We threw a few questions Chris’s way:

Chris, a 2030 Hymnal?  Six years seems like such a long time. Why will it take that long?

Six years is a long time, yes, absolutely! I think several things are important to keep in mind about the process of creating a hymnal, which is not unlike the process undertaken to compile the 2019 Book of Common Prayer, which took a similar amount of time. Projects like this one are the production of a committee of people, representing different areas of focus in the worship life of the Church. Gathering people together, most of whom are musicians and clergy already engaged in full-time ministry in a parish setting, takes plenty of time!

There are 12 people on the Commission. How will the work be organized?

Our work will be divided among four sub-committees:

• Hymns of the Anglican patrimony (think hymns distinctive of the English Cathedral tradition, that which composes the repertoire of our latest hymnals of 1940, 1982, and the REC’s Book of Common Praise, 2017)
• Hymns of ecumenical/global significance
• Hymns, choruses, & spiritual songs of the last half-century
• Service music for BCP 2019, both ordinary and traditional language texts

Read it all.

Bishop Edgar And Chris Walchesky Named To ACNA Hymnal Commission https://t.co/SQXLAIlisJ [Saint Philip's, Charleston, SC; Molly Hare] #anglican #music #hymnal #parishministry #southcarolina pic.twitter.com/beO1XELXDt

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 24, 2023

Herewith the letter David wrote to the parish he serves in Houston-KSH.

Dear Apostles Family,

I am writing to share that I have accepted the Lord’s call to be the next Rector of Holy Cross Anglican Church in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina. We are so sad that our time at Apostles is coming to an end.

It has been an unexpected journey for us that began when we were contacted by Bishop Chip Edgar of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina who asked us to consider this call. We brought this ministry opportunity to the Lord and asked Him to reveal His will. In our process of discernment, the Lord has given us a deep peace and confirmed His call through his Word, wise counsel, and circumstances.

We love you, our Apostles family, and serving as your shepherd the past six years has been a joy and privilege. Leaving is heart-wrenching for us. We can’t begin to express how grateful we are for you. We have been through so much together — from Harvey to COVID, joyful celebrations and times of deep grief, growing in number and maturity in the Lord. We have witnessed and shared the love of Christ together.

Based on the counsel of our Bishop, we believe it would be most caring to Apostles for our departure to be within the month. I know this feels short, but we believe this will provide enough time for us to effectively hand-off responsibilities and say our goodbyes. It will also free Apostles to enter fully into an important time of transition and discernment. Therefore, my last day as Rector will be Sunday, November 5th.

I know there will be many questions as a result of this news. Bishop Lowenfield will help shepherd Apostles through this transition and work closely in support of our Leadership Council in the months ahead. Our Senior Lay Leader, Scott Phillips, and Junior Lay Leader, Mike Foderetti, will be sharing more information about the transition and I will be working with the staff team to help prepare them for this interim period.

Even as our time here ends, I take great comfort in knowing that Apostles will continue to thrive and bear witness to Jesus Christ, our True Shepherd. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” It has been a blessing to help water what others planted and God has grown. Apostles is blossoming into a beautiful, Gospel-centered, disciple-making community and we can’t wait to hear stories of God’s continued faithfulness.

Thank you for praying for our family and know that we are praying for you. Pray for one another and trust that God is faithful. He loves His church. All glory to Him.

Blessings in Christ,

(The Rev.) David Cumbie
Lead Pastor
Church of the Apostles

David Cumbie of Church of the Apostles, Houston, called to be new rector of Holy Cross, Sullivan's Island #SouthCarolina https://t.co/0ylo4poNBE #parishministry #lowcountrylife #anglican #religion #faith #transition #leadership #marriage #family #children #texas #acna pic.twitter.com/oAsFYduwBZ

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) October 18, 2023

Watch it all.

An Anglican Church in North America parish announced this week that it is departing the theologically conservative denomination to pursue affiliation with the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, with its priest saying “This journey has brought us immense clarity and conviction.”

