A good news story, the wedding of The Right Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Bishop of the Diocese of Rhode Island:

In a festive ceremony yesterday that started with her walking down the aisle hand in hand with her cousin’s 5-year-old son, with five young girls close behind, Episcopal Bishop Geralyn Wolf married Thomas Charles Bair Jr. before a crowd of nearly 400 at her diocese’s Cathedral of St. John.

“I think it was the most spirited wedding I ever attended,” said former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, a long-time friend who had baptized Wolf on her conversion from Judaism to Christianity 36 years ago and preached at her ordinations to deacon, priest and bishop.

Read it all here.

From the Anglican Communion News Service:

Lambeth Conference Plans move forward
Decision-makers met last week to continue their planning for progress plans for the Lambeth Conference 2008.

The conference ‘Design Group’, appointed by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, spent five days from April 16 to 20 working on looking the conference structures, purposes, issues and programme.
...
The purpose of the Lambeth Conference 2008 is to enable bishops to discern and share their Anglican identity and become better equipped as leaders in God’s mission.
...
The Lambeth Conference in 2008 will be different: it will not resemble a parliamentary debating chamber with a string of resolutions but aim to provide time and space for spiritual reflection, learning, sharing and discerning.

Amongst the topics it will address are the: Millennium Development Goals, HIV/Aids, Ethical/Green living, Anglican identity and covenant, The Listening Process and relationships with people of other Faiths. A fuller programme will be available on the web site www.lambethconference.org in the near future.

Archbishop Akinola, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican) will be coming to Woodbridge Virginia early next month to install Bishop Martyn Minns in his new role as the leader of CANA.

The Installation will take place on May 5th at the The Cecil D. Hylton Memorial Chapel in Woodbridge. Jim Robb, CANA’s media officer confirmed the Archbishop’s visit, but said that complete press information about the event has not yet been posted. He does expect to have further information posted in the near future however.

Additional details will, most likely, be posted here.

New Hampshire just passed legislation allowing same-gender unions legal status within the state. Bishop Robinson has said that he and his partner Mark Andrew will register:

"Shortly after a civil unions bill cleared its last hurdle Thursday, the state's best-known gay resident said he will use it.

'Absolutely. My partner and I look forward to taking full advantage of the new law,' Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson told The Associated Press. The Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Union of which it is part are still dealing with repercussions from Robinson's 2003 consecration as bishop of New Hampshire."

Read the full story here

San Jose Mercury News - Former Episcopal bishop Wolterstorff dies at 92

SAN DIEGO- The Right Rev. Robert M. Wolterstorff, who became the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego when it was carved out of the sprawling Los Angeles diocese in 1974, has died. He was 92.

Wolterstorff died peacefully in his sleep Tuesday, 10 days after suffering a heart attack, diocese spokesman Howard Smith said.

May he rest in peace, and rise in glory.

Thomas E. Breidenthal became the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio on April 28 at the Ohio State University campus.

Read more »

According to The Living Church Foundation, these seven bishops affirmed their commitment to the Windsor Report.

Windsor Bishops Write Archbishop Williams, Set Meeting Dates

Seven bishops have written to the Archbishop of Canterbury, assuring him of their continued “strong support” of the Windsor Report and the process it recommends.

The "Windsor Bishops" have met twice previously at Camp Allen near Houston. The group has scheduled two additional meetings for June 18-19 and Aug. 9-10.

“We want to reassure you that we are committed to the Camp Allen principles and realize that for us, they are the way by which we intend to remain united as we move forward in these challenging days,” the bishops stated in an April 26 letter.

“We also realize that the covenant process is critical to these discussions, and indeed is the focal point of the work now underway to define our life together. For us, neither of these commitments has wavered in light of the recent decisions by the House of Bishops.”

The letter was signed by the following bishops:
• John W. Howe, Central Florida
• James M. Stanton, Dallas
• Jeffrey N. Steenson, Rio Grande
• Edward L. Salmon, Jr., retired, South Carolina
• Don A. Wimberly, Texas
• Gary W. Lillibridge, West Texas
• D. Bruce MacPherson, Western Louisiana

In their letter the bishops refer to themselves as “The Steering Committee of the Windsor Bishops.”

SeattlePI.com columnist Joel Connelly has a report from the "walk-abouts" going on in the Diocese of Olympia in preparation for the diocesan election of a new bishop:

As five candidates vying to become Western Washington's new Episcopal bishop were driven here to meet the faithful at a "Walkabout," their bus broke down.

Was it a warning from the Holy Spirit? The mainstream Protestant churches in these parts, especially the troubled Diocese of Olympia, badly need tuneups and a new battery.

Seattle is the least "churched" of America's major cities. Despite -- or because of -- that fact, the area's churches have displayed ingenuity in good works and witness.

For a frank discussion of the challenges facing the Diocese of Olympia, read the rest of the article here.

The judge in Allegheny County ruled against The Right Rev. Bob Duncan of Pittsburgh, May 8, in the matter of Calvary Episcopal Church vs. Duncan et al.

Lionel Deimel, Board Member of Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh sends this report:

The judge ruled to deny the petition to dismiss the case by Duncan, et al., yesterday.

See the document HERE in pdf.

Other court documents can be found HERE.

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Reminder: At Episcopal Café, we hope to establish an ethic of transparency by requiring all contributors and commentators to make submissions under their real names. For more details see our Feedback Policy. Commenters who were registered under nicknames or pseudonyms at the old Daily Episcopalian site must reregister. Thanks.

Bishop Dorsey Henderson (Diocese of Upper South Carolina) is another of the growing number of blogging bishops. He's not given to pithy statements or short paragraphs, but his pastoral letter on the March meeting of the House of Bishops is worth a look even by an impatient world.

Some extracts:

It was the first House meeting over which ++Katharine Jefferts Schori has presided since her installation as Presiding Bishop. And she did just that—no more, no less. ... She pressed no agenda and did not take sides, which was not always true with her predecessors.
...
Collegiality among the bishops seemed to me to be deeper and more authentic than usual. Although none of the Forward in Faith bishops (those who do not ordain women) was present, there was broad representation otherwise—conservative, moderate, and liberal.
...
The Primates are only one of four Instruments of Unity in the Anglican Communion. The other three are the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Anglican Consultative Council, and the Lambeth Conference, which includes all bishops of the Communion. The Anglican Consultative Council is probably my favorite because it is the only one of the four which includes in its membership representatives other than bishops and archbishops. Its makeup is more consistent with the American model of ministry and leadership in the Church in that it includes lay people as well as bishops, priests and deacons. All four instruments have their role, but none is primary, none is supreme. Accordingly, while the Primates may request that The Episcopal Church respond in a particular way and in accordance with a deadline, they do not have the authority to mandate either response or deadline. At Camp Allen, the Archbishop of Mexico was asked how he had experienced the Primates’ Meeting at Dar es Salaam. He responded that it was great—that although he arrived in Dar es Salaam as an archbishop, he departed as a “cardinal”! His point was clear. The Primates had assumed unto themselves authority which they have not heretofore possessed.
...
Anglicanism is not only dear to me, but I believe it to be the clearest manifestation of authentic Christianity yet achieved. The Episcopal Church is dear to me—and I believe its development in the setting of the New World to be the clearest manifestation of authentic Anglicanism yet achieved. Neither is perfect. The Kingdom of God is not yet fully realized on earth. God is not finished with us yet! But that’s why we have the Holy Spirit, sent to lead us into all truth and to strengthen us as the Body of Christ for Christian living.

The Diocese of Northwest Pennsylvania (Erie and its environs) has elected the Rev. Sean W. Rowe, 32, as its bishop. If confirmed, he will be, by far, the youngest bishop in the Church.

Rowe, rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Pa., was elected on the first ballot. His election comes on the heels of the election last weekend of the Rev. Gregory Rickel, 43, as Bishop of Olympia in western Washington. With the Rt. Rev. Johncy Itty of Oregon, 44, they are the only bihsops in the Church below the age of 45.

Read it all, and his biography, too, on page four of this pdf..

Over the weekend, more than 2,000 people attended the consecration of Shannon Johnston, bishop co-adjutor of the Diocese of Virginia, at Washington National Cathedral on Saturday, May 26. A video of the consecration service (requires Windows Media Player) is available from the National Cathedral website. You can access it directly via this link; the Cathedral notes that the prelude music is approximately 50 minutes long in case you want to forward past that to the service.

In the News
While several news outlets have reported on the consecration, an AP story that ran late last week is perhaps most illuminating of the challenges Johnston faces as bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Church's largest diocese.

The man chosen to lead Virginia Episcopalians will look to the heavens as he shepherds the centuries-old diocese threatened by divisions over homosexuality — and to the 1960s Alabama of his youth.

Then a small boy living in the Jim Crow stronghold, the Very Rev. Shannon Johnston paid close attention to sit-ins and freedom rides unfolding around him, as well as resistance by bristling segregationists.

"I saw how those who stayed in the middle, and tried to keep people together and talk and understand ... set a strong example of how to build up community," said Johnston, 48, who spoke to The Associated Press from the diocese's Richmond headquarters. "That was a witness I think I've never forgotten."

A report by the Rev. Lauren R. Stanley in a special edition of Virginia Episcopalian notes that:

With the sounds of Rolling Thunder motorcycles filling the streets of the nation’s capital in the background, a different sort of roar rolled through the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday when the Rt. Rev. Shannon Sherwood Johnston was consecrated as the bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Virginia.

Three times during the service – twice in response to liturgical questions from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and once proclaiming “Amen” at the conclusion of the prayer of consecration – the congregation’s roaring approvals echoed throughout the great stone cathedral for six seconds each.

...

“I am incredibly uplifted,” Bishop Johnston said during the reception that followed. “We were raised by God’s grace and held by an embrace of affection by the people of the Diocese and the bishops. I am so confident of who we are now and what we are going to be and do together.”

We also reported on this article on Saturday, but in case you missed it, you can read the whole thing, including comments from Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori and Bishop Peter J. Lee of the Diocese of Virginia, here.

Some Blog Reactions
Margret Hjalmarson, a/k/a Progressive Pragmatist notes:

We got to the front of a line to get in because we arrived so early and got to talk to Johnston's cousin while waiting to get in. There were people from all over Virginia, from Mississippi, from Alabama. All here not just for Johnston (though that's a big event) but also to celebrate the new life of a diocese that has been through a lot of pain and dissent in recent months.

Martha Furniss, writing at Life in the Circle Game, writes:

The one lady had a ticket marked "special." We moved her to the head of the line. The Harrisonburg folks were very nice. I turned to the "special" lady and asked her what had brought her to the the consecration service. Turns out she is a friend of the Johnston family. She said, "Shannon is very excited about today. Did I say Shannon is excited? Well his mother is positively levitating." Wow, it must be quite a day to have your son consecrated bishop!

The cathedral was lovely, ... and I sat in line with the space window. The procession included lots of familiar faces, the music was uplifting, the sermon was good. The presiding bishop spoke the words of consecration - I love her voice. It was inspiring to hear the words of the creed echoing through the nave. It was good to see so many people in their Sunday best gathered on a Saturday morning to witness the consecration of the 1017th American bishop who, in a few years, will be the 213th bishop of Virginia. The church is strong, we have purpose, we have history, we have future.

The Right Rev. Steven Charleston recently gave two McMichael Lectures at St. Paul, Fayetteville. The Morning News reports:

He takes a positive view of conflict, seeing diversity of beliefs and human passion as strengths.

"In the midst of our frustration and debate, we are, in fact, becoming the community God called us to be."

God created humans with free will, Charleston said. Christians must combine faith and common sense to forge a future that serves the whole.

That doesn't mean coming to agreement on issues that divide us, Charleston said. Often, people think of resolution in just such a way. They advance their position over and over in the hope others finally will see the light. Yet proponents of the other side have the same hope.

"We need to develop a larger vision," Charleston said. "When will this be resolved? When will they see it our way? Maybe never."

Reaching consensus on a deeply felt issue such as abortion will likely never happen, Charleston said. Yet the impasse itself points to a course of action.

"We have an inalienable right as humans to have dignity for our opinions, to be respected for our opinions, no matter what," Charleston said. "That's what I bought into when I became a disciple of Jesus."

People don't have to resolve the debate. Rather, they need to develop an ethic of respect that transcends differences.

"Do you respect the dignity of every human being?" Charleston asked, slowing the flow of words to ask the question again. "Can men and women live and work together even when we don't agree?

"This is the question of the century, the trajectory of where we are headed as a human race. So many people answer 'no.'"

Fear is rising in the world, the bishop said. There's a renewed mentality of "us" versus "them." He reviewed centuries of hatred, bigotry and war in the name of God and the repeated hope that humanity has passed that stage of evolution.

"Hello, welcome to this century where religion is back with a vengeance," Charleston said. "Welcome back to the same sad history we've played out for hundreds of generations."

For the past two weeks, I have been in regular phone and email conversation with several members of the House of Bishops. We began talking and writing because of our concern that the Archbishop of Canterbury has announced that our colleague and friend, the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, will not be receiving an invitation to the Lambeth 2008 Conference, which gathers together all the bishops of the Anglican Communion every ten years. We drafted a letter expressing our disappointment and concern. In that letter we also articulated our hope – that this season of confusion and distress, which has ‘threatened the bonds of affection’ in the Anglican Communion, might be resolved through thoughtful conversation and mutual respect. In a conference call this afternoon, we decided not to send out our letter. As Gene Robinson has told us, there is a lot of diplomacy going on between the Archbishop’s office and the American Church, which may – or may not, create a different ecclesiastical climate and result in invitations to all bishops in good standing in the Church (which certainly includes Bishop Robinson, who was duly elected, consented and consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal church). We also acknowledged to one another that there is great confusion in the wider church about our polity. Unlike most of the rest of the Anglican Communion, which appoints their bishops – we elect ours.  So we decided not to send out our letter – yet.  Ours was a decision of strategy. We want to wait a bit to see if the diplomacy will lead to a different, and more satisfying resolution. But as we debated issues of strategy, I could feel my commitment to radical hospitality deepen, and I could hear it in my colleagues. Jesus had a passion for radical welcome – and a disdain for those who were unwilling, or unable, to embrace it. Jesus’ invitation extends down through the centuries to include the rest of us. All of us. Welcome should beget welcome. We shouldn’t settle for anything less."

