News for Week Ending 4/13/2015

Controversy continues to surround new ACC Secretary General

The appointment of Nigeria’s Bishop Josiah Atkins Idowu-Fearon to be Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council. continues to be controversial. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) He has expressed favorable opinions on the Anglican Covenant and on primates having increased authority within the Anglican Communion. His views on the Communion were expressed in an address in Toronto in 2013, as reported by Thinking Anglicans. Thinking Anglicans has links to both audio and transcript of “The Instruments of Unity and the Way Forward.” Interested readers will also want to read the comments on Thinking Anglicans. An Episcopal News Service story on April 8, 2015, sought to reassure Episcopalians that Idowu-Fearon is an acceptable choice for his new post.

GAFCON primates meeting in London

The GAFCON Primates Council is meeting in London April 13–17, 2105. According to an Anglican Ink story, a major issue to be discussed is “whether to support a parallel Anglican jurisdiction akin to the Anglican Church in North America for England.” Significantly, the archbishop of ACNA, Foley Beach, is attending the meeting. On April 13, Beach announced on Facebook that he has been voted onto the Primates Council as the Archbishop of North America. In the Anglican Mission in England—see Pittsburgh Update story here—GAFCON seems to have a potential parallel jurisdiction already in place. Possible developments in London could have far-reaching affects on the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. Additional information can be found on Episcopal Café and Christian Today.

U.K. not very religious

If the GAFCON Primates are looking for a promising mission field in the West, the U.K. may be the right place. A recent worldwide poll found the U.K. to be one of the least religious countries in the world. (China is the least religious.) Only 30% of those polled in the U.K. described themselves as religious. Thinking Anglicans has links to the poll results and to press comment about its findings.

American Anglican Fellowship still pursuing PB

Because the complaint filed in 2013 by a tiny group calling itself the American Anglican Fellowship, Inc., against the Presiding Bishop for wasting church resources in litigation was dismissed in July 2014, the group is trying to revive the issue by asking people to contact their deputies to General Convention to support a resolution ending all litigation and allowing parishes to leave with their property. Nothing is said about litigation begun against The Episcopal Church, such as that in South Carolina. The Fellowship is somewhat mysterious; no names can be found on its Web site. The Internet domain used by the Fellowship was registered anonymously. Virtueonline reported this story March 30, 2015.

A dozen bishops visit Cuba

In response to the Episcopal Church of Cuba’s vote to rejoin The Episcopal Church—see Pittsburgh Update story here—twelve bishops from The Episcopal Church recently visited Cuba. For more information, see the April 12, 2015, Episcopal Café story here.

Fort Worth to get another provisional bishop

Episcopal Café reported April 10, 2015, that the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is poised to elect another provisional bishop at a special convention on May 16. Bishop Rayford B. High, Jr., the current provisional bishop, is stepping down early following the death of his wife. The new provisional bishop to the elected is Bishop J. Scott Mayer, who is bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas. Thus, another bishop will be serving in two dioceses.

Baton Rouge church prospers after concentrating on mission

A Baton Rouge, Louisiana, church is getting permanent worship space after 42 years. According to a story reported on by Episcopal Café, the church, which has had its ups and downs over the years, has grown recently because of its emphasis on mission. The church’s current priest-in-charge reports that the church had been dominated by “Angri-canism,” divided over issues such as human sexuality.

PEP meeting to preview General Convention issues

Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh has announced that its next meeting will take place at St. Stephen’s, Wilkinsburg, at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2015. The meeting is being promoted as a General Convention preview. There will be presentations about the two most significant reports coming before the General Convention this summer: those from the Task Force for Reimagining The Episcopal Church and the Task Force on the Study of Marriage. PEP members will also vote for members of the Board of Trustees. The flyer announcing the meeting can be found here. Additional information about the meeting can be found on Facebook.