To provide up-to-date news on the Anglican Communion
To further biblical orthodoxy in the Anglican Church
To support biblically orthodox parishes and individuals
To facilitate parishes in making staff appointments
To gather research on church life and mission
7/2/10,
Muslim face veils: religious right, or security risk?... »»
By Angela Shanahan, Mercartornet
In an opening article on this issue an Australian journalist says veils are a security risk in the West and should be banned in public.
The reports that a French parliamentary committee wants to ban the full face veil in certain circumstances has caused outrage among not only Muslims , but some respected Christian commentators as well. As an opinion writer who has closely followed issues of human rights and freedom of religion for The Australian newspaper, I too received a flurry of emails when the news broke.
One friend and colleague — the editor of Mercatornet, actually – seeking my opinion expressed his own: “To me, it seems crazy, a violation of freedoms, a victory for a certain brand of feminism, etc. But obviously, many respectable people take a different approach.”
Well, I am one of the “respectable” people to whom he refers (I hope). I do not agree with the wearing of a full face and body veil in the West. In these insecure times there are good reasons for banning it in government offices.
I do not see this as a feminist issue. I do not see this as religious issue, despite the intervention of the Catholic church which has wrongly compared it to freedom for Christians in Muslim nations, most of which do not allow Christians any freedom to wear any symbols or practice their faith at all. No rather, this is a political issue.
None of them is original. But every one is revolutionary. None of them came from me. But all of them came to me with sudden force and fire: the "aha!" experience, the "eureka!" experience. They were all realizations, not just beliefs.
1. There Is Only "One Thing Necessary."
The first happened when I was about six or seven, I think. It was the first important conscious discovery I ever made, and I don't think I have ever had a more mature or wiser thought than that one. I remember to this day exactly where I was when it hit me: riding north on Haledon Avenue between Sixth and Seventh Streets in Paterson, New Jersey after Sunday morning church with my parents. Isn't it remarkable how we remember exactly where we were when great events happen that change our lives?
Reflections on the inadequacy of the Proposed Anglican Communion Covenant and what might be done to address it
This writer believes that the proposed Anglican Covenant is flawed, and too weak to meet the needs of worldwide Anglicanism.
In Scripture we are exhorted to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the Church; this requires effort, clarity and discipline. I will lift up a few of the paragraphs of the proposed Covenant and then make a comment on them in order to illustrate and present my concerns.
If this proposed Covenant were strengthened and simplified, it could become a workable covenant for the Anglican Communion. I will indicate how this might be done. In its' present form it is inadequate and would only do more harm than good.
7/2/10,
WITHOUT CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP MINISTERS ARE SUGAR-DADDIES... »»
By Julian Mann
A straight economic question to start with: what would be the saving to the UK tax payer if everybody decided only to have children with the person they were married to? Presumably, many billions of pounds.
Would any mainstream politician in the UK dare to do the sums? You know the answer.
One of the major social disasters resulting from the marginalisation of biblical Christianity in our country is the loss of the idea of ‘stewardship’. According to this biblical conception, the world is God’s and He gives us resources to use to His glory and our wellbeing. Within the providential ordering of God’s creation, we must respect the resources God has given to other people, hence the command not to steal.
How did this idea of stewardship impact on the governance of Christian Britain? It meant that ministers, a title for servants of the Crown that itself derives from the English Bible, saw themselves as stewards of the money raised from the working population through taxes. Yes, the Monarch’s subjects had a responsibility to pay tax to the State as Christ and his Apostles taught (see Matthew 22v15-22; Romans 13v1-7), but ministers saw themselves as secondary stewards of the resources raised through tax.
7/2/10,
Anglicans going to Rome are not ?proper Catholics?... »»
By William Crawley, BBC
The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, says those Anglicans who respond to Pope Benedict's invitation to join the Catholic Church under the provisions of the new Apostolic Constitution, would not be "proper Catholics". You can listen to the interview in full on this week's Sunday Sequence (Sunday, from 8.30am).
