Anglican bishops: Hostility in Brexit debate ‘not worthy of our country’

From England-

The bishops of the Church of England have issued a call for respect on all sides amid growing acrimony over the debate on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

A joint statement issued on behalf of the Church of England’s College of Bishops has called for a new tone of listening and respect in debates and describes the use of language in some cases as “unacceptable”.

It urged for the 2016 referendum to be honoured and for the rule of law and impartiality of the courts to be upheld.

 “We should speak to others with respect. And we should also listen. We should do this especially with the poor, with the marginalised, and with those whose voices are often not heard in our national conversation,” it reads.

More here-

https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Anglican-bishops-Hostility-in-Brexit-debate-not-worthy-of-our-country

Former Youngstown church, ‘heart’ of north side neighborhood torn down

From Ohio (with video)-

The heart of a once-thriving North Side neighborhood in Youngstown was demolished Thursday.
 
The former Saint Augustine Episcopal Church on Parmalee Avenue was built in 1921, but the congregation got its start years before — in 1907. 

The building was labeled a historical site in 2008 by the Ohio Historical Society because it was the oldest African American congregation still in its original building in Youngstown. 

The nearly century-old building was a staple on Youngstown’s North Side.

Church members watched it fall Thursday afternoon while they shared their memories.
“Life moves on, yeah. So I guess we gotta move with it,” said member Donna Wynn. 

Wynn and Mary Ruth Hallacre stood as the former Saint Augustine Episcopal Church came down in a pile of rubble. The two best friends called it the end of an era. 

More here-

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/former-youngstown-church-heart-of-north-side-neighborhood-torn-down/

Rev. Ohmer, Rector of F.C. Episcopal Since 2012, Announces He’s Leaving

From Virginia-

The Rev. John Ohmer, who has served as the rector of the historic Falls Church Episcopal Church since 2012, issued a letter to his congregation today saying he will be leaving his post for a new assignment in Asheville, North Carolina, in November. Ohmer has overseen a considerable revival of the church following a contentious seven-year struggle to regain control of the church property from a group of defectors in the church who refused to relinquish it following their vote to defect in 2005.     

By 2012 the Diocese of Virginia had secured the site following a number of court rulings, including a final refusal of the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal by the defectors, who had identified themselves as an arm of the Nigerian Anglican church. They defected on grounds of their opposition to the U.S. Episcopal Church’s election of an openly-gay bishop in 2003.  

More here-

https://fcnp.com/2019/09/26/rev-ohmer-rector-of-f-c-episcopal-since-2012-announces-hes-leaving/

Controversy in Cornwall town as vicar starts new church accused of extremism and homophobia

From England-

There are concerns in a Cornish town that a new church, which meets for the first time next week, is “extremist” and “homophobic”.

The Vicar of Fowey has resigned in order to start a new Anglican church in the town, under the auspices of an organisation which has been dubbed right wing.

The Rev Philip de Grey-Warter has resigned as Vicar of Fowey and Priest-in-Charge of Golant after 17 years to “plant” a new church community, Anchor, under the auspices of GAFCON, a controversial global movement of conservative Anglican clergy.

Mr de Grey-Warter decided to leave the Church of England when the House of Bishops allowed the baptism liturgy to be used for those who are transitioning gender.

More here-

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/controversy-cornwall-town-vicar-starts-3360310

Ndukuba named new primate of Anglican Church, successor to Archbishop Okoh

From Nigeria-

The Church of Nigeria’s House of Bishops meeting at St Peter’s Cathedral in Asaba has elected the Most Rev Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba, the Bishop of Gombe and Archbishop of Jos as the next of Archbishop and Primate of All-Nigeria.

He will become the 5th head of the Anglican Church when he succeeds Okoh next year.

Details of the election have not yet been made public, but the Anglican Cable Network Nigeria has released this biography of the new archbishop.

The Most Revd Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba, hails from Ogberuru in Orlu (Imo State). He was, however, born in Anambra state in September, 1959.

He was ordained into the Holy Orders in September, 1989 and rose though its rank.

