Mike Tweedle, the National Director of ARDF Canada, interviewed Frederick Barasa, who works with the GRID – an international affiliate of the American Bible Society, which offers a unique and reliable assessment of projects in the Global Community.
Read his message.

Mike Tweedle, the National Director of ARDF Canada, interviewed Rev. Dr. Jake Stum, the Executive Director of ARDF US, and the Global Executive Director of ARDF Global to explore a little of this work. This transcript is taken from a Zoom interview held Jan 26th, 2021.
Read his message.

ARDFC National Director Michael Tweedle announces completion of the Vocational School in Giza, Egypt project

On behalf of the ARDFC board, I am very pleased to announce that the final payment in the commitment to the Vocational School in Giza, Egypt has been completed. As Bishop Charlie exclaimed upon hearing it, Alleluia!!!
In these most interesting and different of times for most of us, this is quite an accomplishment. This brings this project’s total to $129,997 CDN, now fulfilled.
As you are aware this project was intended to help address the needs of young people in the area for jobs (where unemployment for those with intermediate education is over 42 %, prior to the COVID 19 virus). Through continued support the Vocational School would teach valuable skills that would allow these young people to gain employment, in a few cases give them starter loans. This programme has been operating in the past, but with limited capacity. With the ARDFC project completion, there has been increased enrolment and types of programmes offered (such as training for plumbing, quilting, air conditioner repair, electricians, painting and clothing and artwork).
We are in the process of determining the impact of this project with the Anglican Church in Giza and will report back as soon as we have received it.
Until then, keep your trust in the Lord, and keep isolating.

Best Regards and God Bless, (BRAGB). Mike

The Rt. Rev. Charles Masters, Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Network in Canada, today announced the appointment of a successor to Claus Lenk, retiring National Director of The Anglican Relief and Development Fund – Canada (ARDFC).

Michael Tweedle, a member of Celebration Church, Barrie has enthusiastically agreed to undertake this ministry and to build on the foundation so firmly established by Claus who has faithfully carried out this role since the establishment of this fund.

Earlier in the day, the Bishop in his role of Chairman, brought his recommendation to the Board of Directors, where it was received unanimous approval.

Michael is a graduate of Carlton University and has spent most of his career until his retirement as Sales Manager with Abbot Labs where he managed a National Sales Force, developing programmes and organizing meetings.

While continuing to be an active leader in Celebration Church, Barrie, Mike has shown a great love for mission outreach. He has been on tours with Arms of Jesus Children’s Mission in Guatemala and currently serves on the Board of REC / ANiC in Cuba. He is well travelled both internationally and in Canada and is looking forward to meeting the ARDFC Ambassadors in each of our Diocesan parishes. Living relatively near Burlington and Ed Lewis, the recently appointed ARDFC Treasurer, will be a tremendous asset in the routine operation.

Michael’s appointment will become effective January 1, 2020.

In making the announcement, Bishop Charlie said: “I am thrilled that Mike Tweedle has accepted the call to be our next National Director of ARDFC. We thank God for providing us with such a wonderful leader to be the successor to Claus Lenk. Mike like Claus has a servant’s heart, is passionate about World Missions and will be well able by God’s Grace to lead us in the next season of ARDFC.”

Please see our presentation.

The official opening of the new pediatric ward has been moved to October 18 (Saturday) to allow more clinic staff to attend. (The main outpatient clinics run Monday to Friday occupying staff during the week.) Once open, the new ward will add 20 pediatric beds to the current 10, bringing the total to 30. The clinic’s effectiveness is shown in the fact that there was not a single known mortality among the estimated 600 sick children treated by the clinic in the first half of 2014.

Thanks to generous donors, ARDFC has been able to send $20,000 to aid St George’s (Baghdad) in its work with suffering Iraqi’s. It’s not too late to contribute. We hope to keep sending relief funds to help the persecuted and suffering refugees in Iraq who have been chased from their homes and hunted down by merciless Islamic State militants. Please donate now.

Great news from Yei, South Sudan! Construction of the new expanded pediatric ward is almost complete. The grand opening is scheduled for October 15. The medical equipment for the ward was delivered from Uganda today. The beds have been made. The solar equipment which will provide 24-hour power (something we take for granted in the west!) was delivered today as well. PTL! Now we need to raisie the remaining funds for this project so the Diocese of Yei can pay the bills for this project. You can read more about this project here and photos related to this project and the construction of the new pediatric ward are here. Please give.