Resurrection Anglican Church South Austin is the third parish in two years to depart the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO), following St. Mary of Bethany Parish Nashville and The Table Indianapolis. The latter also pursued affiliation with the Episcopal Church, while the former remains unaffiliated as “an Ecumenical Eucharistic Community.”

The Table Indianapolis was the first parish to depart for the Episcopal Church from the ACNA denomination that is largely composed of congregations that themselves either departed the Episcopal Church or were planted in cooperation with those who did so.

Read it all.

There is a jarring disconnect between Anglicans who separated from the Episcopal Church’s theological revisionism at great cost, and post-Evangelicals newly weighing such truth claims. https://t.co/K7kWiR4iRk

— Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) July 27, 2023

I will take comments on this submitted by email only to KSHarmon[at]mindspring[dot]com.

The College of Bishops and the Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America met last week (the Bishops on June 19-21 and the Council on June 21-23, 2023) at the Provincial Pro-Cathedral, Christ Church Plano outside of Dallas, Texas. One hundred and nine delegates from twenty-nine dioceses and jurisdictions gathered for worship and Bible teaching and to carry out the governance of the Church. Among the more important moments during the meeting were the passing of canonical amendments, the readmission of the Diocese of All Nations (formerly the Anglican Diocese of the West), the election of Executive Committee members, and an update on the growth of our congregations.

A constitutional dispute faced the College of Bishops and Provincial Council as the week began. The bishops, who are charged with “propagating and defending the Faith and Order of the Church,” and with “being in service as a visible sign and expression of the Unity of the Church,” * devoted the entire day on Tuesday to addressing a serious conflict that had been developing for months regarding the roles of the Archbishop and the Provincial Tribunal in disciplinary matters. A key question was whether the bishops signing a Presentment against an accused diocesan bishop had properly sworn to the Presentment. During the very challenging deliberations in which bishops spoke forthrightly with one another to put every perspective in the light, two principal paths forward emerged.

Read it all.

Provincial Council and College of Bishops 2023 Recap. #The_ACNAhttps://t.co/XCR9IZf68a pic.twitter.com/6SmmoFzZXH

— ACNA (@The_ACNA) June 28, 2023

A Sudanese convert from Islam to Christianity reminded me that local churches aren’t for entertainment but are meant to be family. This brother shared how his Muslim family held his funeral when he converted, going so far as to bury an empty casket in a tomb that bore his name. Our local churches must be family, especially for those who will lose their families to follow Jesus in an increasingly hostile culture.

Anglicanism is a historic branch of Christianity. For it to thrive in the future as a global movement will mean cultivating godly leaders who are faithful to God’s Word. During a memorable testimony at GAFCON IV, one Sudanese Anglican reminded us that will be costly: “A Christianity that costs us nothing is not biblical.” As I reflect on my time at GAFCON IV, I’d add, “A church that costs its members nothing is not the church for which Christ died.”

Though it’s costly, I pray faithful Anglicans will continue to do the hard work of humble gospel reform, ongoing repentance, and structural resetting that our Communion so desperately needs.

Read it all.

Despite 25 years of warnings by most Anglican primates, repeated departures from the authority of God’s word have torn the fabric of the Communion.

—The Kigali Commitment https://t.co/eESYLlpxWM

— The Gospel Coalition (@TGC) April 25, 2023

I am writing to share an update with you on the Provincial processes pertaining to Bishop Stewart Ruch III. Last fall, after evaluating a breadth of evidence, a majority of the Provincial Investigative Team-UMW recommended a Presentment be considered against Bishop Ruch. A Presentment is a written document under Canon IV.4.1 setting forth specific disciplinary charges under Canon IV.2. Subsequently, on December 22 and 23, 2022 three bishops signed a Presentment charging Bishop Ruch with violations of Title IV Canon 2. After receiving the Presentment, I, in accordance with my requisite duties under the Canons, began the process of selecting a Board of Inquiry to evaluate the Presentment.

