The Times has The spark of God within us is truth, not empty words by Musonda Trevor Selwyn Mwamba, Bishop of Botswana.
Last week, the Church Times had Creationism has to be exposed by Peter Forster, Bishop of Chester.
This week, the Church Times has Giles Fraser who asks about Facial hair: progressive or passé?
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about John Betjeman on the wireless.
In the Guardian Zaki Cooper and Michael Harris write about Yom Kippur in Face to Faith.
Andrew Brown writes on his new Comment is free blog about God and mammon, redux.
2 CommentsAn ecclesiastical court has determined that Diocese of Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison should be deposed from the ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church.
ENS has a full report by Mary Frances Schjonberg at Court for the Trial of a Bishop calls for Bennison’s deposition with various links to documents.
The Living Church has a report by Doug LeBlanc at Church Court Rules for Deposition of Bishop Bennison.
The Associated Press reported it, see Pennsylvania Episcopal bishop ousted in cover-up.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has Episcopal court rules to defrock Pa. bishop.
3 CommentsThe Church Times reports today on the case of The Reverend Mark Sharpe.
See Diocese accepts priest in harassment case is ‘worker’ by Shiranikha Herbert with some additional material by me.
A CHURCH OF ENGLAND cleric is a “worker” who is entitled to bring a claim against the Church, the diocese of Worcester conceded as a preliminary point in a claim brought in an employment tribunal at Birmingham by the Revd Mark Sharpe, Rector of Teme Valley South.
Mr Sharpe, who is 41, a former police officer who was ordained in 2001, claimed that during his three-year tenure he had been subjected to constant verbal abuse, his pet dog had been killed, faeces had been smeared on his car, and his tyres had been slashed. He also claimed that the vicarage where he lived with his wife and four children was infested with mice and frogs, the heating and electrical systems were danger ous, and deadly asbestos had been found.
He applied for damages for economic loss, injury to health and to his feelings, and aggravated damages for his time in the parish, which, he said, had a 40-year history of vicars, including his two immediate predecessors, who had left in controversial circumstances…
There is a further report on the Charity Finance website headed Church denies union claims of employment rights revolution.
The Church, however, says that the tribunal case has no impact on the status of any clergy outside the case itself. Agreeing to consider Revd. Sharpe a ‘worker’ was a requirement to allow the case to move forward, said Sam Setchell, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Worcester.
“The Unite union is making much of a legal technicality that is part of the normal preliminaries to a tribunal. It does not have the wide-ranging implications claimed,” said Ben Wilson, a spokesman for the Church of England. “As the union themselves concede, this case is still in its preliminary stages.”
The tribunal is hearing a case brought against the Diocese of Worcester by Revd. Sharpe who alleges that over his three years at the parish he has been subject to verbal abuse and harassment. The Reverend claims that his living conditions were extremely poor; that asbestos was found at his accommodation and that its electricity and heating systems were dangerous. The Diocese of Worcester denies the allegations, but has refused to make further comment while the case is ongoing.
The claims made by the Unite trade union can be found in its press release.
For more links and background to this case, see the Church Times blog article headed ‘Clergy set for biggest boost in employment conditions in 500 years’, according to union.
16 CommentsI reported in February on the award made by the employment tribunal in the case of John Reaney. See Reaney awarded £47K and also Hereford: Church Times report.
At the time, we all thought that was the end of the matter. But it was not. As I reported in the Church Times last week:
3 CommentsHereford ends fight against pay-out
by Simon Sarmiento
THE Hereford Diocesan Board of Finance has withdrawn the notice of appeal it filed in March in the employment discrimination case involving John Reaney. Mr Reaney will now receive the full award, exceeding £47,000, directed by a Cardiff employment tribunal in February (News, 15 February).
In July 2007, the tribunal decided that the diocese had unlawfully discriminated against Mr Reaney because of his sexual orientation, when the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Revd Anthony Priddis, refused to confirm his appointment as Diocesan Youth Officer in July 2006 (News, 20 July 2007; News and Comment, 27 July 2007).
The diocese did not appeal against this finding, and said in a statement in February: “We are glad we can draw a line under this unhappy situation.” Nevertheless, in March the diocese filed a notice of appeal against the major portion of the Remedies judgment.
Mr Reaney, who had been employed by the Weston Spirit charity, was made redundant earlier this year, as had been forecast in his submission to the Remedies hearing last December.
