Washington National Cathedral needs major repairs after quake

From St. Louis-

The Washington National Cathedral will need "tens of millions of dollars" over "numerous years" to repair extensive damage to the nation's second-largest church after an Aug. 23 earthquake, church officials said this week.

The landmark church requires $25 million "just to get to June 2012, for the first phase of work and to resume worship and programming. We know it will ultimately be much more," Richard Weinberg, a spokesman for the cathedral, said.

The Episcopal cathedral, which advertises itself as "a spiritual home for all," has been the setting for presidential funerals and other major national events. An estimated 35,000 worshippers and visitors arrive there every month.

Its stone-upon-stone, hand-crafted Gothic architecture took 83 years, from 1907 to 1990, to complete.

In the earthquake, the central tower sustained damage on three of its four corner spires, and three capstones fell off. There are cracks on some of the upper floors and in some of the flying buttresses, a distinguishing feature of Gothic architecture, in the oldest portion of the building.

Read more:

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/article_f762cdb7-c1b1-58f4-9b14-1e91b9f2366e.html#ixzz1aBnJ43GI

Grace Episcopal Church to host 20-hour read-through of KJV Bible

From Massachusetts-

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Four hundred years ago, these words from John 1:1 were printed in a new revised Bible offered by King James of England as a Bible for all people.

In celebration of the 400th anniversary of its printing, Grace Episcopal Church will host a 20-hour read-through of the King James Version, and the 15-minute readings will feature the voices of over 80 SouthCoast residents.

"St. Ambrose said that to be ignorant of Scripture is to be ignorant of Jesus," said the Rev. William J. Bradbury, pastor of Grace Church. "So I thought this was a great way to help remind us of the great story of Jesus by reading the New Testament from beginning to end, and part of the Old Testament, and to involve as many people as possible to be part of that."

The four-day event will be held from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 20-22, and will conclude with the 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 service and reception in the Parish House.

The service will feature a special sermon by Bradbury; readings from the King James Bible, including Chapter 22 of the Book of Revelation by retired WBZ reporter Charles Austin; and 1600's organ and choir music directed by Brian Roderick.

More here-

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111008/SPECIAL/110080311/-1/NEWS06

2 candidates for bishop have ties to city

From Poughkeepsie NY -

Two of the seven nominees for the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York have ties to Poughkeepsie.

The Rev. Andrew Dietsche, diocesan canon for pastoral care, lives in the City of Poughkeepsie, and the Rev. Petero Sabune, Africa Partnership Officer for the Episcopal Church, graduated from Poughkeepsie High School and Vassar College in the Town of Poughkeepsie in 1977.

"I think it's a real honor that Andy and I were nominated by our colleagues ," Sabune said Friday.

More than 500 clergy and lay delegates will choose from the seven candidates Oct. 29 the successor to the Right Rev. Mark S. Sisk, who has been bishop of New York since September 2001. The winner of that election will serve as bishop coadjutor, or assistant bishop, until Sisk retires in two to three years.

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20111008/NEWS01/110080334/2-candidates-bishop-ties-city

Bishop Schori to speak in Tulsa

From Tulsa-

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the first woman primate in the worldwide Anglican Communion, will speak in Tulsa on Sunday and Monday.

Jefferts Schori was elected to a nine-year term as presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in 2006. She has headed the church through the turbulent years following the installation in 2004 of the first openly gay non-celibate Episcopal bishop.

During that time, the Episcopal Church, which is the American arm of the worldwide Anglican Communion, came under heavy criticism.

Some church leaders and members opposed to the ordination left the church and formed the conservative Anglican Church in North America.

The American church also came under fire from Anglicans in the more conservative Southern Hemisphere who opposed the ordination of a gay bishop.

Jefferts Schori holds a Ph.D. in oceanography and is a licensed pilot. Her daughter in a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Read more

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=18&articleid=20111008_18_A13_CUTLIN225130

S.C. Bishop said to have abandoned Episcopal church

From South Carolina-

The Episcopal Church is alleging that Bishop Mark Lawrence has abandoned the church through his leadership of the Diocese of South Carolina that has distanced itself from the national church because of its policies of ordaining gay bishops and sanctioning same-sex unions.

