CANA Announces the “Church and Islam Project”

HERNDON, Va. (August 19, 2009) – The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) announced its “Church and Islam Project,” an education-focused initiative to help Anglicans in the U.S. understand Islam and the challenge it poses to the Church and its mission.

CANA’s Canon Missioner, the Rev’d Canon Julian Dobbs, recently spoke at CANA’s Annual Council on the subject. “As Christians, we are called to reach out to the world around us to spread the love of Christ and that includes learning how to respond to other religions. CANA is committed to providing its members with honest and respectful information, while exposing the truth about so-called moderate Islam and encouraging evangelism to Muslims,” he said.

In addition to holding educational seminars and providing materials to CANA members, CANA’s “Church and Islam Project” will provide information at a new website: The Church and Islam

An ordained Anglican priest, Mr. Dobbs will be heading the “Church and Islam Project.” He was most recently the U.S. executive director for the Barnabas Fund, at which he developed awareness for the persecuted church and this growing ministry across the U.S.

“Through its association with the Church of Nigeria, CANA has watched with horror as anti-Christian violence has increased especially where Nigerian States have introduced Sharia [Islamic] law. Churches have been burnt and destroyed, Christians have been intimidated and some have been killed, all in the name of Islam. Islam continues to invade the Church here in the U.S., where Christians are increasingly subject to statements from Episcopal bishops and other leaders who confuse parishioners about the theological irregularities of Islam and champion ‘open pulpits’ where mullah’s are invited to teach from lecterns once dedicated to the proclamation of the historic Christian faith,” Rev’d Dobbs continued.

“Countless pastors and churches are being drawn into discussions on Islam and Christ, but we cannot let polite multi-faith dialog substitute for the truth of the Gospel message. CANA is committed to providing resources to help Christians deepen their understanding of Islam and to develop the appropriate Biblical response,” he said.

CANA Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns agrees. “The Gospel message does not exclude a fifth of the world’s population who are Muslims. We are called to love our neighbor – no matter what religion they practice – because the Christian faith has a distinctive message which brings the salvation and love of God to a needy and broken world through the life-transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. link

CANA website