Memo to the Next Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church

From Huffington-

Dear Presiding Bishop nominee:

You are in a group of four fine bishops nominated to serve as our next Presiding Bishop. As a rather new, but very interested Episcopalian, I would like to offer my reflections to you, based on my pastoral experience dealing with people from every corner of the hemisphere, who are still wondering what "Espiscopal" or "Episcopalian Church" or "Presbypiscopal" means. By the way I've heard all of these used to refer to our church and many more variations are out there in English and Spanish... especially by folks in the mainstream media when they refer to our church.

As you read these points, keep in mind that the priest who writes this has a background in media -- secular and religious -- but is wholly motivated by a desire that all may come to know and experience the love of God, way beyond our denominational restrictions and boundaries.

Below are just a few "words from the pews:

More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/father-alberto-cutie/memo-to-the-next-presiding-bishop-and-primate-of_b_7662832.html

Episcopal Church addresses addiction concerns

From Maryland-

The Episcopal Church’s top legislative body is reviewing its policies on alcohol and addiction as part of a churchwide soul-searching over a Maryland assistant bishop charged with drunken driving while texting and with killing a bicyclist.

Leaders of the Episcopal General Convention, meeting in Salt Lake City, put the topic on the agenda after the criminal case against Heather Cook drew national attention. Cook, who has been defrocked, has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter, drunken driving and other charges.

More here-

http://www.fredericksburg.com/news/local/culpeper/episcopal-church-addresses-addiction-concerns/article_063028ca-0849-56a4-ba1f-3efd8e70d9c2.html

and here

http://www.sltrib.com/home/2667208-155/fatal-dui-case-prompts-episcopal-soul-searching

and here-

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/25/episcopal-assembly-responds-to-fatal-drunken-drivi/?page=all

Episcopal Assembly Responds to Fatal Drunken Driving Case

From ABC-

The Episcopal Church's top legislative body is reviewing its policies on alcohol and addiction as part of a churchwide soul-searching over a Maryland assistant bishop charged with drunken driving while texting and killing a bicyclist.

Leaders of the Episcopal General Convention, meeting in Salt Lake City, put the topic on the agenda after the criminal case against Heather Cook drew national attention. Cook, who has been defrocked, has pleaded not guilty to vehicular manslaughter, drunken driving and other charges.

In committee meetings Thursday, Episcopal leaders discussed updating the denomination's guidance on alcohol use and abuse, which hasn't been changed since 1985. Those guidelines suggest clergy and lay people educate themselves on pastoral support for substance abusers in the church, encourage moderate consumption of alcohol and suggest providing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages at parish events.

More here-

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/episcopal-assembly-responds-fatal-drunken-driving-case-32036188

Three essays on marriage

From The Living Church-

With General Convention approaching, I have had less time to note new material relevant to the Episcopal Church’s conversation on marriage. I’ll mention three right now to make up for it.

Fully Alive has just released an essay from Derek Olsen, “The BCP marriage service and the shortcomings of Paul and Augustine.” The essay responds to Fully Alive’s ATR paper (“Marriage in Creation and Covenant” or MCC), as well as one of my responses to the ATR respondents (“Augustine, Scripture, and eschatology“) . Olsen’s paper begins with a brief note of appreciation, but moves quickly towards laying out his thorough disagreement with MCC. He has two main concerns.

The first is related to the theology of Paul and Augustine. Olsen states that Paul and Augustine believed women to be culturally, biologically, and socially inferior to men (2-4), indeed, that Paul’s view of marriage portrays “a sacrament of unquestionable domination” (3-4). He says that “Marriage is not, according to the Pauline view, a relationship between equals.”

More here-

http://livingchurch.org/covenant/?p=6235

'God calling on us to dismantle systems of racism and privilege,' Episcopal leader says

From Salt Lake City-

As the Episcopal Church embarks on its 78th General Convention this week, church leaders are intently focused on healing the world, the nation and the church itself.

At a news conference Tuesday at the Salt Palace Convention Center, the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president of the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies, said people of faith and goodwill have been "electrified" by officer-involved shootings of black men and boys across the country, and more recently "the slaughter of nine black Christians by a white supremacist in Charleston, South Carolina."

"I believe that God is calling on us to dismantle the systems of racism and privilege that are inextricably bound up in the history of the United States and in our church, which was founded … in the early days of the republic," Rev. Jennings said.

