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News News from the British Isles and around the world
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SCOTTISH NATIONAL CONFERENCE Gerry McLaughlin reports
Scotland’s 15th National Conference took place in Glasgow on the weekend of 9/10 November 2007. This was the culmination of the CCR 40th anniversary celebrations in Scotland. It was only after this year’s dates were set that it was discovered that it was also the 30th anniversary of the 1st National Conference, which took place exactly on that weekend in 1977 at Coodham in Ayrshire. The theme for the Conference was “See I am doing a new thing, laying a path in the wilderness; the way for you to follow ...”. This followed on from words received at the 40th Anniversary Celebration in February and confirmed through the N. Isles Committee and at the European Leaders’ Conference in Warsaw.
The main speaker was Charles Whitehead, who addressed the 180 present on Friday evening and again on Saturday morning. He emphasised that Pentecost was primarily about mission rather than blessing. On the Friday evening there was a healing service led by Fr. Laurence Brassill OSA and Pauline Edwards. They involved the members of the NST and several others in praying over people as Pauline received words of knowledge. At the end those who had not been prayed with were invited to come forward. A powerful movement of the Spirit was experienced. As well as the main talks from Charles there was a selection of workshops on Saturday afternoon. These were each run twice to give people an opportunity to attend two different ones. Charles, with his wife, Sue, led a workshop on seeking the Lord’s vision, while Fr. Laurence and Pauline led one in which they explained how their healing weekends run and finished this by inviting all in attendance to pray for Baptism in the Spirit for those who had not yet received it. There were also workshops on Prayer Groups, led by Jamus Smith from Aberdeen; New Things, led by Andy Hall, recently retired director of YWAM; Mary’s Meals, led by Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow of Scottish International Relief; Working with Young People, led by Fr. Stefan Park OSA and Mothers’ Prayers, led by Pauline Byrne from that group. The Conference concluded with Mass at which the chief
celebrant was Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow. This was the first
national conference that he had attended and was a very joyful occasion.
The final action of the weekend was for Tom Mullen to stand down after
nearly nine years as national leader and formally hand over the reins
to Ged Farrell, leader in the Aberdeen Diocese. This was simple, but
moving, as the office was symbolically handed over with a warm embrace
between the two men and a gift for Tom. A new era now begins for Scotland.
MUCH TO LEARN FROM THE PENTECOSTALS It is common for Protestant Pentecostals to be depicted as a threat to the Catholic Church in Latin America and Africa. But Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana thinks that Catholics have much to learn from Pentecostalism, not least their emphasis on the Bible and personal conversion. Speaking on a recent trip to London last autumn, he commented, ‘I think that our traditional way of making people Catholic needs to be reconsidered. The declaration that Jesus is Lord is meant to be an expression of a person’s commitment. It’s like somebody being offered knowledge of a person and consciously accepting to enter into a relationship with that person and establish personal ties. This is what holds people in these Evangelical churches,’ he explained. He suggested that some priests and bishops were products of ‘notional Christianity’. In other words, they had been brought up in a Catholic home, undergone a Catholic education, and learned their theology in seminary. But they had never experienced a personal conversion.
‘The danger facing the Catholic Church in Africa
is that we just feed people with a few notions. Who is God? What is
the trinity? What is a sacrament? These definitions can be learned by
heart and just repeated to anybody who asks questions. “At the
last meeting I attended of the Council for Christian Unity we discussed
the threat of Pentecostals in Latin America. I said that we need to
celebrate the gifts of the Holy Spirit more: prophecy, healing, intercessionary
prayer and all of that. This is one of the things the Pentecostals do”. The fifty-nine-year-old cardinal is, perhaps, the most influential and respected Catholic voice in Africa. When he visits parishes for confirmation, he makes time to meet the children the night before and he conducts informal catechesis sessions with them. He adopts a similar approach to seminarians in their diaconate year, inviting them to live with him. ‘Initially, they were apprehensive, and didn’t know why I was inviting them. I have done this for the past ten years. I get to know them and they get to size me up. ‘There have been a few occasions when I have picked up signals from students that have been useful to me later in dealing with them as priests. If I pick up signals that are really serious, I call them in for a chat. I also ask them about their spirituality and prayer life. I tell them it’s not enough to pray the breviary. They are encouraged to develop a personal prayer life and deepen their spirituality.’ In some parts of Africa vocations to the priesthood are so plentiful that priests are being sent to Europe. For example, the Missionary Society of St Paul, a Nigerian religious order, now has priests working in several parts of England, including London and Bristol. But he says that the few local African churches, which have sent priests and missionaries to churches in the West, have not done so out of a surplus but as an expression of their charity, solidarity. Cardinal Turkson wants to see something concrete and radical emerge from the African synod in 2009. ‘At the second synod for Africa we must look at how we are a Church in Africa. Rwanda was supposed to be 99% Catholic. How could it end up with a genocide? We need to realise that probably notional Christianity has been too strong. Instead, we need a radical conversion that will make the presence of God real and personal for each one of us”.
