Annual Litigation Summary for TEC
“It is a fact well known to certain Episcopalians — both those who have left the Episcopal Church (USA) and those who have remained — that ECUSA and its dioceses have followed a pattern of suing any church that chooses to leave for another Anglican jurisdiction. But the full extent of the litigation that has ensued is not well known at all, either in the wider Church, or among the provinces of the Anglican Communion…”
– The Anglican Curmudgeon (AS Haley) has posted quite a list.
Related: National Cathedral to Perform Same-Sex Weddings.
Church of England Bishops and Civil Partnerships – Statement by Archbishop of Kenya
A STATEMENT BY ARCHBISHOP ELIUD WABUKALA
As we enter the season of Epiphany we rejoice in the splendour of the light that has dawned upon us in the appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yet it is a great sadness that before the New Year has hardly begun, the life of the Anglican Communion has yet again been clouded by compromise with the secular preoccupations of the West.
The decision by the Church of England’s House of Bishops, just announced, that clergy in Civil Partnerships can be eligible to serve as bishops will create further confusion about Anglican moral teaching and make restoring unity to the Communion an even greater challenge.
South Carolina moves to protect property from TEC ‘land grab’
“The Diocese of South Carolina, the Trustees of the Diocese and congregations representing the vast majority of its baptized members today filed suit in South Carolina Circuit Court against The Episcopal Church to protect the Diocese’s real and personal property and that of its parishes. …”
– from the Diocese of South Carolina.
(Image: Anglican TV.)
Responses to the C of E House of Bishops on civil partnerships and clergy
The announcement issued overnight by Bishop Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, on behalf of the House of Bishops of the Church of England:
“”The House has confirmed that clergy in civil partnerships, and living in accordance with the teaching of the Church on human sexuality, can be considered as candidates for the episcopate…”
From Andrew Goddard at the Anglican Communion Institute:
The press release describes the decision on civil partnered bishops as one of “confirmation”. This implies continuity with current policy. In fact, no priest in a civil partnership has ever been appointed as a bishop and the 2005 statement did not address this issue.
Full statement. (Italics added.)
And for Anglican Mainstream, Dr Philip Giddings and Canon Dr Chris Sugden:
As made clear in the Ordinal, Bishops of the Church of England promise both to fashion their own life and that of their household according to the way of Christ and to be guardians of the Church’s doctrine.
Given the ambiguous nature of civil partnerships, it would not be credible for a person in such a partnership to make such promises. Most people assume that civil partnerships are sexual relationships. It is casuistical to claim that they are not. This is presumably why many clergy in such partnerships refuse to “give assurances” to their bishops that theirs is a “non-sexual” relationship.
Since a decision to move from the current position would be a grave departure from the Church’s doctrine and discipline it should be made by Bishops in Synod not by Bishops alone. Otherwise it looks too much like salami-slicing away at the Church’s teaching.
A bishop known to be in a civil partnership could hardly be a focus of unity nor be a bishop for the whole church. Such an appointment would be a very divisive move both within the Church of England and in the wider Anglican Communion.
Dr Philip Giddings (Convenor)
Canon Dr Chris Sugden (Secretary)
Anglican Mainstream
(via e-mail.)
‘God already at work through shamanism’ and other news from Montreal
Two stories from the latest issue of The Montreal Anglican –
1.) “Recovering a diaconal ministry that will reach out to people on the fringes of society is one of the top items on the agenda of the church today, the Anglican Church of Canada bishop for aboriginals said in Montreal in November. …
The church needs to recognize that God is already at work through, for example, first nations spirituality, shamanism in various traditions and Confucianism, Bishop Mark MacDonald, national indigenous bishop, said.” – page 6.
2.) “Bishop Barry Clarke of Montreal – from 1993 to 2004 parish priest of St. Paul’s Church in Lachine – asked members … in a near-capacity congregation of over 300 parishioners and well-wishers to stand and be recognized as he presided over a closing service marking the end of the 139-year history of the parish…” – page 7.
1.3MB PDF here. (h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog.)
Peerage for the Archbishop of Canterbury
News from 10 Downing Street:
“Peerage for Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury upon his retirement from the See of Canterbury.
The Queen has been pleased to confer a peerage of the United Kingdom for Life on the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr Rowan Williams Lord Archbishop of Canterbury upon his retirement from the See of Canterbury.”
The Episcopal News Service is reporting that Archbishop Williams will be known as ‘Baron Williams of Oystermouth’. (Oystermouth is near Swansea in Wales…)
The Queen’s Christmas Broadcast 2012
“This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son ‘to serve, not to be served’. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.”
– See Queen Elizabeth’s 2012 Christmas Broadcast (8’36”) – or read the text.
(Dr Rowan Williams’ Christmas message may be read here.)
Ramon Williams — a hero of Australian Christian Media
“If you read any published Australian Christian ‘news’ article over the past 50 years, it has almost certainly been distributed by one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Australian Christian movement, the “AAP-equivalent” of Christian wire news, Ramon Williams, now aged 81. …”
– Mark Tronson – and we at the ACL website – are very grateful for the faithful ministry of Ramon Williams over the years.
Many of our readers will have seen Ramon with his camera in and around the Cathedral and at other Christian meetings. (You’ll find some of his photos among these of Sir Marcus Loane, for example.) Photo: Christian Today Aust.
Four videos from Reform on women bishops, sex equality and Church unity
Members of Reform explain their stand at last month’s General Synod of the Church of England:
- Video 1: Why did you vote against the Women Bishops Measure as it stands? Rod Thomas, Lorna Ashworth and Angus MacLeay – 4:46
- Video 2: Why do you believe what you believe about women bishops? – Rod Thomas, Angus MacLeay and Jane Patterson – 2:40
- Video 3: Is it sexist to vote against women bishops? – Susie Leafe – 1:12
- Video 4: How can we go forward as one Church united? – Rod Thomas – 44s
- Or all in one here. – 9:19.
Reform ‘nonplussed’ over C of E House of Bishops Working Group on Women Bishops
Reform Media Statement Dec 20, 2012
PRESS STATEMENT FROM REFORM
Following the announcement of the formation of a House of Bishops Working Group on 19th December, Reform chairman Rod Thomas has written to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. The letter reaffirms Reform’s commitment to the process of seeking a new way forward on women bishops legislation, but says that the membership of the working group leaves it feeling ‘apprehensive’.
Prebendary Rod Thomas said he was ‘nonplussed as to why the membership of the working group does not contain anybody who shares our convictions about male headship – despite the fact that this was a key concern underlying the vote on 20th November.
We very much wish to contribute to fresh proposals that will command broader agreement in the General Synod than was achieved last month. Achieving such an outcome depends on hearing clearly the needs of those who were both for and against the draft Measure. Our fear is that the constitution of the working group might make this more difficult. Nevertheless we will seek to contribute positively during the discussions that are planned for next February.’
(via e-mail)
Hiltz calls on ABC-d to say ‘no’ to the ACNA
“The leader of the Anglican Church of Canada has lobbied the Archbishop of Canterbury-designate not to extend formal recognition to the Anglican Church in North America. …”
– George Conger has the story at Anglican Ink.
Australian Church Record, December 2012
The latest issue of The Australian Church Record, and the results of their recent Survey of Sydney Synod members are now available from their website.
Christmas messages from around Oz, 2012
We’ll post Christmas messages from Anglican leaders around the country, as we discover them.
Please pray that all who speak in the name of the Lord Jesus this Christmas will do so with great clarity and faithfulness to his gospel.
Here are the messages so far –
Archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier. (video)
Bishop of Tasmania, John Harrower. (video)
Bishop of Canberra-Goulburn, Stuart Robinson. (video)
Dean of Riverina, Robert Harris. (text)
Bishop of Wangaratta, John Parkes. (2.5MB PDF – page 3 of The Advocate.)
Bishop of Gippsland, John McIntyre. (14.5MB PDF – page 3 of The Gippsland Anglican.)
Bishop of Ballarat, Garry Weatherill. (video)
Bishop of Willochra, John Stead. (PDF)
Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, Len Eacott.
And from the leaders of other denominations (via the National Council of Churches in Australia), messages are mixed – but that from David Jones, Moderator General Presbyterian Church of Australia, stands out:
Cry of a Tiny Baby
Bruce Cockburn the Canadian singer and songwriter describes the birth of Jesus beautifully in the chorus of one of his Christmas songs
“Like a stone on the surface of a still river
driving the ripples on forever
Redemption rips through the surface of time
In the cry of a tiny babe”
Something happened at Bethlehem that has sent ripples throughout the history of the human race.
If you have ever been robbed of something precious, you will want the culprit caught and punished and you will want your property returned to you. God has been robbed. He made us in his image and likeness but that has been defaced by sin.
Jesus has come to right the wrong done to God by his creatures, to pay the price of our sin and rebellion. But God wants back what is rightfully His. He wants his picture back. He wants his image and likeness restored. That is why Jesus came among us. That is the meaning of Redemption. That is the message of Christmas.
“Redemption rips through the surface of time”
“And the message is clear if you’ve got ears to hear
That forgiveness is given for your guilt and your fear
It’s a Christmas gift you don’t have to buy
There’s a future shining in a baby’s eyes”
(Second photo: Pilgrim Hill.)
Reform Newsletter December 2012
Reform has posted excerpts from their current newsletter, with a focus on ‘the Women Bishops Measure’.
AnglicanTV Interviews Bishop Mark Lawrence
45 minutes, here. And a good reminder to pray for the people of the Diocese of South Carolina.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…