Bishop's News from Peru

IDENTITY PAPERS FOR 415 CHILDREN

2010-06-29T19:37:00.004-05:00

Many countries do not have official GOVERNMENT IDENTITY PAPERS, but Peru does.
Yet many children and adults, especially in poor areas, do not have them. This will be a great handicap as they grow up. For example, they won’t be able to find proper work, receive medical treatment, gain educational qualifications, or drive a car.
Yet many parents are reluctant to take the necessary steps to provide their children with a formal identity... they don’t know how to fill in the forms, it takes too much time and they can’t miss work, it costs too much, they don’t live near the child’s place of birth, and a host of other reasons. It is estimated that one third of children in Peru do not have their papers, the majority being among the poor, who then get further disadvantaged.
The government has a programme aimed at the problem, but parents are not taking it up.
Now the Diocese, through its NGO, COMMUNION-PERU, is involved in helping parents and educating them about the importance of their children being registered. In its first campaign the Diocese helped 415 children and some adults to get their official papers, their DNI, as it is called.
The work is led by the Diocesan Social Worker, Erika Montoya, and the 415 represent much hard, dedicated work. But success breeds success, and the next round should be a little easier as many parents, seeing what has been done for their neighbours’ children, are asking for the same help. Well done Erika and her team of volunteers.
[Erika was trained as a social worker through a USPG grant.]

TWO NEW DEACONS IN THE SOUTH

2010-06-29T18:30:00.003-05:00

There will be two new deacons in the South of Peru, LUIS VIZCARRA and JUAN MARCOS AYALA.
The date of their ordination has been set for Saturday, July 31 in Cristo Redentor, Arequipa. Both ordinands have been trained in the Diocesan Seminary in Arequipa.
Luis will continue to serve in the Mission Santa María Magdalena, Juliaca, and Juan Marcos in Mission San Lucas and Mission Santiago Apóstol, both in Arequipa.
Juan Marcos is perhaps better known to those who have visited Arequipa as the owner of the Hostal Paraiso, together with his wife Vicki, where visiting mission teams stay. He was converted during the visit of one of the first teams to visit Arequipa several years ago.
For the past few months Juan Marcos has been ministering in Santiago Ap. and has drawn together a growing congregation. He can be seen in the photo with the congregation in the half built church. Nestor Mogollón, another lay minister who assists Juan Marcos, can be seen in the front right of the photo.
These are the first Anglican ordinations in Arequipa and the first outside Lima.

Special Sunday at San Mateo Mission

2009-11-09T12:19:00.007-05:00

The San Mateo (St Matthew) Mission and School don't have a church, but they do have a piece of land, and there the people meet to worship our Lord and God. Padre Jorge Aguilar is the parish priest, assisted by Padre Jesus Manuel Mejia, and Brother Jerry Acosta, a lay minister.
Sundays begin with catechism class at 9am, preparing candidates for Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation. Then they get ready for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 10.30am.
Last Sunday, 8th November 2009, was a special day, because parents and children of the School were presenting an icon of the evangelist and apostle, St Matthew, for the chapel. There's a great affection for the chapel, even though it's no more than an empty building lot. But it's been made beautiful and the area with the altar-table and lectern have been finished with cement, so with the flowers and banners, its a worthy place for God's people.
Brother Jerry was an evangelical pastor who, with his family, have become Anglicans. We are blessed to have his experience as a church planter and preacher, and he is delighted to have the liturgy and commitment to social outreach.
Padre Jesus was a Roman Catholic priest who, with his family, have become Anglicans. We are blessed to have his experience as a parish priest and educator, and he is delighted to have the Scriptures opened in a new way.
And all of the team work together in wonderful harmony, pooling their gifts and experience. Anglicanism is truly blessed to have a breadth and openness which allows God's children to use their gifts together in this way.

CALLED TO LEAD MISSION: SUPPORT URGENTLY NEEDED

2009-10-20T10:07:00.009-05:00

Fr Mike and Linda Chapman have been called to lead mission and church planting work in south-central Peru. At present they are fund raising in the US under the cover of SAMS.

