Marriage canon amendment fails to pass at General Synod

From Canada-

The Anglican Church of Canada will maintain its traditional definition of marriage after a vote to amend the marriage canon failed to pass at General Synod 2019.

The 42nd General Synod voted against Resolution A052-R2, which would have amended the marriage canon to allow for same-sex marriage, after the resolution failed to pass by a two-thirds majority in all three orders. While two-thirds of the Order of Laity (80.9%) and Order of Clergy (73.2%) voted in favour, less than the required two-thirds (62.2%) voted in favour of the resolution in the Order of Bishops.

The final results of the vote, which took place on the evening of July 12 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre, were as follows: The Order of Laity saw 89 members (80.9%) vote Yes and 21 members (19.1%) vote No, with one abstention. The Order of Clergy had 60 members (73.2%) voting Yes, 22 members (26.8%) voting No, and two abstentions. In the Order of Bishops, 23 members (62.2%) voted Yes and 14 members (37.8%) voted No, with two abstentions.

More here-

https://www.anglicanjournal.com/marriage-canon-amendment-fails-to-pass/

New London church places Holy Family in cages to protest border conditions

From Connecticut-

Ahead of the city's big summer festival, Sailfest, members of the St. James Episcopal Church have placed the Holy Family inside two cages off Huntington Street to protest conditions migrants are facing at the southern border.

Per the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible, Joseph, Mary and Jesus were fleeing persecution in Bethlehem when they crossed into Egypt.

“If they were crossing over from Central American countries to the United States today, they would be put in these internment camps like the migrant children and families,” said the Rev. Ranjit Mathews, rector of St. James.

Recent reports from TIME, the New York Times and other national outlets have described deplorable conditions at U.S. migrant detention centers.

Adults and children have been held for weeks without access to soap, toothpaste or places to bathe. Some children have slept on concrete floors, while some adults have had to stand for days in cramped holding areas. Conditions including chicken pox and scabies have spread like wildfire.

More here-

https://www.theday.com/article/20190712/NWS01/190719818

Archbishop of Canterbury denies giving accused bishops 'an easy ride'

From Premier-

The Most Rev Justin Welby was giving evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) investigation into the Church of England on Thursday.

He has featured heavily in evidence over the last nine days as the head of the Anglican Church and has faced accusations of failing to sanction bishops accused of committing or failing to report child sexual abuse.

One survivor, Rev Matthew Ineson, previously criticised Mr Welby and the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu for failing to act after he disclosed being abused as a teenager by a priest.

Mr Ineson told the inquiry: "I cannot see the face of Jesus in the Archbishop of Canterbury or York.
"The Archbishop of Canterbury consistently takes no further action and, to me, therefore, condones all these actions."

Speaking on Thursday, Mr Welby said that although he was the head of the Church of England, he had no direct power but "influence" over the other bishops.

More here-

 https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Archbishop-of-Canterbury-denies-giving-accused-bishops-an-easy-ride

Friendship between Virginia and Palestine churches leads to support for the wider community

From Virginia-

The deep, enduring friendship between the people of Grace Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Virginia, and St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Nablus, Palestine, has its roots – as so many important things do – in a Sunday school lesson.

When Tim Wilder arrived home in 2002 after serving with the State Department at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, he and his wife, Susan (who is a pastor), were asked to teach an adult Sunday school class on the state of political turmoil between Palestine and Israel. The Middle East Working Group grew out of those conversations as an effort to answer the question: As people of faith, what should our response be to what we’ve learned? 

According to Grace’s current pastor, Ben Trawick, members of the working group put in a great deal of time doing research and exploring possibilities for engagement in Palestine. Ultimately, in 2007, with the help of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) staffer Doug Dicks, a partnership between Grace and St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Nablus – a city of 350,000 people in the northern West Bank – was born.

More here-

https://pres-outlook.org/2019/07/friendship-between-virginia-and-palestine-churches-leads-to-support-for-the-wider-community/

Column: Christianity, Capitalism and Cuba

From Connecticut-

A group of nine of us recently traveled to Cuba for a week-long visit with leaders of three Episcopal congregations, as well as Bishop Griselda Delgado del Carpio, who will be the guest preacher at Christ Church, in Greenwich, on Sunday, July 28th.  She is the first woman consecrated as a Diocesan Bishop in all of Latin America. 