In the midst of this appointment process, on January 31, 2023, Bishop Ruch made a secret appeal to the Provincial Tribunal to declare the Presentment invalid. The Tribunal failed to give proper notice to me, the Presenting Bishops, or the Provincial Chancellors. We were not given a copy of what Bishop Ruch filed and we were not given opportunity to address the issue. We did not even know the Tribunal was involved until it issued on February 4, 2023 what it called a “stay order,” attempting to block the process and compel me to halt the process of fulfilling my canonically mandated responsibility to appoint a Board of Inquiry and referring the Presentment to it.

The Tribunal consists of seven members, four of whom have clear conflicts of interest in the related controversy and should have recused themselves prior to the Tribunal considering the petition from Bishop Ruch…

Read it all.

Statement by the Primate of the ACNA on the usurpation of authority by the provincial tribunal in the Ruch affairhttps://t.co/UOzPjPElA8 pic.twitter.com/41iIYFOGkv

— Anglican Ink (@anglicanink) June 7, 2023

From there:

Columbia, S.C. (May 24, 2023) – Today, in a unanimous order, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled on the pending petitions and motions before it regarding the remaining three parish properties still in dispute. Today’s order denied all such actions, returning to its earlier decision from August 17, 2022. Two will remain with the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and one will be returned to the Episcopal Church in South Carolina.

In response to the August ruling, the Church of the Good Shepherd (Charleston) had filed a petition for rehearing, asking the Court to reconsider facts in the case that had resulted in the Court ruling that the Episcopal Church (TEC) maintained a trust interest in their property. That determination has now been affirmed by the Court and the parish will enter into settlement discussions with TEC to resolve the transfer of property and all other remaining issues.

The Episcopal Church on its part had also filed both petitions for rehearing and motions for relief from judgement regarding Old St. Andrews (Charleston) and Holy Cross (Stateburg). The August 17 ruling had affirmed Anglican parish control of those properties. Today’s decision affirmed that outcome for both those congregations. In today’s order, the Court said, “After careful consideration of both petitions for rehearing, the court is unable to discover that any material fault of principle of law has been either overlooked or disregarded, and hence, there is no basis for granting a rehearing.” The court on similar grounds denied the motion for relief of judgement as well.

The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina is grateful to see the final legal issues in these property disputes resolved and the rights of Old St. Andrews and Holy Cross affirmed. They join the other twenty-five parishes whose property rights were confirmed by the earlier rulings. To come to the conclusion of all litigation is a welcome blessing.

While grateful for these good gifts, we mourn the loss of property for Good Shepherd that this order dictates. Like the other seven congregations who received adverse rulings, Good Shepherd will continue on in faith.

The Bishop of The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, the Rt Revd Chip Edgar, said, “As we have seen with our other parishes whose properties were taken from them, I am confident that the Church of the Good Shepherd will recover from this blow and prosper in the new place to which the Lord will lead them. As we have with our other parishes, the Diocese stands ready to encourage and assist them.”

The Rector of Good Shepherd, the Rev. Will Klauber, assured his congregation today, “The Lord will provide for us a community. He will provide facilities and space for his ministry to continue. We rest assured that Jesus is still seated at the right hand of the Father, and his Spirit is still with us as we navigate these uncharted waters.”

This coming Sunday, we, as a Diocese, will celebrate Pentecost and the outpouring of God’s Spirit to build his Church. We remain confident that his work will continue apace through the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina and its 54 parishes and missions.

