Heidi Litle, had moved to Israel when Abigail was an infant in 1989. In addition to her parents, Litle is survived by four siblings.

13. ENGLAND ‘FAILING OUR CHILDREN’ (C of E Newspaper) England is lagging behind the rest of Britain for taking up children’s rights, according to a report released by The Children’s Society. Whilst Wales established a children’s commissioner two years ago, and Northern Ireland and Scotland will gain one this year, England’s delay in appointing a commissioner falls short of its commitment to the United Nations convention on the rights of the child, the report concludes. Veronica Plowden, national co-ordinator for the Children’s Rights Alliance for England, expressed her concern that “too many children are still falling through our country’s child protection net.”

14. CENTENNIAL CONGRESS MOVES AHEAD (BWA) Worship that is international and multi-ethnic, that allows for the richest of the “tribes and tongues” from around the world will be a part of the celebration of the Centennial Congress of the Baptist World Alliance to be held in Birmingham, England, July 27-31, 2005. All of the worship experiences will reflect the theme of the Congress, “Jesus Christ Living Water” and the celebration of the Centenary is planned to reflect, “as fully as possible the unity and diversity of Baptist Christians who will gather from around the world.” It is expected that more than 10,000 Baptists will attend the 100th birthday celebration.

15. CHURCHES SAFER WHEN UNLOCKED (ACNS) The National Churches Tourism Group in England, has drawn attention to the advice from insurers about Church buildings, that churches “if at all possible should be left open during the day.” Secretary of the National Churches Tourism Group, Rosemary Watts, said, “National figures from Ecclesiastical Insurance, which insures most of our parish churches, show that locked churches suffer twice as much crime as unlocked churches.if at all possible your church should be left open during the day for those who wish to pray or who wish to find a place for quiet contemplation.” Mrs Watts commented that: “The very few professional church thieves will know there are no ‘easy pickings’ in an unlocked church, and that they are very likely to be disturbed. Vandalism has also been shown to reduce dramatically in both urban and rural areas when churches open their doors during the week.”

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