Updated again Thursday morning
The opening address of the Primate, Archbishop Peter Akinola, can be found here (PDF).
Also available is the synod’s Message to the Nation.
And this Pastoral Letter to the Church.
Some critical comments on parts of the opening address have been made by Mark Harris, see Archbishop Akinola, Back Off.
Updates
Further comments have been made by Andrew Brown who has written Satan, bestiality, and Sunday trading.
There is also this interview with the archbishop in Punch War against graft, mere rhetoric – Akinola. An excerpt:
37 CommentsBut sir, are you aware that in spite of your deep opposition to their practices, there is now a gay church operating in Nigeria? What is your reaction to the report that some gays in Ojodu area of Lagos now have a church for gays?
There is nothing like that; it is all just mere media propaganda. It is not real. If there is anything like that at all, it must have been arranged by some people who just want to take money from those abroad who will like to fund anything just because of our stand on the issue. There is no gay church in Nigeria; it is only a deception, a media propaganda. Efforts have been made to meet them before but they could not be located anywhere.
You have said that many of those who argue in support of the gay culture in the church have also insisted that it is an issue of human rights. What if your resolute stand on this matter leads to a division of the global Anglican Communion?
If that will be the price to pay, so be it. Those of us who shall be left can proudly call ourselves true Anglicans, true Christians.
First, two items from within the Diocese of Pittsburgh:
Bruce Robison who is Rector of St Andrew’s Highland Park, wrote to his parishioners about the deposition, explaining the current situation there, see Rector’s Announcement concerning the Deposition of the Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan.
Joan Gunderson president of Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh and a member of the steering committee of Across the Aisle, wrote about the current situation, and this was reproduced on the web by Lionel Deimel, see Gundersen Offers Pittsburgh Update.
Also, this news report by Ann Rodgers in last Sunday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is relevant: Diocese found breaking up hard to do, but still a relief.
Second, some more expressions of support for Bishop Robert Duncan:
Archbishop Henry Orombi wrote this Open Letter of Support.
Global South Anglican published this Statement by the Primates’ Council of GAFCON on the alleged deposition of the Bishop of Pittsburgh. The GAFCON website is broken at the moment, no list of signatories is included at GSA.
Update The GAFCON website has no list of signatories either.
Bishop Mark Lawrence of South Carolina wrote this: Bishop Lawrence Reports on the House of Bishops’ Meeting, September 17-19, 2008.
11 CommentsGeorge Conger reported in the Church of England Newspaper on the recent joint meeting of primates and standing committee of CAPA in Nairobi.
His full report is on Religious Intelligence at African Anglican leaders call for dialogue.
The chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) has called upon the African church to put aside its differences and engage with its theological opponents within the Anglican Communion. CAPA should eschew a political solution to the divisions over doctrine and disciple Archbishop Ian Ernest said, and focus instead on the church’s transformation through Christian witness…
The version of this report at Global South Anglican omits an interesting final paragraph:
5 CommentsArchbishop Ernest told ReligiousIntelligence.com he was unable to attend the meeting, due to a back injury, and his address was read to the assembly. Rwandan Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini chaired the meeting in his absence. A delayed flight prevented Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola from attending the meeting, while Ugandan Archbishop Henry Orombi was obliged to leave early. The conference communiqué will be released shortly, Archbishop Ernest said.
Updated again Wednesday evening
Bishop Jack Iker has written 10 Reasons Why Now Is the Time to Realign.
This appears in the current issue of the diocesan newsletter, Forward in Mission. The complete newsletter is available here as a PDF.
The first URL above appears to be only temporary, so the full text is reproduced below the fold.
Update Wednesday morning
A detailed response to this has been published by Fort Worth Via Media and can be found at 10 Reasons Why Now Is NOT the Time to Realign.
Update Wednesday evening
Further responses can be found by Pluralist – Adrian Worsfold at Iker’s Inaccurate Slur, and also by Mark Harris at Bishop Iker’s Reasoning.
31 CommentsUpdated Sunday evening
The deposition of the Bishop of Pittsburgh was completed, ENS reports in Jefferts Schori removes Pittsburgh bishop from office by Mary Frances Schjonberg.
The letter sent to Bishop Duncan is here (PDF) and the formal deposition document is here (also a PDF).
Subsequently, the Standing Committee of the diocese issued a further statement, and ENS reported that Convention will go forward, Standing Committee says.
The Church Times reported on all this in US Bishops depose Bishop Bob Duncan for secession by Pat Ashworth.
