When Cathedrals get angry – they flip

From English Cathedrals-

It’s that time of year and many of our cathedrals are gearing up to get flipping for Shrove Tuesday and preparing to move into the Lenten season.

On Tuesday York Minster will raise the Lent and Easter Cross ready for Ash Wednesday. This wooden cross – six metres tall by three metres wide is made from wooden scaffolding boards in the Minster workshop – will be suspended from the Central Tower throughout the Lenten season.

In Winchester, 20 teams made up of clergy, choristers, councillors, charities, and mayors in full regalia will be tossing pancakes and raising money for charity at the same time thanks to Winchester Rotary at the inaugural Winchester Pancake race.

More here-

https://www.englishcathedrals.co.uk/latest-news/cathedral-pancake-day/?fbclid=IwAR0GEQiFTSEDSeSjdJJoeKyNhKg90q_tNYHBTRiQ00g9xEX8dttn8Q7K0Zc

Anglican Bishop: Maloney Mission must help community

From Trinidad-

A church is not a space for the morally sound to relax and listen to the gospel. A church is for those who are spiritually wounded to seek refuge, find peace and learn how to live better lives.

These were the sentiments Reverend Bishop Claude Berkley shared at the naming and blessing of the Church of the Transfiguration Maloney Mission. 

The church on Flamingo Boulevard, Maloney Gardens, was opened on Carnival Saturday – the weekend before Lent – as that time signifies a period of transfiguration for individuals in the Anglican Faith.

"Given the issues of our nation, murder, crime, violence, domestic violence, corrupt tendencies and practice, marginalised persons of little or no means, misdirected young people, poor parenting in some instances, challenged family life and living, persons who are seeking a new way of life and looking for options, new diseases upon us, and the list is long. 

More here-

https://newsday.co.tt/2020/02/25/anglican-bishop-maloney-mission-must-help-community/

Over a year after Brooklyn church fire, congregants and Episcopal diocese split on rebuilding

From Brooklyn-

Dilapidated green particle board walls still surround the site of the former Emmanuel Episcopal Church, a former historic wooden sanctuary that was nearly 100 years old. The Brooklyn church burned nearly to the ground on Nov. 28, 2018 in a massive, three-alarm fire.

The question of what happens at the dormant site on East 23rd Street in Sheepshead Bay is now embroiled in an internal battle with church elders and the Episcopal Diocese over whether to finance a costly rebuild, combine with another parish, or rebuild closer to where the remaining congregants and prospective parishioners live.

The Emmanuel Episcopal faithful hold their Sunday services in the basement cafeteria of St. Mark’s Roman Catholic Church on Ocean Avenue, a few blocks from the church property. This past Sunday, Feb. 23, about 30 people gathered.

More here-

https://www.amny.com/brooklyn/over-a-year-after-brooklyn-church-fire-congregants-at-odds-with-episcopal-diocese-on-rebuilding/

3 Reasons Contemporary Worship IS Declining, and What We Can Do to Help the Church Move On

From Ponder Anew-

Some months ago T. David Gordon wrote a post entitled “The Imminent Decline of Contemporary Worship Music: Eight Reasons” that continues to be widely read and shared. While I don’t agree with Gordon on every point, what he says gives us hope for the future of the worshiping church. Alongside his reasons, here are the three main reasons I see for the decline (if not demise) of the contemporary worship movement.

Baby boomers are losing their influence. Or, as Gordon more bluntly put it, “my own generation is beginning to die.” Your parents, not your kids, are the biggest proponents of contemporary worship. I’ve seen this in my own ministry. The most committed (and often the most obstinate) defenders of contemporary worship is rapidly becoming the older generation. While their influence remains in many places, it is waning. Within a few short years, contemporary worship will have lost its original impetus and driving force.

More here-

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/ponderanew/2015/09/04/3-reasons-contemporary-worship-is-declining-and-5-things-we-can-do-to-help-the-church-move-on/?fbclid=IwAR1Bt_FedHDC5blkXAh_qVLtLZlmI81dIgkqvCmngdZ7NgdrW3BapgvqPWU

Nigeria: 5 churches burned, many Christians killed in Boko Haram invasion

From Nigeria-

More than 100 Boko Haram militants opened fire sporadically and indiscriminately and set churches and houses on fire, killing many people, in the town of Garkida in Gombi area of the northeastern state of Adamawa, according to initial reports.