Lawrence was contacted last week by the Disciplinary Board for Bishops of the national church. The letter said the board had evidence establishing the “abandonment of the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church.”

The letter mentioned, among other things, eliminating mention of national church in the diocesan charter purpose statement, a resolution that the local diocese is a “sovereign diocese” and that Lawrence has done nothing to stop local parishes seeking to leave the national church.

The national church has also asked for the records of the Standing Committee of the diocese comprised of 28,000 parishioners in 47 parishes in eastern and lower South Carolina.

Lawrence has called a meeting for next week in which clergy of the diocese will discuss the developments. Two years ago the conservative diocese voted to distance itself from the national church but not break away entirely.

More here-

http://www.independentmail.com/news/2011/oct/08/sc-bishop-said-have-abandoned-episcopal-church/

Trinity Wall Street welcomes protesters

From ENS-

The rector of Trinity Church, Wall Street, has issued an invitation to "Occupy Wall Street" protesters to make use of the congregation's facilities and staff for rest, revitalization and pastoral care.

In a statement posted Oct. 5 on Trinity's website, the Rev. James H. Cooper, dean, invited the protesters to visit Charlotte's Place, a neighborhood center recently opened by the parish, and offered them the use of other meeting spaces for discussions on the issues driving the protests.

Protesters have camped for the past several weeks in Zuccotti Park, located north of Trinity Church and south of the affiliated St. Paul’s Chapel.

"Trinity Wall Street respects the rights of citizens to protest peacefully and supports the vigorous engagement of the concerns that form the core of the protests – economic disenfranchisement and failure of public trust," Cooper wrote.

"As a prayerful community with a deep history of relationships in Lower Manhattan, Trinity continues its pastoral outreach and welcomes any of those involved in the ongoing situation to parish spaces. Many protestors have found the opportunity for rest and revitalization in Charlotte’s Place, Trinity’s new neighborhood center, and have expressed deep appreciation for the hospitality there. We welcome any of those involved in the protest for pastoral care and reflection.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_130081_ENG_HTM.htm

Nearly $1 million expansion under way at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church

From Florida-

A $905,000 expansion project at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church on 43rd Avenue is under way.

The building project includes a new, 3,800-square-foot parish hall and a 1,150-square-foot extension on the south side of the church sanctuary. It is slated for completion in April.

According to Rector Michael Goldberg, the project has been in the planning stages for more two years, and is designed to accommodate the needs of the growing parish.

"We want to continue to attract young families and not look like we're cramped for space," said Goldberg. "Our parish is growing and we need to provide for more pews and another 100 seats."

Other improvements included in the renovation are the expansion on the north side of the building to create a large meeting room, library and media center; installation of a new kitchen to facilitate parish dinners and social events; and modifications to interior office space. The area for the choir will also be expanded to accommodate the growing music program of the church, Goldberg said.

More here-

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/oct/06/nearly-1-million-expansion-under-way-at-st-of/

Outcry over Iranian pastor threatened with execution

From The Church Times-

THE lawyer acting for the Iranian pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, who faces the death penalty for refusing to re­cant his Christian faith, is “optimistic” that his sentence may be revoked, it has been reported.

Mr Nadarkhani was sentenced to death in the city of Rasht, north Iran, in 2009 (News, 30 September). He has refused three times to reconvert to Islam. The case of Mr Nadarkhani, a father of two and a member of the Protestant Evangelical Church of Iran, has been taken up by governments in the UK and the United States.

The Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has called on the Iranian regime to overturn the “deplorable” sentence. “I pay tribute to the courage shown by Pastor Nadarkhani, who has no case to answer, and call on the Iranian authorities to overturn his sentence.” The Archbishop of Canter­bury has also expressed “deep con­cern” over the sentence.

Now, Mr Nadarkhani’s lawyer, Mohammad Ali Dadkhah, has told Reuters news agency that he is “optimistic that the Supreme Court in [the holy Shi’ite city of] Qom will drop the case altogether. I am 95 per cent sure about it. . . The court is on [next] Monday, and I think that the court decision will come out next Monday.”