In the same interview, Dr Sentamu also called for the banning of the British National Party and says he is "surprised that Parliament doesn't want to do it." He also says he has "every hope" that [Robert] Mugabe will be gone very soon."
Here's part of the exchange I had with Dr Sentamu on this week's Sunday Sequence:
Archbishop Sentamu: "If people genuinely realise that they want to be Roman Catholic, they should convert properly, and go through catechesis and be made proper Catholics. This kind of creation [the Apostolic Constitution] — well, all I can say is, we wish them every blessing and may the Lord encourage them. But as far as I am concerned, if I was really, genuinely wanting to convert, I wouldn't go into an Ordinariate. I would actually go into catechesis and become a truly converted Roman Catholic and be accepted."
William Crawley: "So those Anglicans who take advantage of the Apostolic Constitution, you're saying, would not be 'proper Catholics'?"
(Clip) What was Synod’s decision to ban clergy from the BNP all about? I am not suggesting that support of this ludicrous party is not at odds with orthodox faith – it is. What I am questioning is the reason Synod felt a need to underline it? After all, how many clergy did it actually affect? Less than the fingers on one hand, I am willing to bet.
Was this was the House of Bishops and General Synod, whose authority has been so compromised by an inability to deal with the thorny matters of women’s ordination and the homosexual issue, clutching at straws to demonstrate unity/power? For one thing seems certain – it is bizarre to enforce this action that will bear little fruit when so much needs sorting within the communion.
If the exercise was only pointless we could end this article now. A cheap laugh could be had at the expense of bishops and synods, but no harm done. But I fear its not that simple. This strange decision has actually opened Pandora’s box and could have far reaching implications on future decisions. Let us examine just a few.
For starters a dangerous precedent has been set. If we are now legislating against certain political parties- what of others equally abrasive to the faith? I for one cannot stomach certain strands of socialism- which are almost always atheistic, anti-Christian (especially anti-Catholic), secularist and embracing of the murderous act of abortion. Certainly Harriet Harmon and her cronies are no friends of Jesus…so do we ban labour today? Cameron has also stated publically a desire to change church teaching- so is it out with the Tories? And why has Synod not banned Marxism too? Surely socialism has been a graver threat to faith in our time than the feeble minded bigots who make up the BNP? If we are going to ban political parties, where do we draw the line?
6/2/10,
Church of England is ?living in the past?, says BBC?s head of... »»
By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Telegraph
The BBC's head of religion has accused the Church of England of "living in the past" and said that the corporation should not give Christianity preferential treatment.
Aaqil Ahmed, a controversial executive whose appointment last year prompted more than 100 complaints, said: "I think all the faiths should be treated in the same way. I don't believe in treating any faith differently."
He dismissed claims that the BBC was marginalising religion as overly simplistic and argued that Christianity, in particular, was already covered well on television.
His comments come on the eve of a debate at the General Synod, the Church's parliament, over the BBC's treatment of Christianity.
There has been growing concern at top levels of the Church over the corporation's approach to religion, with warnings that it must not ignore its Christian audience.
Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, met last year with Mark Thompson, the BBC's director-general, to discuss religious broadcasting.
Bishops, clergy and lay members of the General Synod will vote this week on a motion calling on the state broadcaster to explain why its television coverage of Christianity has declined so steeply in recent years.
Output has fallen from 177 hours of religious programming on BBC television in 1987/88 to 155 hours in 2007/08 – a period during which the overall volume of programming has doubled.
However, in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Ahmed, an award-winning programme-maker, said that the Church's criticisms were too simplistic.
"I don't believe that we should be basing the debate on 20-year-old figures, the conversation is far more complicated than that," he said.
"It's very easy to live in the past, but we live in the present. In a few years' time the way we're going to view television will change radically, so the conversation will become even more redundant.
"We'll listen to what they say, but we're clear that we know what we're doing and we'll stick to that."
