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Report 009
PARTNERS IN MISSION
I. MANDATE
The Anglican Consultative Council, at its second meeting held in Dublin in 1973, adopted the principles of Partners in Mission so that Anglican churches could consult and share in God's mission within the larger communion. The following statement was adopted:
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The responsibility for mission in any place belongs primarily to the church in that place. However, the universality of the gospel and the oneness of God's mission mean also that this mission must be shared in each and every place with fellow Christians from each and every part of the world with their distinctive insights and contributions.
If once we acted as though there were only givers who had nothing to receive and receivers who had nothing to give, the oneness of the missionary task must now make us all both givers and receivers.
Since the Dublin meeting, there has developed throughout the Anglican Communion, a common acceptance of what the Church's mission is as part of the mission of God. This five-fold definition of mission, accepted by the Anglican Consultative Council in 1984, reaffirmed in 1990, 1993 and again in 1996, is summarized as follows:
To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
To teach, baptize and nurture new believers.
To respond to human need by loving service.
To seek to transform unjust structures of society.
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the earth.
Sharing this broad sense of mission and vocation for the Anglican Communion as a whole, the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada in 1995 adopted a Strategic Plan which chose as Priority A, to "strengthen our mission and development partnerships outside Canada." The Partners in Mission Committee has worked within this priority, under the following mandate:
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To promote and develop mission, with enthusiasm and prayer, in a manner which engages the church in circles of partnership, locally, nationally, globally and ecumenically.
II. THE IMPACT OF THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS CRISIS
During this triennium, the Anglican Church of Canada has been served with staggering numbers of lawsuits from former students of Indian Residential Schools. This crisis has affected the whole church and has resulted in much soul-searching, belt-tightening, and remorse. For the Partners in Mission Committee, the crisis was seen as a time to examine the legacy of our historical mission practices. Much reflection has occurred and will continue. In addition, the costs of litigation during 1999 and 2000 meant that the budget and staffing for the work of PIM had to be reduced. This has had an impact on our partners, which we deeply regret. At the same time, our overseas partners have supported us with love and prayers, and are following our journey with lively interest. For this solidarity we are indeed grateful.
III. GENERAL POLICY AND OPERATIONS
Partners in Mission Committee
The Committee has 15 members, including 1 ecumenical member and 1 international member. In this triennium, the ecumenical member has been the Rev. Bob Faris of the Churches Forum for Global Ministries. The international member has been Ms. Judy Berinai, lecturer at the Sabah Theological Seminary in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The Committee normally meets twice a year, in October and February, but the October meeting in 2000 was cancelled due to budget constraints. In February of 2000, the Committee travelled to Cuba for its meeting, and also for an exposure to the work of the Diocese of Cuba. The Committee did some of its work as a full plenary committee, and at other times divided into three regional sub-committees (Africa/Middle East, Asia/Pacific, Latin America/Caribbean) or two functional sub-committees (Mission Education, Overseas Personnel). The report of each of these sub-committees follows.
Councils
As part of its mandate, the Committee is responsible for overseeing our church's relationships with the Canadian Council of Churches, the Anglican Consultative Council and the World Council of Churches.
During this triennium, the Canadian Council of Churches has worked at changing itself into a forum, with less time given to legislative functions and more time given to the member churches learning about each other. The Council has struggled with financial difficulties that have limited the size of the staffing complement. In 2000, it was decided to experiment with an alternative to the usual pattern of holding a large Trienniel Assembly. Accordingly, the Governing Board moved its spring meeting to Edmonton and included in its agenda extra time for interaction with the local Edmonton churches. Our representatives on the Governing Board during this triennium have been the Rev. John Steele, Ms. Dorothy Davies-Flindall, the Rev. Jim Boyles, Dr. Ellie Johnson (alternate).
During this triennium, the Anglican Consultative Council held its eleventh meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland in September of 1999. Our church's representation on the Anglican Consultative Council has been the Rt. Rev. Michael Ingham (bishop), the Rev. Barbara Clay (clergy) and Dr. Stephen Toope (lay). Barbara Clay's term ended at ACC-11, and the Ven. Sue Moxley who will attend ACC-12 in 2002 has replaced her.
The World Council of Churches held its Eighth Assembly in December of 1998 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Our Church sent 5 official delegates, as well as a number of visitors and observers. Alice Jean Finlay from the Diocese of Toronto was elected to the Central Committee where she will serve until the next General Assembly in 2005 or 2006.
Voluntary Mission Agencies
There continue to be yearly consultations with Voluntary Mission Agencies that serve the Anglican Church of Canada, in accordance with the policy of 1989 governing relations between the General Synod and these agencies. These consultations continue to be occasions of information sharing and dialogue about mission theology and practice. In addition to the trust that has been engendered through this annual meeting there are increasingly opportunities to demonstrate the interdependence we have in our common mission as Anglicans.