The Episcopal Church's General Convention, which is conducted every three years, "is a place where Episcopalians have the ability not only to proclaim that black lives matter, but also to take concrete action for ending racism and achieving God's great racial reconciliation and justice," she said.

More here-

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865631305/God-calling-on-us-to-dismantle-systems-of-racism-and-privilege-Episcopal-leader-says.html?pg=all

In opening remarks, presiding officers urge church to take risks, soul search

From ENS-

Deputies and bishops gathered in the Salt Palace Convention Center for a joint session the morning of June 24 to hear opening remarks from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings.

The joint session, coming a day before the General Convention’s legislative business officially begins on June 25, set a collaborative context for the work ahead.

With all that General Convention has to accomplish over the next nine days, both Jefferts Schori and Jennings focused on The Episcopal Church’s need to cross boundaries into new frontiers, even as it focuses on its institutional structure and governance.

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2015/06/24/in-opening-remarks-presiding-officers-urge-church-to-take-risks-soul-search/ 

Opening remarks text here-

http://houseofdeputies.org/may-we-be-opened-president-jennings-opening-remarks-to-general-convention.html

Bishop resigns from seminary board following Orlando baptism flap

The previous post not withstanding-

The Bishop of Central Florida has resigned from the Board of Trustees of the Trinity School for Ministry (TSM) in the wake of the controversy over the baptism of an infant presented by a same-sex couple at the Cathedral Church of St Luke in Orlando.

On 16 June 2015, the Rt. Rev. Gregory O. Brewer met with the the Dean of TSM, the Very Rev. Justyn Terry at an Orlando airport hotel to discuss concerns raised by the board’s executive committee. At the close of the meeting Bishop Brewer, who was the sole serving Episcopal bishop on the seminary’s board, wrote to the board tendering his resignation.

Bishop Brewer, who served on the faculty of TSM twenty years ago and who continues to have close ties to the school, declined to respond to questions about his resignation. No member of the board contacted by Anglican Ink was willing to speak on the record about the incident. Dean Terry also declined to speak to the dispute, but the school’s spokesman, the Rev. Christopher Klukas, gave AI a statement on 23 June 2015. He wrote:

- See more at:

http://anglicanink.com/article/bishop-resigns-seminary-board-following-orlando-baptism-flap#sthash.N5tDM7mH.dpuf

General Convention

We'll see how often TRE can post in the coming days. Pretty tied up with General Convention.

'Vicar of Baghdad' recounts Christian persecution at hands of ISIS

From The Deseret News-

As one of the foremost Christian leaders in Iraq for nearly two decades, Rev. Canon Andrew White is all too familiar with the wave of crises that has hit the country.

But even Rev. White, who was until last year the leader of one of the largest Christian churches in that country and is widely known as the "Vicar of Baghdad," never could have foreseen the naked terror oppressed Christians there now experience at the hands of ISIS terrorists.

"It is happening now in our midst and the persecution of Christians is like we'd never expect would happen," he told several dozen gathered at the Episcopal Cathedral Church of St. Mark on Monday. "All I know is we are not (ceasing) to love Jesus. We are still serving him."

More here-

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865631242/Vicar-of-Baghdad-recounts-Christian-persecution-at-hands-of-ISIS.html?pg=all

With exit from imperilment, St. Peter's Episcopal Church moving forward

From The Baltimore Sun-

When members of a historic Ellicott City church were asked at a special renewal service last week if they were ready to continue their ministry with a new priest, they shouted, "We are!" with a thunderous enthusiasm that soared up to the church's cathedral ceiling.

With the ceremonial approval of the Rev. Henry Thomas Slawson III on June 17, St. Peter's at Ellicott Mills Episcopal Church celebrated its exit from three years in imperilment, a state of near-closure that had been declared in January 2012 by the Episcopal Bishop of Maryland, the Right Rev. Eugene Taylor.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/howard/ellicott-city/ph-ho-cf-st-peters-0625-20150623-story.html

Va. Bishops Demur on Canon (Marriage)

From The Living Church-

From the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, Bishop of Virginia, the Rt. Rev. Susan E. Goff, Bishop Suffragan of Virginia, and the Rt. Rev. Edwin F. Gulick, Assistant Bishop of Virginia:

At this point, without our knowing the specific form the resolution will finally take, we anticipate that we will vote “no” for the nuanced reasons that we outline below.

