Senior International Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
UNITED KINGDOM (ANS) -- The Twurch of England www.twurchofengland.co.uk is a twitter aggregator for the Church of England.
It presents a live feed of tweets from people and organizations that represent the Church of England in some official capacity, and is the only kind of web community of its kind in the UK.
The Twurch follows Readers, Religious, Ordinands, Diocesan Staff and National Organizations.
The site recently asked visitors to vote for Vicar of the Year.
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Canon Andrew White, the Vicar of Baghdad (Courtesy: Twurchofengland.co.uk). |
Twurch says: “In the face of significant threats to him personally and repeated bombings of the church, Canon White pastors one of the largest churches in Iraq, St George’s Baghdad.”
The site said St George’s Church ministers to over 550 local Iraqi Christian families and operates well outside the safety of the International Green Zone.
“Most of the congregation are women and children – widows and orphans – since most of the men have been killed in the decades of violence in Iraq.”
Based in the church compound, the St George’s Clinic employs medical staff from across sectarian divides to work side by side to deliver humanitarian relief to their neighbors, regardless of patients’ religious or ethnic background.
“They provide free medical and dental care to around 100 Iraqi patients every day, treating 2,000 people every month.”
It adds: “As if tending to such a church in such a place was not enough of a full-time job, Canon White also frequently exchanges his dog collar for a bowtie and engages in conflict mediation in the area. He has built up standing and reputation with the most senior religious leaders in Iraq.
“Through these relationships of trust and confidence, Canon White has brought together the leaders of the opposing sectarian factions and his Foundation has sponsored a number of high-level peace talks between them.”
Twurch explains these religious leaders have enormous influence in the region; influence that they can use for peaceful means or to incite sectarian violence.
“In meetings chaired by Canon White, they produced the first ever joint Sunni / Shia fatwa against violence in Iraq, which was read out in at least 80 per cent of the mosques throughout Iraq, as well as on several popular satellite television channels.”
In October 2010 Canon White was in New York, collecting the Train Foundation Civil Courage prize. This prize is awarded to individuals who have shown steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk to themselves. Most previous recipients of that prize are now either dead or in prison.
White said: “I have been detained at gun-point, been thrown into a room with people’s chopped-off fingers and toes all over the floor, and have had my picture posted on walls around Baghdad with a notice saying, ‘Wanted, dead or alive.’ Members of my church have been kidnapped or killed. I have lost many friends. It is very difficult.”
Twurch added: “Did we mention he does all that whilst struggling with MS? No? He does…
“Andrew White, we salute you. If you felt that you wanted to let him know what a good egg he is, pop over to his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/apbw2 and do the honors!”
The site notes that because of resource constraints it cannot follow absolutely every confirmed member of the Church of England.
“By concentrating on those who are working for the Church or who represent the Church in some formal or official capacity we can provide a readable feed without too many tweets during peak times. That has nothing to do with ignoring laity (we follow loads of lay members) but rather has everything to do with providing a usable service.”
| ** Michael Ireland is the Senior International Correspondent for ANS. He is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB UK, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649, at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can make a donation online under 'Donate' tab, then look for 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' under 'Donation Category' to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' Michael is a member in good standing of the National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, Religion Newswriters Association, Evangelical Press Association and International Press Association. If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Senior International Reporter |  |
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