Stephen Tyrone Johns, the steadfast security guard who died at the museum, laid down his life to protect visitors to that sacred space. I ask that all of our churches commemorate his heroic self-sacrifice by including a special prayer for Mr. Johns, his family and friends in their Eucharistic celebrations this Sunday.
When Ralph White was a teenager at All Saints Parish in Wynnewood, he says, he was sexually abused on a number of occasions by the Rev. Gibson Bell. Rev. Bell influenced White’s mother to have her son placed in a mental institution. Later, White’s mother disowned her son and willed her estate to Rev. Bell.
Now I’m reading the stories of women whom Dr. Tiller aided. While these stories don’t cancel the need for Christians to wrestle with abortion and possibly to support restrictions through legislation, the stories shake us loose from any moral high ground we thought we had reached in our own decisions—and sensitize or resensitize us to human suffering.
To be very frank, the bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada, by providing clear guidelines for the very real pastoral and liturgical care of our relationships, have shown far more pastoral sensitivity and courage … To be even more frank, this Committee and those responsible for its actions owe lgbt Christians a sincere apology and acts of repentance for this latest handling.
“Toward a full and faithful telling: repairing the breach of slavery, segregation and racism in the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta” is an initiative our diocese has begun to help facilitate the process of building stronger bridges across the racial divide within the church. This is an initiative that all churches could embrace because everyone of them is impacted by slavery, segregation and racism regardless of their members’ race.
The beat goes on on the legal front in California where today brought news of two significant property transactions.
There are — or were — three dioceses with bishops who didn’t believe in the ordination of women. Those dioceses are recovering now and excited to have women as priests. There are some parts of the communion that don’t ordain women at all, as priests or as bishops. But we’re all in conversation.
Bishop John Bryson Chane, retired Bishop Jane Holmes Dixon and more than 22 Episcopal priests are among the 135 religious leaders who have signed a statement supporting the recognition of same-sex marriages in the District of Columbia.
Close your eyes and picture a vicar of the Church of England. Whether you are a regular churchgoer or someone who once watched an episode of The Vicar of Dibley, your mental image will more than likely be this: a smiling, benign, inoffensive and unworldly cleric. This image has its origins in the life and ministry of one man, George Herbert (1594-1633).
A fourth man has filed a $15 million lawsuit against the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School for allegedly covering up his sexual abuse at the hands of the school’s chaplain.