Stand-off ends between Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and breakaway parishes

From The Church Times-

THE US Episcopal diocese of Pittsburgh has reached an “amicable” agreement with a group of breakaway parishes over the ownership and use of church property, after a decade of dispute and confidential negotiations.

Nine congregations voted to leave the Episcopal Church in October 2008 (News, 9 October 2008) to form the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, five years after the Episcopal Church in the US ordained its first openly gay bishop.

They were: St Peter’s, Butler; St Mary’s, Charleroi; Christ Church, Fox Chapel; Christ’s Church, Greensburg; St Alban’s, Murrysville; Church of the Ascension, Oakland; St Stephen’s, Sewickley; St Peter’s, Uniontown; and Trinity, Washington.

The congregations have been at loggerheads with the Episcopal diocese over who has ownership of the church buildings.

A joint statement from the Episcopal and Anglican Church of North America dioceses states that the breakaway parishes officially own the properties in which they worship and conduct mission, from the date of the breakaway — 4 October 2008 — but that they are not permitted to sell, lease, or use the property for any other purpose than that for which it was intended when it was created by the Episcopal diocese.

More here-

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2018/9-march/news/world/stand-off-ends-episcopal-diocese-of-pittsburgh-breakaway-parishes

Spring 2018 House of Bishops, Day 3

From Dan Martins-

Once again, the day began with Eucharist. This time, though, I took a pass, and opted for a vigorous walk on a brisk morning. Having looked at the liturgy sheet in advance, there were enough triggers that I knew the net spiritual effect for me would be negative. #selfcare  I will say, however, that HOB worship has gotten incrementally less problematic during the tenure of the current Presiding Bishop, and I give props for that.

When we convened at 10:15, there were the usual announcements, then a whirlwind set of summary reports from bishop members of the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) and the Task Force on the Study of Marriage. The full reports that they were summarizing, containing substantive and enormously significant resolutions being submitted to General Convention, are enormous--including revision of the Prayer Book, and it wasn't quite fair to anyone that they had to be presented in such a temporally condensed manner. And it was even less fair that our consideration of the material had to occur in less than an hour. This took the form of Indaba groups. We adjourned to breakout rooms in groups of about 20 each. The Indaba process involves each one present speaking his or her heart, in turn, into the center of the group, with no crosstalk or discussion in the conventional sense. We were asked to respond to, "How do you imagine liturgy in the future of the Episcopal Church? What are your hopes? What are your fears?" 

More here-

https://movingdiagonally.blogspot.com/2018/03/spring-2018-house-of-bishops-2018.html

REVIEWER OF CHILD SEX ABUSE BY CLERGY 'NOT SHOWN KEY DOCUMENTS', INQUIRY HEARS

From England-

An independent reviewer of child sex abuse by Church of England clergy was not shown documents that may have shed light on previous offending, an inquiry heard.

Roger Meekings, who carried out a 2009 past case review for the Diocese of Chichester, told the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse that information about clergy who were later jailed had not been in their personnel files.

They included former Bishop of Lewes Peter Ball (pictured) and Canon Gordon Rideout, both of whom were later imprisoned.

He told the London hearing into abuse in the Anglican church that the so-called "blue files" on staff were also often missing Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check data.

He said he had been told "the previous bishop had a habit of 'filleting' the blue files".

Public hearings are taking place this week to examine how the religious order handled paedophilia allegations stretching back to the 1950s, first focusing on Chichester.

More here-

https://careappointments.co.uk/care-news/england/item/43496-reviewer-of-child-sex-abuse-by-clergy-not-shown-key-documents-inquiry-hears

Saudi Crown Prince commits to interfaith tolerance, says Anglican church

From Reuters-

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met the head of the Anglican church in London on Thursday and promised to promote interfaith dialogue as part of his domestic reforms, the British faith leader’s office said.

Prince Mohammed is making an official visit to London to promote Saudi Arabia as a tolerant, modernizing economy and build a wider trade and investment relationship with Britain, a long-term defense ally.
On the second full day of his first foreign tour since becoming heir apparent to the Saudi throne last year, Prince Mohammed also had meetings with finance minister Philip Hammond, bankers and lawmakers, and was due to dine with Prime Minister Theresa May at her country residence later.