Partners in Mission Consultation
The formal Partners in Mission Consultation process in the Anglican Communion has almost ceased, mainly because it is seen to be too expensive. However, consultation continues in smaller, more focused ways. In August of 2000, the Provincial (General) Secretaries of the Anglican Communion met in Mississauga, Ontario, hosted by our Church. We requested time to consult with them concerning our current residential schools crisis arising from the legacy of past mission practices. The Provincial Secretaries offered many helpful suggestions from their own contexts. These suggestions were significant gifts to our church.
New Ecumenical Justice Organization, CCJP
During 2000, the Canadian Churches agreed to consolidate and restructure a group of 9 ecumenical justice organizations, most of which dated back to the 1970's. The new ecumenical justice organization, Canadian Churches for Justice & Peace (CCJP), came into being at the beginning of 2001, and is still struggling through transition and "birthing pangs". In terms of the work of PIM, this new organization will subsume the work of the Inter-Church Committee on Africa (ICCAF), the Canada Asia Working Group (CAWG) and the Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America (ICCHRLA).
Staffing Changes
This past triennium saw many staffing changes. Partners in Mission staff are part of the larger Partnerships Department, which also includes staff supporting the work of EcoJustice and the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, under Dr Ellie Johnson as Director. Staffing reductions had to be made late in 2000, due to a substantial budget shortfall. The two portfolios that have been cut from Partners in Mission are Regional Mission Coordinator for Africa, and Coordinator for Mission Education. We are committed to continuing to work with our partners in Africa, and will try splitting the work. Dr. Andrea Mann will relate to the Provinces of the Middle East, Sudan, Southern Africa and Central Africa, in addition to her continued responsibilities for our partnerships in Asia and the South Pacific. Ms. Jill Cruse will relate to the Provinces of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and the Indian Ocean, in addition to continuing as Coordinator for Volunteers in Mission. The Rev. Philip Wadham will relate to the Province of West Africa, in addition to his responsibilities for our partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean. Philip will also do the Mission Education work. The Rev. Maylanne Maybee, who was formerly doing the Mission Education work, is now giving all her time to the work of EcoJustice.
IV. AFRICA / MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIPS
Background
Our partners in the region include the following:
12 autonomous ecclesiastical Anglican Provinces:
Central Africa, Kenya, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, West Africa, Sudan, Indian Ocean, the Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East.
5 ecumenical institutions (down from 9 in the previous triennium):
All Africa Conference of Churches, World Student Christian Federation, Project for Christian Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA), Formation Biblique et Théologique à Mauritius, Association of Christian Lay Centres in Africa.
2 Pan-African Anglican institutions:
ANITEPAM (African Network of Institutions of Theological Education Preparing
Anglicans for Ministry) and CAPA (Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa).
The vastness of the change in Africa, the exploding growth of the church there in the midst of extraordinary social, political and economic turmoil, the reality of our present budget cutbacks, all these things require that we examine carefully what and where are to be our appropriate partnership linkages for the future.
Priorities Of Our Partners
In agreement with most of the partners that Theological Education is a priority in the region, we have requested that a portion of our regular block grant to Provinces be passed on to theological colleges and seminaries in West Africa (St Nicholas), Tanzania ( St Mark's and St Cyprian's), Kenya ( St Paul's United Theological College), Seychelles (St. Philip's), Uganda (Uganda Christian University), Burundi (Institut Théologique de Matana), Sudan (Bishop Gwynne College) and Congo (ISThA - Bunia). Meanwhile we continue to support Theological Education by Extension (TEE) in Mauritius and the work of ANITEPAM (African Network of Institutions of Theological Education Preparing Anglicans for Ministry).
Bursaries have enabled students to attend seminaries both in Africa and Canada, with graduates from the latter serving now as bishops and seminary professors. Since the last General Synod meeting, we have been able to sponsor 22 students from the region.
A second priority is conflict transformation toward lasting peace with justice for all. Partners in Mission continues to work with regional Anglican and ecumenical organizations in efforts toward the cessation of war and violence against persons oppressed by race, ethnicity and religion.
Support for Anglican Provinces and Special Projects
Without any exaggeration we can say that the Africa / Middle East region is the fastest growing part of the church in our world-wide Anglican Communion. There is an ongoing need to support provinces and new dioceses. We make regular grants to provinces for basic infrastructure needs, as well as assisting with all forms of necessary transport (bicycles, motorcycles, vehicles) and supporting catechists, evangelists and new bishops through training programs.
