SOMA UK works for the transformation of individuals and churches, and the healing of communities and their lands through the renewing power of the Holy Spirit by sending and receiving teams worldwide on short-term mission within the Anglican Communion.
Crosswinds Prayer was formed in 1994 to mobilise prayer for the Church and the Nations, by Canon John Simons. The trust is currently partnering with a Singaporean Christian businessman in the development of an online Prayer Portal, to be launched in the UK in the Spring of 2009.
SOMA (Sharing of Ministries Abroad) was born at a pre-Lambeth Conference in 1978. The revealed vision from the Lord was to ‘tend the nervous system of My Body’.
Since then, SOMA has sent small short-term teams to Dioceses across the Anglican Communion, at the invitation of the local Bishops, to give teaching on renewal. We go under the Bishop’s authority to give spiritual support, to bring refreshment, and to encourage unity and reconciliation. In particular we go to areas where the church has had to face conflict and a shortage of material resources.
Intercession underpins all our life and mission, and because of our birth at Lambeth and our special relationship of trust with many Bishops, we feel called to offer intercession during the time of the Lambeth Conference.
At the 1998 Lambeth Conference, Archbishop George Carey extended an invitation to SOMA and ARM (Anglican Renewal Ministries, now ReSource) to intercede on-site for the Conference. The practicalities of working this through were facilitated at Canterbury through the Crosswinds Prayer Trust. 10 years ago, intercessors travelled from the various SOMA bodies all over the Communion to be part of the on-site prayer.
This time, as we have thought and prayed over the last couple of years about our call to offer such intercessory support again, it became clear that it should be made both simpler, with the national SOMAs supporting the Conference with intercessory prayer locally, but yet more sophisticated by harnessing the amazing tool of the net to disseminate information from the Conference.
Other websites to which we have linked this one have information, which is all grist to the mill, but we seek to offer the intercessory edge, as the information is processed again through the experience of Crosswinds Prayer Trust.
We pray to enable God’s agenda for the Bishops. We understand and have a view on Anglican Communion issues, but the Prayer Room is not for praying these through. Intercession is an upholding before God, standing in the gap that His purposes will be enabled and His grace unleashed. And that those who carry the heaviest burdens will be sustained and strengthened.
Archbishop Rowan does not wear in actuality the vermin-infested hair-shirt of his martyred predecessor, Thomas a Becket, but it is a useful picture to pray that the figurative hair-shirt of leadership is not infested with vermin which are not of God! That the “Anglican way of being Christian” as Archbishop Rowan expresses it in his call to prayer for the Conference, will continue to be ordained by God and serve the purposes of His Kingdom.
Click the links below to download, save and print the Pray Lambeth posters and fliers in pdf format
'I am very pleased SOMA, along with Crosswinds, have organised this prayer initiative during the Lambeth Conference.
The Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Revd Rowan Williams
It is an important time for us in the Anglican Communion and this group of people who commit to pray for us during our meetings will play a significant role behind the scenes.
My thanks to all who have helped set up www.praylambeth.org.'
Every ten years, Anglican bishops from around the world meet to share, pray and have fellowship, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
SOMA UK and Crosswinds Prayer Trust are co-ordinating briefings to inform and equip like-minded people who wish to cover this 2008 event with prayer.
If you would like to participate, please add this page to your favourites and consider signing up for the email briefings.