At least five churches were destroyed, including two houses of worship belonging to the Church of the Brethren denomination, an Anglican Communion church, and a church and a separate office of Living Faith Church.

There are unconfirmed reports of possible abductions.

Riding on about 60 motorbikes, with two men each carrying AK47s and RPGs, and accompanied by roughly 20 mounted gun trucks, the Boko Haram militants arrived from the Sambisa Forest area on Friday evening, according to Save the Persecuted Christians.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/nigeria-5-churches-burned-many-christians-killed-in-boko-haram-invasion.html

Report: C of E's right to 26 seats in Lords should be repealed

From The Guardian-

The Church of England’s automatic right to appoint 26 bishops to the House of Lords should be repealed, a report by a group representing more than 100 parliamentarians will recommend this week.

An all-party caucus of humanist MPs and peers says reform of the way parliament works must include removing the guarantee of seats in the upper house for Anglican bishops.

The All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG), comprised of 115 MPs and members of the Lords, point out that the only other country where senior clerics must have seats in a parliament is Iran.

The APPHG report will be published on Tuesday.

More here-

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/24/report-c-of-es-right-to-26-seats-in-lords-should-be-repealed

Anglican Diocese of Grafton says "it is early days" in plans for possible sell-off of church sites

From Australia-

"Heartbroken", "sad" and "very stressful".

That's how parishioners have responded to news the Anglican Diocese of Grafton has started the process to sell-off selected parish sites.

Already earmarked sites include, St James' Church at Byabarra, St Cuthbert's Church at Ellenborough and All Saints Church in Pappinbarra.

Each of the three communities' say they will defend their church from the fire sale.

Some parishioners have already met to discuss the future course for their congregation.

Byabarra's Gordon Burch - a lay reader at Wauchope Anglican Church - says the community has already discussed their options.

More here-

https://www.wauchopegazette.com.au/story/6631476/anglican-diocese-responds-to-sell-off-criticism/

Are we idol worshipers?

From Christian Century-

It is axiomatic in Jewish and Christian theological traditions that worship is reserved for the one true God alone. To flinch from this obligation in even the smallest way is tantamount to what the Bible calls idolatry. What James 2:10 says of the law—that to keep all of it except in a single point is to transgress against the whole—is true also of worship. The jealousy of Israel’s God is acute when it comes to worship: the Lord will brook no rivals, for in fact there are none.

Scripture affords a plethora of tropes depicting, diagnosing, and indicting idolatry. One trope is the preposterous polytheism of the nations, which manufacture miniature deities out of wood and use the excess material for the fire. Another is the challenge of living as God’s covenant people in alien lands saturated with literal idols and their attendant, abhorrent practices. A third is the fiery judgments of the prophets, who accuse Abraham’s children of forsaking Abraham’s God—of infidelity so great its only comparison is to a married person offering sex for sale to the first bidder.

More here-

https://www.christiancentury.org/review/books/are-we-idol-worshipers

Worcester priest and ex-kindergarten teacher pleads guilty to child porn possession

From Western Massachusetts-

Gregory Lisby, the former Worcester rector and Holyoke kindergarten teacher accused of possessing child pornography last September, pleaded guilty to the charge Friday in federal court, and has separately been “credibly” accused of abusing a teenager, his diocese alleged.

In a letter sent to congregants Friday, Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, revealed that, since Lisby was charged with child pornography last September, the diocese has found “devastating credible evidence” that Lisby sexually abused a teenager “after he was ordained as a priest in 2007.”

A diocese spokeswoman provided the letter but said she could not comment further, citing concerns about the victim’s privacy. She declined to say whether police had been notified or were investigating.

The letter does not say which congregation the alleged victim attended. Lisby was suspended from his post as rector at All Saints Church in Worcester in 2018, according to a statement Fisher released last September, for an “inappropriate relationship with an adult that did not involve sexual contact.”

