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To provide up-to-date news on the Anglican Communion
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5/8/12,
Revealed: The £46bn cost of Britain?s roulette machine... »»
By Sarah Bridge and Abul Taheer, Mailonline
The extent of Britain’s addiction to controversial casino-style gambling machines is revealed today with the disclosure by two bookmaker giants that more than £12 billion was wagered on their machines in the first half of this year.
William Hill said £6.6 billion was staked on electronic Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) in their 2,371 betting shops from January to June.
Meanwhile, Ladbrokes said £5.9 billion was wagered on FOBTs in their 2,137 outlets across the country in the same period.
By comparison, William Hill said £1.3 billion was wagered on over-the-counter bets on sports including horse racing and football over the same period. Ladbrokes said £1.2 billion was wagered on their over-the-counter bets in the first half of this year.
The chains revealed they made more than £350 million in net profit in the same period from FOBTs.
A staggering £12.5 billion was gambled via William Hill and Ladbrokes’ betting machines in the first six months of this year alone.
5/8/12,
Victory as Gloucester Council apologises for stopping Christian group... »»
From Christian Concern
Following the intervention of the Christian Legal Centre, Gloucester City Council has issued a statement apologising for stopping a Christian group from handing out leaflets and admitting it was wrong to stop them.
The apology follows the threat of legal action after Gloucester City Council told a group of Christians that they could not distribute Christian literature in the town’s city centre.
The tracts were being handed out by members of at least ten city churches during ‘Bible Day Gloucester’ last month.
But council staff prevented the leaflets from being given out on the day, claiming that the group had breached by-laws that were specific to the town. Gloucester Council has prevented the handing out of leaflets by Christians on several previous occasions.
5/8/12,
Canada ? The collapse of the liberal church... »»
By Margaret Wente, Globe and Mail (Hat Tip: Barbara Gauthier)
Two weeks from now, the United Church of Canada will assemble in Ottawa for its 41st General Council, where it will debate church policy and elect a new moderator. The top item on its agenda is a resolution calling for a boycott of products from Israeli settlements. Fortunately, nobody cares what the United Church thinks about Israeli settlements, or anything else for that matter, because the United Church doesn’t matter any more.
For many years, the United Church was a pillar of Canadian society. Its leaders were respected public figures. It was – and remains – the biggest Protestant denomination in a country that, outside Quebec, has been largely shaped by centuries of Protestant tradition.
But today, the church is literally dying. The average age of its members is 65. They believe in many things, but they do not necessarily believe in God. Some congregations proudly describe themselves as “post-theistic,” which is a good thing because, as one church elder said, it shows the church is not “stuck in the past.” Besides, who needs God when you’ve got Israel to kick around?
The United Church is not alone. All the secular liberal churches are collapsing. In the United States, the Episcopalians – facing many issues similar to those of the United Church – have lost a quarter of their membership in the past decade. They’re at their lowest point since the 1930s. Not coincidentally, they spent their recent general meeting affirming the right of the transgendered to become priests. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But it doesn’t top most people’s lists of pressing spiritual or even social issues.
10. News for Prayer: Please pray for Nigeria, Iran and Pastors Nadarkhani and Irani those affected by persecution in Egypt, Iraq and Zimbabwe and for the welfare of those involved in the Olympic Games
Egypt: Muslims attack church in Egypt – Christian Today
4/8/12,
Archbishop of York?s Big Questions Interview in The Independent... »»
The Archbishop expresses his views about the Olympic Games; the importance of volunteering; and the need for a greater sense of public ethics, duty and responsibility in all that we do. He also reflects on milk prices and the easing of sanctions in Zimbabwe. His interview with The Independent follows in full….
Is it desirable (or even possible) measure happiness?
When I was growing up in Uganda, we didn’t have much money and we had a big family, but we were always a happy family. Our parents always had time for us and told us stories, and we always ate together as a family. We also had a strong sense of community.
