Rev. Vunagi is new Anglican archbishop

LEADERS of the Anglican Church of Melanesia yesterday elected a new archbishop.

He is the Rt Rev David Vunagi who is currently the Bishop of the Diocese of Temotu. Bishop Vunagi was elected to the highest Episcopal position by the Provincial electoral board.

The election was held at Tetete Ni Kolivuti; headquarters of the Sisters of the Church, east of Honiara.

This election became necessary following the retirement of former archbishop, Sir Ellison Pogo December 9 last year.

Bishop Vunagi, who has served in the Episcopal ministry in the last eight years in the Diocese of Temotu will be enthroned as the fifth Archbishop of Melanesia on 31 May 2009 in Honiara.

Prior to serving in the Church as a Clergy, and then as a bishop, he was a teacher by profession teaching at the government school at KGVI and the Anglican Church of Melanesia school Selwyn College.

Bishop Vunagi from Samasodu in Isabel Province was educated at KG VI Secondary School from 1968 to 1973.

He obtained a Diploma of Education in Science from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji in 1976, and later a Bachelor of Education in Biology from the University of Papua New Guinea in 1982.

In his theological training, the Archbishop-elect obtained Bachelor of Theology from St. John’s College in Auckland, New Zealand in 1990.

http://solomonstarnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7100&change=71&changeown=78&Itemid=26

Traditional Anglicans want to join Catholic Church

Ready to swim the Tiber ?

The Vatican is considering welcoming into the Roman Catholic Church a group of traditional Anglicans who broke away from the global Anglican Communion nearly two decades ago over women's ordination and other issues, officials say.

Vatican officials stress that no decision has been made and no announcement is imminent. Still, Anglicans across the spectrum of belief are closely watching for any signs of movement.
Absorbing the breakaway Traditional Anglican Communion would be a small but notable victory for Pope Benedict XVI, who has made unifying Christians a goal of his papacy.

At the same time, any invitation by the Vatican is likely to upset leaders of the 77 million-member Anglican Communion and would hurt the Vatican's decades-long efforts to strengthen ties with that fellowship of churches. Anglicans split with Rome in 1534 when English King Henry VIII was refused a marriage annulment.

The Traditional Anglican Communion formed in 1990 as an association of orthodox Anglicans concerned about what they considered the liberal tilt in Anglican churches, including the ordination of women. Members of the group are generally Anglo-Catholic, emphasizing continuity with Catholic tradition and the importance of the sacraments. The fellowship says it has spread to 41 countries and has 400,000 members, although only about half are regular churchgoers.

The traditional group aims to unify the Anglican and Catholic churches, according to Archbishop John Hepworth of Australia, who is the leader, or primate, of the Traditional Anglican Communion. They have accepted the ministry of the pope, but also want to maintain their Anglican traditions — one of several potential impediments to unification.

"We seek a communal and ecclesial way of being Anglican Catholics in communion with the Holy See," the group wrote, in a letter Hepworth presented two years ago to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ghGk5Lj6-e5KJOZMpIzs-pBPVnTAD96NB82G0

Details of Provincial Assembly Announced

TO ALL COMMON CAUSE PARTNERS:
Beloved in the Lord,

The purpose of this letter is to give formal notice of the Provincial Assembly to be gathered from noon, Monday, June 22nd, to noon, Thursday, June 25th, 2009. This meeting is being convened under the Provisional Constitution of the Anglican Church in North America. The place of gathering is St. Vincent’s Cathedral, Bedford, Texas.

The agenda of the Provincial Assembly will include:

1) Worship;
2) Presentations in support of the mission of the Province;
3) Scripture teaching;
4) Addresses by international leaders;
5) Consideration for ratification of the (Provisional) Constitution;
6) Consideration for ratification of a Code of Canons;
7) Reports from committees and task forces.

Each diocese, cluster or network will have representation as provided for in the provisional constitution and initial canons set out by the Common Cause Leadership Council (acting as Provincial Council) on December 3rd, 2008. The actual apportionment cannot be accomplished until the April meeting of the Council, so this notice is being distributed widely for initial planning purposes. The actual selection and certification of voting members of the Assembly are to be done diocese by diocese. Most will be represented by their bishop(s), two clergy and two lay persons. Representation is, however, proportional; linked to each additional thousand Average Sunday Attendance.

http://www.united-anglicans.org/stream/2009/03/details-provincial-assembly-announced.html

Sudan bishops hold first retreat in 25 years

The Episcopal Church of the Sudan held its first Bishops’ retreat in a quarter century last week, with the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey and other guests leading workshops to strengthen the church’s episcopal ministries.

From Feb 11-16 the bishops met in the South Sudan city of Yei, close to the border with the Congo and participated in a series of Bible studies, prayer meetings and classes. Retired Assistant Bishop of Virginia the Rt Rev Frank Gray spoke of the need for forgiveness and reconciliation in the wake of 24-year civil war and on-going conflicts in Darfur and with the Lord’s Resistance Army along the border with the Congo.

Taking as his text, Acts chapter 20, Lord Carey lectured on the principles of episcopal ministry, while Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda addressed issues of the acculturation of Anglicanism in an African context.

While physically devastated by the war between the Muslim north and Christian south, the Episcopal Church of the Sudan has seen tremendous growth in recent years and has an estimated 4 million members spread across 25 dioceses.

Archbishop Daniel Deng of Juba welcomed the opportunity of gathering the church’s bishops to learn from Lord Carey and the other foreign guests, saying closer links with the Church of England and Church of Uganda would benefit all Christians in the Sudan.

http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=4038

Good Stuff In TEC: Iowa

'Rise and Shine' fundraiser Saturday

The "Rise and Shine" breakfast fundraiser benefiting the Agape Café will be from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the Old Brick Church, 26 E. Market St.

The Agape Café has provided fresh food for 16 years to low-income and homeless residents in Iowa City.

Café volunteers invite the community to come experience the breakfast they serve every Wednesday morning for a free-will donation. A donation of $40 would buy the café groceries for a week.

The menu will include pancakes, eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, eggs any style, bacon or sausage, home fries, fresh fruit, juice, milk and Café del Sol coffee.

The Agape Café is a mission of the Episcopal Campus Ministry at the University of Iowa.

http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20090304/NEWS01/903040336/1079

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SOUTH AFRICA: Archbishop visits storm-drenched communities, pledges support

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town has visited scenes of flooding in Soweto, and sent messages of support to areas of KwaZulu Natal where heavy storms have caused fatalities and mass destruction.
Makgoba, primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, said he was shocked at the scale of the damage, and assured those he met of his prayers and the support of the Anglican church, including financial aid through its relief and social development organization, Hope Africa.

The archbishop spoke of the need for greater sensitivity to the environment, at every level from national government to local community planning, pointing out that many factors from the disappearance of wetlands to the concentrations of urban developments can contribute to greatly increased risks of flooding, even from normal volumes of rainfall. He added that human responsibility -- "a God-given gift, which we must choose to use wisely" -- was relevant in South Africa too, and not only in the wider problem of global warming and climate change.

http://www.episcopal-life.org/81808_105549_ENG_HTM.htm

Rwanda: Hundreds Receive Bishop Rucyahana

A nice story about my good friend Bishop John Rucyahana-

Bishop John Rucyahana was yesterday welcomed by hundreds of people, most of them members of his congregation, friends and fans on his return from the US where he received the William Wilberforce Award.

Rucyahana is the first African to receive the William Wilberforce Award. Accompanied by his wife Harriet, the Bishop of Shyira Diocese of the Anglican Church in the Northern Province, was given the award in recognition of his efforts in reconciling Rwandans after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis.

Upon arrival, there was a virtual stampede at the airport by well wishers who turned up to welcome the Bishop. A large number of people, who had waited patiently at the airport for Rucyahana for about three hours, cheered him as he emerged out of the terminal to the beat of drums and gospel music.

In a brief interview at the airport tarmac, the elated Rucyahana excitedly explained that he received the award for his commitment in fighting for people's rights and his role in reconstructing the Rwandan society.

