News for Week Ending 2/10/2014

Marriage equality achieved in Scotland

On February 4, 2014, The Parliament of Scotland approved a measure that will allow marriage of same-sex couples as early as October. Freedom to Marry reported the story here.

CoE General Synod meeting this week

The General Synod of the Church of England is meeting this week between February 10 and February 12, 2014. Of greatest interest to Episcopalians is the matter of advancing provisions for allowing women bishops (to be discussed on Tuesday) and a presentation by Sir Joseph Pilling on the Pilling Report (on Wednesday, followed by Q&A). Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will deliver a Presidential Address Wednesday morning. A press release describing the meeting can be found here. Links to the meeting agenda and background papers can be found here. The proceedings are being live streamed here.

Presiding Bishop to receive honorary degree from Oxford

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is to receive an honorary degree from Oxford University on June 25, 2014, along with five other recipients from various disciplines. She will receive the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa. Episcopal News Service published the press release from Oxford University on February 7, 2014. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby issued a statement of congratulations that can be read here.

Episcopal Church Executive Council meets

The church’s Executive Council met in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, from February 5 to February 7, 2014. The council has two new members. The Very Rev. Dr. Brian Baker has replaced the Rev. Jenny Vervynck, who resigned as the Province VIII clergy representative. The Rev. Nathaniel W. Pierce has replaced the Rev. Chris Cunningham, who resigned as the Province III clergy representative. (See Episcopal News Service stories here and here.) Note that the Diocese of Pittsburgh is in Province III.

Opening remarks of the President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings can be read here. Opening remarks of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori can be read here and her opening sermon here.

It has been announced that the 2018 General Convention will be held in Austin, Texas. The decision required a number of approvals, including that of the Executive Council. Details are here.

Executive Council approved  $168,060 of Constable Fund Grants. Last year, a Constable Fund Grant of $30,000 was approved for the Diocese of Pittsburgh’s sexuality dialogue. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) This year’s grants include $13,200 for Building & Enhancing Anti-Racism Ministry throughout Province III. The grant will be used “to support anti-racism workshops where none exist and to strengthen those that do.”

A summary of Executive Council resolutions can be found here. An additional summary of the work of the group is here. Apparently, the rift between the United Thank Offering (UTO) and the church is largely resolved. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The UTO and the Executive Council have approved a new memorandum of understanding and a new set of bylaws for the UTO. Details can be found here.

TREC releases first paper

The Task Force for Re-Imagining The Episcopal Church (TREC) has released an initial paper for comment. (See recent Pittsburgh Update story about TREC here.) A story on the new study paper on the subject of Episcopal networks can be found here, and the paper itself is here.

Church solicits nominations

The Episcopal Church has put out a call for nominations to various church positions. (The list is here.) Nominations are due by March 1, 2014. Elections for the positions will be conducted at the 2015 General Convention.

More papers filed in South Carolina case

On February 5, 2014, the Episcopal Church in South Carolina filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The filing was in response to U.S. District Court Judge C. Weston Houck’s rejection of the request to reconsider his earlier decision to dismiss the federal case brought by the Episcopalians. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) Details about the latest filing can be found on the Web site of the Episcopal Church in South Carolina. Meanwhile, the breakaway South Carolina group has appealed to the South Carolina Supreme Court, complaining that the Episcopalians are engaging in delaying tactics. Its press release can be found here.

David Kinsey dead at 76

The Rev. David L. Kinsey, priest-in-charge at St. Stephen’s, McKeesport, and former rector of St. Thomas’, Canonsburg, died February 6, 2014, of congestive heart failure. His passing was noted on the diocesan Web site. His obituary in the Post-Gazette can be found here. The Post-Gazette also published an extended obituary here.