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To provide up-to-date news on the Anglican Communion
To further biblical orthodoxy in the Anglican Church
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13/4/12,
University to have alcohol-free areas for Muslims... »»
By John Bingham, Telegraph
A university Vice-Chancellor is planning to ban the sale of alcohol in parts of the campus because some Muslim students believe it is "evil" and "immoral".
Prof Malcolm Gillies of London Metropolitan University said he wants to create alcohol free areas on campus out of “cultural sensitivity”.
About a fifth of students at the university come from Muslim families – many of them young women from traditional homes.
For many of them, the drinking culture among students marred rather than heightened their student experience, he said.
Prof Gillies, an eminent Australian music scholar, said that he was consulting with staff and students about creating alcohol-free areas on the universty’s two campuses as part of a major redesign.
It is expected that the informal dry areas will be created within the next six months.
13/4/12,
70 Church leaders and others support ?psychological care for those... »»
A letter was published in January 2012 by 70 signatories from five countries, including Bishops, other Christian leaders of churches and organisations, various experts and mental health practitioners, supporting the need for assistance for those with unwanted homosexuality and their requests for therapy. In view of the banning of posters addressing this issue on London Buses by the city's mayor, it is reproduced here. The original posting is here
Psychological care for those who are distressed by unwanted homosexual attractions has been shown to yield a range of beneficial client outcomes, especially in motivated clients. This is supported by recent empirical evidence from Byrd, Nicolosi, Shaeffer, Spitzer, Jones and Yarhouse. Such therapy does not produce harm despite the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) and others maintaining the contrary. In this area, the RCPsych seems to be guided by the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Mental Health Special Interest Group, and could therefore be partial to one view.
We believe that people who seek, freely, to resolve unwanted same-sex attractions hold the moral right to receive professional assistance. Whether motivated by Christian conscience or other values, clients, not practitioners, have the prerogative to choose the yardstick by which to define themselves. Not everyone stakes their identity on sexual feelings.
If practitioners reject or challenge a client’s right to self-determination, they risk causing potential harm to that client’s well-being. They would also be violating professional ethical codes which, among other things, call for respect for client autonomy.
The mental health profession, which professes to be sensitive and respectful towards diversity and equality, should be aware of taking a paternalistic line that says, effectively, ‘Not all clients know what is best for their lives.’ Furthermore, competent practitioners, including those working with biblical Judeo-Christian values, should be free to assist those seeking help.
LIST OF SIGNATORIES in alphabetical order:
The Rt Revd Michael Baughen, former Bishop of Chester; former Member, House of Lords; former Rector, All Souls, Langham Place
The Rt Revd Colin Bazley, former Primate of the Southern Cone; former Bishop of Chile
The Rt Revd Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes
Revd Mario Bergner, President, Redeemed Lives Inc.; author, “Setting Love in Order”
Elaine Silodor Berk, Co-Director, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing (JONAH International), New Jersey, USA
Prebendary Richard Bewes OBE, former Rector, All Souls, Langham Place
Anthony Busk, Elloughton cum Brough
The Rt Revd Ken Clarke, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh
The Rt Revd Lord Carey of Clifton, former Archbishop of Canterbury
Rev Fr Paul Check, Executive Director, Courage International
Revd Graham Cotter, Vicar, St Andrews Church, Buckland Monachorum, Devon
Quentin Cross, Guildford
Dr Mike Davidson, Co-Director, Core Issues Trust, Northern Ireland
The Rt Revd Timothy Dudley-Smith, OBE, former President, Evangelical Alliance; former President, Church of England Evangelical Council; former Bishop of Thetford
The Rt Revd John Ellison, formerly Bishop of Paraguay; Hon. Assistant Bishop, Winchester
Mrs Sarah Finch, Member, General Synod, Church of England
The Lord Bishop of Chester, the Rt Revd Peter Forster, House of Lords
Dr Robert A. J. Gagnon, Associate Professor of New Testament, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Author: “The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics”
Revd Francis Gardom, Hon. Secretary, Cost of Conscience
Arthur Goldberg, President, PATH (Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality), New Jersey, USA. Author: “Light in the Closet: Torah, Homosexuality and the Power to Change”