More here-

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=118933

SC Bishop said to have abandoned Episcopal church

From South Carolina-


The Episcopal Church is alleging that Bishop Mark Lawrence has abandoned the church through his leadership of the Diocese of South Carolina that has distanced itself from the national church because of its policies of ordaining gay bishops and sanctioning same-sex unions.

Lawrence was contacted last week by the Disciplinary Board for Bishops of the national church. The letter said the board had evidence establishing the "abandonment of the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Episcopal Church."

The letter mentioned, among other things, eliminating mention of national church in the diocesan charter purpose statement, a resolution that the local diocese is a "sovereign diocese" and that Lawrence has done nothing to stop local parishes seeking to leave the national church.
The national church has also asked for the records of the Standing Committee of the diocese comprised of 28,000 parishioners in 47 parishes in eastern and lower South Carolina.

Lawrence on Wednesday called a meeting for next week in which clergy of the diocese will discuss the developments. Two years ago the conservative diocese voted to distance itself from the national church but not break away entirely.

The discord stems from the national church's consecration in 2003 of its first openly gay bishop and its 2008 decision allowing bishops to bless same-sex unions. In 2006, the local diocese voted to reject the authority of the bishop of the national church.

More here-

http://www.theitem.com/news/ap_state_news/article_ffccd10b-646b-5000-b7d2-e4f0a6371344.html

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

From Stanford 2005 Steve Jobs Commencement Address-

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

More here-

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

From Huffington-

Desmond Tutu blasted the South African government Tuesday after officials delayed the Dalai Lama's visa request to attend friend Tutu's 80th birthday celebration in the country.

Tutu criticized the decision, saying "whether [the government says] so or not, they were quite determined that they [were] not going to do anything that would upset the Chinese," according to the New York Times.

After multiple failed attempts at contacting officials about the visa request, the Dalai Lama announced Tuesday that he had to cancel the trip, which was set to begin Oct. 6.

At a news conference, Tutu continued by saying the government was "worse than the apartheid government, because at least you were expecting it with the apartheid government," the Telegraph reports. (Scroll to watch a clip.)

The government's decision has ignited some protests in South Africa, the Wall Street Journal reports. Residents are concerned the government has bowed to China by blocking the Dalai Lama's entry so as not to hurt trade.

More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/05/tutu-blasts-government-dalai-lama-cancels-visit_n_996249.html

Coupons empower many to help feed the poor

From Florida-

Until this year, Brook Cole tossed only an occasional canned good into her church's food pantry for the poor. Then she began to collect coupons, and all that changed.

The 33-year-old wife and mother of three children said she stripped her family's food bill with the use of coupons, paying only about a fifth of the $250 weekly cost out of her own pocket.

She spends about an hour a day collecting coupons, strategizing how to best use them and what foods her family needs.

But coupon collectors like Cole don't stop there.

Now she gives "tons" of food and other goods to organizations like Interfaith Emergency Services or her church to help feed the ever-growing number of people without work and worrying how they will feed themselves and their families.

"We're able to bless way more than we did before," Cole said.

More here-

http://www.ocala.com/article/20111005/ARTICLES/111009850/1402/NEWS?Title=Coupons-empower-many-to-help-feed-the-poor

National Cathedral needs ‘tens of millions’ in quake repairs

From The Washington Post-

The Washington National Cathedral will need “tens of millions of dollars” over “numerous years” to repair extensive damage to the nation’s second-largest church following an Aug. 23 earthquake, church officials said Tuesday (Oct. 4).

The landmark church requires $25 million “just to get to June 2012, for the first phase of work and to resume worship and programming. We know it will ultimately be much more,” says Richard Weinberg, a spokesman for the cathedral.

The Episcopal cathedral, which advertises itself as “a spiritual home for all,” has been the setting for presidential funerals and other major national events. An estimated 35,000 worshippers and visitors arrive there every month.

Its stone-upon-stone, hand-crafted Gothic architecture took 83 years, from 1907 to 1990, to complete.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/national-cathedral-needs-tens-of-millions-in-quake-repairs/2011/10/05/gIQAcN85NL_story.html

Episcopal Church investigates bishop

From South Carolina-

The Episcopal Church has launched an investigation of Bishop Mark J. Lawrence a year after the Diocese of South Carolina voted to distance itself from the national church because of disagreements stemming from the 2003 consecration of an openly gay bishop.

