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"Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, and let the people renew their strength!"
Isaiah 41:1a NKJV
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Message from Bishop Anderson
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 Dear Friends in Christ, This world, for all of its beauty, is a dangerous place to live. Natural disasters in the form of earthquakes and weather disturbances can cause so much harm and distress, and then there is the element of danger introduced by human misconduct. When life is going well for us, it is tempting to say, "it doesn't get much better than this." When things don't go well, we want to work hard to reestablish that sense of well-being here on earth. The ultimate reality is, however, that this earth is a spiritual battlefield. Do keep in mind that it CAN get better than this, whether your present circumstances are good or not, for God's intention is that our real and eternal home will be with Him. Together with you I feel sorrow for the loss of precious lives in disasters, and the disruption of people's lives and property, yet I see such good in the way people reach out to help one another and lighten each other's load in the midst of the wreckage. This earth is where good and evil get sorted out, some choosing one, others choosing the opposite. It is in many ways a place and a time of testing and development of those who belong to the Lord. My heart goes out to all who have suffered such loss in the natural disasters occurring recently around the world, and now in the last few days in Moore, Oklahoma. My heart is also gladdened to see many rush alongside to help. All of us can help even from a distance by supporting those who are distributing aid on site. Let's do that. You can contribute to Anglican Relief and Development's ministry in Moore here. Recently the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (TEC) visited the Diocese of Venezuela and spoke at an Episcopal/Anglican church.... Read the rest of Bishop Anderson's article here on our AAC website.
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Canon Ashey: Anglican Perspective
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The Oklahoma Tornado: Where is God?
Canon Ashey asks some tough questions about the recent tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.
View this week's Anglican Perspective here.
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Boy Scouts vote to allow openly gay members
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Source: LifeSiteNews  May 23, 2013 by John Jalsevac GRAPEVINE, TX - The Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) National Council has voted in favor of a resolution to allow openly gay boys to join the organization. Sixty percent of the 1400 delegates present at the Scouts annual meeting in Dallas, Texas voted in favor of the policy change. The resolution states that "no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone." A ban on openly homosexual Scout leaders remains in place. The change comes despite a survey by the BSA, which found that of 200,000 respondents, 61 percent supported the previous policy.... Family Research Council (FRC), one of the leading organizations that opposed the change, expressed "deep disappointment" with the vote. "Sadly, the Boy Scouts' legacy of producing great leaders has become yet another casualty of moral compromise," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. "Unfortunately, Boy Scout delegates capitulated to strong-arm tactics and abandoned the timeless values that have served the organization well for more than 100 years." The Boy Scouts have been under intense pressure for years to change their policy banning homosexual youths and leaders.... The rest of the article may be found here. Back to top
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Just say "no" to euthanasia
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May 22, 2013
By George Conger
Vermont has become the fourth American state to legalize euthanasia after Gov. Peter Shumlin signed into law the "End of Life Choices" Act which permits physicians to administer a fatal overdose to terminally ill patients who wish to commit suicide. On 20 May 2013 Gov. Peter Shumlin signed the bill into law after it was approved by the state legislature: 75 to 65 in the House and 17 to 13 in the Senate.
"This bill does not compel anyone to do anything that they don't choose in sound mind to do. All it does is give those who are facing terminal illness, are facing excruciating pain, a choice in a very carefully regulated way," the governor said after he signed the bill.
Cardinal Seán O'Malley of Boston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said this was "a tragic moment for Vermont. It is also a sign of an alarming trend nationwide. In the three states where physician-assisted suicide is now legal, doctors are called upon to destroy life, rather than to save life and provide much-needed comfort in times of pain and distress."
He urged "all people of good will to fight the future passage of such laws."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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NYC Council Passes 'Right to Worship' Resolution to Give Churches Access to Schools
| Source: Christian Post
May 23, 2013
By Nicola Menzie
The New York City Council passed a resolution Wednesday in support of Christians and other faith groups being granted "equal access" to gather for worship on public school property after hours. The 38-11 vote is seen as another sign of progress in a years-long battle that threatens the right of Christians and other faith groups to use such spaces to gather for worship.
"We had a huge, huge victory today," Pastor Bill Devlin said of the "Right to Worship" resolution, according to World Magazine.
Devlin and City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, a Democratic representative of the Bronx borough, have been at the forefront of a grassroots push to grant churches equal access to public school space.
"Here you have the most progressively leaning Democratic city council in the entire U.S. And they vote by a huge margin in favor of the freedom to worship. ... The Lord did this," Devlin reportedly added. He also shared on his Twitter account Wednesday, "Thanks to City Council (and) to God."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, abandons his support for civil partnerships for heterosexual couples
| Source: Independent
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Archbishop Welby
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May 18, 2013
By Andy McSmith and Sarah Morrison
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has abandoned his support for allowing heterosexual couples to enter into civil partnerships under pressure from the church hierarchy.
His climbdown will be welcomed by the Government as it looks to finally ensure the smooth passage of the equal marriage bill through the House of Commons this week, against Conservative backbench and Labour Catholic opposition...
The rest of the article may be found here.
(Editor's note: the "equal marriage bill" was passed this week by the House of Commons. It will go before the House of Lords early next month.)
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England: New legislative proposals to enable women to become bishops published
| Source: Church of England 
May 24, 2013
The Church of England has published, today, new legislative proposals to enable women to become bishops which will be debated by the General Synod in July.
This will be the first occasion that Synod members have met since November 2012, when the previous legislation narrowly failed to secure the requisite majority in all three Houses, despite a 73% majority overall.
The proposals from the House of Bishops accompany the publication of a report of a Working Group which it had established in December. The Working Group's report sets out four possible options for the shape of the new legislation....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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