Disciplinary action against former Anglican Bishop Philip Newell halted

From Tasmania-

The Anglican Church in Tasmania has been ordered by the Supreme Court to stop its proceedings against the Bishop.

In its 2017 report, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted failures of the church in Tasmania and criticised Bishop Newell, who allowed a now-convicted paedophile to stay in the church.

The commission referred to evidence he had been made aware in 1987 that now-convicted paedophile Louis Daniels had sexually abused three boys.

He allowed Daniels to stay in the church, and promoted him to a high-ranking position two years later on the basis he "amend his life".

The church instituted disciplinary proceedings after the commission's criticisms but last year, shortly before the Diocesan Tribunal was to begin hearing the case, Bishop Newell applied to the Supreme Court for a stay of proceedings based on ill-health.

More here-

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-04/former-bishop-philip-newell-wins-court-case/11178160 

and here-

https://au.news.yahoo.com/tas-bishop-child-abuse-probe-halted-065743786--spt.html 

and here-

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/6200085/tribunal-looking-at-bishops-response-to-abuse-claims-axed/?cs=12

Tasmanian Anglican Church broadens redress scheme for sexual assault victims.

From Tasmania-

The Anglican Church in Tasmania has sold seven of its 73 properties ear-marked for sale to help fund redress for survivors of sexual abuse.

The church has announced it will broaden its redress including doubling the cap on payments to $150,000 and including a payment for counselling, assessed on the ongoing impact of the sexual abuse.

It will also offer a separate payment, capped at $2,500, for legal expenses.

The redress is expected to cost the church about $8 million.

Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, the Right Reverend Dr Richard Condie, said he did not expect a significant increase in funds would be needed to meet the church's redress obligations.

More here-

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5979634/anglican-church-in-tasmania-sells-seven-properties-to-help-fund-redress-scheme/?cs=12

Decision to be be made on Anglican Church of Tasmania's Participation in redress scheme of child sexual abuse survivors

From Tasmania-

A national Anglican participation group on Thursday is expected to grant approval for the Anglican Church of Tasmania to participate in the national redress scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

Under legislation, a national company had to be formed by the church to handle redress payments.

Tasmanian Anglican Bishop Richard Condie said he expected the state sector of the church to be part of the scheme by the end of March after documents were provided to the Social Services Department.

It is anticipated the church would need to provide $8 million to successful applicants to the scheme.

Reverend Condie last year criticised the framework used to calculate scheme repayments and said it wasn't in line with that recommended by the Royal Commission.

A maximum payment for an abuse survivor is set at $150,000 for penetrative abuse.

More here-

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5927514/redress-decision-expected-for-states-anglican-church-by-thursday/

Tasmanian Government blasts Anglican Church over 'de facto death tax' claim

From Tasmania-

The State Government has accused Tasmania's Anglican Church of "scaremongering" after it said changes to the Burial Act were effectively a $20,000 "

Earlier this year, the state's Anglican Church announced it would sell more than 100 properties to help fund its redress scheme for survivors of sexual abuse. 

In response to community concerns over the sales and the impact on loved ones' graves, the State Government reviewed the legislation around the governance of cemeteries.

On Sunday morning, the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania said there would be an "unintended response" to the proposed changes to the Burial Act.

It claimed the cost of burial plots would rise by between $15,000 and $20,000.

More here-

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-14/tasmanian-government-blasts-church-over-death-tax-claims/10374930

Changes to Burial Act backed by Tasmanian mayors as church plans graveyard sales

From Tasmania-

Several mayors across Tasmania have embraced the proposed changes to the Burials Act, as many Tasmanian families face uncertainty over the planned sale of Anglican churches and cemeteries around the state. 

The Anglican Church announced plans to sell off more than 100 properties, partly to fund redress for survivors of sex abuse. 

In response to community concerns about the sale of cemeteries, the State Government released draft legislation with amendments to the Burials Act that it hopes to introduce to Parliament before the church finalises its asset sale list at the end of the year. 

The legislation proposes that any intended sale of a cemetery must be made public and have a certificate of compliance from a regulator, who would be able to issue infringement notices of up to $16,300 for non-compliance with maintenance, record-keeping and access requirements. 

More here-

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-26/tas-changes-to-burials-act-welcomed/10308850 

also here-

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5668253/more-clarity-on-church-burial-sites/

Retired bishop Philip Newell bids to stop church disciplinary action after child abuse inquiry

From Tasmania-

A former Tasmanian bishop who was being investigated by the Anglican Church following findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has made an 11th-hour application for proceedings to be permanently suspended.

In February last year, Anglican Bishop Richard Condie revealed he had started a church disciplinary process to investigate Philip Newell. 

That move came after a report released by the royal commission referred to evidence that bishop Newell had been made aware in 1987 that now-convicted paedophile Louis Daniels had sexually abused three boys.

Bishop Newell allowed Daniels to stay in the Church, and promoted him to a high-ranking position two years later on the basis he "amend his life".

The commission found:

More here-

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-21/bishop-philip-newell-in-bid-to-top-church-child-abuse-probe/10292212

Hundreds of Tasmanians attend Save our Community Souls rally

From Australia-

More than 300 people from across Tasmania attended a rally to save their community’s Anglican Churches.

Save our Community Souls chairman and Northern Midlands mayor David Downie said the meeting at Campbell Town on Sunday was the first step in having the community heard.

“It was a very emotional meeting. There were a lot of very passionate speakers,” he said.

Mr Downie said most people at the meeting were unhappy with the way the Anglican Church was managing the Redress Scheme.

“No one is against the Redress, but it’s the way they’re trying to sell off these community assets without properly consulting and engaging with the parishes.