Two years ago, the diocese, under the leadership of Lawrence, voted to strengthen its autonomy and "begin withdrawing" from the church. In February, it changed its constitution, asserting the authority of the local diocese over the national church. The national church's accusation of abandonment sets the stage for disciplinary action.

On Wednesday, the diocese published a letter from Lawrence and the Very Rev. Paul C. Fuener, president of the Standing Committee, informing local Episcopalians of the "serious charges" made by the national church and publicizing 63 pages of materials the church is using to support its claim.

A Sept. 30 letter from a church attorney requested of the diocese that it submit documents concerning Lawrence's ordination, meeting minutes and other correspondence. Various letters, reports, articles and other material are under review by the General Convention's Disciplinary Board for Bishops, whose president is the Rt. Rev. Dorsey Henderson, retired bishop of Upper South Carolina. In a statement, Henderson said that information was obtained from "communicants within the Diocese of South Carolina" and "not brought forward by the Presiding Bishop's office, or by the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church."

More here-

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/oct/06/episcopal-church-investigates-bishop-A/

also here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79425_130067_ENG_HTM.htm

Williams visits Zimbabwe amid church-state standoff

From The Washington Post-

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will visit Zimbabwe in a show of support for Anglicans who are under siege from a renegade ex-bishop who plans to snub the leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Anglicans in Zimbabwe are embroiled in a church property fight with former Bishop Nolbert Kunonga of the capital of Harare. Kunonga left the church in 2007 over what he said was its pro-gay stance.

Kunonga has formed his own church around a group of followers, claiming rights over church property, schools and hospitals. Kunonga is allied with President Robert Mugabe, who has maintained a tight grip on power for 30 years.

Williams’ Oct. 5-13 visit, which will include visits to Malawi and Zambia, will “show support to Anglicans in Zimbabwe in the face of ongoing persecution at the hands of an ex-communicated man who has nothing else to do than focus his attention on destroying what generations of Anglicans built using their own resources,” the Harare diocese said in a statement.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/williams-visits-zimbabwe-amid-church-state-standoff/2011/10/04/gIQAXG0YLL_story.html

Wife of ousted Trinity dean sues for distress, defamation

From Upper South Carolina-

The wife of ousted Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Dean Philip C. Linder has filed suit against the cathedral and the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina, claiming she was victimized by both when her husband was suspended abruptly in July 2010 and forced to resign from the historic downtown congregation.

Ellen Cooper Linder alleges in the civil lawsuit filed Thursday in Richland County that Bishop W. Andrew Waldo intentionally inflicted emotional distress and defamed her when Waldo, at the behest of the vestry, set in motion the series of events that led to her husband’s resignation.
Ellen Linder, who lost her part-time position as parish nurse and her standing in the 4,400-member congregation, seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages. Mount Pleasant attorney Larry Richter is representing her.

Read more:

http://www.thestate.com/2011/10/05/1997362/wife-of-ousted-trinity-dean-sues.html#ixzz1ZuAclYVR

Bishop Seabury Church Can't Keep Property

More from CT-

In 2007, the Bishop Seabury Church in Groton split from the national Episcopal Church because the local parish disagreed with the appointment of Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the church's first openly gay bishop.

On Friday, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the local church cannot keep its property at 256 North Road, according to the Associated Press.

"While we are all blessed with the right to worship as we choose, the court's ruling joins the many other states that have ruled that those who leave the Episcopal Church cannot take property of the church with them," the diocese said in a press release.

Connecticut Bishop Ian T. Douglas said in the release that "this has been a long and difficult process that has taken away from our common witness to the Good News of God in our Savior Jesus Christ. With the decision of the Supreme Court we can now put this matter behind us and once again turn our full attention to the work of proclaiming and making real that Good News in all the world."

More here-

http://groton.patch.com/articles/bishop-seabury-church-cant-keep-property

Cathedral to reopen Nov. 12, quake damage will cost ‘tens of millions’

From The Washington Times-

The Washington National Cathedral will reopen Nov. 12 after being closed for almost three months from earthquake damage and repairs will likely cost tens of millions of dollars, officials said Tuesday.

