Uganda anti-gay bill nears top of legislative agenda
The Erasing 76 Crimes blog
reported February 19, 2013, that the notorious so-called “Kill the Gays” bill is nearing consideration by the Uganda Parliament. A February 20 follow-up post suggests that the bill may not be debated quite so soon. Of course, passage of the anti-gay bill has repeatedly been predicted, but it remains only a bill. (See Pittsburgh Update story
here.) Although the Ugandan people have been represented as favoring the bill, David Cecil, a gay British theatrical producer who was deported from Uganda, asserts, “Uganda is not a terrible place and most people are not homophobic but
they are conservative. There are pastors preaching hate, they are the
problem.” (See
story from the
London Evening Standard.)
Presiding Bishop to attend Welby Enthronement
According to
Episcopal News Service, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will attend the Canterbury Cathedral enthronement of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby March 21, 2013. She will also attend the Primates Standing Committee, of which she is an elected member.
Maryland congregation votes to become Roman Catholic; property to stay with diocese
Members of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Catonsville, Maryland, voted February 10, 2013, to leave The Episcopal Church for the
The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, in which they will become Roman Catholics while retaining some Anglican practices. (See Pittsburgh Update story
here.) For now, both Catholic and Episcopal services will be held in the Ingleside Avenue church. The property will be retained by the
Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, and the new Roman Catholic parish will identify a worship site after Easter. Details can be read in the February 20
story from Episcopal News Service.
Religion News Service offers perspective on Texas and South Carolina property cases
A Religion News Service
story published by The Huffington Post, offers analysis of the church property disputes in Fort Worth and South Carolina. The article does not predict the outcome of the litigation, but it does point out some of the differences between these cases and other recent church property cases.
South Carolina church votes to join Lawrence faction
VirtueOnline reported February 24, 2013, that
Old St. Andrew’s Parish Church of Charleston, South Carolina,, voted February 24 to amend its governing documents to eliminate references to The Episcopal Church, thereby aligning itself with former Bishop of South Carolina Mark Lawrence and those who claim to have removed the Diocese of South Carolina from The Episcopal Church. (See Pittsburgh Update story
here.) Both Lawrence and the Episcopal Church’s Provisional Bishop Charles vonRosenberg had addressed parishioners prior to the February 24 vote. The vote was approximately 3 to 1 against continuing the parish’s Episcopal Church affiliation. The VirtueOnline
story was preceded by this
analysis the day before.
Bishop McConnell to receive honorary degree
The General Theological Seminary in New York City has announced recipients of honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees to be awarded at the 191st commencement ceremonies to be held May 15, 2013. One of the recipients will be our own bishop, Dorsey McConnell. Details can be found
here.
Bishop writes diocese about coming conversations
Bishop Dorsey McConnell has written the diocese about the coming conversation regarding human sexuality. In a letter dated February 25, 2013, and sent to the
Grace Happens mailing list, he offers this explanation:
The reason for this dialogue, as a practical matter, is to help inform
my decision as your bishop on how the diocese should approach two issues
current in the Church: the blessing of same-sex relationships and the
ordination of partnered gay or lesbian persons. An equally important
purpose is for us to come together as a diocese in constructive
conversation to find and follow continuing paths to healing and
reconciliation.
Bishop McConnell’s complete letter can be read
here.