US Diocese asked to rehabilitate Pelagius

“The Diocese of Atlanta has been asked to rehabilitate Pelagius.

Delegates to the diocesan convention will be asked to reverse the condemnation of the Council of Carthage upon Pelagius, and to explore whether the Fifth century heretic may inform the theology of the Episcopal Church…”

(Of course, they may vote No…)

– George Conger writes for the Church of England Newspaper. Photo: Diocese of Atlanta.

Canon Phil Ashey reports from London

In his weekly report, Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council writes from London –

“GAFCON was not just a moment; it is a movement. The purpose of the 2012 leadership conference will be to gather existing and emerging FCA leaders… to promote the ongoing renewal and reformation of the Anglican Communion.”

“Dear Friends in Christ,

I have been working this week from London in meetings of the global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA), which has just opened an office here under the able leadership of Bishop Martyn Minns.  Next year, there will be a conference of about 200 leaders from the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans held in London in the spring. Read more

Bishop of Tasmania’s letter to the Bishop of South Carolina

The Bishop of Tasmania, John Harrower, has written (October 14) to Mark Lawrence, the Bishop of South Carolina, to offer support and encouragement –

“Dear Brother,

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I received with deep concern and sadness the news of formal allegations against you and your diocese with respect to some ill-defined sense of abandoning the faith of the Church.

I write so that my recognition and support of you as a Brother Bishop in the Anglican Communion may be clear and unambiguous, and to assure you of my prayer for you and your leadership team at this time.

It has become clear over recent years, and it was certainly my experience at the Lambeth Conference of 2008: not only are the revisionist pursuits of certain parties clearly no longer bounded by the fundamental witness of the gospel in Scripture, but the means of that pursuit seem no longer bounded by the common human wisdom of good grace and fairness. The fact that current events demonstrate a willingness to impugn the fundamental character of Episcopal polity is a demonstration of their intransigence.

Nevertheless, please be encouraged in the Lord Jesus in whose sufferings you share and in whose resurrection hope we live and minister.

I note the words at the top of your diocesan website – “…that all may come to know Him…” Our Lord Jesus is indeed our sole focus, our joy, our salvation; and the knowledge of him our goal for ourselves and all those we meet. He is the head of the church and his promise to his people is secure.

May his grace and peace be with you and the faithful saints of the Diocese of South Carolina.

Yours sincerely in the bonds of Christ,
Shalom

John Harrower
Bishop of Tasmania.”

– Also as a PDF file on the Diocese of Tasmania website. (h/t Will Briggs.)

Allegations of ‘abandonment’ against Bishop of South Carolina

Some action by the Episcopal Church against the Diocese of South Carolina has long been expected. Here’s a report from the Episcopal News Service.

The Bishop and Standing Committee of the diocese have sent this call to prayer –

October 5, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On Thursday, September 29, 2011 the Bishop received communication from the President of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops that “serious charges” have been made under Title IV of the canons of The Episcopal Church. These are allegations that he has abandoned The Episcopal Church. Read more

Photos from St. John’s Vancouver

St. John’s Vancouver has posted on their website a photo gallery – showing their last service at St. John’s Shaughnessy on September 18, and the first Sunday service at their new location, on September 25.

St. John’s Vancouver leaves the building, praying for God’s blessing on New Westminster

The latest from from St. John’s Vancouver is a reminder to keep our friends in Vancouver in your prayers –

“countercultural and counterintuitive”

1.) Media Release, and further below, David Short’s message for the Parish Life News for September 18 2011.

VANCOUVER, BC – September 22, 2011 – St. John’s Vancouver Anglican Church, the largest Anglican congregation in Canada, will begin Sunday services at a new location after moving from its historic location on Granville Street and Nanton Avenue. The congregation, through a lengthy legal action, chose to leave their buildings rather than compromise their beliefs.

St. John’s Vancouver, which had been meeting at the Granville Street location for almost 100 years, will begin Sunday services on September 25 at Oakridge Adventist Church, at West 37th Avenue and Baillie Street in Vancouver.  Read more

Hope for Life: Provincial Mission Convention 2012

Archbishop Peter Jensen, Metropolitan of NSW, is calling Anglicans in NSW and the ACT to a mission convention at Canberra Girls Grammar School, January 26 – 29 2012. The Archbishop will give the welcoming address.

Speakers include Canon Phil Potter (Diocese of Liverpool) and the Rev Mike Raiter (most recently Principal of the Melbourne School of Theology). Arthur Copeman (Archdeacon for Ministry Support and Church Planter, Diocese of Newcastle) and Tim Sheuer (Church Army) are among the Workshop leaders.

Early bird registration is until October 30, 2011.

Details from Anglicare Canberra & Goulburn. PDF application form.