“We look forward to returning to our home,” said the Right Rev. John Bryson Chane, the cathedral’s interim dean. “Reopening is only the first step down a long path toward restoring the cathedral to its previous state.”

The 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 23 damaged sections of the building, including the front towers and the ornate, rooftop pinnacles. The cathedral, off Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, has remained closed as crews stabilize the damaged sections and officials attempt to raise money to pay for the repairs, which were not covered by insurance.

Crews are now in the process of placing steel beams weighing a total of 70 tons in the central tower. And scaffolding is being built atop the beams to reach, then remove the damaged pinnacles.

“This has been a difficult time for the cathedral, made easier by the support of so many in the Washington community as well as by supporters across the nation,” Mr. Chane said.

Officials said they are trying to raise at least $25 million to cover early restoration costs and operating expenses for next year and that the overall restoration of the cathedral “is expected to take numerous year.”

More here-

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/4/cathedral-reopen-nov-12-quake-damage-will-cost-ten/

Uganda: Western Region Gets New Diocese

From Uganda-

The Anglican Church of Uganda has created a new diocese in the western region to bring Christian services closer to believers.

The new South Ankole Diocese, which was carved out of Ankole and West Ankole Dioceses, brings the number of dioceses to 34.

The House of Bishops from the Church of the Province of Uganda on September 29 elected the Rev. Nathan Ahimbisibwe as the bishop for the newly-created South Ankole Diocese. The Rev. Ahimbisibwe was previously the Chaplain of St. James Chapel, Makerere University Business School.

According to the Rev. George Bagamuhunda, the provincial secretary, Ahimbisibwe's consecration and enthronement will take place at St. Matthew's Church Kyamate, Ntungamo District, on January 8 . A press statement issued yesterday, indicates that the Rev. Ahimbisibwe holds a Master of Arts Degree in Christian Education from the Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississipi, USA, a Bachelor of Divinity from Uganda Christian University, Mukono and a Diploma in Education.

More here-

http://allafrica.com/stories/201110040184.html

Japanese cardboard cathedral for New Zealand quake city

From New Zealand-

A COLLABORATION between the two places worst affected by earthquakes in 2011 is expected to see Christchurch receive a Japanese-designed cardboard cathedral, The Australian reports.

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban and the Christchurch Cathedral have produced a design for a 700-seat replacement for the 147-year-old bluestone Anglican cathedral damaged in the February quake.

Like most buildings in Christchurch's central business district, the cathedral was heavily damaged by the earthquake, which is thought to have killed more than 180 people in New Zealand's second-largest city.

The 24-metre high cardboard cathedral will retain a triangular shape but it will not have a tower.

Ban's design will use 86 cardboard tubes, each measuring 17 metres and weighing about 500kg, to form a sturdy A-frame structure able to pass local structural, fire and earthquake codes.

The roof will have a plastic coating and will incorporate a stained-glass window.

More here-

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/japanese-cardboard-cathedral-for-new-zealand-quake-city/story-e6frf7lf-1226158250574

Anglican leader requests Mugabe meeting

From AFP_

Rowan Williams, the leader of the world's Anglicans, has requested to meet Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe during his forthcoming visit to southeast Africa, his office said Monday.

Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is making a pastoral visit to Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia from October 5 to 13.

He will become the most senior public figure from Britain to visit Zimbabwe in a decade and could meet Mugabe as part of the trip.

"There has been an approach to meet with him but nothing has been confirmed," a Lambeth Palace spokesman said.

Mugabe, 87, who has been president since 1987, routinely blames former colonial power Britain for Zimbabwe's ills.

Zimbabwe's Anglican Church has been divided since 2007 when Nolbert Kunonga, the former bishop of Harare, split from the Anglican province of central Africa citing opposition to the ordination of gay priests.

Kunonga has since declared himself archbishop of Harare and has seized Church property including the cathedral.

More here-

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gUJkY5Tmfono_omm4p_uLiTkVwLg?docId=CNG.fafef7ec4e78f073df85ca881b4ba38a.4c1

Presiding bishop urges sharing fruitfulness during Diocese of Quincy visitation

From ENS-

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori urged members of the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy to keep their focus on sharing the harvest with those outside their congregations.

The Presiding Bishop met and shared her vision with several groups during her Oct. 1-2 visit. She told clergy during an early morning breakfast meeting about the scope and needs of the wider church. In an address prior to the convening of the diocese's annual synod, she reminded deputies that growth and abundance in their congregations comes when the focus is turned toward the needs of those beyond their own doors.
Diocesan youth from age eight through college age spent time with the presiding bishop during the Synod's business meeting.

In her homily during the synod's Eucharist, she told the congregants not to lose sight of keeping the walk of Jesus central even while the diocese may continue to struggle with legal issues, property concerns and the future path of the diocese.

In November 2008, a majority of the diocesan synod voted to leave the Episcopal Church and to realign with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, forming the Southern Cone Diocese of Quincy.

"Whatever decisions you make about the structures and future of this community, living like Jesus is the most central -- that is worth all you have and all you are, nothing less," said the presiding bishop.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_130020_ENG_HTM.htm

Connecticut Supreme Court rules for Episcopal Church in Bishop Seabury parish case

From ENS-

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled unanimously Sept. 30 in favor of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Connecticut in two lawsuits brought to return to the church control of the real and personal property of Bishop Seabury Episcopal Church in Groton.

The lawsuits were filed after the former ordained and lay leadership of the parish chose to leave the Episcopal Church but had refused to relinquish possession of its property of the parish, which is named for the first Episcopal bishop and Groton native Samuel Seabury (1729-1796).

The state Supreme Court upheld lower court decisions that said the parish's real and personal property is held in trust for the diocese and the Episcopal Church.

The court noted one of its two rulings that the "highest courts of several other jurisdictions" have concluded that the church's "Dennis Canon" (Canon 1.7.4) applies in such cases.

The General Convention in 1979 approved Canon 1.7.4 which states that a parish holds its property in trust for the diocese and the Episcopal Church. The Dennis Canon applies, the court said, even if the property involved has been held in the name of the parish since before the canon was enacted. It said that it agreed with other courts which have ruled that the canon applies because Seabury, like other parishes, agreed at the outset to be bound by the denomination's constitution and canons, knowing that General Convention may change them in the future.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_130015_ENG_HTM.htm

‘God, not you, darling!’ Atkinsons qualify attack on smug clerics

From The Church Times-

ROWAN ATKINSON, the comedian famed for his portrayal of comedy vicars, was this week expecting a backlash, after accusing Church of England clergy of being smug, arrogant, and conceited.

In an interview in Saturday’s Times, Mr Atkinson said: “I used to think that the vicars that I played . . . were unreasonable satires on well-meaning individuals but, actually, so many of the clerics that I’ve met, particularly the Church of England clerics, are people of such extra­ordinary smugness and arrogance and conceitedness who are extra­ordin­arily presumptuous about the significance of their position in society. Increasingly, I believe that all the mud that Richard Curtis and I threw at them through endless sketches that we’ve done is more than deserved.”
The Priest-in-Charge of Mr Atkinson’s parish in Northampton­shire is the Rt Revd John Flack. He said on Wednesday that he had never seen the comedian in church, and that to visit him would be difficult, as he lives behind high-security gates. “But I have written, inviting him to have a talk. I look forward to hearing from him.”

Even those sympathetic to the comedian were critical of his view. “Sadly I think he may be right,” conceded the Revd Richenda Leigh, Anglican Chaplain to the University of Derby. “In all jobs there are people who are smug and arrogant. But smug and arrogant clergy do more good in their lives than smug and arrogant actors and comedians.”

more here-

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=118588

Global South Primates Raise Urgent Questions

From The Living Church-

Eleven Global South Anglican primates released a communiqué at the end of their China visit in September. The discussions in China clearly build on many exchanges and face-to-face meetings between these primates in recent times, especially in the Fourth South-to-South Encounter in Singapore in April 2010. These protracted meetings have taken much time, personnel, and financial resources. And much more resources need to be in place to carry out the plans in the communiqué. The China communiqué, therefore, raises urgent questions. The key issue turns on the ecclesiological nature of whatever Global South Anglican churches plan to do. Briefly:

Can the Global South primates come up with a coherent ecclesiastical structure that can hold their “mission and networking” together, once the existing Communion instruments are deemed dysfunctional? This is all the more urgent since the primates have decided to withdraw participation from key Communion-level instruments. Alternative ecclesial structures (interim or permanent) need to be in place to give corporate expression to their Anglican identity.

