Saint's remains arrive for tour

From The BBC-

The remains of St Therese of Lisieux have arrived for their first visit to England and Wales.

She was described by Pope Pius X as "the greatest saint of modern times".
A casket containing bones from her thigh and foot will visit 28 sites in England and Wales, including Anglican York Minster and a London jail.

St Therese, a French Carmelite nun who died of tuberculosis in 1897 aged 24, came to wider attention after her autobiography was published.

The Roman Catholic Church says the relics - which have been credited with promoting healing and reconciliation - are likely to draw huge crowds during their month-long tour.
St Therese said she intended to use her time in heaven to do good on Earth, and she was considered to be an effective bridge to God.

BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott said that people prayed to her, assuming her to be in heaven, and in many cases felt their prayers had been answered.

Her remains were taken to Baghdad seven years ago in the hope of averting the Iraq conflict, and part of the relics have been sent into orbit around the Earth.

More here-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8258074.stm

Diocese of New York Special Committee on the Diocesan Budget Process and Assessment Report September

From The Diocese of New York-

The Special Committee on the Diocesan Budget Process and Assessment was
appointed by Bishop Sisk in January 2009 to examine the entire Diocesan budget and
assessment process to determine what changes of a fundamental nature might be required in
view of the present financial situation.

Based on questionnaires we received from parishes and visits with the leadership of
parishes, we found that the Diocesan leadership is highly regarded, but we found a lack of
understanding of what the Diocese does and how it spends money.

Many parishes are affected by significant declines in the market value of their
endowments, and there is concern about future plate and pledge income. Some parishes
have been forced to make significant reductions in staff, eliminate valued programs and
reduce pay (either on a percentage basis or by mandated unpaid furloughs). There is
concern that 2010 may be worse than 2009. We would describe the attitude of most
parishes as “Positive, but concerned.”

We found a general feeling that the assessment formula imposes too large a burden
on parishes and that the top bracket rate of 25% is too high, penalizing growth.
The Adjustment Board is authorized by the Canons to adjust a parish’s assessment.
It operates under guidelines approved by the Trustees, which allow it to act on a year’s
assessment only after the year has ended.

We also reviewed the Diocesan financial reports. In response to the economic crisis,
the Diocese has significantly reduced its expenses. However, as of June 30, 2009, there were
$2.5 million of unpaid assessments relating to years prior to 2007, $662,000 relating to 2007
and $1.8 million relating to 2008, and parishes had paid only 67% of what was owed for the
first two quarters of 2009. As of June 30, 2009, out of 148 parishes with assessments, 71
parishes (48%) have paid their full assessment installments through June 30, while another
34 (23%) have paid reduced amounts. All but one of the 51 CSP parishes are paying their
contributions. This leaves 43 parishes that had not yet made any contribution to the 2009
Diocesan budget.

The 35 page report can be found here-

http://www.dioceseny.org/system/doc/file_name/production/532/Special_Committee_on_Diocesan_Budget_and_Assessment_Report_Draft_September_3__2009_v1.PDF

Canadian and African theologians correspond about sexuality

From The Anglican Church in Canada-

In a kind of high-level pen pal relationship, theologians from six African dioceses are now exchanging essays about sexuality with theologians from four Canadian dioceses. Dr. Kawuki (Isaac) Mukasa, General Synod's coordinator for dialogue, paired up dioceses during two trips to Africa, including visits to South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from July 31 to Aug. 21.

Mr. Mukasa, a native Ugandan, considers this work essential to improving communication within the Anglican Communion, which is divided over the place of gays and lesbians in the church.

In Canada, the dioceses of Niagara and New Westminster have agreed to bless same-sex unions, and several other Canadian dioceses are considering following suit. Most African Anglican churches are conservative on the issue.

In his journeys, Mr. Mukasa has noted much miscommunication about mission between different parts of the Anglican Communion. He said he often explains to African clergy that the Anglican Church of Canada is involved in other areas of mission beyond sexuality, including church planting and youth ministry.

"When these dioceses are talking directly to each other [in these theological dialogues] they seem to be much more civil than say when one bishop is trying to respond to what they perceive to be going on in North America," he said.

Mr. Mukasa said that the established conversations "have been going well." He is encouraged that several theologians are now discussing broader areas of mission. It was also an honour for him to be named a canon of the cathedral in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

More here-

http://news.anglican.ca/news/stories/2107

Bankers Failed to Repent for Collapse, Anglican Leader Says

From Bloomberg-

Bankers have failed to repent for their roles in the global financial collapse, said the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, leader of the Anglican Church.

