FEBRUARY 2010 THE NEW BRUNSWICK ANGLICAN / 1 A SECTION OF THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL FEBRUARY 2010 SERVING THE DIOCESE OF FREDERICTON Sunday in Kpando, the Ho adventure begins BY HEATHER MILLER The service was conducted and another parishioner who in both English and Ewe and had died, and one for the con- ur fi rst Sunday in Ghana was easy to follow. Bishop struction of a mission house was spent at St. Pat- Miller gave the sermon and on the church property. Three Orick’s in Kpando. We ar- when it was translated in Ewe times people danced and made rived there 45 minutes late but the congregation laughed a lot their offerings. everyone was waiting patiently, more than we did at the origi- The sharing of the Peace robed and ready to go. Service nal. We wondered about that. was my favourite part of the started at ten to ten with a long The service was very “high service. We all got to go down procession of servers, deacons, church” with much waving into the congregation and priests, two bishops and two of incense, sprinkling of holy shake each person’s hand. What choirs walking in the side door water and kissing the bishop’s a wonderful feeling to look into and on up to the altar. As they ring. We were all formally intro- each face and be welcomed walked bells jingled, the servers duced to the people and Bishop with a smile and a few words. swung incense back and forth Matthias spoke highly of our One person that really touched and the choir sang with mara- relationship with Ho. me was a man that could not cas and drums providing the The collecting of the offering see but whose face wore such accompaniment. It was a won- was probably the most exciting a beautiful greeting that I did drous beginning for our fi rst part of the service. An offering not want to let go of his hand. service in the Diocese of Ho. box was placed in the center of Everywhere we went it was St. Patrick`s is a large build- the aisle in front of the altar the same … warm smiles and ing made of cement blocks Heather Miller is chair of the Companion Diocese Committee and was one and as the drums beat and the welcoming words. We felt very and a metal roof. It is wired for of four representatives of the Diocese of Fredericton to travel to the Diocese choir sang, each person danced special. electricity but there was no of Ho in Ghana, Africa, last fall. Here she poses with a new friend she made up around the box and dropped The service ended around power on this Sunday to turn in her travels. in an offering . It took a special 12:30 and we posed for pictures the ceiling fans so we were in courage to join in and make our outside the church. Bishop for a warm service. Fortunately best of all, near the door. Not also benefi tted from any breeze own way around the box. There Matthias gave us a quick Sharon, Jasmine and I were only did we get to see the choirs that slipped in and the constant were three offerings on this tour of the start of the new seated up front to the left of the perform and keep an eye on all cluck of hens and chicks work- Sunday, the regular one, one in mission house and then we altar, somewhat out of sight and the action around the altar, we ing the grass close by. memory of Father Joseph’s son See ‘We all got up’ on page 2 Construction begins on Medley administration building BY ANA WATTS include everything on the camp Flood — of John F. Flood (1961 wish-list — administration offi ce, Limited) —graciously accepted A completely renewed Camp individual suites for the director, his offer. That means a lot to us Medley will greet young New assistant director, chaplain and and out bottom line.” Brunswick Anglican campers cook, staff lounge, tuck shop and “I’m glad to be working with when they arrive for the 2010 craft room. The new building sits the church again,” says Mr. camping season. The inadequate on the old foundationand uses Flood, whose company built the and dilapidated staff house will the existing service entrances, Church of the Resurrection in be gone and a brand new admin- and its exterior lines fi t in with Grand Bay – Westfi eld as well as istration/staff accommodations the design of the new cabins and the major addition to St. Paul’s building will stand in its place. multi-use building. in Rothesay. He is aware of the The transformed nurse’s hut “It was a challenge, to do it all, importance of careful fi nancial and infi rmary will be bright and especially to get the line,” says stewardship in church projects. beautiful as well as comfortable project manager Alan Drew of The refurbished nurse’s hut and effi cient. Murdock and Boyd. “But the new will have accommodations for Phase three donations gar- building is going to blend with the nurse and a three-bed infi r- nered by Archbishop Claude the new dining hall next door and mary. Completion date for the Miller combined with govern- with the new cabins.” construction is June 1. ment dollars enabled construc- Art Arnburg, a member of “We will eventually stabalize tion of the new administra- the Camp Medley facilities com- and spruce up the old dining hall, tion/accommodation building to mittee and a journeyman electri- but the refurbishment of the CLAUDE MILLER begin in early January. Architect cian, offered to donate his labour main camp buildings will be com- Construction workers began to dismantle the old staff-house in mid-January. Greg Murdock of Murdock and to the project, says Archbishop plete,” says Archbishop Miller. A new administration and staff building that completes the refurbishment of Boyd designed the building to Miller. “Our contractor Tim See ‘We will have a safe’ on page 2 the camp will be ready for the 2010 camping season. Congregational self-assessment fi rst step BY JIM MORELL seek God’s will through a process parish self-assessment intended new vision and a plan to achieve FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM of self-examination. As a result, to involve and excite every mem- it.” OF DIOCESAN COUNCIL we are coming to grips with ber. He is not describing ‘just Get the our need for transformational What does this really mean another exercise’ or a task to Synod 2009 shone a bright light change — and we call the process and how is it accomplished? be completed. He is describing on the diffi culties and challenges of achieving that deep and long- Our Archbishop Claude Miller a Spirit-led, Bible-based, honest news fi rst faced by our church at the parish lasting change The Nicodemus explains with a sailing analogy. and open discussion aimed at and diocesan levels. Delegates Project. “Like a good ship’s captain, from answering a fundamental ques- confi rmed the messages of two It begins at the parish and time to time we need to re-chart tion: “Are we the church that God at important reports: we are a congregational level. Clergy, our course, and we need to use expects us to be so that, through http://anglican.nb.ca church in decline, our situation wardens and vestries have been God’s compass — not ours. We us, God can fulfi ll his mission?” is very serious and we need to asked to initiate a process of need to ask God to help us set a See Deep and Honest on page 2 2 / THE NEW BRUNSWICK ANGLICAN FEBRUARY 2010 F R O M T H E F R O N T ‘We all got up to swing our hips and shake our bodies’ Continued from page 1 On the way back to Kpando some of the Canada pins and drove through town to Father we stopped at St. Mark’s fl ags we had bought with us. Joseph’s mission house [rec- church, part of St. Patrick’s Immediately we were sur- tory] for more singing and parish, that stood alone on rounded by hands reaching out dancing and refreshments. This a piece of land. Bishop Mat- for whatever we had to offer. was fun! We sat outside under thias explained that the roof It was a complete change from a long tent with open sides. had blown off the church and what we had seen all day and Some of the choir and congre- it had taken 10 years to get it made us realize that there was gation sat across from us, the replaced. There were no doors another side to the people we result was a long strip between or window coverings and the met. These people have so little us. When the drums and church was empty except for a they grab for whatever souve- shakers started and the choir bare table and some old bench- nirs we offer as if they were of began to sing, an older lady led es. St Mark’s has a fairly large great value. Perhaps to them the dancing down one side of congregation but no mission they are. If only we could repay the strip and back. The little house or school buildings, so the kindness and generosity of children joined in following there is much work to be done their hospitality with an im- the adults and were soon lead- in that area.