 

‘Tasmanian Lower House set to back gay marriage’

From ABC News:

“Tasmania’s Lower House looks likely to become the first in Australia to vote in support of same-sex marriage. Labor has indicated it will support a motion from its state power-sharing partners the Greens, who have tried and failed to introduce state-based same-sex marriage legislation in the past…”

And a Media Release from the Diocese of Tasmania:

BISHOP HARROWER RESPONDS TO GREENS’ MOTION

The Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, the Right Reverend John Harrower has spoken out in response to the motion tabled by Mr. Nick McKim in the House of Assembly today.

Bishop Harrower said, “I call upon the parliament to not support this motion.

“I have consistently upheld the Church’s affirmation of the definition under the Marriage Act that marriage is the union between a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others voluntarily entered into for life.  Read more

Deciding… Yet Undecided

“The strategy behind Williams’ address was not to promote his views on homosexuality directly, but to reflect on the process by which moral decisions in general should be made – not so much to play the game, so to speak, as the more ambitious task of actually trying to define what the playing field should look like.

And this is the enduring significance of his address thirteen years later as he continues to promote ‘indaba’ and ‘listening process’ strategies which focus on the process of decision making…”

– Charles Raven, author of Shadow Gospel, reviews a book on Archbishop Rowan Williams’ theology of moral decision-making – at SPREAD.

ECUSA Bishop Walter Righter dies

From the Episcopal News Service:

“Retired Diocese of Iowa Bishop Walter C. Righter, 87, died Sept. 11. …

In the mid-1990s, Righter became a flashpoint for tensions over the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people in the life of the Episcopal Church. The bishops of Dallas, Florida, San Joaquin, Central Florida, Texas, Eau Claire, Fort Worth, Quincy, Rio Grande and West Tennessee filed a presentment against Righter in February 1995 because he had ordained an openly gay man to the diaconate in the Diocese of Newark in September 1990. …

In May 1996, an ecclesiastical court ruled 7-1 that Righter’s action did not violate church law or “core doctrine.” Thus, the charges were dismissed…”

– This 1996 edition of New Directions gives some of the background to the heresy trial. (Photo: ENS.)

Diocese of Auckland Synod debate: love ethic and listening vs biblical authority

“The Auckland Diocesan Synod has decided that people in same-sex relationships should not be excluded from ordination. …

Bishop Ross Bay deliberately allowed time and opportunity for a variety of views. These included a plea… that the motion was about justice and a love ethic; those opposing the motion cited biblical authority.”

The full text of the motion is:

“That this Synod

[1] Holds that sexual orientation should not be an impediment to the discernment, ordination, and licensing of gay and lesbian members to any lay and ordained offices of the Church; and further

[2] persons in committed same-sex relationships likewise should not be excluded from being considered for discernment, ordination, and licensing to any lay and ordained offices of the Church.

[3] commits to an intentional process of listening to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people, organized by the Archdeacons in consultation with the gay and lesbian community.

[4] commits to an ongoing discussion with the ministry units, asks the Archdeacons to facilitate this, and invites responses to those discussions to be submitted to Diocesan Council by 31st March 2012; and

[5] commits to support the process and work of the Commission to be appointed by General Synod Standing Committee, as resolved at its meeting in July 2011.

– This story from Anglican Taonga. (h/t American Anglican Council. Photo: Dio. Auckland.)

Largest Anglican Church congregation in Canada leaves historic church home

Sunday 18th September will be the last Sunday for St. John’s Vancouver (formerly St. John’s Shaughnessy) at the place where they have been meeting for 100 years.

This would be an especially good time to continue in prayer for the congregation, the ministry team led by David Short, and for their expanded, gracious, proclamation of the Lord Jesus in the city of Vancouver.

They’ve just published this news release:  Read more

Anglican Communion Office seeks Communications Officer in Africa

The Anglican Communion Office is advertising for a Communications Officer, to be based in Nairobi, but responsible to Secretary General of the Anglican Communion in London.

Interestingly, the pilot project is funded by a grant from The Episcopal Church’s Trinity Wall Street in New York.

Will somebody stand up?

Fr Dave Doveton, Vice Provost at St. Mary’s Cathedral in the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, Anglican Church of Southern Africa, warns of an impending visit to his country –

“There can be no compromise with clear manifestations of heresy. The scripture commands us not to invite false teachers into our home. …”

– Take the time to read his full letter at Anglican Mainstream South Africa.
(Photo: Jim DeLa, ENS.)

Thanks and prayer requests from North West Australia

In the latest issue of Northwest Network, Bishop David Mulready begins to say farewell to the diocese where he and Maureen have served for the last eight years –

“This is in some sense a ‘farewell letter’. As Maureen and I prepare to leave the Diocese next month and move to Gerringong, near Wollongong, I write to thank you all for your encouragement and support over nearly eight years.

We regard our time here as a huge privilege, working with a terrific team of Ministry couples and some very fine Church members in this extraordinary patch of Australia.

We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of many of you who have prayed, given and come as partners in bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people who live in our region and others who holiday here, often for months at a time.

The challenges facing the Anglican Church in the North West are immense. To mention a few:   Read more

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