“There hasn’t been a feeling of closure about what happened last year -- there hasn’t been what I as a Christian would call repentance,” Williams said in a British Broadcasting Corp. interview yesterday. “We haven’t heard people saying, ‘Actually, no, we got it wrong, and the whole fundamental principle on which we worked was unreal, was empty.’ ”

Williams is the most senior cleric in the church, which has 80 million members in 164 countries. He has called for stricter financial regulations and caps on bonuses for bankers.

The bankruptcy filing of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. a year ago helped to trigger the biggest worldwide financial crisis since the 1930s. Banks worldwide have recorded more than $1.6 trillion of losses and writedowns since the start of 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Since then, economies in the U.S. and Europe have begun to improve, and banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. have reported rising profit.

Williams said the church “colluded” in the financial markets because it was “intimidated by expertise.”

Return Shrinks

The church oversaw assets worth more than 4.4 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) at the end of 2008, including stocks, bonds and real estate, according to its annual report. The Church Commissioners, which manage the endowment, made a return of 5.7 percent in 2008, the lowest in at least 10 years.

More here-

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aAdTyXjW7.mI

New Primate elected for the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion)

From Anglican Communion News-


The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has elected Nicholas Orogodo Okoh as its fourth Primate in succession to the Most Revd Peter Akinola. The announcement was made on 15 September after an election at the Cathedral Church of Stephen, Umuahia, Abia State in which the new Archbishop secured a two-thirds majority in a four candidate contest.

Currently Archbishop of Bendel Province and Bishop of Asaba diocese, the Most Revd Nicholas Orogodo Akoh retired from the army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2001 having fought in the civil war.

He studied at Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan between 1976 and 1979, was made deacon in 1979, appointed Archdeacon in 1987 and subsequently, in1991, Archdeacon. He was elected Bishop of Asaba in 2001 and then in July 2005, Archbishop of Bendel.

http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/9/16/ACNS4651

Good Stuff in TEC: West Virginia

Apple dumplings for a cause

Apple is a Black Lab. Smoldering eyes and a seemingly built-in intuition offset her puppy antics. She'd still love to frolic all day and vie for the attention of the nearest playmate, but Apple is destined for more important work. Funded in part by last year's Apple Festival (hence, the pup's name) at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Morgantown, she is being trained to become a service dog for an owner who has a physical or cognitive disability.

Martha and Arden Musselman of Elverson, signed on for a year-long commitment with Canine Partners for Life to train Apple to be a service dog. To say it is a full-time job minimizes the scope of the Musselman's charge, since preparing Apple for a life of service is more like a round-the-clock job. Apple accompanies her trainers everywhere, to sharpen her socialization skills and expose her to all of the everyday situations she willexperience as a service dog. The Musselmans explained that Apple goes shopping with them, tags along to soccer games, visits museums and restaurants and puts in a full day at the office with Martha. She even vacationed with her trainers during a recent trip to Cape May. The four-month old puppy will be trained for a year, and will then be partnered with an owner who can enjoy the benefits of life with a service dog.

More here-

http://www.tricountyrecord.com/articles/2009/09/15/news/srv0000006369320.txt

Clergy focus on ethics of health overhaul

From USA Today-

"God of grace and God of glory," prayed the Rev. Cynthia Hale during a national conference call Aug. 19 on health care reform, "... We believe that it is your will that every man, woman, boy and girl receive quality health care in America."
On that point, no religious leader would contest Hale, pastor at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Ga., who prayed at the kickoff of an effort by the faith community to mobilize religious support for President Obama's health care reform plan.

When it comes to specifics, however, there is little broad-based agreement.

From the pulpits and through public statements, religious leaders have been weighing in on various elements of what they say is a crucial moral issue. Catholic bishops have lobbied against possible inclusion of abortion coverage in any federal health care plan, a possibility Obama dismissed in his prime-time speech Wednesday (Sept. 9).

Episcopalians passed a resolution in July favoring a single-payer system, while some Catholic bishops in the Midwest have publicly opposed any massive government effort. Some rabbis are considering the subject for sermons during the Jewish High Holy Days, which begin Friday (Sept. 18).

More here-

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-09-15-clergy-health-care_N.htm

CRIME HISTORY: Priest, mistress found slain in lover's lane

On this day, Sept. 16, in 1922, a young couple in New Jersey discovered the slain bodies of an Episcopal priest and a member of his choir with whom he was having an affair.

The suspected killers were the priest's wife and her brothers in what became known as the Hall-Mills case.

The victims, Edward Hall and Eleanor Mills, were both shot in the head with a .32-caliber pistol. Her tongue had been cut out. Their bodies had been placed under a crabapple tree, positioned side by side with torn-up love letters placed between their bodies.

