On Anglican Missions in Madrid
Anglican Compass welcomes Duane Miller, who explains his missions in Madrid, his missionary work in the city, and the missionary value of Anglican Compass.
Let me provide a brief overview of the type of ministry we have here in the glorious city of Madrid. After that, I’ll tell you how Anglican Compass helps me in various aspects of those ministries.
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A Missionary in Madrid
First, I serve as associate priest at the Anglican cathedral. Yes, there are Church of England parishes in Spain through their Diocese in Europe, but they have their cathedrals in Gibraltar (UK) and Brussels. I’m referring to the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church—no relation to the REC in the USA—which Spanish Catholics established in the late 19th Century as they encountered Reformation material and reacted against the novelties of Vatican I, such as the promulgation of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.
I’m also a professor at the Baptist-sponsored seminary. I mostly teach the history of Israel and the OT, though I have been called on for lectures about missiology, Muslim-Christian relations, and sociology of religion as well. None of my students are Anglicans. The Spanish Episcopal Church also has a training program for lay readers and bivocational folks preparing for ministry, and I teach online there, too. Finally, I’m founding co-pastor of a small Arabic-speaking, interdenominational Christian fellowship called Kanisa. Kanisa consists of both believers from Christian and Muslim backgrounds.
The Missionary Value of Anglican Compass
Let me tell you how Anglican Compass is a useful asset in my missionary work in Madrid. First, I get a lot of questions about Anglicanism. Sometimes they come from students or people who attend my talks, or people whom I meet at the cathedral who have wandered in from downtown Madrid. Anglican Compass is a good resource for answering simple questions in a winsome and accessible manner. I’ve written a few, including this introduction to Holy Orders.
Second, it provides me with an opportunity to share and advocate for Anglican missionary work. I have been a missionary since 2005, and I love this vocation. I want others to be aware that this could be a vocation for them as well, whether lay or ordained. I’m not the only one to publish about missionary work. A fine example is Chris Royer’s article on Anglicanism’s flexibility in the mission field.
Ministering in Madrid to Europe & Beyond
Furthermore, Anglican Compass is an excellent vehicle for sharing about the mission to and among Muslims. I wrote a piece that I co-authored with Bishop Bill Musk, formerly Bishop of Tunis, Tunisia. I’m sure we could have had that published in a print journal, which would have made it visible to very few people. I didn’t want to go that way, and Anglican Compass agreed. This places us on the edge of global mission, which is where we need to be.
What’s more, orthodox Anglicanism needs a voice in continental Europe. Yes, there is Anglicanism in continental Europe. We need to have a voice and help people to be aware of this reality. There are many voices and ways of being Anglican here, from Portugal to Turkey, from Cyprus to Finland. Compass gives voice to some of those voices that are orthodox and evangelical or orthodox and catholic.
These are the reasons why I find Anglican Compass a useful website. These are the reasons I am happy to see Anglican Compass continuing strong, and why it is worth your time and mine (and our money) to ensure it not only stays up and running but also expands into new ventures.
…Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
Luke 24:46, 47
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia, Tierra del Sol square in 1862.
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