‘Churches get opt-out point on same-sex adoption bill’

“The independent state MP Clover Moore has moved to shore up support for her same-sex adoption bill by giving church adoption agencies the right to refuse services to gay and lesbian couples without breaching anti-discrimination laws…

However, news of the amendment has not changed the view of church leaders. A letter co-authored by the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell and the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, arrived on MPs’ desks yesterday urging them to vote down the bill.”

– Full story from The Sydney Morning Herald. (Photo: clovermoore.com)

Related: Urgent Public Meeting of Concern — Same Sex Couples Adoption.

CAPA Primates Communiqué, Uganda

The Primates of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa have released a Communiqué at the conclusion of the 2nd All Africa Bishop’s Conference in Entebbe, Uganda. Read it here (via Global South Anglican).

Urgent Public Meeting of Concern — Same Sex Couples Adoption

From the NSW Council of Churches:

This week in the NSW Parliament a private members bill is being rushed through to open the way for same sex couples to adopt children. The NSW Council of Churches is sponsoring a Public Meeting of concerned citizens opposed to this bill.

•    Theatrette NSW Parliament House
•    1pm–2pm Tuesday 31st August 2010
•    Speakers include Hon David Clarke (Liberal Party), Rev Hon Fred Nile (CDP) other speakers to be confirmed.
•    Please join us to make a statement of concern for the sake of the children!

And from a NSW Council of Churches Media Release:

27 August 2010
Huge change to NSW adoption law while all eyes are on Canberra

The President of the NSW Council of Churches has accused the NSW Government of seeking to fast track the introduction of a Private Member’s Bill by independent MLA Clover Moore which would allow same sex couples to adopt children in NSW.

“The Keneally Government has been sitting on the Same Sex Adoption report for a year, and it is a betrayal of proper parliamentary process to rush through a Private Member’s Bill on the first day of sitting while all eyes are on the negotiations in Canberra to form a federal government,” the Revd Richard Quadrio said.

The NSW Council of Churches is sponsoring a public meeting on same sex couples adoption to be held at the Theatrette, NSW Parliament House, from 1.00-2.00pm on Tuesday 31 August, the day on which the bill is scheduled for debate in both Houses.

“Clover Moore’s Same Sex Adoption Bill has not been debated in any way yet in the wider community. I call on Honorable Members of both Houses to proceed more slowly and to engage in greater community consultation before taking a conscience vote. Please join us to make a statement of concern for the sake of the children, both now and in the future,” Revd Quadrio said.

Click the image at top to download a PDF flyer.

Archbishop Orombi’s opening speech

Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi’s speech to welcome delegates to the All African Bishops Conference is now available (450kb PDF).

“Time is now for ‘African Anglicanism’ to rise up and begin to bring fresh life in ‘the ailing global Anglicanism.’ The potentials represented today in this conference must be free to go to Europe and America with ‘fresh Wine’ from ‘new Wine Skins’ to the mother Church desperate for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I say ‘the Church in Africa’ must rise up…”

More from the Conference at africanbishops.org.

A family to keep in your prayers

“Life was beautiful. There was a wobbly toddler and a baby on the way. The kids were to grow up as little buddies, just 17 months apart. Richard Burnet, their proud dad, had landed a dream job. A Bombers fan since childhood, he was the new chief commercial officer for the Essendon Football Club…”

– Ruth Lamperd of Melbourne’s Herald-Sun shares the story of a family you could keep in your prayers. (Photo: Herald-Sun.)

Lutherans follow Anglicans down rocky road of dissent

“Hundreds of congregations have held votes on leaving the denomination. Others have cut off funding to the national church. Bishops in Africa have condemned the actions taken by their North American counterparts. And this week  disaffected members are gathering to found a new breakaway denomination. …

… as of August 3, 504 congregations have already held first votes on leaving, with 384 passing.”