News of a tragic accident and a great loss to the Episcopal Church and for the Diocese of Northern Michigan:

"Bishop James Kelsey of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan was killed in a road accident at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, while returning to Marquette from a parish visitation, Jane Cisluycis, diocesan operations coordinator confirmed.

...'The Episcopal Church has today lost one of its bright lights,' Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said. 'We will be less without the easy grace of Bishop James Kelsey -- Jim to most of us -- and we shall miss his humor, insight, and passion for the ministry of all. He gave us much. We pray for the repose of his soul, and for his family. We pray also for the Diocese of Northern Michigan. All of us have lost a friend. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.'"

Read the rest here: Episcopal Life Online - NEWS

Coverage from The Mining Journal on Michigan's Upper Peninsula is here.

The bishop's daughter Lydia was to have been married this Saturday.

All of us here at Episcopal Cafe join others around the Church giving thanks for +Jim's life and praying for God' loving presence right now for the family he leaves behind.

EpiScope provides this biography courtesy of Nancy Davidge at the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts:

James Arthur Kelsey
Biographical Information

Jim Kelsey was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1952 and attended schools in New York City and Burlington, Vermont. He graduated from Ithaca College in New York in 1974 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy. In 1977, he graduated from General Theological Seminary and was called to be Deanery Curate for four congregations in southwestern Vermont. Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1978, he was called to be the rector of Holy Trinity Church in Swanton and priest-in-charge of three missions which gradually evolved into an eight-point cluster over the next seven years. During his year at Holy Trinity his interest in collaborative ministry deepened. A non-hierarchical form of leadership emerged there which included a locally ordained priest and a team of persons who shared ministry support responsibilities. Holy Trinity was recognized by the national church as one of ten effective congregations highlighted in the publication Against All Odds, prepared for the 1982 General Convention.

In 1985 he was called by the Diocese of Oklahoma to help establish a diocesan-wide strategy for cluster ministries. His work there was focused especially with eight congregations in a six-county area in east-central Oklahoma. He began an extensive consulting role on collaborative ministry throughout the U.S. and Canada.

He was called to be the Ministry Development Coordinator in the Diocese of Northern Michigan in 1989, a position he held until his election as Bishop in 1999. Since coming to the diocese, over half of the diocese’s 27 congregations have embraced Mutual Ministry, as collaborative ministry is known in Northern Michigan. It is characterized by the commissioning of local Ministry Support Teams supported by seminary-trained regional missioners.

Interest in Mutual Ministry by other diocese in the U.S. and abroad led Northern Michigan in 1994 to begin offering Spring and Fall Visitors Weekends for a first-hand look at this model for ministry.

His consulting work during these years expanded overseas to include New Zealand and the United Kingdom and has touched over thirty-five diocese in the United States. He participated in a number of national and international networks and training programs including the Leadership Academy in New Directions (LAND), Sindicators, Synagogy, Coalition 14, Living Stones and an International Symposium on Local Collaborative Ministry.

Jim and Mary Kelsey were married in 1976 and have three adult children, Nathan, Lydia and Amos and a new puppy Juniper.

He cherished a radical notion of common ministry and refused the adulation bishops tend to attract. This meant that when he did speak with authority, people listened with unusual attention and respect.

Ann Fontaine, one of the contributors here at Episcopal Cafe has her own tribute posted on her blog.

"Jim was someone who radiated the love of God to all around him. He was quick to laugh at nonsense (of which there is a lot in the Episcopal Church) and to mourn the waste of time and talent when we get so involved in our own importance over others. Although a bishop - he only saw that as a role to support others, it was never his intrinsic identity. His baptism was the most important rite for him."

If you'd like to share a story about Bishop Jim, leave it as a comment, or send it to feedback@episcopalcafe.com

From the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan:

Friends- We will gather to celebrate the life of Jim Kelsey this Friday, June 8, in Marquette. Visitation will be at 9am to 1pm at St. Paul's Church, 201 East Ridge St. Memorial Eucharist will be at 4pm at St. Michael Roman Catholic Church, on the corner of College St. and Presque Isle Ave. Reception to follow at the church. Please help us share hospitality with one another by bringing a finger-food type dish to the reception. The family has requested that memorials be given to Page Center All media inquiries are being referred to the Episcopal News Service
Gloria Price, Office Administrator gloria (at) upepiscopal.org Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan 131 E Ridge Street Marquette MI 49855

Bishop Stephen Jecko, the retired Bishop of Florida has died overnight. Canon Kendall Harmon's site has the news:

"His cancer apparently progressed rapidly, and the Lord took him home peacefully. More details will be forthcoming later from appropriate sources. Funeral arrangements are pending."