State oil giant Saudi Aramco, whose lucrative stock market listing Britain is vying with the United States to attract, signed a preliminary deal to pursue international gas opportunities with Royal Dutch Shell.

Prince Mohammed began the day with a symbolic visit to Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion of millions of Christians globally, at Lambeth Palace in central London.

More here-

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-saudi-archbishop/saudi-crown-prince-commits-to-interfaith-tolerance-says-anglican-church-idUSKCN1GK1V1

Also here-

http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-archbishop-saudi-leader-wants-different-faiths-to-flourish-2018-3

Pope approves sainthood for slain Salvador Archbishop Romero

From Crux-

Pope Francis has cleared the way for slain Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero to be made a saint, declaring that a churchman who stood up for the poorest of the poor in the face of right-wing oppression should be a model for Catholics today.

The Vatican announced Wednesday, the previous day, during a meeting with the head of the Vatican’s saint-making office, Francis had approved a decree confirming a miracle attributed to Romero’s intercession. Also approved was the miracle attributed to Pope Paul VI, paving the way for his canonization as well.

No date has been set for either ceremony, which Francis would be expected to celebrate.

Romero was gunned down by right-wing death squads on March 24, 1980, as he celebrated Mass in a hospital chapel. The country’s military dictatorship had vehemently opposed his preaching against the repression of the poor by the army at the start of the country’s 1980-1992 civil war.

Francis declared Romero a martyr in 2015.

More here-

https://cruxnow.com/ap/2018/03/07/pope-approves-sainthood-slain-salvador-archbishop-romero/

Author slams Tutu for silence on Anglican Church child abuse

From South Africa-

South African author Ishtiyaq Shukri has lashed out at Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu over his decision last month to step down as an ambassador for international aid organisation Oxfam in the wake of a sex scandal.

Shukri lambasted Tutu for not speaking out against sex abuses in the church – abuses that he says he was a victim of. Tutu‚ as chancellor of the University of the Western Cape‚ capped Shukri in 1990 when he graduated.

“The day Archbishop Tutu conferred my degree was not the first time I was touched by a clergyman from the Church of England in South Africa. In the years leading up to my graduation ceremony‚ I was being sexually abused by priests from the Church of England in South Africa. So far as I am aware‚ the Archbishop has never fully addressed such systematic and institutionalised sexual abuse happening in his own organization‚” he said.

More here-

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-03-07-author-slams-tutus-silence-on-anglican-church-child-abuse/

Episcopal Church Bishop tours area

From West Texas-

The Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, was in Aransas County Wednesday, Feb. 28, along with Diocesan bishop for the Diocese of West Texas (DWTX), Rt. Rev. David Reed, and the Bishop Suffragan for DWTX, the Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson. They were joined by a large delegation of clergy from the Diocese of West Texas, including those serving congregations in hurricane-affected areas, as well as staff members from the national Episcopal Church offices in New York City.

The delegation was on a bus tour, coordinated by the Bishop’s Deputy for Disaster Recovery for the DWTX, visiting the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey, as well as spreading a message of hope and family.

The DWTX is providing assistance to 15 counties, including Aransas, affected by the storm. It includes 86 congregations spread across 60 counties in Central and South Texas. Its offices are in San Antonio.

More here-

http://www.rockportpilot.com/news/article_14309424-22a6-11e8-aed2-8b2cb429dc44.html

House of Bishops pledges advocacy to end gun violence, sexual violence

From ENS-

The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops said March 7 its members will support two major social movements, one to end gun violence and the other to end sexual harassment, violence and gender bias.

The bishops said they “wholeheartedly support and join” young people who survived the deadly Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in their call for an end to gun violence.

In the other statement, they said they knew the “church has fallen short of our responsibility to listen and respond” to “the reality of sexual harassment, gender-based violence, and the cultural stronghold of gender bias and inequity.” The bishops “invite the church to a deeper examination of what God intends for our relationships,” including at the July meeting of General Convention.