Church leaders have been particularly criticial of the dearth of religious programmes shown on BBC television at Easter, with the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, the Bishop of Manchester, accusing the corporation of "overlooking" Good Friday.
This newspaper article brings about a lot of emotions. Sympathy for the victims, regret that someone in trust would do this are just a few.
"A former rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Owego has been arrested by Pennsylvania State Police after he was accused of having oral sex with a boy.
Ralph E. Johnson, 82, was arraigned in Clifford, Pa., on 15 counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, a felony; 15 counts of indecent assault, a misdemeanor; and 15 counts of corruption of minors, a misdemeanor, according to a police report."
Then you get to this part. Whole new set of emotions for me. How about you?
"Diocesan officials in Syracuse could not be reached Friday night. The Rev. David G. Bollinger, rector of the church from 1985 to 2005, said he alerted diocesan officials in Syracuse after receiving complaints of Johnson's alleged misconduct, but Bishop Gladstone B. Adams rebuffed him.He basically told me this would no longer be discussed," Bollinger said Friday.
Bollinger, who retired in 2006 after a year-long sabbatical, said he was punished by the church for being a whistleblower."
The Church of England is set for a new row over homosexuality with bishops divided over moves to recognise a breakaway movement in the US.
Leading conservative clergy have declared their support for a motion at this week's General Synod which would ally the Church with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).
This was formed in opposition to the consecration of Gene Robinson, the first openly homosexual bishop, and the actions of liberals in the Episcopal Church of the US, which is the official Anglican body.
However, the House of Bishops has tabled an amendment to the Synod motion which would seek to defuse the issue by postponing a decision until next year.
The Rt Rev Nicholas Reade, Bishop of Blackburn, is opposed to the stance taken by his colleagues. He said: "I am hoping for a sign of early support for ACNA, not a report coming back to Synod by the end of 2011."
The Rt Rev Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes, a fundamentalist on the Church's evangelical wing, said: "It seems to me that the House of Bishops' motion is just needlessly undermining, delaying and prevaricating."
The original motion, put down by Lorna Ashworth, an evangelical from the Chichester diocese, comes after the Episcopal Church elected a homosexual priest, Mary Glasspool, to be a suffragan bishop in the Los Angeles diocese.
6/2/10,
Queen?s adviser met archbishop privately... »»
By Mark Greaves and Edward Pentin, Catholic Herald
The Queen sent her senior adviser to talk privately to Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster about the Pope's new provision for Anglicans, it has emerged.
Earl Peel, the Lord Chamberlain, met Archbishop Nichols in November following media coverage that portrayed the Pope's move as an attempt to "poach" Anglicans.
According to an unnamed source, the Queen was "unhappy" about some aspects of the scheme, which would allow groups of Anglicans to enter into full communion with Rome while retaining aspects of their Anglican heritage.
A spokesman for the Archbishop said it was "a very successful meeting and mutually beneficial", adding: "It gave the Archbishop the opportunity to correct some of the misunderstandings about the Apostolic Constitution created by misreporting in the media."
The decision to send the Lord Chamberlain rather than the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has been interpreted by some as a breach of protocol.
But Archbishop Nichols, at a press conference in Rome, said the Lord Chamberlain "wanted to get his mind around it" and that the Queen had not been upset.
Plans to force home-schooling families to register their children with local authorities are “not a good use of public money”, according to a member of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board.
Councillor David Simmonds made the admission to a Parliamentary Committee when challenged by Graham Stuart MP about the cost of implementing a regulatory framework.
A Christian supply teacher who was sacked for offering to pray for a sick pupil during a home tutoring visit has been told by her employer that she can return to work.
Olive Jones has been offered an opportunity to return to her position after her employer, North Somerset Council, acknowledged that it can be appropriate for a teacher to offer to share their faith with a pupil or their family.
We must ignore the celebrity campaigns and instead listen to the voices of disabled people and the silent majority on assisted suicide, the Archbishop of York has said.
Dr John Sentamu was responding to publicity surrounding two opinion polls on assisted suicide and a call by Sir Terry Pratchett to legalise the practice.
