Anglican congregation plans to convert to Catholicism

From BBC-

The Pope has created a special enclave in the Roman Catholic Church for Anglicans unhappy with their church's decision to let women become bishops. Last month the church council of St Peter's in Folkestone voted to take the first formal steps towards converting. It comes as traditionalists performed well at the CofE synod elections.

Last October, Pope Benedict made his controversial offer of a place in the Roman Catholic Church for Anglicans that would let them retain some of their practices and traditions. The BBC's religious affairs correspondent Robert Piggott said the invitation was expected to be of most interest to traditionalist clergy who were unwilling to serve under women bishops. However, the initiative at St Peter's was taken by lay people, with the intention of converting as a group, our correspondent added. Bishop converts At a conference of Forward in Faith, a group representing traditionalist Catholic Anglicans, its chairman the Bishop of Fulham John Broadhurst announced his intention to convert to Catholicism.

Bishop Broadhurst is currently the "flying bishop" charged with looking after traditionalist parishes opposed to women priests and bishops in the dioceses of London, Southwark and Rochester. The moves by St Peter's and the Bishop of Fulham come despite a stronger than expected showing by traditionalists in elections to the Church of England's General Synod. It is thought unlikely they would be allowed to take their church with them however.
More here-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11557206

Episcopalians assert authority

From South Carolina-

The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina took steps Friday at its reconvened convention to further distance itself from the "national" Episcopal Church by passing resolutions asserting its sovereignty.

The meeting held at St. Paul's Church in Summerville was a continuation of the March convention. Last year, delegates voted "to begin withdrawing from all bodies of the Episcopal Church that have assented to actions contrary to Holy Scripture, the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ as this Church has received them."

Friday's vote was the latest development in a drawn-out disagreement between the diocese and church leadership, which many local Episcopalians consider too accommodating to social trends and not substantially faithful to the authority of Scripture.

The diocese has made efforts to distance itself from its parent church since the 2003 consecration in New Hampshire of Gene Robinson, who is openly gay.

The convention vote among clergy and lay delegates was decisive, with only a few of the diocese's 75 congregations and clergy objecting to some of the changes, according to participants and observers.

The new set of resolutions was developed in response to what the diocese called "far reaching and polity changing revisions to the disciplinary canon of The Episcopal Church."

The resolutions amend the diocese's constitution, deleting reference to national church canon law, asserting diocese sovereignty and making it easier to change governing documents. It removes the "unqualified accession" clause that recognizes the supremacy of the Episcopal Church's constitution and canons, and deletes a section of canon law stating that property is held in trust for the Episcopal Church. For details, visit www.diosc.com.

More here

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/oct/16/episcopalians-assert-authority/

Chilean Archbishop Booted From Top Anglican Panel

From Huffington-

Chile's top Anglican bishop has become collateral damage in the border wars between the Episcopal Church and conservatives overseas.

Bishop Tito Zavala of Chile has been removed from an international commission that considers questions of faith and governance in the Anglican Communion, a network of 44 regional churches around the world.

The Rev. Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the communion, announced Zavala's removal from the Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith, and Order on Wednesday (Oct. 14).

Zavala was ousted because his archbishop, the Most Rev. Gregory Venables, refused to answer questions about his supervision of conservatives in four breakaway Episcopal dioceses and dozens of parishes, Kearon said in a statement.

"These decisions are not taken easily or lightly, but relate to the gracious restraint requested (by Anglican leaders) ... and the implications for communion bodies when these requests are not honored," Kearon said.

More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/16/chilean-archbishop-booted_n_765024.html

Convention Approves Call for Election of Next Bishop

More from Convention-

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church formally began a search for its next bishop today (October 16, 2010), as deputies to the 145th Annual Convention approved a resolution calling for an episcopal election 18-months from now.

The amended resolution authorizing the search, along with the Standing Committee’s general guidelines for the search process, can be read here.

The next bishop will be elected at a Special Convention of the diocese to be held on Saturday, April 21, 2012. Installation will take place at a yet-to-be-determined date later that year.

The Standing Committee will soon be seeking recommendations for appointments to the nomination and transitions committees called for in the resolution just approved.

As one of the first steps in the search process, Bishop Kenneth Price and the Standing Committee recommend these prayers be offered up regularly by all in the diocese:

A Prayer for the Discernment and Election of a Bishop

We, the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, affirm now, as always before, that You are our Almighty Lord and Savior.

We humbly confess that we all have engaged, in some manner, in practices that divided rather than preserved the unity of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

We are grateful that in Your mercy, You continue to sustain us and to keep us whole as we grapple with the consequences of our fractured state. We are grateful that in our vulnerable state, You called Bishop David Jones, Bishop Robert Johnson, and Bishop Ken Price to shepherd us. And we are deeply grateful that You have filled us with your Spirit of hope that the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh will indeed emerge vibrant and united in Christ.

We ask that You prepare our hearts, minds, and souls as we collectively entrust one another with the task of discerning Your call for the Eighth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

More here-

http://www.episcopalpgh.org/call-for-election-approved/

2010 Convention Eucharist Sermon by Bishop Price

Just back from Convention-

Last year, the Eucharist at Diocesan Convention was at the end of the day and within it was the ordination of Linda Wilson to the Sacred Order of Deacons. Bishop Johnson preached his farewell sermon after ten happy months as your assisting bishop. At the end of the service, he handed the pastoral staff to me and there has not been a single moment of regret for either Mariann or me. We believe we are in the midst of a new day for the Diocese of Pittsburgh and are delighted to be part of it.

In my written report in your Pre-Convention booklet, I recounted much of the activity that has occupied my time this past year. In my address last night, I offered a perspective on where I believe the diocese is now. And so, in this sermon, I will not repeat either of those summaries. Rather, I invite you to join with me in reflecting briefly on the individuals commemorated this day, and then on the Gospel lesson chosen for this Lesser Feast, with an eye to how it speaks to us today.

Let’s begin with a short excursion through history.

Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley lived in tumultuous times in the church. The Diocese of Pittsburgh has had its share of tumult the past couple of years, and I do not want to dismiss that, but compared to the church of the mid-sixteenth century, our tumult was but a burp.

These three men were all bishops and men of extraordinary faith. They were loyal to King Henry VIII in a time when church and state were so intertwined that when the king sneezed, the bishops wiped their noses.

More here-

http://www.episcopalpgh.org/2010-price-convention-sermon/

Church, defectors fight over building in Savannah

From Georgia-

The bookshelves in the Rev. Marc Robertson's office are empty. Actually, most of the rooms inside Christ Church in Savannah are quite bare, suggesting the oldest church in Georgia may be moving.

Maybe, indeed, though part of that congregation would argue it already has moved. After breaking away from the Episcopal Church in 2007, Christ Church has battled with the Diocese of Georgia over who has the right to worship in the large-columned building in downtown Savannah.

Both the Chatham County Superior Court and Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that the Episcopal Church - like all hierarchical churches - hold the rights to the real estate of all its parishes.
But Christ Church members believe that because they formed the church before the Episcopal Church existed, they are in their proper home.

Now they hope the state Supreme Court will decide who gets the keys. And they believe that decision could affect a lot more than one congregation.

"A lot of this is an issue that is much bigger than we are," said Robertson, who preached at the church long before it turned in its Episcopal affiliation. "We believe we have an opportunity to get a lot of churches to ask a lot of questions."

http://onlineathens.com/stories/101510/liv_720645140.shtml

Episcopalians calm in rough sea

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

As its convention opens today, the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh is calm, planning for growth and launching the search for a permanent bishop.

"One of the things we are happy about is that it's just a normal convention," said Provisional Bishop Kenneth Price, who has been helping the diocese heal from a 2008 split in which the previous bishop and majority of parishes broke from the Episcopal Church over theological issues.