#SouthCarolina Supreme Court Final Order:

Two More #Anglican Parishes Have Property Rights Affirmed https://t.co/PUnhy9qykn #law #religion #parishministry #lowcountrylife #history pic.twitter.com/nctjOVwHqL

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) May 24, 2023

In her book, The Crucifixion, Fleming Rutledge writes:

“Susan Sontag, who suffered for years from the cancer that eventually killed her, wrote this: ‘It is not suffering as such that is most deeply feared but suffering that degrades.’ Here in a few words is a fundamental insight with which to view the crucifixion. If Jesus’ demise is construed merely as a death – even as a painful, tortured death – the crucial point will be lost. Crucifixion was specifically designed to be the ultimate insult to personal dignity, the last word in humiliating and dehumanizing treatment. Degradation was the whole point…”

This is deeply disturbing to me as I reflect on these words during this Holy Week and in light of Paul’s description of the cross as being, “the wisdom and power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24) How can the degradation of the cross be both God’s wisdom and power? Paul answers by saying that while, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, to us who are being saved it is the power of God…For since in the wisdom of God the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach (a crucified Savior) to save those who believe.”

The Gospel is that on the cross Jesus, the Son of God, willingly, voluntarily, and purposefully absorbed all the diabolical hatred of every human heart who has ever lived, including yours and mine.

Read it all.

There is a green hill far away,
Without a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified,
Who died to save us all. pic.twitter.com/MV7PPs9C4e

— Holy Trinity Geneva (@GenevaAnglican) April 15, 2022

In March 2021, I made public my departure from the Southern Baptist Convention, the denomination I’d loved all my life and served since I was 12.

When we entered the foyer, the double doors to the sanctuary were 20 feet ahead of us and wide open. We were looking to slip subtly into a pew, but a whole handful of people were huddled at the door. A man around our age with a gentle face and warm, genuine smile was among them. He had on a white robe overlaid with a green stole bearing a grapevine pattern. He reached out his hand to me and, in a louder whisper, introduced himself as the rector. “Welcome to our church. And you are?”

“Beth—” I hesitated for half a second—“Moore.”

“Oh!” he said, tilting his head back with surprise and an infectious, harmless chuckle. “Like Beth Moore.”

“Unfortunately, yes.” The verger who’d worked with him for decades would inform me later with a wide grin that the rector was simply amused I had the same name as the infamous Beth Moore. Nothing further occurred to him.

“Come right on in,” he said in the dearest way. “We’re glad to have you.”

Somewhere around 120 people were seated in the pews of the sanctuary. We’d hardly sat down when a bell rang….

Read it all.

I love imagining @BethMooreLPM introducing herself to a rector who's familiar enough to say "like Beth Moore!" but not enough to know it's her https://t.co/CxAuG7UhOJ

— kate shellnutt (@kateshellnutt) March 6, 2023

You can find the service bulletin there and there will be a livestream link here starting at 10:00 a.m..

The Rev. Chris Warner has been elected as Bishop-Elect of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic (DOMA)! Please celebrate and pray for him, his family and the people of DOMA! To learn more about Bishop-Elect Warner and the DOMA, go to: https://t.co/rk6TK0Tc5i #Celebrate #ADOSC #DOMA pic.twitter.com/zxGZm7EpFX

— Anglican Diocese of SC (@anglican_sc) October 17, 2022

The Rev. Chris Warner was elected on October 15, 2022 during an electing synod of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic (DOMA) to be the successor to Bishop John Guernsey who is set to retire in February 2023. Bishop-elect Warner is scheduled to be consecrated on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at The Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, Virginia.

Warner is formerly the rector of the Church of the Holy Cross, Sullivan’s Island/Daniel Island, South Carolina. Prior to serving as Rector at Church of the Holy Cross, he served as associate rector there. He also served as rector at St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center in South Carolina and as curate at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus, Georgia. He married Catherine in 1993, and they have three adult children ages 27, 24, and 23.

After he received the news of the consent from the College of Bishops, Warner reflected: “I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. It is an honor to be joining the College of Bishops; I look forward to serving the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic, and I’m excited about the future.” When asked about how he will fill the big shoes of retiring Bishop John Guernsey, Warner responded, “I’m going to try and wear my own shoes because it will be too difficult to fill his. I’m glad he will be around for a while to ease in the transition. I’m coming from outside the diocese, so I need to get to know the staff and clergy throughout in a familial way.”

Read it all.