The case against Frances Noel Stevens Hall and her brothers fell apart during the month long trial when the key witness changed her story each time she told it, and the three were acquitted.
The Hall-Mills case has been extensively written about, and it has also been speculated that parts of the ending of "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald were based on the murder. - Scott McCabe

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/crime/CRIME-HISTORY_-Priest_-mistress-found-slain-in-lover_s-lane-8246855.html

House of Deputies president calls for attention to church's governance

From Episcopal Life Online-

Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies, plans to appoint a committee on church governance and polity "to examine and explain the history, theology, political structure and practical realities of the ways in which we believe God calls us to govern the [Episcopal] Church."

In a September 14 letter to General Convention deputies and first alternative deputies, Anderson said that after the July 8-17 General Convention meeting "it makes little sense to speak of governance and mission as two different things."

"Our church is able to enlist the energy and talent of every member in building God's kingdom precisely because we make room for the Spirit-seeking wisdom of all orders of ministry in the governance of our church," she said.

Anderson, who was re-elected to a second three-year term during the 76th meeting of convention, also placed the need for such a study group in the context of two other issues. One is the expectation that the Episcopal Church will have to consider an Anglican covenant once a final text is released to the Anglican Communion's 38 member provinces. The second is the effect of budget cuts on the work of the church's committees, commissions, agencies and board (CCABs).

The Anglican Consultative Council in May postponed releasing the Ridley Cambridge draft of the covenant to the communion's provinces for consideration. The council asked that the draft's Section 4, which contains a dispute-resolution process, be given more scrutiny and possibly revised.

A small working group is reviewing Section 4. The members, all of whom served on the original Covenant Design Group, have called for provincial responses by November 13, 2009. The working group will meet November 20-21 in London and report to the Standing Committee meeting December 15-18. (The Standing Committee is a group of elected representatives of the ACC and the Primates Meeting).

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_114725_ENG_HTM.htm

Signs, signs every where signs: 23

I'm assuming this is a rhetorical question.

Bishop Andrus Has Prostate Cancer

From The Living Church- (For what its worth, I wouldn't recomend Googeling for prostate cancer images)

The Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, Bishop of California since 2006, will undergo prostate-cancer surgery on Sept. 28. The bishop disclosed his condition in a brief post on his weblog on Monday.

This is a “common cancer, caught at an early, low-grade stage,” the bishop wrote.

The bishop expressed his gratitude for receiving messages of concern.

“I've been getting telephone calls, handwritten notes, and emails from people who, in addition to assuring me of their love and prayers, have become heartbreakingly, beautifully vulnerable by telling me their own stories,” Bishop Andrus wrote. “I realized how costly the recounting of these stories was, how it was bringing back all the fear, and in some cases the loss associated with the different diseases faced. They did this out of love for me. In this I learned a new way to understand and define prayer, and I thought, here is my daily bread, produced out of suffering and pain, and transmuted by these human bearers of Christ into something life-giving.”

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/9/15/bishop-andrus-has-prostate-cancer

A letter From Bonnie Anderson

Sept. 14, 2009


Dear Deputies and First Alternates,

It has been two months since I brought the gavel down to close the House of Deputies at the 76th General Convention in Anaheim, but the remarkable spirit of those ten days has stayed with me. During our time together in the House of Deputies, we worshipped and prayed, shared some very deep feelings about the controversial issues that confront our Church, learned new skills through the Public Narrative Project, and acted on an extensive legislative agenda that will shape our Church for decades to come. Watching the sensitive, respectful way that deputies went about their business, observing the efficient committee work, and listening to the well-informed debate made me appreciate once again the wisdom of our founders, who determined that all orders of ministry should share in the governance of our Church.

We are living in difficult times, but the members of the House of Deputies have indicated that they are ready to make even stronger commitments to the work of God's church. It is my hope that we can bring this new energy to bear on a new set of challenges. During this triennium, we must do more with less. We must determine how our interim bodies,the Commissions, Committees Agencies and Boards on which clergy and lay people have extensive representation, can continue to play a vital role in the governance of the Church. We must create ways to continue essential mission initiatives, even without the Church Center offices that once sustained this work. And we must begin to formulate our response to the Anglican Covenant once the final draft becomes available.

For my own part, I would like to begin the new triennium with three announcements:


1. In response to our financial situation, I have decided to reduce the size of my Council of Advice from 14 members to 8. Each member of the council will have a specific portfolio or project and will be supported by his or her own network of informal advisors whom I will call upon from time to time as the need arises. I believe this is the most cost-effective way for me to remain well-informed and advised.

2. This week I am sending letters to various lay and clergy leaders throughout the Church inviting them to serve on the Commissions, Committees, Agencies and Boards that play an essential role in the governance of the Church. In extending these invitations I paid special attention to balancing the new energy and insights of an emerging cohort of lay and clergy leaders with the experience and institutional memory of veteran deputies. Once the invitees have responded and rosters are complete, they will be posted on the General Convention Office Web site.

