Unenforceable Covenant grabs centre stage
There will be no more “stick over the head sanctions” in dealing with Anglican provinces that do not toe the line over homosexual practice, said Australian Archbishop Philip Aspinall, spokesman for the 34 assembled Primates of the Anglican Communion. …
Questioned if all the Primates were taking Holy Communion together, Aspinall replied that communion was celebrated by all the primates and no one has absented themselves. “No one has made any statement that they are not participating in Holy Communion.”
However, VOL was told by a source that now that Katharine Jefferts Schori has shown up, things will be different tomorrow (Tuesday). A number of primates have said they will not take communion if she does. …
– David Virtue reports from Alexandria on the Primates’ meeting.
(Photo of Archbishop Rowan Williams in Alexandria: ACNS.)
Primates’ Meeting opens in ‘fog of confusion’
In their fourth meeting since the 2003 emergency session called by the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams to respond to the consecration of V Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, the primates appear exhausted and frustrated, unsure of their authority within the Anglican Communion and the purpose of the meeting. …
– George Conger reports at Religious Inelligence.
(Photo: George Conger.)
Anglican primates to discuss “two-tier” communion
Archbishops of the Anglican Communion worldwide will tomorrow discuss a proposal that will allow the church to remain united as one body in spite of schismatic differences over the ordination of homosexuals and the blessing of gay marriages.
Archbishops of the 38 provinces worldwide are beginning a week-long meeting in Alexandria, Egypt where they will discuss a proposal to allow Anglican churches to remain “in communion” with other provinces that refuse to sign up to a new “covenant” or unity document. …
– Ruth Gledhill at Times Online. (Photo of the Helnan Palestine Hotel, Alexandria, where the meeting is being held: George Conger.)
‘Really weird’ letter from Presiding Bishop
The Rt Revd Henry Scriven, former Assistant Bishop in the diocese of Pittsburgh, says he bears no ill-will towards the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, Dr Katharine Jefferts Schori, after she appeared to interpret his resignation from the US House of Bishops as a voluntary renunciation of his orders.
Bishop Scriven, who is British, has returned to the UK this month, where he is to be director of the South American Mission Society …
– Full story by Pat Ashworth in Church Times.
See also ‘Is The Renunciation of Orders Routine?’ from The Anglican Communion Institute. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.) Photo: Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Toronto Anglicans eyeing same-sex blessing
Toronto Anglicans will start blessing same-sex relationships within a year, the Toronto Star has learned, a move that puts local churches at the forefront of the issue but could inflame an already divisive debate within the church. …
– Story from The Toronto Star.
(Photo of Bishop Colin Johnson: Diocese of Toronto.)
“I’ll appoint women, says new bishop”
“Australia’s newest Christian leader has broken with the religious tradition in which he was raised and worked for almost 25 years, vowing to appoint women as bishops in the Anglican Church.
The Reverend Stuart Robinson, who trained at Moore College in the conservative Sydney Anglican diocese, will be consecrated as the bishop of Canberra-Goulburn in St Saviour’s Cathedral, in Goulburn, today. …”
– Story from The Sydney Morning Herald. (Photo: St. Paul’s Chatswood.)
The Good Book Company to launch in US
“The Good Book Company is a Christian resourcing agency that began in the UK and grew out of the need for attractive, quality, practical materials for gospel work, which don’t compromise on the essentials of the Christian faith. It has a particular focus on daily devotional reading, small group Bible study, outreach, discipleship and resources for youth and children.
From the 2nd February 2009, The Good Book Company will make available its full range of resources to churches and individuals in North America from its new US-based website.”
– This should be of interest to our North American readers. Their website will be online from Monday.
New England churches hear about ‘Jesus. All about life’
News from The Bible Society of NSW –
At the invitation of the Right Reverend Dr Peter Brain, Bishop of the Armidale Anglican Diocese, Karl Faase and Martin Johnson spoke this week at four meetings across the Diocese to promote interest in a regional ‘Jesus. All about life’ (JAAL) campaign. Read more
Connect09 public website online
Connect09’s public website is now online.
Please be encouraged to check it out and consider how you could use it to point others to the Lord Jesus.
Sovereign Grace sale
Bob Kauflin announces a sale at Sovereign Grace.
“Well, we figure that most of us have been affected by the present economic crisis. We want to do whatever we can to make it easier for people to benefit from what we produce. We want to serve churches and individuals by providing biblically informed, gospel-centered resources at a low cost.”
– with reduced international shipping as well, this may be of interest. (h/t BTW.)
Welsh Primate says new Province is ‘total nonsense’
The Primate of the Church in Wales will oppose any attempt to form a parallel Anglican jurisdiction when the primates of the Anglican Communion meet next week in Alexandria, Egypt. …
On Jan. 24, Archbishop Barry Morgan of Wales told delegates attending the annual council meeting of the Diocese of Virginia he would oppose the creation of the ACNA with “every fibre of his body.”
– Report from The Living Church. (Photo: The Church in Wales.)
New chair of CEEC: Interview
From the UK:
“For Anglican Evangelicals, 2008 ended badly. After a divisive consultation in November, the Church of England’s Evangelical Council (CEEC) chairman, Dr Richard Turnbull, quit, and an appropriate successor seemed hard to find. Now, after a unanimous vote by the CEEC, a new leader has been appointed to begin 2009 on a more promising note. The Venerable Michael Lawson is the Archdeacon of Hampstead. …”
– Interview with the new CEEC Chairman, Archdeacon Michael Lawson, from Religious Intelligence.
Episcopal church starting from scratch
“The mission parish was created by the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York following last month’s departure of most members of the former St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, a large, conservative congregation that had been at odds for years with the direction of the national church. …
Now Gordy has the job of trying to pick up the pieces for the Episcopal Diocese. She begins with a parish of four people and a determination to get past the past. …
Sunday, Gordy said goodbye to her current congregation, Trinity Church on Delaware Avenue, perhaps the diocese’s most theologically progressive parish…”
– Report from The Buffalo News. (See this earlier post from Oct 2008 for context.)
Canberra consecration on Saturday
Stuart Robinson will be consecrated as Bishop of the Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn at a service at 11:00am on Saturday 31st January 2009 in St. Saviour’s Cathedral, Goulburn.
North Hobart church building preserved
“The Anglican Church has agreed to pass ownership of the Holy Trinity Church building, in Hobart, to the Greek Orthodox Church thus protecting its future and ensuring the site remains used for Christian worship. …
In March of 2007 the Holy Trinity Parish Council… petitioned Bishop Harrower to close the Holy Trinity building. This was in response to a comprehensive report from an expert heritage architect which put the cost of restoration and upkeep of Holy Trinity at around $4million.”
– Press release from the Diocese of Tasmania.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…