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Call for renewal in mission from Nigerian bishop
 Speaking at the Mere Anglican Conference, 18-21 January, Archbishop Ben Kwashi (left) from Jos, Nigeria, called for a renewal of a dynamic Anglican missiology. Having stressed the centrality of prayer and the teaching and preaching ministry of the church, Bishop Ben spoke of mission as "an exciting enterprise, an exciting adventure and a very contagious spiritual experience". He went on to say, "Individuals need to be led to a personal encounter with Christ, but these individuals also need to be gathered into a living, worshipping community who enrich, support and encourage each other. It is from this community of faith that other communities are founded and other individuals brought to know, love and serve the Lord." To read the full text of Bishop Ben's address at Virtue on Line 
Lord bishop encouraged to be missionary and pilgrim
 In preparation for taking up his role as Bishop of Winchester, Canon Timothy Dakin, the Executive Leader of the Church Mission Society, was this week ordained and consecrated bishop by the Archbishop of Canterbury in St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Preaching at the service, the bishop of Chelmsford, The Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, encouraged him to "be a missionary and pilgrim rather than master and lord". CMS trustees are currently interviewing for a new leader and hope to make an announcement during February. Bishop Dakin will be installed in Winchester in April 2012.
Egypt summit announced
 Exactly a year after the start of the Egyptian revolution that resulted in the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) has supported a call by Christians in Egypt for an international day of prayer. WEA Secretary General Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe said, “the WEA is calling on our global community to stand in united prayer with our sisters and brothers in Egypt at this crucial time in Egypt's history." Dr. Tunnicliffe also announced an Egypt Summit in Washington DC to take place on 7-8 February 2012. At this invitation-only summit, Egyptian Christian leaders will provide an analysis of their current reality and provide a framework of how best organizations/churches/foundations etc. can partner with the Church in Egypt at this critical time of transition. The WEA has asked Christians to pray with Christians in Egypt for a peaceful transition within the country and for cooperation among all other parties in order to achieve equality, freedom and justice in the nation.
Prayers for Egypt
 Christians around the world have been marking the first anniversary the uprising in Egypt that toppled Hosni Mubarak. Prayers have been said in churches in Cairo and in many other places for the peace and future stability opf the nation. In Britain the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, Bishop Angaelos, offered his prayers for people in Egypt, especially those who lost their lives or suffered as a result of the social and political upheavals of the last year. “In reality" he said, "at least in the short term, the transition has brought greater social divisions and subsequently given rise to increased attacks on minorities, mainly Christians, we therefore offer our prayers for all those who have suffered at this time as a result of these challenges, as well as those affected by an ailing economy, increasing unemployment and general breakdown in law and order.”
Fighting continues in Kano, Nigeria
 Following the attacks last Friday in which at least 185 people died, terrorists have again attacked a police station in the city of Kano in northn Nigeria. Around 30 gunmen rained bombs and gunfire on the police station killing a woman in the latest attack at 6.30pm last night. This attack is also being blamed on the Islamist group Boko Haram which has killed more than 935 people since they launched a violent campaign in July 2009. Yesterday's attack seems to have been provoked after police tried to arrest a suspect earlier in the day and came under heavy fire at his hideout in the city. Christianity Today also reported attacks on two churches in Kano this past Sunday but with no known casulties.
Korean unification warrior dies
 The death has been announced on 21 January of Rev. Kang Young-sup (left) one of most significant Christian leaders, whose efforts for the reunification of North and South Korea have been significant throughout his life. Kang Young-sup was the chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Christian Federation (KCF), and had a long standing relationship with the World Council of Churches. The General Secretary of the WCC, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, said “As a patriotic religious leader in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Rev. Kang Young-sup played an important role in nation building, as well as in working for peace and reconciliation on the divided Korean peninsula.” The National Council of Churches in Korea also expressed sorrow over Young-sup’s passing away, and reaffirmed their commitment to continue with his mission for peace and reunification in North and South Korea.
Ceasefire for the Karen in Myanmar
 Christian communities in Myanmar have expressed a cautious welcome for the cease-fire agreement, signed in Hpaan on 12 January, between the government olf Myanmar and the Karen National Union (KNU). As a large minority ethnic group, with many Christian members, the Karen people have been in armed conflict with the government for 60 years. According to reports from human rights groups, military forces have routinely burned Karen villages, homes and churches. As a result, thousands of Karen have been forced from their homes, with over 100,000 seeking refuge in neighboring Thailand. Since the internal conflict began in 1948, an estimated 500,000 people have been killed. Welcoming the ceasefire KNU Vice Chairman, Saw David Tharc Kabaw, added, “I’m cautious, very cautious, there is no certainty, we’re still not sure of the real agenda.”
