Bishop Howe: Briefing for TEC Bishops
The House of Bishops will receive an informal presentation on the “Anglican Bishops in Communion” proposal that was shared with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori during a 50-minute meeting on Feb. 21 at the Episcopal Church Center. The House of Bishops meets March 7-13 at Camp Allen in the Diocese of Texas.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori expressed no objections to the plan during the meeting… The Bishops in Communion plan is a modified version of the “Episcopal Visitor” concept announced by Bishop Jefferts Schori during the fall House of Bishops’ meeting in New Orleans. …
Read about the new proposal, which seems unlikely to be warmly received by many orthodox parishes, in The Living Church. (See also this earlier report.)
(Photo: Bishop John Howe of the Diocese of Central Florida.)
New Colin Buchanan Kids CD
Australian Christian singer Colin Buchanan has announced a new kids Christian album – “Super Saviour” – to be available in March.
Details and an mp3 preview are available on his website.
Relations with Rome
David Phillips, General Secretary of Church Society, has written a 3 page critique of ARCIC and IARCCUM.
“When was the last time you praised and blessed Mary as the handmaid of the Lord? According to the ARCIC report on Mary it is something Scripture leads us to do. …”
Published in Crossway earlier this year, it is now available on the Church Society website. (120kb PDF file.)
‘It’s a tragedy for the Church’ – Archbishop Venables
Archbishop of the Southern Cone, Gregory Venables was interviewed on CBC Radio in Canada earlier this week.
It’s very very sad that it should come to this, it’s a tragedy for the church, for the church in Canada and for the church throughout the world – but it shows how serious the division is.
We are grateful for this transcript of the interview (the audio is available here in RealAudio format). Questions are from CBC’s The Current presenter Anna Maria Tremonti – Read more
‘More San Joaquin congregations opt to remain’ says Episcopal Church
A growing number of Episcopalians in the Diocese of San Joaquin are opting to remain within the Episcopal Church (TEC), as the Fresno-based diocese prepares for an anticipated March 29 special convention that would elect a provisional bishop.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, in a letter to be distributed via a new diocesan newspaper, notes the proposed convention date and reassures the people of the diocese that work is ongoing “to ensure that you and your fellow Episcopalians may continue to bless the communities around you well into the future.” …
Story from Episcopal Life.
Two New West parishes ask for same sex blessings
Two parishes in the Diocese of New Westminster have voted to ask to be added to the list of places where same sex blessings may take place.
St. Mary’s Kerrisdale in Vancouver, and the Church of the Holy Spirit in Whonnock, Maple Ridge, by large margins voted to ask Bishop Michael Ingham to grant his permission for the parish to conduct services for persons in committed, monogamous same sex relationships. …
Full press release from the Diocese of New Westminster.
Archbishop Venables to visit Fort Worth
Archbishop Gregory Venables, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, has accepted an invitation from Bishop Iker to make a pastoral visit to the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth during the first weekend of May. He will be accompanied by his wife, Sylvia. Read more
Fathers and Sons
Os Guinness seeks to set the record straight about Francis and Edith Schaeffer by critiquing Frank Schaeffer’s book ‘Crazy for God’ –
“I have never met anyone anywhere like Francis Schaeffer, who took God so passionately seriously, people so passionately seriously, and truth so passionately seriously. The combination was dynamite … The idea that such a man was ‘crazy for God,’ let alone a two-faced con man, is and will always be utterly anathema to me. I was there. I saw otherwise, and I and many of my friends have been marked for life. …”
The review is available in Books & Culture at ChristianityToday.com.
Thinking about what we do in church (ii)
‘Back to the Basics of Reformed Worship’
This article, by Jon Payne, was written to encourage Reformed churches to think about what they do in Sunday church.
While the historical background of Anglican Churches is a little different, there’s much to reflect on in this brief essay – from Reformation21.