The Revd John Kafwanka, research/project officer for Mission and Evangelism at the Anglican Communion Office in London, looks ahead to the 2008 Lambeth Conference of Bishops and speaks about its mission focus.
At least four homes lost; others in jeopardy
At least eight congregations within the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego have opened their doors to shelter evacuees as 250,000 residents fled raging wildfires and one clergyperson lost his home.
Center for Anglican Communion Studies
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, dean and president of Virginia Theological Seminary, announced today that the Rev. Dr. J. Barney Hawkins IV, director of the Doctor of Ministry Programs and Professor of Parish Ministry, has been named the first Executive Director of the Seminary’s Center for Anglican Communion Studies. Hawkins will step into his new position on November 1, 2007.
Next steps for addressing global poverty are highlighted in the newly released final report of the ‘Toward Effective Anglican Mission’ (TEAM) conference held earlier this year in Boksburg, South Africa.
Hosted by the Anglican Provinces of Rwanda and Burundi, the Anglican Peace and Justice Network (APJN) began its triennial meeting September 25 in Kigali, Rwanda, with a welcome from Rwandese Archbishop Emmanuel Mbona Kolini, who greeted the representatives from 17 provinces (list below) of the Anglican Communion, many of them from conflict regions.
Eight bishops have accepted Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's invitation to serve as "episcopal visitors" to dioceses that have requested this provision.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has assured Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams that he will be received September 20 and 21 by the House of Bishops ‘with great respect and hospitality.’
The Cathedral College of Washington National Cathedral will host a Spanish preaching conference, spoken entirely in Spanish, October 22-26.
Madeleine L'Engle, a lay Episcopalian who wrote more than 60 books ranging from children's stories to theological reflection, died September 6 in Litchfield, Connecticut. She was 88.
Presiding Bishop, colleagues outline recommendations; plan includes satellite offices
Raising levels of service to dioceses, congregations, and individuals – ‘equipping people to use their gifts’ - is at the heart of recommendations to reorganize work based at the Episcopal Church Center, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said in a September 5 presentation to staff.
Archbishop of Canterbury to join September gathering
When the House of Bishops meets September 20-25 in New Orleans, members and spouses will have hands-on opportunities to help rebuilding efforts in hurricane-affected areas.
While some will join weekend work projects of ‘mucking and gutting’ damaged structures, others will join in prayer and pastoral visits with congregations and individual.
Driving along what is left of the beachfront boulevard in Bay St. Louis, one sees a lot of green. Nature has reinvented itself; flora and fauna are prolific along the Mississippi coastline. A few people dot the beaches in between ruined piers. Houses, however, are missing. Miles of vacant lots dotted with concrete pipe sections and new septic tanks bear silent witness to the ever-present loss.
In the wake of Dean, a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds at about 150 miles per hour, Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) has contacted partners in Jamaica, Belize, Haiti and the Dominican Republic and other parts of the region. The major storm has caused flooding, mudslides, heavy rain, high winds and severe damage, killing at least nine people.
Virginia Theological Seminary welcomes the Very Revd Dr. Ian Markham who steps into position today as the Seminary’s 14th Dean and President. Elected by a unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees, Markham succeeds the Very Reverend Martha J. Horne who served with distinction as Dean and President of the Seminary over the past thirteen years.
In response to an urgent appeal from the Episcopal Church of Sudan, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued a statement calling on all U.S. Episcopalians to pray and advocate for the people of Sudan, amid 'fears that open warfare could resume within months, producing a humanitarian disaster of tremendous proportion.'
Executive Council members will propose response, develop process for input
Nine members of the Episcopal Church's Executive Council have been appointed to draft the Church's response to the first version of an Anglican covenant.
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson made the appointments as called for in Executive Council Resolution INC021, passed at the council's June meeting in Parsippany, New Jersey.
Members 'respectfully ask' Presiding Bishop to decline as well
The Episcopal Church's Executive Council told the Anglican Communion that no governing body other than General Convention can interpret Convention resolutions or agree to deny "future decisions by dioceses or General Convention.’
The Council declined to participate in a plan put forward by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in February for dealing with some disaffected Episcopal Church dioceses.
Through his tireless service and dedication, The Most Reverend Njongonkulu Winston Hugh Ndungane has been ‘an icon of hope and grace for so many of God’s children,’ and in turn was presented Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa from Episcopal Divinity School at their Commencement ceremony on May 17, 2007 at the First Church Congregational in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ‘in recognition of his life, witness, and ministry.’
The Rt Revd Katharine Jefferts Schori,
Episcopal Church Center
My dear Presiding Bishop:
My attention has been drawn to your letter of April 30th ostensibly written to me but published on the Episcopal News Service website.
In light of the concerns that you raise it might be helpful to be reminded of the actions and decisions that have led to our current predicament.
At the emergency meeting of the Primates in October 2003 it was made clear that the proposed actions of the Episcopal Church would ‘tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level, and may lead to further division on this and further issues …’ Sadly, this proved to be true as many provinces did proceed to declare broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church. Since that time the Primates have established task forces, held numerous meetings and issued a variety of statements and communiqués but the brokenness remains, our Provinces are divided, and so the usual protocol and permissions are no longer applicable.
Actions would violate ancient customs, display division and disunity, Presiding Bishop says
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has written to Nigerian Primate, Archbishop Peter J. Akinola asking him to reconsider plans to install Bishop Martyn Minns as a bishop in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), an action she says ‘would violate the ancient customs of the church’ and would ‘not help the efforts of reconciliation.’
