I hope all our American readers had a good Thanksgiving, and weren’t too put out by the serious weather affecting much of the nation. Now, on to the stories…
Episcopal Church
Lots of reaction to the election of the next bishop of the diocese of Missouri
https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/missouri-episcopalians-elect-an-openly-gay-married-man-to-be/article_ec4a8422-471f-5037-97d4-16f5be03f931.html
and
https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/missouri-episcopalians-elect-an-openly-gay-man-to-be-bishop/article_ec4a8422-471f-5037-97d4-16f5be03f931.html
and
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Missouri-Episcopalians-elect-openly-bay-man-as-14860446.php
Feel good story from California on a local church’s outreach
https://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/st-mary-s-episcopal-church-fills-box-donations-for-operation/article_9e71663a-f34a-529f-aee1-fa6e787080c6.html
An historic African-American church, long closed, is being restored as community center in Tampa
https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2019/11/25/a-historic-african-american-downtown-church-is-nearly-restored/
Pocatello ID parish joining in with community art walk to highlight religious works of art
https://www.idahostatejournal.com/faith/trinity-episcopal-church-to-show-nativity-scenes-during-art-walk/article_eb7dab6c-1d85-5e9a-9f4d-8948e4ffb50e.html
Transitional deacon in Savannah GA forming a mission community among the city’s homeless
https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20191125/episcopal-deacon-finds-home-in-homeless-camp
A lovely testimony to one of the earlier women priests in Alabama who has died
https://www.al.com/life/2019/11/woman-priest-who-founded-episcopal-church-in-hoover-dies.html
A positive story of the merger of two parishes in CT
https://www.journalinquirer.com/towns/east_windsor/coming-together-episcopal-churches-in-east-windsor-windsor-merge/article_074107ce-1072-11ea-a37b-f7305574fa6e.html
A local church and their growing Thanksgiving ministry
https://www.mooresvilletribune.com/thanksgiving-came-early-to-some-thanks-to-st-patrick-s/article_ea81a038-937b-5265-a106-a4ffecd251ce.html
A ministry that sounds like something straight out of Downton Abbey, a parish in Virginia prepares for the 91st annual blessing of the hounds
https://www.nbc29.com/2019/11/28/keswick-church-holds-annual-blessing-hounds/
Anglican Communion
An intriguing response to the news of membership decline (most recently out of Canada)
https://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2019/11/21/why-it-matters-that-canadian-anglicans-are-having-a-near-death-experience
From the Irish press, a story about Justin Welby and his hoping and wishing and praying that GAFCON is not a schismatic enterprise
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/head-of-anglicans-hopes-conservative-wing-will-not-spur-schism-1.4093388
Church in Wales readies celebrations of 100 years since disestablishment in 1920
https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Church-in-Wales-announces-plans-for-centenary-celebrations
and
https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Church-in-Wales-announces-plans-for-centenary-celebrations
Australian Primate, Philip Freier to step down and not seek re-election
https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2019/11/archbishop-of-the-anglican-church-of-australia-to-resign.aspx
Other Interesting Items
Man tried for harboring undocumented migrants for providing them food and water is acquitted
https://www.christiancentury.org/article/news/scott-warren-acquitted-felony-charges-harboring-undocumented-immigrants
Interesting story on the increasing importance of chaplains in a secularizing society
https://religionnews.com/2019/11/27/3795509/
The latest development in the United Methodist church’s struggle over LGBT+ inclusions is a plan backed by a majority of the bishops to allow greater autonomy for US-based jurisdictions
https://www.umnews.org/en/news/bishops-group-backs-us-regional-conference
image: The Rev. Margaret “Maggie” Taylor, church planter and pioneer in the diocese of Alabama, who died on Nov. 21, 2019. (AL.com)