After the fall of Kabul in Afghanistan in 2021, thousands fled the country, including many Christians. Some found their way to Brazil, where Christians in the Diocese of Vittoria were able to care for their brothers and sisters. And they were able to do this because of the generosity of Sydney Anglicans. Afghan Christians were loved by Brazilian Christians with the help of Australian Christians! 

In his new book, The Vine Movement, Mikey Lynch has written: “Our view of gospel work must be global as well as local”, adding: “The goal isn’t church growth… but gospel growth. Building trellises for this larger vine work helps increase the overall impact of gospel ministry.”  

This continues the trellis and vine idea that Tony Payne and Colin Marshall first wrote about 15 years ago in their influential book of the same name, describing growing gospel ministry and the structures to support it. 

I’ve been reflecting about this and its impact on the work I am privileged to be engaged in at Anglican Aid. What happened to those Afghan refugees was an expression of this concept in action. The vine in Brazil was supported by the trellis of Anglican Aid’s work.

Jesus is glorified when Christians use their gifts in service of the body, regardless of whether it is part of the “trellis” or “vine”. I’ve seen this again and again – and sometimes in unexpected ways. 

When we partnered with the Diocese of Toliara in Madagascar to build a well for local people, it caused many there to investigate what would prompt such love. As the Rev Berthier Lainirina said, “Because of the love we showed through food distributions, clean water and other social works, the church is growing”. When followers of Jesus live in obedience to our Lord, thanksgiving to God overflows to a hurting world!

We owe a lot to the trellis and vine imagery (“home grown” as it is, if you will excuse the pun) because it helps us understand the complexities of the worldwide church and its various components. 

For example, in northern Kenya, Anglican Aid partners with the Diocese of Marsabit where CMS missionaries Norm and Janelle Gorrie serve to support water harvesting and income-generation activities. The project is only small, especially when compared to the size of the need, but to these people it is life. 

Alongside this development project, we support the training of church leaders in Kenya. The vine of gospel proclamation and neighbourly love grows in Marsabit, helped by the supporting trellis of organisations like ours and the Church Missionary Society, branching out from churches here in Sydney.

Lynch writes, “The local church and denominational association must continually reaffirm that their ultimate goal is to build Christ’s universal church”.

Recent events around the Anglican Communion have shown the need to work on our global “trellis” so that gospel ministry can flourish.

I’ve just seen this in action at the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Kigali, Rwanda, where I met leaders from around 50 of the poorest dioceses on Earth with whom we have active partnerships. I have returned more convinced than ever that, as Sydney Anglicans, we have been entrusted with great responsibility within the global gospel ecosystem. 

We are the servant given the many talents (Matthew 25) – of financial wealth, but also theological depth, numerical size and access to the benefits of education and technology. It has never before been so easy for the most advantaged to show love so directly to the most needy on our planet.

Acts of neighbourly love are good vine work that, often, can only happen with a strong trellis. Whether it’s teaching farming in Rwanda (with a piglet included in your training) or caring for the sick in Victoria Memorial Hospital in Pakistan (which delivered its first baby in March!), the building of trellises that facilitate love are acts of love themselves. 

These acts of love shout to the world that we are disciples of Jesus (John 13:34-35). Sometimes this brings opposition, but often it brings intrigue, and that great question: “Why would these people love us like this?” Because of Jesus!

I’m thanking God for the impact Sydney Anglicans have on building the global trellis through Anglican Aid, supporting the growing vine of gospel ministry – particularly among the poorest nations of our world!

The Rev Canon Tim Swan is CEO of the Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid.