Archbishop of Canterbury’s Holocaust Memorial Day Message

See the Archbishop’s message here – or read the text.

Church leaders in Wales attack presumed organ donation consent

“Church leaders in Wales have criticised ‘ill-judged’ proposals to introduce presumed consent rules on organ donation. …

They said the principles outlined in their document ‘seek to preserve the dignity and autonomy of every person whilst creating a proper framework in which the gift of human organs after death is precisely that – an act of solidarity, generosity and love.’…

Under the Welsh government proposal, everyone in Wales would automatically become a donor unless they opted out. … The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, has already called for the legislation to be scrapped.”

– Report from BBC News Wales.

Special day rates for Mission Convention

The Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn is offering a special day rate for locals to help them attend the Provincial Mission Convention, January 26-29. Details here.

‘Stop the Loss’ coalition

Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower draws attention to a new pro-pokie-reform website.

“I ask parishes to print out this… to stem this hemorrhaging of life blood from the vulnerable among us. Let’s care for the needy and protect the addicted…” – at Imaginary Diocese.

Archbishop Orombi announces retirement plans

“Archbishop Henry Orombi has called for the election of a successor as primate of the Church of the Province of Uganda.

In an address to a meeting of the Ugandan House of Bishops on 7 Jan 2012, Archbishop Orombi said he would step down by year’s end, just short of year before his mandatory retirement at age 65…”

— story by George Conger at Anglican Ink. (Photo: Joy Gwaltney.)

An open letter on the Anglican Covenant

Canon Chris Sugden responds to an article in the Church of England Newspaper by Andrew Goddard –

“You write that the Covenant has been “consistently supported by the Global South Leadership.”.  Yet on November 24 2010, seven primates [Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda,Tanzania, West Africa, and the Southern Cone of Latin America] representing 40 million Anglicans released a statement that in their view “the covenant was fatally flawed and so support for this initiative is no longer appropriate”…”

– read his full letter at Anglican Mainstream.

Christmas messages from around Australia

Advent / Christmas messages have been published by various bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia. Here are some we’ve spotted so far –

Bishop to the Australian Defence Force – Len Eacott.
Armidale – Bishop Peter Brain.
Newcastle – Bishop Brian Farran.
Rockhampton –Bishop Godfrey Fryar.
Riverina –Bishop Doug Stevens.
Bendigo – Bishop Andrew Curnow (page 2 of PDF).
Canberra & Goulburn – Bishop Stuart Robinson.
Tasmania – Bishop John Harrower.

(Image: Anglican Church of Australia.)

Bishop of Tasmania’s Christmas message

John Harrower, Bishop of Tasmania, climbed the Cathedral tower in Hobart to record his Christmas message. See it on his blog.

New church plant in Newcastle

The Diocese of Newcastle website reports on the new church plant in Newcastle, headed by Archdeacon Arthur Copeman.

The clear goal… is to reach out to people who are outside the present church and to be able to tell them of God’s love for them in the Lord Jesus.

And from Bishop Brian Farran’s Newcastle Synod Charge in October:

“Archdeacon Copeman is establishing a church plant in Newcastle that will reach out to younger families. … Given the broad sweep of Anglicanism, it is appropriate that there be an Anglican Church in Newcastle City that is of the Anglican Evangelical tradition.”

(Arthur is leading a session at the Provincial Mission Convention in Canberra in January. His topic: ‘Starting from Scratch: Church Planting with a Team of One’.)

Two new assistant bishops for Canberra-Goulburn

Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn, Stuart Robinson, has followed-through on his stated commitment to appoint a woman bishop in his diocese. Announcement here.

A reminder to pray for DNWA and a new Bishop

Dean of Geraldton and Administrator of the Diocese of North West Australia asks for prayer for the election of a new Bishop (election synod February 10-11), in his first letter to the diocese.

Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advent Letter 2011

Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, has published his Advent letter to the Anglican Communion – on the Lambeth website.

Bishop Lawrence writes about Disciplinary Board Decision

“For now given no more allegations from anonymous sources within the diocese it is my hope we can all get back to focusing our full attention on proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and to Glory of God the Father that the Church here in the Diocese of South Carolina may add daily to its number those who are being saved.…”

– Bishop of South Carolina, Mark Lawrence, writes to his diocese about the dropping of ‘Disciplinary proceedings’ against him.

Earlier: Allegations of ‘abandonment’ against Bishop of South Carolina

CMS UK looking for new leader

“The Executive Leader is responsible for leading the community and its organisation in pursuing the vision of a world transformed by the love of Jesus, and the fulfilment of the aims of making disciples, resourcing leaders and transforming communities…”

– Details from CMS UK (PDF fie).

Rick Lewers elected Bishop of Armidale

Rick Lewers, currently Rector of Engadine, and well-known to many in Sydney, has been elected as Bishop of Armidale at this weekend’s Armidale election synod in Moree. Rick will take up the reins after the retirement of Bishop Peter Brain in April.

Please uphold in prayer Rick and his family, the people of Armidale diocese, and the church at Engadine, as they serve the Lord Jesus in the days ahead.

(The Synod began with a short-list of three: Rick Lewers, David Hanger from Woolgoolga, and John Tongue from Ulverstone in Tasmania.)

Update: Here’s a media release from the Diocese of Armidale:   Read more

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