News for Week Ending 5/12/2014

Communion’s Standing Committee meets

Anglican Communion News Service has reported on the four-day meeting of the Standing Committee (members listed here), which met in London May 7–10, 2014. (Dates are inferred; reports from ACNS failed to provide them.) Descriptions have been issued of days 1 and 2, day 3, and day 4. Much of the work described is the reception of reports from various Anglican bodies. On day 4, it was announced that the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan has adopted the Anglican Covenant. The official tally of adopters is here.

David Virtue interviews Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali

Recently, David Virtue, who runs VirtueOnline (“The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism’), interviewed former evangelical Bishop of Rochester Michael Nazir-Ali in Wayne, Pa. Nazir-Ali is a big fan of GAFCON and ACNA and does not seem to have high hopes for the future of the Church of England. You can read the interview here.

Brian Seage elected Mississippi coadjutor

The Very Rev. Brian R. Seage was elected bishop coadjutor for the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi May 3, 2014. As we reported earlier, the field included two candidates who had also been candidates in the most recent episcopal election in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Rev. Dr. R. Stan Runnels and the Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley. Seage was elected on the fifth ballot from a field of five that also included the Very Rev. Michael J. Battle and the Rev. Marian Dulaney Fortner. Seage will eventually succeed the current diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray, III. Episcopal News Service reported the story. The vote tallies can be found here.

Upper S.C. releases same-sex blessings material

According to Episcopal News Service, the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina released a collection of materials on same-sex blessings on May 8, 2014. At the 2012 General Convention, the Rt. Rev. Andrew Waldo voted against use of a provisional liturgy for blessing same-sex blessings because he believed the authorizing resolution offered insufficient theological rationale. The newly released materials include a theological reflection from Waldo, a curriculum for parish conversation developed by a task force created by the bishop, and rules and procedures for blessing same-sex unions in Upper South Carolina. The diocesan Web site includes an summary of the material. The full report is here.

Bishop Bruno calls for unity, lists outcomes of litigation

The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, diocesan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, wrote a letter to be read in all churches May 11, 2014. Bruno called for unity and described the outcome of property litigation in the diocese, which has finally come to an end. His letter can be read here.