Six Church of England Diocesan Bishops Make Joint Statement of Support contains the statement signed by the bishops of Blackburn, Chester, Chichester, Exeter, Rochester, and Winchester.
Update Sunday evening
Across the Aisle has launched a new website at http://www.episcopalpgh.org/
30 CommentsGod’s Own Country
Power and the Religious Right in the USA
by Stephen Bates
Hodder and Stoughton July 2008 £9.99
Since Sarah Palin was nominated as the Republican vice-presidential candidate, newspaper articles about her religious views have poured off the presses. See for example, these from Salon: The pastor who clashed with Palin by David Talbot, or Sarah Palin, anointed by God by Alex Koppelman or Sarah Palin, faith-based mayor by Sarah Posner.
To most Britons, it seems quite extraordinary that a person holding such views could be a serious candidate for national office. But to anyone who had read Stephen Bates’ book God’s Own Country when it first came out in 2007 it would not be a surprise. It had good reviews in the Church Times, the Guardian, and the Independent.
The book was republished in paperback in the UK in July this year, with the subtitle changed to more accurately describe the content, just in time for the American election campaign. Inexplicably, the US edition is not due until February 2009, neatly missing what must surely be a major marketing opportunity. However, it can readily be obtained now from Amazon UK.
Although Sarah Palin does not appear in the book, John McCain is mentioned three times. Jim Wallis of Sojourners is quoted as saying:
“John McCain is taking a risk dealing with these people: he has to get the Republican nomination and unless he gets these people’s endorsement from the Religious Right, he has no chance.”
Well, with Palin on the ticket, that endorsement for McCain, which earlier looked quite remote, now appears likely.
The book is aimed primarily at UK readers, and covers a lot of US historical background which one hopes would not be new material for Americans. The purpose is described by Bates himself like this:
There is a tendency here, in the secular UK, to write off American religiosity as alien and monolithic when, of course, it is far from that; and to see all US religious people as crazed fundamentalists, when they are not that either…. What I am hoping to show in this book is that US religion’s relationship with politics did not start with George W. Bush… These motivations have shaped the USA from the beginning and have very deep roots in the American psyche.
In fifteen chapters and nearly 400 pages, Bates therefore has plenty of ground to cover. He keeps the reader’s interest by writing as a journalist rather than as an academic. As with his earlier A Church at War this makes the book a much more enjoyable read.
The Pilgrim Fathers, The Great Awakening, William Jennings Bryan, Mother Angelica, Father Charles Coughlin, Aimee Semple McPherson, Joel Osteen, Judge Roy Moore, Ken Ham, Tim LaHaye, TD Jakes, and many other religious personalities are all included. The religious aspects of recent presidential campaigns (Clinton, Bush) are also covered.
As background to the current US election campaign, it is the ideal, even an essential, introduction to the religious dimension of American politics. Which as the nomination of Sarah Palin demonstrates, will be a crucial factor in the race for the White House this time round as well.
59 CommentsOn 10 September, the Anglican Network in Canada issued a press release, Parishes ask court to clarify parish trustees’ responsibilities.
On 11 September, the Diocese of New Westminster published Supreme Court suit brought against Diocese and Bishop.
And on 15 September, the Anglican Journal published Former New Westminster clergy and lay leaders sue diocese.
7 CommentsJohn Polkinghorne writes in The Times about Shining a light where science and theology meet.
Peter Francis writes in the Guardian that interfaith understanding is more important than a literal reading of scripture, see Face to Faith.
And yesterday, Jonathan Romain wrote about antisemitism and Islamophobia, see Keeping up the struggle. And there is more about that Pew survey both here and here.
Doug LeBlanc wrote Storming hell’s gates at Episcopal Life Online.
Giles Fraser wrote in the Church Times about A saint who taught me to see real reverence.
Two weeks ago, Ted Harrison argued for fewer bishops in the CofE, see A case of episcopal hyperinflation.
9 CommentsUpdated again Sunday morning
Episcopal Café has the rollcall of the vote at The post-deposition news conference and minutes.
Saturday morning updates
Further reports from Pittsburgh newspapers:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Ann Rodgers Some expected to resist split from Episcopal Church
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Craig Smith Episcopal bishop’s ouster sets up battle line
And a further report by Pat McCaughan at ENS House of Bishops adjourns Salt Lake City meeting with ‘spirit of commitment’ includes a link to a pdf file containing the official copy of the minutes and the rollcall.
The Diocese of Pittsburgh has set up an additional website, In Support of Bishop Duncan.
The Living Church has published the rollcall vote in a more userfriendly format, and also has News Analysis: Curial Powers Expanded.
Sunday morning updates
For many additional reactions see Bishop reactions to Duncan issue, Saturday edition at Episcopal Café and also see many recent entries at Anglican Mainstream.
The Pittsburgh group Across the Aisle now has a website here with materials and pictures from the recent event A Hopeful Future.
43 CommentsUpdated Friday evening
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had this last night, and this morning has Episcopalians vote to oust Pittsburgh bishop by Ann Rodgers.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has Duncan out as bishop by Tony LaRussa.
The Associated Press has Breakaway Episcopal bishop ousted from ministry by Rachel Zoll.
Reuters has Episcopal church defrocks dissident bishop by Michael Conlon.
The Living Church has House of Bishops Deposes Bishop Robert Duncan.
Religious Intelligence has Bishop of Pittsburgh deposed by House of Bishops by George Conger.
Friday evening updates
The Times Ruth Gledhill Leading conservative bishop deposed in US
Telegraph Martin Beckford Bishop of Pittsburgh deposed by Episcopal Church for ‘abandoning communion’
21 CommentsUpdated Friday evening
The American House of Bishops has considered the case of Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh. ENS reports that House of Bishops votes to depose Pittsburgh bishop for ‘abandoning Communion’:
After nearly two days of prayerful and solemn closed-door sessions, the House of Bishops on September 18 voted by a two to one majority to depose Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh. The vote authorizes Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to remove Duncan from ordained ministry.
The vote total was 88 to 35 in favor of deposing Duncan, according to Episcopal Church spokeswoman Neva Rae Fox. There were four abstentions…
The Presiding Bishop issued this statement:
The House of Bishops worked carefully and prayerfully to consider the weighty matter of Bishop Duncan. The conversation was holy, acknowledging the pain of our deliberations as well as the gratitude many have felt over the years for their relationships with, and the ministry of, Robert Duncan. The House concluded, however, that his actions over recent months and years constitute “abandonment of the communion of this church” and that he should be deposed. Concern was expressed for the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh in the face of leadership which has sought to remove itself from The Episcopal Church. In the days and months ahead, this Church will work to ensure appropriate pastoral care and provision for the members of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, so that mission and ministry in that part of Pennsylvania may continue in the name of Jesus Christ and in the tradition of the Episcopal Church.
The House of Bishops Daily Account Thursday, September 18 contains comments from different sides of the debate.
The Diocese of Pittsburgh has issued a press release, Diocese of Pittsburgh Maintains Course after Purported Deposition, the Standing Committee has issued this statement. Bishop Duncan himself has issued this statement.
The Anglican Communion Network issued Network, Common Cause Leaders offer Support for Bishop Duncan and the Convocation of Anglicans in North America issued TEC’s Unilateral Removal of Bishop Duncan.
Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh issued PEP Hopes Diocese Will Move Forward Gracefully After Duncan Deposition.
Episcopal Café points out that the Standing Committee statement is not unanimous, and has links to various other statements. And more background is here.
Friday evening updates
The Episcopal Café article titled Duncan deposed has been revised in a write-through. The remarks of Bishop Paul Marshall of Bethlehem (Pennsylvania) are particularly noteworthy.
Statements from other bishops can be found at Archbishops offer support to Bishop Duncan, Pittsburgh (Egypt, Sydney, Rwanda, Kenya, West Indies and Southern Cone), at Blogging bishops weigh in on the Duncan deposition and here (Fort Worth) and here (Western Louisiana).
And Stand Firm reports this:
5 Comments“As was resolved by resolution made at the Provincial Synod in Valparaiso last November 2007, we are happy to welcome Bishop Duncan into the Province of the Southern Cone as a member of our House of Bishops, effective immediately. Neither the Presiding Bishop nor the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church has any further jurisdiction over his ministry. We pray for all Anglicans in Pittsburgh as they consider their own relationship with The Episcopal Church in the coming weeks,” said Archbishop Gregory Venables.
Archbishop Barry Morgan spoke to the Church in Wales Governing Body, and the full text of his address is available here.
A related press release is here: Lambeth talks need time to continue if church is to stay united, says Archbishop.
A press report about this was headlined Homosexuality should not be an issue to tear the Anglican Communion apart, says the Archbishop of Wales.
