Week Ending 05/13/19

ENS Senior Editor Retires

Mary Frances Schjonberg, the Episcopal News Service staff person who has covered many of the stories related to the 2008 schism in Pittsburgh and those in the other 4 diocese and is an expert on Episcopal polity is retiring at the end of June.  For more on her career see the ENS story here. 

Bishop Sutton Writes in Support of Reparations for Slavery.

Bishop Sutton of Maryland has written a  four page pastoral letter in support of reparations for wrongs done to black Americans during and after slavery.  He argues that reparations are an important step in accepting complicity as a countryand a church in the structural racism that continues to hold back the black population.  He is not suggesting paymments to individuals, but rather programs such as scholarships that help to level the modern playing field.  The Living Church story is here.  The full letter is here.

Continuing Stories

Presiding Bishop Wins Media Award for Royal Wedding Sermon

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's sermon at the Royal Wedding last year has won a prestigious British award for media impact on Religion, ethics, and spirituality.  The Sandford St.Martin Trustees Award has been made annually since 1978 by an independent panel to individuals or groups who have made the greatest positive impact through the media on the public perception of religion, ethics,or spirituality.  It was not only the size of the audience that impressed the panel, but his message.  The Episcopal News Service has more. 

Episcopal Parish has Provided Sanctuary for Two Years for One  Woman

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Greensboro, NC has taken its responsibility as a sanctuary church very seriously.  In fact,  Juan Luz Tabor Ortega has lived at the church for two years as her familyh tries to find a way for the undocumented mother to stay in the U.S.  A documentary aired on many PBS stations on May 9, featuring her story.  Ortega, a Guatemalan, has been in the United States for over 26 years, and until 6 years ago thought she had been granted asylum.  You can read more in the ENS story here, or look for the PBS documentary, Sanctuario online.  Update has regularly tracked stories on The Episcopal Church's role in the sanctuarymovement. The latest story is here,

Wales Continues to Explore Way for Church to Recognize Same-Sex Marriage

Archbishop John Davies, head of the Church of Wales, reported to the Welsh House of Bishops on progress of the committee exploring implications of the Church authorizing presiding at marriages of same-sex couples.  In September the bishops had voted by a wide margin that pastoralconcerns meant that something needed to be done. The committee met with consultants from the Scottish Episcopal Church, and is now working on a theological document that will be presented to the bishopsfor discussion at their next meeting.  In the meantime a liturgical committee has been authorized to look for a way that such marriages might be blessed by those clergy willing to do do.  The Church Times has the full article.  Update has been following these Welsh talks for over two years,