Regina Griggs, Executive Director, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX)
Miriam Grossman MD, psychiatrist and author, Los Angeles, USA. Author: “You're Teaching My Child What?: A Physician Exposes the Lies of Sex Education and How They Harm Your Child”
Janelle M. Hallman LPC, Author: “The Heart of Female Same-Sex Attraction”
Dr Julie Hamilton LMFT, President, National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality; Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, California, USA
Robert Harris, London
Thaddeus Heffner LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Tennessee, USA
Benjamin Kaufman, MD, Co-founder, National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, California, USA
Revd Prof Dale S. Kuehne, The Richard L. Bready Chair in Ethics, Economics, and the Common Good, Saint Anselm College, New Hampshire, USA. Author: “Sex and the i World: Rethinking Relationship Beyond an Age of Individualism”
The Lord Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Revd Michael Langrish, House of Lords
Pastor Peter Loo, Senior Pastor, Emmanuel Evangelical Church, Westminster, London
Dr Alan Loveless, retired GP, Frome, Somerset
Mrs Jill Mans, Greater London
Dr Peter May, retired GP; former Member, General Synod, Church of England
David Matheson LPC, The Center for Gender Wholeness, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Patricia Morgan, Sociologist. Author: “War between the State and the Family”
The Rt Revd Michael Nazir-Ali, former Bishop of Rochester; former Member, House of Lords; President, Oxtrad
Revd Prof John Nolland, Academic Dean, Trinity College, Bristol; Visiting Professor, University of Bristol
Dr Lisa Nolland, Co-editor: “God, Gays and the Church”
Dermot O’ Callaghan, Member, General Synod, Church of Ireland
James Parker, EnCourage, London facilitator
Professor David Paton, Nottingham University Business School
Baxter Peffer MS NCC, Counsellor, Connecticut, USA
Revd Paul Perkin, Chair, Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans UK
David H. Pickup, LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, California, USA
The Rt Revd David Pytches, former Bishop of Chile, Bolivia and Peru
Revd Charles Raven, Rector, Christ Church Wyre Forest; Director, SPREAD. Author: “Shadow Gospel: Rowan Williams and the Anglican Communion Crisis”
Revd Lynda Rose, Trustee, LIFE
Dr Christopher Rosik, President-Elect, National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, California, USA
The Venerable Norman Russell, The Archdeacon of Berkshire. Former Prolocutor, Lower House of the Convocation of Canterbury
Canon Dr Vinay Samuel, Chairman, Divya Shanthi Trust, Bangalore, India; Exec Secretary, PIM ASIA, Oxford, UK
Jeffrey Satinover MD PhD, Author: “Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth”. Former William James Lecturer in Psychology and Religion, Harvard University
Revd Dr Nigel Scotland, Hon Research Fellow, University of Gloucestershire; Tutor, Trinity College, Bristol
The Rt Revd Michael Scott-Joynt, Former Bishop of Winchester; former Member, House of Lords
The Rt Revd Maurice Sinclair, Honorary Assistant Bishop of Birmingham, formerly Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone of America
David Skinner, Dorset
Dr Trevor Stammers, Author: “Saving Sex”. Retired GP
Canon Dr Chris Sugden, Executive Secretary, Anglican Mainstream. Member, General Synod, Church of England
Dr. Philip M. Sutton LP LMFT, LCSW, Licensed Psychologist, Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Director, International Federation for Therapeutic Choice, Los Angeles, USA.
Keith Tiller, Founder-Director, Parakaleo Ministry
Dr Gerard J.M. van den Aardweg, Psychotherapist, Aerdenhout , Netherlands
Robert L. Vazzo MMFT, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Los Angeles, California, USA
Dr Christl Ruth Vonholdt, Director, German Institute for Youth and Society, Reichelsheim, Germany
Professor William Wagner, Professor of Law; former federal judge in U.S. Courts, former, diplomat
Canon Nigel Walker, former Chancellor, Anglican Pro Cathedral, Brussels
Norman Wells, Director, Family Education Trust
Dr Gordon Wenham, Emeritus Professor, University of Gloucestershire
Andrea Williams, CEO, Christian Legal Centre and Christian Concern
Revd Dr Hadden Wilson, Pastor Emeritus, Ballynahinch Baptist Church, Northern Ireland
Dennis Wrigley, Leader, Maranatha Community
Rich Wyler, Founder & Director, People Can Change, Ruckersville, Virginia, USA
12/4/12,
Church Minister Suspended Over Alleged Abuser Radio New Zealand... »»
Church minister suspended over alleged abuser Radio New Zealand Tapu Laulu was until this week the national youth co-ordinator for the Tikanga Maori strand of the Anglican Church. Mr Laulu says he has taken legal advice after he was stood down from his job on Tuesday by Kitohi Pikaahu, the Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau.