Ecumenical Partners
We continue our partnership with the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), which is the most significant Pan-African ecumenical body. Half of our annual grant to AACC goes to the International Affairs Desk, which is playing a very important role in the peace and reconciliation process across the continent. We continue to be partners with the Association of Christian Lay Centres in Africa (ACLA).
Africa is a multi-faith continent (African Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity). The growth of Islam in Africa and the Middle East, as globally, continues to be an important focus of study and dialogue for Anglicans. For this reason we value our partnership with PROCMURA (Project for Christian Muslim Relations in Africa) in its training and teaching roles. During 2000, a former Director of PROCMURA, Dr. Stuart Brown, joined our staff on a short-term contract to serve as Regional Mission Coordinator for Africa and the Middle East. Unfortunately, the budget shortfall meant that his contract could not be extended.
In Canada, we have continued to do our Africa justice work ecumenically, through our participation in the new ecumenical justice organization, Canadian Churches for Justice & Peace (CCJP), under which the former Inter-Church Committee on Africa (ICCAF) was subsumed at the beginning of 2001
Significant Events Since the Last General Synod
Continuing civil war in the Sudan, partly funded by profits from oil extraction by the Calgary-based company, Talisman.
Escalating civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with troops from surrounding countries drawn in on both sides of the conflict and the assassination of President Laurent Kabila.
Escalating war in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians.
Continued ethnic conflict in Burundi.
Confiscation of the property and lands of white farmers in Zimbabwe, encouraged by President Mugabe as a method of land redistribution.
Devastating pandemic of HIV/AIDS throughout the continent, wiping out almost an entire generation and leaving hundreds of thousands of orphans.
WCC Eighth Assembly, in Harare, Zimbabwe in December 1998.
Crisis in Sierra Leone and ongoing fighting over diamond resources.
Partnership
The Companion Diocese relationship between Brandon and Southwest Tanganyika (Tanzania) was formally concluded in October 2000 after a span of 8 years. Rupert's Land and Central Buganda (Uganda) continue their companionship, which will be reviewed at the end of 2001. Ontario and Kumasi (Ghana) have been in companionship since 1994.
We have been very moved by the messages of solidarity coming to us from our partners in Africa, who stand in support of our work of healing and reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous Peoples, to which we have committed ourselves for the foreseeable future. This new commitment will happen at the expense of commitments to African partners, among others. It has been very painful to have to write to our partners the news of the loss of our staff person dedicated to Africa, as well as a reduction of approximately 25% in our financial support to African partners. This news has been received with amazing graciousness. We continue to learn more about the depths of partnership and feel blessed by the strength of our friendships.
Funding
In 2001, Partners in Mission has budgeted $300,000 for support of the mission work of our partner churches in the Africa / Middle East Region, down by 26% from the previous year.
V. ASIA/PACIFIC PARTNERSHIPS
Background
The priority of the Asia/Pacific work of Partners in Mission continues to be the building of mutual partnerships for mission and justice-seeking between the Anglican Church of Canada and our regional Anglican and ecumenical church partners. Anglican partners over the past triennium include the Episcopal Church of the Philippines, Philippine Independent Church, Anglican Church of Korea, Province of South East Asia, Nippon Sei Ko Kai (Holy Catholic Church of Japan), Province of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui, Church of the Province of Myanmar, the two dioceses of the Church of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and the Provinces and dioceses of the South Pacific Anglican Council, namely the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea, Church of the Province of Melanesia and Diocese of Polynesia. Post denominational and ecumenical partners include the Church of North India, China Christian Council, Christian Conference of Asia, Pacific Conference of Churches, the ecumenical councils of churches in Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Myanmar/Burma, India and Sri Lanka, and other Asian and Pacific ecumenical organizations and institutions. Budget and staffing reductions toward the end of the triennium meant a withdrawal of financial and administrative resources from long standing relationships with most national ecumenical organizations, and a decrease in same for Provincial partnerships. Beginning in 2001, funding was withdrawn from 9 historical partnerships.
Priorities of Our Partners
Through visits, correspondence and consultations, our Asia/South Pacific partners continued to identify the priorities of theological education and leadership development, evangelism, and infrastructure development. As many partners live in situations of civil war and communal violence, conflict transformation, reconciliation and peace with justice also emerged as priorities. These four priority areas will guide the development of Asia/South Pacific partnerships in the triennium ahead.
Theological Education and Leadership Development
We have assisted in the development of leadership in the region through scholarships for graduate theological education and workshops for the training of personnel from the Philippines, India, Myanmar/Burma, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. While most support is directed for regional training and education, a number of Asians and South Pacific Islanders came to Canada for studies. Close partnership with students' home Provinces, and with Canadian dioceses and theological colleges made these programs of study possible. Regretably, due to the rising costs of graduate education in Canada for foreign students, and to budget reductions, no similar programs are planned for the next triennium. Two important foci in regional educational workshops were developing women's skills for bible study and theology, and 'reading the Bible through new [diverse, Asian] eyes'.
