History - Wesley Synod International Missions

BRIEF HISTORY OF WESLEY SYNOD AND ST.THOMAS UNIVERSITY

The Wesley Synod is the full original Methodist and Historic Apostolic Synod, dating back to the 1800 and the Christ Methodist Episcopal (CME) Churches of America. Its head office is now based in Canterbury, England is working around the world in many countries. We are doing the Lord’s work 24 hours a day somewhere. We feed the poor, help the needy, tend to the sick and take the word of God to many people around the world. OUR MISSIONS AND PURPOSE The Mission of the Wesley Synod is to minister to the spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional and environmental needs of all people by spreading Christ’s liberating Gospel through the word of our mouth and deeds of our hands. At every level of the connection and in the parish, the WESLEY SYNOD INTERNATIONAL shall engage in carrying out the spirit of love and compassion as did John Wesley preaching salvation to the oppressed poor people in England out of which the METHODIST achieve, that is seek out to save the lost and save the needy through a continuing program of the following:

Preaching the gospel
Feeding the hungry
Clothing the naked
Housing the homeless
Cheering the fallen
Providing job for the jobless
Administering to the need of those in prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, asylums and mental institutions, senior citizens homes, caring for the sick, the shut-in, the mentally and socially disturbed.
Encouraging thrift and economic advancement

To this we comment to you in the glorious fulfilment of the great kingdom of the Almighty and Angelic host in heaven, to his eternal and everlasting Glory. Amen. REGENERATION: A change of NATURE; a new life in Christ Jesus REPENTANCE: A change of MIND; a new life in Christ Jesus CONVERSION: A change of LIFE; a new life in Christ Jesus JUSTIFICATION: A change of SERVICE to serving the Lord Jesus Christ ADOPTION: A change of FAMILY; a new relationship with the Father’s Son and the Holy Spirit GLORIFICATION: A change of FOCUS; Colossian 3:2

THE WESLEY SYNOD ASSESSMENT OF BELIEVERS

REFOCUSING: OUR HERITAGE BEQUEATHED TO US BY HEAVENS FEARLESS FREEDOM APOSTOLIC WESLEY

TO DATE: In 1994, the St.Thomas-a-Becket Institute was set up as a way to teach the Bible to many. Then over the years the seed was planted for setting up a Bible College work worldwide and to teach teachers to teach others. To run such a theological Institute and college we needed a team to help run a school of learning. We started off slowly and built on a-dreams working and researching until the teaching of the Holy Bible. A lot of courses used by the Thomas-a-Becket Institute would not be impossible without their work and help. At the end of 1998, we were pleased to have other good Christian Teachers join our team to help others in the field of Christian Education. These people, with their good church background, helped many people around the world. Over the past few years, we have set hundreds of courses from many parts of the world and in August 1999 with the help of the Nigerian Government, we annexed a branch of the Theological Institute to Eket, Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria now a recognized Theological Christian Institute and University in Africa. At the start of the year 2000, we opened our first Prison Ministry with a Bible School in Maryland U.S.A with the works of Dr Orlando N. Hamilton, and with the help of many people and friends of the Synod, we are now training new ministers in South America and with the lord’s help we hope soon to open a Bible College annex in India. There is also a chance of us opening up another Bible College in Uganda in East Africa. We are now helping with children’s needs in Kenya, Nigeria and India. We now have regional Bishops in Nigeria, a Chancellor and General Secretary and an Archbishop. All these started with nothing, and now we cover the world with God’s love, now we have many ministries and churches taking the word around the world. For a long time now we have had Wesley Synod U.S.A working with us for many, strong and well-founded Synods, by joining both Synods together. The road is clearly marked for the people, in other Countries to build on which was not just a dream in our minds but the true wish of God that we go forward and teach the world. We are still working on what is the right way to go, but we are sure the Lord will show us. As we go forward into the millennium, the staffs and the Bishops within the Synod worldwide look forward to the training of ministers, who will go forward and teach the word of the Lord to many people around the world. We have churches in Africa with their own communication with us worldwide.

INTERNATIONAL OFF CAMPUS Theological Institute

We are a Historical Apostolic Synod working for the good of all. We do not have independent churches or ministries, we work as one family. We also have a charter and accreditation from SS Peter and Paul University, France. Our International website is www.lutheranuniversity.yolasite.com

ST.THOMAS-a-BECKET AND CANTERBURY

FEW SAINT IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE WERE CONSIDERED MORE POWERFUL THAN ST.THOMAS-a-BECKET, MARTYRED CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL IN 1117AD. THE SEED OF THE TRAGEDY WERE SOWNED IN FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE YOUNG AND THE FUTURE KING HENRY 11. WHEN HENRY APPOINTED THOMAS AS ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, HE EXPECTED HIS FRIEND TO DEFINED, TO OBEY HIM UNQUESTIONABLY. HOWEVER, THOMAS STOOD UP FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF FRANCE AND STAYED IN EXILE FOR SIX YEARS RETURNING ON DECEMBER 2, 1170 TO SPEND CHRISTMAS AT CANTERBURY. HOWEVER, THE CONFLICT WITH HENRY CONTINUED, SOME VIOLENT WORDS OF HENRY; WHO WILL RID ME OFF THIS TURBULENT PRIEST? WERE TAKEN LITERALLY BY FOUR LEADING KNIGHTS OF THE COURT WHO PROCEEDED SWIFTLY TO CANTERBURY. AT TWILIGHT ON DECEMBER 29, IN FRONT OF 60 PEOPLE IN THE CATHEDRAL THEY CUT HIM DOWN WITH THEIR SWORDS. HIS TOMB BECAME A GOAL OF MANY PILGRIMAGES AND POPE ALEXANDER 111 CANONIZED HIM IN 1773. HENRY WAS SO APPALLED WHEN HE HEARD OF THOMAS MURDER, AND APART FROM ASKING THE POPE FOR FORGIVENESS, HE WENT TO CANTERBURY ON 12TH JULY 1774 TO DO PENANCE. HE STOPPED AT SAINT NICHOLAS HOSPITAL AT HARBLEDOWN ABOUT SIX MILES OUTSIDE CANTERBURY WERE LEPERS WERE TENDERED AT HIS TIME, TO PRAY IN THE CHURCH HE LEFT A GIFT OF 20 SILVERS MARKS TO BE PAID YEARLY OUT OF THE ROYAL DUES FROM CANTERBURY TO SAINT THOMAS HOSPITAL. THE ROYAL DUES FROM CANTERBURY TO ST.THOMAS HOSPITAL AND ALTHOUGH HENRY 111 TRANSFERRED THE CHARGE TO THE CITY AUTHORITIES, THESE MONIES ARE STILL BEING PAID TO DATE. THE PILGRIMS YOU READ ABOUT IN GEOFFREY CHAUCER’S POEMS, THE CANTERBURY STILL VISIT THE CATHEDRAL. THE CATHEDRAL FOUNDED IN 507AD IS THE MOTHER CHURCH OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION.