Republished Friday lunchtime; updated again Saturday evening
The House of Lords Select Committee on Merits of Statutory Instruments has reported on the SORs.
Read it in full here.
Update The House of Commons Twelfth Delegated Legislation Committee met yesterday and its debate is recorded in full here. This is a must read!
Update again You can listen to it from here (90 minutes long).
Other items:
Anglican Mainstream has published the following:
Church of England Newspaper 15 March
Stand up for freedom: How new legisation raises serious concerns for the Churches and Parliamentary process.
Chris Sugden
The SORs legislation limits the freedom of religious belief and expression, in particular the freedom of religious people not to be forced to be an accessory to behaviour that they regard as destructive of human flourishing and contrary to the will of God for human beings.
AM has also linked to this report by another MP, John Redwood: How little democracy we have in the Commons-the Sexual orientation regulations.
Craig Nelson has commented on this in Anglican Mainstream goes into hyperdrive.
Update Peter Ould has What we should – and shouldn’t – be arguing about on SORS.
And, AM has PRAYER VIGIL OUTSIDE HOUSE OF LORDS OVER SEXUAL ORIENTATION REGULATIONS – WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH 2007
Updates Friday evening
Other AM links to LCF anti-SORs material
Summary of latest news on SORS and call for action and prayer
Frequently asked Questions about SORS
Updates Saturday evening
Zefrog has three posts on recent parliamentary events: Sexual Orientation Regulations Approved by MPs, The Tory Position on the Sexual Orientation Regulations, and Sexual Orientation Regulations – What Next?
Updated Friday morning
The Diocese of South Carolina has published a statement:
Consents for New South Carolina Bishop’s Election Ruled Insufficient; Diocesan Leadership Confident About the Future
I received a phone call late this afternoon from the Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori giving notification that she was declaring null and void the election of The Very Rev. Mark Lawrence to be bishop of The Diocese of South Carolina. Although more than a majority of dioceses had voted to consent to Fr. Mark’s election, there were canonical deficiencies in the written responses sent to us. Several dioceses, both on and off American soil, thought that electronic permission was sufficient as had been their past accepted practice. The canons which apply are III.11.4(b), pp. 101-102 in the newly published 2006 Constitutions and Canons that require the prescribed testimonial to the consent be signed by a majority of each standing committee.
I have also notified Fr. Mark of her decision. We offer our deepest condolences to Fr. Mark and his wife Allison who have navigated this time of process with class, dignity and courage. I know that it is toughest on Allison who has had to watch her beloved spouse suffer so many indignities. We hope that they will agree to continue to be a part of the Diocese of South Carolina’s pursuit of securing our next Diocesan. Fr. Lawrence has modeled exemplary patience and calmness by enduring a level of scrutiny and persecution that is without precedent in The Episcopal Church (TEC).
Our Chancelor, Nick Ziegler has been suffering with bad health for several months. Currently our acting Chancellor, Wade Logan, is out of the country. He is scheduled to return within ten days. Upon his return we will convene both the Chancellor and acting Chancellor to discuss our options within the canons of TEC. The Standing Committee will then plot a course of action for the near future. In the meantime the Standing Committee will continue our partnership with our acting Bishop, the Right Rev. Edward Lloyd Salmon in tending to the needs of our diocese as we have for over the past 8 months. Bishop Salmon will represent us this week at the House of Bishop’s meeting to be held in Camp Allen, Texas.
I hope that this tragic outcome will be a wake up call to both clergy and lay through out TEC as to the conditions in our church. I have been blessed and encouraged by the many clergy and lay people throughout the world that have worked tirelessly on Fr. Mark’s behalf making phone calls and communicating through the electronic media in an effort to secure a majority of consents.
As I write this release I am reminded of Christ’s words in Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Our hand is to the plow, and in faithfulness to our Christ, we will not look back.
—The Rev. J. Haden McCormick
President of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of South Carolina
The Episcopal News Service has issued South Carolina election voided due to canonical deficiencies in responses – Lawrence invited to participate in second search process. This explains what happened in more detail. In particular it says:
Canonically adequate ballots were received by South Carolina from 50 diocesan standing committees. Several other standing committees were reported to have consented, but no signatures were attached to their ballots, or the ballot itself was missing from South Carolina’s records, Jefferts Schori reported. Any committee that did not respond is considered to have voted no.
