Episcopal Seminary in Virginia Starts Slavery Reparations Fund

From NPR (with audio)-

What kind of reparations could begin to make amends for slavery?

In Alexandria, a new $2 million effort is underway.

As the Virginia Theological Seminary reaches its milestone 200th anniversary, Dean Ian Markham says there’s a growing awareness on campus of that the story of the Episcopal seminary is a mix of grace and sin. 

“And part of that sin is the history of racism, which includes the use of enslaved persons on this campus and our participation in segregation and Jim Crow," Markham admits. "The purpose of the reparations fund is literally to repair some of that damage.”

More here-

 https://www.wvtf.org/post/episcopal-seminary-virginia-starts-slavery-reparations-fund#stream/0

also here-

https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/12/17-million-endowment-fund-slavery-reparations

Anglican Diocese of Western Newfoundland votes to allow same-sex marriages

From Canada-

A step toward healing and moving forward within the Anglican Church took place in Corner Brook Sept. 3 when the Diocese of Western Newfoundland voted to allow same-sex marriage.

The motion to allow same sex-marriage by consenting clergy, and including protection for non-consenting clergy, was accepted by 93.4 per cent of the 79 delegates. 

Bishop John Organ said the result was both positive and affirming.

“It doesn’t matter what particular issue it is in any organization or community, not everybody is of the same mind. But this is a way that we can walk together in unity and respect our differences,” he said.
He said the synod delegates expressed courage and a genuine concern and pastoral concern for all people and the vote sends a positive message that all people are included. “That God’s love is for everyone, no matter the colour of their skin or their sexual orientation.”

Organ said the group of 30 clergy and 49 lay delegates met for five and half hours to discuss the issue and the conversation was a good one. 

More here-

https://www.thewesternstar.com/news/local/anglican-diocese-of-western-newfoundland-votes-to-allow-same-sex-marriages-350781/

Gay Anglican priests fight to get church blessing of their same-sex marriage

From Australia-

It's a unique love story. Two gay Anglican priests from opposite sides of the world who meet and fall in love.

Father John Davis and Father Rob Whalley met two decades ago in California.

Father Whalley said it was love at first sight.

"I looked at him and I thought, I could be with this guy for a long time, we actually see the world in much the same way," he told 7.30.

"I said to myself, 'There's no future in it at all. This is an absolutely global impossibility. You're from Australia. I'm from California.' And he looked at me at that moment and said, 'I love you'.

"And I said, 'Well, there is that'."

On Tuesday, exactly 20 years from the day they first locked eyes, they tied the knot in a small civil ceremony in Melbourne.

They had hoped to have their matrimonial union blessed this weekend at a small country church service, but now a major church legal challenge is standing in their way, with the matter referred to the church's Appellate Tribunal.

More here-

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-11/anglican-church-delayed-in-same-sex-marriage-blessing/11501146

The Roberson Project seeks to reconcile with Sewanee’s slave-holding history

From Sewanee-

The Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation, formerly known as the Sewanee Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation, entered its third year on July 1. The name change honors Sewanee’s first tenured African-American professor, Houston Roberson, who passed away in December 2016. Dr. Roberson was also responsible for focusing on African-American studies to Sewanee’s curriculum when he joined the faculty in 1997.

“He was a very close friend, so when he died, it was a very personal as well as professional loss,” Dr. Woody Register (C’80), director of the Roberson Project and Professor of American history says.

The name change also seeks to memorialize Dr. Roberson’s legacy. “Now I get to say Dr. Roberson’s name all the time. Most memorials are stone or bronze things that don’t speak, and people come to ignore them,” Dr. Register says.

This project began with a group of other universities seeking to understand how slavery contributed to their institutions. 

More here-

https://thesewaneepurple.org/2019/09/10/the-roberson-project-seeks-to-reconcile-with-sewanees-slave-holding-history/

Former Bishop's School student sues over alleged sex abuse

From San Diego-

Attorneys for a former student of the Bishop’s School in La Jolla announced Tuesday a child sexual abuse lawsuit against the elite private school and the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. 