THEY URGENTLY NEED PRAYER
AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Their responsibility will be to plant a new diocese in the region of Ica, Ayacucho and Huancayo.
Fr Mike will stand in the episcopal election before Easter 2010, and if elected will be sent as a missionary bishop. He is deeply committed to mission work and is a gifted evangelist and teacher, and Linda has a ministry of prayer and intercession. They came to Peru in 2008 and were involved with the parishes and missions of Lima. Fr Mike led a clergy retreat and is loved and respected by many in the Diocese.
If you or your church will support them, please contact either
SAMS USA 724 266 0669 or
SUSAN KERR 972 618 0222.
To support Fr Mike and Linda you will be enabling the advance in mission of God's kingdom in Peru.

PADRE MISAEL AND CLAUDIA TO GO TO ICA

2009-09-08T13:44:00.008-05:00

Padre Misael and Claudia Varillas are being sent to Ica to develop mission work in what will become eventually a new diocese. They have responded to God's call and after more than ten years in charge of Cristo Redentor in south Lima will soon be on their way to take up this exciting challenge.

They stand out for me as the right people to send, because of their faithfulness to the Lord and his Church and their experience. They love the Lord, the Gospel and his Church, and their loyalty and willingness to preach and serve in loving obedience is an example. When I asked them formally if they would go, they responded with an immediate 'Yes' and thanked me for the privilege!

It is our intention is to send others with them and we are praying for discernment about the right people. They will work with Padre Mike and Linda Chapman, who are coming from the Church in the USA to work in Ica and are at present doing deputation work to raise funds.

Manpower and money are two challenges which always accompany mission.... who to send and how to support them. So we praying not only for the right people to send with them, but also that dioceses, churches and individuals will be willing to commit to support them.

It is a wonderful opportunity for the Diocese too and one we want to take with both hands, giving support in every way we can - with teams going down to help, and special collections and prayer.

It is an emotional time as Padre Misael and Claudia say farewell to their two congregations, but also one of great excitement. All their children are grown up, except for Miriam who has just finished school and is beginning university, and her older brothers and sisters will have the special task of looking after her.

Our mission work began in Ica two years ago, following the devastating earth quake on August 15th. The Diocese responded by sending teams of people to help those who were so dreadfully effected. We set up soup kitchens and medical posts and stood alongside the people in their hour of need. As they saw the Anglican Church's response, they asked us to begin worship services, and eventually to stay there with them as their church. We have tried to do that, even though for the past year we have only been able to send clergy and lay ministers from Lima on a regular basis. We have known it has not been enough and that there has been the need of a permanent presence, with leadership and an ongoing commitment. Now that step is being taken and for that we thank God and offer it all to him.

Padre Misael and Claudia have been at Cristo Redentor for over ten years, to begin with as a lay minister, and the daughter church, San Pedro, which they began and built themselves, and he is also the Regional Vicar (Area Dean) of South Lima.

CHILDREN DYING OF COLD AND MALNUTRITION

2009-07-27T10:31:00.004-05:00

This short presentation of slides shows a little of the suffering of the children of Peru's Alteplano (High Plains). The cold this year has been intense. The children and elderly are particularly vulnerable because of malnutrition. Pneumonia has taken the lives of more children in the first half of this year than usually die in any one year.

The Anglican Church has a mission in Juliaca which is working with others to alleviate the suffering. Puno is one of the poorest areas of South America and the problem is vast. We are sending warm clothes from Lima and providing food for families, but our resources are few.

Thank you to "USPG-Anglicans in Mission" of London for their support.

NEW DEACON DENISE DODD

2009-07-21T17:10:00.003-05:00

Denise Dodd, from St Peter and St Paul's Church, Hucknall, was ordained deacon in Southwell Minister a few weeks ago. I was parish priest in Hucknall - we lived there from 1975-1986 - and knew all the Dodd family. It is such a great blessing to now see her committed to the Lord's work in ordained ministry in England.

When she first began her training at St John's College, Cranmer Hall, she wrote these words to me:

"I know within that each day God is blessing me. I so passionately want to do the ministry to which God has called me.... Everyday is a blessing and honour, knowing that God has really called "little shy Dee" to be a servant for his precious people! There is one thing that I must say to you, which I have wanted to do since I came back to faith in my late teens and that is, "Thank you for being an ambassador for God, so that I could receive from an early age the greatest gift of all, a loving relationship with God, not just for me but also for Mum, Suzanne & Colin".

