I'd stumbled across a curious tidbit which I just had to share with you'all. I had been learning of vibrant Anglican communities in asia, and in such a place as Melanesia there is one such community. The Melanesian Brotherhood is an community of men in the Solomon Islands founded in 1925 by a local policeman and the local Anglican Bishop. They take simple vows and their life is devoted to bringing the Gospel to Melanesia. They follow a daily office, praying six times a day, and have a daily Eucharist. During 1999-2000, there was terrible ethnic tension in the Solomon Islands, with various rebel groups killing each other. The Brothers took on a leading role in making peace, which led to the Townsville Peace Agreement. The Brothers gathered weapons from the various groups and threw them into the sea. However, one rebel leader, Harold Keke, did not accept the agreement, and continued to lead the "Guadalcanal Revolutionary Army". Harold Keke was raised a Catholic then later embraced Evangelical Christianity. On Easter 2003, one of the members of the Melanesian Brotherhood, Brother Nathaniel Sado, who knew Harold Keke personally, went to reason with him. When he did not return, the Brothers suspected the worst and in April, six of them went to investigate and ask for Br. Nathaniel's body back. These Brothers also did not return. In August 2008 it was confirmed that they had all been killed. The autopsy revealed that Br. Nathaniel Sado had been tortured for several days before being killed, and the other six were shot on arrival at Keke's camp. They were Br. Robin Lindsay, Br. Francis Tofi, Br. Alfred Hill, Br. Ini Paratabatu, Br. Patteson Gatu, and Br. Tony Sirihi. Their bodies were interred in October 2003 at Tabalia, and their funeral was attended by thousands. A banner was carried before each coffin with the words "Blessed are the peacemakers". At the 2008 Lambeth Conference, the names of the Seven Melanesian Martyrs were added to the list of contemporary Martyrs of the Anglican Church, and an Icon of them was placed in Canterbury Cathedral. Wikipedia Blessed are the peacemakers!
Thank you for sharing this Spherelink. All too often we forget that we have brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for the faith around the world.
Thanks all! Agreed. Melanesian choirs are really stunning, such as this one from The Thin Red Line soundtrack ("Jesus, You Hold My Hand"):
Thanks for sharing Spherelink. I didn't know that story about the 7 Anglican martyrs. Peteprint is right, we need to be reminded to keep them in our prayers. One of the prayers that the Persecuted Church asks for is that they will remain strong in their faith.