On Wednesday, January 11, 2023, the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America seated two bishops and consented to the election of two bishops-elect. Learn more here: https://t.co/wUN3FXcceX #Anglican

— ACNA (@The_ACNA) January 12, 2023

From there:

Woodbridge, VA (October 15, 2022) – The clergy and lay delegates of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic (DOMA) elected on the second ballot the Rev. Chris Warner to be the next diocesan bishop at a special electing Synod at All Saints’ Church in Woodbridge, VA. Pending the consent of the Anglican Church in North America’s College of Bishops in January, Bishop-Elect Warner will be consecrated at The Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, VA on February 18, 2023.

Bishop-Elect Warner is the Rector of the Church of the Holy Cross, Sullivan’s Island/Daniel Island, SC. Prior to his time as Rector, he was an Associate Rector at Church of the Holy Cross, Rector at St. Christopher Camp and Conference Center, and Curate at Trinity Episcopal Church in Columbus, GA. He married Catherine in 1993, and they have three children (27, 24, and 23).

Bishop-Elect Warner addressed the delegates saying, “I’m honored and humbled to have been selected to serve DOMA as bishop-elect. I’m aware that those of us who serve the Lord in vocational ministry must never believe we do so because we ‘qualify.’ We serve because the Lord calls. And those whom He calls, He then equips. This keeps us dependent upon the Lord and Jesus receives the glory he rightly deserves. I ask your prayers and I pledge my prayers for you. I’m truly excited to see what God will do as we serve together in the years to come.”

On Sept. 14, 2021, Bishop John Guernsey called for the Diocese to begin the process leading to the election and consecration of his successor and to his retirement. On July 17, 2022, the Committee on Nominations announced the final slate of three candidates. As part of the process leading to the election, the candidates participated in two events on September 27 and 28 where they joined in a live Q&A session with delegates. For election, the Constitution and Canons of the Diocese require a majority of the votes cast by each order (lay and clergy) on the same ballot.

The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic is a regional diocese of the Anglican Church in North America dedicated to reaching North America with the transforming love of Jesus Christ. The Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic consists of 40 Congregations, Missions, and Mission Fellowships in Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, eastern West Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina. Several more are in formation.

Husch Blackwell has informed the Province that it is nearing the end of its investigation into the handling of sexual abuse allegations in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest and their report is expected to be released within the month.

On July 8, 2021 the Diocese of the Upper Midwest requested the Province take on oversight of its investigation. Husch Blackwell was hired by the Anglican Church in North America after selection by a unanimous vote of the Provincial Response Team (PRT) and majority vote of the survivors who participated in the firm selection process.

Our contract with Husch Blackwell stipulates the production of a “full public report that redacts names and identifying details to protect survivors and witnesses as appropriate.”  Husch Blackwell will deliver the report, and it will be relayed by the Anglican Church in North America through public communication channels upon reception.

Read it all.

An update on the matters in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest: https://t.co/lEv8NxU3LE

— ACNA (@The_ACNA) September 7, 2022

From here:

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

It is with the greatest enthusiasm, and with unbounded gratitude to Almighty God, that the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic’s Committee on Nominations publishes to the Electing Synod its slate of the final candidates for bishop. The candidates are:

• The Rev. David M. Hanke, Rector, Restoration Anglican Church, Arlington, Virginia
• The Rev. Patrick A. Ware, Rector, Grace Anglican Church, Winchester, Virginia
• The Rev. Christopher S. Warner, Rector, Church of the Holy Cross, Sullivan’s Island and Daniel Island, South Carolina

The committee’s work spanned seven months, and has been a diligent, insightful and, most importantly, a prayerful, time of discernment. Beginning with a strong pool of nominees, we walked alongside each throughout a lengthy and detailed process that included extensive vetting and, with those advancing to the latter stages, Zoom interviews, answers to written questions, in-person interviews with nominees and their wives, background checks, and consultation with references and others familiar with the candidate’s present and past ministry. In the end, each nominee advanced to the final slate by unanimous vote – we feel strongly that all of these candidates will make an excellent bishop. The committee has been guided throughout by the conviction that the Lord has chosen our next bishop, and it has been our privilege to walk with Him in discerning His will.