Both statements were “accepted” during their annual spring retreat, according to press releases issued by the church’s Office of Public Affairs. The bishops are gathered March 6-9 at Camp Allen, an Episcopal camp and conference center in Navasota, Texas.

More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2018/03/07/house-of-bishops-pledges-advocacy-to-end-gun-violence-sexual-violence/

Dean, Trinity Cathedral, First Rector, St. Stephen Episcopal Church

From Liberia-

The Very Reverend Dr. Emmanuel W. Johnson, former dean of Trinity Cathedral, Monrovia and former President of Cuttington University College (now Cuttington University), has died.

This sad event occurred on March 12, at the Dulles Health and Rehab Center in Herndon, Virginia, United States of America.

His family and close friends were at his bedside when he received his eternal summons. He was in his 94th year.

Fr. Johnson served as principal of the St. Thomas Elementary School, Monrovia prior to his departure for the United States in 1956 for further studies.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 1958 from Langston University and his Master’s in Educational Administration and Supervision from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois in 1959.

More here-

https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/very-rev-emmanuel-johnson-is-dead/

New Martin Luther-Shaped Amazon Echo Will Rudely Answer All Your Theology Questions

A little humor to start the day-

Specifically targeting the lucrative Christian market for the first time in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Amazon just released a new version of its Amazon Echo device that is shaped like Reformer Martin Luther.

Dubbed the “Amazon Luther,” the new device is programmed to answer all your theology questions in the Reformer’s trademark aggressive tone and style.

An Amazon rep gave a demo at the press conference announcing the device, showing off some of its dynamic responses:

“Luther, can you tell me about the Pope?”

The Pope is a mere tormentor of conscience. The assembly of his greased and religious crew in praying is altogether like the croaking of frogs, which edifies nothing at all.

More here-

http://babylonbee.com/news/new-martin-luther-shaped-amazon-echo-will-rudely-answer-theology-questions/

Archbishop-Elect Looks to Future with Past Successes

From Chicago-

Touting Sonrise School's national exam results, Archbishop-elect and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Laurent Mbanda, PhD, was well-received at a packed dinner/bowling fundraiser Feb. 25 and spoke of education, his accomplishments as Anglican Bishop of the Shyira Diocese and future goals as Archbishop.
"Sonrise is doing exceptionally well," said Mbanda at the Wilmette Bowling Center benefit sponsored by one of the school's founders, Church of the Redeemer, Highland Park. The proceeds from the night would support operating costs for the primary and secondary campuses in Musanze, Rwanda.


In the three placement exams, Sonrise is included in the top divisions of the nation. Additionally, one female student finishing high school "had maxed out" with a score of 100 percent, he said.

Students advancing from sixth to seventh grades all proceeded to divisions one and two (the best category). From ninth to 10th, "they all passed with good grades," in exams highlighting their individual strengths of study, Mbanda said. Already one student will be enrolled at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, for her college studies. Others are enrolled in various universities in different states.

More here-

http://www.dailyherald.com/submitted/20180305/archbishop-elect-looks-to-future-with-past-successes

Episcopal bishop: Stand with young people marching for safe schools

From Central NY-

Christians have a responsibility to stand with those who feel most vulnerable, especially when those persons are our children and youth.

I invite all the people of Central New York to join me at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 20,  for a Facebook Live conversation on gun violence issues (at facebook.com/bishopdede), and then to prayerfully consider joining with me on Saturday, March 24, to walk in peaceful protest of gun violence and support the young people of our country. There are marches planned in several cities in the Diocese of Central New York - and around the country - that day.

I support responsible gun ownership. When I was growing up, guns were part of my life. I hunted with my brothers, regularly shot skeet (well, to be honest regularly shot at skeet) and even mastered the tricky art of launching skeet with a hand-held trebuchet. "Responsible gun ownership" was not a term I knew because everyone I knew handled guns responsibly.

More here-

http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/03/episcopal_bishop_stand_with_young_people_marching_for_safe_schools_your_letters.html

Spring 2018 House of Bishops, Day 1

From Dan Martins- (ENS link below as well)

Today was about evangelism. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has been clear from the beginning of his tenure that evangelism and racial reconciliation were going to be the touchstones of his ministry, and he has remained true to his word.