Ugandan Christian minister Martin Ssempa has issued a strong rebuttal to President Obama's criticism of his country for considering passage of a law to discourage and punish certain homosexual practices. "Sodomy is neither the change we want nor can believe in," says Ssempa, who runs the Family Policy and Human Rights Center in Uganda.
Ssempa, a major player in the country's successful anti-AIDS program, says that Obama has an "obsession with the spread of sodomy in Africa," in contrast to the efforts of the George W. Bush Administration to help Uganda resist the dangerous sexual practices which facilitate the spread of the deadly disease. The Ugandan anti-AIDS program has emphasized abstinence and monogamy.
Ssempa's website declares, "HIV/AIDS is not an allergy. It is not a gay disease. It is not a badge of honor. It is a cold-blooded, indiscriminating killer that can only be stopped by a proven solution–abstinence until marriage and faithfulness within marriage."
6/2/10,
Pope Benedict XVI criticises ?tide of secularism? in UK and support... »»
By Martin Beckford, Telegraph
Pope Benedict XVI has criticised the “increasing tide of secularism” in Britain, in his second comments on the country in a week.
The pontiff condemned support for euthanasia, which he said goes directly against the Christian understanding of the dignity of human life, and recent developments in embryo research.
He also said that too many people see the Roman Catholic Church in terms of “prohibitions and retrograde positions” but ignore its positive vision of the world.
The pope added that faith schools are a “powerful force” for improving society.
It comes just days after Benedict XVI made an unprecedented attack on Labour’s “unjust” equality laws, claiming that they restricted religious freedom.
He made his earlier intervention in politics, which triggered protests from MPs and campaigners, when he met 35 bishops from England and Wales on Monday.
On Friday the pope addressed Scotland’s Catholic bishops at the Vatican, where they had made the five-yearly “ad limina” pilgrimage.
Benedict XVI confirmed that he would journey to Scotland as part of the historic first papal state visit to Britain.
A few days ago, Professor Richard Dawkins published a swingeing attack on Christians for their attitude towards disasters in general and the Haitian earthquake in particular. At the end of his article, he added a link to a website for “Non-Believers Giving Aid”, a coalition for “freethought groups or associates, to collect donations to non-religious relief organizations”.
As something of a thought experiment, I decided to see if, from (as far as possible) an entirely atheist perspective, this was actually itself a strictly rational response to the situation. In it, I suggested that there is a degree of unwarranted ‘anthropomorphising’ in Professor Dawkins’ language and a strong element of anthropocentrism in his world view.
6/2/10,
Labour has erased God from political life, warns Bishop of Durham... »»
By Ruth Gledhill, Timesonline
A senior Church of England bishop has condemned the Labour Government for forcing God out of politics.
The Bishop of Durham, Dr Tom Wright, the fourth-most-senior in the church hierarchy, warned that the British public had been left to “lurch in a sea of amoralism”. The Prime Minister had become akin to an “absolute monarch” with little or no accountability, he added.
Dr Wright, who grew up in Northumberland and witnessed the devastating effects of coalmine closures, said that the decline began under Margaret Thatcher but under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had reached the point where “something is dangerously wrong with our system”.
He was speaking as Pope Benedict XVI urged Scotland’s Roman Catholic bishops to “grapple firmly with the challenges presented by the increasing tide of secularism in your country”.
One of the nation’s most respected cancer doctors has warned that the current debate surrounding euthanasia has become “greatly exaggerated”, and that there is actually “very little desire” for it.
Professor Karol Sikora’s comments, written in the Daily Mail, come in the wake of a series of high profile stories about assisted suicide in the media.
