CESA Presiding Bishop Desmond Inglesby to retire
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residing Bishop of REACH South Africa (formerly known as CESA), Bishop Desmond Inglesby announced his early retirement –
“It is with great sadness that I need to inform you that, for medical reasons, I have decided to retire early. This means that I will be stepping down as Presiding Bishop with effect from the end of September.”
Read more at the REACH-South Africa website – and please pray for Bishop Inglesby and for the work of the gospel in South Africa.
GAFCON Chairman to assist at investuture of ACNA Archbishop
‘It has been announced that the Chairman of GAFCON, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, will assist at the Service of Investiture for the new ACNA Archbishop.
The service will take place on October 9, to formally mark the beginning of the Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach’s [pictured] ministry as Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), a denomination of more than 112,000 members spanning Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The historic transition is the first for the new denomination, as its founding leader, The Most Rev. Robert Duncan, retired in June 2014 at the conclusion of a five-year term.
Dr Wabukala, who is also Archbishop of Kenya, has been invited to help lead the service, which will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Oct 9th at the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia and will be attended by 8 global archbishops representing more than 50 million Anglicans.”
– from GAFCON.
Archbishop Davies welcomes new Roman Catholic leader
“The Archbishop of Sydney issued a statement of welcome to Bishop Anthony Fisher, named as the successor to Cardinal George Pell as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney.”
– read Archbishop Davies’ statement here.
(Photo credit.)
‘Gay rector faces backlash in pews’
“An Anglican clergyman is facing opposition from parishioners over a service in his local church to bless his same-sex civil partnership.
The Rev Dominic McClean, the Rector of 13 parishes around the village of Market Bosworth in Leicestershire, invited parishioners to the special service this weekend to mark his civil union with his partner…” – Story from The Telegraph. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net) Photo: Market Bosworth Benefice.
‘Imam in Residence program’ at Canadian Anglican church
“A unique Imam in Residence program is being launched at St. Martin’s Anglican Church in October in conjunction with the Al Madinah Calgary Islamic Assembly…”
– Report from The Calgary Herald.
Abp Welby and Orthodox Coptic Bishop host meeting on Iraq and Syria
“In an unprecedented ecumenical gathering at Lambeth Palace hosted by The Most Revd Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and initiated by His Grace Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, a joint statement was agreed by leaders and representatives of the Churches of the Middle East and the wider Christian Church in Britain…”
– Press release and photo from the Coptic Orthodox Church.
(h/t Anglican Mainstream.)
‘Government should back Nationals’ urgency motion to help Islamic State victims’
Here’s a media release from The Australian Christian Lobby:
“The Australian Christian Lobby has renewed its call for the Federal Government to urgently lift the humanitarian refugee intake to assist refugees fleeing Islamic State brutality in Iraq and Syria.
This follows unanimous support for such a move at this weekend’s Nationals Federal Council meeting in Canberra. Read more
UK must offer asylum to terror refugees — Abp of York
“The Archbishop of York has urged the government to do more to offer asylum to Christians and others being persecuted by Islamic State terrorists…”
– Report from BBC News. (Photo: Diocese of York.)
David Platt new President of SBC International Mission Board
“Our IMB president must be one who can drive our missions focus in a new way for a new era. It’s not enough that Southern Baptists’ global missions leader motivates us all to give and to go (although he must do that). He must be someone who can connect from the Scriptures how the Great Commission, and especially our global Great Commission responsibilities, are the urgent concern of all of us.”
– Russell Moore gives thanks that David Platt has been elected as President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board.
Same-Sex Blessings arrive at Falls Church
“A historic Episcopal parish that counts U.S. President George Washington among its past vestry members has hosted its first blessing of a same-sex union…”
– Report from Juicy Ecumenism.
Background (and photo): The costly faithfulness of The Falls Church – May 2012.
“The tragedy of the situation at The Falls Church is not that the congregation will die, but that yet another a historic symbol of American Christianity has fallen into the hands of those who teach doctrines contrary to Scripture.”
Sadness as Mark Driscoll steps aside for a period
Mark Driscoll made this statement (video) at Mars Hill in Seattle yesterday.
Please especially uphold in prayer Mark and his family and the Mars Hill church in this time. (1 Corinthians 12:26.)
‘GAFCON in talks with New Zealand parish’
“The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is in talks to offer alternative episcopal oversight to a breakaway New Zealand congregation, The Church of England Newspaper has learned…
A spokesman for the GAFCON secretariat in Sydney confirmed there had been “initial contact” with the parish leaders…”
– story from Anglican Ink. Please continue to pray for West Hamilton Community Church (as it is now called) and the Pastor, Michael Hewat. (Photo: Affirm.)
South Sudanese church leaders: ‘The West has forgotten us’
“Church leaders in South Sudan said yesterday that the world has turned its back on the war-torn nation and little is being done to help the millions in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
Representatives from the Africa Inland Church, Episcopal Church of Sudan, Presbyterian Church of East Africa and the Pentecostal Church in South Sudan met in London yesterday to launch an appeal in partnership with the Barnabas Fund, urging the West to support their efforts in rebuilding peace…”
– Story from Christian Today. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.) Photo: Barnabas Fund.
See also Barnabas Fund, and
The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid South Sudan appeal – and donation page.
Global South oversight of South Carolina
Archbishop Mouneer Anis (Chairman), and Archbishop Ian Ernest (Hon. General Secretary) have written on behalf of the Global South Primates Steering Committee, to welcome Bishop Mark Lawrence and the Diocese of South Carolina to their pastoral oversight.
“The Global South of the Anglican Communion welcomes the unanimous request of The Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence, XIV Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina, and the Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina to ‘accept the offer of the newly created Global South Primatial Oversight Council for pastoral oversight of our ministry as a diocese during the temporary period of our discernment of our final provincial affiliation.’
The decision of the Diocese of South Carolina was made in response to the meeting of the Global South Primates Steering Committee in Cairo, Egypt from 14-15 February 2014. A recommendation from that meeting stated that, ‘we decided to establish a Primatial Oversight Council, in following-through the recommendations taken at Dar es Salam in 2007, to provide pastoral and primatial oversight to dissenting individuals, parishes, and dioceses in order to keep them within the Communion.’
Recognizing the faithfulness of Bishop Mark Lawrence and the Diocese of South Carolina, and in appreciation for their contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, the Global South welcomes them as an active and faithful member within the Global South of the Anglican Communion, until such time as a permanent primatial affiliation can be found.”
Related: Local Anglicans receive new tie to the global church – Post and Courier.
Dear prime minister: what is the UK government’s strategy in Iraq and Syria?
Dear Prime Minister …
The focus by both politicians and media on the plight of the Yazidis has been notable and admirable. However, there has been increasing silence about the plight of tens of thousands of Christians who have been displaced, driven from cities and homelands, and who face a bleak future. Despite appalling persecution, they seem to have fallen from consciousness, and I wonder why…”
– Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines, writes to Prime Minister Cameron.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…