Showing posts with label Christian Conference of Asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian Conference of Asia. Show all posts

Friday, 21 November 2008

Churches urged to mark World AIDS Day

An Asian Worship Service for World AIDS Day has been commended for use in churches across Britain.

The background to the liturgy endorsed by the Christian Conference of Asia highlights the fact that someone dies of an AIDS-related illness every 15 seconds, often because of a lack of medicine.

Rev Stephen Penrose said: “As the Director of the London Ecumenical AIDS Trust and also as a Methodist Minister, I would commend this liturgy to be used around World Aids Day by our churches. I particularly like the sermon notes; they not only give the facts, setting them in a theological context, but hopefully will stir people into action.”

The information from the Ministry of Health Indonesia 2006 points out that all people are at risk from HIV and AIDS and everyone can make a contribution to reducing that risk.

Statistics also illustrate the problem of the HIV epidemic in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Pakistan, China and India.

A copy of the sermon is attached along with this press release and is available online at http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=1523 .

Source: Methodist News Service 21/11/2008

Thursday, 8 May 2008

Burma Crisis Appeal

As the death toll from the Burma cyclone continues to rise, the Methodist Church and the Methodist Relief and Development Fund (MRDF) have launched an emergency appeal for funds.

Michael King, World Church Team Leader, says; ‘The cyclone has created a humanitarian emergency that is unprecedented in Burma’s history. Hundreds of thousands of people are cut off from clean water and shelter, and prices for basic foodstuffs are escalating. We are asking people to offer whatever support they can, both financially and through their prayers’.

The Church sent an immediate solidarity grant of £10,000 to the Methodist Church in Myanmar and has launched a joint appeal with MRDF. To donate via the World Church Office please visit www.justgiving.com/methodistburmacyclone or send a cheque, made payable to the Methodist Church Fund for World Mission, to:


Burma Appeal
Fund for World Mission
Methodist Church House
25 Marylebone Rd
London NW1 5JR

To donate via MRDF, call the MRDF hotline on 020 7224 4814.

Funds received will be channelled through Church World Service, which is working in the most affected areas.

The Christian Conference of Asia has appealed ‘to member churches and councils, ecumenical partners and friends to remember those affected people in your daily prayers, and extend assistance to help the people affected by this natural calamity.’ The Revd Mar Gay Gyi, the General Secretary for Myanmar Council of Churches will be meeting with the staff in-charge of the Emergency Relief Unit and sharing updated information with the churches.

People are also urged to keep those affected in their prayers. A special prayer has been written for the crisis and can be found online at http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentogod.content&cmid=2130.