Anglican primates’ discussions focus on evangelism and discipleship

4 October 2017 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=4066

A discussion about evangelism and discipleship strategies amongst the leaders of the Anglican Communions 39 independent provinces was so lively, it continued through the lunch break, the Archbishop of South East Asia said this evening (Wednesday). Archbishop Moon Hing, the bishop of West Malaysia, led a Bible study at the start of this mornings session of the 2017 PrimatesMeeting before a general discussion on witness and evangelism. The Archbishop chairs the international Anglican Witness group of mission leaders and practitioners, said that he wasvery happy and very gladabout the discussions, saying: “I am really uplifted because we come back to the core issue and core subject of our existence: that is to make disciples for Jesus.”

In an interview for ACNS, Archbishop Moon Hing said that his Bible study was aboutJesus, the bread of life, who provides all our needs.” He said that people who knew what it was to be a disciplemust be intentional to do it ourselves and to make it available and help others to walk with him. Even though we have this intention we need to have some ways to do it,” he said.

In what he described asthe best responseso far during this years PrimatesMeeting, “everybody contributed and shared how different facets of evangelism and discipleship can be done.” There was not just one method of evangelism, he said, “there are many ways, directly [and] indirectly to bring the message of Christ, that he is the bread of life, and that he is the answer,” to the world.

There was a very lively atmosphere and everybody enjoyed it,” he said. “Even during lunchtime, everybody talked about it. One of the primates said: ‘We should not be issuedriven, we should be discipleshipdriven.’”

The discussion on evangelism and discipleship took place the day after the Dean of Canterbury, Robert Willis, led the primates on a latenight candlelit tour of the cathedral. Archbishop Moon Hing described the prayerful walk asfascinating”. The Dean took the primates and some of the meetings support staff on a tour which took in the floor engraving of the Compass Rose, the symbol of the Anglican Communion, as well as the site of the martyrdom of 12th Century Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket, before concluding at the Chapel of Saints and Martyrs, which commemorates more recent Christian martyrs from around the world.

Archbishop Moon Hing said that the tour bought to mindthe early years when the cathedral beganWe went to some of the memorable spots in the history of the cathedral, and especially the conflicts and places of sacrifice, where people gave their liveswhere the primates reflected and heard from God.

The greatest thing that I got impact on my life from last nights tour was the faithfulness of God through all these years: that even though when we quarrel, we have conflicts, God has never given up on us; and every time we come back to him, he is always there. And he is ready every moment for us to come back and saylets walk together again with one another, with our neighbours and with him.’”

Archbishop Moon Hing is one of 16 new primates attending their first PrimatesMeeting, having been appointed or elected since the previous PrimatesMeeting in January 2016. “Before I came I read a lot of the social media and comments that its a waste of time.” he said. “But then when I come, I realised that all of us primates are actually very lonely. And it is really a good time to encourage one another.

One of the primates was saying he was very encouraged that he knows that as a primate he is not alone, that so many of us can all come together and share,” he said. “He encouraged us to meet more regularlyfor fellowship or times of encouragement.”

Archbishop Moon Hing said that through the PrimatesMeeting, there was a realisation thatthere is a whole bunch of us doing the same thing, and struggling the same way, and sometimes crying to him, calling up to him.

We are not alone. There are others. And now we can connect with one another and we can actually build upon the strength of one another and strengthen the weaknesses of each other. That is wonderful.”

The PrimatesMeeting brings together the leaders of the 39 autonomous Anglican Churches. It is meeting this week in Canterbury Cathedral, England. After a halfday spiritual retreat on Monday morning, the primates spent a dayandahalf discussinginternal Communion mattersbefore moving on to three days of discussion of outwardfacing issues, including evangelism and discipleship, climate change, religious freedom, and interreligious dialogue.