We began the day with a celebration of the Eucharist at which Bishop Curry was the preacher. He emphasized the need for the work of evangelism to be rooted in Christian formation, and also got into the fray around the use of the word "Lord," about which many in the church are sensitive because of perceived patriarchal overtones. He acknowledged the difficulty, but basically said, "Get used to it. The earliest Christian creed was 'Jesus is Lord.' It's part of our vocabulary." He suggested reclaiming the work away from connotations of oppression or exploitation, remembering the important corollary: If Jesus is Lord, then Caesar is not Lord--whoever or whatever "Caesar" may be to it. It was an encouraging homily. 

More here-

https://movingdiagonally.blogspot.com/2018/03/spring-2018-house-of-bishops-day-1.html

More here-

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/posts/publicaffairs/episcopal-house-bishops-meeting-retreat-march-6-highlights

Reimagining Britain by Justin Welby review – praiseworthy vision

From The Guardian-

Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, has brought about two miracles. First, he unblocked the road that led to female bishops and quickly ensured they were appointed, including to the third most senior position in the Church of England, bishop of London. Second, through his challenge to Wonga, the payday lender, and interventions on banking, he got the press writing about the church and money rather than gay sex.

Is he able to bring about a third miracle, by giving demoralised Britain new hope and a fresh vision for the future? Reimagining Britain – a great title – is a brave attempt. Detailing the vast changes since 1945, he argues that the present, like 1945, can be a turning point in our history.

Welby is critical of the government’s narrow focus on “British values” brought into schools as part of the Prevent programme and looks for a wider and deeper set of moral convictions. He begins with community, courage and stability, unpicking each one in more detail. On community, for example, he draws on the excellent body of Catholic social teaching with its stress on solidarity, subsidiarity, the universal destiny of all goods, gratuity and the common good.

More here-


https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/mar/05/reimagining-britain-justin-welby-praiseworthy-vision-of-uk

Taking the Bible seriously means reading it figurally

From Christian Century-

Because I had recently become a Christian, I enrolled in a New Testament studies course during my first year as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia. Our guiding textbook was Bart Ehrman’s The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. I recall one stuffy fall afternoon when the teaching assistant for our precept group (who happened to be a clergyman) explained that we would investigate the Christian scriptures as though they were no different from any other historical document or work of literature. “We’ll be reading and studying the New Testament the same way they’ll approach Beowulf down the hall from us.”

His comment about Beowulf sticks in both my memory and my craw because it ignited a small rebellion among my evangelical classmates, who resisted the idea of reckoning with scripture the way one would any other historical document. I also recall the titters of patronizing laughter set off by one classmate’s protest: “But it’s not like the Iliad; it’s God’s Word.”

More here-


https://www.christiancentury.org/review/books/taking-bible-seriously-means-reading-it-figurally

How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living.

From Babylon Bee-

It is our great honor to announce The Babylon Bee‘s first book: How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living. It releases May 1st and is available for pre-order right now.

What’s it all about?

How to Be a Perfect Christian is 208 pages of brand-new Bee material which will transform the sad excuse for a believer that you currently are into an absolutely Perfect Christian. The experts at The Babylon Bee will take you by the hand and lead you on this journey, helping you achieve perfection in all aspects of the Christian life. This book truly is Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living, and you will not be the same after you have read it.

Is this a joke?

This is not a joke. We really did sign a deal with Multnomah and we really did write a book and it really is coming out May 1st and you really can pre-order it right now. And it really will change your life.

More here-

http://babylonbee.com/book/

Episcopal Church, Catholic nuns advocated for Dick's gun policy

From Pittsburgh-

Faith-based shareholder activism is being at least partly credited for Dick's Sporting Goods' decision last week to stop stocking "assault-style" rifles at Field & Stream stores.

The Episcopal Church and five Roman Catholic religious orders filed a shareholder resolution in January calling on Dick's to, among other things, abide by the Sandy Hook Principles, Episcopal News Service reported.