12/4/12,
Episcopal, Anglican Groups Join Effort to Stop Violence Against Women... »»
By Episcopal News Service staff
For the first time in recent history, three Episcopal women's groups have come together to ask the church to participate in 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence. In 2010, the 16 days begin on November 25, International Day against Violence Against Women, and end on December 10, International Human Rights Day.
Adverts which suggested gay people could be cured have been banned from London buses, transport chiefs have said.
The campaign was due to run for two weeks on the side of vehicles serving five routes in the capital, including top tourist destinations such as St Paul's Cathedral, Oxford Street, Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.
The posters, by Christian group Core Issues Trust, stated: "Not gay! Post-gay, ex-gay and proud. Get over it!" and were believed to mock pro-gay group Stonewall's recent campaign which featured adverts saying: "Some people are gay. Get over it."
But following a huge public outcry which labelled the Core Issues' campaign homophobic, London Mayor Boris Johnson, who chairs Transport for London (TfL), tonight ordered the adverts to be pulled.
Mr Johnson, who is standing for re-election next month, said: "London is one of the most tolerant cities in the world and intolerant of intolerance. It is clearly offensive to suggest being gay is an illness someone recovers from and I am not prepared to have that suggestion driven around London on our buses."
The doomed campaign, which was backed by Christian group Anglican Mainstream and cleared by industry regulator the Advertising Standards Authority, claimed therapy could change sexual orientation. It was due to run on London buses from Monday.
Core Issues' co-director Mike Davidson criticised the decision to axe the adverts, saying: "I didn't realise censorship was in place. We went through the correct channels and we were encouraged by the bus company to go through their procedures. They okayed it and now it has been pulled. I would be interested to know on what basis they have done that."
He added: "It is of deep concern that there can only be one point of view and that is the point of view of individuals who are determined to push through gay marriage and apparently believe that homosexuality cannot be altered in any possible way. That is not a universally held view. This is a disturbing development and it is disappointing the UK finds itself in this position."
But Stonewall spokesman Andy Wasley welcomed the move, saying: "We are delighted by TfL's clear commitment to diversity. It is fantastic that no adverts will be promoting voodoo, gay-cure therapy in London."
A TfL spokeswoman said: "The adverts are not currently running on any London buses and they will not do so. This advertisement has just been brought to our attention by our advertising agency, CBSO, and we have decided that it should not run on London's bus or transport networks. We do not believe these specific ads are consistent with TfL's commitment to a tolerant and inclusive London."
12/4/12,
European Development Aid and Funding Abortions... »»
By Stefano Gennarini, J.D., C-Fam
The European Commission is using development funds to pay for abortions in countries that restrict the procedure and funding the two largest abortion providers in the world, International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie Stopes International, according to a new report by European Dignity Watch.
The report The Funding of Abortion through EU Development Aid reveals Marie Stopes International received over $30 million from the European Union. The Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, a high level global partnership that includes the UNFPA and provides abortion kits to developing countries, was given close to $32 million over a 30-month period ending in June 2011.
The report discloses that EU money was spent to fund abortions in developing countries with strict abortion laws through the EU’s Development Aid and Public Health budgets for projects related to “sexual and reproductive health.” But European Dignity Watch (EDW) says the “term ‘sexual and reproductive health’ as defined by the EU excludes abortion explicitly”.
12/4/12,
Transport for London bans ?Some People are Ex-Gay! Get Over It?... »»
From Pink News
Transport for London has said that the ‘Some People are Ex-Gay! Get Over it!’ bus advertisements booked by religious groups will not be allowed to be displayed anywhere on London transport’s network. It responded following social media uproar following PinkNews.co.uk revealing the advertising campaign earlier today.
In a statement, posted on Twitter it said: “Anglican Mainstream ad just brought to our attention and will not run on London’s bus or transport networks. We don’t believe these ads reflect TfL’s commitment to a tolerant and inclusive London.”
