Sabbath summer

From Terry Waite, CBE • Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England, Oct 05, 2008 I see that the holiday reading of the Presiding Bishop included "Terry Waite and Ollie North." I had no idea it was still in print and it’s a long time since I read it. One might point out that the book needs to be read with considerable care. It suggests that I was in league with Col. North in the Iran Contra affair, and that suggestion is totally inaccurate. I knew nothing about Iran Contra and the exchange of weapons for hostages goes flatly again what I believed in then and what I continue to believe in now. Might I suggest you read my account of the affair, "Taken on Trust," which is out of print in the USA but can be obtained on Amazon. Had I known of  Iran Contra it would have been madness to return to Beirut when I did and face possible death or captivity. As it was, I only received five years in chains, but I have no regrets.

Episcopalians gather to apologize for slavery

From Richard F. Warren III • Newark, Ohio, Oct 05, 2008 When the issue of reparations for the descendants of slavery comes up most whites aren't in favor of it, for what reason I'm not exactly sure. But if one uses the example of the American Indians and how we non-Indian, mostly white people in this country have enacted legislation to create a Bureau of Indian Affairs, a subset of the Public Health Service called or referred to as the Indian Health Service, allowed American Indian tribes the ability to set up gaming corporations that operate casinos all over the country as tax free enterprises, as I understand it, why is it such a stretch to extend to the descendants of slavery the same or similar benefits so we can assuage our guilt and atone for our ancestor's sins, once again, for what they did to them?

Episcopalians gather to apologize for slavery

From Stephen Cheney-Rice • Alhambra, California, Oct 05, 2008 I am heartened to hear of my church's positive response to the sin of slavery - an apology long overdue by many of us in the United States - and am committed to resisting its continuing manifestation in the white privilege that I "enjoy" as an American of European descent. Since 1970 I have worked with other whites and with people of color to dismantle the psychic, sociocultural, political, and economic structures that keep racism alive. As a founding member of Christians Offering Love to Overcome Racism in Society (COLORS) at All Saints Church, Pasadena, I am planning to co-facilitate a 6-week discussion of Paul Kivel's Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice, beginning next Wednesday, and I urge my fellow Episcopalians to seek out similar opportunities to learn and unite with others in the ongoing struggle against America's original sin.

Pittsburgh votes to leave Episcopal Church, align with Southern Cone

From Joan Gundersen • Aspinwall, Pennsylvania, Oct 05, 2008 Your last sentence does not quite capture what [the Rev.] Charles Martin was trying to do in objecting to the seating of the new parishes.  He was objecting because the missions (especially Someset Anglican Fellowship) had been formed by people who did not want to be part of TEC.  At the last minute they included accession clauses to TEC constitution and canons in their by-laws just so they could be seated at the convention and vote to remove the accession clause.  He called it hypocritical.

Why was he making this protest? Charles Martin is the retired rector of St. Mark's in Johnstown, and serves as supply to St. Bartholomew's in Scotsdale. He served for many years as the clerk of diocesan convention. Father Martin has done some of the supply for St. Francis Parish in Somerset. St. Francis is the faithful remnant left behind when their minister and 2/3 of the congregation walked out of the parish in January 2008. There was no reason for the division except that this group wanted to be out of TEC and those who remained at St. Francis did not.  The parish was just a medium sized one with about 300 members.  This walkout group is Somerset Anglican. When they first announced they were going to leave in fall 2007, it was to become evangelical Presbyterians. With pressure from Bishop Duncan, the group became a mission of the diocese, without being in TEC.

Bulletin: Pittsburgh votes to leave Episcopal Church, align with Southern Cone

From John Goddard • Lawrence, Kansas Oct 05, 2008 This is one more sad day in a series of sadness. The Anglican Communion has from its very beginning housed diversity and acceptance of difference. The actions of the Diocese of Pittsburgh fly in the face of this tradition. We are all smaller because of this action. I for one love my Church and stand with the majority in moving us into a new era of compassionate ministry. I pray that the welcome mat will always be out for the return of the part of the family that has chosen to leave.

