National & World News
Archbishop Tutu urges full Lambeth participation
[ENS]
Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town
Desmond Tutu has appealed to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams to invite all bishops to the 2008 Lambeth Conference,
"even those irregularly consecrated or actively gay."
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate's plea came in a letter to the present Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, in which he also called on all Anglican bishops to be "more welcoming and inclusive of one another."
"Our Communion has always been characterized by its comprehensiveness, its inclusiveness, its catholicity," he said. "...we are really family, held together not so much by law as by bonds of affection. There is no family that is unanimous on every single subject."
The Lambeth Conference, the once-a-decade gathering of Anglican Communion bishops, is due to be held July 16-August 4, 2008 at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England. About 880 invitations have been sent out to serving diocesan, suffragan and assisting bishops.
Williams' decision to withhold a small number of invitations was made public May 22. Among those he did not invite were Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire and Martyn Minns, bishop of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a conservative missionary effort in the U.S. sponsored by the Anglican Church of Nigeria.
For full story from Episcopal Life Online, click
here.
In related stories, in Kenya and Uganda three U.S. priests are
consecrated as "bishops for North America." Read the ENS stories
here and
here.
EPF to join continuous ecumenical prayer vigil for Iraq
Launch set for International Day of Peace September 21
[ENS] The
Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF), a 65-year-old nationwide
membership organization, has announced plans to launch a massive
prayer effort surrounding the war in Iraq. EPF is joining with
34 other religious organizations to launch a continuous prayer
vigil in churches across the country beginning on or around
September 21, 2007, the International Day of Peace.
The ecumenical collaboration, Christian Peace Witness for Iraq, was initially formed to sponsor a major, national peace witness in Washington, D. C. on March 16, 2007. More than 300 Episcopalians from around the country joined thousands of others to fill the National Cathedral for a prayer service and then march, in candlelight vigil, to the White House.
The specific goals of the continuous prayer vigil are the five "pillars" around which Christian Peace Witness for Iraq was formed: end the U. S. war and occupation; support our troops; support an Iraqi-led peace process; say no to torture; and say yes to justice.
Prayer vigil resources are available at Episcopal Peace Fellowship and Christian Peace Witness for Iraq.
For full story from Episcopal Life Online, click here.
ERD news
ERD calls for prayers, support for Hurricane Felix victims
[ERD]
Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD)
has called for prayers and support for the people affected by
Hurricane Felix, a category five hurricane that made landfall in
Nicaragua September 4.
The hurricane has killed at least four people and destroyed thousands of homes. Heavy rains have triggered fears of flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas where shantytowns are in close proximity to hillsides. An ERD release said its staff is in communication with long-standing Anglican partners in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Belize to identify needs.
To help people affected by Hurricane Felix, donations can be made to ERD's "Emergency Relief Fund" online at www.er-d.org/, or by calling 1.800.334.7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to: Episcopal Relief and Development "Emergency Relief Fund," P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058..
For full story from Episcopal Life Online, click here.
ERD commemorates the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
[ENS] Two years ago, Hurricane Katrina, a powerful Category 4 storm, slammed onto the Gulf Coast forever changing the lives of people in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi.. Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) recognizes the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina August 29, 2007.
ERD and its partners have been active in the Gulf Coast through three- to five-year long-term recovery programs that focus on rebuilding homes and small businesses, providing case management services, creating a framework for medical and volunteer services, and offering psychosocial counseling for people affected by Katrina. To learn more about ERD's programs in the Gulf Coast, visit the Katrina Recovery Center here.
For full story
via Episcopal Life Online, click
here.
For a related story, "Hands-on rebuilding projects set for September House of Bishops' meeting in New Orleans," click
here.
Episcopal Life launches monthly video "multicast"s
"Episcopal Life Focus" set to debut September 13
By Neva Rae Fox
[ENS]
"Episcopal Life Focus," a new monthly half-hour video
"multicast" featuring church mission, ministries and news, is
scheduled to debut on Thursday, September 13, at 8 p.m. EDT on
Episcopal Life Online.
The program will remain available online for on-demand viewing, and for placement on local community access cable stations that make air time available free of charge, said Canon Robert Williams, director of the Episcopal Church's Communication Office, which is providing the new resource.
Episcopal Life Focus will incorporate news items and human interest features that are about, and are affected by, the Episcopal Church.
No two shows will be alike in content. Ongoing programs will continue to be topical, informative and newsworthy.
"Our first report is largely focused on the continued plight of New Orleans after the hurricanes," according to Mike Collins, director of video and multicast communication for the Episcopal Church.
The first program will also preview the upcoming meeting of the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops, set for September 20-25 in New Orleans. Each monthly program includes a sponsorship opportunity, with the September edition featuring Episcopal Books and Resources.
For full story via Episcopal Life Online, click here.