We have a saying in Africa that it takes a whole village to raise a child – that sense that no-one is living in isolation and we all have a role to play, a duty and responsibility to each other. I think at times that is what we have lost sight of in modern life; we are all living busier lives and trying to do stuff on our own. It’s no wonder there is such unhappiness, especially when we are going through a deep recession with people losing their jobs.
The Diocese of South Carolina is in a 25 day waiting period before Bishop Lawrence makes a decision on the way forward following the aftermath of General Convention. Plus a church from Pawleys Island and Maultrie Georgia makes plans to move foreword. Kevin and George also discuss Archbishops of Canterbury news and the Society of Bishop Murphy. The show closes with Kevin and George addressing the international boycott of Anglican Unscripted and what you can do to help.
Both Peter and Allan have the week off, but the news and a teaser continue on.
4/8/12,
Seven constituencies in the country constitute more single-parent... »»
by Daniel Martin, Mailonline
Single-parent families are now so common that couples living with their children are the minority in some parts of the country.
Data shows there are seven Parliamentary constituencies where single-parent families make up the majority of households.
There are close to 2million single-parent families in the UK and we have the highest proportion of children brought up in one-parent families of any major European country.
The seven areas where single-parent families are the majority are in the urban hearts of London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.
In one constituency, Lewisham Deptford, 58 per cent of households with children are headed by lone parents.
At the other end of the spectrum, in the rural district of South Northamptonshire just one in every 20 family units is headed by a single parent.
The figures, from a Freedom of Information request to the Office for National Statistics, were greeted with concern yesterday.
Jill Kirby, a social policy expert and former director of the Centre for Policy Studies, said: ‘Children need input from both parents in order to thrive.
As the 45th anniversary approaches of the day on which Lord Steel of Aikwood's (formerly David Steel) Abortion Act passed into law, we publish below an article which appeared in the ALDU Winter 1992/1993 Newsletter number 56. For many people today, certainly for those under the age of 50, the existence of the Act is simply a fact of modern life. They have only ever known a country in which killing innocent unborn children is taken for granted and is both carried out and paid for by the State.
David Steel was, at the time, the youngest Member of Parliament and had been an MP for a matter of only a few months. With all that vast experience behind him, he decided, when given the opportunity, to promote in his name a law which would result directly in the deaths of millions of unborn children (over 7 million to date and increasing at the rate of almost 600 every day). This tragic legacy did not prevent Mr Steel from hanging around in the political world to this day and being rewarded with elevation to the House of Lords and various other honours. How sad that a long political career should have begun with this measure, which has resulted in such a tragic toll of death. In fairness to Lord Steel, he has not repudiated his views on abortion nor his actions in 1966/67 but, in the circumstances, how could he do so?
4/8/12,
Active homosexuals 18 times more likely to contract AIDS, but... »»
by Stefano Gennarini, J.D., LifeSite News
Despite overwhelming medical evidence that AIDS is exponentially growing among homosexuals because of behavioral risks, the widely read medical journal Lancet is telling the medical community that “homophobia is a key driver” of the growing epidemic. And the Lancet is calling for the decriminalization of homosexual behavior and the removal of any stigma and discrimination attached to homosexuality.
In a new series of papers, “HIV in Men Who Have Sex with Men”, Lancet delves deeply into the root causes of the HIV pandemic among homosexuals, analyzing the biological, behavioral, and structural risks that affect men having sex with men.
The series was presented at a symposium during the AIDS 2012 conference last week in Washington D.C. presented by Professor Chris Beyrer from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The findings of the papers are contradictory. On the one hand the papers conclude the problem is homophobia but the evidence of the paper demonstrates the problem is behavior. In fact, active homosexuals are eighteen times more likely to become infected with HIV than the general population. In addition, the papers detail how homosexual lifestyles are correlated with a host of other STDs and health risks, including substance abuse and depression.
Huge progress has been made in reducing the spread of HIV, especially in the developed world especially. But new infections of HIV occur predominantly among men having sex with men.