1/2/10,
Archbishop of Canterbury's statement on Bishop Mouneer's resignation... »»
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, today expressed his regret at the decision of the Most Revd Dr Mouneer Anis, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of Africa, and President Bishop of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, to resign from the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion:
28/1/10,
"We are desperate but strong in faith"... »»
These are the words of Bishop Jean Zache Duracin of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti two weeks after the earthquake which has become known simply as 'La Catastrophe'. In his reflections posted on the website of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti Bishop Duracin describes the devastation and present living conditions, and his own diocese's outreach to thousands of people who have been made homeless, including childran and disabled people, and many who are wounded..
28/1/10,
'The Bible in the Life of the Church' project launched by the... »»
‘The Bible in the Life of the Church’ is a major project being undertaken over three years by the Anglican Communion, mandated by the Anglican Consultative Council at its Jamaica meeting in May 2009. It is seeking to discover how Anglican Christians read the Bible, recognising the very diverse contexts we inevitably bring to this reading. With the support of the Anglican Communion Department of Theological Studies, the work of this Bible project will largely take place in a number of Regional Groups based around theological education institutions in Kenya, Southern Africa, South East Asia, Oceania, North America and Britain.
22/1/10,
Aftershock rocks Haiti: Diocese expands its recovery role... »»
As a major aftershock rocked the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and Léogâne, more news emerged Jan. 20 about the growing role of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti in the country's short-term relief efforts and long-term recovery. The news included reports of babies being born and the loss of more people served by the diocese.
15/1/10,
Archbishop of Canterbury's message of support for the victims of the... »»
The Archbishop of Canterbury has given a message of support to the people of Haiti affected by the devastation caused by Tuesday's earthquake..."I am profoundly shocked and concerned to hear about the devastating earthquake in Haiti. As the news comes through, we are learning more about the tragic loss of life, injury suffered and terrible damage to the country.
25/12/09,
Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas sermon at Canterbury Cathedral... »»
This morning’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews begins with the boldest and most unambiguous statement possible of what’s new and different about Christmas. God has always been communicating with humanity, in any number of ways; but what we need from God is more than just information. The climax of the story is the sending of a Son: when all has been said and done on the level of information what still needs to be made clear to us is that the point of it all is relationship.
18/12/09,
From the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion... »»
The following resolution was passed by the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion meeting in London on 15-18 December, and approved for public distribution.
8/12/09,
Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity Faith and Order... »»
Grateful for the gracious guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order held its first meeting in Canterbury, England from 1 to 8 December 2009. The Commission has been established by the Lambeth Conference, the Primates’ Meeting, and the Anglican Consultative Council.
6/12/09,
Archbishop of Canterbury's Statement on Los Angeles Episcopal... »»
The election of Mary Glasspool by the Diocese of Los Angeles as suffragan bishop elect raises very serious questions not just for the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole.
1/12/09,
Archbishop of Canterbury's World AIDS Day Message 'A space for hope'... »»
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has released his 2009 World Aids Day video, in which he speaks with the Revd Patricia Sawo, a church leader and mother from Kenya, about her experiences of living with HIV. The video highlights the plight of expectant mothers who are HIV positive and the support they need to prevent the transmission of HIV to their babies.
4:00AM Saturday Apr 25, 2009 - NZ Herald
Jacqueline Smith
The Anglican Church has weighed into the fight to save a private girls' school in Auckland.
The Bishop of Auckland, John Paterson, said the church was "alarmed" by the decision of the Corran School board to merge with St Kentigern and is considering alternative proposals to maintain its connection with the school.
Bishop Paterson said the diocese was not warned of the proposal before it was made public, and had been trying to meet the Corran trust board to discuss the matter. A meeting is scheduled for next week.
Corran has been aligned to the Anglican Church for more than 50 years.
Bishop Paterson said the diocese had a good relationship with the school, and Corran girls have a weekly chapel service in St Aidan's Church on Remuera Rd.
"Corran has an established identity as an Anglican school and the diocese would want to maintain that connection should that opportunity still be available."
The diocese had been "considering what alternative proposals might be available" since the board announced the merger, he said.
Parents, teachers and the public learned of the Corran board's decision to merge with St Kentigern via emails and press releases sent out by the school on April 6.