Elsewhere, Kendall Harmon has stated on his blog titusonenine that in total 57 consents were notified to the Standing Committee, the last two of which were Colombia and Venezuela.
37 CommentsThis project was pre-announced some time ago.
Lambeth Palace has now announced the use of YouTube by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Read the press release Archbishops online reflection – ‘Slavery still with us’.
This has been reported in The Times by Ruth Gledhill as Archbishop of Canterbury makes YouTube debut, and is discussed further on her blog at Archbishop goes live on YouTube.
Dave Walker has links to numerous related sites at Making our mark.
When this project was first announced, wannabepriest was concerned about whether this was a good idea. He now has Credit where credit is due…
What do other people think about it now?
3 CommentsUpdated again Thursday afternoon
As expected, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham, Vincent Nichols is leading the attack, see 11.03.07 ARCHBISHOP NICHOLS ASKS CATHOLICS TO WRITE TO THEIR MP ABOUT THE SEXUAL ORIENTATION REGULATIONS.
This was reported in The Times by Ruth Gledhill as Prelate fights gay adoption law.
Meanwhile Ekklesia reports that Faithworks stands by sexual orientation regulations
Rupert Ward has some useful comments on his blog in Christian Spin.
Today, Wednesday, Anglican Mainstream expressed these opinions.
Craig Nelson has factual information about some claims made concerning changes, and other comments in Government updates the regs – Christian groups gird their loins.
His earlier post More on the Sexual Orientation Regulations also has helpful information on the differences between the GB and NI versions of this, and other aspects.
Clive Scowen also has submitted his opinions to the House of Lords.
Christian Concern for our Nation a website of the Lawyers Christian Fellowship has published Government to rush SORs through House of Commons.
The written statement made by Ruth Kelly to the House of Commons on 7 March is available here.
Wednesday in the House of Commons, Peter Bone, an MP, raised this Point of Order.
A chap in Thanet named Simon Moores has this report of events in the House of Commons on Thursday.
30 CommentsUpdated twice Thursday
The legal process of discovery in the continuing dispute between Calvary Church Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Pittsburgh has lead to the publication of this document. Warning: 1.4 Mbyte PDF
The background to this event and the pertinent content of that document is summarised in this post by Mark Harris: The Network, the WB’s and the Pledge to the “Leader.”
Update And also in this further post: More on the Pledge to the Leader.
Also read the comments on that post and on this one at daily episcopalian.
That content is:
“Private and Confidential Westfields Response to the Global South Steering Committee
November 16,2006 Chantilly, VirginiaThe undersigned, having convened with the Global South Steering Committee in Chantilly, Virginia, on November 15-17, 2006, declare:
ARTICLE I: We are firmly committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of holy Scripture and historic Anglican faith and practice.
ARTICLE II: We have chosen the Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan as our leader and hereby submit to his leadership without reservation in building unity among us and as our representative for the present in the councils of the Anglican Communion.
ARTICLE III: We pledge to lay aside all obstacles, which may prevent us from achieving our common purpose.
ARTICLE IV: We solemnly pledge not to withdraw from these commitments.”
Now the question is simply this: did the other “Network” bishops present sign this document?
The record revealed to the court shows only that Robert W Duncan and two of his diocesan officials signed.
Update Thursday morning Episcopal Majority has a “photocopy” of what this page really looks like. So also does Anglican Centrist who has some harsh words for Bishop Duncan and his friends.
16 CommentsFirst, the Anglican Church of Canada has published A Response to the Windsor Report. (Also available in PDF format.)
Second, the Council of General Synod of the Canadian church has taken action on the St Michael Report:
Council considered resolutions and canonical amendments regarding the St. Michael Report. The resolutions were revised by Ron Stevenson, Stephen Andrews, Sue Moxley and Bob Falby. A significant revision is that the motions at General Synod would required approval by 60 per cent of each order or 60 per cent of dioceses if a vote by diocese is requested.