4/8/12,
Religious Freedom Report: Concern over negative trends... »»
By Fr John Flynn, Zenit
On Monday, the U.S. Department of State released its “2011 International Religious Freedom Report.” “This report details increasing intolerance against a range of religious communities,” commented Suzan Johnson Cook, the ambassador at large for international religious freedom, on presenting it to the media.
Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt and Burma were among the countries she singled out for criticism.
“There was a marked deterioration during 2011 in the government’s respect for and protection of religious freedom in China,” the report commented.
The Department of State noted that the Chinese government and the Holy See do not have diplomatic relations, and that while the authorities have allowed some Vatican input on the selection of bishops in some instances local authorities have reportedly pressured unregistered Catholic priests and believers to renounce all ordinations approved by the Holy See.
The report noted that there were some improvements in Cuba, “although significant restrictions remained in place and the Cuban Communist Party, through its Office of Religious Affairs, continued to wield regulatory control over most aspects of religious life.”
Weekend church attendance has improved and it is now easier to bring into the country non-Cuban religious workers. Religious organizations also reported less discrimination of their members and a greater freedom to conduct educational activities, the report stated.
The news was not so good about Iran where according to the report: “Religious freedom in Iran deteriorated further from an already egregious situation.”
3/8/12,
Presiding Bishop?s message to the church on General Convention... »»
From ENS
The General Convention which took place in Indianapolis in July offered new and creative responses to the call of the gospel in our day. We saw gracious and pastoral responses to polarizing issues, as well as a new honesty about the need for change.
General Convention addressed a number of significant issues that will impact the life and witness of this Church for years into the future – and they include many more things beyond what you’ve heard about in the news. The way we worked together also represented a new reality, working to adapt more creatively to our diverse nature as a Church.
It is that way of creative engagement that ultimately will be most transformative for The Episcopal Church and the world beyond it. On issue after issue, the resolutions addressed by General Convention emerged in creative responses that considered, but did not end in, the polarized positions expected as we went into Convention. People listened to the movement of the spirit and discerned a way forward that was mutually upbuilding, rather than creating greater divisiveness or win-lose outcomes.
The hot-button issues of the last decade have not been eternally resolved, but we have as a body found creative and pastoral ways to live with the differences of opinion, rather than resorting to old patterns of conflict. There is a certain expansive grace in how these decisions are being made and in the responses to them, a grace that is reminiscent of the Elizabeth settlement. We’ve said as a Church that there is no bar to the participation of minorities of all sorts, and we are finding pastoral ways to ensure that potential offense at the behavior or position of another is minimized, with the hope that we may grow toward celebrating that diversity as a gift from God. If we are all sinners, then each of us may be wrong about where we stand. Human beings, made from humus, become Christlike when they know humility.
3/8/12,
Tony Blair, Rowan Williams and Charles Moore in conversation... »»
From Theos
Tuesday evening saw the last of the Westminster Faith Debates, as 450 people converged on Westminster Hall to witness a most amicable conversation between former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and former Telegraph and Spectator editor Charles Moore. Organised by former Home Secretary, Charles Clarke, the Religion and Society Programme, and Theos, the religion and society think tank, the discussion centred around the appropriate place of antithetical religious and non-religious beliefs in a democratic society.
After introductions from Charles Clarke and Linda Woodhead, the director of the Religion and Society Programme, it was Charles Moore who set the tone for the evening by questioning society's ability to cope with the competing (yet exclusive) truth claims found in a 'post-Christian' world. This notion of conflict in dialogue was one that underlined much of the later discussion, and was a subject on which a former prime minister and the head of a divided Anglican communion undoubtedly had much to offer.
Anyone replying to the Isle of Wight Council’s questionnaire on the provision of super-fast broadband won’t be surprised to be asked to provide details of their current broadband speed, or for a list of the reasons why they use the internet.
They might be puzzled, however, to come across question number 16, asking them: ‘Which of the following describes how you think of yourself: Male? Female? In another way?’
The bafflement will deepen when they reach question number 20, asking: ‘Have you ever undertaken, or are you undertaking, gender reassignment?’
What on earth has that got to do with broadband speeds?
3/8/12,
Continuing Indaba team welcomes "biggest change to mission... »»
The Church of England’s recent decision to move its model of mission from one of dependency to mutuality has been warmly welcomed by the Anglican Communion’s Continuing Indaba team.
3/8/12,
Weekly Review 27 July - 3 August, 2012... »»
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.
An interesting argument in favour of antidisestablishmentarianism from Jonathan Chaplin from the Christian think-tank, ‘Theos’.
He points to greater prospects of Parliamentary interference in the governance of the Church of England represented by
women bishops legislation and same-sex marriage (‘Time for the Church to cut the knot’). On the point of same-sex marriage, he writes that if Parliament changes the general legal meaning of marriage, the Church will be thrust into the position of having to function as a registrar of marriages it currently cannot recognise.
“Both opponents and supporters of same-sex marriage should be alarmed at the prospect of the Church being required by the state to act against its considered theological convictions. Those who today might rejoice at the Church being pressed against its will to implicitly sanction a ‘progressive’ view of marriage might tomorrow lament its being blocked from, say, pursuing a ‘progressive’ investment policy by a right-wing competition law,” he writes.
This is an urgent point that will appeal to those who want to cut the knot, but more importantly Chaplin is probably inadvertently addressing the issue that same-sex marriage is so sweeping in its enormity that it leaves the Church exposed in a quite unprecedented way. Of course, it might be possible to chip away at the establishment by bringing Anglican clergy into line with their non-conformist brethren, but it is more likely that this change will leave two damaging legacies. The first will be a festering gulf between church and state. The second will be a civil war in the Church of England itself.
A leading QC, Aidan O’Neil, points to another potent mix of factors that will imperil Christian witness and damage religious freedom, if or when same-sex marriage is adopted. A few simple changes to equality legislation is simply not enough. His advice is that teachers who refuse to use storybooks about same-sex marriage could be dismissed. NHS chaplains who preach about traditional marriage in church could be disciplined, even if they were off-duty at the time. Christian foster-carers who express opposition to same-sex marriage could be turned away. Additionally church groups could be penalised by councils from using community centres or receiving grants if their church refuses to conduct same-sex weddings.
3/8/12,
ECUSA Walks Apart, Where the Faithful Cannot Follow... »»
By A S Haley, Stand Firm
In 2003, the Episcopal Church (USA) said to the majority of the Anglican Communion: “Goodbye—it’s been nice knowing you.” The bishop whom ECUSA chose to confirm and consecrate, over the uniform objection of all the Anglican primates at the time, could not be admitted to the 2008 Lambeth Conference, or be licensed to preside at the eucharist in ECUSA’s parent church, the Church of England. Likewise, he still cannot be welcomed as a bishop in twenty-two of the thirty-four provinces in the Anglican Communion (not counting the extra-provincial and united churches).
In 2006, the Episcopal Church (USA) said to the rest of the Anglican Communion: “We will urge our bishops and standing committees to ‘exercise restraint’ in confirming bishops who might upset you, but we cannot do any more than that. Nor can we be sorry if you were offended by our actions—that is your problem.” Some of the dioceses in ECUSA still were very piqued, and announced they would not elect or confirm any more bishops, straight or gay, until the voluntary “moratorium” requested of them by the Lambeth Commission was declared to be at an end.
By 2009, the Episcopal Church (USA) had abandoned any vestiges of its so-called “moratorium.” Two more clergy in same-sex partnerships were elected as bishops, and despite a personal plea from the Archbishop of Canterbury, General Convention approved them for consecration. They, too, may not officiate in the Church of England, or in any of twenty-one other provinces of the Anglican Communion.
THE PRIME Minister accused churches of ‘locking out’ gay people, fuelling further anger for those opposed to the gay marriage proposals.
