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About Us
About Us
Statement of Purpose
Christian Listening International is a partnership of equals who are passionate about teaching listening skills.
We exist to support, encourage, and inspire Christian Listening teams globally.
We aim to encourage regular contact through a prayer diary, Skype calls, and Facebook.
Every three years, we will hold an international gathering where we:
- Listen to each other’s work stories.
- Share new course materials.
- Pray together.
We acknowledge with gratitude to God our roots and joint history with the Acorn Christian Healing Foundation in developing the original listening courses.
About Us
Our Background
Christian Listeners International was founded in Cape Town in October 2017. However, its origins began in the UK with the founding of the Acorn Christian Healing Trust in 1983 by Bishop Morris Maddocks and his wife, Anne. One of Acorn’s areas of excellence was Christian Listeners, which was conceived and led by the Rev. Canon Anne Long. Anne pioneered the growth of Christian Listeners primarily within the UK but also in a number of overseas nations, including South Africa, where it was called The Aloe Christian Foundation.
In 1995, the Rev. Dr. Russ Parker succeeded Bishop Morris Maddocks as the Director of Acorn and initiated a global network of partnerships that developed the work of Christian Listeners. Each nation was encouraged to adapt the UK material to suit its own culture, creating a sovereign approach to ministry.
In 2013, Russ stepped down as Acorn’s Director but was invited by the Acorn Trustees to oversee the international development of Acorn’s partner works. This continued for one year before Russ transitioned to focus on developing conciliation processes for dysfunctional churches. When Russ left, no replacement was appointed by Acorn’s new leadership.
The overseas partners, having already established strong collegiality and mutual support, decided to continue their collaboration independently. In 2017, a gathering of international leaders and Rev. Dr. Russ Parker was held in Cape Town, leading to the formation of Christian Listeners International. Melanie Williams was appointed as the first Chairperson.
The aims and objectives of Christian Listeners International are:
- To support, encourage, and share knowledge among nations wishing to develop a Christian Listener resource.
Although “Christian Listeners” was initially an Acorn concept, the term had become redundant within the Acorn Christian Foundation, ensuring no copyright issues. Upon launching Christian Listeners International, representatives from the Acorn Christian Foundation and other overseas Christian Listener ministries were invited to join.
Since its establishment, CLI has maintained online prayer support and hosted several Zoom gatherings. These sessions allow participants to share updates about their work, pray together, and inspire one another to further the mission of Christian Listening.
