Week Ending 01/29/18

Debate expands on Church of England and Methodist Plan

The proposal to be discussed by the Church of England synod on sharing ministry with the Methodists which update reported on last week is continuing to prompt comments. Anglo-Catholics are concerned because Methodists in England (unlike the U.S.) do not have bishops.  For Anglo-Catholics, the role of the bishop and the unique witness of an historic episcopacy are at stake.  The Thinking Anglicans web site has a good sampling of the statements, comments and practical concerns here.   The Christiantoday website has a good background piece here, and the Church Times covers the debate.

Surveys Mark Change in Religion

Two surveys, one by the Pew Foundation and the other by Forward  Movement offer interesting perspectives on the state of religion in America.  The Pew Foundation study surveyed 2000 young people from ages 15 to 24. Those doing the study are arguing that there is a "massive religious realignment" among young adults.  Millennials and Generation Z  simply are not concerned about many of the issues that currently divide churches,  and see the great divide as politics rather than race, class or religion.   The younger generation has a different take on issues of sexual morality than evangelical churches and while concerned about abortion, sees its legalization as a given.  There is a gender divide with young women much more positive about racial diversity and less positive about Trump than their male cohort.  You can read more here.  Meanwhile Forward Movement has studied 200 churches and surveyed 12,000 Episcopalians who are participating in the RenewalWorks ministry.  Their research classified participants into 4 categories based on their spiritual approach, and determined that there was a great hunger among participants for spiritual growth.  The research helped determine the 4 categories and what might catalyze people to move from one stage to another.  The full report is here.

Brazil Elects First Woman Bishop

The Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil has been ordaining women for nearly 33 years. It opened its ministry to all three orders of clergy in 1983, and ordained the first women as deacons and priests in 1985.  Now it has finally elected a woman to the third order, the episcopate.  The Revd Canon Marinez Santos Bassotto has been elected the new bishop of the Diocese of the Amazon.  Bassotto is well-known throughout the church, having served as Dean at the National Cathedral in Porto Alegre,  through membership on two national church committees, and as chair of the church's annual leadership conference. 

Congressional Invitees to State of Union Address Highlight Puerto Rico

Several members of Congress have used their right to invite someone to the State of the Union Address by inviting someone affected by the recent hurricane in Puerto Rico.  The Episcopal News Service highlights the experience of an Episcopalian family who left the island after the hurricane to ensure schooling for their children and to look for work.  You can find the whole piece here.

Week Ending 01/22/18

Tennessee Episcopalians Vote Resolution Concerning Same-Sex Marriage

The 186th annual convention of the Diocese of Tennessee had before it a resolution requesting General Convention to allow local options on marriages for same-sex couples by making clergy the ones deciding if they would perform such rites, rather than requiring authorization of the rite by the bishop. It was introduced by members of All Sacraments for All People.  Bishop Bauerschmidt is one of 8 bishops to not only bar same-sex marriages in Episcopal Churches, but to forbid clergy from participating in such marriages anywhere else.  His convention address argued for continued conversation, but made clear his opposition to legislating on the issue and that his beliefs on marriage have not changed. After discussion, a substitute resolution was passed with only one dissenting vote asking that in any re-authorization of the rites for same-sex couples take into account the "exclusion, competing convictions, and loss of community experienced by this Diocese" under the current terms.  The whole substitute is here.

Church of England Synod to Discuss Ministry Sharing with Methodists

A shortage of clergy in rural parishes in England, has resulted in a proposal to share the parish ministry in rural places with Methodist clergy.  The Church of England Synod will discuss this measure in its upcoming session.  The measure is controversial because it does not include any laying on of hands on Methodist clergy.  Twice before, in 1972 and 1980 proposals were defeated, inpart because of the status of women's ordination at that time, and the fact that in England,  Methodists do not call their senior administrators "Bishops."  The Church of England and the Methodists have had a signed agreement to work for greater unity since 2003, but this proposal raises issues of ordination and administration of sacraments.

Episcopal Church Leaders Call for Serious Examination of Church Handling of Sexual Abuse

 As Executive Council gathered for its meeting, Presiding Bishop Curry and House of Deputies President Jennings issued a letter calling on the Episcopal Church to examine carefully the way it has handled and mishandled charges of sexual abuse and how the Church can do better in the future.  The full text of the letter is here.