"It's a great joy that I share with people of my country; it's an encouragement because this award has always been going to famous people in the world, including American Senators."

http://allafrica.com/stories/200903040201.html

Joint Anglican-Catholic Confirmation service canceled

Ecumenists, like liturgists, should never be left unsupervised with sharp tools in reach. Bad things will happen. Case in point: some Aussie ecumenists thought it'd be a great idea to throw a joint Anglican-Catholic Confirmation service this May. It seems not to have occurred to the organizers that the spectacle of persons gathered to commit to different bodies with a different hierarchy, a different church law, and a different notion of sacramental validity is more a celebration of schism than of unity.

The Holy See was not afraid of playing bad cop. From The Herald:

The Vatican has put a stop to a joint Pentecostal service planned by the Newcastle and Maitland Catholic and Anglican bishops. The confirmation service was scheduled for May 31 at Christ Church Cathedral, and was promoted as a "very exciting and special" event.

Parishes encouraged church members to consider being confirmed on that day.

But Rome intervened, forcing its cancellation, citing the possibility of "confusing messages" being given to churchgoers. It is unclear how the headquarters of the Catholic Church learned of the service, as no formal notification was given.

http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otr.cfm?id=4947

Nigeria: Anambra - Anglican Priest Kidnapped

An Anglican priest, Venerable Emmanuel Ejianya, has been abducted by unknown gunmen in Anambra State.

A police source told Daily Champion that the clergyman was kidnapped last Sunday when his abductors trailed him from Eziowelle in Idemili North Council area to his official residence at Anglican Church, Ogidi in Idemili North Area Council of the state.

The incident is coming barely two weeks after his brother, Mr. Mike Ejianya, slumped and died while preaching on the pulpit. Mike is yet to be buried. It was gathered that Venerable Ejianya was returning from a one-day crusade organized by members of the Anglican community at Eziowelle late in the night when the unidentified hoodlums trailed him to his official residence and abducted him.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200903040476.html

Good Stuff In TEC: North Carolina

Free dental clinic planned Friday and Saturday

A free dental clinic will be held in Burlington Friday and Saturday.

The Missions of Mercy Clinic is scheduled to start at 6 a.m. and run until capacity is reached both days at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter at 320 E. Davis Street in Burlington.

Anyone whose family income does not exceed 200 percent of the National Poverty Guidelines is eligible for free treatment. Find the guidelines on the frequently asked questions page at www.missionsofmercy.org.

Tough economic times could make for a large crowd.

"It's always a problem, access to dental care, but with the economy it's even worse," Dr. Steven Slott, the Burlington dentist who heads up the effort, said.

Slott said about 50 dental providers will work the clinic over two days

The clinic, which is normally held locally in October, was moved to March this year. Volunteer dentists and dental hygienists, along with dental students from UNC-Chapel Hill and help from students from Elon University, offer free dental work to those who can't afford it.

The portable clinic is part of the Open Door Dental Clinic of Alamance County.

"In 2008 approximately 5,400 patients received free dental treatment valued at $1.7 million. The total number of patients receiving free care since 2003 is in excess of 17,000 with a dollar value of $5 million," according to the Missions of Mercy Web site.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/saturday_23090___article.html/clinic_dental.html

You can see all of the Good Stuff posts by clicking on Good Stuff in the labels below.

Jerome Sacharski, T-ball pioneer from Albion, dies at 93

As a youngster growing up in Albion, Dave Egnatuk knew that Jerome "Jerry" Sacharski had a huge impact on the development of T-ball.

As an adult, he was able to pick the brain of Sacharski, a pioneer of T-ball. Sacharski died Friday of natural causes at age 93 at his home in Albion.

"As I recall, he mentioned that he thought there had to be a way for a stationary ball for the kids to learn the game," Egnatuk said. "He was a really nice guy, and he was very energetic."

While the true origin of T-ball is unclear, there is no doubt Sacharski played a big part in Albion becoming one of the first communities in the nation to have T-ball.

Sacharski was teaching at Albion High School in 1954 when he took over as the head of the recreation department's summer baseball program, and there were few opportunities for youngsters ages 6 to 10 to participate.

