News for Week Ending 9/22/2013

Global South conversation increases in anticipation of GAFCON II

With the second GAFCON meeting scheduled for next month, discussion of the state of the Anglican Communion by Global South partisans is increasing. (See also Pittsburgh Update story here.) Speaking at a September 16, 2013, meeting in preparation for GAFCON II, Vinay Samuel, one of the architects of GAFCON, described the Communion as a “collection of coalitions” in need of greater coherence. (Anglican Mainstream reported on his talk.) A gathering of Global South primates and bishops in Toronto commemorating the Anglican Conference held there 50 years ago heard more negative talk about the Anglican Communion and its Archbishops of Canterbury. Religion News Services offers analysis of what was said here.

Church of Ireland names first woman bishop

The Church of Ireland announced September 20, 2013, that the Rev. Pat Storey will become the next Bishop of Meath and Kildare. The 53-year-old mother of two will be the first female bishop in the British Isles. Additional information about Storey can be found in the story from the Belfast Telegraph and the story from Episcopal News Service.

Archbishop of Canterbury to meet with Presiding Bishop

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will meet with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma next April. The meeting is part of Welby’s program to visit with all Anglican primates in his first 18 months in office. More information can be found in the September 23, 2013, story here.

Episcopal Church bishops meeting in Nashville

Episcopal Church bishops are attending their fall meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. The meeting began September 19, 2013, and continues through September 24. The Office of Public Affairs is publishing daily summaries of the meeting. Available to date are summaries for September 19, September 20, September 21, September 22, and September 23. Rather more helpful than the colorless official dispatches are the blog posts from the conservative Bishop of Springfield Daniel Martins. He, too, has written about the sessions of September 19, September 20, September 21, September 22, and September 23.

TREC issues report

The Task Force for Reimagining the Church issued its “Initial Working Report on Identity and Vision” September 19, 2013. The report was presented to the bishops meeting in Nashville September 20. Episcopal News Service ran a story on the report September 23. The actual report can be read here.

W.V. diocese to allow same-sex blessings

On September 21, 2013, at the convention of the Diocese of West Virginia, Bishop Michie Klusmeyer announced that same-sex blessings will be allowed in his diocese. (The story was reported by The Charleston Gazette.) The Diocese of Pittsburgh is now surrounded by dioceses that have approved same-sex blessings. (Ohio, Southern Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Central Pennsylvania, and Northwestern Pennsylvania have all approved same-sex blessings. Pittsburghers are still awaiting action from Bishop Dorsey McConnell.)

S.C. bishop asks federal court to reconsider deference to state action

On September 16, 2013, Bishop of South Carolina Charles G. vonRosenberg petitioned the Charleston Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina to reconsider its decision to dismiss the suit brought by the bishop against Mark Lawrence and other leaders who left The Episcopal Church. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The Episcopal Church in South Carolina (the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina currently restrained by a state court from using its proper name) reported on the filing here.

Fort Worth cases closed

Two federal suits against the breakaway Fort Worth diocese have been closed in consideration of the recent Supreme Court decision. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The two cases involved allegation of trademark infringement by the breakaway group led by Jack Leo Iker—see Pittsburgh Update story here—and the other alleged unfair competition by an individual parish—see Pittsburgh Update story here. Either case may be reopened later. The announcement was made by Iker’s diocese here, and was analyzed by conservative lawyer A.S. Haley here.