Agreement to be signed by local Anglican and Roman Catholic heads
In a sign of warming relationship between the Anglicans and the Catholics in NSW, a formal covenant will be signed between them with the Anglican Archbishop of Newcastle, Dr Brian Farran, saying it was an indication of the common value they shared together and a step towards ‘healing’ the differences. …
Story from Christian Today.
South Carolina Episcopalians get bishop
Just call him Bishop Lawrence, finally.
Mark Joseph Lawrence endured two elections in a year’s span and waited patiently for confirmation that he would be the 14th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. His election was approved in October, and on Saturday, he was consecrated in a liturgical ceremony at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke and St. Paul in downtown Charleston. …
Story from the Charleston Post and Courier.
See also this interview on Stand Firm, in March 2007, after the first election had been declared ‘null and void’ by the Presiding Bishop.
Who is running the Anglican Communion?
“Readers of the Anglican Communion Office’s website might begin to wonder who is running the Anglican Communion. …
Curious… that the ACO website lists the Diocese of San Joaquin as ‘vacant’ – curious, because it isn’t. …”
John Richardson is perplexed – at Anglican Mainstream.
San Joaquin Standing Committee not recognised
Presiding Bishop on January 25 wrote to inform each member of the standing committee elected at the last convention of the Fresno-based Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin that she does not recognize them as the standing committee of that diocese. She also assured continuing Episcopalians of financial and legal support in reconstituting the diocese. …
Report from Episcopal Life Online. The letter may be seen here (pdf).
Lambeth Conference to go ahead ‘with most of the bishops present’
“Seventy per cent of bishops have said yes to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s invitation to attend this year’s Lambeth Conference. …”
Full report from The Church Times
GAFCON Travel Plans?
“We have heard that GAFCON has aroused considerable interest and enthusiasm. We would encourage those who are planning visits to the Holy Land to coincide with GAFCON to await the announcement of the venue and the exact start and finish dates before making final plans.
The GAFCON Leadership Team.”
Latest news from the Global Anglican Future Conference website.
J I Packer on the state of the Anglican Communion
Widely respected theologian J I Packer has spoken about the current state of the Anglican Communion in an interview with VirtueOnline.
“I expect congregations in TEC and the ACIC being fed on liberal theology will continue to wither on the vine as they have done for the last half century. Liberal theology, without the gospel, proves to be the smell of death rather than of life.”
A Case Study in American Religion
Dr. Michael Horton and friends at The White Horse Inn broadcast are asking, ‘Why is Joel Osteen [Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston] so popular?’
In their online series on ‘Christless Christianity’, this week they examine the teaching given at one of America’s largest churches. Listen online at ‘The White Horse Inn’.
John Piper on A Common Word
John Piper from Desiring God discusses a loving Christian response to the “A Common Word Between Us and You” letter written by Muslim scholars in October 2007.
You can read the ‘Common Word’ letter here, and watch John Piper’s response here (9 minutes).
CoE complaint about churches with no Bibles
“They may be found in every hotel bedroom, and are widely available in prisons and hospitals, but members of the clergy claim one of the last places you will find a Bible is in a church.
The absence of the Word of God from the pews is of such concern to the Church of England that it is to debate the issue at the next meeting of its General Synod, or “Parliament”, next month. The complaint was raised by Tim Cox, a Synod member from Blackpool, who said he had been dismayed to discover that churches he visited “all too often” had no Bibles for worshippers to follow the readings and the sermon. …”
Full story from the UK Telegraph.
Australia Day Convention at the Cathedral
On Monday January 28th, St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney is host to the first Australia Day Convention.
The Dean, Phillip Jensen, is speaking on Mark chapters 1-8.
Details are available from australiadayconvention.com.
Service celebrates 2 beliefs – Hinduism & ?
“Hindu nun Pravrajika Saradeshaprana, dressed in a saffron robe, blew into a conch shell three times, calling to worship Hindu and Episcopal religious leaders who joined Saturday to celebrate an Indian Rite Mass at St. John’s Cathedral near downtown [Los Angeles]. …
During the service, the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, issued a statement of apology to the Hindu religious community for centuries-old acts of religious discrimination by Christians, including attempts to convert them. …”
Story from The Los Angeles Times. (May require free registration).
Anglican clergy asked to declare allegiances
“An Anglican diocese in Newfoundland will take the rare step Monday of requiring all of its clergy to declare their allegiances to the Church, or ‘do the honourable thing and resign’ if they support a breakaway movement that opposes same-sex unions. …
[Bishop] Cyrus Pitman issued the ad clerum in part as a response to the departure of his predecessor, Donald Harvey, who left the Anglican Church of Canada several years ago over the issue of blessing same-sex unions and is now affiliated with the more conservative Anglican Network in Canada. …”
Full story from The Canadian Press. See also this earlier story from The Western Star.
New Bishop of Nevada blessed by interfaith leaders
“Episcopal bishops, local interfaith leaders, native American ‘smudgers’ and drummers, choirs and church people from throughout the state gathered Saturday, January 5 to participate in the consecration of The Rev. Dan Thomas Edwards as the 10th bishop of Nevada. …”
Read the full report from the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada.
See also this report from The American Chronicle –
“In a marvelous gesture, the new tenth Episcopal Bishop of Nevada, Right Reverend Dan Thomas Edwards, was blessed by a Catholic Bishop, Hindu chaplain, Muslim Imam, Jewish Rabbi, Bahai leader, Baptist minister, and a Native American faith leader …”
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What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…