Theological colleges receiving support for capital works, library acquisitions and faculty stipends, etc. included St. Andrew's Seminary, Manila, the two regional seminaries of the Philippine Independent Church, Aglipay Central Theological Seminary and St. Paul's Regional Seminary; Bishop's College, Calcutta; South Asia Theological Research Institute, Bangalore, Ditt Memorial Research Centre, Amritsar, Christian Institute for Research Studies, Batala, the Henry Martyn Insitute: International Centre for Research, Interfaith Relations and Reconciliation, Hyderabad, Holy Cross Theological College, Rangoon; Newton Theological College, Popondetta; Bishop Patteson Theological College, Honiara, and Pacific Theological College, Suva.
We have also continued to support regional associations of theological education in the South Pacific and South East Asia.
Evangelism
Partners in Mission policy in the Asia/Pacific region continues to affirm the principle that evangelism in Asia/Pacific is primarily the mission of the local church. Our regional Anglican and ecumenical partners are engaged in a variety of initiatives, such as social services, lay evangelism and church renewal. We have supported various missions, including the development of a joint Melanesian Brothers and Philippines Independent Church community centre in Palawan, the building of a permanent residence for Melanesian Sisters in Malaita, and stipend support for rural women lay leaders in Kurunegala.
Conflict Transformation, Reconciliation and Peace with Justice
Justice and human rights concerns continued to be significant throughout the regions. Many Asian and South Pacific partners experience and/or work with marginalized peoples facing poverty, denial of basic human rights, armed conflict and other forms of violence, ethnic, gender and religious intolerance, and frequent natural disasters. The situations of conflict in Burma, Sri Lanka and the Philippines remain especially acute, while violent civil strife has more recently surfaced in India, the Solomon Islands and Fiji.
We have supported the Episcopal Church of the Philippines in their outreach ministries among Filipino migrant labourers and indigenous peoples, the human rights desk of the National Council of Churches in Sri Lanka, and violent trauma analysis workshops led by the World Student Christian Federation (Asia/Pacific) in Hong Kong. We have written letters of solidarity to partners in the Philippines, Fiji, Solomon Islands, and Sri Lanka struggling for restoration of peace with justice in those countries.
We have continued to support the peace and reconciliation ministry of the Diocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka, and have entered into a new partnership with the Henry Martyn Institute: International Centre for Research, Interfaith Relations and Reconciliation, Hyderabad, India.
Regional social justice work has continued ecumenically through the Canada Asia Working Group (CAWG). Through CAWG, we have been involved in justice concerns in countries where we do not have Anglican partners, such as Indonesia and East Timor. CAWG is now joining the new ecumenical justice organization, Canadian Churches for Justice & Peace (CCJP), which will mean significant administrative changes, and some program changes in 2001. We have continued to work with the Pacific Peoples' Partnership in their advocacy for justice in issues relating to the impact of trade globalization on culture, climate, traditional economies and occupations, and the environment in the South Pacific.
Partnership
Mission is about people and developing mutual, respectful, responsible relationships. In the last three years, there have been many visits back and forth between the Anglican Church of Canada and Anglican churches and ecumenical organizations in Asia and the South Pacific. The national Partners in Mission Committee has been richly blessed this triennium by the active participation of Ms. Judy Berinai, from Malaysia. Judy is a member of the faculty of the Sabah Theological Seminary, Kota Kinabalu, Diocese of Sabah, Province of South East Asia.
Diocesan companion relationships between the Dioceses of Nova Scotia and Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), and the Dioceses of Calgary and Temotu (Melanesia) have ended. Companionships continuing into the next triennium include the Dioceses of Qu'Appelle, West Malaysia and Lichfield, the Diocese of British Columbia and the Church of the Province of Myanmar, and the Diocese of New Westminster and the Episcopal Church of Taiwan. The Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador also continues its ecumenical companionship with the United Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in Canada and the Diocese of Jabalpur, Church of North India.