Thank you Denise, and may God bless you in your new ministry.

BAPTISM OF TWO YOUNG CHRISTIANS

2009-07-20T11:45:00.004-05:00

Stefany and Steven Acosta were baptised in the Cathedral on Sunday (19th July). In the photo they are with their parents, Jerry and Edith, in the baptistry after the service.

Jerry is a former evangelical pastor and is in preparation to become a priest. Edith is a seminarian and hopes to become a deacon. They run the mission Jesus Source of Life in north Lima.

Edith is the sister of Padre Misael Varillas, the parish priest of Cristo Redentor and San Pedro in south Lima. Their father was a Pentecostal evangelist who rode on horse back evangelising the villages in the region of Huaraz in northern Peru. All of his family are involved in one way or another in the Lord's work. It was a joy to baptise Stefany and Steven, the next generation of the Varillas family.

CHILDREN SUFFERING FROM THE COLD

2009-07-17T18:45:00.006-05:00

There are some good photos of the immediate response to deliver clothing and blankets to children and elderly people suffering from cold and malnutrition in southern Peru. They were taken in Caracoto, one of the numerous small villages near Juliaca.

You will find them in the new Blog http://laluzanglicana.blogspot.com
of St Mary Magdalene's Church, Juliaca, published by Padre Ruben and Lay Minister Luis. Although the Blog is in Spanish it is well worth looking at.

One of the members of their congregation, Patty, is a social worker and has taken them out to the village. Padre Ruben asks us to pray for those who are especially vulnerable to the very cold weather, elderly people and children.

DONATION RECEIVED. We have received a donation in response to our appeal, from the mission society USPG in London, of £500. We are grateful to them for their immediate and generous support.

CHILDREN DYING OF COLD AND MALNUTRITION

2009-07-13T17:43:00.009-05:00

Help is urgently needed for children dying of hypothermia and malnutrition in Puno, one of Peru’s poorest regions.

We carried clothing and blankets to Juliaca, but MUCH MORE HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED (See below for DONATION DETAILS)

San Mateo School in Lima gathered the gifts especially for the suffering children. It has been handed over to Santa Maria Magdalena Anglican Church, Juliaca, to be distributed immediately to children in the area.

The BBC published an article on Sunday 12th July about children dying in Peru's very harsh winter. The article can be found at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8146995.stm. It states that about 250 children under the age of five have already died in the harsh conditions, and the winter is not halfway through yet.

The region of Puno is one of the poorest in South America. Many children live in primitive conditions and often are malnourished, which makes them all the more vulnerable to hypothermia. Prolonged exposure to the cold causes respiratory infections like pneumonia. At the same time there is a lack of healthcare and basic services.

I can testify to the severe conditions and have rarely experienced such cold ever in my life. I was properly fed and dressed, but still have come back with my hands and legs red raw and chapped... and I saw children with sandals and T-shirts. At about 3.30pm each day the sun begins to lose its warmth and a terrible cold sets in. The freezing temperatures have been accompanied by torrential rain, snow, hail, and strong winds, and although the winter is only halfway through it has killed more children than usually die in any one year.

In our Juliaca church is a social worker who works in the outlying villages where the suffering is at its worst. She is taking our clergy there to see how most effectively to distribute the help to the most needy children.

The government has declared a state of emergency and clothing, blankets and food are being collected in tents specially set up in cities throughout the country.

SEND DONATIONS TO "PERU’S CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY"

In the USA to
Christ Church, Plano,
or
The Diocese of Florida

In the UK to
The Diocese of Worcester

INSTITUTION SERVICE IN JULIACA

2009-07-12T18:55:00.005-05:00

Six visiting clergy were present for the institution of the Rev Ruben Mancilla as parish priest of Juliaca, and of his assistant, Lay Minister Luis Vizcarra.

