Maine Canon To Lead Land Mine Effort
The Canon to the Ordinary in the Diocese of Maine, the Rev. Michael Ambler, has stepped down from that role to focus on a long-term project of his, clearing landmines left in Laos during the Vietnam War. Laos is the most heavily land-mined country on earth. He will be working with 80 mine-clearing teams. He also will serve as a consultant to the Maine bishop with a focus on conflict resolution in the Maine Diocese.
"Winter Talk" Will Live Stream
The "Winter Talk" is an inter-tribal annual event sponsored by the Episcopal Church's Office of Indigenous Ministries. It is a conference highlighting indigenous traditions and contributions within the church and this year will include a session on the General Convention resolution directing dioceses to research and explore the treatment of native youth in church-run boarding schools. There will also be a variety of other activities. and presentations including an annual status report. Both the President of the House of Deputies and Presiding bishop Curry will attend and speak. The conference is a hybrid event, hosted on an Oneida reservation in Wisconsin with in person activities designed to mark the 200th anniversary of the reservation and events also available virtually. The "Winter Talk" is scheduled for January 21-23, 2023 and those interested in attending virtually should register for the live stream, which you can do here.
Continuing Threads
Judges Recuse Selves in Methodist Case
At least twelve Arkansas judges have recused themselves from the law suit filed by First United methodist Church in Jonesboro. The congregation had voted to withdraw from the United Methodist denomination, but the district Conference did not approve. Update noted that the Conference had moved to take over the congregation and suspended its minister after they voted a second time to leave. What is now clear is that at the second meeting those present also voted to alter their governing documents. This is what prompted the Conference to step in. The judges have asked the State to provide a special judge to hear the lawsuit filed by the congregation challenging the Conference. Apparently too many of the local judges have ties to the Methodists.
Nigerian Archbishop Releases Bishop to ACNA
Bishop Felix Orji who led his U.S. parishes into ACNA has been released in good standing from the Anglican Church of Nigeria and is free to affiliate with ACNA. Some of the American congregations in the entity that Nigeria set up as an alternative to the Episcopal Church chose to remain with Nigeria. Orji's move is also part of the background to the competing claims on a New Jersey congregation that led to a physical confrontation. The release came very shortly after the Nigerian Archbishop released a statement saying that the bishops in charge of the Nigerian missions in the U.S. had acted without his knowledge. The release seems timed to help gloss over a very awkward situation.