You can learn more about each candidate by clicking on their name above and viewing their resumes, spiritual autobiographies, and answers to written questions; and by following the appropriate links to two sermons submitted by each man.

All eligible voters for the Electing Synod on October 15, 2022 will likewise have the opportunity to interact with the candidates at the two diocesan Walkabouts, on September 27, at Truro Church in Fairfax, and on September 28, at Redeemer Anglican in Richmond. Information about the Walkabouts can be found here. Each delegate is expected to attend one event, as seeing and hearing the candidates in person affords a much better way to get a sense of them.

Over the next 90 days leading up to the election, we ask you to join us in two practices:

Practice prayer, not politics.

Although we are electing a bishop, the process must be prayerful, not political. While it is perfectly acceptable for delegates to discuss candidates among themselves, candidates will not be talking with delegates, as this could be considered “politicking.” Please respect this, and avoid participating in conversation with a candidate about his candidacy. Also, please add David, Patrick, and Chris to your prayer list, and earnestly pray for them, their wives and families, and the Electing Synod on October 15, 2022, together with all its delegates.

Practice discerning, not deciding

We are called to discern God’s will, not simply to make a decision. Take this time to prayerfully and carefully discern whom God is calling to lead and shepherd us. The decision is God’s; it is for us to discern His “good, pleasing, and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2.)

The Apostle Paul says it well in his letter to the Christians in Philippi: “I thank God in my prayers for all of you, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6.) God has, indeed, begun a good work in the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic; may He carry it to completion.

Yours faithfully in Christ Jesus,

W. Allan Sharrett, Church of the Resurrection, Emporia, Virginia
Chair, Committee on Nominations for Bishop

Members of the Committee

Alicia Bradford—Truro Anglican Church, Fairfax, VA
The Rev. Corky Eddins—Christ Church Vienna, Vienna, VA
The Rev. Mary Gardner—Restoration Anglican Church, Arlington, VA
Vivian Hayes—Church of the Messiah, Chesapeake, VA
The Rev. Tom Herrick—Holy Spirit Anglican Church, Lewes, DE
The Rev. Dan Marotta—Redeemer Anglican Church, Richmond, VA
Dondie McNickle—Church of the Holy Spirit, Leesburg, VA
John Palafoutas—Christ the King, Alexandria, VA
The Rev. Morgan Reed—Corpus Christi Anglican Church, Springfield, VA
Allan Sharrett—Resurrection Church, Emporia, VA, Chair
Kristen Short—The Falls Church Anglican, Falls Church, VA

Today the United States Supreme Court ruled that “the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion,” overruling Roe v. Wade (1973). The decision will “return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives … to be resolved like most important questions in our democracy: by citizens trying to persuade one another and then voting.” In the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a five Justice majority of the Supreme Court overruled both Roe and the 1992 decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey.[1]

The inherent value of human life is revealed in the Scriptures, and this biblical commitment is reflected in the Anglican Church in North America’s Constitution and Canons which calls all members and clergy “to promote and respect the sanctity of every human life from conception to natural death” (Title II.8.3).

Archbishop Beach commented:

While this decision doesn’t end abortion in the U.S., it will lead to fewer children being killed through abortion. We thank God for this limited victory, and the Anglican Church in North America recommits itself to serving mothers so they can embrace motherhood and welcome their children. We also continue to point the way to God’s healing and forgiveness for all who suffer physically and emotionally from their abortion experiences.

Read it all.

Let us give thanks to God for this decision and continue to work to safeguard and promote life. Let us also continue to care and minister to those who continue to suffer from the effects of abortion in their own lives. Read more at:https://t.co/tht8oSTEAl #SCOTUS

— ACNA (@The_ACNA) June 24, 2022

On Monday, June 13, 2022, the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America consented to the elections of the Rev. Alex Farmer, the Rev. Willy J. Hill Jr., and the Rev. Alex Cameron as bishops for the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, the Diocese of the Southeast (REC), and the Diocese of Pittsburgh respectively.

