Sydney Archbishop backs gay ban
The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen has backed a Brisbane school’s decision to turn down a request by gay students to bring male partners to a school dance.
A number of Anglican Church Grammar School’s 215 Year 12 students want to take their gay partners to their end-of-year dance on June 19. …
Report from The Australian.
St. Mary’s Metchosin aligned with majority of Anglicans
“As the minister at St. Mary of the Incarnation Church in Metchosin, I write in response to the editorial ‘When churches lose their way’ of April 8.
I too am saddened that the apparent “fighting” appears to have distracted us from our mission as a Christian church. However, the picture is a much bigger one, and the stand we have taken was a matter of being faithful. …”
Sharon Hayton is the Rector of St. Mary of the Incarnation Church in Metchosin on Vancouver Island. She writes in the Victoria B.C. Times Colonist.
See our earlier stories here. (Photo: Diocese of British Columbia.)
Bishop of North Dakota upholds Scriptures
David Ould reports on Bishop Michael Smith of North Dakota and the lesbian priest.
Bishop Smith has written a letter “to the people of God in the Diocese of North Dakota” explaining why he will not be cowed –
For the second time in three weeks a priest of the church has gone to the secular news media with a protest about my policy and expectations for the sexual behavior of clergy in this diocese: “Faithfulness for those called to marriage and abstinence from sexual relationships for those not called to marriage.”
Read about it at Stand Firm. (Photo: Diocese of North Dakota.)
Changes at Willow Creek?
“Willow Creek Repents” was one headline last year when the results of a comprehensive survey prompted discussion of major changes to the ‘Seeker sensitive’ focus of Willow Creek. Managing editor of Leadership magazine, Skye Jethani, reports on some of the changes taking place at one of North America’s largest churches –
“Anonymity is not the driving value for seeker services anymore,” says [executive pastor Greg] Hawkins. “We’ve taken anonymity and shot it in the head. It’s dead. Gone.” In the past Willow believed that seekers didn’t want large doses of the Bible or deep worship music. They didn’t want to be challenged. Now their seeker-sensitive services are loaded with worship music, prayer, Scripture readings, and more challenging teaching from the Bible. …
Read the Out of Ur blog from Christianity Today. (Bill Hybels photo: Willow Creek.)
Statement from Archbishop of Sydney on the protocols regarding women bishops in Australia
As reported previously, protocols regarding women bishops in Australia were discussed at this week’s Bishops’ Conference in Newcastle. The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Peter Jensen, has responded in these words –
“I’m pleased that there has been considerable goodwill during the formation of these protocols. Action was needed to protect the consciences of those who believe, as we do, that the consecration of women bishops is against biblical teaching. There are strongly-held convictions which separate us but we have endeavoured to find a way forward with courtesy and respect.”
Anglican leaders agree to protocol on women bishops
Australia’s Anglican leaders have taken another step towards women bishops, agreeing on a protocol to deal with the contentious issue.
The move, which came out of this week’s Anglican bishops’ conference in the NSW city of Newcastle, followed last year’s ruling by the church’s peak law body that there were no legal hurdles to women becoming bishops. …
It is expected parishes that disagree with oversight from a female bishop would be able to receive some form of alternative oversight from a male bishop, either in the same region or a neighbouring diocese.
– from The West Australian. (Photo of Archbishop Phillip Aspinall: Diocese of Brisbane.)
‘Admit your sins to the Lord, priest tells gay judge’
“A senior minister of a Sydney Anglican parish has made an extraordinary attack on the High Court judge Michael Kirby, warning he would face the wrath of God if he remained unrepentant as a gay man. Read more
Rio Grande church leaves
The Trustees and the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande were informed on Friday, April 4, 2008 that clergy and congregants of the mission Church of Ascension, Cloudcroft, New Mexico had been received into the Anglican Province of Uganda. … The current congregation will vacate the premises and re-locate within the week.…
Conversations were respectful, cordial and acknowledged respective positions.
– from the Diocese of Rio Grande. (Photo: Dio. Rio Grande.)
‘I am beside myself with grief’
Bishop Keith L Ackerman, Bishop of Quincy in western Illinois, responds to the inhibition, by Katherine Jefferts Schori, of his 80 year old retired predecessor, Bishop Edward MacBurney.
“I am beside myself with grief over this unnecessary action taken against my predecessor especially at a time when he is mourning the death of his son this past Friday. Read more
Priest tells horror story of abandonment
When [the Rev. Harald Haugan] retired in 1999, he left behind a thriving congregation, one of the largest in the diocese. He was 67 then. Now he’s 76, a survivor of heart and other surgeries, but still, until the first of this year, vigorously involved with three unattached groups doing Bible studies and Communion. …
When he saw his name among those officially deposed by the liberal Bishop of Florida, the Rt. Rev John Howard, this week, the pain of it all came back to him with a rush. …
Story from VirtueOnline.
Former church buildings await new lives
Episcopal Church officials have decided not to start a new congregation in the buildings of a former Episcopalian parish in Vestal (New York state). Instead, the church building, community center, and house where the rector and family had lived – all in residential neighborhoods – are listed for sale.
The former St. Andrew’s – which vacated its buildings after leaving the Episcopal denomination last year and uniting with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America – is one of at least seven churches for sale in Broome and Tioga counties. …
Story from Press & Sun-Bulletin.
Archbishop Greg Venables visits Recife
Between March 27 and April 1, Archbishop of the Southern Cone, Greg Venables, visited the Diocese of Recife in Brazil.
You may recall that the Diocese sought episcopal oversight from Archbishop Venables after moves to depose the bishop by the TEC-friendly Primate of Brazil. (See, for example, this item from 2004.)
The Diocese of Recife has now posted some photos of the visit on its website.
Bishop of Florida deposes 22 ministers
The Bishop of Florida, the Rt. Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard formally fired 22 priests from the Diocese of Florida on March 25, the largest single group of priests to be deposed in the history of the Episcopal Church at one time. …”
Story from VirtueOnline. (Photo: Diocese of Florida.)
(Many of the clergy have already associated with other Anglican groups.)
Diocese of British Columbia changes locks
On Saturday, this news was posted on the Diocese of British Columbia website:
The Anglican Diocese of British Columbia… has asserted its ownership of buildings at 4125 Metchosin Road, in the District of Metchosin, by securing the property with a change of locks and the installation of a monitored alarm system. … (Full press release here – PDF.)
According to LC.net/Canada, a judge of the British Columbia Supreme Court, has now ordered the Diocese to allow the people back into their building in time for Sunday services.
For background, see our earlier stories. (Photo: Bishop Don Harvey of the Anglican Network in Canada with Sharon Hayton and Andrew Hewlett of St Mary of the Incarnation.)
Oprah and the New Age
Influential US celebrity Oprah Winfrey is currently hosting online classes in New Age spirituality with ‘spiritual teacher’ Eckhart Tolle as she promotes his book ‘A New Earth’.
Reportedly huge numbers of people are watching and hearing these New Age messages. Doubtless, many Australians will also be hearing this teaching.
A number of groups have posted online clips to give an idea of what is being taught. This video on YouTube is one – and Thabiti Anyabwile has these helpful comments.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…