Due to insurance problems, restoration work on the House
of the Open Door community buildings, after the summer’s flooding,
has been held back. In the meantime, with the retreat house, their main
source of income out of operation, many community members, have been
taking up outside employment. The community hopes to be to welcome guests
again sometime after May 2008.
COME TO LONDON FOR PENTECOST If you are thinking of coming to London, why not make it at Pentecost, when there will be an amazing weekend of free Christian events 9th-11th May 2008 filling the parks, pubs, streets, boats, churches, clubs, theatres and shops round the ten Northern Line tube stations from Camden town to Waterloo. The events will range from circus performers in Covent Garden to scientists discussing ethical issues in coffee shops, as well as food halls, music and dancing shows from cultures all over the world. Some of the biggest and best Christian artists, agencies and charities in the UK will be taking part. The event will culminate in a massive prayer event at one of the London football stadiums on Pentecost day. If you want to bring your own event to the festival, for a ?100 registration fee, you can get a slot in the programme and on the website. The four requirements are that it has got to be good, it’s got to be Christian, it’s got to be free and it’s got to be open to all. For further info contact www.pentecostfestival.co.uk
Leaders of the CCR in Ireland are being invited to a gathering in Dublin on 12th January 2008 to discern the vision and strategy for promoting the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in Ireland. Fr Chris Thomas, from the Irenaeus Project in Liverpool, has been invited to speak at the day and the theme for the day is going to be “preparing a Highway for Yaweh” from Isaiah 40. Chairperson Marie Beirne said, she felt that the promotion and facilitation of Baptism in the Spirit was the key priority for the CCR in Ireland. She saw four stages for this to happen. The first was simply to encourage praise, intercessory groups and prayer for Ireland generally. The second was to communicate the vision and to encourage people to be thirsty for Baptism in the Spirit and the Spiritual Gifts. The third was to facilitate bringing baptism in the Holy Spirit to people, and finally to encourage follow up and formation of those who attended the seminars. Already Marie and members of her prayer group in Mohill, Co Leitrim have run a weekend Life in the Spirit seminars for the promoters of the Sacred Heart Messenger magazine in Co Cork, which was very effective. About 30 people attended. Some people who attended were not even involved in the magazine but simply turned up. The weekend went so well that the organiser felt it would be worth doing with other promoters of the magazine round the country.
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There
have been several changes on the Welsh NSC recently. Frances Graham,
who was the vice-chairperson, has been elected the new chairperson,
following the resignation of Pat Williams at the end of 2007,
who has moved on to other work. The post for deputy now remains
vacant. David and Julie Hartley have also stepped down. Frances
commented, “We are indebted to them for their hard work.
David for his administrative skills and work creating and managing
the web site, and Julie for her constant support and the creative
workshops she organised for the national conference.” Although
they have stepped down from the committee, the couple will continue
to play an active role in organising and running events in Wales.
Mary
Tanner died in Haslemere, Surrey, on October 22, at the age of
87. Mary’s effect on charismatic renewal was profound
for the many people who knew her, and she knew a lot of people.
Her effect was, however, almost exclusively personal rather than
corporate -- as in reaching a large body.