Alpha International Week news round up
More than 1500 delegates from 100 countries - including 75 Bishops - attended the Alpha 'International Week' at Holy Trinity Brompton last week.
Nearly half the Bishops were from the Roman Catholic church and included several Archbishops.The 'Bishops' stream' was hosted by the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres.
The biennial event is an opportunity for Alpha leaders throughout the world to meet together for encouragement and envisioning for the years ahead. The week included an Alpha Conference, a Marriage Conference, training events and seminars.
The Archbishop of Canterbury led a special service of Morning Prayer in the Crypt Chapel of Lambeth Palace for the Bishops attending Alpha International Week. After the service he welcomed the guests to a breakfast reception in one of Lambeth Palace's state rooms.
Later that day 100 Catholic participants of the Alpha week, including all the Archbishops and Bishops, attended a special mass at Westminster Cathedral led by Archbishop Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga of Colombia, who was attending the week.
After the service Thomas McMahon, Catholic Bishop of Brentwood, UK, welcomed the Bishops to a reception at Archbishop's House.
Bishop McMahon praised Alpha, saying, 'Alpha serves to draw all the churches together in the terms of the Gospel."
Bishop of Durham Tom Wright spoke on the Tuesday evening on the urgency of the gospel.
The Bishop of London attended the first of two 'News from the Nations' sessions, where representatives from the 100 countries spoke of how Alpha was helping to bring Christian faith to their nations.
Alpha representatives from countries including India, Egypt, Albania, Mauritius, Colombia, the United States, France, Russia, China and Rwanda spoke movingly of what they had seen.
Closing the session, the Bishop said, 'I have seen the extraordinary life [Alpha] has brought to the church in this global crossroads of London and throughout the country.
'One of my brother Bishops said to me, "What I find amazing about this is: there is no Alpha movement. They are not trying to set up their own international fellowship."
To watch the edited highlights of International Week click here.