‘Bishops worldwide pray and fast for the climate’
“The Bishop of Salisbury is praying and fasting today, and on the first day of every month, for a meaningful and fair agreement at next year’s UN climate talks. … Bishop Nicholas said: … “Climate change affects people of all countries and all faiths. It should be something which unites the human race. …”
– from the Anglican Communion News Service. (Photo: Diocese of Salisbury.)
GAFCON Chairman’s Advent Letter 2014
“Despite these challenges, I am confident that our efforts are not in vain.
The crucial contribution of GAFCON to the future is that in an increasingly confused Communion it has a clear confessional basis in the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration which keeps the gospel at its heart. And where the gospel is, there will be life.”
– Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, writes this in response to very great challenges. Read his whole Pastoral Letter for Advent 2014 on the GAFCON website.
ECUSA denied Leave to Appeal in Quincy Case
“Today the Illinois Supreme Court posted twenty-eight pages of its recent dispositions of requests made by losing parties for leave to appeal their decision to that Court. On page twelve, at the very top, appears this brief notation:
No. 118186 – The Diocese of Quincy et al., respondents, v. The Episcopal Church et al., petitioners. Leave to appeal, Appellate Court, Fourth District. (4-13-0901)
Petition for leave to appeal denied.
What this means is that the highest court of a State has now ruled that there is no provision in the governing documents of the Episcopal Church (USA) that keeps a Diocese from withdrawing its membership in that organization…”
– Lawyer A.S. Haley is following the twists and turns of The Episcopal Church’s attempts to stop dioceses leaving.
Canon Andrew White ‘ordered back to UK’
Canon Andrew White, Vicar of Baghdad’, is returning to the UK, at least for now, according to ‘Cranmer’ (h/t Anglican Mainstream.).
See also ‘Canon Andrew White is Interviewed by The Huffington Post’.
Life and Ministry with Peter Jensen
Geoff Robson has conducted a “sweeping conversation with Peter Jensen, former Archbishop of Sydney, about life and ministry – including his favourite book of all-time, how he became a Christian, why he wanted to be a stand-up comedian, why he tries to emulate Billy Graham, and how he has found spiritual refreshment for the last five decades.”
– Take the time to read it here – and please remember to pray for Peter as he continues to serve Christ.
Victorian state election: threat to religious freedom
Melbourne pastor Mark Durie speaks out on the implications for religious freedom of an Opposition win in the Victorian elections – at the Australian Christian Lobby.
We are so grateful for GAFCON
“Speaking to Anglican TV in Ottawa shortly after his investiture on 6th November as Moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC), Bishop Charlie Masters emphasized the importance of GAFCON for his Canadian congregations…”
– from the GAFCON website.
Related: Bishop Masters’ Call to the ANiC Synod – via Anglican TV.
“We want your thoughts on the next Anglican Communion Secretary General”
“Anglicans and Episcopalians from Communion provinces worldwide are being invited to share their thoughts on the ministry priorities and qualities of the next Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. …”
– Any thoughts? The deadline is 27 November 2014.
Woman speaks out at Muslim prayer service in Washington National Cathedral
“It was supposed to be a shining moment for proponents of the interfaith movement.
The Islamic “jummah,” or Friday call to prayer, would be held on America’s grandest Christian stage – the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
It was a bold move that had never been tried. Leaders of the Episcopal cathedral said sending prayers up to Allah from a Christian church would show the world that two religions at odds with each other for centuries could “approach the same God” as one body of believers.
The stage was set. The prayer rugs were neatly arranged facing Mecca. The lights shone down on the imam for his opening remarks.
Not so fast…”
– Christian booted from National Cathedral speaks out.
See also:
- About the Muslim Friday Services (Jumu’ah) at the Episcopal Cathedral.
- Watch the service (minus the interjection) here. (Can be slow to load.)
Image from the video feed.
Archbishop Welby: the Communion’s challenges
In his Presidential address to the Church of England’s General Synod, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby spoke about the issues faced by the Anglican Communion and possible ways forward.
While emphasising that “the Anglican Communion exists and is flourishing in roughly 165 countries”, he also conceded,
“There are enormous problems. We have deep divisions in many areas, not only sexuality. There are areas of corruption, other areas where the power of the surrounding culture seems to overwhelm almost everyone at one point or another.
Our divisions may be too much to manage.
In many parts of the Communion, including here, there is a belief that opponents are either faithless to the tradition, or by contrast that they are cruel, judgemental, inhuman. I have to say that we are in a state so delicate that without prayer and repentance, it is hard to see how we can avoid some serious fractures.”
Washington National Cathedral to host Friday Muslim prayer service
“Washington National Cathedral, known for presidential funerals and other major spiritual services, will host a Muslim prayer service for the first time Friday…”
– Story from The Washington Post.
GAFCON 2013 Remembered
“Just over a year after more than 1,300 leading Anglicans, including 331 bishops, gathered at All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi for GAFCON 2013, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala dedicated a commemorative plaque in All Saints’ Trinity Centre on All Saints Day, 1st November…”
– from GAFCON.
Big changes for Mars Hill
“Marking its own Reformation Day of sorts, Mars Hill Church will dissolve Mark Driscoll’s multisite network and let each of its remaining 13 churches go their own way.
Founded in 1996, the Seattle-based megachurch planted 15 satellite sites across five states, its passion for creating new churches further evidenced by Driscoll founding the Acts 29 network. By New Year’s Day, the multisite organization and the Mars Hill name will be no more…”
– from Christianity Today.
See also this statement on the Mars Hill website –
“Following much prayer and lengthy discussion with Mars Hill’s leadership, the board of Mars Hill has concluded that rather than remaining a centralized multi-site church with video-led teaching distributed to multiple locations, the best future for each of our existing local churches is for them to become autonomous self-governed entities. This means that each of our locations has an opportunity to become a new church, rooted in the best of what Mars Hill has been in the past, and independently led and run by its own local elder teams. …”
Senator encourages involvement in Solidarity Sunday
Senator David Fawcett spoke yesterday about the persecution of religious minorities, particularly Christians, under ISIL, and informed the Senate of Solidarity Sunday. (YouTube.)
“Bill Shorten’s description of Christians ‘wide of the mark’.”
“The Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton has said Bill Shorten’s speech backing same sex marriage at their conference was “wide of the mark” because of his characterisation of Christians as people who invoke God and Bible to attack blended families and demonise people for who they love. …”
– report from The Australian.
See also:
- Why we invited Bill Shorten to our National Conference – Lyle Shelton, Australian Christian Lobby (including video of the Q&A session).
“I’m grateful to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten for speaking at our national conference at the weekend. Enormous pressure was put on him to stay away….” - Text of Bill Shorten’s Speech to the Australian Christian Lobby National Conference.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…