Episcopal Life Online has the additional news about Bishop Putnam's passing.

The details of their funerals and more biographical information can be found in the Episcopal Life article linked just above.

May your servants Stephen and Frederick rest in peace and rise in glory and may their families know the loving presence of Jesus among them in this hour.

Ecclesiastical orders melted at the church door in Marquette, Michigan, on Friday, June 8, as 600 people touched by the life and stunned by the death of Jim Kelsey, an Episcopalian in the Diocese of Northern Michigan, gathered for his funeral. Concurrent services were celebrated at his former parish of Holy Trinity in Swanton, Vermont, and at the cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand. Herb Gunn has the story.

Home towns have gotten some bad press over the years when it comes their reputation for appreciating their own. Hometown newspapers often to a great job of profiling their own. A case in point is The Derrick's coverage of Bishop-elect Sean Rowe (Northwestern Pennsylvania):

Recently elected the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania, Rowe, at 32, will be the youngest Episcopal bishop in the world following his Sept. 8 consecration at Grove City College’s Harbison Chapel by the presiding bishop of the church, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori.

He will likewise be the youngest member of the church’s House of Bishops – by about 13 years.

Rowe’s rocketing to positions of prominence leads one to wonder if he has always been on the fast track — or if he is an old soul in a young man’s body.

A look at his journey to the threshold of the House of Bishops would seem to indicate that both explanations apply.

A prophet is his own home diocese? Check this out:

"Homosexuality is a theological issue. But fear cannot drive our discernment about it. We have to put people first. We are not simply talking about a theological idea but about real people and real lives. We must take care,” he said.

“We are commanded to love God and love our neighbor. That is first and beyond all else,” he said.

When the debate turns to “rightness and wrongness” we are at risk of forgetting “we are talking about people,” he said.

“Jesus Christ stood with people. You can tell a lot about a person by the people they have their next meal with. Jesus was not always with his disciples but with the tax collectors and prostitutes and other people thought impure. And then he opened the doors to everyone. The church has to do that, has to be radically hospitable. That does not mean that everything goes, but that everyone is welcome.”

“We should not be the gatekeepers but should be trying to get people to come in,” he said.

The Diocese of South Carolina, which elected Mark Lawrence to be there next bishop, but failed to receive the needed number of consents to that election is planning to a new election with Mark as the only candidate as of now.

They are creating a process for additional nominees to be named by petition.

From the Diocesan website:

"At its meeting, the [Standing] Committee unanimously agreed:

1. To call for a Special Convention to elect a Bishop. The Convention is to be held at ten o’clock a.m. on Saturday, August 4, 2007 at St. James’ Church, James Island, South Carolina.

2. The Standing Committee unanimously nominated The Very Reverend Mark J. Lawrence to be the next Bishop of South Carolina.

3. Because of the necessity for background checks, no nominations from the floor will be allowed at the Convention. In lieu thereof, the Committee has established a petition process..."

Read the rest here.

Mary Gray-Reeves elected third bishop of El Camino Real on the second ballot. She was one of three women in a slate of five. Should she receive consent she would be the fifteenth woman in the elected bishop in the church and one of the five youngest members of the current House of Bishops.

Election results here. The bishop-elect's profile is here and her acceptance statement is here.

Episcopal News Service coverage is here. Here's the ENS description of the diocese:

The diocese was formed in 1980 out of the Diocese of California. It extends along the Pacific coast between San Francisco and Los Angeles from Palo Alto to San Luis Obispo, encompassing the counties of Santa Clara, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. Trinity Cathedral in San Jose serves as the diocesan see while the diocesan offices are located in Seaside on the Monterey Peninsula. Farming, technology, vineyards and resort areas are found in the diocese. Congregations worship in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Laotian, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Sudanese dialects and Lakota. About 14,330 Episcopalians worship in the diocese's 50 congregations.

The Living Church reports on the shape of the House of Bishops' September meeting.

“A group from the planning committee will work with Archbishop Williams and me to determine the format of the time we will have together,” Bishop Jefferts Schori wrote. She said that the formal part of the meeting will begin with the Holy Eucharist on the morning of Sept. 20. Archbishop Williams will depart the afternoon of Sept. 21.

Bishop Jefferts Schori said she has invited the primates’ Standing Committee and the Executive Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) to join the meeting. “They will be with us during our time with the Archbishop of Canterbury,” she wrote, as well as for “work and missionary days” in the dioceses of Louisiana and Mississippi scheduled for Sept. 22-23. “These groups will have their own (private) meeting on Monday.”

