Not enough sex talk?

“Gender and sexuality have caused divisions in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. Same-sex unions are upheld in some churches and not in others; the same is true for gay clergy. While there are more than 3,300 churches that affirm lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender congregants, 57 percent of Protestant clergy hardly ever discuss issues specific to the gay and lesbian community.

But according to “Sexuality and Religion 2020,” a report released this week, they probably should. …

“Religious leaders in clergy are not getting the training they need to address sexuality, and 70 percent seldom or never discuss sexuality issues,” said the Rev. Debra Haffner, director of the institute and co-author of the report.”

– Story from The Statesman in Austin, Texas.

The Religious Institute, a pro-homosexual multifaith organisation, has posted their document here. (Is this the training for clergy they had in mind?)

Update: Al Mohler comments.

C of E extend pensions to gay partners

“The Church of England has voted to extend the same pension rights to the partners of gay clergy as those now given wives or husbands, officials say…” – Story from UPI.

Lorna Ashworth’s motion on ACNA

Anglican TV has made available the video of Lorna Ashworth’s speech in support of the Anglican Church in North America at the Church of England General Synod.

Votes for 309, against 69, abstentions 17.

Audio of the entire debate is available from the Synod website.

Honour for Sydney churchman

“The deputy chancellor of the Diocese of Sydney, Robert Tong, has been appointed a member of the Order of Australia for services to the Anglican Church. The award was announced on Jan 26 in the Australia Day honours list…”

– The Church of England Newspaper reports the Australia Day Honours – via George Conger’s blog.

Ageless newsletter Feb 2010 online

The February 2010 issue of Ageless, the newsletter of TABA (Ministry To and By the Ageing) is now available as a PDF file from their website.

(TABA is a ministry of the Anglican Deaconess Institution Sydney.)

Anglican Church (of Canada) facing threat of extinction

“The Anglican Church in Canada – once as powerful in the nation’s secular life as it was in its soul – may be only a generation away from extinction, says a just-published assessment of the church’s future.”

– The Globe and Mail reports.

C of E General Synod votes on ACNA

“The Church of England today offered the slenderest of lifelines to the dissident US conservative Episcopalians who split from their church after it elected a gay bishop.

The general synod – the church’s parliament, meeting in London – passed a motion recognising the breakaway group’s desire to remain Anglicans but declined to promise to ally with them in their ongoing wrangles with the mainstream US church…”

– The Guardian reports on the Church of England General Synod vote on the Anglican Church of North America.

For a much more positive assessment, here’s a media release from ACNA —   Read more

Should South Carolina be nervous?

From the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina –

“Recent actions by The Episcopal Church which impact the Diocese of South Carolina have caused the Bishop and Standing Committee to postpone our upcoming Diocesan Convention. Bishop Lawrence has written an important pastoral letter to both the clergy and laity of the Diocese which explain the actions taken.”

– Read Bishop Mark Lawrence’s pastoral letter explaining why he has postponed the diocesan convention. (PDF file.)

‘Why should I be driven out?’

Bishop of Fulham, and Chairman of Forward in Faith UK, John Broadhurst, was interviewed for this week’s HardTalk on BBC TV. There’s a 2’50” clip here.

The Homegoing of OT Scholar D.J. Wiseman

Old Testament scholar D.J. Wiseman has died – and Professor Alan Millard at the University of Liverpool has written this tribute.

via Phillip Marshall at Biblical Languages (h/t Kevin Murray).

Reform highlights ‘huge practical problems’ with women bishops

Press release from Reform, 08 February 2010:

The Church of England’s present plans for legislation on women bishops show that “nothing is being done to head off the huge practical problems” that will result said Reform Chairman, the Rev Rod Thomas, today. Speaking on the day that the Bishop of Manchester was reporting on the issue to the General Synod, Mr Thomas said that the biggest problem would be a “drastic cut” in the Church of England’s future intake of young ordinands.  Read more

ECLA Presiding Bishop and Archbishop of Canterbury discuss common issues

“Rev Mark S. Hanson [Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America] met with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams for a private hour-long meeting … at Lambeth Palace in London.

Hanson said the two leaders discussed strengthening Anglican-Lutheran relationships, challenges each leader faces within his own communions…

Hanson told the ELCA News Service … ‘We talked not only about how this time of ‘reception’ can strengthen the ministries and mission we share, but provide new opportunities for us to be engaged in ways we haven’t even imagined…’ ”

– Story and photo from the ELCA News Service.

Related: Lutherans adopt statement on sexuality.
Continue the ‘conversation’ and keep giving your money.
Wearing the disguise of Faithfulness.

Packer on The Fall

“It may fairly be claimed that the Fall narrative gives the only convincing explanation of the perversity of human nature that the world has ever seen.”

– This excerpt from J I Packer’s Concise Theology is a good reminder of what’s wrong with the world and why all need to hear of Christ.

‘My voice is like a useless cry in the wilderness’

Archbishop of Egypt, Dr Mouneer H. Anis, has resigned from the ‘Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion’ and has given his reasons –

“After much prayer and consideration, I hereby submit my resignation from the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion (SCAC). I have come to realize that my presence in the current SCAC has no value whatsoever and my voice is like a useless cry in the wilderness…”

Read his letter. (h/t Stand Firm.)

– and also this reaction from Dr Stephen Noll –

“The letter from Bp. Mouneer Anis is a bombshell in the midst of the Covenant process…”

Update: Response from the Archbishop of Canterbury. Photo: ENS.

Suffering well: Faith tested by pastor’s cancer

“Another cancer patient Chandler has gotten to know spends his time in radiation imagining that he’s playing a round of golf at his favorite course. Chandler on this first Monday in January is reflecting on Colossians 1:15-23, about the pre-eminence of Christ and making peace through the blood of his cross.”

– from a surprisingly good AP article about Matt Chandler.
(h/t Gordon Cheng.)
Related: J C Ryle on Sickness (from the old part of our website.)

← Previous Page — Next Page →