The man claims he was repeatedly molested by a female computer science teacher starting when he was 16 years old. 

10News has reached out to the San Diego Police Department and The Bishop's School about the allegations but neither have commented at this time. Calls to the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego were unanswered Tuesday afternoon.

The alleged abuse included sexual intercourse on campus, at [the defendant's] house, and other La Jolla and San Diego area locations, the lawsuit states. 

More here-

https://www.10news.com/news/local-news/former-bishops-school-student-sues-over-alleged-sex-abuse

Village outraged by diocese's plan to sell heritage-listed church to pay compensation to child sex abuse victims

From Australia-

Judgement day has come for the sins of the fathers.

Tough decisions are being made by religious hierarchies around the country on how they pay restitution to victims of pedophile priests - and for all those lawyers they've engaged.

The Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse went on for many years and uncovered a disturbingly high number of cases of abuse of vulnerable children by some members of the clergy.

Now it is time to pay - financially.

So we might be seeing a lot more of what's happening in Carcoar, a village in the central west of New South Wales.

Carcoar is a pretty little place. So much so, the entire village has a heritage order on it because of the number of intact 19th-century buildings that line its streets. 

More here-

https://www.9news.com.au/national/a-current-affair-anglican-church-carcoar-to-be-sold-pay-restitution-victims-child-sex-abuse/6724c386-d8f7-45e1-841d-6ca83d03eab6

Shadyside church to host Tree of Life's High Holy Day services

From Pittsburgh-

An unusual sound echoed Monday through the cavernous walls and gothic vaults of Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside — the sonorous reveille of a shofar, or ram’s horn, used to mark the start of the Jewish new year.

The new year hasn’t arrived quite yet, but several members of the Tree of Life / Or L’Simcha Congregation were preparing for it.

They were visiting Calvary to learn about the place where they will be commemorating Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the High Holy Days of the Jewish religious calendar, for the first time since their synagogue was attacked by an anti-Semitic gunman Oct. 27.

The Tree of Life members have been conducting weekly worship at another synagogue, Rodef Shalom Congregation of Shadyside, since Oct. 27. On that date, an attacker killed 11 worshipers from three congregations who were observing the Sabbath at the Tree of Life building.

More here-

 https://www.post-gazette.com/news/faith-religion/2019/09/09/Tree-of-Life-Calvary-Episcopal-Rosh-Hashana-Yom-Kippur/stories/201909090141

‘God is in the house’: Christ Church Cathedral remixing Mass with hip-hop

From Connecticut-

Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford has English-language Masses with no music, Masses with choral music and Spanish-language Masses with a live band. On Sept. 15, a fourth option is being added to the mix: hip-hop Masses.

In this Episcopalian congregation, "God is in the house. ... You down with us and we down with you cause you got the back of every and each.”

That passage, and all the other liturgical passages in the Mass, will be taken from “The Hip Hop Prayer Book: The Remix,” published in 2006 by Timothy Holder, an Episcopal faith leader in the Bronx.

The Very Rev. Miguelina Howell, the cathedral’s dean, will preside at the Mass, reading Holder’s liturgy. Her husband, Daniel Howell, and Hartford rapper and spoken-word performer Oktober Brown will do the musical portion of the service, accompanied by DJ Michelle Brown. The Rev. Rebekah Hatch of St. Alban’s in Simsbury will deliver the sermon, which will focus on inclusion.

More here-

https://www.courant.com/ctnow/music/hc-ctnow-music-hip-hop-mass-episcopalian-hartford-20190910-fzjhexxy7nczvijm7finjcilwi-story.html

Slaves helped build Virginia Theological Seminary. The school will spend $1.7 million in reparations.