From left to right in the photo they are: Rev Juan Carlos Revilla (Arequipa, who planted the church), Rev Ruben Mancilla (Juliaca, newly instituted), Rev Deacon María Andía (Arequipa), the Bishop, Rev Deacon Pastor Zevallos (Lima - Director of NGO), Rev Anderson Sanchez (Lima - at back in photo), Rev Alejandro Mesco (Cabanaconde), Lay Minister Luis Vizcarra (Juliaca, who has faithfully cared for the church), Rev Ronald Robertson (Rector of Seminary in Arequipa).

The Institution Eucharist was attended by sixty people and during the service there were eight confirmations, a sign of things to come. The confirmations made a great impact on many people, some never having seen one before, and before people went home there was already a list of people to be prepared in time for the Bishop's next visit in October.

In his sermon the Bishop spoke of the ministries of evangelists, teachers and pastors, three of the ministries spoken of by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (4.11): evangelists - proclaiming the Gospel and helping people to come to faith in Christ and give their lives to him; teachers - setting out the faith and its meaning; pastors - guiding and strengthening people in their walk with Christ. All three, he said, are needed in parish ministry.

Pray for Ruben and Luis.

MISSION IN COLCA CANYON

2009-07-11T17:44:00.007-05:00

The visit to Cabanconde in the Colca Canyon was marked by visits to homes, prayer, Bible Study (Lectio Divina), silence and the stunning beauty of God's creation. It is without doubt one of the most beautiful places I know and our mission centre, built of stone, is worthy of it.

The vision we began with had three aspects to it: a place of prayer, community life and mission springing from service, and all three are beginning to happen. Padre Alejandro and Deacon Justo, together with Alejandro's wife Doris, are known and loved in this small market town. Children rush up to hug Padre Alejandro and all of them know him because of his visits to the schools, and because of that the parents too. They also help in the fields during the time of sewing and reaping when there is so much to do, and people are amazed and grateful to see clergy hard at work alongside them.

Deacon Justo is very quiet and reserved, but he faithfully visits peoples' homes and they seek him out to have him visit and pray with them; and Doris joins him in this, especially among the womenfolk.

It is good to have a team of ministers; they can share the load and the dangerous journeys along mountain paths. It is our hope that every visit to the mountain villages will provide an opportunity for other clergy, seminarians and lay workers - from Lima and Arequipa - to go with them, and for others to stay behind and maintain the ministry in Cabanaconde while they're away.

Before October of this year we hope to have an "outdoor chapel" which will provide a bigger place for the growing congregation to meet. At present they meet in the central dining/living room of the house. But it's already full, and for the Eucharist last Thursday (9th June) during my visit, there were over fifty people. The "outdoor chapel" will have a sanctuary built of stone with a thatched roof, and the nave will be made of an open wooden frame with a thatched roof.

We have also made moves to acquire the next door plot of land, which we hope will enable us to expand our work and also bring in some income to maintain the mission, with stone bungalows that can be used for retreats and rest.

[The photo shows a young mother bringing her child to receive a blessing in the Eucharist. Her typical dress is still seem commonly in the streets and surrounding fields of Cabanaconde.]

VISIT TO SOUTHERN REGION OF PERU

2009-07-05T22:23:00.009-05:00

Five churches, two schools and two children's homes are being visited by the Bishop in a ten day tour of Arequipa, the Colca Canyon and Juliaca in the south of the Diocese.

The visits began on 3rd July and the Bishop is accompanied by Padre Ruben Mancilla, who will be instituted at parish priest of St Mary Magdalene Mission Church, Juliaca, on 12th July, and Deacon Pastor Zevallos, who is in charge of the Diocese's social outreach work.

The photograph shows the visit to the Santiago Apostol Mission (Mission of St James the Apostle) in the outskirts of Arequipa, where a new church is being built. Two members of the community are showing Padre Juan Carlos, Padre Ruben and the Bishop the plans. The next phase of the building will be to erect the walls, which will be built of the local white "sillar" stone. Arequipa is called "the white city" because so many of its buildings have been built of this stone.

At the Eucharist there this evening, the Bishop preached on the building up of the Church (the people), and asked the congregation what they thought should happen in the new church (building): "a medical centre!" came the reply from one lady. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I think it was a right answer and that Jesus would have approved!