17 CommentsRecently, the Anglican Communion Institute published an article written by Mark McCall, a lawyer, entitled Is The Episcopal Church Hierarchical? You can read this article as a PDF file here.
There was an introduction to it on the ACI website titled Constitution And Canons: What Do They Tell Us About TEC?
A Response to Mark McCall’s “Is The Episcopal Church Hierarchical? has now been published by Joan Gunderson, a church historian in Pittsburgh. You can read that article as a PDF file here.
There is an introduction to it published by Progresssive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh and titled Historian Exposes Flaws in Argument That Episcopal Dioceses Are Independent.
6 CommentsUpdated Sunday afternoon
The Bishop of Pittsburgh has issued a pastoral letter today. You can read it in full here.
In a letter to the House of Bishops yesterday, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori made it clear that there will be a vote this coming Thursday on whether to depose me from the ministry of the Episcopal Church. The charge is abandonment of the Communion of the Church, a charge initiated by five priests and sixteen laypeople of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Much of the “evidence” in the case is put forward by the House of Bishops Property Task Force, drawn directly from the Calvary litigation. We have long suspected that a principal purpose in the Calvary litigation was to have me removed, by whatever means, before the realignment vote. Whatever the purported evidence, I continue to maintain that the House of Bishops “vote” will be a gross violation of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church…
He then refers to a letter he sent to the House of Bishops on 24 August, and this letter is available as a PDF. This letter is also summarised in a Living Church news article.
Stand Firm has published the letter from the Presiding Bishop to which Bishop Duncan also refers. That letter is here.
And there is also a covering memo and then a lengthy memorandum from the Task Force on Property Disputes. The latter is a PDF file.
Sunday afternoon update
George Conger has reported at Religious Intelligence that there is Legal doubt over Presiding Bishop’s move to depose Duncan. The new issue is summarised thus:
30 CommentsHowever, the rules of the House of Bishops forbid modifying the agenda of a special session after the meeting has been announced, placing her plans in legal and canonical limbo. Whether the bishops will challenge her request is unclear, however, as her past legal missteps in the cases of Bishops John-David Schofield and Williams Cox provoked protests from bishops and dioceses distressed over what they perceived was her abuse of office, but no action followed.
Roderick Strange writes in The Times that We must strive to forgive others as God has forgiven us.
In the Telegraph George Pitcher writes that United Jews put divided Christians to shame.
In the Guardian Simon Rocker writes about A mistake by Michelangelo in Face to Faith.
Earlier in the week, Riazat Butt wrote from Rome on Comment is free about The hard route to Heaven.
And Stephen Bates wrote Sarah Palin talks the God talk.
Giles Fraser wrote in the Church Times When do bankers believe in socialism?
11 CommentsThe Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church Bishop Idris Jones of Glasgow and Galloway has published his address to Diocesan Council in which he discusses the Lambeth Conference.
The full text is available here: Bishop’s reflections on Lambeth.
12 Comments…The fact is that neither of the extreme positions if I can call them that can be expected to give up what they believe God has called them to witness to as part of the life of their Province. There may be a way through but it is not dear yet where it would take us – meanwhile we hold to the position that we are in pending further provision in the Communion to take account of the need for some enlarged thinking. Whether the proposed Pastoral Forum to take over the care of congregations that have chosen to renounce the leadership of their Diocesan Bishop can have any place in this process I personally doubt.
It seems to me that the issue is not that we lack structure but that the structure has failed to address the situation and when it has attempted to do so Provinces have simply continued to do what they wanted to do and ignored the proposals put forward by the Instruments of Unity. I do have an unease that at the heart of our Communion there is a lack of evenhanded dealing. It was almost as if we were trapped into a game of “my pain is bigger than your pain”. The approach of the Church of Canada about which we were able to learn so much more this year and which was praised for its theological method was completely ignored and brushed aside for example whilst and the interference of another Province in Canada where proper and full provision had been made for congregations who felt alienated remained un -rebuked in spite of it having been forbidden by the recent Primates meeting.
The Canadian Anglican church has a long and strong history of fidelity and development – it gave the Communion AYPA for example – and has been not accorded the respect that it should have. There is more than one way of destroying a Communion but injustice is high on the list of how to achieve it.
We heard much about the need to support churches in other parts of the world; but very little of the vulnerability of the church where society has moved ahead of the game in its provisions which is the position that we find ourselves in along with other churches in the developed world.