Ecumenical relationship with the China Christian Council has been renewed. We are exploring with Canadian and Chinese church partners how best to work together in encouraging people exchanges and cross-cultural theological education, and in understanding religious freedom in China. In response to a request by General Synod 1998 for the "PIMC to consult with the China Christian Council to determine the most appropriate means to influence the government of China to take steps to alleviate the often tragic results of their One Child Policy", three recommendations were made to the Council of General Synod (COGS/May 2000) as follows:
That the One Child Policy is widely accepted among China's population;
That COGS encourage Canadians to join in the international encouragement of China's efforts to address its population growth and resultant social issues;
That COGS suggest to the Canadian Government that any offer of Canadian intervention toward alleviating the People's Republic of China's negative results of the One Child Policy might include:
Bilateral discussion between Canadian and Chinese government officials, social planning scholars and practitioners on poverty and gender issues in China's and Canada's ongoing family planning and social development programmes;
Bilateral and multilateral discussion between Chinese and other nations' governments and groups, especially Indian, where family planning is also intended to slow population growth, ease poverty and improve the long term quality of life for people. (India is also a country where female foeticide, infanticide and abandonment are practiced as means to a second, preferably male, child.)
Events of Significance Since Last General Synod
For your prayers of intercession and of thanksgiving, here are just a few of the events which touched the lives of our partners and ourselves:
warming of relationships within the Korean peninsula
coup and ethnic violence in Fiji
devastating tidal wave in northern Papua New Guinea
continued war, internal dislocation, death in Sri Lanka
Townsville Peace Agreement, Solomon Islands
rapid modernization of Peoples Republic of China
violent intolerance of minorities in India, Pakistan, Myanmar
increasing exploitation of indigenous lands for resource extraction in Philippines, Solomon Islands, Myanmar
celebrations of historic anniversaries of the Anglican/Episcopal Church in Sri Lanka, India, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, and the election of new Primates in South Korea, Japan, Philippines, South East Asia, Hong Kong and India
acceptance of women to ordered ministry in the Nippon Sei Ko Kai and Church of Pakistan, increasing the number of Provinces/Other Members of the Anglican Communion in Asia and the South Pacific to ordain women to 9, including Pakistan, India, Philippines, Japan, China, Australia and Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.
As we approach the beginning of a new triennium, the Anglican Church of Canada's relationships with Anglican churches and ecumenical organizations in the Asia/Pacific are alive and well, despite reductions in our operating budget and staffing energies. In partnership over the past triennium, we have grown in our understanding of mission toward peace, justice and the integrity of creation. We are deeply thankful for and look forward to partners' continuing companionship on this journey of faith and witness, especially as we say farewell to some and learn how less is more with those remaining.
Funding
In 2001, Partners in Mission has budgeted $250,00 for support of the mission work of our partners churches in the Asia/Pacific Region, which is a 24% reduction from the previous year.
VI. LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN (LAC)
Background
The region is vast and diverse: about 35 independent states and a handful of dependent colonial territories with countries ranging in size from small Caribbean islands to the vastness of Brazil. The Anglican/Episcopal presence consists of some long established Provinces (Brazil, Cono Sur and the West Indies) as well as the new autonomous Provinces of Mexico (1995) and Central Region of the Americas (January 1998). Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Bermuda continue to be extra-Provincial dioceses. Of these four Cuba and Puerto Rico are in continuing discussion with the dioceses of the Dominican Republic and Haiti in the formation of a new 'Province of the Caribbean'. Our key ecumenical partnerships are with the CLAI (Latin American Council of Churches), the CCC (Caribbean Conference of Churches), the CONIC (National Council of Churches of Brazil), and the CEC (Cuban Ecumenical Council).
Priorities For The Region
Our partnership is developed through consultation with the dioceses/provinces in the region and there are some common priorities that have been identified. These are:
Education for Clergy and Lay People
This is the number one priority throughout the region. With respect to clerical leadership there exists in the region a variety of training programs to prepare and equip people, both men and women for the diaconate and the priesthood. As well as the traditional patterns of training in seminaries such as Codrington College, Barbados and in Jamaica at the United Theological College of the West Indies other programs throughout the region offer both full and part-time theological education. The Ecumenical Seminary in Matanzas, Cuba is presently over enrolled, a sign of a growing interest in the Church in that country.
Continuing education for clergy is also emphasized in the region and a particularly good example of this is to be found in El Salvador where a provincial program offers weeklong residential courses to its clergy. There continues to be a shortage of Anglican priests in LAC and there is a strong commitment throughout the Anglican Church in LAC to train lay people for pastoral and theological leadership. A good example of this is to be found in the Windward Islands where the newly opened pastoral centre serves as the base for their lay training-for-ministry program.
Evangelism and Missionary Expansion
The balance of a strong commitment to social involvement, particularly among marginalized people, a sound liturgical practice and a rational approach towards scripture sees the Anglican Church in the region continuing to grow steadily if not spectacularly. The growth of the church is greatest where the local context has been allowed to modify existing worship patterns. In Cuba, where music and dance are a vital expressions of the peoples identity the best of their worship contains both these elements. In Jamaica, at Congress 2000 (see below) drums powerfully animated the opening eucharist. Along with its social commitment modified but identifiably Anglican worship is one of the tools of evangelism.
