Anglican Relief and Development Fund: Partnership, Not Patronage

This interview was conducted Monday, November 10, 2008 in Vero Beach, Florida.

---

Greg Griffith: Bishop Duncan, you said in your opening remarks that the fund is “maturing.” How long has the fund been in existence?

Bishop Duncan: The fund was founded in spring of 2004, so we’ve had four years of operation. The vision of the fund of what you might say “objective philanthropy.” So much of our philanthropy around the world has been relational: If I know Archbishop Akrofi, and he has a need, I should try and respond to his need. But the vision of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund was that we might look at all the needs, including places where we don’t have relations, and try to apply the resources that are present in the US and Canada to stand with our Global South partners, both those known to us and those not known to us. One of the great insights, I think, of ARDF was to appoint global trustees. There are normally five global trustees, all of whom have been primates of the communion. Our present global trustees are Archbishops Benjamin Nzimbi, Justice Akrofi, Mouneer Anis, Gregory Venables and John Chew, and our patron is Archbishop Peter Akinola. In three active years we’ve given away more than $3 million around the world. Most of our projects are in the $20,000 to $80,000 range, plus immense relief during the tsunami in 2004 in Indonesia…

Greg Griffith: … which greeted the project in its infancy.

Bishop Duncan: That’s what really got the fund started. But what happens when the global trustees get together with the American president of the fund – I’m currently the president – is that we all vote on where the funds go, so effectively, the Global South decides where the funds go, rather than westerners deciding where they’re going to go. It’s a very different way to do philanthropy. We have what we call “ordinary” or “domestic” trustees that come from all over the U.S. and Canada who do the work and help us raise the funds and spread the word.

Greg Griffith: What do you think is the future of the fund in what I think you’re clearly implying is a new phase of maturity?

Bishop Duncan: Well there’s no question that the fund has lived through its early years, and it’s not in its adulthood yet – it will be when it has a lot more money muscle to do what it needs to do But we have assistance, we have commitment, we have the people, we have the systems for delivery, we’ve got folks who can assess projects… and the projects we’re talking about aren’t maintenance projects, they’re new projects, they’re development projects.

As the new province comes together in the U.S., one of our early partners – one of the early groups to embrace the ARDF as their relief and development fund was the Reformed Episcopal Church. The convocation of Anglicans in North America, the Anglican Mission in the Americas, as well have both embraced the ARDF.

Greg Griffith: Do you anticipate wider support of the fund among the Anglican Communion?

Bishop Duncan: We’re working on the effort in the U.S. and Canada because it’s these two areas that are coming together as a new, recognizable Anglican province. I heard just the other day from a leader in England where they’re founding an ARDF-like organization over there. There’s talk in Australia of doing the same.

Greg Griffith: Archbishop Anis, can you tell us what you’re seeing of the fund’s effects from your perspective?

Archbishop Anis: One thing about ARDF is that it’s not one group of people sending money, and another group of people receiving money. ARDF involves its recipients in the decision-making process. It is a very Christian attitude. This global participation in the fund contributes to the sense of maturity. I wanted to add this to what Bishop Duncan said: My own perception, from my dealing with ARDF, is that it has no strings attached. The fund can donate to any country, to any diocese, without regard to any difference it may have in position with those who are in charge of the fund. So it doesn’t have strings attached, like other funds. This is very, very important, because it aids in the extension of the kingdom of God – preaching the Gospel, reaching to people who are in real need, in places like Africa and Asia. The people who receive these funds can stand up and be free to express their own faith.

Greg Griffith: Archbishop Nzimbi, what about your experience with the fund?

Archbishop Nzimbi: When people are in difficult situations, our advice is sought. Do you see what I mean? Appeals for funds are put before all of us, and I can say, “This is a need for the church, for which I as a primate support.”

Archbishop Akrofi: I would like to talk about where these funds are used, on the ground, in Africa, Asia, Latin America… these funds raise the socio-economic standard for the people. For example, one project allowed a village to construct water works on a river that that raised the water level upstream. The people there now use this new abundance of water to water crops and raise animals. In many areas of Africa, projects such as this allow people to raise a higher quality of cows, goats, chickens… and you really see the joy among them. When the church [does this], and we speak of the salvation not just of the soul but of the total person, it is our gift to the community. We are very grateful when w come to see the projects. In my own province, several churches have grown tremendously because they are known to have sponsored projects such as these.

Greg Griffith: Thank you all for your time. Bishop Duncan, where can people learn more about ARDF, and donate to the fund?

Bishop Duncan: The fund’s web site is at www.anglicanaid.net. The Executive Director is Canon Nancy Norton. She can be reached at 412-261-0277, and by email at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Comment Policy: We pride ourselves on having some of the most open, honest debate anywhere about the crisis in our church. However, we do have a few rules that we enforce strictly. They are: No over-the-top profanity, no racial or ethnic slurs, and no threats real or implied of physical violence. Please see this post for more. Although we rarely do so, we reserve the right to remove or edit comments, as well as suspend users' accounts, solely at the discretion of site administrators. Since we try to err on the side of open debate, you may sometimes see comments that you believe strain the boundaries of our rules. Comments are the opinions of visitors, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Stand Firm, its board of directors, or its site administrators.