The Chancellor moved that three of the resolutions proposed be sent to General Synod:
* 2. That resolutions 3 and 4 below be deemed to have been carried only if they receive the affirmative votes of 60 per cent of the members of each Order present and voting and if a vote by diocese is requested, only if they receive the affirmation of 60 per cent of the dioceses whose votes are counted.
* 3. That this General Synod resolves that the blessing of same-sex unions is consistent with the core doctrine of the Anglican Church of Canada.
* 5. That this General Synod requests the Council of General Synod to consider revision of Canon 21 (On Marriage) including theological rationale to allow marriage of all legally qualified persons and to report at the next General Synod (2010).The motion carried.
John Steele moved that the proposed wording regarding a canonical change also be sent to General Synod. The motion was defeated.
The Anglican Journal reported it this way: Blessings vote to be decided by resolution.
Reuters had Canadian Anglican leaders promote same-sex blessings.
Updated
The European Parliament, meeting this week in Strasbourg, is scheduled on Thursday afternoon to debate the situation in Nigeria, with specific reference to the proposed ‘Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act’.
This forms part of a session concerned with: cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Guatemala, Cambodia and Nigeria.
Numerous motions have been filed: you can find links to them from this page (scroll down).
There is a news report here.
Jim N has pulled out the links to each of the motions here.
Update Friday
For what was agreed, see this EU press release: Human rights: killings in Guatemala and Cambodia, abuses in Nigeria.
10 Commentspress release – 12th March 2007
Archbishop of Mexico becomes Patron of InclusiveChurch
InclusiveChurch is pleased to announce that the Archbishop of Mexico, the Most Revd. Carlos Touche-Porter, has agreed to be Patron of InclusiveChurch.
The Archbishop said “As an Anglican committed to promote inclusiveness and diversity in our Church, I rejoice, celebrate and support the ministry of Inclusive Church. May the Anglican Communion continue to be a house of prayer for all people, where everyone is welcome, valued and respected”. He is Presiding Bishop of La Iglesia Anglicana de Mexico and a Primate of the Anglican Communion.
Archbishop Carlos preached at a service hosted by Affirming Catholicism in Westminster Abbey on Monday 26th February. His sermon can be found here.
The Revd. Dr Giles Fraser said “Archbishop Carlos represents traditional Anglicanism of a sort that is familiar to ordinary members of the Church of England. His approach stands in marked contrast to the dangerous distortion that is occurring in other parts of our communion. We are delighted to have him as our Patron.”
A seminar on “Anglican Inclusion – A Global Tradition” is being organised by IC to take place in the summer. Further details will follow.
54 CommentsThis Day a Nigerian newspaper has ‘It’s No Sin Being Gay’, an interview with Davis Mac-Iyalla and Out from the Shadows, a further report on him. Both are by journalist Laurence Ani.
2 CommentsThe Church of Sweden last December approved a Service of blessing for registered partnership.
You can read the English translation of this text, by going to Kelvin Holdsworth’s blog. (It’s a small PDF file.)
Here’s the news report from last December: Church of Sweden gives gay couples church blessing.
26 CommentsUpdated
The Telegraph reported their publication, Labour faces fresh battle over gay rights
The Daily Mail had Law to put gay rights ahead of religion
According to both these reports, the Church of England spokesperson said:
“As Ruth Kelly’s statement acknowledges, these regulations raise ‘complex issues about how to reconcile competing rights and freedoms’. The Government has gone some way to recognising the particular needs of churches and other religious organisations to act in accordance with their own convictions.
“We shall, however, want to study the regulations closely before commenting in more detail. It is a matter of regret that the decision to create new law in this way without going through the normal procedure for Parliamentary Bills means that the regulations will not have the full scrutiny that sensitive matters of this kind require.”
Faithworks welcomed them in this press release: Faithworks welcomes the publication of draft Sexual Orientation Regulations. An extract:
Faithworks welcomes the publication of the draft Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs) as an attempt to ensure that goods and services are delivered inclusively and in non-discriminatory ways.
We stand by the statements we have previously made on the SORs (www.faithworks.info) and are confident that they do not pose a threat to Christians.