On Monday 6th the team drives to the Colca Canyon to visit the Mission of San Felipe (St Philip) in Cabanaconde. Here they will spend three days with Padre Alejandro Mesco and his wife Doris, and Deacon Justo Maqque.

On Friday 10th they drive on to Juliaca, a city high on the Alteplano, for the celebration of Padre Ruben and Lay Minister Luis Vizcarra's institution. These two young ministers have the task of developing mission work in this new area for the Diocese. It is a great challenge for them both, but their willingness to take it up is a wonderful testimony of faithfulness to the Lord's call and their readiness to put their lives on the line for the Gospel.

The aim of the ten day trip is to visit and encourage the Church, to accompany and stand alongside the young churches, and to strengthen its mission workers, in the style of Paul and Barnabas in the early Church. Paul said to Barnabas, "Come, let us return and visit the believers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." (Ac 15:36).

THE HOLY CROSS SISTERS

2009-07-04T22:40:00.005-05:00

The Diocese of Peru sends it’s loving greetings and congratulations to the Community of the Holy Cross at Rempstone, Nottingham, for the purchase of their new property, and for being bold and doing the best of things in the worst of times.

The Community at Rempstone prays for us regularly and we are delighted to receive the news of their new home-to-be in Costock. They bought the new property in April and it will take two years for work on it to be completed.

The Rev’d Mother Mary Luke writes about a religious community taking such an adventurous step at a time when numbers in traditional communities are dropping. She tells of an inscription in Staunton Harold Church, Leicestershire, which was built during Cromwell’s time in 1653, which reads: ‘Sir Robert Shirley, Baronet, founded this church, whose singular praise it is to have done the best things in ye worst of times.’

"Jeremiah" she says, "was told to buy a field... just before the people of Judah were taken into captivity, as a sign that the Lord would restore the fortunes of Israel and Judah. She continues, "So we are looking towards the future [and this church's inscription] reminds us that sometimes it is good to be bold. I hope it will be that we have done the best of things in the worst of times and it will be the presage of a new growth in the religious life for us and for the whole Church."

What a wonderful reflection! May God bless the Community.

Please support the Sisters’ building fund: Holy Cross Convent, Ashby Road, Rempstone, Loughborough LE12 6RG, UK

[The photo is of Sisters of the Community praying the Divine Office in one of the barns they have bought.]

ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA - GREETINGS

2009-06-26T14:02:00.004-05:00

The Diocese of Peru, its Bishop, Clergy and People, joyfully greet the Anglican Church in North America, its Archbishop Robert Duncan, its Dioceses, Bishops, Clergy and People, and our many friends who are a part of it. We wish you God’s blessing in the communion we share as members of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and in our common mission of proclaiming the Gospel message of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This has been a very happy week for you with the inauguration of the new Province and we are delighted that you were able to celebrate the central Eucharist in Christ Church Plano as the guests of Fr David Roseberry and his people, with whom we have a long and close relationship in Christ.

As a Diocese, we are committed, like you, to the Gospel principles on which the one Church of Christ, which includes our beloved Anglican Communion, has stood from the beginning.

At this important time for Anglicans in North America, we are conscious also of faithful dioceses, bishops, clergy and people, among them many of our close friends, who remain part of the Provinces of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America and the Anglican Church of Canada. With them too we rejoice to share communion, and as a Diocese we are committed, as our Constitution states, to do everything possible in brotherly love and repentance to heal our divisions.