He was elected Pioneer Bishop of the Diocese of Gombe and consecrated on the 21st September, 1999. 

More here-

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/09/25/ndukuba-named-new-primate-of-anglican-church-successor-to-archbishop-okoh/

Episcopal Church holds 'Bob Dylan Mass' in tribute to famed folk singer

From Christian Post-

A Louisiana-based congregation of The Episcopal Church will hold a “Bob Dylan Mass” as a tribute to the famous folk singer and to focus on the messages of his music on Sunday.

Christ Episcopal Church of Covington, whose membership is around 1,200, will hold a “tribute mass” at the 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. services, with musical preludes starting 15 minutes before each service.

The tribute mass will include meditations on three of his songs offered by clergy as well as performances of selections from Dylan’s music, including “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” “The Times They Are a-Changin,'” “Forever Young,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and a gospel song Dylan wrote titled “Pressing On.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/episcopal-church-holds-bob-dylan-mass-tribute-famed-folk-singer.html

Renowned Chelsea church makes history by naming its first female, Asian-American pastor

From NYC-

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Chelsea has announced a new priest-in-charge, who will break barriers as its first ever female pastor and its first Asian American priest.

Rev. Christine Lee will be formally commissioned at St. Peter’s Chelsea, which is at 346 W. 20 St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves., during a service set for this January.

This isn’t Reverend Lee’s first time making history. In 2012, she became the first Korean-American woman ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church.

Lee was recently vicar at All Angels Church on the Upper West Side. She is currently a Doctor of Ministry student at California’s Fuller Theological Seminary, where she focuses on leading organizational and congregational change.

She will bring that focus on change to St. Peter’s Chelsea, starting a new church vitalization program that includes a Sunday School for kids, leadership training and other congregational development programs.

More here-

https://www.thevillager.com/2019/09/renowned-chelsea-church-makes-history-by-naming-its-first-female-asian-american-pastor/?fbclid=IwAR1i3D2ct0ALGdWwiLfZB0zVoX9aHx6tbUHFZ3fKNpk-Gw67cqAR-GGSFRM

Archbishop-elect Kaziimba talks adversity, ministry and triumph

From Uganda-


Rt Rev Dr STEPHEN SAMUEL KAZIIMBA MUGALU is the incoming archbishop of the Church of Uganda after the House of Bishops elected him on August 28. 

Kaziimba is thoughtful and has a charismatic character. At 57 years, the theology doctor is the outgoing bishop of Mityana and will head the Anglican Church for the next eight years. He opened up to Nicholas Bamulanzeki and Dunstan Mukalazi about his tough upbringing, challenges as a priest, inspirational lessons as well as his future plans.

On the way to the residence of Dr Kaziimba, the three-kilometre stretch from Mityana town to Namukozi hill is littered with several monuments attributed to him. Our guide, a land broker in the town, assured us that Kaziimba has had a profound imprint in Mityana.

More here-

https://observer.ug/lifestyle/62071-archbishop-elect-kaziimba-talks-adversity-ministry-and-triumph 

Anglican Church in Ghana consecrates two new Bishops

 From Ghana-

The Anglican Church in Ghana has consecrated two Bishops in Kumasi to lead the Tamale and the Dunkwa-on-Offin Dioceses of the church. 

The consecrated Bishops are Venerable Canon Dennis Debukari Tong for the Tamale Diocese and Rev. Canon Paul Appiah-Sekyere for the Dunkwa-on-Offin Diocese.

The principal consecrator and celebrant was the Archbishop and Primate of West Africa, the Most Rev. Dr Jonathan Bonaparte B. Hart, with other Bishops of the Church of the Province of West Africa as co-consecrators and celebrants.

The Archbishop per the traditions of the church, demanded the mandate for the consecration of which was read out by the Registrar of the Church of the Province of West Africa, and the constituent of legal teams of the two Dioceses presented the legal instruments for the two Bishops elect.