Chancellor of the Diocese of the Trinidad and Tobago Chosen President of the Island Country.

Justice Paula Mae Weekes, who has served for twenty years as the Chancellor for the Diocese of Trinidad and Tobago in the Province of the West Indies has been elected the President of Trinidad and Tobago.  The President is the head of state of the island nation which is part of the British Commonwealth.  The President, elected by an electoral college from the nation's parliament is responsible for appointing the Prime Minister and senate, approves bills, and heads the military.  Other than the soon-to-retire Chilean president, she will be the only female head of state among independent nations in the Americas. In addition to serving the church, Weekes has had a distinguished legal career, serving as a judge both in Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos.

New Zealand Inches Closer to Local Option on Blessing Same-Sex Relationships

The New Zealand Anglican Church has been looking for a way through the conflicting views on same-sex marriage for several years.  The Church's unusual structure (with 3 parallel tracks) was designed to allow both autonomy and unity.  They have had a small working group for several years looking at structural proposals that will allow traditionalists to stay in the church if others accept same-sex unions.  The task force began work in 2014, but was asked to go back and rework it in the interests of unity. (See Updates here and here.)  The latest version is proposing local option as the way to allow unity, without changing formularies.  Basically it is urging that the church declare amnesty for those who decide to bless same-sex unions while rejecting extra-provincial solutions for either side in the controversy.  The full, Final Report is at this site along with all previous drafts.

Update on Hurricane Recovery in the Virgin Islands

The visit of the Presiding Bishop to the Virgin Islands has gotten very little attention except from Disaster News Network which has this story.  (Update did cover a story by the Episcopal News Network saying the visit would occur.) Recovery still has a long way to go, although power has now been restored to 90 percent of the Islands.  The two hurricanes that hit the islands have had a long term impact on schools, churches and everything from employment to The status of the islands has been lost in the focus on Puerto Rico, and other issues generated in Washington, D.C.

Controversy Ensues as Archbishop of Canterbury Refuses to Clear Bishop Bell's Reputation

Recently the update carried information on a scathing report of how the Church of England mishandled the investigation into a charge of sexual misconduct with a minor that had been levied long after Bishop Bell had died.  Bell was a revered figure in the church and the Episcopal Church had added him to Holy Women, Holy Men.  Archbishop Welby has refused to clear Bell despite the church findings because there can be a difference between the proof required for a criminal case, and that for a civil or church case.   Welby's rationale is not convincing many critics in England.  For two examples of English coverage of WElby's statement, go here and here.

St. Paul's School Settles Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The Episcopal Church School in Conway, New Hampshire, has been struggling with sexual abuse issues beginning with the trial and lawsuits surrounding the sexual assault of a fourteen-year-old student by Owen Labrie, then a senior, and followed by a larger investigation into abuse by faculty.  Labrie was convicted and sentenced, but a subsequent civil lawsuit against the school for not doing more to protect the victime was filed girl's family. That has now been settled. The school is trying very hard to put these issues behind them, and the terms of the settlement have not been made public. 

Pence Visit to Jerusalem Provokes Palestinian Christian Criticism

The visit by Vice President Pence to Israel and his confirmation that the American Embassy would move to Jerusalem in 2019 has not gone unnoticed by Palestinian Christians.  The Religion News story included statements from members of three different denominations.  While the Anglican Archbishop signed an earlier ecumenical letter opposing the embassy move, he seems to have made no public statements in response to Pence's visit.

Week Ending 1/15/18

A Primer on the Undocumented

Trinity Church, Wall Street, announces that it has prepared a resource about undocumented immigrants available on-line.  It was developed following the October teach-in event it sponsored, Undocumented: What Do Faith Communities Need to Know?  The six major presentations from the teach-in are all available as video streams from the web page.

No Breakthroughs in SC Mediation Talks

The Episcopal Church in South Carolina posted a brief update on its web site concerning the court-ordered mediation scheduled for January 11-12, 2018.  Apparently they made no progress except to agree to continue to meet.  Blogger Steve Skaradon has an interesting reaction to the announcement in his January 17 post.

A New Book of Common Prayer for ACNA in 2019

At the ACNA House of Bishops meeting in Florida, the bishops approved specific texts for Holy Communion, the Daily Office, the lectionary, collects, and supplementary Canticles to be included in the 2019 edition of their Book of Common Prayer.  The publication date has been moved up a year from the group's original announcement in 2008 when the ACNA bishops approved trial texts that were available on-line.