12/4/12,
David Cameron thinks Indonesia provides security for religious... »»
by Peter Mullen, Telegraph
Speaking in Indonesia this week, David Cameron said: "What Indonesia is showing is that it is possible to develop a democracy and a modern economy that neither compromises people's security nor their ability to practise their religion."
If only.
For, last week, gunmen fired on an Indonesian church in the latest attack on the building, which has been illegally sealed off by the authorities since 2008.
It is the latest in a long line of attacks on churches which have been under sustained pressure from the Bogor authorities and Islamist groups. Two men in their 30s were seen wandering around the site of the church. They opened fire using air guns loaded with lead bullets, causing damage to the church windows. They were arrested, and police found in the offenders’ vehicle a map of the church building as well as information about other Christian targets in different cities.
12/4/12,
German incest couple lose European Court case... »»
From BBC News
A brother and sister from Germany who had an incestuous relationship, arguing they had the right to a family life, have lost their European court case.
Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski had four children together, two of whom are described as disabled.
The European Court of Human Rights said Germany was entitled to ban incest.
Stuebing, who was convicted of incest and spent three years in prison, did not meet his natural sister until he tracked down his family as an adult.
He had been adopted as a child and only made contact with his natural relatives in his 20s.
12/4/12,
Religion in Prisons: Event Transcript... »»
From Pew Forum
State prisons hold nearly 1.4 million inmates, the bulk of America’s convicted prisoners. Correctional authorities routinely release statistics on the age, sex, racial and ethnic composition of this population. But little information has been available to the public on religion in state prisons. A new survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, “Religion in Prisons: A 50-State Survey of Prison Chaplains,” presents a rare window into religion behind bars from the vantage point of professional prison chaplains.
Pew Forum Senior Researchers Stephanie Boddie and Cary Funk, co-authors of the study, led a discussion on what chaplains say about the changing religious composition of the inmate population, the amount of proselytizing and conversion that takes place, how much religious extremism they perceive in the prisons, as well as their views of the effectiveness of rehabilitation and re-entry programs. John DiIulio, the first head of the Bush administration’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and an expert on the criminal justice system, offered his insights into the findings from a public policy perspective. And Tom O’Connor discussed the survey based on his own experience as a former Oregon prison chaplain and his extensive research on prisons.
Iraq church raid ends with 52 dead
Fifty-two hostages and police were killed when an attempt by Iraqi security forces to free more than 100 Catholics held in a Baghdad church by al Qaeda-linked gunmen turned into a bloodbath, officials said on Monday.
12/4/12,
Sexualisation of children a public health issue... »»
By Carolyn Moynihan, MercatorNet
Australian doctors are calling for an inquiry into what has been labelled the “premature sexualisation of children in marketing and advertising”, with the Australian Medical Association arguing the practice is detrimental to child health and development.
Melinda Tankard Reist, author of a 2009 book on the sexualisation of girls, hopes that the doctors' voice will achieve what years of advocacy from other professionals has failed to do: get effective government regulation of advertising. She says that in Britain and France, these industries are under considerable pressure to change their ways following parliamentary inquiries into the sexualisation of children.
AMA president Dr Steve Hambleton says the proliferation of advertising images depicting images of young children along with messages that “were disturbing and sexually exploitative” are clear evidence that self-regulation by the advertising industry have failed.
12/4/12,
The Government?s consultation on gay marriage is riddled with Queer... »»
By Brendan O'Neill, Telegraph
When Francis Maude used the phrase "kitchen supper", the commentariat had a field day, branding such lingo "alien to a large proportion of the population". Why hasn't there been a similar reaction to Maude's government's consultation on same-sex marriage? That document also uses language that is "alien to a large proportion of the population". In fact, some of it is pure gibberish, made up of the kind of words and phrases you don't normally hear outside of Queer Studies departments at those former polytechnics that now masquerade as universities.
Consider question No 3. Any member of the public who decides to give the government his or her views on same-sex marriage is firstly asked "What is your sexual orientation?", is secondly asked "What is your gender?", and is then asked the following: "Is your gender identity the same as the gender you were assigned at birth?"