"I've been impressed with the way the people of the diocese have come together. The congregations at this point are intent on building up their churches, not on fighting," he said.

The convention opens at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday at 8:45 a.m. in Trinity Cathedral, Downtown.

Delegates will vote on admitting a 29th parish to the 8,644-member diocese. All Saints Episcopal Church in South Fayette was formed in 2009, largely from people who wanted to remain Episcopalians after their former parishes left the denomination. It meets in a former beauty shop but has grown and is looking for larger space, Bishop Price said.

Despite a suit that an Episcopal parish filed against what is now the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, relations between the two dioceses aren't bad, Bishop Price said.

In January, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Joseph James ordered the Anglican diocese to transfer all centrally owned assets to the Episcopal diocese. Although the Anglican diocese has appealed, the transfer went ahead.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10288/1095366-455.stm#ixzz12QfIqDzY

Ecumenical sanctions imposed on Southern Cone province

From ELO-

The Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, has written to Bishop Tito Zavala of Chile informing him that his membership on the Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) has been withdrawn and inviting him instead to serve as a consultant to that body.

The decision, announced Oct. 14 by the Anglican Communion Office, was made because the primate of the Argentina-based Province of the Southern Cone, under whose jurisdiction Zavala's diocese falls, failed to respond to Kearon's request for clarification about his involvement in cross-border interventions.

Southern Cone Archbishop Gregory Venables has offered oversight to conservative members of parishes and dioceses breaking away from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. Venables and Zavala could not be reached for comment.

Kearon's decision comes four months after similar sanctions were imposed on Episcopal Church members serving on Anglican dialogues with the Lutheran, Methodist, Old Catholic and Orthodox churches, as well as one member of IASCUFO, who also was invited to serve as a consultant.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams had proposed in a May 28 Pentecost letter that representatives currently serving on ecumenical dialogues should resign their membership if they are from a province that has not complied with moratoria on same-gender blessings, cross-border interventions and the ordination of gay and lesbian people to the episcopate.

More here-

http://www.episcopal-life.org/79425_125183_ENG_HTM.htm

South African Priests Reflect on Synod

From the Living Church-

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa’s Provincial Synod, which met Sept. 29-Oct. 2, showed a church applying the painful lessons of the apartheid era to its life in the 21st century.

At the urging of the Most Rev. Thabo Makgoba, metropolitan of the province since 2008, the province began discussing the memories of white men who were conscripted into the South African armed forces. The synod’s broaching that topic was a highlight for two members of the House of Clergy: the Rev. Andrew Hunter, dean of Grahamstown, and the Rev. Dr. Bill Domeris, warden of the College of the Transfiguration.

The topic of conscription has been nearly taboo, Hunter said, because armed-forces veterans from the apartheid era are often treated as pariahs.

“For many of us, it was significant that the archbishop, as one of the nation’s young black leaders, created the space for discussion,” Hunter said. “I did two years in the army, and for me to stand there and give testimony was a hugely emotional experience.”

Hunter presented a resolution that responded to the archbishop’s call for discussing conscription and he began crying while reading that resolution. The archbishop responded by standing by Hunter’s side as he continued speaking through tears.

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2010/10/14/south-african-priests-reflect-on-synod

Anglican-Hindu dialogue being hosted by Archbishop of Canterbury in Bangalore

From India-

Renowned Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has welcomed hosting of dialogue by Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams with five Hindu swamis (ascetics) in Bangalore (India) on October 20, "to engage in discussions for mutual understanding".

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that serious and honest interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour. Religion was the most powerful, complex and far-reaching force in our society, so we must take it seriously. And we all knew that religion comprised much more than our own particular tradition/experience, Zed stressed.

Rajan Zed further says that in our shared pursuit for the truth, we can learn from one another and thus can arrive nearer to the truth. The dialogue may help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.

To be held at Whitefield Ecumenical Centre, participants besides Williams include: Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar (Hyderabad), Sugunendra Theertha (Udupi), Harshanand (Bangalore), Shivamurthy Shivachary, Paramananda Bharati (Sringeri Math), and Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad (United Kingdom).