Although the United States’ government recently cancelled travel visas to Cuba and forbid U.S. cruise ships from visiting, Americans can still travel to Cuba on religious visas, which is what we did, as we were meeting with Cuban religious groups.

The Episcopal Church in Cuba is part of the Anglican Communion, a worldwide body of 80 million Christians living in 165 different countries.  The Episcopal Church in Cuba was founded in 1901 by the Episcopal Bishop of Minnesota, who happened to be traveling by boat to the Dominican Republican when a storm left him stranded on Cuba. When the Minnesota Bishop learned that there was not a single Protestant church on the island, he started one.  Hence, the Episcopal Church of Cuba was born.  Today, there are 46 Episcopal churches served by 24 Episcopal priests.  Many of the churches meet in homes, because hurricanes destroyed their sanctuary, and the Castro government would not allow them to rebuild.  Now, the government is granting them permission to rebuild.

More here-

https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2019/07/11/column-christianity-capitalism-and-cuba/

Anglican Diocese of Tamale elects new bishop

From Ghana-

Venerable Canon Dennis Tong, Parish Priest of the Saint Cyprian Anglican Church in Bolgatanga has been elected the Bishop of the Tamale Diocese of the Anglican Church.

He takes over from the Right Reverend Dr Jacob Kofi Ayeebo, who died in February this year.

Venerable Tong polled 74 votes out of a total of 111 delegates who cast their votes, to beat his main contestant, Very Reverend Clement Azure, Dean of the Cathedral, who got 37 votes after the two were picked from three contestants to contest the final round, having contested a first round election and failed to meet the constitutional requirement of two thirds of total votes cast.

The election was described by the delegates as wonderfully peaceful, soberly conducted and spirit filled.

The delegates were drawn from the 14 parishes comprising 34 outstations made up of 40 clergy and 81 laity who constituted the Electoral College.

More here-

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/religion/Anglican-Diocese-of-Tamale-elects-new-bishop-762350

Attempted takeover of St. Paul’s Darien tossed from court

From Connecticut-

An attempt by former parish leaders to seize control of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has been thrown out of court.

On July 2, Connecticut Superior Court dismissed a lawsuit that sought to have the property of St. Paul’s relinquished to the control of estranged former wardens and vestry members. The court’s decision stated the accusers had failed to present facts sufficient to invoke the court to try and wrest control of the property.

The dismissal marks the second failed lawsuit brought forward by former church members since April.

Tensions at the church began late in 2017 after allegations that the church’s then-newly hired rector, George Kovoor, had obtained his position with falsified credentials.

Church leaders tried to fire Kovoor, despite orders from Rev. Ian Douglas, bishop diocesan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut, to keep him in the position. The disagreement between the two parties led to the first of the two lawsuits, as well as the church’s demotion from a parish to a worshipping community.

More here-

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/local/article/Attempted-takeover-of-St-Paul-s-Darien-tossed-14084769.php

Cardinal Newman becoming a saint puts Oxford church on pilgrims' trail

From Oxford-

WHEN Cardinal John Henry Newman becomes a saint it will put a Littlemore church on the pilgrims’ trail. 

The Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory have announced that Pope Francis will canonise Blessed John Henry Newman in St Peter’s Square, Rome, on Sunday, October 13. 

This will make Cardinal Newman the first English person who has lived since the 17th century officially recognised as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. 

The news is being welcomed in Littlemore as Cardinal Newman built St Mary and St Nicholas Church, in Sandford Road, Littlemore, while still an Anglican in 1835.

More here-

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/17760728.cardinal-newman-becoming-saint-puts-oxford-church-pilgrims-39-trail/

Bill requiring priests to report child-abuse confessions to police is pulled

From California-

A bill that would have required members of the clergy to report information to police that they received about child abuse and neglect during private confessions has been pulled by its author, state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo.

The action came in the wake of an all-out effort by California Catholics to derail the bill, SB360. In a letter read at every Mass in San Francisco and San Mateo counties on June 23, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said, “For Catholics, confession is sacred, and the ability to confess our sins confidentially is essential to our religious belief and practice.” He urged parishioners to mail letters to Hill and other legislators.

Oakland Diocese Bishop Michael Barber was even more direct.