Two years later, he eliminated the pitcher and the catcher and substituted a batting tee.

http://www.mlive.com/sports/jackson/index.ssf/2009/03/jerome_sacharski_tball_pioneer.html

Nigerian Anglicans embrace ‘signs and wonders'

Signs and wonders” should become the mark of the Anglican Church in Africa, the Archbishop of Lagos, Dr Ephraim Ademowo said last month at service marking the collation of two archdeacons.

He urged a “return to apostolic tradition practiced in the early church characterized by miracles, signs and wonders;” saying it should become “the new direction of the Anglican Church today.”

The Anglican Communion’s largest church with an estimated 18,000,000 active members, the Church of Nigeria has been challenged by the equally fast-growing Pentecostal churches of West Africa. In recent decades it has taken on board many of the elements of the charismatic renewal movement as well embarking on a programme of African enculturation, drawing upon African resources for liturgical renewal.

One of the pillars of the Gafcon movement for the reform and renewal of the Anglican Communion, the Church of Nigeria’s cultivation of charismatic gifts, critics charge, will lead to splits with Gafcon’s Anglo-Catholic and conservative evangelical wings.

http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=4008

Bishop Marshall of Bethlehem Recuperating

The Rt. Rev. Paul V. Marshall, Bishop of Bethlehem, has been advised by doctors to discontinue episcopal activities until May 1.

Bishop Marshall, 61, underwent open-heart surgery on Jan. 22 and was hospitalized afterward for four days in the coronary intensive care unit. He was discharged on Feb. 2 to continue his recuperation at home.

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/3/2/bishop-marshall-of-bethlehem-recuperating

Can a Hat Charge Your iPod?

What if you could paint something on your hat and it would charge your iPod?

Nathan Monroe has a patent pending for the concept.

Is Nathan a veteran NASA scientist? A highly-paid R&D guy with some big corporation?

Maybe someday. But not now.

Currently, Nathan is a senior at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville.

His research on solar paint has impressed researchers at the University of Florida.

In fact, he is already working with scientists at UF on increasing the efficiency of the solar paint. And this fall he's been accepted at the prestigious MIT.

Nathan's vision for solar paint goes way beyond the brim of a baseball cap.

He explains, "You could paint it on a solar panel on a car as a replacement for the original paint and use the panel to power the car."

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=132592&catid=3

Network members support expanded role for Anglican women

No not that network. From Episcopal Life Online-

Noting that women make up just six percent of the Anglican Communion's top decision-makers, the International Anglican Women's Network urged at its February 22-27 meeting in New York City that the worldwide church study the role of women and find ways to empower female leadership.

Representatives of 30 of the 38 Anglican provinces (national or regional groupings of national churches) and the network's steering committee met in person for the first time since the network, which represents 40 million Anglican women in 165 countries, was formed in 1996.

They said the network supports implementation of a resolution passed at the 2005 meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, the communion's main legislative body. Resolution 13/31 recommends "a study of the place and role of women in the structures of the Anglican Communion" and requests that each province consider the establishment of a "women's desk." However, such a study has not yet taken place and only a few provinces have women's desks or departments, said Kim Robey, program officer, Women's Ministries and Leadership, at the Episcopal Church.

http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_105541_ENG_HTM.htm

Episcopal Diocese of Quincy regroups

The Episcopal Diocese of Quincy is moving ahead with plans to reorganize, despite the defection of a number of clergy and church members who voted in November 2008 to pull out of The Episcopal Church and join a foreign province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The diocese, which represents 24 churches and about 1,800 parishioners in a geographic area of west-central Illinois bounded roughly by Quincy, Peoria and the Quad Cities -- including St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Canton and St. James Episcopal Church in Lewistown -- has named three clergy and five laypeople from the area to an Executive Steering Committee, which met in New York City on Feb. 9 and 10 with Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

(snip)

During the committee’s meeting with the presiding bishop,committee members were introduced to the Right Rev. Keith Whitmore, assistant bishop in the Diocese of Atlanta, Ga. Whitmore is the retired bishop of the Diocese of Eau Claire, Wis., and a graduate of Nashotah House Seminary. After consulting with him and with the presiding bishop, the committee invited Whitmore to serve as a consultant as it plans for the reorganizing meeting of the Diocesan Synod. Whitmore is serving in this capacity as part of the outreach mission of the Diocese of Atlanta.

