Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (AFP)
The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (AFP) is an integral part of our Ministry in Action encouraging prayer in the life of the Church, building links and helping people grow in the life of prayer.
The AFP Diocesan Representative (DR) for the Diocese of Central Newfoundland is Rev. Larry Chatman, revlarrychatman@gmail.com.
AFP’s ministry is fulfilled primarily through its Diocesan Representatives, and the committees, parish representatives and others interested in prayer that the DR organizes and coordinates.
AFP helps parishes to form prayer groups and sponsors parish, deanery or diocesan schools of prayer, retreats, quiet days and prayer conferences. The national organization provides literature on many aspects of prayer by means of low cost printed and electronic media, including the Newsletter which can be found on their website.
Uniting The Church Through Prayer
Prayer is essential to the vitality and the ongoing life of individuals and the Church. AFP seeks to share with others in the spiritual empowering of the Church by :
- teaching people how to pray
- developing effective prayer groups
- offering opportunities for contemplative prayer through quiet days and retreats
- providing information, education and nurture for those who pray
calling the Church always to give prayer its rightful priority
serving as a reliable resource on the life of prayer - promoting a spirituality based on biblical principles
supporting, cooperating with, and uniting the Church through prayer
History
The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer became an officially constituted organization in the U.S. in 1958 under the leadership of Helen Smith Shoemaker, Polly Wiley, Bishop Austin Pardue of Pittsburgh, Bishop Frederick H. Wilkinson of Toronto, and Bishop Cuthbert Bardsley of Coventry (England).
The movement which led to the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer began during World War II with a small fellowship of Episcopalians led by Helen Smith Shoemaker and Polly Wiley who met for prayer on the second floor of St. Thomas’ Church in New York City. Spontaneous prayer was considered an innovative thing at the time and the original members had to discover their own paths into intercessory prayer. From these beginnings, AFP has been recognized as a pioneer in the small group movement.
AFP Canada started in 1983 when Betty Gracie of Toronto was appointed the Canadian Coordinator by the International Executive.