The principles outline rules that gun retailers can impose on themselves to end the sale of guns to minors, people with mental illness and people with criminal backgrounds.

Dick's stopped selling assault rifles after the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre. The Coraopolis-based company's recent decision applies to its 35 Field & Stream stores.

Although the Episcopal Church owns stock in Dick's, it does not purchase stock for the sole purpose of engaging in shareholder action, according to ENS.

The church decided to join the Sisters of Mercy and four other religious orders in filing a shareholder resolution in January. They were assisted by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility , which helps religious organizations pool their shareholder power, the ENS said.

Previously, the Sisters of Mercy had to tried influence Dick's by writing to CEO Edward W. Stack through Mercy Investment Services Inc. , their asset management program.
More here-

http://triblive.com/usworld/world/13380248-74/faith-based-shareholder-activism-is-being-at-least-partly-credited-for-dicks-sporting

Letter Revealing How Gandhi Really Felt About Christianity Is Sold For $50,000

From Huffington-

A private buyer has purchased a historical letter in which Indian independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi muses about his personal relationship with Jesus and Christianity.

The typed document, which contains Gandhi’s handwritten signature, sold to a buyer for $50,000 on Friday, according to Nathan Raab, president of the historical document dealer Raab Collection in Ardmore, Pa. The company told HuffPost it does not disclose the identity of its buyers or sellers.

In 1926, an American Christian religious elder, Milton Newberry Frantz, wrote to Gandhi, inviting the Hindu leader to read an article Frantz had written about Christianity. On April 6 of that year, Gandhi wrote back to Frantz from an ashram in Gujarat.

Gandhi wrote that he felt Jesus was “one of the great teachers of mankind.” However, he couldn’t subscribe to the Christian belief that Jesus was more than that.

More here-

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/letter-gandhi-christianity-sold-50000_us_5a9d64f6e4b089ec353d4e26

Teens, not adults, lead Episcopalians in gun violence protests and marches

From ENS-

Sarah Jacobs, 17, doesn’t feel safe.
After the deadly mass shooting at a Florida school on Feb. 14, the senior at Fishers High School in a suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana, said no school is safe from gun violence anymore, and that’s not right.

Jacob attends St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Carmel, and she’s on the Diocese of Indianapolis youth steering committee. Her committee decided during a Feb. 25 conference call to talk during its March 3-4 youth retreat about how they feel about what happened and what they can do about it, and share opportunities.

She hopes to attend the national student-led March For Our Lives in Washington D.C. on March 24, while other teens join local marches on the same day nationwide.

“We like to think it doesn’t affect our area, but it does. It’s not just ‘those’ people. It could happen to anyone, anywhere,” Jacobs told Episcopal News Service just after she got out of class.


More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2018/03/01/teens-not-adults-lead-episcopalians-in-gun-violence-protests-and-marches/

Standing Committee announces candidates for XI Bishop, opens Petition Process

From Newark-

 The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Newark is pleased to announce a slate of four candidates who will stand for election as XI Bishop of Newark at a special convention on May 19, 2018.

The candidates are:

The Rev. Canon John Harmon, Diocese of Washington, D.C.
The Rev. Carlye Hughes, Diocese of Fort Worth
The Rev. Lisa Hunt, Diocese of Texas
The Rev. Canon Scott Slater, Diocese of Maryland

The Bishop Search/Nominating Committee, after careful and prayerful discernment, recommended these candidates to the Standing Committee, which voted to approve the slate.

"We believe these individuals possess the skills, qualities, experience and spiritual grounding necessary for the office of Bishop, and we are excited to commend them to the Diocese of Newark," said the Rev. Joseph Harmon, President of the Standing Committee. (Note: The Rev. Joseph Harmon and the Rev. Canon John Harmon are not related.)

More here-

https://dioceseofnewark.org/content/standing-committee-announces-candidates-xi-bishop-opens-petition-process

Ex-Archbishop 'faces probe into Church sex abuse cover-up': George Carey accused of 'colluding' with senior clergy to protect jailed bishop

From The Daily Mail-

The former Archbishop of Canterbury could face a police probe over claims the Church covered up the activities of a sex abuse bishop, it was reported last night.

