Front Page

2003 General Convention Leaves Legacy of Crisis and Opportunity

August 10, 2003 – In the space of 10 days, the Episcopal Church plotted a course for the next quarter century, rejuvenated its mission philosophy, and got a lot of free publicity. At its 74th General Convention, July 28-August 8 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the church approved a $146.4 million budget for the next three years, with priorities including young adults and youth, reconciliation and evangelism, congregational transformation, justice and peace, and partnerships with other churches inside and beyond the Anglican Communion. The church also broke new ground, confirming the Anglican Communion's first noncelibate gay bishop and approving a resolution accepting that blessings of same-sex relationships are taking place "within the bounds of our common life."

Editorial Writers Praise, Pan Episcopal Church's Decisions

August 10, 2003 – "Looking at the vast collection of coverage this church has been getting," Dean George Werner told the Episcopal Church's House of Deputies in remarks on the last day of General Convention, "this Sunday may be one of the greatest if not the best missionary Sundays in the history of the church." Judging from Sunday editorials, stories, and online sermons, Werner wasn't far off. If you put the words "Episcopal" and "gay" into the powerful Google News search engine on the Sunday after the convention adjourned, you could easily come up with more than 5,000 "hits" in a quarter of a second, in online editions of newspapers ranging from the New York Times to the Taipei Times. And the reactions ranged just as widely.

Presiding Bishop Offers Overview of ELCA Assembly

August 11, 2003, MILWAUKEE - At an Aug. 11 news conference, the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA Presiding Bishop, and ELCA Vice President Addie J. Butler highlighted the ELCA strategic plan, the studies on sexuality and the importance of lay leadership. The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 11-17 at the Midwest Airlines Center. There are about 2,500 people participating, including 1,031 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Making Christ Known: For the Healing of the World." "The primary work of this assembly is to turn us to the future," said Hanson. The assembly will discuss the proposed strategic plan that has involved input from 30,000 members of the church over a two-year period, and it will also consider a proposed evangelism strategy and a social statement on health and health care, "Caring For Health: Our Shared Endeavor."

General News

Presiding Bishop Finds Strength amid Difficult Decisions

August 8, 2003 – In the 10 days of intense dialogue and debate Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold is encouraged by the "incredible energy" generated by the "multiple realities" of the Episcopal Church meeting as a General Convention. At the daily Eucharists he has been struck by the variety of experiences and expressions gathered around the tables, a sight that has given him "an incredible strength and joy despite the difficulties of some of the decisions we have had to make and the painfulness some of these decisions have caused within the community."

Deputies Wrap up General Convention with Final Concurrences

August 10, 2003 – In a final push to the end over the last two days of General Convention, the House of Deputies dealt with a wide range of resolutions, for the most part concurring with actions of the House of Bishops. In a last-minute flurry of action Friday on a resolution to replace the current Prayer Book lectionary with the Revised Common Lectionary used by several other denominations, including the Lutheran Church (A103), deputies first narrowly rejected concurrence on the resolution, and then reconsidered, approving a substitute resolution.

Walsingham Voted the UK's Favourite Spiritual Place

August 12, 2003 – In a poll that attracted thousands of votes on the BBC's website and by post, Walsingham, in North Norfolk, England, has been voted the nation's favourite spiritual place. More than a quarter of a million Christians travel to Walsingham each year where Richeldis, an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman, is said to have had a vision of the Virgin Mary in 1061. The vision inspired her to create a replica of the Holy House of the Annunciation.

Manual for Jail Ministry to Debut at Conference

August 11, 2003 – A new manual for individuals and congregational groups interested in jail and prison ministry will be introduced at a training workshop Oct. 3-5 in Chicago. Discussions there will include: restorative justice, spiritual healing for incarcerated kids, women in prison, aftercare, capital punishment, and the myth and reality of prisons for profit.

Jesus Is Lord Mission to Host First Gathering

August 8, 2003 – The Jesus Is Lord Mission (JILM), an independent mission society whose membership is composed mostly of retired church workers, has planned its first national gathering for Sept. 6-7 at Zion Lutheran Church in Walburg, Texas. "We want it to be a celebration," said Dr. Glenn O'Shoney, former LCMS World Mission executive director and a member of JILM's organizing committee. The society, just a year old, already has raised $100,000 for LCMS World Mission, and its membership continues to grow, O'Shoney said. Some 500 people have joined the organization since its founding in July 2002.

Ecumenical News

Unity of Christian Churches Remains Center of Ecumenical Vision

August 12, 2003 – "All our church traditions are the result of human efforts to witness to the faith in one and the same Lord." That was the view expressed by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser in his sermon at the induction of Bishop Hamilton Mvume Dandala as general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC). The service took place on Sunday 10 August, at the Vista University in Soweto, South Africa.

Overcoming Institutionalism – WCC Opens Discussion on a New Configuration of the Ecumenical Movement for the 21st Century

August 11, 2003 – The core vision of ecumenism remains, but ecumenical structures need to be reassessed in order to reflect changing times. This perception has led the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, to call for a consultation on "reconfiguring the ecumenical movement" - to take place 17-20 November, 2003 in Antelias, Lebanon. The consultation will be hosted by the Armenian Apostolic Church. In his letter of invitation to around 25 people, Raiser notes that the very breadth of ecumenical organizations now existing, the new opportunities to engage with grassroots movements and civil society, and financial realities facing many organizations, point to the need for discussion on new models for ecumenical work at national, regional and global levels.

