‘Homosexual marriage and the registration of civil partnerships in churches’ in the UK

Media release, via Reform, 16 February 2011 –

“Joint Statement by Affinity, The Christian Institute, Christian Concern, Reform and the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

There has been speculation in the press about the Government’s proposals for civil partnerships to be registered in places of worship. There has also been speculation, and indeed confusion, over the separate issue of scrapping the definition of marriage in order to allow two people of the same sex to hold a marriage certificate.

Government proposals to allow civil partnerships in churches implement changes made in the 2010 Equality Act. However, there has been no announcement from the Government that it has any plans to introduce full same-sex marriage…”

– Read the full statement on the Reform website.

Moravians in ‘full communion’ with TEC

“With an evening Eucharist Feb. 10 that blended elements of the liturgical and musical practices of both traditions, representatives of the Episcopal Church and the two provinces of the Moravian Church in North America formally inaugurated a full-communion relationship between the denominations. …

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Moravian Provincial Elders Conference presidents, the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth D. Miller (Northern Province) and the Rev. David Guthrie (Southern Province) officiated at the service…”

– from The Episcopal News Service. (Photo: Mary Frances Schjonberg.)

‘Catholic church gives blessing to iPhone app’

“The Catholic Church has approved an iPhone app that helps guide worshippers through confession…”
– report from BBC News.

(These apps may be more helpful for you.)

C of E General Synod 2011 Reports

David Phillips, Church Society General Secretary, is posting summaries of this week’s Church of England General Synod, meeting in London.

Monday 7th February,
to come: Tuesday 8th February, Wednesday 9th February.

Updated website for Reform

Reform, in the UK, has updated their website – including a video from Rod Thomas, explaining what Reform is about.

Australian Church Record — Special edition

From The Australian Church Record:

“Our [Sydney] Synod meets over three years, a Triennium. Each year the Synod meets is called a Session. In 2011, the First session of the 49th Synod will meet.

This will be a significant Triennium for the Sydney Synod. Amongst the issues to be discussed and decided, there are matters of local, national and international significance.

Representatives for the new Synod will be elected at the Annual General Meetings (i.e. Vestry meetings) to be held in Sydney parishes across February and March.

Given the importance of the 49th Synod, now is the time for good people in every local congregation to seriously consider who they should nominate to be their Synod Representatives, or, indeed, whether they should be nominated themselves.

The Australian Church Record hopes that this pamphlet might be of some help as Sydney congregation members prayerfully consider the forthcoming elections.”

The January 2011 special edition is available from the ACR website.

‘Coalition folds in ethics class battle’

“The state opposition has dumped its promise to remove ethics classes from NSW public schools if it is elected, as 57 schools prepare to start teaching the new course within weeks. …”

– Report from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Tribute for Bp John Wilson

Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower gives thanks for Bishop John Wilson, who has died in Melbourne.

Remember from where you have fallen

Archbishop Mouneer Anis spoke on Recovering the Power of the Word for the Anglican Communion at the Mere Anglicanism Conference in South Carolina, this last weekend.

He gives a historical overview of how the Anglican Communion has fallen from where it once was – with hope for the future. Worth watching / reading.

Kevin Kallsen at Anglican TV has posted the 50 minute video of his address, and Kendall Harmon has posted the transcript. (h/t Stand Firm.)

On the Dublin Meeting: GSA Editorial

This editorial from the Global South Anglican website, based in Singapore, expresses some of the reasons a significant proportion of the Primates won’t be going to Dublin next week.

“What is most disturbing and difficult is that given the intractable miry situation the Communion is already in and being further driven into, there was hardly any timely and intentional prior consultation and collegial engagement of all concerned (or at least as many as reasonably possible) in preparing for the Meeting to ensure certain degree of significant and principally legitimate outcome to hold and move the Communion together.

In light of the critical importance of the Meeting, the preparations are gravely inadequate.

… it is with great sadness that some Primates have arrived at the decision that it is neither right nor proper for them to be present at the Dublin Meeting.”

Australia Day Convention 2011

Australia Day Convention IV will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney 10am – 5pm, Wednesday 26th January.

Phillip Jensen is speaking on Work and the Christian Life. When you consider that many people spend over 70% of their waking hours at work, it’s an important topic!

Judge rules against Christians in UK B&B case

“The Christian owners of a guesthouse who restrict double rooms to married couples have been ordered to pay £3,600 in damages to a homosexual couple, but leave to appeal has been granted.

Earlier today His Hon. Judge Andrew Rutherford declared it was unlawful for Peter and Hazelmary Bull to operate their policy and deny a double room to civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy.

The judge ruled that under the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations, introduced under the previous Government, civil partnerships must be treated in the same way as marriage…”

– report from The Christian Institute. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

ANiC Parishes file application for Leave to Appeal to Supreme Court of Canada

Parishes File Application for Leave to Appeal to Supreme Court of Canada

News Release from the Anglican Network in Canada

14 January 2011

“Today, the Trustees of four Vancouver-area Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) churches filed an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, the BC Court of Appeal decision (November 15, 2010) which removed their right to use their church buildings and awarded the church properties to the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) Diocese of New Westminster. The four churches are St John’s (Shaughnessy), St Matthews (Abbotsford), Good Shepherd (Vancouver), and St Matthias & St Luke’s (Vancouver).    Read more

CMS NSW Summer School concludes

CMS NSW Summer School at Katoomba has concluded. Hugh Palmer, Rector of All Souls in London gave the Bible Studies, based in 1 Corinthians. Starting this evening, Hugh is speaking at CMS Victoria’s “Summer Under the Sun”.

CMS NSW has made available the audio of his first talk – on 1 Corinthians 15. Well worth hearing.

Queensland flood appeal

The Archbishop of Sydney has launched an appeal – through Anglican Aid – for victims of the Queensland Floods.

Story from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

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