More here-

http://sify.com/news/anglican-hindu-dialogue-being-hosted-by-archbishop-of-canterbury-in-bangalore-news-international-kknq4ifjbai.html

Southern Ohio Bishop Breidenthal to deliver DuBose Lectures

From ELO-

Bishop Thomas E. Breidenthal of Southern Ohio has been invited to deliver the prestigious DuBose Lectures at the School of Theology at Sewanee: The University of the South, an Episcopal seminary in Tennessee.

The DuBose Lectures are held annually as part of an alumni gathering for continuing education at Sewanee, with people from all over the country coming to hear and discuss the content of the lectures. This year's gathering is Oct. 28-29.

Breidenthal will deliver three lectures, guided by the theme, "A Better Word: Witness and Communion for the Mission of God." The first lecture, "The Blood of Abel: Atonement and the Neighbor," will explore Christ's death.

"I think there are a lot of people who don't understand why it is that Christ had to die for us ... they're troubled by the language and not really sure what the cross is about," said Breidenthal. "I thought it was very important for me to do some thinking about that, especially as these were some of the concerns I raised about the consent process in Northern Michigan." Last year, Breidenthal did not give his consent to the consecration of the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester as bishop of Northern Michigan because of concerns about Thew Forrester's theological positions on issues such as atonement.

The second lecture, "Outside the Camp: The Church as Body Politic," looks at how authority is understood and exercised in the midst of common ministry.

"I don't talk about common ministry specifically," said the bishop, "but I talk about the church trying to follow Jesus to a place at the cross. I explore the relationship between authority and servanthood."

More here-

http://www.episcopal-life.org/81831_125115_ENG_HTM.htm

Clergy join to fight housing law repeal

From Boston-

Christian, Jewish, and Muslim clergy gathered yesterday at Trinity Church in Copley Square to urge Massachusetts residents to vote no on Question 2, which would repeal the state’s affordable housing law.

They said overturning the law, known as Chapter 40B, would make it harder to build homes for senior citizens, working families, and others in need of affordable housing.

They also released a petition with more than 200 names of area clergy who oppose the ballot question.

Ellen Feingold, treasurer of the Campaign to Protect the Affordable Housing Law, said there is a long list of seniors waiting for affordable housing, some of whom have waited up to six years.

“Imagine telling an 80-year-old who says she needs affordable housing that she may have to wait as much as six years,’’ Feingold said. “It is unconscionable.’’

The 41-year-old law has long been controversial because it allows developers to bypass certain local zoning laws if municipalities lack sufficient affordable housing, which the law defines as at least 10 percent of local housing stock.

More here-

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/10/13/clergy_join_to_fight_housing_law_repeal/

Ray nominated as Episcopalian bishop

From Michigan-

Rev. Rayford Ray, a member of the Episcopal Ministry Support Team in the Diocese of Northern Michigan, is one of four priests who stand for election as the next bishop for the Diocese of Northern Michigan. The election will be held in Escanaba on Dec. 4.

Ray, a four-time deputy to General Convention, has served for more than 20 years in the Diocese of Northern Michigan, working as ministry development coordinator and collaborating with parishes across the Upper Peninsula. He was recently an adjunct instructor at Episcopal Divinity School.

"I am honored to be one of nominees for Bishop in the Diocese of Northern Michigan," said Ray. "I have worked over 20 years in the diocese developing and supporting ministry here in this place and time and it has been life giving for me."

Rev. Ray serves on the Episcopal Ministry Support Team which has oversight of the diocese along with the Bishop. His work in the South Central Region comprises seven congregations including, Grace Church, Menominee; Holy Trinity Church, Iron Mountain; St. Alban's, Manistique; St. Stephen's, Escanaba; Trinity Church, Gladstone; and Zion Church in Wilson.