Coming Clean: Tale of Jesus's Foot-washing Touches Hearts of Task Force Members

August 8, 2003, CHICAGO - The Gospel of John tells the story of the Last Supper without mentioning the bread and wine of the first Eucharist. Instead, it describes another strikingly intimate ritual: Jesus takes off his shirt, ties a towel around his waist, kneels, and washes his followers' feet, in what is both a demonstration of his love for them and a foreshadowing of the humiliating nature of his imminent death. Then he tells them, in effect, "Do this in remembrance of me." "It's not the washing that's important, but the death that it symbolizes," said Frances Taylor Gench, who led a Bible study Thursday during the summer meeting of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity in the Presbyterian Church (USA). "The foot-washing removes the possibility of distance. ... It comes as a gift we did not merit or earn. We're face-to-face here with God's love for us. ... We're asked simply to receive it."

ELCA Presiding Bishop Says Keep Partner Church Decisions in Context

August 11, 2003, MILWAUKEE - Decisions of the recent General Convention of the Episcopal Church - a full communion partner of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) - must be kept in their proper context, said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop. Legislative actions of full communion partners "ultimately do not determine" how the ELCA proceeds on similar issues. Hanson made the comments Aug. 10 in a joint meeting here of the ELCA Conference of Bishops and ELCA Church Council, preceding the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 11-17.

Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission

August 11, 2003 – The Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) met from 10 - 18 July at the Duncan Centre, Delray Beach, Florida, under the co-chairmanship of the Most Revd Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (USA), and the Most Revd Alexander J. Brunett, Archbishop of Seattle. New members included Bishop Brian Farrell LC, the new Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and a new Anglican Co-Secretary, the Revd Canon Gregory K. Cameron, who has succeeded the Right Revd David Hamid as Director of Ecumenical Affairs and Studies at the Anglican Communion Office. The Commission worked in the main on the text of a document on the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life and doctrine of the Church, which it hopes to complete at its next meeting for publication in the course of 2004. Lengthy consideration was given to the treatment of an historical overview of devotion to Mary in the lives of the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, together with a consideration of the theology of invocation of the saints. The main focus of remaining discussion for the next meeting will be the authority of the two Marian dogmas of the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception.

Spanish News

La unidad de las iglesias cristianas sigue siendo el centro de la visisn ecuminica

12 de agosto de 2003 – "Todas nuestras tradiciones eclesiales son el resultado de esfuerzos humanos por testimoniar la fe en uno y el mismo Seqor." Asm lo afirms el secretario general del CMI, Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser en su sermsn de instalacisn del obispo Hamilton Mvume Dandala como secretario general de la Conferencia de Iglesias de toda el Africa (AACC). El servicio tuvo lugar el domingo 10 de agosto, en la Universidad Vista, en Soweto, Sudafrica.

Superar el institucionalismo - El CMI abre el debate sobre una nueva configuracisn del movimiento ecuminico para el siglo XXI

11 de agosto de 2003 – Mientras el corazsn de la visisn ecuminica permanece vigente, las estructuras en las cuales se ha encarnado necesitan ser reconsideradas para adecuarlas a los nuevos tiempos. Esta percepcisn ha llevado al secretario general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser, a convocar una consulta sobre "reconfiguracisn del movimiento ecuminico," que tendra lugar del 17 al 20 de noviembre de 2003 en Antelias, Lmbano. La Iglesia Apostslica Armenia sera la anfitriona del evento. En la carta de invitacisn enviada a unas 25 personas, Raiser observa que el amplio rango de organizaciones ecuminicas hoy existentes, las nuevas oportunidades de establecer relaciones con movimientos de base y con la sociedad civil, y las realidades econsmicas que enfrentan muchas organizaciones apuntan a la necesidad de debatir nuevos modelos para la labor ecuminica en los planos nacional, regional y mundial.

International News

South Asian Churches on "Long and Arduous Journey" to Peace

August 4, 2003 – Teaching tolerance, respect and understanding of the other, mobilizing people to support peace initiatives, and urging governments to assess the will of the people are important ways in which churches can help build peace and stability in South Asia. That was the main message from a 2-4 August workshop in Colombo organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC). Focusing on current conflicts in the region and the role in them of religion, the workshop was hosted by the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, and was attended by fifteen church leaders and representatives of civil society organizations from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A workshop report reviews what churches have been, and should be, doing to achieve peace in each of the four countries.

Brother Richard Carter's Message about the Melanesian Brothers

August 9, 2003 – To all my family and friends, companions and supporters of the Melanesian Brotherhood: I am writing to let you know that yesterday it was confirmed by the Australian intervention force in Solomon Islands that the six brothers who were taken hostage in April of this year by the militant leader Harold Keke have been killed. For the last week rumours had been circulating. Yesterday the leaders of the intervention force met with Harold Keke on the Weather Coast of Guadalcanal and they were informed that these hostages have been dead for some time. The six brothers set off from Honiara on the 23rd of April in order to find out what had happened to Brother Nathaniel Sado who had reportedly been murdered by Keke and his men. They wanted to find out if this was true, the reason for his death and if he was indeed dead to bring his body back to Tabalia for burial. The six brothers did not return. For weeks the community day and night have been waiting, hoping and praying for their safety. Making contact with Keke was difficult but all the reports and news we received was that the brothers were being kept hostage but were alive and well.

Sudanese Bishops Call for an End to War

August 12, 2003 – Over 40 Anglican and Catholic bishops from Sudan have supported current talks to bring lasting peace in the country. The bishops who met in Uganda last week for a joint retreat said the current peace process being negotiated under the ambit of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) should not be allowed to collapse. They said the talks provided the only viable process for finding lasting peace.