Archbishop Foley Beach commented, “It was a blessing to hear the testimonies of each of these candidates today. They are wonderful men of God who have been called to lead and who will bring unique gifts to the episcopate. Please join me in praying for them as they prepare for their consecrations in August. Pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to lead them and their people from strength to strength.”

Read it all.

Today the College of Bishops consented to the election of three Bishops: Bishop-elect Alex Farmer, Bishop-elect Willie J. Hill Jr., and Bishop-elect Alex Cameron.
Read more at: https://t.co/xB7hiSQNn2

— ACNA (@The_ACNA) June 14, 2022

Three bishops have signed a Presentment alleging Bishop Atkinson of the Via Apostolica Missionary District has violated Title IV Canon 2 of the Anglican Church in North America. Bishop Atkinson has been inhibited from ministry pending the outcome of the Title IV process.

The Presentment and Inhibition came after a unanimous recommendation from the Provincial Investigative Team tasked with looking into allegations against Bishop Atkinson of misconduct brought to the Archbishop’s attention.

Read it all.

As we begin Holy Week, I continue to be moved to prayer by the stories I am hearing from around the world. Some of these stories are front-page news, coming out of the war in Ukraine, while other stories come from quieter conflicts in places like Myanmar, Northern Nigeria, and South Sudan. In these moments, when it is sometimes hard to put into words what our hearts are feeling, I am thankful for the richness of our tradition which provides proven pathways for prayer – because God uses prayer to change things!….

Read it all.

9pm in Jeremy Taylor country, 35 minutes after sunset. A beautifully quiet, gentle dusk in the midst of Holy Week. pic.twitter.com/xfoII2iRuv

— laudablePractice🇺🇦 (@cath_cov) April 13, 2022

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

Retirement is a serious business in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), in a country in which there are minimal or non-existent pensions and inadequate healthcare for senior citizens. It is a particular challenge for clergy, who must often fend for themselves. Mandatory retirement age is 70, and to be sure that everyone was fully aware, and birth certificates have not been lost, each bishop’s retirement date is published every year. Shortly before my 70th birthday, Angela and I were called forward at a meeting of the Provincial Synod and we were each given a one-time cash payment of $1000 as our pension. I tried to object, knowing that for many of the poorer bishops this was a substantial amount of money. I was sure they could make better use of it than I could, but I was told, quite firmly, that was not an option. We expressed our heartfelt thanks and thought again about the importance of preparation for retirement.

The first and perhaps most important question is, “What are we retiring to?” Not “What are we retiring from?” Bishop Dave Bena, a dear friend and mentor, has retired a number of times. He retired from military service (he served with distinction as a Marine and then in the US Air Force), and he retired as the suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, as my suffragan bishop in CANA, and most recently as the assistant bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word. He is something of an expert on retirement! But he spells it “retire-ment,” declaring that it is an opportunity to change tires and start a new journey.

One of the great blessings of ordained ministry is that while our particular place of service may change, our call to Gospel ministry remains unchanged – it is a lifelong call.

Read it all (quoted by yours truly at the conclusion to my Lenten teaching on a Christian theology of vocation, KSH).

We so appreciated our recent visit with the Interim Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, his wife Angela, and daughter Rachel. Watch for Friday's post of his sermon for tomorrow's Eucharist as well. pic.twitter.com/W8jsl72Qpg

— Trinity School for Ministry (@TS4Ministry) March 30, 2021

At the heart of our Anglican polity—our Anglican “decision-making process”—is the principle of conciliarism. We take council together, just as the apostolic church did in the great Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. It is a way that we walk together in the light (I John 1:7-9) so that we are truly a one, holy, apostolic, and catholic church in Christ. One of the guiding principles of conciliarism is that “what touches all must be decided by all.” In the Church, this means that whenever an internal church law (the canons) touches all it should at least be reviewed by all. In that spirit, the Governance Task Force of the ACNA has proposed the enclosed amendments to our canons for review by all members of the ACNA. Please take some time to download this First Draft of the GTF 2022 Report and watch the video.

