ARIEL/ A MINISTRY OF PROCLAMATION

[David Virtue]

ARIEL/ A  MINISTRY OF PROCLAMATION

By David W. Virtue

PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC--Ariel might be the fairy out of Shakespeare's The
Tempest, but it is also a Ministry of Proclamation that is helping
women "sound the trumpet" throughout the world, proclaiming and
celebrating the Good News of Jesus Christ through the distribution of
Bible based teachings in salvation, discipleship and Mission, according
to its founder, The Rev. Erilynne Barnum, a deacon in the Anglican
Mission in America.

The movement was born in 2000, and has, in Barnum's  words "evolved
from more than 30 years of devotion to Christ and his church."

In 1977 she introduced the immensely successful Women in Discipleship
teaching concept to deepen the walk of women with Christ through a
deeper understanding of the Scriptures. Ariel evolved from that, she
said.

Today WID, as it is called, is in 98 countries. Barnum started four
groups of discipleship teaching in Pawleys Island which every woman
must commit themselves to for 30 weeks.

"When we started with a small group of women to pray. Now we have a
waiting list," said Beth Sprinkle an associate of Barnum's. "We got a
group of women together to pray. Now we have a waiting list."

Sprinkle admits that she once had a divided heart  and was lukewarm in
spiritual matters, "but through this course I have fallen in love with
the Lord Jesus Christ, and I want to serve him in any way I can. The
course greatly affected my marriage. It has affected how we manage out
household and raise our daughter. Our involvement in churches has
increased and so has our leadership in the church. It is one exciting
journey."

When ARIEL was birthed 272 women showed up, with 32 percent coming from
other churches. "we were blown away," said Sprinkle. It leveled out to
240 for the 30-week course, she said.

"In the Fall of  1999 to spring of 2000 the Lord provided a foundation
grant to allow 60 hours of teaching. Some 450 people registered up and
down the East Coast of the United States."

Asked how it differed from straight Bible studies, Sprinkle said, that
the focus was on discipleship. "It is about daily living the Christian
life. It is how to have Christ help in decisions in the home as well as
schools. Above all having Jesus as Lord."

Barnum said there was a hunger out there for truth and an intimate
personal relationship with Jesus Christ and his revelation of that
truth.

Barnum hopes to widen the ministry of ARIEL to include men. We don't
want to limit it to women (intercessors) only so we have formed an
umbrella organization and we are offering videotapes taught by men.

Sprinkle said they had a budget of $100,000, which was separate from
the Anglican Mission, and they charge only for materials.

One course is on Mary: A Surrendered life. "Mary, the mother of Jesus
is often overly exalted and deified by Roman Catholics and treated as
just a Christmas story by Protestants, but she is the model of
discipleship in the surrendered life," said Srpinkle.

Sprinkle says national expansion is underway with the ARIEL offered in
26 churches in 14 states.

"By 2003 we will have 56 churches in 28 states with a group in Rwanda,
Jerusalem, England, Ireland and Jordan."

"The bottom line is a transformed life," said Sprinkle.

If you would like more information on this Discipleship you can write
to ARIEL, P.O. Box 567, Pawleys Island, SC 29585. Or go to:
www.arielpawleys.org.

END