More here-

http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/521502.html?nav=5001

Anglicans warned church is on its knees

From Australia-

The Anglican Church in Sydney is in diabolical trouble. Already battered by the global financial crisis, the diocese is planning further savage spending cuts.

The archbishop, Peter Jensen, told the annual synod on Monday: "The financial issues are grave."

Advertisement: Story continues below
One of the biggest and richest dioceses in Australia, Sydney leveraged its huge investment portfolio in the boom and sold when the market hit rock bottom. After losing more than $100 million, it was forced to halve its expenditure. "There was considerable pain," the archbishop told the annual gathering of clergy and laity in Sydney. But it wasn't enough.

"In round terms, it seems possible that the amount of money available … to support diocesan works in the next few years is going to be reduced from the $7.5 million of 2010 to something like $4 million. Our major rethink of last year was only the beginning."

Back on the cards is the sale of Bishopscourt, the Gothic mansion on Darling Point where Anglican archbishops have lived since 1910. Real estate agents believe it would fetch more than $25 million. But that would only be a drop in the Anglican bucket.

More here-

http://www.smh.com.au/national/anglicans-warned-church-is-on-its-knees-20101012-16hsp.html?from=smh_sb

Episcopal priest, founder of NL shelter called man who 'emulated goodness'

From CT-

Emmett Jarrett, an Episcopal priest known for his love and kindness to all, died Saturday the way he lived - at peace, in a home filled with books, religious icons and a community of family and friends.

"We were all there with him. He shared his life and his love of life, and he shared his death with us all. It was a privilege and an honor,'' said his friend, Paul Jakoboski, vice president of Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center.

Jakoboski has lived for the past 18 months at St. Francis House, the home at 30 Broad St. that Jarrett and his family opened to any and all.

Jarrett, 71, helped organize the New London Homeless Hospitality Center Inc. and was a popular figure in the antiwar movement. For years he was a regular at peace vigils at the base of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, participated in three Peace Pilgrimages across Connecticut and was arrested several times while protesting the war in Iraq.

But he is most remembered as the man who opened St. Francis House on Broad Street 10 years ago. It was an experiment by Jarrett and his wife, Anne Scheibner, to create an "intentional Christian community." It was a place to pray, a center for peace and justice ministry, and a home that welcomed the homeless, those in transition and those looking for a more spiritual life.

More here-

http://www.theday.com/article/20101012/NWS01/310129903/1017

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church will close doors Dec. 31

From Northern California-

“It is with great sadness that the parishioners announce the closing of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church,” a press release stated this week. “This is truly the end of an era that began in the 1870s when the first Episcopal services were started in Siskiyou County.”

With the construction of the Episcopal Church in 1881 on the corner of Fourth and Lane streets in Yreka, regular church services have been conducted at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church without interruption. Since the church doors were opened, there have been many baptisms, weddings, funerals and other activities, which will be coming to an end on Jan. 1, 2011.

In January 1962, the church was engulfed in flames and the interior was destroyed. The church building was lovingly restored by members of the congregation and the community and remains a very visible building in downtown Yreka today.

The current members of St. Mark’s met on Aug. 29, 2010 and voted unanimously to close the church doors.

“It is difficult to summarize the reasons for the closure, for the economy, declining members, lack of interest and an aging church population are all part of the reason,” the release stated.
“We just do not have the energy to continue,” said Marsha North, the current senior warden.

More here-

http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/topstories/x123456284/St-Mark-s-Episcopal-Church-will-close-doors-Dec-31

Sudan delegation meets with UN secretary general, 'raises alarm'

From ELO-

An ecumenical delegation of Sudanese religious leaders met with U.N. officials and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Oct. 11 to express its fear of what might happen if the Jan. 9 referendum in which south Sudan is expected to vote for independence from the north is not carried out as planned.

"We told him we came to raise an alarm to the United Nations," said Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul of the Episcopal Church of Sudan during a press conference held at the Church Center for the United Nations, following a day of U.N. meetings.