Heroes of the Faith - Juan Carlos

2009-06-23T20:18:00.006-05:00

The Diocese is blessed to have some modern day "heroes of the faith". Juan Carlos, one of them, working in one of the poorest areas of Lima north, in St Patrick's Mission, Cerro Cachito. He leaves his work at 2.30pm and travels by public transport to be with his people - on one of those "combis" packed with people - a two or three hour journey. Then his real work begins, sharing the love and compassion of Christ in any way he can, visiting homes and running Bible study groups for the families and activities for the children.
It's a mission which lacks funds. They used to run a soup kitchen, but the support came to an end. He told me that he could feed about 70 children every day for less than US$300 per month, and asked if I could help.
Sarah Tester, a SAMS GB missionary, runs a play scheme for the children on Saturdays. There's a photo of her with some of the children on the Outreach page of the new web site. David Gonzales, one of our deacons, works there as well.
There are about 80 people in his congregation, not counting the children, all of whom live in wooden shacks and most of whom don't have enough to eat. It is an area designated by the Government for physically handicapped people, and there are a number who need wheel chairs, almost impossible to push in the sand on which the houses are built.
Besides his work in the mission, Juan Carlos is a seminarian and will finish his studies at the end of this year. He says, "I want to be a priest, but whatever happens, I will go on working with my people."
Pray for him and his future. Pray for the people of the Mission. Pray for Sarah and Deacon David. Pray for the land, that the Council will allow us to stay. And pray that the funds will come in, not only to allow us to start feeding the children again, but also to build the facilities needed to develop the mission.

"RECEIVE THIS BIBLE" - ORDINATIONS

2009-06-22T12:58:00.006-05:00

Anderson Sanchez, Ruben Mancilla and Pastor Zevallos were recently ordained to Holy Orders in the Cathedral. In a joyful ceremony the new ministers - two priests and one deacon - were greeted with applause following the ordination prayer.
For the consecration of the priests, the Bishop was joined by his clergy for the laying on of hands. He also anointed their hands and forehead with the Holy Oil of Chrism, a sign of their being consecrated - set apart - for God's work.

All three were given Bibles, as a sign of their authority to preach the Word of God. (In the photo the newly ordained ministers are kneeling: Padre Anderson is at the far end, Deacon Pastor in the centre receiving his Bible, and Padre Ruben nearest the camera.)

All the ordinands were accompanied by family and friends and the Diocese gave thanks and praise to God for the gift of more workers for His mission field. At the end of the liturgy the new priests gave the blessing, and the new deacon dismissed the people, telling them to go in peace and joy to serve the Lord.

Both new priests presided at the Holy Eucharist for the first time in the days following their ordination.

PASTORAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Padre Anderson will continue to minister in the Cathedral as an assistant priest; Padre Ruben has been posted to Juliaca on the Alteplano (Peru's highland region), near lake Titicaca, as priest in charge of the Mission of St Mary Magdalene; and Deacon Pastor continues as the Deacon of the NGO "Comunion-Peru", responsible for the encouragement and development of social action in the Diocese.

GOD'S AMAZING GROWTH

2009-06-19T15:55:00.007-05:00

When I arrived in Peru in April 1998, there were 4 Peruvian priests and 1 deacon, looking after 9 congregations . They were helped by two ordained missionaries from overseas, a Canadian and a Cuban-American.
Now there is Anglican worship in 41 congregations, led by 24 priests, 8 deacons and 23 lay ministers; and in our two seminaries there are around 60 seminarians, preparing for the work to which God is calling them.

This amazing growth has come about by an outpouring of God’s grace, for which we praise and thank Him.

Numerical growth must, of course, be matched by growth in faithfulness to Jesus, obedience to the Father's will, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. As we prepare to push out in new mission, in Ica and Trujillo, it is so very encouraging for us to see that God is preparing His mission team ready for His new work.

If you think God may be calling you to join us and work in Peru, please write or call us, so that we may initiate a discernment process.

If you would like to give financially to support our mission work, please contact Patrick Mackie (UK) or Susan Kerr (USA). Their details are on our NEW web site, www.anglicanchurchperu.serifweb.com, on the SUPPORT page.

MARCH FOR RELIGIOUS EQUALITY

2009-06-13T11:35:00.007-05:00

More than 15,000 Christians marched to the Congress Building in Lima on June 11th to ask for Religious Equality. Although granted religious freedom by the Constitution, Peru's none Roman Catholics suffer in many ways on a daily basis, and there are no laws to back up their cause. While the Roman Catholic Church receives financial support from the government, other confessions are penalized.

Since the creation of a Register of Non-Catholic Confessions in 2004, things have been changing. A paper is now before Congress' Constitution Committee and following the March on Thursday it has been put in first place for consideration.

