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.
Something missing?
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada has published a book of Lenten Studies with a brief comment on a Bible passage for each day.
The comments illustrate a liberal approach to the Bible. Here are some excerpts – see if you can spot what’s missing – Read more
Free online access to the ESV Study Bible (for a month)
Here’s a press release from Crossway:
“Crossway is pleased to make the ESV Online Study Bible available free—for anyone and everyone—for a limited time beginning today, March 2, 2009. Until now, the ESV Online Study Bible has been available exclusively to those who have purchased the print edition.”
– Details at the ESVSB Blog.
Northern Michigan Elects ‘Christian-Buddhist’ Bishop
News from last week:
The Diocese of Northern Michigan elected the Rev. Kevin Thew Forrester as bishop Feb. 21 at a special diocesan convention. … The announcement of Fr. Forrester’s nomination sparked controversy last month because he is also a practicing Buddhist and said he had received Buddhist “lay ordination” and was “walking the path of Christianity and Zen Buddhism together.” …
– from The Living Church. Other details from the Diocese of Northern Michigan. (Photo: Episcopal News Service.)
Apologies
Our apologies for lack of news on the ACL website last week – our web hosting company had misconfigured things. We’re back now.
Give no assistance or encouragement
This Memorandum has been sent to clergy in the Diocese of New Westminster:
Memorandum
To: Diocesan Clergy, Members of Diocesan Council
From: Bishop Michael Ingham
Date: February 19, 2009
Subject: New Activities of the Network
Dear Friends in Christ:
Throughout the centuries, Anglicanism has held together evangelicals, liberals, and anglo-catholics in a single church. Such is our ethos and mysterium. Read more
Launch of church planting network
“Last night Al Stewart, Andrew Heard and Steve Chong cast a bold vision to create a new Australian church planting network. … There was a great buzz as 170 crowded into a room at the Wesley Centre.… People came who are already part of Christian networks — RICE, FIEC, Presbyterian churches, Baptist Churches, Church Army, Anglican Churches and others.”
– Michael Kellahan blogs about the meeting last night. (Photo courtesy of Michael’s blog.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…