To cut the chain leading to terrorism, it is necessary to sever the earliest links that spread militant ideologies. "Terrorism originates at many different levels, each level leading to another. The early levels are not militant, but the last are terrorists. It is important to prevent these chains of events right from the beginning," says Dr. Ali Gomaa, former Grand Mufti of Egypt. Militant ideologies need to be countered with education and ideologies of peace and reconciliation.

"It is important that we work together to overcome the challenges that are facing the world," Dr. El-Tayyeb said. "In the 1930s Sheik Maraghi sent a message out to all religious leaders. In it he said, 'Atheists are united, we are not'. The danger is that division between religious leaders is almost always politically backed. Instead of leading to better humanity, politicized religion leads to wars."

What most of us in the western developed countries (the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia) take away from these Provincial Synods, every other year, is the rich and often moving experience of the ACC people and clergy who live in other countries in which persecution and poverty are among the hardships associated with the life of Christians in general (and though Colombia and Haiti are also in the west, geographically, their day to day life, with all of its struggles, are in many ways more lik

My decisions regarding St Anne's and All Saints' have come after 15 months of discernment by clergy and lay leaders of the congregations themselves, in partnership with clergy and lay leaders of other San Diego County Episcopal churches. These congregations were encouraged to live into a new future of collaboration and partnership. They were guided by the thoughtful and skillful leaders of our vital congregations team.