Bishop walks to generous goal
by Ana Watts
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund has $50,000 more to spend on AIDS relief today. Assisted by some very young New Brunswick Anglicans, Bishop Claude Miller presented the cheque to Zaida Bastos, PWRDF Development Coordinator for Africa, at a special service of praise and thanksgiving on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 15) in Christ Church Cathedral.
“We shot for $50,000 and we made it, and there is more to come,” the bishop told those gathered for the service. They included delegates to the PWRDF regional meeting from Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec as well as PWRDF staff from Toronto. They met on Friday night and all day Saturday at Christ Church (Parish) Church in Fredericton.
“God blessed this venture and he will continue to bless the ministries of our camps,” the bishop continued. He also thanked PWRDF diocesan coordinator Betty McNamara and his Bishop’s Walk team for their very valuable contributions to the success of this project.
Christine Kilipamwambu, a PWRDF partner from the Diocese of Ruaha in Tanzania, offered a moving sermon at the service. She built it on Mark 11:12-14, Jesus puts a curse on a fig tree.
“Today Jesus is with us here in this Cathedral,” she said. “He is hungry, he wants up to give him some food, just as he wanted food from the fig tree. Jesus is here, asking us by name to bear fruit for the people in Africa, South America and Asia who have HIV, who have no water, have no hope. He is asking us to bear fruit for the grandparents and great-grandparents with 10 children to look after.”
She said in her diocese 90 per cent of the people live in rural areas with no transportation, they suffer from a drought and have only primitive medicine. “What you contribute to PWRDF is fig fruit – people are encouraged, people have hope because PWRDF helps people help themselves … God will bless you for the money you have given here today for the relief of HIV/AIDS.
Inspired by his gratitude to God for the past, present and future ministries at diocesan youth camps Medley and Brookwood, Bishop Miller pledged to raise the money for PWRDF AIDS relief last spring. He then encouraged the diocese to join him and support him in a symbolic 500 km walk across the diocese.
Sunday school children in Perth-Andover were the first to respond with a donation of more than $100. Octogenarian Alma Currie of the Parish of Kingston pledged to walk a mile a day for 100 days and then the pledges and activities flooded in. Individuals like national ACW president Heather Carr and the bishop’s wife Sharon signed-up sponsors for their own walks.
“I have walked 530 km,” said the bishop, “about the distance from Sackville to Edmundston. Sharon has walked 707 km, she’s close to Quebec City now!”
Parishes walked as a family then enjoyed a meal together. Some parishes skipped the walk and went straight to the meal. Children in Sunday school and at vacation Bible school collected and rolled coins. People filled film canisters with loonies and toonies, there were yard sales and bake sales, there was an African lunch and a Walk (run/bike/ride-in-a-stroller) To Church Day. Much of the activity was documented in the New Brunswick Anglican, on E News and on-line.
