News for Week Ending 1/19/2009

Details of Primates Meeting announced

Anglican primates (or, in some cases, their representatives) will meet in Alexandria, Egypt, February 1–5, 2009. The Anglican Communion Office issued a media advisory about the meeting January 15. Episcopal News Service, in a story issued the same day, indicated that the agenda will include “the proposed Anglican covenant, the situation in Zimbabwe, global warming, and Christian responses to the global financial crisis.” Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will attend the meeting, representing The Episcopal Church.

It is unclear whether the matter of the Anglican Church of North America—see Pittsburgh Update story here—will be discussed formally at the Alexandria gathering. The Living Church reported January 16 that Bishop Robert Duncan failed to deliver a scheduled address to the Mere Anglicanism Conference due to “an unanticipated series of consultations with the primates who originated the call” for a new North American province. According to The Living Church, Duncan said the GAFCON primates will present a paper advocating a new province at the February meeting.

Exactly what the Anglican Church of North America will look like is still unclear, but deposed Bishop of Fort Worth Jack Iker provided an intriguing hint in the presentation he gave at the Mere Anglicanism Conference. In his paper “Global Anglicanism: Beyond the Elizabethan Settlement toward the New Anglican Conciliarism,” Iker declares, “Though we have our continuing differences over the issue of the ordination of women, Bishop Duncan and the CCP lead bishops have given assurances that there will be no women bishops in the new Province and that the historic, traditional theological position on this matter will be protected, respected and welcomed.”

In letter to PB, Bishop Iker tries to have it both ways

Fort Worth blogger Katie Sherrod recently posted a letter from deposed Fort Worth bishop Jack Iker to the Presiding Bishop complaining about her coming to Fort Worth for the reorganizing convention for the diocese. (See Pittsburgh Update story here. Sherrod’s post, which includes the Iker letter, can be found here.) Like Robert Duncan, Iker claims to be out of The Episcopal Church, while at the same time claiming jurisdiction over Episcopalians in his former diocese.

San Joaquin bishop writes departed congregations in wake of Supreme Court decision

In response to the Supreme Court decision giving the Diocese of Los Angeles rights to the property of parishes that left the diocese to be part of the Ugandan church—see Pittsburgh Update story here—Bishop of San Joaquin Jerry Lamb has written letters to those who left the diocese in the “realignment” led by deposed Bishop John-David Schofield. Saying in the January 14, 2009, messages that the court decision makes it clear that parish property must stay with The Episcopal Church and its local diocese, Lamb called for dialogue. “There has been enough pain and suffering on all sides of the issue of separation from the Episcopal Church,” he wrote. His letter can be read on the San Joaquin Web site. In letters to those who have remained in The Episcopal Church, Lamb urged everyone “to engage their friends and acquaintances from the other group in personal conversations, and based on long-standing friendships, move toward healing in the diocese.”

Holy Cross to host prayer service for Obama

Church of the Holy Cross, the diocese’s only predominantly African-American parish, will host “Obama Sunday” on January 25, 2009, in honor of the President Barack Obama, the first African-American President of the United States. Details are listed here on the diocesan Web site.

Diocesan Council announces appointments

Diocesan Council has announced appointment made at its January 5, 2009, meeting. President of the Council is now Joan Morris, of St. Andrew’s, Highland Park. The Rev. William Geiger, of Christ Church, Indiana, is Vice President. The new Secretar4y is Judith M. Rosensteel, of All Souls’, North Versailles. A full list of appointments can be found here.