"We are the church, we are in the ground. We are with the people. And we are knowing every thing that is happening in the ground there. So because of that we are here," Deng said.

The ecumenical delegation is in the United States on an awareness and advocacy campaign in advance of the referendum. The archbishop was joined at the press conference by Roman Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Adwok Marko Kur of Khartoum; Roman Catholic Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban of Torit; and the Rev. Ramadan Chan, general secretary of the Sudan Council of Churches.

The referendum is the final provision of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in 2005 by the warring Sudan People's Liberation Movement in the south and the north's Khartoum-based Government of Sudan. The CPA ended a 21-year civil war -- fought by the Arab and Muslim north and rebels in the Christian-animist south -- that killed more than 2 million people and displaced an estimated 7 million more.

More here-

http://www.episcopal-life.org/79425_125063_ENG_HTM.htm

Authority in Scripture and the Believer

From The Living Church-

We cannot speak about authority in the Church without giving careful consideration to the authority of Scripture. What follows is a brief guide to some fundamental insights made by Richard Hooker (1553/4-1600) in his classic, Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.

Much of Hooker’s discussion in the Laws pertains to the appropriateness of the Church authoritatively establishing customs and rites — what in general he calls “order” — the particulars of which are not prescribed by Scripture. We see the operative distinction in the following passage.

"The Church hath authority to establish that for an order at one time, which at another time it may abolish, and in both may do well. But that which in doctrine the Church doth now deliver rightly as a truth, no man will say that it may hereafter recall, and as rightly avouch the contrary. Laws touching matter of order are changeable, by the power of the Church; articles concerning doctrine not so [V.viii.2]."

The rub comes with Hooker’s distinction of order and doctrine. We might well ask how it is to be determined whether a point of dispute belongs to order or to doctrine. In practice, the Church’s authority will have to decide that higher-level question as well (although by Hookerian principles dissent from decisions judged to involve doctrinal error would continue to be required). There is no escaping the Church’s authority (as Hooker states in a discussion of the use of the cross in baptism) over

"traditions, ordinances made in the prime of Christian religion, established with that authority which Christ hath left to his Church for matters indifferent, and in that consideration requisite to be observed, till like authority see just and reasonable cause to alter them [V.lxv.2]."

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2010/10/8/authority-in-scripture-and-the-believer

‘God in America’ deserves thoughtful praise

From Boston

The battle for America’s soul is older than the country itself.

PBS’ provocative three-night, six-hour miniseries “God in America,” a co-production of WGBH’s “Frontline” and “American Experience,” traces the spread and role of religion in the United States and determines that faith was integral to the nation’s growth. But tonight’s two-hour opener also persuasively argues that the right to freedom of worship is a result of the civil victory to be free from religion.

Through the use of archival footage, court transcripts and actors’ interpretation of journals and letters, “God” re-creates some of the divisive struggles that shook our forefathers.

Written, directed and produced by David Belton, tonight’s installment opens with the Spanish missionaries’ struggle to convert Pueblo Indians to Christianity in the 1600s. The proselytizing ends with a bloody uprising that drives the Spanish out of New Mexico in 1680.

Massachusetts Gov. John Winthrop tries to rule a Puritan stronghold in 1629, believing the more pious his community, the more prosperous it will be. As played by “Lost’s” Michael Emerson, Winthrop comes off as Ben Linus on another island time trip. Conformity is key, and unconventional thinkers are banished. But the old ways will not work in the New World.

More here-

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/television/reviews/view/20101011god_in_america_deserves_thoughtful_praise/srvc=home&position=also

Anglican-Hindu dialogue being hosted by Archbishop of Canterbury in India

From India-

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams is hosting a dialogue with five Hindu swamis (ascetics) in Bangalore (India) on October 20. The aim is to “to engage in discussions for mutual understanding.”

The event is to be held at Whitefield Ecumenical Centre. The five Swamis are Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar (Hyderabad), Sugunendra Theertha (Udupi), Harshanand (Bangalore), Shivamurthy Shivachary, Paramananda Bharati (Sringeri Math), Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad (United Kingdom).