More here-

https://www.telegram.com/news/20200221/worcester-priest-and-ex-kindergarten-teacher-pleads-guilty-to-child-porn-possession

Prominent Fairfax church seeks to explain rector’s sudden departure

From Virginia-

There are competing explanations for why Tory Baucum abruptly resigned his position as the leader of the prominent Truro Anglican Church in November and has agreed not to set foot on the property since.

Baucum says that after years as an Anglican pastor, he made the decision to resign his clerical credentials and convert to Catholicism. Any tensions between him and the staff at the church in the Northern Virginia city of Fairfax, he says, were because of his “passion” for the theology of the late Catholic Pope John Paul II.

The staff say those tensions arose from causes that have little to do with Baucum’s theology. His behavior in the workplace, church leaders wrote in a summary of an investigative report, was “abusive,” “intimidating,” “coarse,” “vulgar” and “unpredictable.”

More here-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/02/21/prominent-fairfax-church-seeks-explain-rectors-sudden-departure/

Episcopal Bishop Should Butt Out – OpEd

From Seattle-

We would not defend a Catholic bishop who publicly criticized a decision by a high-ranking cleric of another religion about matters that pertain only to the members of that religion. We respect house rules. It’s too bad that Greg Rickel, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, Washington, does not.

Recently, two teachers at a Catholic high school in the Seattle area, a man and a woman, resigned, and it is believed they did so because it became known that they each got engaged to a person of the same sex. They voluntarily signed a contract pledging to uphold Catholic teachings, something they obviously violated. 

As we said earlier this week, this should be a “slam dunk” case, but, of course, a few dissidents protested.

Now an Episcopal bishop, Greg Rickel, has weighed in. After Seattle Archbishop Paul Etienne spoke in defense of what happened at the Catholic high school, Rickel sounded the alarms. He accused Catholic officials of “making oneself God,” something he said was “the greatest heresy.” He also accused them of “discriminating and ruining the livelihood of two people who simply want to love.” He added it is “no wonder we are in decline.”

More here-

https://www.eurasiareview.com/21022020-episcopal-bishop-should-butt-out-oped/

Eleven Archbishops to attend Kazimba Mugalu’s enthronement

From Uganda-

The Organizing Committee for the enthronement of Dr. Steven Kazimba Mugalu as the 9th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda has deficit of Shillings 350 million, URN has learnt.

The Committee Chairperson Ruth Nankabirwa, says that they so far realised Shillings 782 million of the estimated budget of Shillings 1.16 billion.

Part of the money according to the Committee will be used to purchase a vehicle for the Archbishop valued at Shillings 400 million, the renovation of the Archbishop’s residence in Namirembe Shillings 280 million, purchase of chairs for Archbishop, Bishop and retired Bishops Shillings 18 million and the beautification of cathedral gardens Shillings 23 million among other expenditures.

Asked why the Church is purchasing a new vehicle for the Archbishop instead of inheriting the one currently used by the outgoing Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, Sadiiki Adams, the Communications Officer at the CoU Provincial Secretariat told URN that the Archbishop Ntagali has two official cars and all these are to be retained by the church whose Provincial Assembly Standing Committee will determine their future use.

He defended the purchase of the new car, saying the old ones cannot effectively be used by the new Archbishop to carry out his pastoral work throughout the Province and that would be left for emergency purposes.  eanwhile 11 Archbishops from different countries have confirmed attendance of Kazimba’s enthronement scheduled for March 1, 2020 at St Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe.

More here-

https://www.independent.co.ug/eleven-archbishops-to-attend-kazimba-mugalus-enthronement/

Anglican reverend arraigned in court over faking kidnap

From Uganda-

An Anglican reverend who is accused of faking his own kidnap has been arraigned in court and charged.

Rev Isaac Mwesigwa appeared at Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s court on Friday and was charged with giving false information to a public officer.

He was arrested on Thursday by CID officers in Kampala after police obtained CCTV footage showing that he had exited his car without any attack from anyone, contrary to what he had told police earlier. 

Rev Mwesigwa was found in Soroti District on February 12, three days after he went missing. He told police that he had been kidnapped by armed men on his way to deliver his research work at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Mukono.