The committee’s main order of business is identifying and offering support to parishioners who wish to remain Episcopalian rather than follow former diocesan leadership to a foreign province. The dissenters have indicated they are “realigning” with the Province of the Southern Cone, headquartered in Argentina.

http://www.cantondailyledger.com/news/x617074031/Episcopal-Diocese-of-Quincy-regroups

Court asked to remove renegade Episcopal priest

After biding its time for years, the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania has asked a civil court to remove the Rev. David Moyer as rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, and to declare the diocese as owner of the renegade parish's property.
Moyer, a vocal critic of liberal trends in the Episcopal Church, has served as the parish's rector and lived in its rectory since 1989, even though he was deposed as a priest nearly seven years ago.

Last week, the diocese informed him and Good Shepherd's vestry that it had petitioned Montgomery County Orphans Court to order the parish to transfer the title to its buildings, as well as all other assets, to the diocese.

It also asked the court to "restrain and enjoin" Moyer "from further use and occupancy" of the site, which fronts on Lancaster Avenue.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090303_Court_asked_to_remove_renegade_Episcopal_priest_1.html

Pastoral Visitors Briefing Seminar

Lambeth Palace Press Release-

Monday 02 March 2009

Following the Report of the Windsor Continuation Group to the Archbishop of Canterbury (which was published at the Primates Meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, in February 2009) the initial group of Pastoral Visitors called for by the Windsor Continuation Group in their Report and commended by the Primates Meeting in their Communiqué (para 15) met for a briefing session at Virginia Theological Seminary from 25-28 February.

Those appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Pastoral Visitors team are: the Rt Rev'd Santosh Marray, the Rt Rev'd Colin Bennetts, the Rt Rev'd Simon Chiwanga, Maj Gen (ret'd) Tim Cross, Canon Dr Chad Gandiya, who all participated in the briefing seminar, and the Very Rev'd Justin Welby, who was unable to attend.

The meeting was facilitated by the Rt Rev'd Peter Price, Bishop of Bath and Wells, England, and received briefings from the Rev'd Dr Ephraim Radner (Wycliffe Theological Seminary, Toronto) the Rt Rev'd Gary Lillibridge (Bishop of West Texas, TEC and member of the Windsor Continuation Group), The Rev'd Canon Dr Chuck Robertson (Canon to the Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church), the Rt Rev'd Herbert Donovan (Deputy to the Presiding Bishop for Anglican Communion Relations, TEC) and the Ven Paul Fehely (Principal Secretary to the Primate, the Anglican Church of Canada) and members of the Faculty at VTS.
The Pastoral Visitors team will now report to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2306

Pastoral visitors appointed by Archbishop of Canterbury

From Episcopal Life Online-

An initial group of pastoral visitors has been named by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to assist in healing and reconciliation given the current tensions in the Anglican Communion.

Those appointed by Williams to the pastoral visitors team are:

the Rt. Rev. Santosh Marray, bishop of Seychelles (Indian Ocean);
the Rt. Rev. Colin Bennetts, retired bishop of Coventry (England);
the Rt. Rev. Simon Chiwanga, retired bishop of Mpwapwa (Tanzania) and former chairman of the Anglican Consultative Council;
Major General Tim Cross, a retired British soldier who was the U.K.'s senior-most officer involved in the Pentagon's post-war planning in Iraq;
Canon Chad Gandiya, Africa desk officer for the U.K.-based mission organization USPG; and
the Very Rev. Justin Welby, dean of Liverpool Cathedral (England).
The Anglican primates, at their February 1-5 meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, affirmed the recommendations of the Windsor Continuation Group and called for the development of a "pastoral council" and the appointment of "pastoral visitors."

Both the primates and the continuation group supported Williams' plan to appoint an interim group of "pastoral visitors" who could be called upon in any dispute or situation of tension until the May 1-12 meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, the communion's main legislative body. Despite that time limit, the continuation group noted that Williams suggested an initial 12-month appointment.