Read it all here

"In December 2006, the House of Bishops elected the Rev. John Guernsey to be a Bishop in the Church of Uganda, serving our American congregations on behalf of their Ugandan Bishop. Today at our House of Bishops meeting, we reaffirmed that decision and set the date for Bishopelect Guernsey's consecration for Sunday, 2nd September 2007. He will be consecrated in Mbarara along with Bishop-elect George Tibesigwa, the new Bishop of Ankole Diocese."

Admittedly, this is complex, and we hope this arrangement will be temporary until the Biblically orthodox domestic ecclesial entity in the USA is in place. But, I do ask that all of us - Americans and Ugandans - work diligently to make this work. We will all need to walk in the light with one another; to extend grace, love, and mutual respect to one another; and to be transparent in our communication. Bishop-elect Guernsey is now our front-line Bishop and should be your first point of contact about anything ecclesiastical. When in doubt, contact Bishop-elect Guernsey first and then, together, you can decide if and how your Ugandan Bishop may need to be brought into the situation.

The Chicago Tribune website (free subscription required) has a long article reporting on the work and ministry of Bishop William Persell, the Episcopal Bishop of Chicago:

"'Communion is about relationships,' Persell said in a recent interview. 'Building meaningful relationships is more important than other things happening in the [Anglican] Communion. If we have a relationship, we don't have to agree.'

Since becoming Chicago's bishop, Persell, 64, has encouraged his 44,000 parishioners from Chicago to Galena to maintain a healthy lifestyle while his own health has been in decline. But he has also tried to maintain his reputation as a champion of social justice and civil rights while trying to keep the church together despite tumult.

Last year, Persell announced to this flock that he would step down as their bishop in February 2008, when a new bishop is installed. An aortic aneurysm and deteriorating vision made the demands of the job difficult. This week, he underwent surgery for prostate cancer. He reiterated the importance of a healthy ministry when he announced his resignation.

'While my mind and heart are very much committed to helping advance the church's mission here, my stamina is not what it was when you welcomed me into your life,' he wrote."

The article talks about Bishop Persell's commitment to trying to find a middle ground that will the Church to comprehend different understandings of how to be Christian in the world:

In 2003, [Persell] called a similar meeting among clergy in his own diocese to study the issues that were dividing the Episcopal Church. For as long as he could, he put off deposing conservative clergy supporting breakaway parishes. But Rev. Martin Johnson, who leads a breakaway parish in Wheaton, said Persell finally had no choice. Johnson expects to be the second priest in the diocese to have his ordination rites revoked by the end of the year.

But that doesn't alter his tremendous respect for Persell.

"To some of us it's a therapeutic issue and the possibility of healing," Johnson said. "For him it's a matter of simply affirming how people are created in God's sight."

He knows that he and Persell share a deep love for the church.

They also share a love of opera. Sitting next to each other at the Lyric Opera one night during a five-hour production of Wagner, Persell asked Johnson during intermission if he planned to stay for the final acts. They exchanged knowing looks and agreed to go the distance. Persell wasn't just talking about the opera, Johnson said. He was talking about the church.

Read the rest here.

A stained glass window honoring The Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris was dedicated on Sunday, June 24. The first woman to be consecrated a bishop in the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion, the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, was present at the Church of St. Alban the Martyr, Queens, NY, to bless two window panels. The other one depicts Absalom Jones, the first African American ordained priest in The Episcopal Church.

Bishop Harris is depicted wearing her consecration vestments designed and made by Challwood Studios. According to partner Paul Challenor, "I worked with the stained glass maker in selecting from consecration photos and in capturing the effect of the woman's weave Kente cloth on her vestments."

Read more here

And here with photo of Bishop Harris and the window

The Anglican Communion Network website has this announcement today:

"The Anglican Communion Network welcomed news today that the Anglican Province of Kenya has elected the Rev. William Murdoch suffragan bishop of All Saints Cathedral Diocese in Nairobi. Bishop-elect Murdoch will join Bishop-elect Bill Atwood in supporting Kenyan clergy and congregations in the United States. As he takes on this new responsibility, Murdoch will continue to serve the Network as dean of the New England Convocation."

Bishop-elect Murdoch is an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Massachusetts and has been serving as a regional dean of the Anglican Communion Network within the Episcopal Church. There is no mention in the news release about whether he will continue in that role after his ordination in the Kenyan province of the Anglican Communion.

Bishop-elect Murdoch will be working directly with Bishop-elect Bill Atwood whose election as a Kenyan bishop was announced earlier this month.

Read the rest here: Network Welcomes the Rev. William Murdoch’s Election.