3. Circumstances including our impending consideration of the Anglican Covenant and the need to sustain the work of our CCABs in the face of reduced budgets suggest a need to speak clearly and convincingly about the distinctive way in which authority is exercised in our Church. To that end, I am appointing the House of Deputies Study Committee on Church Governance and Polity to examine and explain the history, theology, political structure and practical realities of the ways in which we believe God calls us to govern the Church. This group, whose membership I will announce shortly, may also make recommendations to the next General Convention on strengthening our self-understanding.

After this General Convention, I am more convinced than ever that it makes little sense to speak of governance and mission as two different things. Our Church is able to enlist the energy and talent of every member in building God's Kingdom precisely because we make room for the Spirit-seeking wisdom of all orders of ministry in the governance of our Church. The relationship is symbiotic, it is a relationship of UBUNTU. I urge you to remember that deputies are deputies even when General Convention is not in session. Please remain involved in the life of your congregation and your diocese, and don't hesitate to inform me of any developments you find significant. I am always available to you at banderson@episcopalchurch.org. Soon I will reactivate the HOD communications tool in the form of the deputy online forum that served us so well prior to General Convention. We will use it as a place for us to share information and opinions about matters pertaining to our work together as the House of Deputies on behalf of the Church.

As always, you are encouraged to share this communication with all the alternates of your deputation and other people of your diocese and beyond.

Thank you again for your participation in an inspiring General Convention.

Peace,

Bonnie Anderson, D.D., President
The House of Deputies

Bishop blames city riots on tribalism

From New Vision-

OUTGOING Anglican Bishop of the Northern Uganda Diocese Rev. Nelson Onono-Onweng has said the biggest problem dividing Ugandans is tribal differences.

He said: “The three-day rioting around Kampala district was a result of ethnic sentiments.” “If these sentiments are not resolved, more inter-ethnic violence is likely to continue,” Onono-Onweng added.

He asked the Government to quickly investigate such differences to avoid violence that destroys property and lives.

Onono-Onweng made the appeal during a service to confirm 175 Christians and convert four others from the Catholic Church to the Anglican community.

This was at Christ Church Urban Archdeaconry in Gulu on Saturday. He asked children to respect their parents, guardians and elders in the community.

This was the last official pastoral work conducted by the bishop as he hands over to his successor, Rev. Johnson Gakumba. Gakumba’s consecration ceremony will be attended by President Yoweri Museveni at St. Philip Cathedral, Mican in Gulu on December 20.

Onono-Onweng asked Christians to have a good relationship with God to strengthen their faith and love for one another. “If you want to have better life, develop good relationships with your friends and family, and treat everyone equally.” Onono added.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/16/694633

Number of female senior pastors in Protestant churches doubles in past decade

From Church Executive-

After decades of no growth in the ranks of female senior pastors serving in Protestant churches, a new Barna study that has tracked the ratio of male-to-female pastors indicates that women have made substantial gains in the past ten years.

From the early 1990s through 1999 just 5% of the Senior Pastors of Protestant churches were female. Since that time the proportion has slowly but steadily risen, doubling to 10% in 2009.

Not surprisingly, a large share of the woman in the pastorate – 58% – are affiliated with a “mainline” church – i.e., a congregation that is aligned with denominations such as American Baptist Churches (ABCUSA), United Church of Christ, Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), United Methodist or Presbyterian Church in the USA (PCUSA). Among male pastors, less than half that percentage (23%) is affiliated with a mainline ministry.

Other Pastoral Characteristics

The survey also revealed that the median age of female pastors has risen during the last ten years, from 50 years of age to the current median of 55. In contrast, the median age of male senior pastors has also risen, from 48 to 52.

Women in the pulpit are generally more highly educated than are their male counterparts. Currently, more than three-quarters of female pastors (77%) have a seminary degree. Among male pastors less than two-thirds (63%) can make that same claim.

More here-

http://www.churchexecutive.com/news.asp?N_ID=2091

Country’s top Episcopal bishop speaks at church

From Williamsport PA-

The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States and 16 other countries expressed support for efforts to ensure health care is available for everyone in this country during a visit Sunday to Trinity Episcopal Church in the city.

The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori acknowledged during her sermon that some parishioners have been critical of the support among church leaders for health care reform.

She said one church member wrote, "I go to church to feel safe, not to hear about politics."

But Schori suggested the Christian faith is about more than a life "without dread of disaster." It's also about continuing - even in the face of hostility - "to show others that we love them."

According to the bishop, "in this country, politics is how we change dysfunctional systems," and addressing issues such as national health care are appropriate for church members and and leaders.

"Taking up our cross is not always sweetness and light," she said, and the church's mission is to show how "God (can) bring new light out of the worst that the world can dig up."

