Bishop Iker: TEC HOB is ‘Toxic Environment’
Posted on March 1, 2008
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… Bishop Iker described the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church as a “toxic environment,” and said he will not be attending the meeting at Camp Allen March 7-16.
“In recent years I have increasingly dreaded the thought of attending another meeting of the House of Bishops of TEC,” he said. “For me, the small-group table discussions are places of hostile confrontation, not support and affirmation.” …
Report from The Living Church. (Photo: Diocese of Fort Worth.)
Parishes Grateful for Interim Court Order
Posted on March 1, 2008
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A judge in the Ontario Superior Court in Hamilton, Mr. Justice James Ramsay, has ruled today that, for the next couple of weeks, the Anglican Network in Canada parishes of St George’s Lowville and St Hilda’s Oakville can retain exclusive use of their church facilities. …
– from a press release from Anglican Essentials Canada.
Diocese of Niagara: ‘Negotiations in vain’
Posted on March 1, 2008
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“The Diocese of Niagara and two breakaway parishes represented by The Network entered into good faith negotiations Tuesday to reach an agreement on temporarily sharing two local Churches, St. Hilda’s in Oakville and St. George’s in Lowville, however, no agreement could be reached specifically on the issue of shared services.
The matter will now be resolved in a court hearing tomorrow…”
– Press release from the Diocese of Niagara. (Photo: Bishop Ralph Spence of Niagara.)
Obama: I will work to grant legal benefits of marriage to gay couples
Posted on March 1, 2008
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Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama sought the support of voters in the homosexual community Feb. 28, telling them in a letter that if elected president he would work to pass laws important to that constituency and would use the “bully pulpit” to urge states to grant same-sex couples the legal benefits of marriage. …
Full story from Baptist Press. (US President Theodore Roosevelt referred to the White House as a ‘bully [i.e. wonderful] pulpit’ meaning a great platform from which to push an agenda.)
Bishop Howe: Briefing for TEC Bishops
Posted on February 29, 2008
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The House of Bishops will receive an informal presentation on the “Anglican Bishops in Communion” proposal that was shared with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori during a 50-minute meeting on Feb. 21 at the Episcopal Church Center. The House of Bishops meets March 7-13 at Camp Allen in the Diocese of Texas.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori expressed no objections to the plan during the meeting… The Bishops in Communion plan is a modified version of the “Episcopal Visitor” concept announced by Bishop Jefferts Schori during the fall House of Bishops’ meeting in New Orleans. …
Read about the new proposal, which seems unlikely to be warmly received by many orthodox parishes, in The Living Church. (See also this earlier report.)
(Photo: Bishop John Howe of the Diocese of Central Florida.)
New Colin Buchanan Kids CD
Posted on February 29, 2008
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Australian Christian singer Colin Buchanan has announced a new kids Christian album – “Super Saviour” – to be available in March.
Details and an mp3 preview are available on his website.
Relations with Rome
Posted on February 29, 2008
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David Phillips, General Secretary of Church Society, has written a 3 page critique of ARCIC and IARCCUM.
“When was the last time you praised and blessed Mary as the handmaid of the Lord? According to the ARCIC report on Mary it is something Scripture leads us to do. …”
Published in Crossway earlier this year, it is now available on the Church Society website. (120kb PDF file.)
‘It’s a tragedy for the Church’ – Archbishop Venables
Posted on February 28, 2008
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Archbishop of the Southern Cone, Gregory Venables was interviewed on CBC Radio in Canada earlier this week.
It’s very very sad that it should come to this, it’s a tragedy for the church, for the church in Canada and for the church throughout the world – but it shows how serious the division is.
We are grateful for this transcript of the interview (the audio is available here in RealAudio format). Questions are from CBC’s The Current presenter Anna Maria Tremonti – Read more
‘More San Joaquin congregations opt to remain’ says Episcopal Church
Posted on February 28, 2008
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A growing number of Episcopalians in the Diocese of San Joaquin are opting to remain within the Episcopal Church (TEC), as the Fresno-based diocese prepares for an anticipated March 29 special convention that would elect a provisional bishop.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, in a letter to be distributed via a new diocesan newspaper, notes the proposed convention date and reassures the people of the diocese that work is ongoing “to ensure that you and your fellow Episcopalians may continue to bless the communities around you well into the future.” …
Story from Episcopal Life.
Two New West parishes ask for same sex blessings
Posted on February 28, 2008
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Two parishes in the Diocese of New Westminster have voted to ask to be added to the list of places where same sex blessings may take place.
St. Mary’s Kerrisdale in Vancouver, and the Church of the Holy Spirit in Whonnock, Maple Ridge, by large margins voted to ask Bishop Michael Ingham to grant his permission for the parish to conduct services for persons in committed, monogamous same sex relationships. …
Full press release from the Diocese of New Westminster.
Archbishop Venables to visit Fort Worth
Posted on February 28, 2008
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Archbishop Gregory Venables, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, has accepted an invitation from Bishop Iker to make a pastoral visit to the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth during the first weekend of May. He will be accompanied by his wife, Sylvia. Read more
Fathers and Sons
Posted on February 28, 2008
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Os Guinness seeks to set the record straight about Francis and Edith Schaeffer by critiquing Frank Schaeffer’s book ‘Crazy for God’ –
“I have never met anyone anywhere like Francis Schaeffer, who took God so passionately seriously, people so passionately seriously, and truth so passionately seriously. The combination was dynamite … The idea that such a man was ‘crazy for God,’ let alone a two-faced con man, is and will always be utterly anathema to me. I was there. I saw otherwise, and I and many of my friends have been marked for life. …”
The review is available in Books & Culture at ChristianityToday.com.
Thinking about what we do in church (ii)
Posted on February 27, 2008
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‘Back to the Basics of Reformed Worship’
This article, by Jon Payne, was written to encourage Reformed churches to think about what they do in Sunday church.
While the historical background of Anglican Churches is a little different, there’s much to reflect on in this brief essay – from Reformation21.
Thinking about what we do in church (i)
Posted on February 27, 2008
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In an age when many Anglican churches make little use of the Prayer Book, careful thinking about what should happen during a Sunday gathering is more important than ever.
In an interview on the Nine Marks website, Mark Dever (Capitol Hill Baptist Church) speaks on “the Use and Importance of Corporate Prayer”.
This interview provides food for thought for all involved in leading public worship.
Two new bishops in Tasmania
Posted on February 26, 2008
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Former Sydneysider and Moore College graduate Ross Nicholson is one of two new bishops consecrated at St. David’s Cathedral in Hobart this evening. Ross served on the ACL’s Council and was a clerical Vice-President in the early 1990s. Please pray for Ross as he serves the Lord Jesus in this new role.
See the press release from the Diocese of Tasmania.
(Photo: Diocese of Tasmania.)
Photos of the service have been posted here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…