Divine Physician, your Name is blessed for the work and witness of the Mayos and the Menningers, and the revolutionary developments that they brought to the practice of medicine. As Jesus went about healing the sick as a sign of the reign of God come near, bless and guide all those inspired to the work of healing by thy Holy Spirit, that they may follow his example for the sake of thy kingdom and the health of thy people; through the same Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, now and for ever.

1952 Press Photo Dr. Charles Menninger And Sons Both Doctors William And Karl https://t.co/EzNYuHHkV3 pic.twitter.com/wOHD5qbBbB

— Collectible Photo (@CollectibleFREE) January 19, 2017

Grant unto us, O Lord, the heavenly vision; that we may behold not only the things of sense in their turmoil and transience, but the things that remain in their rest and everlastingness.  Grant us the sweet graces of the eternal years, and may we ever rejoice in the duties that bring with them a quiet heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Robert W. Rodenmayer, ed., The Pastor’s Prayerbook: Selected and arranged for various occasions (New York: Oxford University Press, 1960)

Spring has sprung 🌿🌷🌤️ @StormHour #photohour #royaltunbridgewells #landscapephotography #spring @FoDPTunWells pic.twitter.com/ALA8i7dQt0

— Mick Fitzgerald (@mickfitz99) March 6, 2026

The future shape of the Global Anglican Communion is being debated this week in Abuja, Nigeria. At the GAFCON conference, more than 400 bishops and global leaders are working through the logic of the proposal that could lead to a new Global Anglican Communion — a fellowship grounded in the authority of Scripture and historic Anglican doctrine.

On Day 2 of the conference, Dominic Steele speaks with key leaders including Vaughan Roberts (Oxford), Julian Dobbs (ACNA), and Richard Condie (Tasmania), along with presenters from Uganda, Brazil and Nigeria.

They discuss: • The implications of the Church of England’s current trajectory • The logic behind a reordered global communion

• The mission opportunity for global Anglicans • What this could mean for churches in the UK, North America and Australia

Watch and listen to it all.

As bishops, clergy, and lay leaders processed into the sanctuary for the Opening Eucharist of G26 in Abuja, the congregation rose to sing Stand Up for Jesus. The hymn did not feel incidental. It set the tone for a gathering convened at a moment of decision for the Global Anglican Communion. The words echoed through the hall as both prayer and declaration, summoning the Church to renewed fidelity to the Lord who is confessed in the Scriptures, proclaimed in the creeds, and worshiped as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The 2026 Council differs from the regular GAFCON assemblies that have taken place at five-year intervals since 2008. This is a meeting of bishops and primates called to discern the future shape of the Global Anglican Communion in light of significant developments within the historic structures of Anglicanism, particularly following the appointment of a progressive Archbishop of Canterbury and the continued theological trajectory of the Church of England. Questions of identity, authority, and communion that have been discussed for years now require decisive articulation.

The Scripture readings framed the moment with clarity. From Joshua 24 came the familiar declaration, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The Epistle reading from 2 Corinthians 6 warned against being unequally yoked, while the Gospel from Matthew 6 reminded the congregation that one cannot serve both God and mammon. The coherence of these texts left little ambiguity. Allegiance lies at the heart of the Church’s present challenge.

Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, Primate of the Church of Nigeria, preached from the book of Joshua, highlighting the mercy of God in leading his people into the promised land and the necessity of faithfulness once there. 

Read it all.

Our opening report from Nigera, in case you're not on our newsletter! Excited to be here at @gafconference G26 and to see what will happen. Stay tuned! https://t.co/jeHEWJXSeC

— American Anglican (@AnglicanCouncil) March 4, 2026

The BBC article also implies that the GAFCON movement is reacting primarily to the appointment of Dame Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. Anyone actually present in Abuja would know otherwise. This council was scheduled long before her appointment. On the second day of the gathering, GAFCON General Secretary, the Rt. Rev. Paul Donison, made the point plainly: the issue is not the archbishop’s gender, but the theological direction of the Church of England and other Western provinces that have departed from historic Anglican teaching.

If the BBC genuinely believes this moment is about the gender of the Archbishop of Canterbury, it suggests either a serious misunderstanding of the situation or a refusal to listen to what leaders here have repeatedly said.

The article also quotes Diarmaid MacCulloch, Emeritus Professor of Church History at Oxford, who describes the gathering as “a set of leaders, all male, going to a conference in Africa to assert an identity which no longer satisfies many Anglican churches.” That claim raises an obvious question: which Anglican churches, exactly?