It is hoped that it will give other confessions the right to have chaplains in hospitals, schools, prisons and the armed forces; to enable non Roman Catholics to have a religious education other than Catholic; to liberation from taxes; and the right to enter into agreements with the State, for example on issues of education, relief and development. Attitudes will have to change in the country, but there has been a huge step forward.

For example, for us the possibility of the State paying for our school teachers, as happens with the RC Church, would be an enormous benefit.

I have been involved as one of the assessors to the Ministry of Justice on religious matters, specifically the registration of confessions and on the working group which produced the first draft of the proposed legislation.

We are also in the final stages of a new constitution for the Interreligious Committee of Peru, which will provide a forum for all confessions and their NGOs to meet and talk together. Much is already happening, in areas such as the Bible, justice and peace, relief and development, HIV/AIDS, micro-finance, religious dialogue - but this will bring it all together at national level. There are to be three co-presidents of the new body, the Archbishop of Huancayo, the President of the National Evangelical Council of Peru, and me. Let us pray for God's blessing as the new body begins its work.

VIOLENT CONFLICTS IN PERU

2009-06-12T16:09:00.007-05:00

Amazonas, Peru
The deadly conflict between the Indigenous Peoples of Amazonas and the Peruvian Government has been coming to a head since 2008. President Alan Garcia issued several decrees allowing foreign companies to look for gas and oil on lands specially reserved for Indigenous Peoples. Although 70% of Peru’s rain forests are already designated for exploration, the President's decrees opened up even the lands reserved for the native peoples.

The Indigenous Peoples considered this as an assault on their rights and a betrayal by the Government of its formal commitment before the United Nations. The Government responded with a law which criminalized protests. Many people have been imprisoned and forcibly removed from their lands, and there have been accusations of torture and the ‘disappearance’ of people (killing people and hiding their bodies).

The government defends its decrees, saying that the lands must be opened to attract investment and stimulate the economy. They accuse those working with the Indigenous Peoples of manipulating them on behalf of external powers, like Venezuela and Bolivia.

Talks with the Government have been requested since August 2008, but the situation finally exploded at the beginning of June 2009. For some time the indigenous peoples had blocked rivers and roads used for transporting heavy machinery, and when finally the police tried to disperse the protesters, 22 are said to have died, and 23 police and 9 civilians, and over 100 people have been injured in a fierce and bloody confrontation.... of spears versus rifles.

As news has leaked out it has rocked the country. Local people were called "savages" by Ministers, but finally the Government has had to take a step back and has temporarily suspended the legislation giving rights to the oil and gas companies, to allow talks with the indigenous peoples to take place.

It is very difficult to get a clear picture of what is happening and the Government has denied access to outside observers to see what is really happening. What the crisis clearly shows is the deep divisions in society and the need of a system which offers to its most vulnerable peoples respect for their basic human rights, and their fair and equal treatment as citizens.

In my opinion government centralised in Lima very often fails to value Peru’s unique ethnic and cultural diversity, to neglect the needs and rights of those who have lived here from time immemorial, and to overlook the decimation of its rain forests, which are central to the survival of the planet. There will be progress and change, but a way has to found for it to go forward, with respect and values, and without trampling down the little ones, the vulnerable, and the beauty of God's creation. There must be new vision and a radical change of heart..... Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.

[Several people asked me for something on this situation in northern Peru.]

NEW LOOK DIOCESAN WEB SITE!

2009-06-10T15:34:00.008-05:00

The Diocesan Web Site has a new look!

After several years with the yellow background we are moving to a cleaner, simpler look. Not all the pages are ready yet and to begin with some of the content will be the same as before, but now we shall be able to manage it ourselves and have much greater accessibility.

The key to news will be the blogspots and we hope our readers will find them useful to keep up with what's happening.

Some of the photos on the new site are stunning and we are grateful to those who make them available to us. I love the one we have on our home page, which is taken of the church notice board outside St Andrew's Mission in north Lima.

At the same time we are working on a parallel site in Spanish, which will have some things in common, but others which are more suited to the Spanish-speaking world. For example, where many of our English-speaking readers already know what the Anglican Church is, many of our Spanish-speaking readers are looking for more basic information about us, who we are and what we believe, and how we compare with churches they know.

