Celebrations and challenges in Egypt

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My friend and fellow missionary, The Rev. Canon Paul-Gordon Chandler, has written an eloquent piece on Episcopal News Service about what is going on in Egypt, where he is serves, particularly between the Muslims and Christians. Paul-Gordon, a mission partner with The Episcopal Church, is an author, Episcopal priest and interfaith advocate serving as the rector of St. John the Baptist Church in Cairo. Paul-Gordon writes especially of how he is called to help facilitate dialogue and understanding between the two faiths and Egypt struggles to live into its new identity. He speaks, too, of how … [Read more...]

Bringing and receiving gifts in Sudan

Episcopal Church missionary Robin Denney discusses her agricultural ministry in South Sudan with The Rev. David Copley, Mission Personnel Officer for The Episcopal Church. Photo by Matthew Davies.

Earlier this week, we received a great report from South Sudan, soon to be the world's newest nation, about The Episcopal Church's missionaries who are serving there. Robin Denney, Larry Duffee, The Rev. Robert North and his wife, Karen, serve in South Sudan, teaching, training and witnessing to the South Sudanese, and in return, receiving the witness of the faithful people of Sudan. All of the missionaries say the same thing: When you give, you receive. The story, by Matthew Davies of Episcopal News Service and datelined, Juba, South Sudan, reads: Throughout several decades of civil … [Read more...]

‘Stronger together than apart’

A world map showing the Provinces of the Anglican Communion (Blue). Also shown are the Churches in full communion with the Anglican Church: The Nordic Lutheran churches of the Porvoo Communion (Green), and the Old Catholic Churches in the Utrecht Union (Red).

From the Anglican Communion News Service this morning comes a report of a meeting of 19 bishops from around the world who met in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, at the end of February. The essence of the meeting: "We really need each other. We are stronger together than apart." The essence of relationships, of community, of being created in the Image of God: We really do need each other, because we are stronger together than apart. Any time a group of people gathers, there is the opportunity to build the community for which we were created. Any time those people take the time to listen to … [Read more...]

Living with the poor

Fortunate Ntawoyangire, left, wife of Theophile Manayiragaba, center, and Ben Llewellyn Jones, right, the UK High Commissioner, sharing a light moment with his hosts. (By D Umutesi of the New Times of Kigali)

This morning brought an e-mail from a former bishop in Rwanda, The Rt. Rev. Venuste Mutiganda, of a marvelous article published today in the New Times of Kigali. The article tells the story of two British diplomats - the High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ben Llewellyn Jones, and the Director of the Department for international Development (DfID), Elizabeth Carriere - who spent three days living with rural families in Rwanda. Why? So they could experience "firsthand what it means to live off less than one dollar a day." The article, found here, explores how these two high-ranking … [Read more...]