It is right that any organisation receiving public funds should deliver services to genuine public benefit. A commitment to diversity does not mean losing one’s distinctive faith identity: it actually presents an opportunity to develop a dialogue and demonstrate Christian love and service.
There is still a great deal of misinterpretation of the SORs, which is leading to fear and opposition. However, the draft legislation includes clear exemptions for faith-based organisations relating to doctrine, and government ministers have also publicly answered questions of concern over the scope of the proposed SORs.
We acknowledge the different contributions and views of the whole Christian church to the issue of human sexuality. The Faithworks membership is drawn from across the spectrum of the church. Our approach to the SORs and to Equality & Diversity legislation allows for Christian views of sexuality whilst encouraging unconditional love and service. This is the Jesus model: defending a person’s human rights does not involve endorsing their lifestyle choices.
Lawyers Christian Fellowship (LCF), the Evangelical Alliance, Care and the Christian Institute did not do so, New gay rules attacked from Religious Intelligence/CEN
The Evangelical Alliance issued Response to the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007
The Christian Institute said New ‘gay rights’ regulations put religious freedom in jeopardy and also a briefing note in a very smart PDF format.
CARE’s response is in a Word document here.
The Lawyers Christian Fellowship has a press release titled GOVERNMENT PUBLISH LANDMARK INTOLERANT LEGISLATION SETTING GROUND FOR CLASH OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Giles Fraser writing for Ekklesia commented on these attitudes: Giving fundamentalism a secular boost
The National Secular Society has Government Stands Up For Equality, Forcing Religious to Back Down
84 CommentsThe Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and Archbishop Bernard Malango, Archbishop of Central Africa, held a meeting on 7 March with Bishop Nolbert Kunonga, Anglican Bishop of Harare. The meeting took place in South Africa.
As Pat Ashworth reports in the Church Times this week (not yet on the web):
Bishop Kunonga has been widely criticised as a Mugabe apologist. A case against him involving a set of serious charges is still pending. His superior, Archbishop Malango, has in turn been criticised for the lack of progress in the case, and for not reprimanding Bishop Kunonga. In the mean time, Anglican leadership in Zimbabwe during the country’s economic and political upheaval has been widely seen as compromised.
Here (or here) is the official joint statement issued about this event:
“We are grateful for the chance to meet face to face and discuss the role of the church in Zimbabwe and the wider region in working towards the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals.
“We shared our deep concerns with the Bishop of Harare about the situation in Zimbabwe, affirming those places where Anglican ministries are bearing fruit and the church is growing, but also expressing the widespread concerns in the global church and in the international community about the deteriorating economic life of Zimbabwe and issues of human rights and peaceful non-partisan protest.
“We encouraged the development of an independent voice for the church in response to these challenges. All ministers of the gospel must be free to serve and to speak for the needs of those most deprived and disadvantaged.
“We want to find new channels of communication and to facilitate regional conversations about issues of development and justice, including the impact of sanctions, so that Anglicans may work together more effectively with and for the poor whom they serve in Christ’s name.”
Here is some press coverage of the event:
And a comprehensive backfile on Nolbert Kunonga can be found at Magic Statistics, see Rowan Williams “shares concerns” with renegade Zimbabwean bishop.
Also, see African church leaders urged to take action by Trevor Grundy.
29 CommentsUpdated Tuesday morning
Still at 55 and Holding is the headline from Kendall Harmon.
The Bakersfield Californian has a report Local pastor hoping to take role of bishop.
The next few days see the conclusion of the current South Carolina election process, as the deadline for Standing Committee consents is passed. The diocesan website is being updated frequently with the latest count: 52 as I write this but for approval 56 are required. If these are not received, a new election has to be held. Scroll down for the full text of the letter from Mark Lawrence dated 7 March, or read it more conveniently here.
Press reports:
Charleston Post and Courier Adam Parker Episcopal bishop-elect confirms loyalty
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steve Levin Episcopal nominee at center of storm
The State (Columbia SC) Carolyn Click Bishop-elect debate mirrors larger struggle
ENS had SOUTH CAROLINA: Bishop-elect again clarifies his stance on Episcopal Church membership last Thursday.