Bishop Victoria Matthews, the Canadian Anglican bishop of Edmonton, writing in a letter to the clergy of her diocese, attempts to interpret the apparently contradictory actions of the recent Synod of the Canadian Province:

"...in an atmosphere that seemed more like filibuster than debate, a resolution was presented and passed asking the Primate's Theological Commission and Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee to prepare a report and educational materials in advance of 2010 General Synod about whether the blessing of same-sex unions is a faithful, Spirit-led development of the doctrine of marriage.  Remember, the St. Michael Report said the blessing of same-sex unions is a matter of doctrine but until now no one has been asked to try to actually develop a doctrine of same-sex unions.  It also asked for a theological rationale to accompany the new Canon 21 on marriage, which is come before General Synod 2010.

[I]n short, the Anglican Church of Canada General Synod consistently demonstrated that it is more interested in considering redefining marriage than continuing the debate about blessings."

Bishop Matthews goes on to write that the upshot of this is that Primate of the Canadian church is guareenteed a full seat with voice and vote at the next Primate's meetings and that their Province will be welcomed to fully participate in the work of the Anglican Consultative Council.

The full letter in pdf format can be downloaded here.

The Telegraph reports that some Bishops in the Church of England have suggested that the floods that devastating parts of England are God's judgment. One bishop, the Rt Rev Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle, has said that the floods are the result of our lack of respect for the planet, and also are a judgment on society's moral decadence.

The Telegraph reported that Bishop Dow said "This is a strong and definite judgment because the world has been arrogant in going its own way."

"We are reaping the consequences of our moral degradation, as well as the environmental damage that we have caused, " Dow says.

The bishop, who is a leading evangelical, said that people should heed the stories of the Bible, which described the downfall of the Roman empire as a result of its immorality.

"We are in serious moral trouble because every type of lifestyle is now regarded as legitimate," he said.

"In the Bible, institutional power is referred to as 'the beast', which sets itself up to control people and their morals. Our government has been playing the role of God in saying that people are free to act as they want," he said, adding that the introduction of recent pro-gay laws highlighted its determination to undermine marriage.

"The sexual orientation regulations [which give greater rights to gays] are part of a general scene of permissiveness. We are in a situation where we are liable for God's judgment, which is intended to call us to repentance."

He expressed his sympathy for those who have been hit by the weather, but said that the problem with "environmental judgment is that it is indiscriminate".

The West is also being punished for the way that it has exploited poorer nations in its pursuit of economic gain. "It has set up dominant economic structures that are built on greed and that keep other nations in a situation of dependence. The principle of God's judgment on nations that have exploited other nations is all there in the Bible," he said.

He urged people to respond to the latest floods by turning away from a lifestyle of greed to instead live thinking of the consequences of their actions.

Other Bishops laid the blame less on God's judgment and more on humanity's strewardship of the environment.

Global warming has been caused by people's lack of care for the planet and recent environmental catastrophes are a warning over how we behave, according to the Bishop of Liverpool.

"People no longer see natural disasters as an act of God," said the Rt Rev James Jones.

"However, we are now reaping what we have sown. If we live in a profligate way then there are going to be consequences," said the bishop...

"We have a responsibility in this and God is exposing us to the truth of what we have done."

Bishop Dow's assertion that natural disaster is in fact the judgment of God on a sinful culture is an old-fashioned theological back-flip—blame God for the disaster, but absolve God of responsibility by saying God's hand was forced by humanity's bad behavior. So God did it...but it wasn't really God's fault. It is hard to imagine that kind of theology will change anyone's behavior, except that it might help some of the righteous feel better about themselves. Perhaps the most scandalous part of this kind of “teaching” is that people farthest away from the sin being condemned are the ones who are facing the alleged divine wrath. Of course, this approach does nothing to help the actual flood victims come to terms with their own trauma. But hey, in this view of God's economy, someone's got to pay.

Read the rest.

The Episcopal Church News website has a video interview of the Bishop of Botswana:

"The Rt. Rev. Trevor Mwamba, Bishop of Botswana and dean of the Province of Central Africa, speaks about the Anglican Church in his local context and his vision for his diocese, especially in terms of education and empowerment."

What is particularly interesting here is that Bishop Mwamba is one of possible successors to Archbishop Melango. Mwamba is generally seen as a more moderate voice in that province.

Watch it here: Episcopal Life Online - VIDEO

Trinity Institute is announcing a new program designed to bring bishops from the African Anglican Provinces and the Episcopal Church together. From the press release:

Trinity Wall Street is convening a group of bishops of the Anglican Provinces in Africa and their companions in the Episcopal Church of the United States for a consultation to strengthen relationships, develop mission partnerships, and to discover new opportunities to bear witness to the Gospel. The consultation will be rooted in prayer and breaking bread together; using different liturgies from the Provinces of the Anglican Communion to enrich the experience of the participants. Hosted by Iglesia Episcopal Reformada de España, Walking to Emmaus: Discovering New Mission Perspectives in Changing Times will be held in El Escorial, Spain from July 21 through July 26, 2007.