This week, parents employed Deborah Collings, QC, to examine the school's trust deed and find out whether there was a case to take out a court injunction.
(1) the deposition of Bishop Bob Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh in The Episcopal Church, by the assembled bishops of that church, on 18 September 2008;
(2) the good standing and high reputation Bishop Bob Duncan has as an orthodox Anglican bishop, as represented by statements of support being expressed in recent days by the Archbishops of Sydney, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Cone, West Indies, Kenya, Jerusalem and the Middle East, Singapore, numerous bishops within The Episcopal Church itself, and the Bishops of Winchester, Rochester, Chester, Exeter, Blackburn and Chichester;
(3) various developments in The Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Church of Canada in recent years which place increasing pressure on faithful orthodox Anglicans to conform to changes in theology, liturgy and ethics rather than to uphold and maintain the 2000 year old teaching of the church;
offers its support to Bishop Bob Duncan, to the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and to all bishops and dioceses in The Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Church of Canada as they seek to find a way forward which embodies the true spirit of orthodox Anglicanism.
That this Synod,
noting the holding of the decennial Lambeth Conference in July/August 2008 and the presence of Bishop Richard and Hilary Ellena at the Conference:
(a) welcomes Bishop Richard and Hilary back to the Diocese, and expresses its gratitude for their participation in the conference
(b) encourages Bishop Richard and Hilary to report on the conference in a variety of ways to the parishes of the Diocese
(c) receives the following statement made by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the course of his Final Presidential Address to the Lambeth Conference:
“The Resolution of Lambeth '98 was an attempt to say both 'We need understanding and shared discernment on a hugely complex topic,' and 'We as the bishops in council together are not persuaded that the new thoughts offered to us can be reconciled with our shared loyalty to Scripture.' Perhaps we should read that Resolution — forgetting for a moment the bitterness and confusion around the debate and acknowledging that it remains where our Communion as a global community stands — as an attempt to define what a healthy Church might need — space for study and free discussion without pressure, pastoral patience and respect, unwillingness to change what has been received in faith from Scripture and tradition. And this is not by any means to say that a traditional understanding and a new one are just two equal options, like items on the supermarket shelf: the practice and public language of the Church act always as a reminder that the onus of proof is on those who seek a new understanding.”
That this Synod,
acknowledging continuing developments in the Anglican Communion in response to issues on biblical orthodoxy:
(a) notes the holding of the Global Anglican Future Conference in Jerusalem in June 2008
(b) receives the final statement of the conference which includes within it the Jerusalem Declaration (appended to the motion)
(c) commends the statement to the Diocese for general study and reflection
(d) confirms the Diocese of Nelson upholds the orthodox faith and practice of the Anglican Church as represented in the Jerusalem Declaration and continues to look for ways to be in relationship with those represented at GAFCON
VOLUNTEERS from churches and the community in Manukau are waiting to see if their attempts to cook the largest bowl of soup in the world have been successful. Some 25,200 litres of vegetable soup were cooked, starting on the night of August 22 and ending on the morning of the 23rd, in a tank at Lion Nathan Breweries.
However, it won’t be for another four months that the organisers will know for sure whether the world record for the largest bowl of soup ever cooked belongs to Manukau. The idea for the marathon cook-up came from 34-year-old Guinness Book record-breaker and Aucklander Alastair Galpin, whose most recent record was for sticking the most rhinestones on his body.
Mr Galpin partnered with St Elisabeth’s Anglican Church vicar, The Rev Mark Beale, for the project. Mr Galpin said he joined with the church to organise the event to help lift the spirits of the people living in Manukau City. “There’s been a lot of negative press about Manukau lately so we want to give our community something to smile about,” said Mr Beale. And smile they did.
By Angela Shanahan, Mercartornet
By William Crawley, BBC
By 
By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Telegraph
By Mark Greaves and Edward Pentin, Catholic Herald
From The Ugley Vicar
By Ruth Gledhill, Timesonline