You what? There are so many weird things in that sentence it is hard to know where to start. It seems pretty clear that what is really being asked is this: "Have you ever had a sex change?" But in an effort to appease the social constructionist feminist lobby (which prefers the term "gender" to "sex") and to avoid offending the transgender community (which has gone off the phrase "sex change" in recent years), the government couldn't possibly pose the question in such stark, easily understandable terms. So instead it gets all verbose and tongue-tied by enquiring after our "gender" and "identity" and the question of when and by whom those things were "assigned" to us.
12/4/12,
Christians fight back on Stonewall?s London bus campaign... »»
From Cranmer
Next Monday, 16th April, will see the launch of an advertising campaign carrying the slogan: “Not gay! Ex-Gay, Post-gay and proud. Get over it.” London buses, travelling along five different routes, will carry the advert for two weeks. No doubt some of the more militant gays will demand a capital-wide boycott of London's buses. But His Grace hopes not, for these plucky Christians are merely doing what the Prime Minister exhorted them to do: ' fight back'.
[...] His Grace now awaits the counter-campaign of the 'equal marriage' lobby. And, of course, the scorn of Stonewall and derision of The Guardian. We can't be having bigotry on London's buses, can we?
12/4/12,
London bus campaign challenges Stonewall?s claim that ?gay? is innate... »»
Monday, April 16 will see the launch of an advertising campaign carrying the slogan, 'Not gay! Ex-gay, Post-gay and proud. Get over it.' London buses, travelling five different routes, will carry the advert for two weeks.
The organisers, Anglican Mainstream and Core Issues Trust, say Stonewall's similar bus campaign, launched to support their ‘equal’ marriage website, implies the false idea that there is indisputable scientific evidence that people are ‘born gay’, and that they have no choice but to affirm their homosexual feelings. They claim that Stonewall's slogan, "Some people are gay. Get over it!" is merely another attempt to close down critical debate about being gay and marriage ‘equality’, and warn that the promotion of homosexual practices to children and young people, many of whom are known to experience ambivalence as they sort through issues of sexual identity, is misleading and dangerous.
Both organisations recognise the rights of individuals to identify as gay, and to live according to their own values. But by the same token, they believe individuals – such as married men and women unhappy with their homosexuality – should be supported in developing their heterosexual potential, where this is the appropriate life choice for them. They point out that current scientific research says there is no gay gene and that sexuality is far more fluid than has hitherto been thought.
Commenting on Stonewall’s vigorous support for the legalization of gay marriage, Dr Mike Davidson, Director of Core Issues Trust, said "their campaign rides roughshod over individuals who by conscience reject the simplistic notion that their choice to move out of homosexuality is because of internalised prejudice taught by society, completely ignoring the profound effect on sexual identity, established by highly respected scientific study, of childhood experience."
The bus adverts are part of a wider campaign being supported by AM and Core affirming conventional marriage between one man and one woman, as providing the best environment for the needs of children. Canon Dr Chris Sugden, Executive Secretary of AM, commented, 'The current political debate surrounding the redefinition of marriage ignores not just the cultural base of this institution that lies at the heart of our society, but seems entirely to have forgotten about children, prioritising adult sexualities at their expense in an unprecedented way.'
For further information:
Dr Mike Davidson M: 07833 098998 L: 02892 639631
Marriage is under scrutiny, but for the wrong reason. The issue of same-sex marriage is, it seems, of consuming interest, especially to those who want it (the minority of homosexuals who feel that civil partnerships lack the dignity of matrimony) or those who fear that they will sooner or later come under pressure to solemnise it (the churches and other faiths). This debate has revealed widespread uncertainty about the definition and value of this most ancient of institutions. In this month's issue, David Green and Douglas Murray write from opposite sides of the argument; next month Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali will consider the question of what we mean by marriage.
Yet the question of whether the rights already enjoyed by same-sex couples should be redefined is really rather arcane. Only a minority of people are homosexual; of those, only a minority choose to live in civil partnerships; and of those, only a minority are actively demanding that their unions be recognised as "marriages": a minority of a minority of a minority. The real reason why we should be thinking about marriage is that it has been undermined over the last two generations by a culture that is inimical to matrimonial bliss and the virtues on which it thrives. Our civilisation has depended and will continue to depend upon the legal, social and spiritual framework in which children are raised. Marriage is about much more than procreation, but it matters above all because children matter. Without the civilising effects of marriage, the history of humanity would be so different as to be unrecognisable.
