It was a week of big stories across the world, of fires and veanl presidents, but here are some of the smaller stories you may have missed.
Around the Episcopal Church
We’re a little late picking up this one, but it may be the best preaching-mishap story ever. People listening to a livestream of a sermon had their Alexa’s order toilet paper after hearing the pastor use this as an illustration of social isolation
https://religionnews.com/2019/02/19/alexa-responds-to-ministers-sermon-orders-toilet-paper/
Bethesda Episcopal Church in Saratoga Springs, NY has created a non-profit to oversee building of a community center to assist the homeless as well as serve for parish functions. Aside from their creativity, I mention this because this was where I first encountered the Episcopal Church nearly 30 years ago.
https://www.saratogian.com/news/bethesda-episcopal-church-of-saratoga-springs-creates-nonprofit-to-help/article_4fe42570-5f87-11e9-a180-2f6a1b509042.html
A downtown church in a big building in a hard-pressed city re-tooling to be a more prominent community resource
https://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2019/04/17/elmiras-trinity-episcopal-church-hopes-boost-its-downtown-presence/3495105002/
St Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Buffalo, NY held a 4 1/2 hour psalm marathon (all 150) on Good Friday
a href=”https://buffalonews.com/2019/04/13/niagara-falls-episcopal-parish-sets-good-friday-psalm-marathon/”>https://buffalonews.com/2019/04/13/niagara-falls-episcopal-parish-sets-good-friday-psalm-marathon/
Your weekly reminder by certain conservatives that Episcopalians aren’t “real” Christians
https://www.eurasiareview.com/13042019-buttigiegs-religion-agenda-oped/
An interesting opinion piece linking Bp Curry, Mayor Pete, and the Episcopal Church’s move towards greater inclusion
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2019/04/18/passover-and-easter-divine-double-feature/Ha2fDftKZqOc3fmgiRvmjK/story.html
England
A new campaign has launched, calling on the Church of England to end its ban on same-sex weddings
https://www.cofe-equal-marriage.org.uk/?v=7516fd43adaa
and coverage here
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/04/13/church-of-england-end-ban-same-sex-marriage/
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, spoke of the importance of real repentance in addressing long-standing social ills; naming men for #MeToo as a concrete example of what needs to happen.
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/justin-welby-men-in-metoo-scandals-need-to-express-genuine-repentance/132246.htm
Canada
A profile of ministry students from Evangelical backgrounds who have turned to Anglicanism
https://www.anglicanjournal.com/evangelically-raised-students-come-home-to-anglican-tradition/
Anglican Communion
Just some great photos of Nigerians marking Palm Sunday
https://punchng.com/photos-nigerians-commemorate-palm-sunday/
Interesting profile and history of the first Anglican church east of Suez from local media
http://www.thesangaiexpress.com/st-marys-church-the-first-anglican-church-east-of-suez/
The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, is pushing for peace in Nigeria’s embattled Kaduna state.
https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2019/04/anglican-communion-secretary-general-pushes-for-peace-in-nigerias-kaduna-state.aspx
And the Rest
A very interesting story on a Jewish woman’s response to her mother’s murder in the Pittsburgh synagogue attacks to find a way to connect to non-Jews at Passover.
https://religionnews.com/2019/04/15/telling-the-passover-story-in-the-shadow-of-the-pittsburgh-massacre/
Orthodox priest attacked in Washington State by Trump hater who blames Christians for his election (I’m sure it made sense to him at the time?)
https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/punched-priest-believes-cross-around-his-neck-enraged-suspect/941141765?fbclid=IwAR1jnBLcoWOOrBXO8REK8W0JWnw_O__x7QLf0a8-c7kF3tn9Y3i1c7je5_Y
A report on the latest Gallup survey findings that shows Americans are going to church less even though reported belief in God is fairly constant.
https://religionnews.com/2019/04/18/gallup-number-of-americans-who-belong-to-a-church-or-house-of-worship-plummets/
image: Members of St Bartholomew Cathedral Church, Kubwa Diocesan Anglican Communion in Kubwa, Abuja, marking the Palm Sunday. NAN image.