The group's recent report, which was presented to the primates at their February meeting, also noted that the visitors would be required to act in a manner "consistent with the constitutions and canons of those provinces" in which they operate. Further, the group said it welcomed what it called Williams' decision that the visitors "would not have any authority to make dispositions or proposals for structural solutions to any situation, unless expressly authorized to do so by the primate or other lawful authority of the particular provinces with which they have been asked to work."

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_105528_ENG_HTM.htm

Living Church is here-

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/3/2/pastoral-visitors-hold-inaugural-meeting

P.B. Consults with White House on Energy Issues

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and other members of the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program recently met with Carol M. Browner, who is Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

Energy conservation and climate change are just two of many topics about which the new administration has sought out the views of The Episcopal Church and other faiths, a policy Bishop Jefferts Schori said was “refreshing and exceeding hopeful.”

Advocacy work is seen by Bishop Jefferts Schori and other leaders in The Episcopal Church as a function of living out the church’s Baptismal Covenant which includes a promise to “strive for justice and peace.” Based on resolutions passed at General Convention and by Executive Council, staff members from The Episcopal Church’s Office of Governmental Relations (OGR) advocate on behalf of social justice policies with the White House and with the U.S. Congress. Maureen Shea is the director of OGR.

“One way we seek to fulfill our Baptismal Covenant is by pursuing broad social change through public policies that will bring about a more just and peaceful world,” she said. “We use our networks and our expertise, both with the administration and Congress, to change those policies and to have a strong voice in the public square.”

The Episcopal Church believes there is a strong connection between energy policy and concerns about climate change, according to DeWayne Davis, domestic policy analyst for the OGR.

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/2/27/pb-consults-with-white-house-on-energy-issues

Orombi orders Ssekadde to quit

ARCHBISHOP Luke Orombi has ordered Bishop Samuel Balagadde Ssekadde to hand over the episcopal jurisdiction of Namirembe diocese and abdicate as bishop on Sunday.

The directive follows a meeting by the Anglican House of Bishops in Fort Portal on February 21.

Ssekadde has spent 16 years as Namirembe bishop. In a December 2007 interview with Sunday Vision, Ssekadde said he was planning to officially retire on December 6. However, some Christians were opposed to his continued stay in office beyond January 31, when he attained 65 years, the retirement age for Anglican bishops.

The Christians accused Ssekadde of mismanaging the diocese affairs.

The House of Bishops elected Wilberforce Kityo Luwalira as the new bishop last month. He will be consecrated on May 31.

In a February 23 letter, the provincial chancellor, Barnabas Tumusingize, told Ssekadde to hand over on Sunday at Namirembe Cathedral during the 10:00am service.

“In the same service, you will read and sign your oath of abdication. This is in line with the provisions of Article 13(f) of the provincial constitution that requires all bishops to retire upon attaining the age of 65 years which you did on the 31st day of January 2009,” said Tumusingize.

“You are accordingly requested to make arrangements to ensure the above exercise takes place in the service,” he added.

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/12/673183

STORY OF KING DAVID BASIS FOR NEW NBC SERIES

A contemporary retelling of the biblical story of King David will premiere on NBC this month as “Kings.”

Created by Michael Green (“Heroes,” “Everwood”), it centers on the drama surrounding David Shepherd, a young soldier in the war-torn country of Gilboa, who will rise to fame after inspiring the nation through his fearless rescue of the king’s son.

Amid Shepherd's thrust toward destiny and peace for the kingdom, however, the country's power players will go to great lengths to see him fall, blurring the line between his allies and enemies.

The series is expected to draw the religious and the non-religious – the latter because of epic style and dramatic feel, and the former because it is expected to stick closely to the Old Testament, which Green says provides enough material to shape at least several seasons.

The story of King David itself, as Green points out, is one that has transcended religion and has become a part of several different cultures.

http://eurweb.com/story/eur51308.cfm

Starvation and Strife Menace Torn Kenya

Ethnicity and the country’s lingering Balkanization are topics studiously avoided in Parliament. Few of Kenya’s politicians seem ready to tackle land reform, constitutional reform or the dangerous culture of impunity, all of which were called urgent priorities after the bloodshed last year. Many Kenyans are urging the International Criminal Court in The Hague to get involved, because they have no faith that the Kenyan justice system will prosecute the well-known political figures suspected of orchestrating last year’s killings.