From The Washington Post-

From their offices in a building erected by slaves, leaders of the Virginia Theological Seminary announced early this month they have created a $1.7 million fund for reparations, putting one of the oldest Episcopalian schools at the forefront of a movement among universities and other groups seeking to reconcile slavery’s enduring legacy in their organizations.

The endowment fund offers a model at a time when lawmakers and presidential candidates are studying how reparations may work nationally. At Virginia Theological Seminary — a school that did not admit black students until 1951 — the plan involves more than just writing a check.

The pot of money will be used to address “particular needs” of descendants of slaves who worked at the seminary, to create programs that “promote justice and inclusion” and to elevate the work and voices of African American alumni and clergy within the Episcopal Church, especially at historically black congregations.

More here-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/10/virginia-theological-seminary-reparations-slavery/?noredirect=on

Archbishop of Canterbury underlines guarantees in statute

From India-

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, on Sunday sought to encourage Indian political and religious leaders to maintain the provisions of the Indian Constitution that guarantee freedom of religion and belief to all citizens.

The global head of the Anglican Communion was responding to a specific question at a media conference. He added that the purpose of his visit was “prayer, pilgrimage and pastoral” and that he was not visiting India as a political leader.

“India has the incredible tradition of diversity of faiths within its history and in its ancient civilisation. Section (Article) 25 of the Indian Constitution provides for all freedom of religion and belief. So it is deeply in the law… it is deeply in the culture…. And as a religious leader, I would want to encourage all political and religious leaders to seek fairly the maintenance… of that Section 25,” the Archbishop said during an interaction with journalists at the Bishop House of the Calcutta Diocese of Church of North India (CNI).

More here-

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/archbishop-of-canterbury-underlines-guarantees-in-statute/cid/1703534

Arrest & prosecute xenophobia cases: Anglican archbishop

From South Africa-

Anglican archbishop Thabo Makgoba said on Sunday he was “appalled and ashamed” at the violent attacks on foreigners in South Africa last week, as well as the ongoing attacks on truckers.

Preaching at church services in Cape Town, the archbishop urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to “demand that the responsible branches of government act firmly, and especially that those who attacked people and looted their homes and businesses will be arrested and prosecuted”.

“We [in the church] are deeply disturbed by the recent orchestrated attacks on citizens from outside our country – sadly called foreign nationals – for no one is foreign, all are  God's people and all are Africans. I am appalled and ashamed by the violence meted out against them, especially against truck drivers, and at the prejudice voiced against these vulnerable people who come from beyond our borders."

More here-

https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/2019-09-08-arrest--prosecute-xenophobia-cases-anglican-archbishop/

In Wisconsin, An Enduring Sanctuary Was A Pioneer Dream

From Wisconsin-

The small wooden church is half-hidden, nestled on a hill in southeastern Wisconsin in the city of Delafield. St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church was built in 1851, one of the historic "carpenter Gothic" churches surviving in the United States, and on the National Register of Historic Places. It's such a quiet place residents often forget it's there, though it was established by the pioneer founders of the city.

As a girl in Delafield, I wondered about its strange name, and the tombstones that went from the graveyard up to the door. I was lucky enough to meet Father Steven Peay, who fills in sometimes for the regular rector. St. John Chrysostom, Father Steven Peay explained to me, was the name of a 4th century bishop of Constantinople. He was the patron saint of preachers, and the Greek name "Chrysostom" was given to him because it means "honeyed mouth" or the "golden-mouthed one." Steven Peay is an emeritus dean of nearby Nashotah House Theological Seminary, which is an influential, "high church" Episcopal seminary. While there, he taught church history and homiletics — the art of preaching and writing sermons.

More here-

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/08/758415691/in-wisconsin-an-enduring-sanctuary-was-a-pioneer-dream

Hundreds of clergy facing hardship despite vast C of E wealth

From The Guardian-

Hundreds of clergy are in financial hardship, with some resorting to credit cards or even a high-interest payday lender, despite the Church of England sitting on a multibillion-pound investment fund.