David Cameron made the remarks at a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender reception at Downing Street last week.
Conservative groups have since released statements expressing their concern over the comments and the PM’s ‘determination’ to introduce gay marriage.
In his speech, Mr Cameron said: “I passionately believe that all institutions need to wake up to the case for equality, and the Church shouldn’t be locking out people who are gay, or are bisexual or are transgender from being full members of that Church, because many people with deeply held Christian views, are also gay.”
The Rev Rod Thomas, chairman of the conservative evangelical network Reform in the Church of England, ‘utterly denies’ supporting the ‘Biblical definition of marriage’ locks people out from meeting with God. Mr Thomas said: “It is very regrettable that the Prime Minister has spoken in such terms. To suggest that the Church is ‘locking out’ any section in the community is a misinterpretation of the Church’s position.”
Mr Cameron spoke of his commitment to continuing the work of Labour in gay equality legislation. “I make that point not only as someone who believes in equality but as someone who believes passionatelyin marriage,” the Prime Minister said.
Before singling out the opposition of the mainstream Church, he said: “There’ll be arguments within the Churches as well and I can say how great it is to see some Church men and women here tonight supporting this cause.”
In their opposition to these latest remarks, Christian Concern noted the lack of criticism given to other faiths against the gay marriage proposals. Chief Executive of the group, Andrea Minichiello Williams, said: “The churches’ responses have not been reactionary or hateful. They have been careful, considered and compassionate but they have also been stark because they have recognised the grave danger. It is shocking that David Cameron, who identifies himself as a Christian, is sweeping them aside.”
She went on to call his comments ‘disingenuous’, saying this is not an issue of equality but of honesty – ‘we cannot pretend marriage is something it is not’.
Ms Minichello Williams also criticised his suggestions of having the party’s backing on this issue. She said repeated public statements, surveys and polls show that he doesn’t.
Political commentators now predict his declining support within the Conservative party could further decrease, affecting Party Membership.
Anglican Mainstream has written to the Prime Minister, voicing their fears over the message sent out on the way the Church handles this. The letter says: “Your misconception suggests, first, that you are not adequately informed about the terms being used in the debates about same-sex attraction. For example, when you refer to ‘people who are gay, bisexual or transgender’, do you mean people who experience these attractions or people who engage in such experiences?”
The letter, signed by the leaders of Anglican Mainstream, says this distinction is critical, as ‘full membership’ is offered to all those who have repented of their sins. The letter goes on: “When we are baptised, we make a commitment to live no longer according to our own lights but according to the love of God as expressed in the teaching of Jesus and the scriptures.
“This teaching allows for physical sexual expression only within marriage of a man and a woman, and calls for repentance when we transgress. “This applies, of course, just as much to heterosexual activity outside marriage.”
3/8/12,
Reps. say in letter: We welcome Chick-fil-A... »»
By Michael Foust, Baptist Press
Seventeen members of the House of Representatives have signed a letter to Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy, saying they welcome his company's business in their district and are appreciative of the way he and his company have reacted to opposition in recent days.
"We write today to show support for the manner in which you have defended your values and reputation in the face of unfair and malicious criticism," the letter, originated by Rep. Alan Nunnelee, R.-Miss., and co-signed by 16 other Republican representatives, reads. "… We are bewildered by those who would take offense at your values and would block the expansion of your business into their communities. We welcome Chick-fil-A's investment in our districts. The example of quality, hard work, and charity demonstrated by Chick-fil-A is one that others who, when faced with opposing views, resort to hate would do well to emulate."
The tone of the letter stands in stark contrast to the reaction by some political leaders in light of Cathy's comments supporting the biblical definition of marriage. The mayors of Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., all have made comments critical of the restaurant, implying or saying the company is not welcome in their cities. The mayors of Boston and Chicago backed off their original statements. Attorneys from across the spectrum, though, say a city cannot legally block a restaurant because of the company president's beliefs.