The event has two sessions titled “Visions of the Divine” and “Social Harmony.” It will be will be followed by public question-answer session, totaling dialogue about three and a half hours. “The Swamis and the Archbishop will discuss the social values central to their respective traditions and ask how a pluralist society can encourage and protect true freedom of belief”, according to a release by Kate Wharton from Lambeth Palace in London.

Rajan Zed, the President of Universal Society of Hinduism says “The dialogue may help us vanquish the stereotypes, prejudices, caricatures, etc., passed on to us from previous generations. As dialogue brings us reciprocal enrichment, we shall be spiritually richer than before the contact.”

More here-

http://frontierindia.net/anglican-hindu-dialogue-being-hosted-by-archbishop-of-canterbury-in-india

In the seat of power and shaking things up

From The Washington Post-

The 50 most powerful

women in business

1. Indra Nooyi, chairman of PepsiCo

2. Irene Rosenfeld, CEO of Kraft

3. Patricia Woertz, chairman of Archers Daniels Midland

4. Angela Braly, chairman of WellPoint

5. Andrea Jung, chairman of Avon

6. Oprah Winfrey, chairman of Harpo and OWN

7. Ellen Kullman, chairman of DuPont

8. Ginni Rometty, senior vice president at IBM

9. Ursula Burns, chairman of Xerox

10. Carol Bartz, president of Yahoo

"Powerful women."

It's a phrase that's threaded its way through the national news quilt this week. Fortune's Most Powerful Women summit brought to the District 400 women working at the highest echelons of the private and public sector. Meanwhile, a GAO report and new census data revived discussions about the pay gap and the increasing number of female managers. Here is a collage of numbers, voices and rankings that have dotted this week's leadership dialogue.

Religion

Katharine Jefferts Schori (Presiding bishop, Episcopal Church)

As a church in a rapidly evolving society, we have to be more nimble. . . . We benefit a great deal in the church from deadlines and benchmarks. When you think in an eternal time frame, the church is not good at doing that. . . . If we don't measure things or look at the calendar, we have a tendency to let things slide and say, 'Tomorrow is soon enough,' or, 'Eternity is soon enough.' It's not. It's not. We've got work to do in this life."

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/09/AR2010100903289_5.html

Archbishop Williams 'concerned' over violence against Christians

From Christian Post-

The head of the Anglican Communion worldwide has expressed concern over the increase in violence against Christian minorities in the country.

On his visit to Kolkatta on Saturday, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said he would speak with leaders of other religious communities urging them to shun violence and promote peace.

“I am as concerned about the attacks on Christians as I would have been about attacks on people of other communities," the archbishop said while interacting to mediapersons.

He said the attacks were contrary to India as a "civilisation, culture and a modern state".

Archbishop Williams is on a 16-day visit for the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Church of North India (CNI).

In Kolkatta, the archbishop spoke at a felicitation given to him by the Church of North India which was attended by Governor MK Narayanan, railway minister Mamata Banerjee, Archbishop of Kolkata Ashoke Biswas and British deputy high commissioner Sanjay Wadhwan.

“Since long I have wished to visit Calcutta after having known of its history. As a student I remember being inspired by the work for the poor here,” he said.

http://in.christiantoday.com/articles/archbishop-williams-concerned-over-violence-against-christians/5696.htm

Archbishop of Sudan preaches at Trinity Church, Wall Street

From ELO-

Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul of the Episcopal Church of Sudan spoke from the pulpit at Trinity Church, Wall Street, Oct. 10, thanking the parish for its support of the church in Sudan both in times of war and peace, and explaining his visit to the United States.

"Six years ago Sudan signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the people in … south Sudan and the people in the north," Deng said during his sermon at the parish’s 11:15 a.m. Eucharist service. "And this agreement is coming to an end on the ninth of January 2011. We as the church … we have fears that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the CPA, all the processes that were supposed to be done have not been completed … The fear in the country is that Sudan will go back to war."