12/4/12,
Cameron calls on Islam to embrace democracy and reject extremism... »»
By Nicholas Watt, Guardian
Democracy and Islam can flourish together, David Cameron will declare on Thursday as he uses a landmark speech in Indonesia to tell the Muslim world that it can reject a "dead-end choice" between extremism and dictatorship.
In one of his most significant speeches on Islam, the prime minister will say that the world can defeat extremists, who are a "dangerous foe" on a par with supporters of slavery.
Cameron will hail the "extraordinary journey" undertaken by Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, since the end of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998 as an example of the "inspirational path" countries can follow.
"What Indonesia shows is that in the world's largest Muslim-majority country, it is possible to reject this extremist threat and prove that democracy and Islam can flourish alongside each other," the prime minister will tell students at Al-Azhar University in Jakarta. "That's why what you are doing here is so important, because it gives heart to those around the world who are engaged in the same struggle."
12/4/12,
UK Government preparing for Family Planning Summit for developing... »»
From Echurch Websites
The UK government is planning to host a Family Planning Summit in London in July, shortly before the Olympics. Here’s what the Department of International Development has to say:
The UK Government is working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and partners to host a Family Planning summit in London in July 2012.
The event will aim to generate unprecedented political commitment and resources from developing countries, donors, the private sector, civil society and other partners to meet the family planning needs of women in the world’s poorest countries by 2020.
There are hundreds of millions of women in developing countries who want to delay or avoid a pregnancy but are not using an effective method of family planning. The UK Department for International Development’s priority for this year is to support national governments’ efforts to increase access to family planning in the poorest countries. This is part of the UK’s contribution to the UN Secretary General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health “Every Woman, Every Child.”
So what exactly do they mean by “family planning”?
Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA – United Nations Population Fund – had this to say about the purposes of the summit:
12/4/12,
Parishioners join vicar in protest conversion... »»
From The Telegraph
Almost half a congregation has followed a vicar converting to Catholicism, after claiming that the Church of England does not know what it “believes” in any more.
The Rev Donald Minchew left his Anglican church of nearly two decades to join a Catholic church just up the road in Croydon, south London.
The 63-year-old quit six weeks ago because he disagreed with decisions being made by the Church of England, including the ordination of female priests and bishops.
But after he resigned from St Michael's and All Angels parish following 16 and-a-half-years, 70 of his flock decided to join him in an extraordinary leap of faith.
The vicar together with almost half of his previous congregation as well as three new members, were received into the full communion at St Mary's Church earlier this month.
Former Anglican bishop Monsignor John Broadhurst received and confirmed the group, who will now form the Croydon Ordinariate.
"These people are very brave because they have answered the call of God and the indignation of Pope Benedict and done it at a great cost," said the Rev Minchew
"I think the reason they came across during the Ordinariate is because they don't quibble over things like the clergy, but I think there is a great comfort in the Catholic church, you know what you believe and what the church teaches.
"In the Church of England you don't know what the church believes from one synod to the next. What we would have taken for granted for 30 years you can't now, but in the Catholic church it's not changing you know what you are getting into."
12/4/12,
An Evening with FCA Southern Africa Delegation... »»
The FCA (Southern Africa) and Bishop Bethlehem Nopece, bishop of Port Elizabeth – South Africa) invites Members of Anglican Churches in the British Isles and all South Africans resident in the UK, both clergy and lay, for an evening of fellowship, information and prayer for Southern African Christianity.
Bishop Bethlehem Nopece of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth and patron bishop of FCA Southern Africa, invites South African Anglicans resident in London and all friends of South Africa to a special meeting.
Bishop Bethlehem would love to share about developments in Southern African Anglicanism and have a time of fellowship and pray for South Africa and the spread of the Gospel in the region.
Date : Tuesday April 24
Time: 7 – 9 pm
Venue: St Michael’s Church Chester Square, near Victoria Station
12/4/12,
Austrian Priest resigns after overruling by cardinal on homosexual in... »»
By Hilary White, LifeSite News
Coming only a few days after Easter, the resignation of Father Gerhard Swierzek, the pastor of a parish in the Archdiocese of Vienna, has been hailed by homosexualist activists in the Catholic Church as a victory. Fr. Swierzek had refused to allow an active homosexual, Florian Stangl, who is living in a legal registered partnership with another man, to sit on the parish council in the town of Stützenhofen.