Watch video of boorish and bullying activist harrassing Chick-fil-A employee here. (Hat Tip: Robert Lunday at Stand Firm.) We are pleased to note that his employers do not support this kind of behaviour.
3/8/12,
David Cameron retreats on House of Lords reform... »»
By Robert Winnett, Telegraph
The Prime Minister will announce in coming days that the reforms have been shelved in a decision likely to cause a major Coalition rift.
Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader, had viewed the introduction of elected peers as a key policy and senior Conservatives now fear he will scupper planned reforms to electoral boundaries.
The redrawing of electoral boundaries – to ensure that constituencies have similar populations – would boost Mr Cameron’s re-election chances. It is the latest climbdown for the Government after a series of proposals in the Budget, including a pasty tax, were also abandoned.
The Coalition has been accused of mounting more than 20 about-turns – moves which the Prime Minister has insisted show strong leadership as he rejected pushing ahead with unpopular policies.
Earlier this year, Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg outlined plans to replace appointed peers in the House of Lords with elected senators. The first elections were to be held in 2015 with the elected members of the house serving for 15-year terms.
3/8/12,
There can be no compromise on same-sex ?marriage?... »»
By Robert P George, LifeSite News
It was only yesterday, was it not, that we were being assured that the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex partnerships would have no impact on persons and institutions that hold to the traditional view of marriage as a conjugal union? Such persons and institutions would simply be untouched by the change. It won’t affect your marriage or your life, we were told, if the law recognizes Henry and Herman or Sally and Sheila as “married.”
Those offering these assurances were also claiming that the redefinition of marriage would have no impact on the public understanding of marriage as a monogamous and sexually exclusive partnership. No one, they insisted, wanted to alter those traditional marital norms. On the contrary, the redefinition of marriage would promote and spread those norms more broadly.
When some of us warned that all of this was nonsense, and pointed out the myriad ways that Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Orthodox Jews, Muslims, and others would be affected, and their opportunities and liberties restricted, the proponents of marriage redefinition accused us of “fearmongering.” When we observed that reducing marriage to a merely emotional union (which is what happens when sexual reproductive complementarity is banished from the definition) removes all principled grounds for understanding marriage as a sexually exclusive and faithful union of two persons, and not an “open” partnership or a relationship of three or more persons in a polyamorous sexual ensemble, we were charged with invalid slippery-slope reasoning. Remember?
1/8/12,
Sectarian violence in Nigeria "goes beyond just religious... »»
From the Office of the Archbishop of Dublin: A report has revealed that the violence in Nigeria, responsible for hundreds of deaths since January, is due to more than religious tensions alone.
31/7/12,
Iraqi Christian children survive double bomb blasts... »»
Canon Andrew White, the vicar of the only Anglican church in Baghdad, said it was "a major miracle" that a bus load of children returning from their First Communion were not killed in a double bomb attack.
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.
26/7/12,
CUAC launches Annual Lecture in honour of Dr Rowan Williams... »»
A new international lecture series in honour of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams, will be launched this year by Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC).
23/7/12,
"Global Anglican Church allows us to serve, work, learn... »»
The Communique from the latest Global South Conference stated: "The nature of the global Anglican Church affords us an opportunity to serve, work and learn together. This is a gift from God to the world, of a church which is globally connected and yet rooted into the local community. Our unity is both a witness and a conduit by which this work and witness flow."
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.
20/7/12,
Anglicans host major conference on health and healing... »»
The Anglican Health Network (AHN) will host a two-day conference in the UK in April next year to draw together the experience of churches engaged in health services and healing ministries
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 Sarah Bridge and Abul Taheer, Mailonline
From Christian Concern
By Margaret Wente, Globe and Mail (Hat Tip: Barbara Gauthier).jpg)
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The Archbishop expresses his views about the Olympic Games; the importance of volunteering; and the need for a greater sense of public ethics, duty and responsibility in all that we do. He also reflects on milk prices and the easing of sanctions in Zimbabwe. His interview with The Independent follows in full….
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