Week Ending 03/06/2017

San Joaquin Takes Major Step in Recovery

When the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin elected Provisional Bishop David Rice as their regular diocesan bisop this last week, they took the last major step in the process of recovery from schism.  The election was almost unanimous.  Having successfully recovered diocesan property, and built a core of parishes, the diocese has almost finished a process of returning to normal.   Only a few individal parish property cases remain unsettled. This leaves only Fort Worth and San Joaquin with unsettled property lawsuits and provisional bishops.

A Busy Week For Presiding Bishop Curry

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry signed a new new accord with the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, which celebrates the friendship between two equal provinces in the Anglican Communion and ends any remnant of dependency by the Philippine Church on TEC.  In another international move, Curry joined with the heads of Anglican Church in Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in the U.S. and Canada to issue an Ash Wednesday statement in support of refugees. Finally,  Bishop Curry and the Rev. Gay Jennings, President of the House of Deputies, became the lead signers of an amica brief supporting transgendered people in the case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was remanded to the appeals court on Monday.

Legal Issues Elsewhere

A bishop in Sierra Leone has been arrested on charges of diverting funds sent by Episcopal Relief and Deveopment to fund ebola containment efforts during the recent epidemic. The bishop insists he is innocent, pointing to the success Sierra Leone  had in containing and ending the epidemic as proof the funds were used appropriately. Meanwhile English authorities have arrested and convicted two street preachers for quoting the Bible passage referring to Jesus as "the way" to be saved.  The prosecutor is arguing this shows disrespect to other religions.  Needless to say the case has raised the ire of those Christians  who believe  Christ is the only way to salvation. The case has the potential to be very  controversial

Church "Tiny House" Projects Spread

Pittsburgh Episcopal Update has reported previously on parishes in Minnesota and Eugene, Oregon who were building tiny houses on church land to house the homeless.  Now a parish in Montana has joined the movement with plans for an village of tiny homes.  Like the project in Eugene, St. James Episcopal in Bozeman, Montana, is planning for a whole village.   The parish partnered with a local university architecture program to design two prototype homes of 150 square feet each and that include kitchen and bathroom amenities. They are working with the local agency that works with the homeless to get all needed  permits for the proposed 40 home village.