More here-

https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2019/09/24/anglican-church-in-ghana-consecrates-two-new-bishops/

Only Anglican priest in Iraq says a secular government would improve life for Christians

From Premier-

Iraq's first ordained Anglican vicar tells Premier he never doubts that God is good because evil is done "through what our hands do".

There are nearly 20,000 ordained ministers in the Church of England; in Iraq there is just one.
That one Anglican vicar is Rev Faez Jirjees, who, aged 53, is the parish priest at St George's Church in Baghdad where Canon Andrew White used to work.

Christians make up about one per cent of the population in Iraq but many of them fled when Islamic State (IS) were at their most brutal.

Despite being bombed several times, St George's Church in the capital has, for a long time, bucked the trend by being a hub for interfaith relations, providing healthcare to Christians, as well as Shia and Sunni Muslims through its clinic, dentist's, pharmacy and laboratories.

More here-

https://www.premier.org.uk/News/World/Only-Anglican-priest-in-Iraq-says-a-secular-government-would-improve-life-for-Christians

Judge finds breakaway diocese infringed Episcopal TMs

From South Carolina-

A US judge has ordered a former South Carolina diocese of the Episcopal Church to change its name, after concluding the breakaway group was infringing the Episcopal Church’s trademark-protected diocesan shield.

On Thursday, September 19, District Judge Richard Gergel issued an injunction against the breakaway diocese, ordering the group not to use nine trademarks associated with the Episcopal Church and its The Episcopal Church in South Carolina, an affiliate of the national church.

The lawsuit, which was filed in March 2013, arose out of a schism in 2012, when then-bishop Mark Lawrence departed from the national church.

More here-

https://www.worldipreview.com/news/judge-finds-breakaway-diocese-infringed-episcopal-tms-18674

Abu Dhabi's churches and Hindu temple receive official legal status

From UAE-

Senior Anglicans in the UAE on Sunday said they welcomed “a new beginning” for the Christian community in the country after more than a dozen non-Muslim places of worship received official legal status.

Abu Dhabi’s oldest church, together with the UAE’s first Hindu temple, were among 18 places of worship registered by authorities for the first time.

Many of the churches have existed in the Emirates for decades, with some having been given the land they are built on by Sheikh Zayed, the nation’s Founding Father.

Now, however, after an award ceremony, the sites will have official legal protection under a Department of Community Development initiative.

“Today marks the coming of age between the church and the United Arab Emirates,” said Rev Canon Andrew Thompson, senior Anglican Chaplain of St Andrew’s Church – one of the churches to receive a licence.

More here-

https://www.thenational.ae/uae/heritage/abu-dhabi-s-churches-and-hindu-temple-receive-official-legal-status-1.913528

The mysteries of "God Friended Me"

From CBS-

Joe Morton was raised Catholic, but says that a lot of his TV character was based on the sermon delivered at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.

"Those who do not love, do not know God. Why? For God is love! … That's what love is. Love is not selfish and self-centered. Love can be sacrificial, and in so doing, becomes redemptive."

Morton said, "So, I watched him during the wedding. And I thought: That's interesting, because he comes across as a Baptist as opposed to Episcopal. And I like that a lot."
Violett Beane plays Cara Bloom, a journalist who joins Miles in his attempts to mend troubled souls. "She's definitely more of a believer than I am personally," said Beane, who was raised a Quaker. "It's a really interesting religion; it's very open. And I think that trickles down to me as an actor being open and responsive."

More here-

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-mysteries-of-god-friended-me-brandon-micheal-hall/

Young Life Voted Off Campus at Duke

From Christianity Today-

Duke University’s student government has denied the Christian organization Young Life official status as a student group on campus, citing its policy on sexuality.

The decision by the Duke Student Government Senate on Wednesday comes amid ongoing clashes nationwide between religious student groups and colleges and universities that have added more robust nondiscrimination policies.

Young Life, like many evangelical groups, regards same-sex relations as sinful. Its policy forbids non-celibate LGBTQ staff and volunteers from holding positions in the organization.

More here-

https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/september/duke-university-young-life-voted-off-campus.html