Some vicars are tens of thousands of pounds in debt, with many struggling to survive – especially those supporting families – and relying on charity handouts to make ends meet, the Guardian has learned.

Clergy Support Trust – a centuries-old charity which supports destitute Anglican vicars, assistant or associate priests, curates-in-training and chaplains – gave £1.8m worth of grants to 459 clergy last year.

Analysis last year found that 217 individuals who had applied to the charity for help had personal unsecured debts of £5,000 or more, totalling nearly £3m. The figures, based on a combination of grant application data over a 20-month period, do not include mortgages or student loans. Of the 217, 41% had debts of between £5,000 and £10,000, 44% between £10,000 and £20,000, and 15% over £20,000. Four applicants had debts in excess of £50,000.

More here-

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/06/clergy-hardship-church-of-england-wealth

Canterbury archbishop to visit Kolkata this weekend

From India-

The 105th archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who is the symbolic head of the Anglicans worldwide, will be in the city this weekend. 

His visit to the city is part of his countrywide tour as part of an invitation extended by the Church of North India. The CNI was formed in 1970 when a large number of churches, other than the Roman Catholic Church, merged. 

The Anglican Church, or the Church of England, was among those that merged. The 200-year-old diocese of Kolkata, of the CNI will be hosting the Archbishop here. This is the oldest diocese of the country. 

The archbishop will arrive late on Saturday night and will be hosted at a five star address in the city. He will spend the entire Sunday visiting different locations, mostly heritage addresses, associated with the British rule. The day-long programme will start with the archbishop attending a special church service at the St Paul’s Cathedral. He will give his message to the city in this prayer service. 

More here-

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/canterbury-archbishop-to-visit-city-this-weekend/articleshow/71017614.cms

Winchester’s Parish of the Epiphany receives social justice award

From Massachusetts-

Every month for the past two years, members of Winchester’s Parish of the Epiphany, along with other faith groups, have gathered at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Boston and Burlington to pray, sing, and hold signs of support for the detainees. From inside the building, the detainees pressed signs against the windows, saying “thank you” and “we love you,” acknowledging parishioners’ presence.

But the social justice work of the Parish of the Epiphany isn’t limited to immigration; neither is it new -- the Winchester church has been active in social justice work since the 1960s.

In June, the parish’s long commitment to social justice was recognized with an award from the Episcopal City Mission, a faith-based organization that works with local groups on social and economic justice projects. The award, called the M. Thomas Shaw Award for Social and Economic Justice, pays tribute to the legacy and justice work of Rev. Thomas Shaw, a former bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts who died in 2014 of cancer. The previous recipients of the award are the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mattapan, Diocese of Massachusetts Creation Care, Boston Warm Day Centers, and Grace Episcopal Church in Medford.

More here-

https://winchester.wickedlocal.com/news/20190906/winchesters-parish-of-epiphany-receives-social-justice-award

Is this the cultural moment of the ‘hot priest’?

From The Guardian-

“Are we living in the cultural moment of the ‘hot priest’?” my editor asked.

I wanted an assignment, and for my sins she gave me one.

“There’s the one on Fleabag,” she said. “And the ‘hot priest summer’ guy on TikTok. Find one more and it makes a trend.”

I must have looked dubious.

“Six hundred to 800 words,” she said. “Fast.”

But when I thought about it, I began to notice hot priests everywhere.

More here-

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/06/hot-priest-fleabag-movies-television-cultural-moment

No decision on Justin Welby's attendance at GAFCON conference

From Premier-

The Church of England's representative in Parliament says no decision has been made about whether the Archbishop of Canterbury will attend the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Kigali, Rwanda next year.

The event is seen as a rival gathering to the Lambeth Conference which Justin Welby will host next year.

While all Anglican bishops have been invited to the Lambeth Conference on 27th July - 1st August 2020, some have suggested they won't attend in protest at what they perceive as a move towards a more liberal position on sexuality within the Anglican Communion.