Missionary work continues under the direction and participation of national clergy and lay people. In Brazil, at their Provincial Synod (see below) there was much celebration at the inauguration of two new missionary districts, a decision that follows a number of years of planning. The region continues to be aggressively targetted by fundamentalist groups, the majority of these being national and many 'one off' expressions of the gospel.
Justice Making
In addition to diocesan and parish program of social concern the Anglican /Episcopal Church in LAC, in varying degrees promotes the biblical mandate for 'doing justice'. In Brazil this is particularly evident in accompaniment work with the Landless Movement and indigenous peoples. In Northern Argentina aboriginal people involved in land claims have strong Anglican and ecumenical backing. In Guatemala Mayan people are encouraged by church support both for their justice struggles and for a genuinely Mayan expression of their spirituality. A Mayan woman was the first female priest ordained in the diocese of Guatemala.
Although the gap between the rich and the poor in LAC has always been large the past three years has seen it expand further. The answer to this widening divide between the haves and the have nots requires more than charity and national organizations that represent the poor continue to work hard, often at great personal risk, to bring about structural changes. The Anglican/Episcopal Church in LAC continues to stand alongside those who work for a more equitable sharing of resources.
Infrastructure/Material Resources
As 'compañeros' (companions) of our brothers and sisters in LAC the Anglican Church of Canada, through its Partnership program transfers funds to the Anglican/Episcopal Church in the region. The majority of this funding is through block grants to the provinces. In the case of two extra-provincial dioceses (Cuba and Venezuela) direct payment is made to their synod office. Decisions with respect to the use of these funds are made by the provinces/dioceses and these are in line with our partners priorities. As we have struggled in the current year with a decrease in the funds we have available to share with LAC we have been very encouraged by words of understanding and solidarity received from our 'compañeros' in the region.
Events, Anglican and Otherwise, of Note in the Region
In 1999 open air services in the major cities in Cuba organised by the Cuban Council of Churches to celebrate the various denominational/evangelical expressions of our faith. These were attended by tens of thousands of Cubans and President Castro was present at opening celebrations.
In Brazil the formation of two new 'Missionary Districts' in which the Episcopal Anglican Church will initiate new work, both liturgical and social. The formation of these districts is a direct response to local invitations.
In Jamaica 'Congress 2000', a provincial gathering, the first in the history of the Province of the West Indies. Around 300 Anglicans met together to look at present realities for the church and began the process of planning for the future. Of particular significance were the presence and the strong voice of young people at this assembly.
The continuation of the 'nationalization' of the Anglican Church in the region, with Church leadership and congregational participation increasingly in the hands of nationals.
New Companion Diocesan relationships begun between the dioceses of Cuba and Niagara, Guyana and Saskatoon, and Northern Mexico and Kootenay.
Partnership visits from Canadian groups to Cuba, Guyana, Barbados and Belize.
Partnership visits from Cuba to Canada.
Final Reflections
With the Anglican Church in Latin America continuing its journey of faith, it is encouraging to note the changes that are taking place. Seeking to express an Anglican ethos within a Latin context poses some particular problems but where this challenge has been grasped the church is healthy. Young people form a large part of the church (as they do throughout the continent) and the ownership they express of their church is wonderful.
In the Caribbean the historical formation of the province by the Church of England is still very evident. Again, it is among the young people that some of the liturgical expressions resulting from these links are being challenged. At 'Congress 2000' many delegates expressed concern for the falling number of young people involved in the church and the need to 'do something'. In fact the young people there were also clear that their voice needed to be listened to if they were to remain involved in the Anglican Church. It is to the credit of the present leadership in the province that this concern is being taken seriously. "If we don't," said one delegate, " we may end up like the Anglican Church in Canada".
Funding
In 2001 Partners in Mission has budgeted $230,000 for support of the mission work of our partner churches in the Latin America/Caribbean Region, down 23% from the previous year.
VII. THE VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION PROGRAM AND THE THEOLOGICAL STUDENTS'INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Volunteers In Mission
The Volunteers In Mission Program of the Anglican Church of Canada was approved at the Winnipeg General Synod in 1986. The first appointments were made in late 1988 and early 1989 to Fiji and Tanzania. Since that time 77 adults and 12 children have served as Volunteers In Mission in 26 countries and returned to Canada. Volunteers have come from 19 of our 30 dioceses, from BC to Nova Scotia. The year 2000 has seen 13 volunteers return to Canada after completing their placements.