Will their churches adopt the Anglican Communion Covenant, in which the existing four instruments assume a central place? After all, Global South churches have played a key role in drafting the Covenant from the start. A Global South Anglican paper was commissioned for study in the South-to-South encounter in 2010 to defend the Covenant. Why the perhaps hesitant note on the Covenant in the communiqué, as if it is something new?

More here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2011/9/29/global-south-primates-raise-urgent-questions

Christians celebrate Bible’s big birthday

From England-

ABOUT 200 Christians from Worcestershire and beyond gathered in Worcester Cathedral to study the Bible under the guidance of both the Anglican Bishop of Worcester and the Roman Catholic Archbishop for Birmingham.

The event was held to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible and drew people from a Baptist and Pentecostal background, as well as Roman Catholics and those from the Church of England.

The day started with a dialogue between the bishop and archbishop on the impact of scripture on our culture and the life of our churches. Those attending were split into groups of about 15 people to look at a passage using a prayerful approach known as Lectio Divina.

After a second address, the groups were invited to enter into a bible scene using their imagination, engaging with the scripture in what is known as an Ignation way. The whole process was directed centrally by the bishops.

More here-

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/local/9282246.Christians_celebrate_Bible___s_big_birthday/

West Valley City church goes to the dogs (and cats)

From Utah (Just one of many like this today)

West Valley City • It’s not often that you see dogs and other pets attending Sunday services, but once every year members of St. James Episcopal Church are invited to bring their critters to church for a blessing.

“I call this Sunday holy chaos,” said Rev. W. Lee Shaw, the church’s rector. “It’s very popular.”

Thus, as a choir sang a hymn, an occasional bark or whine could be heard. When the service got quiet, there were times the only sounds were those of dogs panting.

Shaw has held the popular ceremony for years, mostly close to Oct. 4, which is the feast day for St. Francis, known for befriending a wolf and for his kindness to all living creatures.

The saint gave up all of his earthly wealth and lived like a hermit until finding a community of poor friars who became the Franciscans, who took a vow of poverty.

Dogs, a cat in a kennel and a teddy bear held by 7-year-old Nick Rice marked the most unusual pets seen at the service Sunday, where the animals were quite well behaved. In case there was an “accident,” the church provided materials to clean it up. Families and neighbors were invited to participate in the service.

More here-

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52668551-78/church-dogs-service-blessed.html.csp

I swear I'm not making this up

The Rev. Gil Florini (right) blesses mobile phones Saturday at Saint-Pierre-d'Arene Church in Nice France on the occasion of St. Gabriel Day the patron Saint of Transmissions.

The Amish forgave the man who killed five of their children, but the story's not over

From The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

Five years ago, Charles Carl Roberts IV entered an Amish school in Nickel Mines, Pa., and shot 10 girls -- mortally wounding five -- before killing himself. This quiet, rural community in Lancaster County suddenly became a place of unprecedented contrasts -- violence amidst peaceful people, hordes of satellite trucks in a place that favors simplicity.

Most striking, in a world of deep division and blame-mongering, was the nearly immediate forgiveness the Amish community expressed to the Roberts family. This was not forgiveness offered in a prepared statement, delivered by lawyers or news crews, but forgiveness offered in person, from one human being to another.

What the Amish consider to be "standard Christian forgiveness" can teach all of us -- in our own personal and political conflicts -- that forgiveness is a way of life learned and lived in community.

Over the past five years, the survivors of the Nickel Mines tragedy have had to wrestle with the impact that Oct. 2, 2006, has had on their lives and their understanding of the world. Four of the five wounded girls have physically recovered; the fifth suffers from permanent disabilities due to brain trauma. The entire community continues to wrestle with the emotional and mental terror of the day.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11275/1178823-109.stm#ixzz1ZcaSDeJq