In an interview after the service, Schori said Episcopalians "celebrate a diversity of opinion within the church" and their leaders traditionally have expressed opinions - among them that the death penalty is immoral.

"We believe that health care is a basic human right," she added. "He (Jesus) heals people."

More here-

http://www.sungazette.com/page/content.detail/id/532318.html?nav=5011

Statement of the Communion Partner Bishops

From The Living Church-

A report of the meeting of the Bishops of Albany, Dallas, North Dakota, Northern Indiana, South Carolina, West Texas and Western Louisiana with the Archbishop of Canterbury on September 1, 2009:

As seven representatives of the Communion Partner bishops, we are grateful to have met with the Archbishop of Canterbury to discuss our concern in light of the recent actions of General Convention and the subsequent episcopal nominations of candidates "whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion" (General Convention 2006, Resolution B033).

At this meeting we expressed our appreciation for his post-Convention reflections, "Communion, Covenant, and Our Anglican Future," and were especially interested in his statement about whether "elements" in provinces not favorably disposed to adopt the Anglican Communion Covenant "will be free ... to adopt the Covenant as a sign of their wish to act in a certain level of mutuality with parts of the Communion."

Given our commitment to remain constituent members of both the Anglican Communion and The Episcopal Church, we are encouraged by our meeting with the Archbishop. We agree with him that our present situation is "an opportunity for clarity, renewal and deeper relation with one another -- and so also with Our Lord and his Father, in the power of the Spirit." We, too, desire to "intensify existing relationships" by becoming part of a "Covenanted" global Anglican body in communion with the See of Canterbury. We also pray and hope that "in spite of the difficulties, this may yet be the beginning of a new era of mission and spiritual growth for all who value the Anglican name and heritage."

We understand the divisions before us, not simply as differences of opinion on matters of human sexuality, but also about differing understandings of ecclesiology and questions regarding the independence or interdependence of a global communion of churches in discerning the mind of Christ together. However, we also shared our concern that the actions of the General Convention have essentially rejected the teaching of 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10 as the mind of the Communion, and raise a serious question whether a Covenant will be adopted by both Houses at General Convention 2012.

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/9/14/statement-of-the-communion-partner-bishops

Easter holidays 'axed by councils'

From The Telegraph-

Research by The Daily Telegraph shows schools in a third of local authorities have already moved to a standard year – creating a fixed two-week break irrespective of the Easter weekend.

Teachers and education officials insist the system is vital to help schools’ long-term planning. They also claim the more regular holiday allows parents to plan trips and book time off work.

But religious leaders criticised the move, saying tradition was being sacrificed “for the sake of convenience”.

It comes amid fears that many secondary schools are already scrapping daily Christian assemblies because they no longer fit with the demands of the school day.

The current system, which has been in place since the 4th century, is determined by the first full moon after the spring equinox and means Easter can fall anywhere between March 22 and April 25.

Last year saw the earliest Easter since 1913 when the holiday fell on March 23. It was claimed that it played havoc with the holiday plans of many families as some schools broke up on Good Friday while others waited until April to take time off.

More here-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/6173226/Easter-holidays-axed-by-councils.html

Bishop Erwau Walking With the Lord for Teso

More frpm Uganda-

Three decades ago at Opuyo Village in Soroti town, a 20-year-old was inspired by a voice he could not comprehend urging him to be a church preacher and he embarked on a vocation that he has since lived to love - the life of a preacher, writes Richard Otim

One Sunday in October 1973, a young George Erwau dramatically vowed to remain a servant of Jesus and preach the Gospel for the rest of his life. Now an Anglican priest, was consecrated as the third bishop of Soroti Diocese on September 6 at St Philips Cathedral.

Born to Enoch Esabu and Mary Kevin Audo 56 years ago in the small village of Acetgwen in Soroti County, the path to the helm of Episcopal hierarchy has not been a smooth one for Rev Erwau.

"It has not been easy (serving as a church minister) but I have never thought of giving up my call to priesthood," Erwau said. Recounting his life achievements since, Erwau is convinced that being chosen as the next Bishop was God's doing. But, unlike some of the affluent prelates the Anglican Church in Uganda has bred in the past, Erwau has nothing to gloat over but a humble upbringing.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/200909140586.html

Nobody should interfere with Uganda, says Museveni

Fron New Vision-

President Yoweri Museveni has said nobody should interfere with the legitimate interests of the people of Uganda.

These interests, he said, are peace, security, health, education, employment, freedom of worship and regional integration for bigger markets.

“Whatever we do is deliberate because we have dedicated our lives to the cause of Uganda and Africa. Anybody trying to divert us from this is doing us a disservice. Nobody should interfere with Uganda.”