In court, Rev Mwesigwa denied the charges and asked to be released on bail.

More here-

https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Anglican-reverend-arraigned-court-faking-kidnap/688334-5464108-1ix3tdz/index.html

Episcopal Church will cease to have Sunday worship attendance in 30 years, seminary pres. warns

From Christian Post-

A seminary president has warned The Episcopal Church's leadership that with the current rate of decline, they will cease to have any Sunday worship attendance in 30 years.

Kristine Stache, interim president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America-affiliated Wartburg Theological Seminary, gave a presentation Friday before the denomination's Executive Council.
Stache drew from the most recent parochial report data which found that, from 2008 to 2018, the denomination experienced a 24.9 percent decline in average Sunday attendance and a 17.5 percent decline in baptized members.

“It depicts a church that appears to be dying,” said Stache, as reported by Egan Millard of Episcopal News Service, labeling the statistics “very sobering.”

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/episcopal-church-cease-to-have-sunday-worship-attendance-in-30-years-seminary-president-warns.html

Your chance to find a Newman pew

From The Tablet

An Anglican church in Oxford is urgently looking for takers for Victorian pews installed by St John Henry Newman. Due to a major refurbishment of the church he founded, St Mary and St Nicholas in Littlemore, sixteen oak pews face the scrap heap unless a new home is found quickly.

The pews are being replaced by modern stackable seating.

Local historian Dr Philip Salmon, who is closely involved with the refurbishment, is charged with finding them new owners.

He said: “I have been trying to find suitable homes, ideally in a proper religious setting where Newman’s legacy and vision is appreciated. This has been complicated though by the fact that one end of each pew is roughly carved, where it used to butt up against a wall. So a little carpentry is required on each, but it’s not difficult to fix.”

More here-

https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/12496/your-chance-to-find-a-newman-pew

Archbishop Kaziimba faces uphill task to revamp Anglican church

From Uganda-


When the House of Bishops convened on August  28, 2019 to elect the ninth Archbishop of the Province of Church of the Uganda (COU), one indeed felt most happy that Bishop Kaziimba of Mityana diocese, had emerged best-suited for the role.

We trust that in Kazimba, the province has received a non-worldly chief shepherd equipped to offer the much-desired leadership, to inspire afresh the spirit of Anglicanism among its youth, especially to refocus the administration of both its affairs and programmes so as to inspire its holistic growth across the entire province, and not just some sections of it.

The archbishop-elect comes at a time when the COU lacks a sound political theology necessary to counter the intrigues of Uganda’s secular politics. In fact, his immediate predecessor has several times hushed critics who resolutely dared him to discharge his ‘political’ mandate.  

More here-

https://observer.ug/viewpoint/63575-archbishop-kaziimba-faces-an-uphill-task-to-revamp-anglican-church

Thousands flock to Mucwini to commemorate Luwum Day

From Uganda-

Thousands of Christians from across the country yesterday attended celebrations in memory of Church of Uganda’s first archbishop, the late Janani Luwum.

About 9:30am, bishops walked down from St Paul’s Church of Uganda in a procession to take their seats at the altar prepared on the ceremonial grounds in Mucwini Sub-county, Kitgum District.

The colourful function was animated by ululation and songs by Christians. A combination of members from St Janani Luwum Parish, Kitgum Town, Christ Church Gulu, and All Saints Church formed the choir.

February 16, is gazetted nationally to remember Luwum who was brutally murdered by Idi Amin’s regime in 1977.

More here-

https://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Thousands-flock-Mucwini-Luwum-Day-Kitgum-Ntagali/688334-5459078-3dyy5p/

Desmond Tutu’s long history of fighting for lesbian and gay rights

From The Conversation-

Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu is mostly known to the world for his highly prominent role in the campaign against apartheid in South Africa. This role was internationally recognised by the awarding of the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize. 

Tutu continued his activism even after the country’s democratic transition in South Africa in the early 1990s. Among other things, he served as chair of the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission which sought to deal with the crimes and injustices under apartheid, and to bring about justice, healing and reconciliation in a wounded society. He retired as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1996.