We have just received an email from Poppy Spens who was visiting Yei in June. Poppy writes that, in late June, a builder was selected after four quotes were obtained from local reputable builders. The bishop of the Diocese of Yei officiated at a dedication ceremony and construction is now underway! A senior clergyman will supervise the construction project and will send us reports and photos as the work develops. Poppy adds that “The ward was so full when we were there-never less than 18 children in a 10 bed ward (often many more) so the Diocese is really grateful.” Read a letter from the Bishop of Yei to ARDFC.

Praise the Lord! 2013 was a great year for the Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada thanks to the generosity of our churches and individual donors. Not only were we able to send the last installment to the Diocese of Recife (Brazil) to fund construction of a training centre, but we ended the year with a surplus, allowing us to kick start the next project.
In 2013, you also gave more than $20,000 towards emergency relief in the Philippines following the typhoon disaster and more than $10,000 to help in the aftermath of the floods in southern Alberta. Thank you!

ARDFC is collecting donations to help victims of the typhoon-created disaster in the Philippines. Please help us help those in need. Learn more here.

You’ll hear from a number of Anglican Primates about what ARDF’s support has meant to their churches and people. See here.

In a 3 1/2 minute video, Archbishop Henri Isengoma, Primate of the Anglican Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo, explains how important the partnership of ARDF has been in relieving suffering, proclaiming the gospel, resettling war refugees and retraining child soldiers.

Pastor Mauricio Coelho from the Diocese of Recife, Brazil – where ARDFC is currently funding the construction of a training centre – will speak at Christ The King Anglican Church, Toronto, on October 9 at 7pm. The evening will be hosted by ARDFC Chairman Bishop Don Harvey. All are invited.
Location: Christ The King, meeting at Blythwood Baptist Church, 80 Blythwood Rd, Toronto, ON
Time: October 9, 7pm
For more information, please see the flyer.

You can watch video – or listen to an MP3 – of ARDFC treasurer Claus Lenk’s presentation to the ANiC Eastern Assembly as well as his discussion with Archbishop Tito Zavala (Primate of the Southern Cone) about ARDFC and our projects. Hear how ARDF-Canada’s work is viewed by Global South Primates.

ARDF, our sister aid and development agency, sent two people to Africa in October 2012 to investigate conditions in South Sudan, Congo and Rwanda and check on projects. You can read the Rev Bill Haley’s impressions on his blog. Earlier posts written during the trip provide specifics with many interesting tales of their travels.
He says Africa is “as complex as you are broad”, “…as beautiful as you are broken”. “Indeed, how you view Africa depends on what you see you, but more importantly, how you see. Seeing as a Christian, hope will always be deeper than the horror, love always deeper than the hate, God’s provision will always be more profound than the human deprivation, beauty always overcoming brokenness, light eventually but always piercing the darkness… Yes, there’s a lot of darkness on this continent. I won’t forget it soon. But I will also keep with me for a long time the example of God’s people here, by whose very presence and courageous and compassionate deeds, the light of Christ shines with hope. “

In his preface to the 2011 ARDF annual report, Archbishop Bob Duncan write, “Since the Fund’s inception in September 2004, ARDF, by God’s grace, has been working directly with the spiritually vibrant, but resource poor Anglican Churches around the globe. You have provided over $4.9 million in funding for 106 development projects. Through your generosity you have changed the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ in 32 countries strengthening our partnership with Anglicans world-wide.” See the full report (pdf) here.

This newsletter reports on our first completed project, as well as our current project and provides some thoughts on what ARDFC provides donors in a world over-crowded with charitable organizations. See the Fall 2011 newsletter.

While the Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada (ARDFC) is relatively new, our US partner (the ARDF) is celebrating its seventh year of operation, having delivered over $4.8 million in funding to over 105 relief and development projects. Its international board of trustees includes a number of Global South Primates who select the projects we undertake. The ARDF has prepared an excellent report on its ministry and its distinctives. ARDFC shares the values and approach discussed in the ARDF report.

The Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada welcomed Archbishop John Chew Hiang Chea – Primate of the Anglican Province of Southeast Asia, Bishop of Singapore and Chairman of the Global South Primates Steering Committee – to a weekend of special gatherings in Vancouver to promote the work of the ARDFC.