‘Episcopal Church prevails in property dispute’
“An El Paso County district judge ruled March 24 that the property and assets of the landmark Grace and St. Stephen’s Church in downtown Colorado Springs are held in trust for the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Denver-based Diocese of Colorado, and ordered a disaffiliated group to vacate the $17 million property. …”
– As seen by the Episcopal Church.
See also this press release (PDF direct link) from Grace and St. Stephen’s Church.
(Photo: ENS.)
The labourers are few
“The number of men in full-time ordained ministry has now dropped by more than a third since 1991 (the year the Church voted to ordain women). … This means that overall there are 2,000 fewer stipendiary clergy than there were in 1991. For an average Diocese that is approximately 46 fewer clergy.
Even more sobering is the comparison with 1963…”
– Church Society’s David Phillips takes a look at the latest numbers for the Church of England. Download the PDF file (direct link) from Church Society.
News from Oak Hill
Oak Hill College in London reports that Church History and Doctrine Lecturer Garry Williams will become Director of the John Owen Centre at London Theological Seminary in July.
And Carl Trueman (Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia) and Peter O’Brien (Moore College) will be visiting lecturers during the second semester of Oak Hill’s 2009/10 academic year. (Photo: LTS.)
‘I am an Episcopalian’
This 2 and a half minute video has been doing the rounds on various Anglican blogs this last weekend. We’re not sure if ‘funny’ is exactly the right word. It’s a spoof on a promotion currently being run by the Episcopal Church.
See it on YouTube.
Latest from Central New York
“After taking the church buildings from Church of the Good Shepherd, the Central New York Episcopal Diocese will seek Friday to take money left to the parish in a will.
The Diocese is apparently not content with the seizure of the church building, rectory and tangible property of church of the Good Shepherd: they also want the money left in trust to the parish in the will of a former member who died in 1986…”
– from the American Anglican Council.
Church of Nigeria on ACiNA
“In pursuance of this section of the Constitution, the Standing Committee of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) resolves that we are in full and abiding communion with the Anglican Church in North America. …”
– Statement from the Standing Committee of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
Gambling on Good Friday a ‘terrible desecration’
From Anglican Media Melbourne:
Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier, today described Tabcorp’s proposed move to allow gambling on Good Friday as a “terrible desecration.”
“Good Friday is a day of profound significance for many Australians because it’s the day we remember Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. Read more
Niagara to begin same-sex blessings
The Bishop of Niagara has informed the Archbishop of Canterbury that his south central Ontario diocese will begin blessing same-sex unions. Writing in the March issue of his diocesan newspaper, the Rt Rev Michael Bird said that in January he met with Dr Rowan Williams at Lambeth Palace to brief the archbishop … that it was his intention to authorize gay blessings…
– Report from George Conger at Religious Intelligence. (Photo: Diocese of Niagara.)
Dallas and Sth Carolina question process
Kendall Harmon reports that the Executive Council of the Diocese of Dallas and the Convention of the Diocese of South Carolina have questioned the ‘election’ of a single candidate, the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester, as the bishop of the Diocese of Northern Michigan.
(h/t Stand Firm.) See also Bishop-elect Forrester’s answer to critics of his Buddhist practices (pdf file – direct link). Photo: Episcopal News Service.
How to save an empty church building
Alpha’s Nicky Gumbel is the darling of the London diocese. Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, the Golden Goose of London with all its rich, young and beautiful worshippers in Knightsbridge, Kensington and countless “planted” offshoots, the Bishop of London Richard Chartres is fulsome in his praises of the merits of this evangelical stronghold. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, speaks there often.
So what has inspired the star of numerous Alpha videos to weigh in against the diocese? It is, as we report, the proposed sale of St Mark’s Mayfair to the developer of Covent Garden’s Sanctuary, to be turned into an alternative health centre.
– Ruth Gledhill at The Times writes on London Diocese’s decision to sell off a church building. (Photo: Save St Marks.)
Carson on ‘How to wait for Jesus’
Don Carson preached Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis (where John Piper serves) several weeks ago. He spoke in two sermons on ‘How to wait for Jesus’.
They are now available as mp3 downloads – direct links here – Talk 1, Talk 2. (Thanks to Desiring God.)
Another Vancouver Island parish leaves diocese
The congregation of St Matthias Anglican Church, in Victoria, British Columbia voted decisively on Sunday, March 8, to come under the episcopal oversight of Bishop Donald Harvey, Moderator of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC)… St Matthias, which is one of the largest Anglican parishes on Vancouver Island, is the 16th former Anglican Church of Canada parish and the third on Vancouver Island to join ANiC in the past 13 months … 94.4 per cent in favour of realigning with ANiC…
– news from the Anglican Network in Canada.
‘Jesus. All about life’ goes state-wide
Press release from the Bible Society of NSW:
Bible Society’s ‘Jesus. All about life’ campaign will now cover all of NSW.
‘Jesus. All about life’ is a non-denominational, advertising-based, mass-media campaign which aims to increase the general public’s awareness of the person of Jesus, and what he said ‘about life’. Read more
ACNA Provincial Assembly announced
Bishop Robert Duncan has written to the Common Cause Partnership outlining details of the first Provincial Assembly of the Anglican Church in North America. The meeting will be held June 22 – 25 at St. Vincent’s Cathedral in Bedford, Texas.
Details from the Common Cause Partnership.
New video resources coming from Sydney
“Today Anglican Media announces the arrival of a new video platform set to deliver free visual resources to Christian workers across the Diocese.
In the tradition of Southern Cross and Sydneyanglicans.net, the monthly production called SX Digital will provide news, events and resource videos aimed at assisting local churches. …”
– story from SydneyAnglicans.net. The first update is now online – with video via Vimeo and also as a 66MB mpeg4 download.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…