Trinity Church was Deng's first stop on a 12-day visit to the United States, where he is joining an ecumenical delegation in promoting awareness and encouraging advocacy in advance of the Jan. 9 referendum to determine whether war-torn Sudan remains united or splits into two separate countries: north and south.

The referendum is one of the major terms of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was signed in January 2005 by the two warring parties -- the Government of Sudan in the predominantly Muslim north and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement in the mainly Christian and Animist south -- bringing an end to a 21-year civil war that claimed more than 2 million lives and displaced about 7 million people.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_125038_ENG_HTM.htm

102-year-old Hannah Solomon honored at Fairbanks celebration

From Alaska-

Hannah Solomon’s lifelong example of giving, caring and sharing, intertwined with love and respect, was returned many times over at her 102nd birthday celebration Sunday.

The Athabascan matriarch was greeted with a rousing version of “Happy Birthday” as she entered St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church hall for the afternoon party.

A stream of more than 300 people flowed in and out of the crowded church hall, extending their best wishes, love and hugs to “Grandma Hannah.”

Seated at a white, cloth-covered table accented with a bouquet of salmon-colored roses, Hannah’s apparel added another spark of color.

A bright pink scarf encircled her neck, and her velveteen jacket embossed with multi-colored flowers and leaves was reminiscent of her highly-prized beadwork.

Hannah excelled at that art form, which she learned as a girl, and examples of her beaded work can be found in museums and private collections.

Speeches were delayed until everyone was fed from a heaping buffet of food including moose, caribou, salmon, goose, rabbit, porcupine, side dishes and desserts.

Read more:

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/9867063/article-102-year-old-Hannah-Solomon-honored-at-Fairbanks-celebration?instance=home_lead_story

Too grand for a bishop

From Australia-

After 100 years of housing archbishops, the neo-gothic mansion “Bishopscourt” in Darling Point may pass out of Anglican hands.

The synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney is considering the sale of the property, which was built in the 1850s and sold to the church in 1911. The proceeds will go back into the diocese and be used to build a new, more suitable residence.

The church has mooted the sale of the property on and off for the past two decades. In 1993 the then archbishop, Harry Goodhew, called for the construction of a new residence, and the idea was raised again in 2001 and 2007. A report on the sale will now be debated at the synod in October.

“Of course, there are arguments both ways. But there is a feeling that such a grand and imposing residence is out of character for the archbishop of Sydney in the 21st century,” said Robert Forsyth, Bishop of South Sydney. “Furthermore, with a restructure of assets well under way, Bishopscourt can be classified as too large an asset to have just housing the archbishop.”

More here-

http://wentworth-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/too-grand-for-a-bishop/

Carleton University will soon offer a degree in religion and public life. What do you think it should teach?

From Canada-

Kevin Flynn is an Anglican priest and director of the Anglican Studies Program at Saint Paul University.

That there should be such a program at all is a cause for celebration. There are, unfortunately, some understandings of citizenship in a liberal democracy such as Canada's that take no account of a person's cultural and religious identity. At best, such concerns are thought to belong to the purely private sphere. This view imposes a truncated view of citizens.

Democracies need thorough public debate about our common priorities. To recognize the role of religion is public life is not about "imposing" particular views, still less to advocate some kind of theocracy. The religious contribution can offer a vision of the common good that is greater than a mere balancing of competing consumer choices and individual self-interest. But even that view, along with any other religiously inspired view, must be as subject to critique as any other.

A degree program would have to include education in the world's major religious traditions, attempting to show something of the world view that each promotes. How have religions balanced competing claims of citizenship and belief? How has public life itself been understood and developed in democracies? If the state itself is neutral regarding religion, does this mean that only functionaries of the state are required to keep their moral and religious views to themselves, or does the burden of this obligation fall on citizens as well, requiring them to divide themselves into public and private selves?

Read more:

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Religion+Experts/3650757/story.html#ixzz11x9cMy00