 

Storming hell's gates

From Brother Christopher Nicholas n/AF • Euless, Texas Oct 03, 2008 Thank you for this. I too, while socially progressive and supporting full inclusion for women ant GLBT Christians, have been deeply concerned about our increasingly Unitarian Universalist tendencies.

Your article reflects what is in my own heart so very well. Thank you for this balanced, insightful and compassionate call to reflection and action!

I very much appreciate reading articles like this that don't always lean left so hard.

Community harvest burgeons at church gardens

From Joe Armoogan • Elmhurst, New York Oct 03, 2008 This story did my heart good!

FORT WORTH: Realignment resolution proposed, Iker gives 10 reason to approve

From The Rev. Dr. M. Barbara Akin • Grove City, Pennsylvania, Oct 03, 2008 I do hope Pseudo-Bishop Iker will be happy in whatever place he settles. For myself and the people of my church, I am so glad I belong to a church that welcomes everyone, all, everyone. I hope Iker and cohort leave and then leave us alone. God be with them. I am so proud to be a real Episcopalian - Come to me ... ALL!

PHILIPPINES: Full communion partners share Eucharistic vision for a globalized world

From The Right Rev. Rhee M. Timbang • Surigao City, Philippines, Oct 03, 2008 I thank you for featuring the event, and for highlighting it with the presentation of the Bishop Ramento Statement “A Eucharistic Vision for a Globalized World.” The Executive Commission of the Church, the highest governing body of the IFI when the General Assembly is not in session, formally received this document during its September 16-17, 2008 meeting. With that formal reception, the document now becomes binding for the whole IFI.

'Beijing Circles' gathering discusses female empowerment

From Samuel Rackal • Burlington, Ontario, Canada, Oct 03, 2008 I certainly support this movement and would do everything in my power to support it. Good work and go forward, ladies.

'Elder' Tutu urges generations to listen to each other

From The Rev. Mary S. Janda • Sandy, Utah, Oct 03, 2008 Once again Bishop Tutu guides us with his wisdom and insight. In the United States, especially, we have forgotten the importance of our elders. It is time to honor, listen to, and share our experiences together with our Elders in order to form a richer bond between the generations.

Jefferts Schori removes Pittsburgh bishop from office

From Richard Reed • Bellaire, Texas Sep 29, 2008 A most un-Christian act and a most inappropriate (although legally convenient) method of 'deposing' a Godly man who is called to defend the traditional Anglican faith. Also un-Godly is suing all those churches in northern Virginia (and their lay leaders), who were in the process of negotiating a good-faith settlement with [Bishop] Lee.

Such tactics are not only un-Christian, they are backfiring, and are 'ruining the brand' of TEC. There are over 1000 traditional Anglican churches of various types now, in North America, including some of the largest (former) TEC churches. They are beginning to come together, and they don't waste God's time and resources suing each other or pushing a political agenda. You have only to look, to see.

What you do not see are those of us who have not yet left (we shall as soon as there is an orthodox North American Anglican province), but who are now ashamed to call ourselves Episcopal because of the harsh legalistic “my way or the highway” tactics of the TEC leadership.

Moment of awareness

From Karen Bota • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Sep 29, 2008 While I support repentance and true awareness of the factual, undoctored history of slavery in this country, what about the genocide of Native American people and the continuing silence around that, as well as their poor treatment today? Let's become informed – and work for change.

Jefferts Schori removes Pittsburgh bishop from office

From Karen Gough • Buffalo, New York Sep 29, 2008 I have been reading about the situation in Pittsburgh and the organization Across the Aisle for some time. I feel the Bishop has abandoned ECUSA and apparently many of his own diocese who wish to remain in the Episcopal Church.  I am not surprised by the deposition, but was very dismayed to read Duncan's attorney's venal attack at our Presiding Bishop.

Thank God for voices of reason like Across the Aisle.

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