The Living Church had South Carolina Nears Necessary Consents for Consecration of its Next Bishop on 3 March.
A mid-February ENS report was SOUTH CAROLINA: Standing Committee asks other dioceses to reconsider withholding consent to Lawrence.
There is strong campaigning going on, see for example Sarah Hey’s Open Threads here and here at Stand Firm or on the other side from Lionel Deimel: A New Urgency.
38 CommentsThe official Summary of February 2007 Group of Sessions can now be found, in two versions, both RTF format, at this confusingly titled page (not at the one titled Reports of Proceedings).
0 CommentsChristopher Ohlson writes the Face to Faith column in the Guardian on the subject of sidelining old hymns.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph’s Sacred Mysteries column about horse-biers in Welsh churches.
Roderick Strange writes in The Times that It’s time to repent our failure to love and seek forgiveness.
Two articles from the Christian Century (hat tip AKMA):
Taking the plunge by James Alison
Pastors writing badly by Lillian Daniel
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times: What am I blind to now?
7 CommentsAnother pastoral letter to the members of Anglican Communion Network from Moderator Bishop Robert Duncan has been issued for reading in NACDAP parishes this Sunday, and for publication to the world on Monday.
However, you can read it now, at Telling Secrets the aptly-named blog of Elizabeth Kaeton. See Moderator Bob’s Pastoral Letter.
Another copy of it is here, which may be easier to read.
The last paragraph quotes some statistics:
The Anglican Communion Network is comprised of over 900 parishes and over 2200 clergy.
However, as the letter itself explains by no means all of these are members of the Episcopal Church USA.
33 CommentsThis week’s Church Times completes its coverage of last week’s General Synod:
Both sides move on from Synod’s debates on gays by Pat Ashworth
Synod detailed coverage:
Mentally ill prisoners ‘a cause of outrage’
In good heart about church schools
0 CommentsUpdated Wednesday 14 March
See here for links to the text of The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007.
The government has also published:
For the original consultation document see here.
5 CommentsUpdated Saturday morning
Some months ago, Time called Archbishop Akinola one of the 100 most influential people in the world. See this piece by Rick Warren.
More recently, there was an opinion article At the Center of a Schism.
In another opinion piece yesterday David Van Biema Crunch Time on Gays for Anglican Archbishop now says this:
Awkward as it may be for an outsider to intrude in the doings of a country or a church that is not his own, I nonetheless believe that the Most Rev. Archbishop Peter Akinola has some explaining to do. The Anglican Primate of Nigeria, one of the most powerful churchmen in Africa, needs to clarify his stance on a Nigerian anti-homosexuality bill he initially supported, which assigns a five-year prison term not only for practicing gays, but also for those who support them. Akinola either needs to publicly renounce, in strong terms, his early support of the bill’s punitive clauses and to amplify the rather tepid concern he later expressed about them, or else he needs to explain why he’s not doing so to the dozen or so churches in Virginia whose congregants were largely ignorant of the legislation when they voted to join Akinola’s archdiocese in December.
As Jim Naughton points out, Time’s reasoning on this topic does sound odd.
Saturday Updates
Voice of America has Nigerian Activist Slams Anti-Gay Bill
Ruth Gledhill has Akinola must speak out to save gays
The Bishop of Western Louisiana, Bruce MacPherson was one of those asked by Rowan Williams to make a presentation to the primates at Dar es Salaam on 15 February.
The text of what he said has been published in full here.
His diocese published a press release last October headed The Diocese of Western Louisiana becomes a “Windsor-compliant” diocese.
I have written twice previously about who are the Windsor bishops? and more on the Windsor statistics.
In his presentation Bishop MacPherson says:
…to speak on behalf of about twenty-four other diocesan bishops who share a common support and commitment to the process in which the Windsor Reports invites the Church to share in a journey leading to the development of a “common Anglican Covenant.” [WR117.p48]…
Later he says:
8 Comments… we do not represent a small minority, but rather, we represent about twenty-five percent of the dioceses of The Episcopal Church, and a growing number of people beyond these borders..