The reality is that many of the churches represented in Abuja, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Global South, make up the overwhelming majority of the Anglican Communion’s membership. If anyone is speaking for “many Anglican churches,” it is the bishops gathered here. The recurring Western media portrayal of GAFCON as a fringe movement “coming to Africa” ignores a simple fact: it is in Africa because Africa is where the majority of Anglicans live.

The BBC also notes that GAFCON “says it speaks for the majority of the world’s Anglicans, although that is contested.” By whom, exactly? The demographic numbers are not difficult to examine. The provinces represented in GAFCON, many of which also belong to the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, account for the clear majority of practicing Anglicans worldwide. Calling this movement “fringe” does not change that reality.

Professor MacCulloch further describes GAFCON’s actions as “very aggressive.” But in some Western circles, any refusal to conform to the theological innovations of Western church leadership is labeled “aggressive.” Those present in Abuja would struggle to recognize that description. The atmosphere here is marked far more by conviction and confidence than by hostility. The leaders gathered believe they are continuing the Anglican faith as they received it, ironically from the very Western churches now dismissing them.

Read it all.

The @BBCNews was reporting on @gafconference but unfortunately, one of the articles was less than accurate, to be charitable. The majority of the @AnglicanWorld is represented here whether they like that or not. https://t.co/DaYrR4qfe0

— American Anglican (@AnglicanCouncil) March 5, 2026

As bishops and church leaders gather in Abuja, Nigeria for the 2026 Gafcon Council, another conversation about the future of the Anglican Communion is unfolding at the same time. The Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) announced that it will consider revised versions of the Nairobi–Cairo proposals later this year, structural reforms intended to rethink how the Communion is organized and how authority is exercised across its global fellowship of provinces.

The timing is striking. While Gafcon leaders meet to reaffirm their vision for Anglican unity and identity, the Communion’s official institutions are considering their own attempt to address the fractures that have defined Anglican life for nearly two decades. Whether these efforts represent parallel responses to the same crisis, or competing visions of Anglicanism’s future, remains an open question, but we suspect a purposeful step to undermine Gafcon’s G26 conference. We’ve seen this before in the Church of England, and that battle is moving onto the world stage.

At the first press briefing of the gathering in Abuja, the Rev. Canon Justin Murff, Communications Director for Gafcon, addressed a question that followed the movement since its founding in 2008: whether it represents a break from the Anglican Communion. “The goal is not to break apart the Communion,” Murff said. “This is a claim to continuum.” Murff emphasized that the movement continues to define itself through the Jerusalem Declaration, the theological statement adopted at the first Gafcon gathering in Jerusalem. Far from being merely a protest against developments in the Western churches, he said, the declaration was intended to articulate what unites Anglicans who believe the Communion must remain rooted in the authority of Scripture. “We will be reaffirming and upholding the Jerusalem Declaration,” Murff said. “It is not designed to show what we oppose but what unites Gafcon.”

For many within the movement, the declaration has increasingly functioned as a theological centre of gravity for Anglicans who believe the Communion has struggled to address doctrinal divisions that have widened in recent decades. “It has become a basis of communion across boundaries,” Murff said, noting that it provides theological grounding for cooperation, and, at times, cross-provincial oversight, among churches that share the same doctrinal commitments. Murff insisted that Gafcon does not see itself as creating a new church. Instead, he suggested that many within the movement believe they are preserving the historic faith of Anglicanism even as the Communion’s institutional structures struggle to respond to theological conflict. “We are the Anglican Communion,” he said, describing the movement as committed to “defending the faith as the Word of God has taught and commanded.”

Read it all.

While we wait for Gafcon to announce a new leader of the Global Anglican Communion, we take a look at the alternatives. https://t.co/T8P6kpxpLQ

— Anglican Futures (@AnglicanFutures) March 5, 2026

Choose this day whom to serve. (Joshua 24)

This is the clarion call of God to the people of the scriptures and of the power of the scriptures – and the power of God – to save through faith in Jesus Christ and to transform lives of individuals and of our society. And these invoke God’s judgment as we see in Romans chapter 1:18-32.

In the face of this, it was necessary that the primates of GAFCON needed to meet to prayerfully consider and coordinate their response. {Citing Article 19 of the 39 Articles of Religion, Of the Church} [The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in the which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ’s ordinance] in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same. As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith.