In a statement announcing the GAFCON event, leaders said: "On the one hand, we have no interest in attempting to rival Lambeth 2020. On the other hand, we do not want our bishops to be deprived of faithful fellowship while we wait for order in the Communion to be restored.

More here-

https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/No-decision-on-Justin-Welby-s-attendance-at-GAFCON-conference

Asking the Clergy: What is your favorite religious rite?

From Newsday-

Spiritual leaders are called upon to officiate at a variety of celebrations — baptisms, bat and bar mitzvahs, weddings — and, of course, services marking the upcoming religious holidays. This week’s clergy discuss the joy and satisfaction that come from leading especially meaningful rituals.

The Rev. Winfred B. Vergara

Priest in charge, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Hicksville

Of all the sacramental rites I perform as priest of the Episcopal Church, my favorite is baptism. Baptism is a sacrament because it has an outward symbol and an inward grace. The symbol is water and the grace is new life in Christ.

After pouring water on her forehead in the baptismal formula, I would often raise a child (a la “The Lion King”) to signify that she is born again. In adult baptism, I would sometimes do immersion in the river, sea or swimming pool. The symbolism is that the person dies from sin (is drowned) and rises again to a new life in the spirit.

More here-

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/religion/asking-the-clergy-what-is-your-favorite-religious-rite-1.35660012

NWA New Sanctuary Network provides physical sanctuaries for immigrants

From Arkansas-

The Northwest Arkansas New Sanctuary Network will provide a physical sanctuary for immigrants in need. 

The group is made up of four congregations: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Rolling Hills Baptist and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville and All Saints' Episcopal Church in Bentonville. 

Rector Evan Garner with St. Paul's Episcopal Church said northwest Arkansas is in critical need of a group like this. 

"We have a lot of people in our community who live in fear, either as individuals whose status as immigrants is uncertain, or for loved ones in their family. When there's a knock at the door, there's worry," Garner said. 

The churches will welcome immigrants into their congregations, creating miniature sanctuary cities, providing shelter and safety for those in need. 

More here-

https://www.4029tv.com/article/nwa-new-sanctuary-network-provides-physical-sanctuaries-for-immigrants/28931474

Anglican priest plans 55-hour sermon for charity

From London Ontario-

It seems like a good idea, but his wife is calling him mad.

Preach for 55 hours straight; how hard could it be? After all, Rev. Kevin George managed to bicycle 2,200 km for charity last year, although neither his body nor his wife want him to repeat that endeavour.

Still, George, the parish priest at St. Aidan’s Church in west London, is restless.

“I believe the church should engage in the community outside its doors,” he said. “I began thinking about what (else) I could do to attract attention.”

An idea struck George during a recent trip to his native Newfoundland. His father, a handyman, asked for some help with a task and while George did his best, he said manual labour isn’t his strong suit.
“My father said, ‘It’s a good job you can talk. If you couldn’t talk you wouldn’t eat.’”

More here-

https://www.thelondoner.ca/news/local-news/anglican-priest-plans-55-hour-sermon-for-charity

Anglican archbishop asks Christians to re-examine faith

From Ireland-

The Archbishop of Canterbury has said all religions and their leaders must own up to extremist activities within their faith and examine which of their traditional teachings enable extremists to commit evil.

Archbishop Justin Welby, the figurehead of the worldwide Anglican Church, told interfaith leaders in Sri Lanka that accepting responsibility is key rather than disavowing an evildoer as not a good enough follower of a religion.

Arriving in Sri Lanka last Thursday and meeting with Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim leaders, he said discussion among faiths has become more difficult in the last 30 or 40 years and in every faith, including in Christianity, extremist attitudes have grown.

“And it is the duty of every religious tradition, for its leaders to resist extremism and to teach peaceful dialogue. So, the first challenge to all of us is take responsibility,” he said.