Week Ending 01/08/18

Scottish Church Faces Push Back On Appointment of Bishop

In November the Bishops of the Episcopal Church of Scotland announced they had selected Canon Anne Dyer as the new Bishop of Aberdeen. She will be the first woman to serve as a Bishop in the Scottish Church, however, the appointment has hit a snag because conservatives in the diocese are objecting  to the process of her selection, although it followed church canons. The opponents chose to use a public letter to voice their concerns and ask for her to stand down. An account on Anglican.ink has more background in a cover letter email sent to the Primus of the Church with the public letter. Scottish bishops, including the Primus have responded.  The British site ThinkingAnglicans has good links to much of this conflict.

The Price Parishes Paid for Dealing with Confederate Symbols

Religion News has a thoughtful piece on the prices paid by parishes who had in the past honored Robert E. Lee with plaques or naming.  Both went through a multi-year discernment process, both tried hard to listen to their members, and both ended up losing their rectors.  Update covered the original decisions, but this essay provides much greater detail on how Episcopalians tried to find a middle way, but simply could not avoid conflict.

Episcopal Church Serves as Mudslide Shelter Until Ordered to Evacuate

The recent fires near Montecito and Santa Barbara, California left the ground bare and vulnerable to mudslides.  Recent rains triggered major slides with the result that much of the town of Monecito has been affected.  Just as Episcopal churches reached out to refugees from the fires ( see Update stories here and here), the local Episcopal Parish, All Saints-by-the-Sea,  served as a shelter for those who had to flee their homes, but the slides cut water and electricity to much of the community, forcing the Church to end its shelter activities and evacuate those there. 

Presiding Bishop Curry Visits Area Recovering from Hurricanes

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has been visiting the hurricane devastated areas of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.  He viewed relief projects sponsored by the local Episcopal Churches and ERD, preached, and encouraged those who had lost so much. Update has been following relief efforts.  The most recent story  is here.

People in the News

The Anglican Mission in America announced the death of Bishop Charles Murphy, who was ordained  bishop with John Rogers in an irregular service held in Asia in 2000.  Murphy was the founder of the AMiA, the first schismatic group formed in the renewed controversy.

Pittsburgers may remember the Rev. Don Green, the Lutheran minister who retired a few years ago as Executive Director of Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania.  He was featured in a story on Religion News as a cruise ship chaplain, something he has done periodically for a number of years.

Week Ending 1/1/18

Happy 2018 to All!!!

Things were relatively quiet on the Church policy and news front because people were busy going to church, visiting family, etc.  Nonetheless, there were a few grinches around trying to spoil the holidays.

Terrorism Puts Damper on Holidays in Kenya, Pakistan, Egypt, and New South Wales (Australia)

Terrorist attacks or the threat of them spoiled holiday celebrations in several spots around the world.  The attack December 29, 2017  on  worshipers at a Coptic Church in Egypt resulted in 11 dead.  In Pakistan, 9 more were killed in an attack on a Christmas Pageant  (or pageant rehearsal depending on the news source) December 17 at a Methodist Church in Quetta, attended by the whole Christian community in the city. In Kenya, a police raid recovered a stash of weapon that terrorists planned on using to attack a church on Christmas.  Among the weapons was a gun taken from one of two policemen killed in September while on duty outside St Paul’s Anglican Church in Ukunda, Kenya.  No one was killed in New South Wales, but an Anglican parish that had sponsored a major New Year's Eve celebration for the town for a number of years had to cancel this year's celebration because they could not afford the $10,000 that it would cost to properly protect attendees given a heightened security risk.  The event drew more than 4000 people last year.

Telling Statistics of America's 100 largest Churches

 Church Clarity has released the first of its findings on a study of more than 600 evangelical congregations.  The first data released covered the status of America's 100 largest "mega" churches.  None are Episcopalian.  Seventy-nine of the congregations were non-denominational, Southern Baptist, or Independent Christian.  Among the 100, only 7 had non-white head pastors. Only one had a woman as lead pastor and she was listed as co-pastor with her husband.  Fifty-four per cent of the largest churches hid their positions on LGBTQ people.  Of the 35% that had clear policies, none had a policy affirming of the LGBTQ community.