He was speaking on Saturday at the closure of a three-day conference on reconciliation and peace, organised by the Uganda Episcopal Conference, in Hotel Africana, Kampala.

The conference brought together religious, cultural and political leaders as well as representatives of the business community.

The warning came just two days after Museveni revealed that Mengo elements had received “foreign funds” to fight the NRM and undermine the Constitution.

“We are following these reports and we shall defeat the elements involved,” he said in a recorded statement on Thursday. “The NRM fought many battles; we shall win this one also.”

Quoting from the Bible, the President on Saturday called on the clergy to join the Government in the protection of oppressed minorities.

He said justice for all would only be achieved by satisfying the legitimate interests of the people. “If anybody is pushing for illegitimate interests, you succumb and become a slave. This will be peace based on total submission of the oppressed to the oppressor.”

More here-

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/694548

Religion reporting is losing its prominence in American newspapers

From the Boston Globe-

I spent the last few days here at the 60th annual convention of the Religion Newswriters Association, which is the national organization that represents the dwindling band of us who cover religion in the media. Attendance is off this year, in part because newsroom travel budgets are down, but also because the religion beat itself is suffering a serious reversal of fortune.

When I first started covering religion for the Globe nearly a decade ago, the beat was almost trendy; newspapers were beefing up their coverage considerably, religion sections were fat, and a few newspapers, like the Los Angeles Times, had four or more religion writers.

No more. There have been reductions in the number of reporters who write about religion full time at all of the nation’s biggest newspapers, and the religion news beat has disappeared from multiple midsize and smaller papers. The surviving newspaper religion sections are getting smaller.

Debra Mason, executive director of the Religion Newswriters Association, told me she does not believe that the religion beat is being targeted, but that all specialty beats at newspapers, including the environment, health, and education, are suffering as newspapers, with shrinking budgets, allocate an increasing fraction of their diminished newsroom staffs to general assignment jobs.

What exactly this means for the future of religion coverage in the United States is unclear. The beat is not likely to disappear entirely from the mainstream media, and there is still a lot of great work being done. There is a huge amount of writing about religion in new media - blogs and other online publications - some of which break news, and some of which comment on news broken by others. But much of the online work is focused on individual faith groups and is written from a particular ideological or theological perspective, which differentiates it from traditional religion journalism. At the most recent denominational conventions I have attended, bloggers and reporters for religious publications have easily outnumbered reporters for secular publications.

More here-

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/13/religion_reporting_is_losing_its_prominence_in_american_newspapers/

Local Episcopal priest elected Georgia bishop

From the Washington Times

I probably have not met the Rev. Scott Benhase, but just today he got elected on the second ballot as the new Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of Georgia. His church, St. Alban's, is next door to the Washington Cathedral.

According to Episcopal News Service, Mr. Benhase, 52, beat a field of six nominees. He received 76 votes of 146 cast in the lay order and 58 of 103 cast in the clergy order. An election on that ballot required 74 in the
lay order and 53 in the clergy order.

The election took place during the diocese's 188th annual convention at the
Dubose Porter Center, a business and training center in Dublin, Georgia. If he gets the required number of consents from 100 some domestic Episcopal dioceses (and it is very rare that a person does not), he should be consecrated this coming January.

I regret to say I am in Minneapolis right now at a conference of religion news writers so can't do much more on this but here is the ENS link where you can read more.

http://washingtontimes.com/weblogs/belief-blog/2009/sep/12/local-episcopal-priest-elected-georgia-bishop/

ElRoy Face and his signature forkball pioneered the role of closer

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As a pioneer in the art of relief pitching, with his signature forkball baffling the best hitters in the National League, ElRoy Face was rewarded early for a good beginning to the 1959 season.

Before private underground parking privileges became a major league perk, players forked over a dollar a game for a space at the Esso station near Forbes Field. But the man dubbed the Baron of the Bullpen got a free ride.

"I was 2-0 or 3-0, and the owner told me I wouldn't have to pay until I lost a game," he said. "Turns out, I didn't have to pay until September."

Incredible as it may seem, the greatest season ever by a relief pitcher -- according to baseball historian Jerome Holtzman, among others -- was almost over before Mr. Face lost a game. Up until Sept. 11, he had 17 straight wins. Counting the five straight wins he had to end the 1958 season, his streak reached 22. As it was, he finished 18-1 in 1959 and put up a number no pitcher -- reliever or starter -- has matched before or since. It's the best winning percentage ever posted by anyone who had a minimum of 15 decisions.

"This all happened B.C. -- before cash," joked catcher Hank Foiles, who roomed with Mr. Face during that 1959 season.

The play on words had two meanings. The accomplishment seems like ancient history, and in the pre-expansion era, baseball was about the love of the game, not the love of the almighty dollar.