More here-

https://www.irishcatholic.com/anglican-archbishop-asks-christians-to-re-examine-faith/

Diocese of Georgia announces five-person slate of candidates for bishop

From ENS-

The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is pleased to announce a slate of candidates who will stand for election as the 11th bishop of Georgia at the 198th Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia on Nov. 14-16.

The Bishop Search Committee, after careful and prayerful discernment, recommended these candidates to the Standing Committee, who have formally approved the slate. The candidates, in alphabetical order by last name, are:

• The Rev. Rob Brown, rector, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina.
• The Rev. Lonnie Lacy, rector, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, Tifton, Georgia.
• The Rev. Canon Frank Logue, canon to the ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, Savannah
• The Ven. Jennifer McKenzie, Archdeacon of Wigan and West Lancashire, Diocese of Liverpool, Church of England
• The Rev. Canon John Thompson-Quartey, canon for mission development and congregational vitality, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2019/09/04/diocese-of-georgia-announces-five-person-slate-of-candidates-for-bishop/

Shannon MacVean-Brown Is the First Black Woman to Lead Vermont’s Episcopal Church

From Vermont-

By the time she entered an Episcopal seminary in 2004, Shannon MacVean-Brown thought she knew what sort of priest she wanted to be. In her 30s and pregnant, the seminarian had already run a design business, taught elementary school art and become a preacher at her unconventional childhood church in Detroit. She saw full priesthood as a way to take her creative approach to other congregations. 

MacVean-Brown did not initially see her race as particularly important to her ministry. That began to change when she entered Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill., where, as one of the few nonwhite students, she was confronted with a church that wasn't quite living up to its ideals.
During her orientation, one of the professors made disparaging comments about the church's African American hymnal, and several classmates registered their displeasure with a required antiracism training. 

More here-

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/shannon-macvean-brown-is-the-first-black-woman-to-lead-vermonts-episcopal-church/Content?oid=28391236

Episcopal Church sees greater drop in membership in 2018

From Christian Post-

The Episcopal Church saw a greater decline in members and average worship attendance in 2018 than in 2017.

According to statistics recently made available by the Office of the General Convention, The Episcopal Church saw its active baptized members decline from approximately 1.712 million in 2017 to 1.676 million.

The 36,000-member drop is larger than the previous two years, when the denomination declined by about 32,500 members in 2017 and a little more than 34,000 members in 2016.

In 2018, the average Sunday worship attendance declined by about 23,500 people, making it the largest drop the church body has seen since at least 2014.

In previous years, 2017 saw an average worship attendance decline of around 13,700, 2016 saw a decline of 9,300, 2015 saw a decline of 20,600, and 2014 saw a near equal decline of 23,200.

More here-

https://www.christianpost.com/news/episcopal-church-sees-greater-drop-in-membership-in-2018.html

The Rev. Alison Cheek, first female Episcopal priest to celebrate Eucharist, dies at 92

From ENS-

The Rev. Alison Cheek, one of the first female priests in The Episcopal Church and the first to publicly celebrate the Eucharist, died on Sept. 1 at her home in Brevard, North Carolina, according to friends. She was 92.

Cheek was one of the Philadelphia Eleven, the first women to be ordained to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church. She and 10 other women were ordained at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia on July 29, 1974, two years before the ordination of women was officially authorized by General Convention. The highly controversial ordinations were later affirmed as valid.

“I sort of risked everything to do it,” she recalled on the 40^th anniversary of her ordination. “I would do it again.”

More here-

https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2019/09/03/r-i-p-rev-alison-cheek-first-female-episcopal-priest-to-celebrate-eucharist-dies-at-92/

Australian Anglican church set to bless first gay marriage

From Australia-

The first official same-sex blessing of a civilly-married couple will occur within two weeks in an Australian Anglican church, Anglican.ink reports.