Read it all.

Governance Task Force Calls for Feedback from Anglican Church in North America Members on Proposed Canonical Amendments https://t.co/qmlcoNa9FK pic.twitter.com/qBqTlb4soV

— ACNA (@The_ACNA) March 8, 2022

The Bishop’s Search Committee is very pleased to announce three final candidates for consideration for the next Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. In alphabetical order, they are:

• The Rev. Alex Cameron (President and CEO of the Isaiah Forty Foundation; Diocese of the Upper Midwest)
• The Rev. Peter Frank (Rector, Church of the Epiphany, Chantilly, VA; Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic)
• The Rev. Dr. Joel Scandrett (Assistant Professor of Theology, Trinity School for Ministry; Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh)

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And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

It was 1985, and our 18-year-old daughter Helen was transferring through Miami International Airport on her way back home to Lafayette, Louisiana, from a short-term mission trip to the Dominican Republic. She had been there leading a team of young people from our church, including our 16-year-old daughter Catherine and our 14-year-old son Jon, as part of a World Servants project. They had worked in a remote village with dirt roads and no running water. In two weeks they had built a simple church structure using concrete block and had also led a Vacation Bible School for the children of the community. It had been hard work, but they were thrilled by all that they had accomplished, and the villagers were overjoyed.

As she walked through the busy airport, Helen spotted “Charlotte” and a group of her old friends from high school. After the usual squeals of delight, Charlotte explained that they were on their way home from a week in Paris, where they had visited various museums and enjoyed many of the delights of that wonderful city. She asked Helen what she had been doing and looked appalled when our daughter described her two weeks of manual labor in the Dominican Republic.

“Why would you ever do such a thing?” Charlotte asked.

Short-term missions are not exactly new, but they have always been somewhat controversial….

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Acts 17:15,22-18:1
“Paul’s escort took him as far as Athens, and went back…
So Paul stood before the whole Council of the Areopagus and made this speech:
‘Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how…’”

Saint Paul delivering the Areopagus Sermon in Athens
by Raphael, 1515. pic.twitter.com/S3CzrvJODN

— Kalina Boulter (@KalinaBoulter) May 9, 2018

Husch Blackwell LLP has been elected to serve as the firm contracted to investigate the allegations of sexual misconduct and mishandling in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. Husch Blackwell is a national firm and the team engaged for this investigation is based out of their Chicago, Illinois office.

In late June 2021, the Anglican Church in North America was notified that there had been an erosion of trust in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest due to allegations that the Diocese mishandled accusations of sexual misconduct. On July 10, Archbishop Foley Beach announced the Province’s acceptance of a request from the Diocese to take on oversight of the investigation and called for the formation of a Provincial Response Team. The Province is a separate legal entity from the Diocese of the Upper Midwest.

The Provincial Response Team (PRT) of experienced men and women, laity and clergy, began building a process to contract a third-party investigative firm that is trauma-informed, properly experienced, and capable of competently investigating this matter.

The PRT developed a set of criteria, with input from some of the alleged survivors, to vet potential firms. The PRT then began the process of engaging potential investigators based upon those criteria, contacting eleven firms. Out of those contacted, the PRT determined two firms sufficiently met the selection criteria. All alleged survivors known to us were sent the names of these two firms and a summary description of each and were asked to vote or to indicate no preference. These votes, along with the vote of each member of the PRT, resulted in the selection and subsequent engagement of Husch Blackwell. The Province is grateful for the time and energy the other firms gave to us as the PRT considered them.

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The Province has hired a firm to investigate allegations of misconduct in the Upper Midwest. Please join us in praying that this investigation helps bring resolution out of this deeply tragic situation. Learn more about the process and firm at https://t.co/2eqZRlNGkb

— ACNA (@The_ACNA) January 14, 2022