George Carey was last year accused in a report of ‘colluding’ with senior clergy to protect Bishop Peter Ball.

Ball, who groomed and abused 18 vulnerable men from 1977 and 1992, was allegedly not added to a list of questionable ministers in 1993 that enabled him to carry on working.

Even though the Metropolitan Police has not started a criminal investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is discussing whether to press charges against Lord Carey, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Prosecutors are said to be reading a 70-page report by Dame Moira Gibb, which was released last summer, in order to decide whether to prosecute.


Read more:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5461945/Ex-Archbishop-faces-probe-Church-sex-abuse-cover-up.html#ixzz58sMZPKr6

Alleged Anglican Priest Burns Down Two ATMs

From Nigeria-

One man, who is said to be an Anglican Church priest, has burnt down the two Automated Teller Machines (ATM) installed by Imo Microfinance Bank at Aba Branch in the Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State on fire.

The man, who was identified as Rev. Chukwunyere Ibezim, was said to have also burnt down his own motorcycle before he was eventually overpowered by security men and bank customers.

According to an eyewitness, Kingsley Chukwu, who spoke to Southern City News on Sunday, the incident happened on Friday.

Chukwu said that Rev. Chukwunyere Ibezim of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Ugiri in the Isiala Mbano LGA, was beaten by an enraged crowd.

He said, “Rev. Chukwunyere Ibezim of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Ugiri in Isiala Mbano LGA is cooling off his heels in the police net for breaking into the bank in broad daylight with a gallon of fuel and setting the two installed ATMs on fire.”

More here-

http://greennews.ng/2018/03/05/alleged-anglican-priest-burns-down-two-atms/

and here-

http://punchng.com/mentally-deranged-man-sets-two-bank-atms-ablaze/

REVIVAL! EPISCOPAL EVANGELISM AND BILLY GRAHAM’S LEGACY

From The Living Church

As I woke to the news of Billy Graham’s passing on Feb. 21, I was filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I rejoiced knowing Graham was finally in the arms of his Savior, seeing fully the one he served and loved throughout his earthly life. On the other hand, I felt a sense of loss. Even though I met him only once in graduate school, he was a powerful mentor and teacher to me (and countless other budding evangelists). No matter the ecclesial family in which we dwell — or whether we agreed with him on matters of doctrine and practice — we must celebrate the way Billy Graham served as a beacon for the public proclamation of the gospel in our world for just short of a century. In his lifetime, he reached more people with the good news of Jesus Christ than anyone else in human history. Graham’s life has much to say to Episcopalians as we embark on a renewed focus on evangelism and revivals throughout the Episcopal Church.

More here-

https://livingchurch.org/covenant/2018/03/05/revival-episcopal-evangelism-billy-grahams-legacy/

The House of Deputies Special Committee on Sexual Harassment and Exploitation: A question.

From Preludium-

The President of the House of Deputies has appointed a Special Committee on Sexual Harassment and Exploitation. This was announced this past week (February 28th). The Committee will work in several sub-committees to draft legislation on sexual harassment and exploitation for consideration by the General Convention meeting this summer.

The committee is quite large - 47 members. It is quite a remarkable list and will serve the church well. It will, I hope, provide important proposals to General Convention.

The committee will work in several sub-committees: on Theology and Language, Structural Equity, Title IV and Training, Truth and Reconciliation, and Social Justice for Women. 

There is no question in my mind that each of these areas of concern needs immediate and deep attention, and each will invite us all into a greater common effort  "so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)

More here-

https://anglicanfuture.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-house-of-deputies-special-committee.html

Meghan Markle to be baptized at Kensington Palace

From The Sun-

MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry will wed at St George's Chapel, contained within the vast grounds of Windsor Castle in May.

But is she baptised and what has the church said about the divorcee remarrying?

Meghan, like her yoga-instructor mum, Doria Ragland, is a Protestant.

But her father Thomas is a member of the Episcopal Church of the United States and is an Episcopalian, which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Meghan, who divorced film producer Trevor Engelson in 2013, will be allowed to marry in a church after the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the couple his blessing.