This follows the passing of a new regulation to allow holding a same-sex blessings by the Wangaratta Synod (regional council) of the Anglican Church of Australia on the weekend. The vote was 67 for, 18 against, with one abstention.

The first same-sex service is likely to occur in two weeks’ time in the Melbourne Anglican.

“The retired Diocesan Archdeacon, the Revd Dr John Davis, and his partner of 20 years, the Rev’d Robert Whalley, are planning a [non-church] marriage, to be blessed in a service in the small church at Milawa on 14 September.” Both men are in their seventies.

More here-

https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/09/03/australian-anglican-church-set-to-bless-first-gay-marriage/

New gun laws now in effect in Texas include being allowed to carry a firearm in church

From Texas-

A series of new laws went into effect in Texas Sunday, some of which are making it easier for people to carry weapons.

In churches across Texas, guns can now be carried on the property unless the church puts up a notice sign warning firearms are prohibited. 

There is a mixed reaction to the new gun laws and whether carrying guns during a worship service will keep you safe.

“In this church? You probably are (safer),” said Larry Gilbert the Executive Pastor at Stonegate Fellowship Church in Midland, TX.

While Rector in St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin Chuck Treadwell said “we don’t believe there’s any place for guns in church. It’s that simple.”

More here-

https://www.ktsm.com/news/new-gun-laws-now-in-effect-in-texas-include-being-allowed-to-carry-a-firearm-in-church/

Church’s lawsuit prompts SC town to lift ban on worship services at public civic center

From South Carolina-

A lawsuit filed by a church against a South Carolina town last year for prohibiting worship services at a public facility has prompted the municipality to lift the ban.

Redeemer Fellowship of Edisto Island and the town of Edisto Beach agreed Aug. 19 to end the suit, which alleged the town violated Redeemer Fellowship’s right to free exercise of religion after the municipality banned all rentals for religious worship services at its Edisto Beach Civic Center.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the church in the case, commended the town for lifting its ban, which the alliance said was inconsistent with the town’s own statement that it welcomes “civic, political, business, social groups and others” to use its civic center.

“Churches shouldn’t be treated less favorably than other groups that want to rent facilities,” said ADF Legal Counsel Christiana Holcomb. “Its previous policy that singled out one form of expression — worship — as inferior to other forms of speech was clearly unconstitutional.”

More here-

https://www.postandcourier.com/features/church-s-lawsuit-prompts-sc-town-to-lift-ban-on/article_d2a3530a-c5b7-11e9-b9a3-3758012a3532.html

Episcopal Church Attendance 2008-2018

From The Episcopal Church-

Average Sunday Attendance over the past 10 years by diocese.

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/files/documents/2008_-_2018_average_sunday_attendance_by_province_and_diocese.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0oeng35RIwruFhXyJyzQ373w9c2JuSur9hSFXWO2PSCfmOpokDcvLy2z0

Church of Nigeria, Anglican communion, ends episcopal synod, elects new bishops

From Nigeria-

Bishops of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) from all the states of the country gathered on August 21, 2019, at Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State for the Episcopal Synod of the Church. 

The Synod was presided over by the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, His Grace, the Most Revd. Nicholas D. Okoh, assisted by the Dean of the Church of Nigeria, the Most Revd. Buba Lamido, with the Rt. Revd. David O. C. Onuoha as the Episcopal Secretary. The Archbishop of Bendel Province, the Most Revd. Friday Imaekhai, the Bishop of Ughelli, the Rt. Revd. Cyril Odutemu, whose jurisdictions cover Agbarha-Otor were also present. 

The Episcopal Synod, which is “a general meeting of the Bishops of the Church of Nigeria summoned independently of the General Synod to discuss Episcopal matters,” is convened by Primate of the Church of Nigeria, at a place and time, he determines, though three or more Diocesan Bishops may request the Primate to convene the Synod. 

More here-

https://guardian.ng/sunday-magazine/church-of-nigeria-anglican-communion-ends-episcopal-synod-elects-new-bishops/