In more recent years Tutu has become known for his strong advocacy on issues of sexuality, in particular the rights of lesbian and gay people. For instance, in 2013, he made global headlines with the clear and succinct statement, in typical Tutu fashion, that he:

"would rather go to hell than to a homophobic heaven."

More here-

https://theconversation.com/desmond-tutus-long-history-of-fighting-for-lesbian-and-gay-rights-131598

The Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Diocese of Ogbaru, Anambra State, on Monday, described Nigeria as a country at a crossroads and in a reverse gear without a steering. Addressing newsmen at the Basilica of St. James Cathedral, Atani, Ogbaru Local Government, the Bishop, Diocese of Ogbaru, Rt. Rev. Prosper Amah, said what Nigeria needed now was divine and international intervention to save it from collapse.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/nigeria-at-crossroads-reverse-gear-anglican-communion/

The Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Diocese of Ogbaru, Anambra State, on Monday, described Nigeria as a country at a crossroads and in a reverse gear without a steering. Addressing newsmen at the Basilica of St. James Cathedral, Atani, Ogbaru Local Government, the Bishop, Diocese of Ogbaru, Rt. Rev. Prosper Amah, said what Nigeria needed now was divine and international intervention to save it from collapse.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/nigeria-at-crossroads-reverse-gear-anglican-communion/

The Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Diocese of Ogbaru, Anambra State, on Monday, described Nigeria as a country at a crossroads and in a reverse gear without a steering. Addressing newsmen at the Basilica of St. James Cathedral, Atani, Ogbaru Local Government, the Bishop, Diocese of Ogbaru, Rt. Rev. Prosper Amah, said what Nigeria needed now was divine and international intervention to save it from collapse.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/nigeria-at-crossroads-reverse-gear-anglican-communion/

South Sudan peace talks: Machar and Kiir in deadlock over states

From The BBC-

The two rivals are under increasing international pressure to meet a deadline of 22 February to implement a power-sharing deal.

The US last year warned that it would impose sanctions on anyone working against the peace process.

Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, have said they will visit South Sudan once a national unity government is formed.

Mr Machar has long demanded that President Kiir reverse his decision to increase the number of states to 32, seeing it as a way to give positions to presidential loyalists and boost his power base.

On Saturday, the president agreed to return to a system of 10 states and sacked all 32 state governors, raising hopes of an end to the deadlock.

More here-

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51521778

ACK Archbishop urges government not to relent in the fight against graft

From Kenya-

The  Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit has hailed the progress made in the fight against corruption and urged the head of state and investigation agencies not to relent in the fight against graft.

Speaking at ACK St Paul church in Lodwar on Sunday, ole Sapit said the war on corruption had reached unprecedented levels and urged the institutions mandated to fight the scourge to keep up the war.

“If you see a governor being locked in and hounded out of office because of corruption it means the country is headed in the right direction,” he said.

The clergyman said there should be no sacred cows and anyone found guilty of corruption should carry their own cross.

He said the corrupt must not be made heroes and the nation must guard against introducing language that normalises theft.

More here-

https://www.kenyanews.go.ke/ack-archbishop-urges-government-not-to-relent-in-the-fight-against-graft/

13 Christian leaders criticize Trump policies they fear will increase poverty

From Christian Post-

Thirteen Christian leaders have signed onto a letter speaking out against President Donald Trump’s budget proposal and other administration policies that they say will add to the nation’s poverty and hunger issues. 

The Circle of Protection, a coalition comprised of leaders from various Christian organizations, published an open letter Tuesday calling out “administration actions that affect people in poverty.”

“As leaders from all the families of U.S. Christianity, representing church bodies and networks serving more than 100 million Americans, we are concerned about administration action to cut safety net programs that help low-income people,” the letter reads. “The gospel of God’s love for all people moves us to speak together on this issue.”

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/13-christian-leaders-criticize-trump-policies-they-fear-will-increase-poverty-235180/?fbclid=IwAR3VgVV2TR3kVljoNgK8-v6s_aM9Lr5i5pcXr3na3bXMpMnFLmFNoZun8l4

Jefferson City church celebrates first black priest, former member

From Missouri-

Grace Episcopal Church on Sunday commemorated the lives of two African Americans whose contributions shaped both the Episcopal Church in general and Grace Episcopal specifically.

