Father Michael Harper (1931-2010)

An appreciation by Charles Whitehead

One of the greatest pioneers and servants of the Charismatic Renewal died in Cambridge on January 6th 2010 after a short illness.

Michael Harper was ordained a priest of the Church of England in 1956, and experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit in 1962, speaking in tongues the following year. In 1964 he established The Fountain Trust to further renewal in the power of the Holy Spirit for Christians throughout the body of Christ. He started Renewal Magazine and was a prolific author, as he travelled the world serving renewal within the Anglican Communion and promoting ecumenical relations.

I first met Michael Harper in 1983. We became friends, and from that time on I worked with him in a number of committees and in the organisation of a variety of international ecumenical events. In 1999 he invited me to succeed him as the chairman of ICCOWE, the International Charismatic Consultation on World Evangelisation, today abbreviated to ICC. We remained in regular contact over succeeding years, and at the time of his death he was still a Trustee of ICC and planning to attend our February Executive meeting, where his wisdom and advice would have been as much appreciated as ever. His experience of the worldwide Charismatic renewal was second to none, and he will be hugely missed by many, many people. He was prophetic, visionary, dynamic, challenging, and entertaining, but he always had time for the individual who wanted to seek his advice or receive ministry from him. Underneath the determined exterior and the incisive mind, beat a loving and caring pastoral heart. He never tired of proclaiming the good news of the Gospel wherever he was, and his books on renewal, healing, and growth have affected the lives of countless readers. It is difficult to realise the impact he had without seeing how many remarkable organisations and events he had the vision and courage to start up.

After leaving The Fountain Trust in 1975, Michael Harper became a key leader in the worldwide Charismatic Renewal. He initiated a charismatic conference for Anglicans alongside the Lambeth Conference of July 1978, and in 1981 formed SOMA (Sharing of Ministries Abroad) to share the grace of renewal with the Anglican Church all over the world. His ecumenical work was no less significant, and in the early 1970s he founded the UK Charismatic Leaders’ Conference which brought together leaders from many church traditions and backgrounds, including the new charismatic independent churches. His ecumenical sympathies found further expression through both the European Charismatic Consultation and ICCOWE (later becoming ICC) which he founded with Fr. Tom Forrest and Rev. Larry Christenson in 1989. He had initiated and chaired ACTS 86, the European charismatic conference held in Birmingham, and similar international ecumenical charismatic gatherings in Berne (1990), Brighton (1991), Malaysia (1994 and 2000), and Prague (1997 and 2000).

In March 1995, deeply upset by the ordination of women in the Church of England, he joined the Orthodox Church, and was soon ordained a priest, becoming Dean of the new Antiochian Orthodox Deanery for the United Kingdom and Ireland, which under his loving and dynamic leadership now numbers more than twenty parishes. In all his work he was wonderfully encouraged and supported by his wife Jeanne, who joined him in his pilgrimage to the Orthodox Church.

In a recent interview, Michael stated “I’m as charismatic as ever”, and as we sat in his funeral service at St. George’s Orthodox Cathedral, London, I felt privileged to have been his friend for 27 years, and to have been blessed by his wisdom, insights, and challenges on so many occasions. Certainly Fr. Michael Harper was a giant of the worldwide Charismatic Renewal, and whilst we rejoice in all that he was and did, we are just beginning to realise how much we are going to miss him.

Rosemary Kelly MBE

Rosemary, who was a member of the Cardiff Diocesan Service Team (DST) for CCR died just before Christmas. she had a long association with thel healing ministry in the dioces. She had been suffering from cancer from some time and in her last months asked for prayers not for healing to be a good witness in the final months of her life.

INVITATION TO PRAY AT THE HEART OF THE CHURCH THIS LENT IN ROME BY JESUS YOUTH

Jesus Youth, the charismatic youth movement founded in India, this year is celebrating its silver jubilee. In this year of grace Jesus Youth will be running a 24 hour prayer cenacle of Adoration at Centro San Lorenzo for the six weeks of Lent. The San Lorenzo chapel is where the World Youth Day Cross is kept when it is not traveling round the globe and is the chapel of the youth section of the Pontifical Council of the Laity. As well as sending the call to Jesus Youth members from round the world, they are also inviting young adults from other movements and communities to join them.

Abhy Thomas the chairperson of Jesus Youth in the UK commented, “ During the gathering in Assisi of Jesus youth leaders in Europe, in November last year, we felt that the Holy Spirit was asking the Jesus Youth family to make this Lent something very unique and grace filled, and that we needed to spend considerable amount of time before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, lifting the needs of Holy Mother Church and the Jesus Youth family. Lent seemed the perfect time to do this. We will have a chapel dedicated for the prayer campaign and another base where volunteers can stay and rest when they come for prayer.” Participants will be responsible for their own travel to and from Rome, but Jesus Youth will provide accommodation and food (self catering) for people during their stay. The focus of the Lenten Prayer campaign, which began on Ash Wednesday 17th February and will end on the Easter vigil, 3rd April, will be: - the Year of Priests – for priests, seminarians and vocations to the priesthood
- for the re-evangelisation of Europe:
- for the intentions of the Pope
- for the sanctification of the Jesus Youth Movement

For details contact:
Abhy thoms 078969 78564/ 07515875416
Sibi Joseph 07956638220
Website: www.jesusyouth.org - email: uk @ jesusyouth.org

COME & EXPERIENCE the BRAZILIAN BEAT April 30th-2nd May 2010

Those who would like to experience something of the Brazilian Catholic Charismatic Renewal, don’t need to jet off to Latin America. This year’s Hosana Londres organized by the Latin American CCR groups in London over the first May Bank Holiday weekend (30th April–2nd May) is arranging for all the speakers to be translated into English, so non-Portuguese speakers will be able to fully enter into the conference. This year’s speakers include Fr Anderson Marcal, a missionary from Cancao Nova who works in Italy, “Flavinho”, a famous musician and singer from Brazil, Ros Powell (the first English speaker to speak at the conference) and “Dunga” also from Cancao Novo. The latter is famous among young people for his dynamism and his campaign “Not Today” referring to his call to them to abstain from sin and sexual immorality, just for today.

Paulo Meia, one of the organizers, comments, “ We were aware last year that there were not only Portuguese speaking people who came to Hosana Londres, and we realized if we wanted others to come, we needed to offer translation in English, so we are working out the best way to do this.” The theme of the conference is “Restoration”. He adds, “Restoration begins when we start to say no to sin and God is able to change our lives for the better.” As well as the talks there were will be exciting music and stalls selling Latin American street food. The conference will take place at St Anne’s Church in Whitechapel. For details log onto their web site www.hosanalondres.com or ring 07922 223307

On Sunday 14th February, the Brazilian CCR in London, organized a “Carnival with Christ” celebration to help young people to experience the fun of the carnival time without the drink, drugs and rock and roll element.The day, which was at St Anne’s Church, included praise and worship and a talk, as well as dancing, music and food.