At the time of writing, there are 7 volunteers serving with partner churches or institutions:
Paul Jeffries from the Diocese of Fredericton serving in the Diocese of West Ankole, Uganda;
John Veldhuis, from the Diocese of Toronto serving in the Diocese of Central Buganda, Uganda;
Ron and Dorothy Thicke from the Diocese of New Westminster, serving at St. Philip's Theological College, Kongwa, Tanzania;
Ed and Kay Schmitt, from the Diocese of New Westminster, at language training in Guatemala and to serve in the Diocese of El Salvador;
Lorna Reevely, from the Diocese of Toronto, serving at Bishop Patteson Theological College, Kohimarama, Solomon Islands.
At the time of writing, there are 4 volunteers preparing to depart:
Kathleen and Claire Sorenson from the Diocese of Toronto to serve at St. Philip's, Kongwa;
Blair and Jean Williams from the Diocese of Ottawa to serve at the Asian Rural Institute in Nishinasuno, Japan.
The joint program with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada continued until 1993 at which time the ELCIC decided to move it's program operation to their national headquarters in Winnipeg. Both programs continue to consult and learn from one another.
Volunteers are required to form a support group in their local area whose functions are to provide moral and spiritual support and to raise the funds needed to cover the costs of such things as return airfare, health insurance and a modest monthly living allowance. Experience has shown this is quite possible and allows qualified volunteers to serve with minimal cost to the General Synod budget.
Volunteers are also required to participate in a cross-cultural Orientation Conference designed and delivered by the Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries. This is a well-planned event, ecumenical for both participants and presenters, and gives a solid grounding for the volunteers to draw on during their placement overseas. Returned volunteers participate in a Re-Entry to Canada Conference which is designed to assist them to integrate and use their experience in their continuing ministry at home.
We participate in the Forum for Global Ministries through an annual grant and by membership on the Board and the curriculum committee of the Forum.
The VIM program is a vehicle for mission education within the church here in Canada. Parishes and dioceses are closely connected to the volunteers and their learnings and experiences. Parish-based support groups circulate letters and newsletters, sent home by the volunteers, within the parish and to diocesan groups. Some dioceses include letters from the volunteers in their diocesan paper. Volunteers return home greatly enriched and committed to sharing what their experiences have taught them. Their support group assists them, as needed, in arranging opportunities within their diocese to do so.
The PIMC initiated a Program Evaluation of Volunteers in Mission in 1997, when the program was 10 years old. The purpose of the review was: "to assess the effectiveness of the Volunteers In Mission Program against the goals of the program and our church's wider goals of partnership and mission." The first draft of the report was received by PIMC in March 1998 with a final report and recommendations ready for the fall 1998 meeting of the Council of General Synod. Such issues as appropriate recognition of volunteers, using the VIM program for receiving missioners from our partner churches and developing in-Canada placements for VIM were reviewed by the evaluator, resulting in 12 recommendations to the PIMC. These recommendations have been largely implemented over this past triennium, while the committee has continued to work on the recommendation to use the VIM model for receiving missioners to Canada.
Goals for the next triennium are to implement the remaining recommendations of the VIM evaluation, where possible, and to maintain a participant level that ensures the quality of the program placements.
Overseas Summer Student Internship Program
The goals of the program are:
To increase awareness of global concerns among theological students.
To increase students' commitment to our church's mission and ministry.
To give prospective clergy and professional lay workers who have not lived in a developing country an experience of the third world.
This program was piloted in 1992 with the placement of one student in Belize. This pilot placement received a very positive evaluation and Partners in Mission Committee has continued the program. The theological students, their bishops and their hosts all evaluate the program highly. 26 students have participated in summer international internships since the program began. In 1999, 3 students were placed in St. Vincent, Guinea Conakry and Zimbabwe. In 2000, 2 students served in the Belize and Uganda and in 2001 there will be two students serving in Trinidad and Tobago.
Funding
The budget for the VIM program and the Overseas Student Internship Program was not reduced. The 2001 budget for the VIM program is $40,000, while that for the Overseas Student Internship Program is $18,500. Funds to support individual volunteers are raised in parishes and dioceses across Canada, and totaled almost $200,000 in 1999.
VIII. MISSION EDUCATION, INTERPRETATION, AND RESOURCES
Companion Diocese Program
A goal set by the bishops meeting in Lambeth in 1998 was to have every diocese in the communion in companionship with another diocese. The Anglican Church of Canada is still a little short of that goal - of our 30 dioceses, 22 are in some form of companionship. Since the last General Synod in 1998, six Canadian dioceses concluded their companionships, six struck new companionships, and several others renewed or extended ones that were already current. Of these companionships, seven are in Latin America or the Caribbean, five in Asia or the South Pacific, three in Africa, four in Canada, and three are elsewhere - the United Kingdom and Australia. The role of Partnerships continues to be encouraging dioceses to enter into companionships, enabling the flow of information and sharing of resources, being a "matchmaker" for the companion diocese program in Canada and the wider communion, and offering advice and expertise through our regional mission staff.
