Week Ending 10/01/18

Bishop Sean Rowe Argues for Increased Power for Laity

The Bishop of Northwest Pennsylvania, Sean Rowe has published an essay in The Christian Century arguing that  the cycles of abuse and cover-up in the church will never end unless clericalism is reduced and the voice of the laity is increased at all levels of church governance.  Rowe draws on his experience in handling a major abuse case in his diocese, but the message is directed to all churches, not just Episcopal ones. 

Archbishop of York to Retire 2020

Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, The Ugandan-born primate of the province covering the northern part of England has announced his retirement.Church of England clergy are required to retire when they reach age 70, but the Queen exercised her privilege to extend the time before his retirement until he is 71, in June 2020.  This puts his retirement just before the Lambeth Conference scheduled for  July 24 - August 3, 2020.  It also gives more time to plan on how to select his successor.  There is already speculation that it would allow for the appointment of a woman as archbishop.

Updates on Continuing Stories

South Carolina Diocese to Continue Conversations Digitally with Returned Parishes

In July, 2018 the Episcopalians in the rebuilding diocese in South Carolina held three "Conversations" at different locations in the diocese to begin connecting with interested people in the parishes that the courts ruled belonged to the Episcopal Church.  These were true conversations, with multiple "stations" where people could ask questions and talk to leaders in the diocese.  Now they have announced that there will be a digital continuation of that conversation in October.  The process for return is still in the hands of a district court judge, but the diocese is trying to build relationships in advance of the official turnover of property.   Update carried an earlier mention of this announcement, but the diocese now has full details available.

GAFCON Primates Continue Separatist Ways

The announcement that the bishops in Wales were planning to move forward with providing a way for blessing of single-sex civil marriages has prompted evangelicals in that province to express their concern.  The GAFCON-selected, ACNA-ordained "Missionary Bishop to Europe," Andrew Lines, has already stepped up offering them his support, thus continuing the agenda of the GAFCON separatists to create a competing entity for their competing version of an Anglican communion.  In the same vein, the Archbishop of the Congo has just consecrated a new bishop for the Anglican Mission in Canada, which is the Canadian branch of the Anglican Mission in America, another separatist organization. This consecration did not have the approval of the GAFCON leadership

More on Churches in Aftermath of Florence

The Episcopal News Services has another update on the status of parishes, their members, and the outreach all are doing in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.  Episcopalians, even those who have lost their own homes, are busy trying to get the clean-up started.   The most recent Update story is here.