“This country hasn’t healed,” Mr. Kiai said, “because we haven’t done anything to heal it.”

Many victims of last year’s violence feel totally abandoned. On a recent morning, Mary Macharia stood in a long line of sick people at a hospital near Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, her eyes on the floor.

A shiny, bubbly scar stretches from her ear to her lips. The right side of her face looks melted. A glance in the mirror jolts her mind back to the burning church where her daughter was killed a year ago, along with 30 others.

“Some days,” she said, “I hate myself.”

Across Kenya, near the western town of Kisumu, Millicent Awino is all alone, a young woman who used to have two children and a decent job packing flowers. She is essentially a serf now, her time, her sweat and her body at the beck and call of her ex-husband’s family, the only people who would take her in after she fled the violence that consumed her son and daughter and the ethnically mixed town where she used to live. She recently had another child, by the ex-husband who came into her hut one night, but the baby died of malaria.

“I think I’m done with children,” she said.

She also said she would never return to her former home.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/world/africa/01kenya.html?scp=2&sq=church&st=cse

Burundi archbishop supports Canadian church in opposing cross-border interventions

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has thanked his Burundian counterpart, Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi, for the Anglican Church of Burundi’s stance against cross-border interventions, notwithstanding its opposition to more liberal views on homosexuality in some churches in Canada.

“I am very grateful for the position that the Anglican Church of Burundi has taken,” said Archbishop Hiltz who met with Archbishop Ntahoturi during the course of his solidarity visit hosted by the diocese of Bujumbura Feb. 12 to 15. “We value our relationship with Burundi and it’s part of the reason why there are young people in our delegation; we would like a building and renewal of relationship.”

Archbishop Hiltz was responding to opening remarks made by Archbishop Ntahoturi, who underscored that his province “doesn’t want the crossing of borders.” (Some primates in Africa and South America have exercised episcopal oversight over conservative parishes in North America that are opposed to the blessing of same-sex unions and the election of a gay bishop.)

“We walk in different contexts but we value our communion as human beings,” said Archbishop Ntahoturi, who added that he would like to “open more doors” of partnership between the Burundian and Canadian churches.

http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/burundi-archbishop-supports-canadian-church-in-opposing-cross-border-interventions/?cHash=633424ffd8

VTS Faces $1 Million Budget Cut

Faced with significant losses to its investments, the board of trustees of the Virginia Theological Seminary has ordered the largest Episcopal seminary to cut $1 million from its budget.

For the past four months, the seminary, which draws 67 percent of its operating income from its endowment, has had the value of its portfolio decline 36 percent, from $144 million to $97 million. The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, dean and president, has been asked by the board to produce a restructuring plan in time for the next meeting of the board’s executive committee on March 11.

While some immediate steps to cut personnel costs already have been taken, such as the suspension of faculty and staff searches and the launch of an early retirement plan for seminary employees, additional steps are likely to include plans to revive focus on the school’s annual fund and other legacy gifts, the seminary said in a news release.

http://www.livingchurch.org/news/news-updates/2009/2/24/vts-faces-1-million-budget-cut

Vatican conference a sign church, evolution co-exist

From this morning's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-

A conference on evolution to be held this week at the
Vatican is a sign that for many devout Christians, there is no conflict between the ideas of Charles Darwin and faith in God.

Devout Christians often are portrayed as if they view evolutionary biology as an attack on the Bible's account of creation, and scientists are portrayed as atheists. While there are high-profile examples of both, a truce was reached long ago in most major Christian traditions, including some streams of evangelicalism.

The Vatican conference, which marks the 150th anniversary of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species," is one example of scientists and theologians working together to transcend the culture wars and forge a lasting peace.

At the conference, which runs Tuesday through Saturday, scientists and theologians will discuss how to collaborate without trespassing in each others' area of expertise. Locally, Duquesne University will mark the anniversary with an address by Francisco Ayala, a professor of biology and philosophy at the University of California, Irvine. He will address similar issues at 7 p.m. March 18 in the Power Center ballroom. The Catholic Church has never had a rigid reading of Genesis. The third century theologian, Origen, pointed out that the Bible says God created light three days before creating the sun, moon and stars.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09060/952458-51.stm

And Now The Rest Of The Story

Paul Harvey, a Chicago radio man whose melodious voice and hearty "Hello, America" were cherished by millions for more than 57 years on national broadcasts that were an entrancing mix of news, storytelling and gently persuasive salesmanship, died Saturday. He was 90.