It was in response to this that the Martyrs’ Day statement of October 16 was issued affirming that that GAFCON had been saying, and actually praying, that there will be a turnaround from these leaders of the Anglican Communion and their instruments [The Lambeth Conference, the Primates Council, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Archbishop of Canterbury]. 

But having failed, and following the decisions and statements of GAFCON, we are declaring that the future has arrived. Amen. [Applause]

The church of God will continue to march on. Not built on institutions of Canterbury or on the personality of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Rather we are returning back, bringing back the word of God, the Holy Scriptures to be the center of our life, our teaching and our practices.

In the face of this, the giants of compromise and indeed the Babylonian spirit of this age [which] will hold the kingdoms and leadership of this world in bondage, holding them in immorality, idolatry, and wickedness. Even when they are prospering materially, they have turned away from the living God. This brothers and sisters is nothing but the rebellion of the people, especially the leadership against God and the authority of this world of the authority of his word. GAFCON in this gathering dares to stand for God and for his word as the sure foundation for orthodoxy of doctrine and of living.

The lordship of Jesus Christ over the church of God, which he has possessed with his precious blood, cannot be contested. His glory shall not be given to any idol. Obedience to the authority of the word of God in all matters of faith and doctrine and practice and living cannot be substituted.

What we see is the determination and the arrogance of the revisionist to impose their error on the whole church. They engage you in endless debates, dialogue, contentions and meetings while driving and spreading their erroneous teachings. 

Read it all.

https://t.co/JrQ0NkUq30

— George Conger (@GeorgeConger8) March 3, 2026

O God, who through thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised help to man according to his faith: Grant us the freedom of the children to taste the food of eternal life, and to share with others what we ourselves receive; through the merits of the same thy Son, our Lord.

A beautiful Oak Tree as the sun sets on another day. Love the shape of it, nature certainly know how to paint the best pictures! pic.twitter.com/B8ZkXrlQZV

— MarburyBirds (@MarburyBirds) March 4, 2026

The Rt. Rev. Julian Dobbs, acting archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, has sued the Rt. Rev. Derek Jones, former head of the denomination’s chaplaincy jurisdiction, in federal court for defamation.

Bishop Dobbs’ lawsuit was filed on February 17 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and claims that Bishop Jones repeatedly made false public statements about Dobbs’ previous handling of two financial matters.

Jones and his independent chaplaincy jurisdiction, which announced its departure from the ACNA last September, allegedly “knew or recklessly ignored” that investigations into the two matters had found no wrongdoing by Dobbs, but made the statements anyway, according to the filing.

“Defendants have made these false assertions repeatedly in the public record … in an all-out campaign to make the community, especially the Anglican faithful in North America and abroad, view Bishop Dobbs and other leaders within the ACNA (and, of course, by extension the ACNA) with disdain and disassociate from them,” the filing said.

Read it all.

New for @Livng_Church: Acting ACNA primate Dobbs sues former chaplaincy bishop Derek Jones for defamation, accusing him of making repeated false statements about Dobbs' handling of two financial matters. https://t.co/ZgxWlO73eE

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) March 3, 2026

President Donald Trump’s war with Iran threatens to deal a severe blow to a global economy still grappling with the impact of his historic tariff hike.

For Europe, sustained higher energy prices would take the economy to the brink of recession. For the US, they would place the Federal Reserve in an impossible position — stuck between a war that pushes inflation higher and a president demanding that interest rates come down. For China, the end of discounted Iranian oil imports adds to strain from Trump’s tariffs and a real estate collapse.

In the first days of the fighting, the intensity is high and the endgame uncertain. Bloomberg Economics has modeled scenarios for what lies ahead, and what they mean for oil prices, major economies, and the future of Iran.

It is, of course, possible that Washington and Tehran find an off-ramp, oil settles back at its pre-escalation average of $65 a barrel, and the global economy dodges a blow.

The latest signs, though, suggest there’s worse to come….

Read it all.