There are no press people invited to the meeting, but there will be regular video updates made available at here. [Link updated in response to comment below.]

According to the Reverend Canon James G. Callaway, Jr., Deputy for Faith Formation and Development at Trinity Church Wall Street the idea behind the meeting is that:

“Mission flourishes best through collaboration,”... “This gathering provides an opportunity for people of shared faith and mutual responsibility to come together to further develop partnerships that address important needs in the world.”

Dr. Louie Crew has gathered memories of Bishop James Pike at his Do Justice website. Twenty writers remember their experiences of the inspirational and controversial bishop.

The Revd Robert Brueckner, a Lutheran says, "I met Bishop James Pike on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1960, at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in New York City. I heard his outstanding sermon delivered with deep faith and conviction. His words reverberated so that they constantly come to mind even today: “I can’t explain to you the mystery of the Holy Trinity. But, I believe it. I can’t explain to you the mystery of the virgin birth – how the Holy Spirit hovered over the Virgin Mary, and ‘she gave birth to her first born Son.’ But I believe it.”

The Revd Dr Kenneth R. Clark of Albuquerque, NM remembers,
"In the late 60's Bishop Pike was keynote speaker at the Disciples annual state conference in Wichita Falls, Texas. I was in Vernon, Texas, at the time and the Episcopal clergy in Wichita Falls invited me to a meeting they had arranged with the bishop the afternoon of the speech. I could bring one layman so I invited Bill M. We met in a motel and the bishop chained smoked as he outlined what he thought were the major issues of the day. When he ran out of cigarettes he turned to Bill and asked him for some smokes, which he provided. The bishop told us about involvement in the civil rights movement and how he and others had confronted Bull Conner and his police dogs. He made great sport of the police chief (recall that Conner had attacked the marchers in Birmingham). When he paused to light another cigarette, Bill asked, “ Bishop, did you or any of those other clergy who were with you give any attention to Bull Conner’s immortal soul?” The bishop said, “ What is your name boy!” “ Bill, sir.” “Stand up Bill and let me shake your hand. You are the only one who has ever noticed that we were totally oblivious to Bull Conner’s needs.”

Others remember his personality, his deep convictions, his passion for social justice, and his ability to remember people as well some more difficult times. I remember when he preached at our public high school baccalaureate in 1959. I was drifting away from the church in my late teens but his sermon was so memorable it carried me through my "prodigal" years and back into the church. It was about how we may not be able to see the big picture but we had a place in it and were meant to be here in this time and place to make the picture complete.

Read it all here

Earlier this week, the Cafe reported on the meeting taking place in Spain between bishops of the Global South and bishop of the Episcopal Church in the states.

Trinity Church on Wall Street in NY underwrote much of the expense of the program and is today featuring news about the results on their website:

"The Trinity Grants Program convenes this week the 'Walking to Emmaus Consultation,' bringing together bishops and deans from the United States and countries in Africa who are actively engaged in ongoing mission partnerships. To deepen our understanding of the theology of mission and the role of current mission partnerships in the Anglican Communion, site editor Nathan Brockman recently spoke with Ian Douglas, Angus Dun Professor of Mission and World Christianity at the Episcopal Divinity School."

If you go to the site linked below, you'll find numerous video postcards from the participants.

Read the rest here: Trinity Church - The Theology of Mission: A Conversation

(Via .)

Bishop Victoria Matthews, one of the leading Anglican Church of Canada bishops, has announced that she intends to resign from her position as Bishop of Edmonton this coming November.

She says of her plans:

Just as the Holy Spirit called me to Edmonton in 1997, so I believe God is now calling me in a different direction.  For over two years this has been present in my prayers and the time has come to say 'yes' to the prompting of the Spirit.  Most recently I have become convinced that I am meant to resign as your Bishop before knowing what comes next.  While this is a bit disconcerting, I am proceeding in obedience to what I believe is God's will.

Some will wonder if I have new health concerns, and others will ask if I am angry at the Anglican Church.  The answer to both questions is no.  I am well and I love our Church.  I am an Anglican and hope to always minister in accordance with the grace and mercy of Christ our Saviour.

Bishop Matthews was the runner-up in the recent election for the next Primate of Canada and was deeply involved in the committee that issued a report prior to the most recent national meeting of that Church which asked the Canadian Church to wait before moving forward on officially sanctioning same-sex blessing liturgies.

Read the rest here.