More here-

https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Bill-requiring-priests-to-report-child-abuse-14083573.php

Archbishop of Canterbury says failure on child sexual abuse is "knife in Church's soul"

From The Telegraph-

The Archbishop of Canterbury has told Church of England leaders that their failure to deal with child sexual abuse is "a knife in our soul".

Speaking at the opening of the General Synod in York on Friday, the Most Rev Justin Welby told an audience of hundreds of synod members that there is much more progress to be made in the wake of the safeguarding scandal.

He said that "every time the Archbishop of York or I see another case where there's a falling short of our response, it is a knife in our soul".

The Archbishop of Canterbury, along with Dr John Sentamu, are due to give evidence at the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) later this week.

More here-

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/09/archbishop-canterbury-says-failure-child-sexual-abuse-knife/

Nigeria sitting on keg of gunpowder – Anglican Archbishop warns

From Nigeria-

The Chairman, Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), South-South Zone, His Grace, the Most Rev’d Tunde Adeleye has warned that Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder and would soon explode.
Addressing a press conference in Calabar on Monday, Adeleye said, “Today, we have countless jobless graduates roaming the Streets. The generations of our young adults are being wasted.

“This is because of the apparent selfishness of our leaders who do not have the future of the young ones in their minds. Consequently, many of these graduates have entered into various crimes including armed robbery, occultism and kidnapping.

“Unemployment of youths, in a nation as big as Nigeria, is like sitting on a keg of gunpowder, one day it will explode, it is a question of time,” he said

Most. Rev Adeleye, who is the Archbishop Ecclesiastical Province of Niger Delta (Anglican Commission), said the problem of Nigeria could only be solved by restructuring.

More here-

https://dailypost.ng/2019/07/08/nigeria-sitting-keg-gunpowder-anglican-archbishop-warns/

Church of England moves towards communion with the Methodist Church

From Christian Today-

The Church of England's national assembly has backed proposals to continue the process towards communion with the Methodist Church. 

Members of the General Synod meeting in York over the weekend agreed to begin drafting a number of texts towards this end, including a "formal declaration" outlining a new relationship of communion between the two Churches. 

The motion approved by Synod also instructs the Faith and Order Commission to work on additional texts for the inaugural services that would take place after communion is agreed, and the guidelines covering how presbyters and priests from each Church could serve in the other. 

The House of Bishops is to report back on the progress being made following elections to the new General Synod taking place next year. 

The Bishop of Coventry, Christopher Cocksworth, said the proposals offered a "historic opportunity" for the two Churches. 

More here-

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/church-of-england-moves-towards-communion-with-the-methodist-church/132785.htm

Anglican church installs first female head

From Uganda-

All Saints’ Cathedral, Kampala (ASCK) will install her first-ever female Provost in the history of the Church of Uganda, Rev. Canon Dr. Rebecca Margaret Nyegenye, and her assistant, Rev. Captain David Serunjogi on Wednesday, July 10, 2019, during the mid-week service.

The service will start at 4:00 pm. The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda and the Bishop, Diocese of Kampala, His Grace Stanley Ntagali, will preside over the function.

The Provost is the Parish Priest who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Cathedral for providing overall leadership to the Cathedral ministry in articulating and implementing the Vision, Mission, Objectives and entire operations of the Church while maintaining the dignity, heritage, and values of the Anglican Church of Uganda.

Rev. Canon Dr. Nyegenye was born and raised in the eastern district of Busia to the late Rev. James Efumbi and Janet Efumbi, she is the second born of seven.

More here-

https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1503127/anglican-church-installs-female-head

Faith-based alliance seeks temporary shelters for homeless

From Colorado-

A Durango faith-based alliance is working to set up temporary day and night shelters to offer homeless residents a refuge next winter.

The Neighbors in Need Alliance plans to set up the shelters by November, said Caroline Kinser, an organizer with the group. The alliance was established this spring by volunteers from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church who are working with about 20 other churches on the effort. 

The need for the shelters “had been simmering for a long time,” Kinser said.

The group came together after a harsh winter left some homeless residents camping in several feet of snow. The shelters would be open November through March and accept homeless residents with substance addictions, she said.

More here-

https://the-journal.com/articles/144724-faithbased-alliance-seeks-temporary-shelters-for-homeless