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"God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 KJ21
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Message from Bishop David Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Bishop Anderson is traveling and was not able to write an article this week.
The AAC commends to your earnest prayer the victims and families affected by this week's bombing at the Boston Marathon. Look upon them with pity, O Lord, and in your mercy, heal and comfort them in this time of suffering through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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Message from Canon Ashey
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Anglican Perspective: Boston BombingAfter the terrible bombing of the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 15, Canon Ashey asks, "What can we as Christians do and how can we see Jesus in this?" View Anglican Perspective here. |
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VA Supreme Court hands down split decision in Falls Church case
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Source: Anglican Ink
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The Rev. Dr. John Yates, Rector of The Falls Church Anglican
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April 18, 2013 The Falls Church (Anglican) statement on the decision Dear Friends,
We have received word from the Virginia Supreme Court that it has ruled in our appeal. The Court's decision reverses the trial court's ruling as to a part of our church's funds, and sends the case back to the trial court for further proceedings regarding that point. But the Court has affirmed the trial court's decision as to our church's real property and much of the personal property, meaning that our lands, building, and much of our money have not been returned to us. The Court's decision is now posted on its web site at http://www.courts.state.va.us/opinions/opnscvwp/1120919.pdfPlease join me in praising and thanking God for his faithfulness to us despite this result. Although this is not the outcome we had hoped for, our faith and our future do not depend on court decisions. The Lord works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), and we had purposed to praise Him regardless of the outcome. It is difficult to face the prospect of losing things that are precious to us, but ultimately we do not place our hope in land, buildings, or money. We have followed the course that we prayerfully believed was right. We have consistently sought to resolve this dispute outside the courts. We are grateful that we live in a country in which recourse to the courts was open to us. And it is a privilege to count this cost to be obedient to Christ....
The rest of the letter may be found here. Back to top
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An Overview of the Complex Situation in South Carolina
| Source: Anglican Curmudgeon 
April 16, 2013
By A.S. Haley
Lawsuits in San Joaquin and Quincy have prevented me from doing an update on the situation in South Carolina, and one is sorely needed. The litigation there has greatly intensified since I last wrote. Let's recap, with links for those who want to view some of the actual pleadings, which are (sometimes sizable) .pdf downloads.
1. Bishop Lawrence's Diocese and its Trustees, if you recall, brought the initial complaint in the Circuit Court for Dorchester County in Prince George on January 4, joined as plaintiffs by the sixteen individual parishes. The only defendant named was the Episcopal Church (USA), and the lawsuit sought a declaratory judgment against it that the plaintiff Diocese and congregations were the sole owners of their respective names, registered marks (including the Diocese's traditional seal) and real properties. Copies of the complaint were served upon the Presiding Bishop, the Church's Treasurer, and its South Carolina counsel (Mr. Thomas Tisdale) within a few days of its filing.
2. A little over two weeks later, ECUSA's representatives had not yet filed any appearance in the lawsuit, although they had known about it since January 7 (and Mr. Tisdale was served the same day the complaint was filed, on January 4). The Diocese filed an amended complaint which added another fifteen parishes as plaintiffs, and also filed an application for an emergency temporary restraining order against ECUSA....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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England: Welby 'struggling to reconcile views' on same-sex partnerships, says Tatchell
| Source: Church Times
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Peter Tatchell
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April 19, 2013
By Ed Thornton
The Archbishop of Canterbury told the gay-rights activist Peter Tatchell (right) on Thursday, during a private meeting, that opposition to same-sex marriage did not amount to "discrimination".
The Archbishop, the Most Revd Justin Welby, invited Mr Tatchell to a meeting at Lambeth Palace after the campaigner had sent him a letter last month challenging his opposition to same-sex marriage. Mr Tatchell described it afterwards as "the first-ever meeting between an international religious leader and a leading international gay-rights campaigner".
During the course of the day, Archbishop Welby also met six members of the LGBT Anglican Coalition, including the director of Changing Attitude England, the Revd Colin Coward....
Lambeth Palace declined to comment on what was said between the two men. It was private meeting, a spokeswoman said.
The rest of the article may be found here.
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England: Anglican Mainstream appoints new Executive Secretary
| Source: Anglican Mainstream
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Rev. Andrew Symes
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April 19, 2013
The Trustees of Anglican Mainstream are delighted to announce that the Revd Andrew Symes has accepted appointment as Executive Secretary of Anglican Mainstream in succession to Dr Chris Sugden. Andrew will take up the appointment on 1st August 2013 and will be based at the Anglican Mainstream office in Eynsham, near Oxford.
Andrew Symes, 47, is currently serving in the Diocese of Peterborough as Priest in Charge of the Parish of Kings Heath, a deprived council estate in Northampton, and Anglican Minister, 'Church on the Heath' Anglican/Baptist Ecumenical Partnership. He is Chair of Peterborough Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship and a member of the Church of England Evangelical Council. Prior to his ministry in Northampton he spent twelve years as a Crosslinks mission partner in South Africa, where he focussed on training of lay ministers and self supporting clergy in townships and other disadvantaged areas. In 2003 Andrew was one of the founder members of Anglican Mainstream Southern Africa....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Canada: Bishop Ingham to retire
| Source: Diocese of New Westminster
April 12, 2013
Bishop Michael Ingham announced April 2nd he will be retiring from his position on August 31st, 2013.
"The Diocese of New Westminster has been at the forefront of positive change in the Church for decades" he said. "From the ordination of women, to support for indigenous peoples, to the dignity of gay and lesbian Christians, to inter-faith dialogue - it has been a privilege to serve a Diocese living and growing at some of the leading edges of the Anglican Church of Canada."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Pakistani Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy freed
| Source: Church of England Newspaper
April 14, 2013
Seven years after being sentenced to death for blasphemy a Pakistani Christian has been set free.
On 3 April 2013 Lahore High Court justices Khaja Amtiaz Ahmed and Khalid Mehmood Khan overturned the conviction of Younis Masih and ordered his immediate release from prison.
On 10 September 2005 Masih was arrested after he had asked a party of Muslim men the night before if they would lower the volume of their singing. The men responded by attacking Masih and beat him unconscious. Islamic leaders then incited a mob to burn Christians' homes, saying Masih had committed blasphemy. More than 100 Christian families were forced to flee.
His lawyers alleged that to placate the mob the police arrested Masih. A Lahore Court sentenced him to death on 30 May 2007. In overturning his conviction the appeals court held there was no proof of blasphemy....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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500,000 Filipinos Gather to Support Pro-Life and Pro-Family Candidates
| Source: HLI World Watch 
April 17, 2013
By Ligaya Acosta, Ph.D.
Over 40 Catholic lay organizations, led by the influential El Shaddai charismatic leader Brother Mike Velarde, launched a new movement for the protection of life and family this past Saturday in preparation for the May 2013 elections in the Philippines. After legislators finally caved in to pressure from our president and Western NGOs to pass the anti-life Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, the Filipino people are coming together to make sure that candidates promoting and defending life, faith and family will be elected this May.
Media sources estimated that 500,000 people attended the rally in Paranaque City on April 13 to show support for six pro-life candidates who actively fought against the RH Bill (Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito, Sen. Gregorio Honasan, Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, Sen. Koko Pimentel, Sen. Antonio Trillanes and former congressman Cynthia Villar) and pledge to only support candidates against the RH Bill, which was signed into law by President Aquino last December. Four more candidates are expected to be endorsed in the near future. All endorsed candidates have pledged in writing that they will continue to promote legislation that is pro-God, pro-life and pro-family....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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