Churches in Haiti ‘overwhelmed by humanitarian suffering’

THE president of the National Coalition of Haitian Pastors, the Revd Eliner Cadet, has called for international support and prayers for “the internally displaced Haitians and those suffering massive and inhumane deportations by the authorities of the Dominican Republic”. In a statement released through the World Council of Churches on Sunday, she said: “Despite our limited resources, the coalition strives to provide pastoral and humanitarian support to those who are suffering. However, faced with the magnitude of the crises — social, political, and humanitarian — we are overwhelmed.”

Appeal of Armenian detained in Iran rejected

AN ARMENIAN prisoner of conscience, Hakob Gochumiyan, who is currently serving a ten-year prison sentence in Iran, has had his application for a retrial rejected for a second time, Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports. He and his wife, Elisa, were arrested on 15 August 2023 during a visit to Iran, where they and their two young children had been invited for dinner with friends in Pardis. Both were placed in solitary confinement in Evin Prison, in Tehran, where they were interrogated at length. Neither was informed of the reason for their detainment. Mrs Gochumiyan was released on bail on 19 October 2023 and managed to return to Armenia, where she was reunited with their children, who had returned earlier accompanied by a relative. Mr Gochumiyan remained and was eventually charged with “engaging in deviant proselytising activity that contradicts the sacred law of Islam through membership and leadership of a network of evangelical Christianity”. In a letter to CSW this week, he said that this was “fabricated, completely unfair and false”. He said that after his arrest, he was denied unhindered access to his legal representative, that meetings were recorded without authorisation, and that he was denied access to Armenian Embassy staff.

London bishop a candidate for Archbishop of Melbourne

THE Bishop of Islington, Dr Ric Thorpe, who works primarily in church-planting across the Church of England, is one of four candidates for the Australian diocese of Melbourne, writes Muriel Porter. All four candidates are Evangelical, selected by the diocese’s Board of Nominators, an elected body of clergy and laity who are predominantly Evangelical. The election follows the retirement of Dr Philip Freier. In a press release issued by the diocese of London, Dr Thorpe said: “It’s very humbling to be considered for this role. We are walking the journey of discernment prayerfully, and trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whatever the outcome may be.” The Australian Primate, the Most Revd Geoffrey Smith, who is the Archbishop of Adelaide, has also announced his retirement this year. The election of the next Primate has to take place before 31 July, three months before Archbishop Smith relinquishes the position.