– A report from Canada’s National Post on the disintegration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

‘African bishops say Anglicans in West strayed from God’

“The Anglican church in the West no longer adheres to the word of God, African bishops said Tuesday at a continental conference [at Entebbe] attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury. …

‘Today, the West is lacking obedience to the word of God,’ Reverend Ian Ernest of Mauritius, the head of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, told journalists…” – Report from The Nation, Kenya.

See also ‘Archbishop Duncan Joins Leaders at All Africa Bishops Conference’.

Scottish Episcopal Church goes for inclusive language

“The Scottish Episcopal Church’s College of Bishops has approved inclusive language prayers, authorising optional changes that remove ‘Lord’, ‘He’, ‘his’, ‘him’, and ‘us men’ from its 1982 Eucharistic Liturgy…”

– George Conger reports for The Church of England Newspaper.

(Photo: Scottish Episcopal Church College of Bishops celebrate the Eucharist at this year’s Synod.)

Tasmanian Anglican August 2010

The latest edition of Tasmanian Anglican (August 2010) is now available from  the Diocese of Tasmania. Use it as a reminder to pray for Christ’s church in Tasmania.

The Castle on King

Need to lighten up after the election? Enjoy this video from the recent Moore College Review. It’s a parody of the Australian film The Castle.

Anglican Church is broken, says Orombi

“The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi, yesterday said the Anglican Church today faces many challenges which have made it dysfunctional.

‘What I can tell you is that the Anglican Church is very broken,’ Bishop Orombi said. ‘It… has been torn at its deepest level, and it is a very dysfunctional family of the provincial churches.…’

Speaking at the opening of a three-day provincial Assembly in Mukono, the head of the Church of Uganda noted that the church has lost credibility…”

– from a brief report in Uganda’s Daily Monitor. (Photo Stephen Otage.)

Vancouver churches ordered to pay court costs

“St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Abbotsford and three Vancouver parishes have been ordered to pay about $120,000 in court costs to the Diocese of New Westminster.

Justice Stephen Kelleher issued the ruling in the Supreme Court of B.C., as part of an ongoing case involving a battle over same-sex blessings. … In addition to ruling that the churches pay costs to the diocese, Kelleher directed St. Matthew’s Church to permit one service a week by a priest chosen by diocese Bishop Michael Ingham. …

Also included in the legal battle are St. John’s Shaugnessy, the Church of the Good Shepherd, and St. Matthias and St. Luke’s – all based in Vancouver.”

– Story from the Abbotsford News via Anglican Essentials Canada.

Global Impact conference

The 2010 Equipping Your Church For Global Impact conference will be held at SMBC on Saturday 18th September.

“We live in a world where vast numbers of people still wait to hear the good news of Jesus. God has given to his church the responsibility to make him known throughout the world. … More than ever, we need well informed, fully resourced global mission enthusiasts in every local church. This conference will provide ideas, resources and opportunity for discussion with other mission enthusiasts.”

– Read the details at the SMBC website.

Embattled Episcopal Bishop, seeks allies overseas

“Jefferts Schori recently wrapped up a whirlwind tour of six Anglican provinces–all of them English-speaking–where she defended her church’s acceptance of gay bishops and same-sex unions, and its commitment to maintaining ties with other provinces.

In June and July, Jefferts Schori traveled to Canada, Scotland, England, Australia, New Zealand and Wales, addressing synods, preaching at cathedrals, sitting on panels, talking with parishioners, and meeting with powerful archbishops.

At almost every stop, the presiding bishop’s message was subtle but clear…”

– This story about the not-so-subtle meetings with ‘powerful’ archbishops from The Huffington Post. (Image from a July 28 webcast from ECUSA HQ in New York City)

New website for Defence Anglicans

A new website to raise awareness of Anglican Chaplaincy in the Defence Forces was launched last month at RMC Duntroon in Canberra.

The new site includes resources and contact information – and also is a good reminder to pray for those serving as Chaplains, and those to whom they minister.

(Photo of Director Chaplaincy Air Command Kevin Russell at the website launch, by Sgt Dave Morley.)

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