The Austrian Independent reported Tuesday that Fr. Swierzek has asked his superiors for another assignment. He said he was “saddened” that the cardinal archbishop of Vienna met with Stangl and his partner but had refused to meet with him about the situation.
The German language Catholic news service Kreuz.net quoted Fr. Swierzek saying “I have a priestly conscience and I respect divine and ecclesiastical law.” He explained that he could not remain active in a parish, whose members “wanted their right at any price”.
He cited the teaching of the Church according to Pope John Paul II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church on homosexual behaviour. “Living in sin is not considered to be the norm in a Catholic Church community,” he said. “It is much more the task of a priest to bring a sinner to penance.”
12/4/12,
Recognizing Reality: The Slaughter of Nigerian Christians is... »»
From Jubilee Campaign
Jubilee Campaign and other human rights groups gravely concerned with the US State Department’s ill-informed statements
A group of human rights and religious liberty organizations in Washington condemn the barbaric multi-city Easter Sunday bombings in Kaduna and Plateau state that claimed dozens of lives. Attacks on northern and central Nigeria’s Christian community come as no surprise in light of Boko Haram’s genocidal declarations to kill Christians in the North, yet sadly they were avoidable. Despite the fact that the world has been on notice about religiously motivated terrorism in Nigeria due to sustained terrorist activity occurring against perceived “Western” concepts including churches, schools and even the United Nations, governments at home and abroad have largely ignored or underestimated the growing problem of interreligious strife and terrorism within Nigeria.
In the past few years violent groups like Boko Haram, which claimed responsibility for the equally deadly multi-city Christmas church bombings, have increased attacks on Christians as a way of destabilizing the country. As US officials continue to ignore the threat to religious liberty posed by religiously motivated terrorism within Nigeria we should expect more gloomy religious holidays to threaten the country’s fragile democracy as well as our own national security.
WEEKLY REVIEW: A roundup of the week's Anglican Communion news plus opinion, reviews, photos, profiles and other things of interest from across the Anglican/Episcopal world.
Defrocked Episcopal priest must leave Montco parish | Philadelphia Inquirer ... Philadelphia Inquirer An outspoken critic of liberal trends in the Episcopal Church, Moyer was defrocked in 2002 by the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania after he agreed to become a bishop in a small, conservative Anglican denomination. Bishop Charles E. Bennison, ...
10/4/12,
Traditional Values Bishop Escapes quotDisciplinequot the New American... »»
Traditional Values Bishop Escapes "Discipline" The New American The struggles that clergy and parishioners faithful to the traditional teachings of the Episcopal or Anglican churches have been genuine crosses to bear. My own church met, not too many years ago, for Mass in a Seventh Day Adventist Church after our ...
The Good Work Of Bishop Chukwuma Leadership Newspapers Emmanuel Olisa Chukwuma, Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Anglican Communion, strongly believes that Christians should not limit themselves to evangelism, but should also be involved in charity work. And since he was transferred from Bauchi to Enugu in 1998, ...
9/4/12,
Anglican Dispute Spills to Cemetery NewsDay... »»
Anglican dispute spills to cemetery NewsDay The Anglican Church dispute over control of church property pitting Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and Bishop Chad Gandiwa Sunday degenerated to unprecedented depths after the burial of a United Anglican Church priest was abruptly blocked by the rival Kunonga ...
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.
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By John Bingham, Telegraph
But following a huge public outcry which labelled the Core Issues' campaign homophobic, London Mayor Boris Johnson, who chairs Transport for London (TfL), tonight ordered the adverts to be pulled..gif)
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by Peter Mullen, Telegraph
From Pew Forum.jpg)
By Brendan O'Neill, Telegraph
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By Daniel Johnson, Standpoint.jpg)
By Nicholas Watt, Guardian.jpg)
From Echurch Websites.png)
The FCA (Southern Africa) and Bishop Bethlehem Nopece, bishop of Port Elizabeth – South Africa) invites Members of Anglican Churches in the British Isles and all South Africans resident in the UK, both clergy and lay, for an evening of fellowship, information and prayer for Southern African Christianity..png)
From Jubilee Campaign
From The Iona Institute
