Mission at its best in the Anglican Communion

Episcopal Cafe, over in its Video section, posted a video from the Australian Board of Missions (ABM). The simple story of mission here is multi-layered, involving several different cultures and communities and even further afield a whole partnership of Anglican communion agents and ecumenical actors.

The primary work is by (i) a group of young people from Resurrection Parish in Fairview, on the edge of Manila, a parish of the Central Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, with (ii) a urban mission on the edge of a rubbish dump in Manila. The story is told (iii) through the eyes of a young mission partner from Australia and then (iv) from the standpoint of ABM. (v) The Rector of Resurrection Parish, Fr. Rex Reyes, talks about how the work of these young people in his parish has helped give him focus (he is the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines) and then (vi) the young woman who runs the project from Fairview talks about her own vocation. Back behind all that (vii) is the sustaining work of UTO and The Episcopal Church for the work of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines and (viii) the long term efforts of ABM in the Philippines.

The mix of people, churches, training events, youth groups, and mission partners gives some idea of the sort of mission work undertaken in the Anglican Communion that truly warrants being called Anglican. It takes the whole family of churches to provide mutual responsibility and interdependence of this sort!

In my many trips to the Philippines and the ECP I have tried on free Sundays to go to Fairview, to Resurrection Parish. In a way it is my "home church" while in the Philippines. It was a delight to see this video.

Take a look for yourself.