Sunday's special service honored Absalom Jones, the first black ordained priest of the Episcopal Church, and Julia Cooper, a former member of Grace Episcopal Church.

Jones, who was disappointed with racism/discrimination at Methodist Church in 1787, founded the Free African Society — a mutual aid society for blacks — with Richard Allen. Jones went on the found the first black Episcopal congregation in 1794, and in 1802, he became the first priest to become ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church.

More here-

https://www.newstribune.com/news/local/story/2020/feb/17/area-church-celebrates-first-black-priest-former-member/817017/

Mainline Protestant pastors driving support for same-sex marriage: LifeWay study

From Christian Post-

Last week, the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan consecrated its first openly lesbian bishop, the Rev. Bonnie A. Perry. Anna Stania, director of Communications for the diocese, told The Christian Post that Perry’s candidacy received no opposition because of her sexual orientation. “We have experienced an overwhelming outpouring of joy, grace and excitement since her election and consecration.”

The study also indicates that white pastors (27 percent) are more likely to see nothing wrong with same-sex marriage than African American pastors (15 percent) or pastors of other ethnicities (6 percent).

It further suggests that those with a doctorate (27 percent) or a master’s degree (32 percent) are more likely to support same-sex marriage than pastors with a bachelor’s degree (9 percent) or no college degree (6 percent).

The survey results also show that pastors of churches with fewer than 50 in attendance (33 percent) are more likely to support same-sex marriage than those at churches with 100 or more in attendance (19 percent).

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/lifeway-research-mainline-protestant-pastors-driving-support-for-same-sex-marriage.html

Father Josh: A married Catholic priest in a celibate world

From Dallas-

The priest wakes up at 4 a.m. on the days he celebrates the early Mass, sipping coffee and enjoying the quiet while his young children sleep in rooms awash in stuffed animals and Sesame Street dolls and pictures of saints. Then he kisses his wife goodbye and drives through the empty suburban streets of north Dallas to the church he oversees.

In a Catholic world where debates over clerical celibacy have flared from Brazil to the Vatican, Joshua Whitfield is that rarest of things: A married Catholic priest.

The Roman Catholic church has demanded celibacy of its priests since the Middle Ages, calling it a “spiritual gift” that enables men to devote themselves fully to the church. But as a shortage of priests becomes a crisis in parts of the world, liberal wings in the church have been arguing that it’s time to reassess that stance. On Wednesday, Pope Francis sidestepped the latest debate on celibacy, releasing an eagerly awaited document that avoided any mention of recommendations by Latin American bishops to consider ordaining married men in the Amazon, where believers can go months without seeing a priest.

Even the most liberal of popes have refused to change the tradition.

It is “the mark of a heroic soul and the imperative call to unique and total love for Christ and His Church,” Pope Paul VI wrote in 1967.

More here-

https://www.examiner.org/father-josh-a-married-catholic-priest-in-a-celibate-world/

Texas Episcopalians pledge $13M to ‘repair and commence racial healing’

 From Houston-

In what leaders say is an “unprecedented” move, the Episcopal Diocese of Texas this week pledged $13 million for programs aimed at reconciling the effects of slavery.

The new funding will go to “repair and commence racial healing,” leaders said. It will include scholarships focused on historically black churches, leaders said.

“The goal is to support the people of our communities who were actually injured by our past actions,” Rev. C Andrew Doyle, head of the Houston-based diocese, said in a statement.

More here-

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-Episcopalians-pledge-13M-to-repair-and-15053645.php

Anglican cleric: ‘Safe, legal abortion’ respects a woman’s right to life

From Barbados-

The church must find ways to “facilitate a respectful and protected space for all members of the society in so far as they do not breach the rights of others in terms of liberty and justice”, and this includes women’s rights to abortion, a senior Anglican cleric in Jamaica said here last night. 

“To deny a woman access to safe and legal abortion is clearly an affront to ethical health practices; respect for self-determination; and most of all, the woman’s right to life,” said the Very Reverend Father Sean Major-Campbell, Dean of Kingston and Rector of Christ Church in Vineyard Town. 