Called "the voice of Middle America" and "the voice of the Silent Majority" by the media for his flag-waving conservatism, Harvey died surrounded by family in a Phoenix hospital, an ABC Radio Networks spokesman said. The cause of death was not immediately available.

"Paul Harvey was the most listened to man in the history of radio," said Bruce DuMont, president of the Museum of Broadcast Communications and host of the nationally syndicated "Beyond the Beltway." "There is no one who will ever come close to him."

Paul Harvey Jr., who after he was struck by a car in 1976 began writing his father's show, "The Rest of the Story," offered condolences, even amid his own loss, to those who loved to listen.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-paul-harvey-deadmar01,0,2571109.story

Nigerian children branded as witches in deadly purge

Jeremiah, 10, stares blankly at a window, tears rolling down his burn-scarred cheeks recounting how his father doused him with petrol and set him ablaze accusing him of witchcraft.

He is just one of hundreds of children in southern Nigeria's Niger Delta oil region thrown out of their homes, tortured or even killed after they are branded witches by a new crop of self-styled religious leaders.

Around a dozen phony pastors have been arrested -- one on murder charges after he confessed in a documentary film to having killed 110 child witches. He now says he killed only the witches inside the children, not the children themselves.

At a centre in Eket, Akwa Ibom's oil town, Jeremiah and over 170 other children -- aged between 18 months and 16 years -- have sought or been brought to emergency shelter. Many bear scars of physical torture -- machete cuts, burns or a nail drilled into the head.

It has been more than a year since Jeremiah fled from his home, but he suffered months of abuse at the hands of his parents after he was accused of sorcery.

"We were having a revival at church one night when from nowhere, the pastor's wife stood up to say I was a witch," recounts Jeremiah.

He was immediately locked up at the pastor's house, starved and assaulted with clubs as part of the exorcism exercise.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gylWH14V9Bv6kGBv39p4N06laoNA

Cherie in warning to churches over ‘invisible’ women

From the London Times-

CHERIE BLAIR has urged the Anglican and Catholic churches to stop “marginalising” women or face terminal decline.

“Today, while women remain marginalised, Christianity cannot flourish. Women and men must be equal partners for 21st century Christianity,” she said.

Her forthright remarks, in a programme she presents tonight on Channel 4, marks an escalation in her campaign to change the culture of the church.

She is one of the most influential lay figures in the church, a position which has been enhanced by her husband’s conversion to Catholicism after he stepped down as prime minister.

Blair points out in the programme that it is women who have traditionally passed religion on to their children. “But when it comes to the public face of Christianity, now women are virtually invisible,” she adds.

“Down the centuries, women have formed the backbone of faith communities,” she says. “Until the churches fully resolve their relationship with the female half of the population, how can they expect Christianity to have a future in the modern world?”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5821879.ece

Happy St. Davids Day

David is the patron saint of Wales and perhaps the most famous of British saints. Ironically, we have little reliable information about him.

It is known that he became a priest, engaged in missionary work and founded many monasteries, including his principal abbey in southwestern Wales. Many stories and legends sprang up about David and his Welsh monks. Their austerity was extreme. They worked in silence without the help of animals to till the soil. Their food was limited to bread, vegetables and water.

In about the year 550, David attended a synod where his eloquence impressed his fellow monks to such a degree that he was elected primate of the region. The episcopal see was moved to Mynyw, where he had his monastery (now called St. David's). He ruled his diocese until he had reached a very old age. His last words to his monks and subjects were: "Be joyful, brothers and sisters. Keep your faith, and do the little things that you have seen and heard with me."

St. David is pictured standing on a mound with a dove on his shoulder. The legend is that once while he was preaching a dove descended to his shoulder and the earth rose to lift him high above the people so that he could be heard. Over 50 churches in South Wales were dedicated to him in pre-Reformation days.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint.php?n=163