Christian worker dies in Fiji
 Andrew Duxfield (pictured left with Rev Luke Ravudolo), a Christian worker from New Zealand, has died this week while on mission placement in Fij. Andrew was checking out a number of water projects in Fiji on behalf of the Anglican Missions Board (AMB), New Zealand, and Engineers without Borders (EWB) at the time of his death. “The staff of AMB and the Diocese of Polynesia are shocked at the sudden loss of such a valued friend and colleague,” says Robert Kereopa, the Executive Officer of the AMB. “Andrew had been visiting Fiji since 2004 and was instrumental in brokering a partnership between AMB, EWB and the Diocese of Polynesia to develop water projects in Fiji. May he rest in peace, and rise in glory.” Andrew Duxfield was 51, and is survived by Charmaine and their four children.
Fighting continues in South Sudan
 "Inter-ethnic conflict in South Sudan" claims Christian Aid, is "being fuelled by decades of underdevelopment and the proliferation of small arms in the newly independent country's largest state." The British based development agency is currently providing relief to some of the tens of thousands of civilians displaced by fighting in South Sudan, assisting the wounded and supporting the reconciliation work being led by the Sudan Council of Churches and Archbishop Daniel Deng. Fighting between the Lou Nuer and Murle ethnic groups was sparked by recent cattle raids and child abductions, and has led to the South Sudanese government declaring Jonglei a “human disaster area” and appealing for international assistance to bring the crisis to an end. The UN estimates that more than 60,000 people have been displaced by the latest round of fighting.
Christian outreach center demolished by government in Pakistan
 A protest by 500 Christians in Lahore, Pakistan yesterday, was supported by three Muslim leaders, Pakistan Muslim League-Q MPA Engineer Shahzad and Pakistan People`s Party MPAs Najmi Saleemi and Pervaiz Raffique. The two hour protest, led by the Bishop of Lahore, Rt Rev. Alexander Malik, followed the demolition of a church-owned shelter, Gosha-i-Aman, and the seizure of the adjacent land by the provincial government. The two acre Gosha-i-Aman, built by the Catholic church in 1887, consists of living accommodation for two families, a home for the elderly, sewing school for underprivileged women and a chapel. Protesters claimed that on 10 January officials from the City District Government demolished the buildings without any prior notification or warning. The Bishop of Lahore apparently showed all the documents of ownership to DCO Ahad Cheema but he still declared the land government property and went ahead with demolition.
Leading Mission Researcher dies suddenly
 The death has been announced of Mike O'Rear, the President of Global Mapping International (GMI), one of the leading mission research organisations. Mike suffered a sudden heart attack and after several days in intensive care, surrounded by family and friends, died of complications last week. He was 57. "Mike's death is a tragic loss for all of us who considered him a close friend, as well as a loss for GMI, the mission community in Colorado Springs, the U.S. and the entire world," said GMI board chair Jane Overstreet. O'Rear served in global roles such as Senior Associate for Information Technology for the Lausanne Movement. GMI is an international team of evangelical research, mapping and technical professionals passionate about informing, equipping and connecting the Church with information that will equip them to serve. Mike's contribution to world mission will be greatly missed.
Missiologists meet in South Africa
 Missiologists and mission leaders from across Africa are meeting in Pretoria, South Africa, this week to consider the "Social and Missiological analyses of religion and empire in South africa and the rest of the continent". At this Annual Congress of the Southern African Missiological Society, presentations will include Dr Gerhard Bothma on "Religion and Empire in the 'Our Father' prayer", Wynand van Niekerk on "White youth identity in a post-Apartheid South Africa", and Prof Pieter Verster who will provide an appraisal of the missionary movement in Africa. From Brazil Prof Rudolf von Sinner will present a paper on "Pentecostalism and citizenship". The congress concludes on Friday.
Growth of Anglican Health Network in 2012
 The Anglican Health Network, which aims to facilitate cooperation and communication among those involved in health ministries around the world has started 2012 with a number of positive developments. The Anglican Church of Australia recently resolved to establish its own Anglican Health Network within the province with Dr Alan Crouch leading this initiative. Dr Crouch currently oversees public health outreach programmes for the state government in the remote Cape York and Torres Strait Islands communities. The capacity of the global network has also been increased by engaging specialist services in the UK and volunteer services from the USA.