“It seems most appropriate for the woman to be the final decision-maker in the matter since she is the greater burden bearer; since she really bears the challenge alone; since her physical, psychological, and emotional investments would far outweigh that of the father, doctor, pastor, and so on.”

More here-

https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/02/13/anglican-cleric-safe-legal-abortion-respects-a-womans-right-to-life/

Anglican leader admits Church of England's racism

From Daily Sabah-

The Archbishop of Canterbury has called the Church of England "deeply institutionally racist" and apologized for Britain's treatment of black people and other minorities since World War II.

Anglican clerics adopted a motion late Tuesday seeking forgiveness from the so-called Windrush generation that moved to Britain from former Caribbean colonies since 1948. The mass migration was promoted by the government to help rebuild the U.K. from the ruins of war. Yet none received documents confirming their U.K. citizenship and the Caribbean countries' subsequent independence saw many denied basic rights. Dozens were also wrongly deported in a scandal that rocked the government of former Prime Minister Theresa May.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the highest-ranking cleric in the Anglican communion, told the General Synod there was "no doubt" the Church of England was still "deeply institutionally racist." "We did not do justice in the past, we do not do justice now, and unless we are radical and decisive in this area in the future, we will still be having this conversation in 20 years' time," the archbishop said.

More here-

https://www.dailysabah.com/europe/2020/02/12/anglican-leader-admits-church-of-englands-racism

Episcopal Diocese of Michigan consecrates its first lesbian bishop

From Christian Post-

The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan has consecrated its first openly lesbian bishop, in a move that the liberal mainline regional body is confident will not lead to further large-scale departures from the denomination.

The Rev. Bonnie A. Perry was consecrated as the eleventh bishop of the diocese at a ceremony held Saturday at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center in Dearborn.

Perry had been elected bishop in June of last year on the fifth ballot of the Special Electing Convention held at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Detroit. She got the votes of 64 clergy and 118 laity, which surpassed the minimum requirement of 55 clergy and 94 laity, according to Anna Stania, director of Communications for the diocese.

Stania also told The Christian Post that Perry did not experience any opposition to her candidacy because of her sexual orientation or that she is married to someone of the same-sex.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/episcopal-diocese-of-michigan-consecrates-its-first-lesbian-bishop.html

ACK clergy boycott UK forum over presence of gay leaders

From Kenya-

Some Anglican clergy from Kenya have boycotted the Lambeth Conference in the UK protesting the presence of gay senior church leaders.

Anglican Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit says the Church is opposed to homosexuality.

“We are having the Lambeth Conference in the West this year, but some of us have boycotted because of the invitation of practising gay bishops. We can’t be mixed,” he told worshippers yesterday during the consecration of Kerugoya St Thomas Anglican Cathedral in Kirinyaga County.

DISCUSS ISSUES

The conference is usually held after 10 years to discuss theological and social issues that affect the Anglican communion worldwide.

More here-

https://www.nation.co.ke/news/ACK-clergy-boycott-UK-forum-over-gay-leaders/1056-5449996-oujyikz/index.html

Episcopal Diocese of Michigan ordains its first female and openly lesbian bishop

From Michigan-

The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan on Saturday ordained and consecrated Dr. Bonnie Perry as its first female and openly lesbian bishop at a ceremony in Dearborn.

Perry said the ceremony was "one of the most intense experiences" of her life, as she was surrounded by clergy and community members who came to welcome her into the diocese.

She said she wants to help all communities and people feel at home.

"For me, it's about full inclusion for all people -- straight, gay, bi, trans, gender fluid -- this is about everyone, all are welcome," Perry said. "Every time you exclude someone you exclude the possibility of change and transformation."

Perry received 64 clergy votes and 118 lay votes to be elected bishop; she needed a minimum of 55 clergy votes and 94 lay votes. All the candidates up for the position of bishop were women, according to the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. The diocese was formed in 1836.

More here-

https://www.abc57.com/news/episcopal-diocese-of-michigan-ordains-its-first-female-and-openly-lesbian-bishop 

and here-

https://theunionjournal.com/metro-detroit-episcopal-church-elects-first-lesbian-bishop/