As the old site is still up, the address of the new one has changed and is: www.AnglicanChurchPeru.serifweb.com

With God's blessing for all our readers, Bishop William Godfrey

ANGLICAN CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL, JAMAICA

2009-05-16T14:50:00.007-05:00

It was a very great privilege to take part in the recent meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Kingston, Jamaica, 2nd - 12th May, 2009, and to share with delegates from Provinces around the world.
Not every thing went the way I had hoped, especially the delay in sending the proposed Anglican Covenant to the Provinces for their decision. But there are very many good things happening in the Communion, and many good men and women working on them, for which I rejoice, and I have come back even more enthused about our Anglican Church and wanting more than ever to serve faithfully our Lord and Saviour.
About the vote on the proposed Covenant, in which I played a part and did my best to find a way through, if all the conservative provinces and bishops who could have attended had been there and cast their votes, the matter would have been decided in favour - the decision was lost by only two votes. When there is a battle to be fought, all must take their part. Despite the decision to delay, I have come away from the meeting believing firmly that the Gospel will prevail and the Covenant will go through, with its important Section 4. The Church is the Bride of Christ and we need have no fear for our future.
[Photo: I presided on Sunday 10th May at the Eucharist in the Cathedral of St Yago (James), Spanish Town, and am in the photo with the Bishop of Kingston, the Priest in charge of the Cathedral, who was chaplain to the meeting of the ACC, and the Bishop of Spain. The Cathedral is the oldest in the Anglican Communion outside England, the building dating back to 1611.]

Juliaca's Mission at the Diocesan Synod

2009-04-20T15:47:00.005-05:00

Representatives of the Mission in Juliaca came to Diocesan Synod on the weekend of 18th April. The lay people were proud to bring their new full time minister, Deacon Ruben Mancilla, and he was proud to bring them..... members of his first parish! At the same time they gathered with Luis Vizcarra, the lay minister who will work with Ruben. He is in the final weeks of his seminary training and will have to travel to Arequipa on a weekly basis for his classes. It's a short five hour journey on the bus and he's full of enthusiam to be working there.
One of the first priorities for the team in Juliaca is to put a water tank on the roof, so that they have a supply of drinking water. A second will be to build a bathroom!
Juliaca is a city of commerce and there are markets everywhere. As soon as the two lay reps. arrived at the synod, they got to work selling chocolate to the other participants and raisning funds to cover their bus fares! They'd travelled over 20 hours to get there and had their first experience of Peru's capital city. Both of them are called Celestina - Heavenly.
It was announced at the synod that Ruben will be ordained priest on 23rd May, so we ask your special prayers for him.

Palm Sunday in the north of Lima

2009-04-20T15:34:00.006-05:00

Missions in the north of Lima celebrated Palm Sunday in different ways. None of them have churches, yet, but were able to conmemorate Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem with a freshness and vigour which is contagious. Children of the Holy Spirit Mission gathered under a tree for a photo. Padre Stephen and Pastor Zevallos are standing behind them. The children of St Andrew's Mission carried their palms, and Padres Jorge and Jesus, led the celebration of St Matthew's Mission and School.

Suffragan Bishop for Uruguay

2009-04-10T21:16:00.003-05:00

It is with great joy that we share the news that our dear friend and co-worker in Christ, the Rev Gilberto Porcal, has been elected Suffragan Bishop of Uruguay. Although the election took place on December 12th, the ratification by the Provincial Executive and House of Bishops had to wait until the Provincial meetings in Paraguay in March.
Gilberto came into the Anglican Church a few weeks after our arrival in South America in February 1986. He worked as my assistant in our ministry among street people in Montevideo's Old City and was eventually ordained in 1990, during the visit of the Most Reverend Robert Runcie, the then Archbishop of Canterbury. Several months later Padre Gilberto was sent to work in Salto, where by God's grace he brought to life St Luke's Church, one of the oldest Anglican churches in Latin America. He also founded the mission church of the Holy Spirit, now a parish.
He will make a worthy bishop and his deep faith and spirituality will be a great blessing to the Diocese of Uruguay and the Province. We look forward with great anticipation to his ordination on May 26th, the Feast Day of St Augustine of Canterbury, who was himself a bishop and missionary.