More here-

https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5607434/hundreds-of-tasmanians-attend-save-our-community-souls-rally/

Tasmanian Anglican congregations fighting to save churches marked for sale

From Australia-

Anglicans around Tasmania are frustrated they are being asked to "buy back their own property" in order to prevent churches from being sold to pay child sex abuse redress claims.

The Anglican Diocese of Tasmania announced earlier this year they would be selling off more than 100 properties, including 76 churches, to help fund the $8.6 million needed for the National Redress Scheme.

The scheme, which began in July this year, provides support for the victims of institutional child sexual abuse.

But only 25 per cent of funds from the sale of Tasmanian buildings will go to the scheme; the church will quarantine the rest to help continue ministry in areas that lose church buildings.  

More here-

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-14/anglican-church-sale-fight/10114614

THERE was pandemonium at Our Saviour Anglican Church, Romania, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, weekend, when a cleric slumped and died on the pulpit, while conducting a wedding.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/bayelsa-anglican-cleric-slumps-dies-while-officiating-wedding/

THERE was pandemonium at Our Saviour Anglican Church, Romania, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, weekend, when a cleric slumped and died on the pulpit, while conducting a wedding.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/bayelsa-anglican-cleric-slumps-dies-while-officiating-wedding/

THERE was pandemonium at Our Saviour Anglican Church, Romania, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, weekend, when a cleric slumped and died on the pulpit, while conducting a wedding.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/bayelsa-anglican-cleric-slumps-dies-while-officiating-wedding/

THERE was pandemonium at Our Saviour Anglican Church, Romania, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital, weekend, when a cleric slumped and died on the pulpit, while conducting a wedding.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/08/bayelsa-anglican-cleric-slumps-dies-while-officiating-wedding/

Plan to sell Anglican churches in Tasmania draws anger

From Tasmania-

In the tiny Australian town of Hamilton, a quiet 180-year-old sandstone church stands as a reminder of the Christian heritage of the nation's British colonists.

Once the life blood of the community in the island state of Tasmania, St Peter's Church faces an uncertain future.

Like a growing list of churches across the country, it is scheduled to be sold off by the Anglican Church to help pay compensation to the victims of child sex abuse.

But the sale of churches has prompted anger among local communities, who say the churches provide important services such as childcare, assisting the elderly and serving religious needs.

In an emotive appeal yesterday, Ms Miranda Ashby, a Tasmanian resident, said St Peter's Church, where her ancestors were married and buried, was "part of who I am".

More here-

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/plan-to-sell-anglican-churches-in-tasmania-draws-anger

Tasmanian Anglican churches could be sold to fund abuse survivors redress

From Australia-

Tasmania's Anglican Diocese is proposing to sell more than 120 properties, including churches, halls, houses and vacant land, to fund redress for survivors of child sexual abuse.

The church said it would need to sell just under half of its Tasmanian properties to cover an estimated $8 million of liability in additional payments to survivors.

It has been lobbying for the State Government to sign up to the National Redress Scheme for survivors, due to start on July 1 as a result of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The Tasmanian Diocese also agreed to increase the payment cap for its own Pastoral Support and Assistance Scheme from $75,000 to $150,000 per claim.

More here-

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-22/tasmanian-anglican-church-to-sell-off-assets-to-pay-$8m-liabilty/9685222

We're happy to clap, says Rev

From Tasmania-

THEY are happy and they are clappy, but they do not talk in tongues, says Wellspring's minister Rev David Rietveld.

"I have never heard anyone speak in tongues as part of our service," he said.

"Someone might do it in the back corner and I might not know about it.

"There would be members of our congregation who practise this [speaking in tongues] in private or in small groups."

Mr Rietveld was responding to complaints from traditional worshippers, who say happy clappers who "froth at the mouth" and "speak in strange tongues" are taking over Tasmania's Anglican Church.

Wellspring was formed when the Anglican Church sold North Hobart's historic Holy Trinity and three-quarters of Holy Trinity's congregation has left for more traditional churches.

Mr Rietveld said all organisations had to evolve and re-invent themselves.

"Some people want the Anglican Church to worship only as it

did in the '60s and '70s," he said.

"The Anglican Church has services to look after traditional Anglicans but we also need to accommodate young families, university students, overseas students, and they have different needs.

"Any organisation that does not move with the times risks dying with the generation it attaches itself to."

Mr Rietveld is a very modern minister.

More here-

http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/02/01/125121_tasmania-news.html

Rain answer to their prayers

A report from Tasmania about the power of prayer. Get out the rain hats !

On November 1, about 60 people congregated at St Peter's Anglican Church at Oatlands in Tasmania and prayed for rain to help the state's farmers, the Hobart Mercury reports.

The response: above average rainfall for the month in most areas of the state.

Yesterday about 20 people met back at the church, thanking God for the rain and asking that he bless the state with more of the same.

As the sun shone down outside they sang, "Let it rain, open the floodgates of heaven, let it rain".

Within a few minutes the skies clouded over and it started pouring. They don't believe it was a fluke.

Organiser Anne Magnay says the power of prayer was working in front of their eyes.

"I firmly believe our prayers have been answered," Ms Magnay told the Hobart Mercury. "Within a week of our last meeting people were starting to say their tanks were full. Now we want to fill up the dams and the lakes too."

She said the November 1 meeting had been organised to respond to a bone-dry October.

The Bureau of Meteorology says most of Tasmania has less than a 50 per cent chance of exceeding the median rainfall this summer.

Hobart's long-term average rainfall is 622.4mm, but so far this year only 381.4mm have fallen.

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2008/12/08/32611_latest-news.html