Quick tours
Around the world
Angola
'The Alpha course here is going well. We hope it can bless
the world.'
The Rev'd Maiala David, Luanda, Angola
Australia
Enthusiasm for Alpha has continued to flourish in Australia.
Two 'state Alpha offices' have been set up in New South Wales
and Victoria alongside several regional offices. The Archbishop
of Sydney, the Most Reverend R. H. Goodhew says that, 'Alpha
is well and truly established in Sydney, indeed Australia-wide.
Many have found their participation life changing. I am pleased
to commend it.'
Brazil
Alpha in Brazil is just beginning. There are only 15 courses
running, but in August 2002 representatives spoke to more
than 100 people about Alpha and many of them were very interested.
Canada
By December 2002 there were over 1,800 registered Alpha courses
in Canada. Several Alpha conferences are being held each year
throughout the country. The Archbishop of Vancouver, the Most
Reverend Adam Exner OMI invited Christians of all denominations
to attend a conference hosted by the Catholic Church in Vancouver
in July 2000. The Archbishop asked guests, 'Why am I inviting
you to this conference?' before stating that, 'The Alpha course
has been used in many countries throughout the world and has
proved to be a most effective tool of evangelization.'
Czech Republic
More than 600 people from all over Eastern Europe, including
Bishop Frantisek Radkovsky, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Pilzen,
and Pastor Milos Soc, leader of the Baptist Union in the Czech
Republic, attended a packed Alpha conference in Prague in
June 2001. Since this conference, amazing growth has been
seen in the Czech Republic - Alpha activity has increased
by 300%.
Denmark
Over 190 Alpha courses are running in Denmark. A Danish version
of Alpha News began in September 1999 and is to be printed
quarterly. Several new Alpha publications are now available
in Danish.
Ethiopia
'Alpha is going strong and so is the study on Philippians
- A Life Worth Living.' Says Dr Florence Muindi from Addis
Ababa.
France
France has seen the provision of God since opening the Alpha
office in Paris three years ago. They had nothing at the beginning
– no money, no workplace, no equipment. At that time,
there was only one course running in a Catholic parish and
now there are 130
running in Catholic parishes – and 70 in other denominations.
In Paris, the course is now running in a quarter of all Catholic
parishes. Alpha is now part of the official pastoral programme
for the diocese.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong's vision is that God will use them to launch Alpha
in the Chinese language to all corners of the earth where
there are Chinese people. In November 2002, Hong Kong held
an Alpha conference for pastors and ministers from China and
Taiwan. The conference was tri-lingual, with the English translated
into Mandarin and Cantonese simultaneously. Courses are now
running in all three languages.
Kazakhstan
In Kazakhstan they have started a new church Alpha course
every month, with 150-200 people joining each time. Their
vision is to take the Alpha course to countries along the
Silk Route – for example Turkey, Azerbaijan, and even
among the Wigra people in Xinjaing province of China. They
are also looking to see how to start the Alpha course in Kyrgyzstan
and Uzbekistan.
Kenya
Approximately 120 courses are now running in Kenya. The first
edition of Kenya Alpha News was produced in December 1999
from the Alpha Office in Nairobi. The Alpha Manual has been
translated into Kikuyu, Kikamba and Luo. The book Questions
of Life is now available in Kiswahili.
New Zealand
Alpha is experiencing phenomenal growth in New Zealand. In
1995 there were 8 registered Alpha courses, by March 2000
there were almost 1,000. In that time over 70,000 New Zealanders
have attended an Alpha course. Over 700 churches were involved
in the 2000 New Zealand Alpha Initiative. The entire nation
was invited to supper and given an opportunity to hear Nicky
Gumbel's talk, 'Christianity: Boring, Untrue, Irrelevant?'
The New Zealand Alpha office is now planning their third
Alpha Initiative, involving television advertising for 2003.
More than a third of all New Zealand churches now run the
course.
Norway
Alpha has continued to expand in Norway at an astonishing
rate. Most Alpha publications are available in Norwegian.
There are over 490 registered Alpha courses running. Harald
Blindheim from the Alpha office in Stavanger says that, 'It
is fascinating to see how Alpha is helping to renew churches
and produce new life.'
Russia
Holy Trinity Brompton Vicar, Sandy Millar, led a church
team to conduct Alpha conferences in Moscow and Kiev in April
2001. There are now over 170 Alpha courses running in Russia.
Sweden
With over 430 registered Alpha courses in 2002 and a Swedish
edition of Alpha News published three times a year with a
print run of around 5000 - Alpha in Sweden is going from strength
to strength. They held 19 Alpha conferences with a total of
2,800 delegates in 2002. As Christer Wallstrom points out,
'We are very thankful to God for being part of this movement.'
Switzerland
In 2001 there were around 350 registered Alpha courses in
Switzerland, by December 2002 there are 410.
UK
Alpha in the UK continues to grow with the success of The
Alpha Initiative. In 2001, the nation's awareness of Alpha
was further raised by the ITV series, Alpha: Will It Change
Their Lives? Following The Alpha Supper Initiative 2002,
over 50,000 non-churchgoers attended Alpha courses throughout
Britain. There are now over 7,000 registered Alpha courses,
with 85% of prisons in the UK running Alpha.
USA
There are now nearly 6,000 registered Alpha courses in North
America. The Right Rev'd Herb Thompson, Episcopal Bishop of
Southern Ohio, opened the Cincinnati Alpha conference in March
2001, describing Alpha as, "a marvellous gift to the
church throughout the world." Half a million Alpha manuals
were sold in the USA during 2001. It is estimated, therefore,
that over a million people completed the Alpha course during
the year.
Zambia
There are only a few Alpha courses running in Zambia however,
according to church leader Harold Rea of Kitwe, 'People are
so keen to attend, one lady walked two kilometres with a toddler
on her back.' A two-day conference was held in Congo in 2002
and they have started Alpha there.
Zimbabwe
There are more than 160 courses running throughout Zimbabwe
at any one time. In February 1999 the 'Shona / Ndebele Alpha
Mwenje' ministry was launched taking Alpha into rural areas.
Nicky Gumbel's book Questions of Life is now available in
Shona and Ndebele. The Alpha video translated into Shona continues
to be much in demand. Efforts are being made to get Alpha
accepted by the Zimbabwe Prisons Department.
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