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Global Mission Office

From the Global Mission Office

News from John & Rita England, Ecumenical Associates for Asia,

John and Rita have heard from our long-time Burmese friends, Eddy and Rosy Win. They are closely involved with refugee groups, churches, Burma News, and Empowering Women of Burma. They are funded by international agencies. Volunteers are needed to teach English to refugee women and children. More information can be had from maymayyee(at)yahoo.com, or from ritajohnengland(at)clear.net.nz.

The Englands are involved in producing the Research Guide to Asian Christian Theologies, (South/Austral-Asia), Volume 1, a world first which is expected to appear September. Volume 2 (Southeast Asia), December. Volume 3 (Northeast Asia) will follow early 2003. This has involved coordinating/editing/rewriting the work of many contributors.

The project is sponsored by international ecumenical and Roman Catholic agencies. Forum of Asian Theological Librarians, ETE (WCC) and ATESEA (Assoc. for Theol. Educ. SEA) give limited support. Plans are developing for a small working consultation of librarians at end of year. Rita has been 'secretary'. Our continuing support is needed. Rita has been the Convenor of the Programme Committee for "Recovering the Memory of Our Peoples" - the world consultation on (3rd world) Archives, Rome (September 29 - October 6), sponsored by IAMS (International Assoc. Mission Studies) and IACM (Int'Nat. Assoc. Catholic Missiologists). It's important for more Asian archivists/librarians to attend. John and Rita have been invited and will attend as resource persons, the consultation on Teaching Theology in Asian Context, organised by Missio (Catholic) and the Asian Christian Higher Education Institute - Bangkok (Protestant), December where one of the guides will be launched. They are editing other MSS for Vietnamese and Japanese colleagues, doing some local speaking/preaching, and some 'distance' tutoring/consulting.

Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand Shares in Vanuatu Bush Village's Mission

The Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu Mission Training Program began at Talua Ministry Training Centre two years ago. Graduates are now carrying out effective mission in some of the difficult areas of Vanuatu. After the establishment of a church at Sulphur Bay on Tanna, God opened new doors for mission. Tokosmelen Mission area is at the foot of Mount Tokosmera and Mount Melen where two mission workers are based. Another worker is in theFanla area on the Island of Ambrym which is known as a stronghold of custom power. The Malekula Bush Mission, is not a new mission area, but due to its isolation, there has been little church development. A new worker is being placed there because the people have great spiritual and physical needs. The new Santo Bush Mission is the largest with many villages and people and requires a lot of work. The Global Mission Office helps with this mission through the People Mission Project Grant of $NZ10,000, identified by the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu.

Vanuatu Presbytery Clerks to Share and learn in New Zealand.

The six full time Clerks of the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu are to make a study and sharing visit to Assembly, then South Canterbury, Christchurch, Auckland and Bay of Plenty Presbytery areas. They will share their vision for interaction between New Zealand and Vanuatu Presbyteries. The Clerks serving full time, sometimes not paid, have roles broadly similar to the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand Mission Resource Co-Directors and Presbytery Clerks combined.

They might have a model worth looking at for the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand - a mission resource person for each Presbytery, combined as Clerk. Could it work with fewer Presbyteries?

Trash for Clothes

Lien Chia-en is one of the first young men in Taiwan to perform his national service in other than the military. A medical school graduate, last year he went to Burkina Faso as part of a service team. A member of Shining Star Presbyterian Church, Taipei, he is living out his faith while overseas. Chia-en noticed that garbage remaining uncollected in the neighborhood where he lived presented a health problem. He noticed that poor residents lacked adequate clothing, so initiated a community development scheme that exchanges clothing - trousers or a shirt - for three bags of collected garbage. His home church made July "mission month", in support of his project and gathered many boxes of clothing and approximately $US50,000 to pay for shipping. Taiwan Church News

Reconnecting with My Original Self

Young people from the Paiwan tribe gathered in July to consider faith and their original selves. The summer conference was sponsored by the Paiwan Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT). The weather was not conducive to outdoor recreation, but the mountain venue had a positive influence. Paiwan traditionally inhabit mountainous southern Taiwan, but more recently economic straits have forced many families to the plains.

"My Original Self" encompasses both what a person is created to be, and the cultural/ethnic aboriginal roots. Le Ge-ai, the head of the Presbytery's Youth Ministry team, said, "This camp gave our youth an experience of their ancestors' life-style. What we ate, wore, lived in, and did were to provide contemporary youth with material for consideration and growth and forming and firming faith." Taiwan Church News

A prayer from the Western Solomon Islands' Gospel Centenary May Celebrations

"Holy Spirit, from You the waters of life spring; from You the joy of mission and energy for proclamation flows. You inspired and strengthened missionaries from other lands to come to us. You convicted, inspired, strengthened and empowered some of our own to be channels of Your love and peace. Through them all, You turned our darkness into light, our death into life, our sadness into joy, our enmity into friendship, our longing into fulfilment, our hatred into love, and our despair into living hope. Gracious Spirit, we are the harvest of your work."