1. The three of us cannot vote based solely on our personal consciences in these matters. Because we took unique vows to “guard the faith, unity and discipline of the Church” (BCP p. 518), we must strive to weigh the needs of those who faithfully seek marriage equality with the convictions of those who cannot support such a measure. In addition, we must balance these considerations with the very real concerns of our brothers and sisters across the entire Anglican Communion, being well aware of the social and cultural ramifications of our work across many lands.

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/va-bishops-demur-canon

Bishop of Salisbury backs Pope's call for action on climate change

From England-

THE Bishop of Salisbury, the Right Revd Nicholas Holtam, has backed Pope Francis’s calls for action on climate change.

Bishop Nicholas, who was appointed the Church of England’s lead bishop for Environmental Affairs last September, spoke out after last week’s Papal Encyclical on the subject.

The Encyclical, labelled ‘Laudato Si (Be Praised), On the Care of Our Common Home’, put human activities as one of the key reasons for global warming.

Speaking in response to the letter, Bishop Nicholas said: “I wholeheartedly welcome the Papal Encyclical Laudato Si, a major contribution to tackling climate change, which is one of the great moral challenges of our times.

More here-

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/communitynews/churchnews/13345798.Bishop_of_Salisbury_backs_Pope_s_call_for_action_on_climate_change/

Ghana’s social, economic misfortunes are caused by moral decadence – Anglican Bishop

From Ghana-

The Right Reverend Festus Yeboah Asuamah, the Anglican Bishop of Sunyani, has said the social and economic misfortunes the country was experiencing were the consequences of moral decadence in the society.

He recounted that indulgences in nepotism, bribery and corruption, greed, selfishness and acts of immorality, had often brought God’s judgment on nations in the past, and the country would not be spared if Ghanaians did not change their negative ways of life.

Addressing the second session of the Fourth Synod of the Diocese in Sunyani, Rt. Rev Asuamah emphasized that the recent flood and fuel explosion in Accra were an indication that the country had lost God’s favour.

More here-

https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2015/06/21/ghanas-social-economic-misfortunes-are-caused-by-moral-decadence-anglican-bishop/

Corrupt politicians should be killed – Anglican Bishop

From Nigeria-

The Anglican Bishop of Wusasa Diocese in Zaria, Kaduna state, Rt Rev’d Ali Buba-Lamido, has advocated for death penalty to be visited on public office holders found to be corrupt.

The cleric, who spoke yesterday at the
Sixth Synod of the Wusasa Diocese of the Anglican Communion explained that he made the call because corruption kills more people than a conventional weapons.

He stressed that, “The death penalty option is the only way to put public officers in Nigeria in check,”

More here-

http://dailypost.ng/2015/06/21/corrupt-politicians-should-be-killed-anglican-bishop/

Connecticut Episcopal bishop a candidate to lead national church

From Connecticut-

The church no longer stands at the center of American life, but Bishop Ian T. Douglas, one of four candidates to lead the nationwide Episcopal Church, sees that change as part of God’s work in the world.

He says it gives Christians the opportunity to shift from worrying about the church and to focus more on what God wants them to do.

“For me what’s fundamentally important is that our vocation as followers of Jesus is to participate in what God’s doing as far as bringing new life into the world, what I often describe as God’s mission of restoration and reconciliation,” said Douglas. “By virtue of our baptism, we’re called to participate in that work. … But that’s different than keeping the church in business.”

More here-

http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20150620/connecticut-episcopal-bishop-a-candidate-to-lead-national-church

NC Bishop among 4 nominated to lead Episcopal Church in the United States

From North Carolina-

The Right Rev. Michael Curry, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, was officiating the ordination of a young priest at a Raleigh parish when he spotted a name tag on a church member who was part of the service.

When the service ended, Curry led the ceremony’s participants out. The second the door shut behind them, Curry whipped around to Blake Strayhorn, who heads Durham’s Habitat for Humanity, pointed at the nametag and said, “My mom was a Strayhorn. We’re cousins!”

The complexities of family trees with Southern roots make it possible that Curry, who is black, and Strayhorn, who is white, share some common lineage, and Strayhorn hopes they do. But even if they don’t, Curry’s claim fits the broader theme that has defined his 15 years as bishop: All people are brothers and sisters in the human family of God.

Read more here:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article25083385.html#storylink=cpy