Meghan and Prince Harry will have a full church wedding and not a civil ceremony following by a blessing, like divorcees Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

More here-

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/5024616/meghan-markle-baptised-confirmed-prince-harry-wedding-catholic-protestant-religion/

and here-

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/celebrity/meghan-markle-to-be-baptized-at-kensington-palace/ar-BBJRo0l

Déjà Vu All Over Again? How Anglicans went wrong and praying that Catholicism won’t suffer the same ‘spinectomy.’

From Rich Swier-

Fr. Dennis Garrou, a former Anglican (now Catholic) priest, shows how Anglicans went wrong and prays that Catholicism won’t suffer the same “spinectomy.”

Twenty years ago, before I had the privilege of entering the Catholic Church through the Pastoral Provision for Former Anglican Clergy, I was an Episcopal priest during the “ecclesiacide” engineered by Bishop John Shelby Spong. The instrument of execution was his “Twelve Theses,” an heretical collection of denials of the basic articles of Christian faith that he promulgated in 1998, as a kind of Wittenberg Door caricature. I reproduce it here for the benefit of Catholic readers who have probably never seen it and realized how much of what it contains is still abroad in our churches.

Thesis #1 “Theism as a way of defining God is dead. God can no longer be understood with credibility as a being, supernatural in power, living above the sky and prepared to invade human history periodically to enforce the divine will. So most theological God-talk today is meaningless. We must find a new way to conceptualize and to speak about God.”
More here-

http://drrichswier.com/2018/03/04/deja-vu-all-over-again-how-anglicans-went-wrong-and-praying-that-catholicism-wont-suffer-the-same-spinectomy/

Anglican Diocese of Niagara elects first woman bishop

From Canada-

On Saturday, the Anglican Diocese of Niagara chose a new leader — the Reverend Canon Susan Bell, who is from Hamilton, will become the first woman to serve as a diocesan bishop since its founding in 1875.

Bell, a priest and former school chaplain will serve as the 12th bishop of Niagara.

The vote took place Saturday. It took five ballots to determine the new bishop out of seven candidates. To be elected, a candidate needed a majority of votes from both clergy and lay delegates. 

'I think it's exciting that we've elected our first woman bishop in the diocese.'

Ann Turner, a priest at St. James Anglican Church in Fergus, Ont. was an organizer of the election, in which 269 people voted.

She told CBC News that the diocese is excited about about the historical election.

"I think it's exciting that we've elected our first woman bishop in the diocese. She's among the first also that's been elected from outside of the diocese," said Turner. 

More here-

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/new-anglican-diocesan-bishop-1.4561254

Trouble in the land of Gafcon/ACNA

From Episcopal Cafe-

The Anglican Church in North America, not a part of the Anglican Communion, is comprised of dioceses, several that broke away from The Episcopal Church and remain in litigation with a diocese loyal to The Episcopal Church. That includes the breakaway Diocese of Fort Worth, one of the ACNA dioceses opposed to female bishops.

Recently GAFCON revealed that a female bishop was consecrated in South Sudan in December 2016.

The following is the reaction of the breakaway Diocese of Fort Worth under the leadership of Bishop Jack Iker:

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.” Psalm 133. 1 

RE: Appointment of Elizabeth Awut as Bishop

To the GAFCON Primates:

Greetings in the strong name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. In advance of the GAFCON meeting in Jerusalem this summer, we renew our gratitude for the many sacrifices the international body of Anglican Christians has made to maintain a community where “the faith once delivered to the saints” may be practiced and preached to the glory of God, the edification of the Church, and the conversion of the world. Indeed, the GAFCON movement has come to the aid of many groups, such as the Diocese of Fort Worth, in our hour of need, for which we maintain an attitude of thanksgiving in prayer and fellowship.

At the same time, we write to express our deepest concerns over the actions taken by the Episcopal Church in South Sudan in consecrating Ms. Elizabeth Awut to the office of Bishop. 

More here-

https://www.episcopalcafe.com/trouble-in-the-land-of-gafcon-acna/