Week Ending 2/29/16

Malcolm Boyd Has Died

The Episcopal Church has lost one of its most well-known priests, Malcolm Boyd.  Boyd, was 91.  He turned from a successful career in Los Angeles to enter seminary and was ordained in 1955. He was active in racial justice from the beginning of his ministry, and in 1976 came out as gay.  Author of more than 24 books, he constantly reached out to those that were marginalized and could explain Christianity in ways that challenged Episcopalians and reached out to the unchurched. The L.A. Times published a complete run-down on Boyd's career.

Good Friday Collection Controversy

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry issued a letter reminding Episcopal clergy that traditionally their good Friday offerings went to provide support for the four Anglican dioceses in the Middle East and northern Africa.  Archbishop Mouneer Anis, the bishop of Egypt with Northern Africa and the Horn of Africa,responded that his diocese had refused all funds from TEC since 2003 because of TEC actions inclusive of LGBTQ people.  Because Anis also serves as the Archbishop for the four dioceses, discussion on a Facebook page for those interested in matters that come before the General Convention focused on whether he was rejecting funds for the whole Anglican province or just his diocese. 

Diocese of Newcastle in Australia Fed Up with Actions by Diocese of Sydney

The Bishop of Newcastle has finally had enough of attempts by the neighboring Diocese of Sydney to force its conservative agenda on others in Australia.  After Sydney circulated a letter to all dioceses demanding that they sign protocols that opposed homosexuality or Sydney won't attend province meetings, the Newcastle bishop snapped back, saying he won't attend the upcoming bishop's meeting and demanding that Sydney follow protocols in the Australian Church governing documents that forbid border-crossing.  The Newcastle bishop was especially concerned about formation of Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans groups in his diocese by Sydney people.  The most complete article is from the Newcastle Herald. The Episcopal Cafe also has an article. 

Ecumenical Hawaiian Group Takes on Frank Graham

When Frank Graham showed up in Hawaii for a rally where he was expected to call on people to elect all evangelicals to office and follow his version of Biblical teachings, he got a surprise.  A local Episcopal priest, working through an ecumenical organization organized a group to picket the rally with signs stressing Christian love, tolerance and acceptance.  Those demonstrating wanted to make sure that people knew there was another version of Christianity other than Graham's.

And Still More Fallout from the Primate's Gathering

This week, Presiding Bishop Curry used his opening statement to Executive Council to briefly comment on his health and then turned to his version of what happened at the Canterbury meeting.  Curry noted that the statement issued by the primates only affected primates and had no impact on the Anglican Consultative Council.  Meanwhile the Archbishop of Uganda announced that his province would not be attending the ACC since  the Episcopal Church had not repented or been disciplined. It is interesting to compare what Archbishop Ngtali of Uganda said happened at a primates meeting in 2003 with the actual final document from that meeting. In a decision possibly related to the "consequences" for the Episcopal Church announced by the 2016 primates gathering, it became clear that measures intended to bring forward resolutions supporting marriage equality at the synod of the Anglican Church of Canada would fall short of the 2/3 vote of support required in the House of Bishops.  It is not clear what the next step will be for the church there.