Anglicans consult on-line about development priorities
 The Anglican Alliance for Development, Relief and Advocacy has launched an on-line consultation today over their priorities for overcoming poverty and injustice worldwide. This builds on four consultations conducted last year with Anglicans in Africa, the Pacific, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. From these consultations the major development priorities identified were (1) Economic empowerment, (2) Peace and reconciliation, (3) Governance, (4) Women's empowerment, (5) Youth empowerment, (6) Communitiy empowerment, (7) Climate change, (8) Food security, and (9) Migrants and refugees. Food security and climate change were singled out as the key subjects for global advocacy. Anglicans are invited to contribute to this consultation here.
Half the world's Christians live in just 10 countries
 A recent rport by the respected Pew Forum has revealed that 47.8% of Christians in the world live in just ten countries - three in the Americas (US, Mexico and Brazil), three in Africa (Nigeria, DR Congo and Ethiopia), two in Europe (Russia and Germany), and two in Asia (China and Philippines). This spread makes Christianity the most geographically dispursed religion in the world but it also challenges to reflect on way it is so consentrated in just ten countries. The Pew report also demonstrates that Christians live as a majority religious comunity in 158 countries but as a tiny minority in some others, especially in the region of its origin - the Middle East. To access the full report
Zimbabwe: 80 priests told to stop praying
 A retreat being held by 80 Anglican clergy in a Christian school in Zimbabwe has been interupted by police and all the clergy ordered to leave the building after it was claimed that the prayer gathering was not given police clearance under sweeping security laws. As a result the Anglican Archbishop of Southern Africa, The Most Revd Dr. Thabo Makgoba (left), has issued a statement in which he says, "I call on our ecumenical friends and our partners in the Anglican Communion to ask their governments to put pressure on Zimbabwe to end this persecution." He also says, "The forthcoming season of Epiphany speaks of our hope that the incarnate Christ breaks all boundaries, and that He will ultimately break the power of President Mugabe and those of his supporters who carry out these deeds, and bring freedom to Zimbabwe."
Missionary statesman dies
 The death was announced today of the former bishop of Karachi in Pakistan, the Rt. Rev. Arne Rudvin (left). Bishop Rudvin, who was retired and living in his native Norway, suffered a heart attack and was taken by helicopter to hospital in Oslo but died there on 29 December. Rudvin served for many years in Pakistan and became a recognised authority on mission in Islam areas. Always interested in the deeper theological issues, in his forward to Jens Christensen's classic "Mission to Islam and beyond", Rudvin wrote, "Perhaps the reason for the neglect of the apostolate to the Muslims is that the Church has been afraid of facing these theological questions connected with Islam." Bishop Rudvin has been active in speaking and teaching during his retirement.
Nigeria - fear of Christian retaliation
 Christian leaders in Nigeria this week are seeking to explain the complexity of relationships which lie behind the violence of the past ten days, whilst at the same time trying to reassure their own church members. Although the bombing of churches at Christmas does seem to have had a religious motivation, the more recent violent clashes between police and Boko Haram, in which 61 people died, had much wider causes. The radical Islamic sect, Boko Haram, who instigated the attacks in Damaturu and Potiskum in Yobe state, have a political as well as a religious agenda. The violence left at least two senior police officers dead in Yobe state. The fear of some Christian leaders is that church members will respond with violence and already there is some speculation that a bomb detonated in an Islamic school last week was planted by Christians. Speaking from Nigeria, Jerry Dykstra of Open Doors said, "If we want to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, retaliation is not the way to do that. In fact, that would just make it harder for them to see us as Christians."
Prayer for North Korea's leaders
 As Kim Jong Un (left), North Korea’s new leader, stood this week on a balcony above Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square (named for his grandfather) TV cameras focused on the tens of thousands of people gathered to hear eulogies that ended a period of national mourning for his father. What they did not show what the hunger of hundreds of thousands elsewhere in the country. As president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly Kim Yong Nam has many difficult issues to face including food shortages and religious persecution. The World Evangelical Alliance Permanent Representative at the UN, Deborah Fikes, commented today, "As followers of Christ, the Prince of Peace, we pray for the future of North Korea that it would be a future of hope, peace, and prosperity. We will do all we can to encourage the international community to extend goodwill towards this goal. The lives of 23 million people in North Korea and hundreds of millions more in the region depend on this important country and the direction theirleaders take them in the days ahead."
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