Jubilee: Releasing the Vision
A primary educational focus for Anglicans and their ecumenical partners during the past triennium was Jubilee -- not only the Jubilee 2000 campaign to cancel the debt of the world's most impoverished countries, but also the biblical tradition and its theological meaning in our time in terms of globalization, the use and distribution of wealth, and the relationship between peoples and the earth. Partners in Mission combined financial and staffing resources from EcoJustice and PWRDF to sponsor the most successful "Making the Connections" conference held to date. In August 1999, more than 100 people from 27 dioceses gathered in Peterborough to learn about and celebrate the Jubilee theme. The conference helped to shape a highly functional network for learning and leadership in the years following.
Partners in Mission participated, through a representative, in the Joint Working Group on Jubilee. The Joint Working Group was established by the Council of General Synod to act as a liaison between and among committees and dioceses of the national church, and as a reference group to staff who related to the Jubilee Theme.
People Exchange and Partnership Visits
These two programs provide financial support and advice for visits and exchanges between companion dioceses and other partners. The People Exchange fund assists international visitors to come to Canada for companionship visits, conferences, or other special events. It helped to bring visitors from Northern Mexico, Brazil, Myanmar, Northern India, Kenya, and other parts of the world to Canada.
The Partnership Visits fund provides small grants to dioceses and parishes in Canada for sending individuals or groups overseas, also for companionship visits, conferences, or other special events. From 1998 to 2000, grants were disbursed to individuals, delegations, youth groups and students to visit companion dioceses and partners in Africa and the Middle East, Asia and the South Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the United Kingdom, and to visit communities in Iqaluit and the Nass Valley within Canada.
Global Mission Network
As new ways of working are being imagined and developed, an Asia Pacific Mission Network among Canadian Anglicans was initiated from the Asia Pacific desk, and is now being expanded into a Partners in Mission Network with a global focus. Its purpose is to foster information sharing and strengthen relationships between global partners and Canadian Anglicans at the diocesan and parish levels. The Network will connect people who have shown interest in the mission work of the Anglican Church of Canada. Participants will receive resource materials and an updated mailing list twice a year. Response to this proposal has been positive, and plans are proceeding to make it happen.
Educational Resources
A "Newsy Letter about Mission Education" has been produced and distributed occasionally to Mission Education contact people in each diocese. A Mission Education Resource Binder was also produced and distributed in each diocese, in a format that will make it easy to update and supplement. In 1999, the first edition of Praying with our Partners: A Canadian Supplement to the Anglican Cycle of Prayer was printed and mailed to every parish in Canada. The supplement highlights ways in which the Anglican Church of Canada expresses its partnership with different provinces and dioceses of the Anglican Communion and features as they are prayed for Sunday by Sunday in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer. Reception of this resource, now in its third year, has been very positive, and plans are being made to integrate other forms of partnership - with indigenous peoples and with EcoJustice partners - into the cycle in future editions.
Staff Changes
Reduced staffing following the cuts made in August 2000 mean that coordination of Mission Education formerly combined with Justice Education, will shift to the Rev. Philip Wadham.
Funding
In 2001, Partners in Mission has budgeted $54,500 for Mission Education programs, a reduction of 24% from the previous year.
IX. FUTURE DIRECTIONS
The Residential Schools crisis has had a profound effect on the Anglican Church of Canada. For the Partners in Mission Committee, this crisis has led to sober reflection on the damaging consequences of our past mission philosophy and practice. At the end of the last triennium in 1998, the PIMC remarked on the slow progress towards true mutuality and equal partnership, and recommended that substantial attention be directed in the future towards the problem of dependency in mission relationships. Now, at the end of the present triennium, we are suddenly keenly aware of the lingering vestiges of colonialism in Canada that continue to poison the relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians. Our analysis of the lack of equality and mutuality in our international mission relationships has been sharpened by our current reflections on the historical/colonial roots of present-day broken relationships in Canada. As we look ahead, we see the main mission work of our church to be dealing with the legacy of our past mission practices among indigenous peoples in Canada. But we also recognize the importance of maintaining our relationships with the rest of the Anglican Communion. Much support and advice has already been offered to us by our overseas partners, and hopefully, will continue to be offered. For our part, as we journey through this difficult period in our history, we will try to integrate the advice being offered to us, and to share our experiences and our learnings with our overseas partners. While the work of healing and reconciliation will demand much of our time, energy and resources, we hope that the members of the next PIMC will do their best to continue to support our partners financially and to maintain our international partnerships.