On Good Friday, members of The Presbyterian Church of America (PCA), the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) will share prayer resources and fast.
A Call for a Day of Prayer and Fasting – Good Friday, April 10, 2020
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11.28)
The whole world is in the throes of a coronavirus pandemic that is spreading death, illness, economic turmoil, unemployment, isolation, panic, and fear. In such desperate times, the people of God should humble themselves and pray to their almighty God for his grace, mercy, and love to heal us, restore us, and relieve us from this crushing burden of disease.
In response to the ravages of this historic plague, this call for prayer and fasting is an historic, ecumenical event because the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) have united for the first time to pray for God’s mercy and healing.
The Call: For all believers in Christ in the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA), the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) to set aside Good Friday, April 10, as a day of prayer and fasting to cry out for God’s help in addition to a Holy Day of worship.
The goal is for all 550,000 members of these three churches to have the opportunity to participate. Other denominations are aware of the planning for this event and have asked to be invited.
This notice includes the following attached resources: 1) A Guide to Prayer and Fasting by The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach, Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, 2) A Guide to Prayer and Fasting by Dr. Richard Pratt, President of Third Millennium Ministries, and 3) A Suggested Prayer List
They are sent to you ten days in advance of this event to give you time to review and consider their use in your church. Please be encouraged to use these or other materials that would be helpful to your congregation.
Archbishop Beach said, “Good Friday is one of the two days of prayer and fasting that all Anglicans are commended to observe. This Good Friday, April 10, is an especially appropriate time for everyone in the Anglican Church in North America to join with our Presbyterian brothers and sisters in Christ in this historic call to prayer and fasting. The Solemn Collects from our own Liturgy for Good Friday (BCP 2019 pgs. 566-571) are a helpful guide for prayer on this day.”
On Friday, the American Anglican Council will publish additional resources for this historic day of Prayer and Fasting.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chron. 7:14 (KJV)
Please publicize this event and distribute these resources to your membership via the means you deem most effective in the coming ten days? It would be wonderful if the membership of the PCA, EPC and ACNA were all united in prayer to God on Good Friday!
—-From the ecumenical committee for the Call to a Day of Prayer and Fasting, Good Friday 2020: Roy Taylor, Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church in America; Jeff Jeremiah, Stated Clerk, Evangelical Presbyterian Church; Rev. Canon Phil Ashey, American Anglican Council and Anglican Church in North America; Dr. Richard Pratt and Hon. Ashley Royal, Third Millennium Ministries.