"If he had that kind of season today, you'd need a Brinks truck to pay him," Mr. Foiles deadpanned. "Twenty-two straight? Nobody's ever going to do that again."

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09256/997651-63.stm

Extra Helping of Welcoming

Washington Post-

Autumn brings the end of beach weekends, boating and picnics and the resurgence of school, football -- and church.

In an effort to refocus the attention of parishioners and possibly attract newcomers and the disaffected, many churches borrow a page from universities and designate a Sunday in September as a "homecoming." Although the idea reaches back a couple of centuries for some parishes, it is taking on a more organized feel in the United States and Britain.

This year, the Christian communications organization Outreach Inc., based in Vista, Calif., started a campaign declaring this Sunday as "Back to Church Sunday" and offering a free tool kit that includes a "campaign planning guide," promotional materials and a booklet, "Rethink Church."

According to Outreach's Web site, the campaign is "designed to increase church attendance by empowering church members with the tools they need to welcome neighbors, friends, and loved ones back to church."

In an interview, Outreach founder and chief executive Scott Evans said a recent study by Southern Baptist-affiliated Lifeway Research sparked the campaign. The study found that "82 percent of people who don't go to church would be somewhat likely to go if invited but that only 2 percent of people who do go to church had invited someone," he said. Outreach, Evans said, is "equipping people to be inviters."

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/11/AR2009091103647.html

Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming moves to Casper

From Casper Journal-

The Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming’s new home should be ready just in time to welcome the 400-500 Wyoming church members who will meet in Casper for their annual convention in mid-October. The major renovation of one of downtown Casper’s vintage buildings is turning the 1959-60 era, concrete construction building into a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) “green” showcase.

The first formal location of the Episcopal diocese that now numbers approximately 8,000 members was in Fort Laramie in 1849, when the fort’s soldiers and its families were assigned an Episcopal chaplain. Episcopalians built the state’s first church edifice, St. Mark’s in Cheyenne and in 1886, Wyoming as part of the Missionary District of Idaho and Wyoming had its first bishop.

According to a church legend related by executive director of the Episcopal Foundation John Masters, the diocese was headquartered in Laramie because the bishop at the time agreed to settle in the community that would build a cathedral. The denomination now has 47 churches throughout the state, including St. Stephens on the Wind River Reservation, and provides financial support for the Cathedral Home in Cheyenne and Casper’s Youth Crisis Center.

The 40,000 miles of annual travel retiring Bishop Bruce Caldwell put in to serve his far-flung flock prompted a search for a more central location for the diocese, Masters said. The Episcopal Foundation found the former Beech Street Law Office building on South Durbin Street with the help of CAEDA, and reconstruction began in March 2009.


More here-

http://www.casperjournal.com/articles/2009/09/11/news/news090909.43.txt

NAVAJOLAND: Convocation planned for October 17

From ENS-

The Episcopal Church in Navajoland is poised to, at an upcoming October 17 gathering, vote on its own leadership.

That selection, of an interim canon to the ordinary to be put forward to the Presiding Bishop for her appointment, would bring the Episcopal Church in Navajoland (ECN) a step closer toward its eventual goal of selecting a Navajo or Diné bishop by 2013, according to Anna Fowler, of Farmington, New Mexico.

"I am very excited," said Fowler, a member of the design team that helped to craft a proposal for developing Navajo leadership, to be considered at the October convocation.

"In the past we've had interim bishops appointed by the Presiding Bishop's office, and we've appreciated the appointments of those bishops that have helped us. But this time, we're going to do it. We are excited. We have challenges, yes, but we will come together and be proud that we have done this work."

The Presiding Bishop has asked for the input of the people of Navajoland, which is an area mission of the Episcopal Church, not a diocese. At the invitation of the Presiding Bishop's office, the Rt. Rev. Rustin Kimsey, former Assisting Bishop of Navajoland, has agreed to convene the convocation. Delegates attending that meeting will choose between two candidates; each has longstanding relationships with the ECN.

"We're very fortunate to have him [Kimsey] because he was interim bishop here and Navajoland knows him," Fowler said. "He helped Navajoland in a lot of ways as a leader," she added.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_114626_ENG_HTM.htm

Episcopal Diocese of Georgia to elect new bishop

From Gerorgia-

The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, which does not include Columbus, will elect a new bishop at a special convention Saturday in Tifton. The current bishop, the Rt. Rev. Henry Louttit, is retiring.
One candidate is from this diocese, the Diocese of Atlanta. He is the Very Rev. Dean Taylor, rector of St. Mark's, Dalton. Taylor also spent about a decade of his childhood in Columbus, and attended St. Thomas.

