CMS NSW Summer School — registered yet?
Planning on going to the CMS NSW Summer School in January?
Online pre-registration closes on December 13.
ABC AM on the Los Angeles election
Bishop Robert Forsyth was interviewed on ABC Radio’s AM this morning.
“The Anglican Communion as a united body is now history and now we are foreseeing a complete restructuring of relationships. I think that is what the event is showing. Communion as a united body is now history… I am not saying this one event changes everything. It just continues to cement the trajectory towards a restructuring of the Anglican Communion in the world.”
In Melbourne, Muriel Porter declares, “I am actually proud of the Americans”.
Los Angeles election provides further clarity
From The American Anglican Council –
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles elected a partnered lesbian as Bishop Suffragan today and demonstrated The Episcopal Church’s further departure from biblical Christianity.
“Unfortunately, this election provides further clarity to the rest of the Anglican Communion,” said Bishop David Anderson, president and CEO of the American Anglican Council. “Should the rest of The Episcopal Church consent to this election, there can be no more pretending that The Episcopal Church holds to Anglican Communion doctrine and 2,000 years of biblically based Christian teachings. Not only have they elected another non-celibate homosexual bishop, but they repeatedly defy the moratorium on same-sex blessings called for by the Windsor Report.”
(Photo of Bishop David Anderson: Joy Gwaltney.)
Will the ‘bonds of mutual affection’ hold?
Archbishop of Canterbury’s Statement on Los Angeles Episcopal Elections
December 6, 2009
“The election of Mary Glasspool by the Diocese of Los Angeles as suffragan bishop elect raises very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole.
The process of selection however is only part complete. The election has to be confirmed, or could be rejected, by diocesan bishops and diocesan standing committees. That decision will have very important implications.
The bishops of the Communion have collectively acknowledged that a period of gracious restraint in respect of actions which are contrary to the mind of the Communion is necessary if our bonds of mutual affection are to hold.”
– from The Anglican Communion News Service.
This might be an appropriate time to re-read The Episcopal Church: Tearing the fabric of the Communion to shreds, prepared by the American Anglican Council in February 2009. It’s an 820kb PDF file.
Dean of Auckland elected Bishop
“Ross Bay has been elected as the new Anglican Bishop of Auckland.
The Dean of Parnell’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, 44-year-old Bay is being touted as further evidence that the church is placing its trust in a new generation of leaders…”
– TVNZ reports on the election of a bishop to replace Bp John Paterson, who will retire in March. Video report here. Profile here.
Lesbian Episcopal priest elected LA assistant bishop
“The six-county Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles has elected the Rev. Canon Mary Glasspool, canon to the bishops of the Baltimore-based Diocese of Maryland, to the office of bishop suffragan, in which she is called to assist Bishop Diocesan J. Jon Bruno in ministry to the region’s 70,000 parishioners. Glasspool, 55, was elected Dec. 5 on the seventh ballot taken by some 800 clergy and lay delegates to the 114th Annual Meeting of Diocesan Convention…
The second woman to be elected a bishop in the diocese’s 114-year history, Glasspool is also the first openly partnered lesbian to be elected a bishop in the Episcopal Church…”
– Press release from the Diocese of Los Angeles.
See also this story from Associated Press.
A new Minister for Kalbarri?
Bishop of North West Australia, David Mulready, is looking for a Minister for the parish of Kalbarri, at the mouth of the Murchison River, 160km from Geraldton and 600km from Perth.
Might the Lord be calling you?
To learn more, see this PDF file – and for more, please contact Bishop David Mulready – david@anglicandnwa.org, (08) 9921 7277.
Canberra-Goulburn Advent Message
Bishop Stuart Robinson has released his Advent Message to the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.
He begins by asking how Christians should live in the light of Jesus’ second advent. Well worth watching.
Advent message from the TEC
TEC Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has recorded an Advent message. So what is Advent really all about?
At Episcopal Cafe.
Mark Dever interviews Phillip Jensen — full version
In August, while he was in Sydney, Mark Dever interviewed Phillip Jensen, and the video of a portion of that interview was posted online.
Now, audio of the full 63 minute interview is available at 9Marks. As well, an interview with Iain Murray has also been posted.
Updated website for Matthias media
Matthias Media have updated their website — check it out here.
New churches promote old beliefs
“Local Anglicans could have another choice in what church they attend locally, including what interpretation of scriptures they agree with.
The Anglican Network In Canada (ANiC) is exploring the possibility of establishing new churches in Chatham and Belle River…”
– Just one small peek at what appears to be happening in many places in Canada – from The Chatham Daily News in south-west Ontario.
‘Dissident Anglican parishes have no rights to property’
“A B.C. court ruling that four dissident Anglican parishes have no legal right to their buildings and land is being viewed as a watershed moment in a decade-long battle within the Church over same-sex blessings.
The case is sure to have ramifications for the other 35 dissident parishes spread across Canada that have chosen to leave the national church over doctrinal issues, raising questions about where they will worship if other courts follow suit and rule in favour of the Anglican Church of Canada on the property issue…”
– Report from The National Post.
(Photo of Bishop Michael Ingham courtesy of the Diocese of New Westminster.)
British Columbia Supreme Court issues mixed decision in church property dispute
Anglican Network in Canada News Release
25 November 2009, 4:30pm PST
Mr. Justice Kelleher found that the Bishop of New Westminster did not have legal or canonical authority for his purported termination and replacement of the Trustees…
Without deciding the issue, Mr. Justice Kelleher also expressed his opinion that “the parish properties are held on trust for Anglican ministry as defined by the [Anglican Church of Canada].”
Mr Justice Stephen Kelleher of the British Columbia Supreme Court issued a mixed decision today in the case involving the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) Diocese of New Westminster and four Greater Vancouver parishes in the Anglican Network in Canada.
The four parishes – St Matthew’s (Abbotsford), St Matthias & St Luke’s (Vancouver), St John’s Shaughnessy (Vancouver) and Church of the Good Shepherd (Vancouver) – had asked the courts in early September 2008 to clarify their Trustees’ responsibilities in light of hostile action taken by the Diocese of New Westminster. Read more
Collision at the Dendy
From the Dendy Cinema’s website –
SPECIAL EVENT SCREENING – COLLISION
Christopher Hitchens vs Douglas Wilson
Dendy Newtown, Monday 30th November, 7pm
Followed by Q&A with:
Dr Greg Clarke (Director of Christian Studies Institute at Macquarie University)
and
Dr Peter Slezak (Senior Lecturer School of History and Philosophy at UNSW)
Details here. Justin Taylor blogged about the film here. (Photo: Greg Clarke.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…