The other five candidates are:

The Rev Scott A. Benhase, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Washington D.C.
The Rev. William Patrick Gahan. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Wimberley, Texas
The Rev. Frank S. Logue, King of Peace Episcopal Church, Kingsland, Ga.
The Rev. Stephen F. Zimmerman, Chapel of St. Andrew, Boca Raton, Fla.
The Rev. William Willoughby III, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Savannah, Ga.

If one of the candidates is not elected in seven ballots, delegates will dismiss and reconvene in two weeks.

The diocese takes in Albany, Augusta and Savannah and all towns south.
See georgiabishopsearch.org for more information.

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/breaking_news/story/836274.html

Archbishop of Canterbury laments loss of Christian knowledge

I was watching the Jeopardy College Championship the other night and noticed the last category picked was "Bible" and only one question was answered correctly.

From The London Times-

The Archbishop of Canterbury has blamed education and pluralism for Britain's loss of Christian culture. He said the Church does still have its foot in the door but the foot is being 'squashed very painfully'. Writers in the past such as PG Wodehouse could assume knowledge in the reader of the Bible and Hymns Ancient & Modern. No longer. 'It's all gone, gone because of shifting patterns of education not just religious education, it's gone because of a much more anxious awareness of a plural society and not wanting to privilege one religious tradition over another. What to do about it? I'm not sure I have a quick answer. The good side of it is that if not everybody knows it the story isn't necessarily boringly familiar.'


The Archbishop was speaking at a Christian 'gathering', a new form of community meeting that seems to be gaining ascendancy. There was one such last Friday at Canterbury, where the sell-out event was Private Eye editor Ian Hislop in conversation with Dr Williams.

More here-

http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2009/09/rowan-williams-and-ian-hislop.html

The Right Reverend Noël Jones

London Telegraph

The diocese of Sodor and Man, comprising the Isle of Man and adjacent islets, occupies a somewhat unusual position in the Church of England. Having only 28 parishes, it is part of the province of York; but although appointed by the Crown, the bishop has no rights to a seat in the House of Lords.

He is, however, ex officio a member of the legislative council of the island's parliament, the Tynwald, and very much the Lord Bishop. This was a role which Jones's senior naval experience equipped him not only to fulfil with natural authority but also to defend robustly whenever the bishop's membership of the Tynwald came into question.

People did not always agree with him, for he could be outspokenly conservative on moral matters and such issues such as Sunday trading. But he was held in great respect and affection, not least because his long episcopate enabled him to be very much at home with the islanders and they with him.

The Rest is here-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/naval-obituaries/6169713/The-Right-Reverend-Nol-Jones.html

Reverend revs up, rides out

From New Zealand-

A "silly random idea" from Oroua rural dean David van Oeveren gave six members of the congregation a day to remember.

Looking for a way to mark Father's Day for all the fathers who attended St John's church in Feilding last Sunday, Mr van Oeveren contacted his friend Andrew Hodgetts of ANZA motorcycles and asked if he would bring his Harley Davidson to church.

Funeral director Peter Beauchamp also took his bike along and they enlisted the help of several of their friends, who also own the big bikes.

The men who attended services on Father's Day were invited to put their names into a hat and names were drawn for rides on the bikes.

Ros and Tony Chapman also provided complimentary tickets for two men to join them in their corporate box at Manfeild that afternoon, for the final round of the United Travel Racing Winter Series.

"The men all had a great day, and I can't thank everyone enough for going along with my random idea," Mr van Oeveren said.

He was also treated to a ride on a Harley, but not until he had changed out of his robes.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/feilding-herald/2855327/Reverend-revs-up-rides-out

Churches Mark 9/11 Anniversary

Living Church-

Many Episcopal churches are observing the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist strikes, and the most prominent church marking the day is the one closest to the horrors of the attacks on the World Trade Center's twin towers: St. Paul's Chapel.

The anniversary services began with a Labyrinth vigil from midnight to 6 a.m. at St. Paul's Chapel, located directly across the street from the World Trade Center site.

Other events at the chapel include a ringing of its Bell of Hope for five minutes, beginning at 8:45 a.m.; an ecumenical service and prayers for healing, beginning at 12:30 p.m.; and musical meditations beginning at 2 p.m.

At Trinity Wall Street, a votive Eucharist will begin at 12:05 p.m. That service will be available for live streaming and on demand, through the parish website and its podcast channel on iTunes.

Washington National Cathedral will observe the day with a Holy Eucharist at noon, including the ringing of the cathedral's bourdon bell. At 5:30 p.m., the choir of King's College, London, will lead a service of Evensong.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Lambertville, N.J., will offer a service of comfort and hope at 3 p.m. Sunday. The Rev. Gail Burwa, chaplain to WTC Families for Proper Burial, will preach.

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/9/11/churches-mark-9-11-anniversary