The war in Iran threatens to unleash a wave of inflation at a time when economies worldwide are already in a tight spot. Read more in the Canada Daily newsletter. https://t.co/iWX5sR3kZB

— Bloomberg (@business) March 4, 2026

Key Takeaways

1. The combined US-Israeli force has designed its campaign to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities before the force depletes its interceptor stockpiles. The destruction of missile launchers mitigates the risk that either the United States or Israel will run out of interceptors by limiting Iran’s ability to launch missiles in the first place.  The decrease in Iranian missile attacks against Israel and the UAE strongly suggests that the effort to destroy ballistic missile launchers has had considerable success.
2. The IDF struck key decision-making institutions on March 3, including the Assembly of Experts building in Tehran, as part of an effort to disrupt senior decision-making. The Assembly of Experts is an 88-member clerical body that is responsible for appointing and supervising the Supreme Leader, according to the Iranian constitution. Strikes that disrupt or prevent the Assembly of Experts from fulfilling its constitutional duty to select the next Supreme Leader would undermine the legitimacy of the regime. The regime is based on the principle of Velayat-e Faqih, in which a jurist, the Supreme Leader, controls Iran. 
3. Iranian leaders have devolved powers to lower-level officials in response to the combined force’s strikes targeting senior officials and central decision-making institutions, likely to ensure continued state functions despite disruptions to central Iranian leadership.
4. The IDF continued to strike sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including facilities linked to weaponization research conducted by Iranian nuclear scientists.
5. Iran continued to conduct drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting US forces and sites in Gulf countries, which has prompted two US embassies to close.
6. The United States and Israel continued to strike Iranian-backed Iraqi militias on March 2 and 3 to degrade their ability to conduct retaliatory attacks against US forces and Israel.

Read it all.

NEW: The combined US-Israeli force has designed its campaign to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities before the force depletes its interceptor stockpiles. The destruction of missile launchers mitigates the risk that either the United States or Israel will run out of… pic.twitter.com/btsumD6mAY

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) March 4, 2026

As bishops, clergy, and delegates processed into the sanctuary in Abuja for the Opening Eucharist of G26, the congregation rose to sing Stand Up for Jesus. The hymn was familiar to many, but in this setting it carried unusual weight. It felt less like routine liturgy and more like a declaration of intent. The Global Anglican Communion has arrived at a moment of decision, and the language of allegiance is no longer theoretical.

This 2026 gathering is not one of the regular five-year GAFCON assemblies. It is a council of bishops and primates convened to consider the future shape of global Anglicanism in light of recent developments within the Church of England and the wider Communion. Structures which have historically centered on the Archbishop of Canterbury. For years, questions of authority, doctrine, and communion have simmered beneath the surface of this global fellowship. With the appointment of Archbishop Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury, and with the continuing trajectory of Living in Love and Faith (LLF), those questions are now unavoidable. Though LLF has been re-badged, there are no real illusions that the CoE is ready to backtrack on their revisionist trajectory.

The Scripture readings framed the day with striking clarity. Joshua 24 recounted the faithfulness of God to Israel and Joshua’s decisive words, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The Epistle from 2 Corinthians warned against being unequally yoked, and the Gospel from Matthew 6 reminded the congregation that one cannot serve both God and mammon. Together, they set before the assembly a stark contrast between divided allegiance and covenant fidelity.

Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, Primate of the Church of Nigeria, preached from Joshua. He emphasized that the promised land was not an empty inheritance but territory already occupied by rival nations and rival loyalties. Israel’s task was not to blend with surrounding cultures but to remain faithful to the Lord who had redeemed them. Victory, he said, comes through trust in God and obedience to his Word.

Read it all.

Our first report from Abuja.
"For English Anglicans who remain committed to biblical orthodoxy, this is a bittersweet moment. It involves grief over what was lost and uncertainty about what lies ahead. Yet it also brings clarity."https://t.co/HCsEuFBDjx

G26 @gafconference

— Anglican Futures (@AnglicanFutures) March 4, 2026

Almighty God, who dost empower evangelists and preachers: Help us to proclaim thy Word with power, like thy servant Paul Cuffee, that more might come to a deeper life in thee; in the Name of thy Son Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Today the Episcopal Church commemorates Paul Cuffee, Witness to the Faith among the Shinnecock, 1812https://t.co/E56hlwWPz9 pic.twitter.com/YQA40ivSHA

— The Anglican Church in St Petersburg (@anglicanspb) March 4, 2019

Eternal God, who has made all things for man, and man for thy glory: Sanctify our bodies and souls, our thoughts and our intentions, our words and actions.  Let our body be a servant of our mind, and both body and spirit servants of Jesus Christ; that doing all things for thy glory here, we may be partakers of thy glory hereafter; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Full moon above the Walburgiskerk in Zutphen yesterday evening. Photographed with an 800mm lens from 2.8km distance. pic.twitter.com/itF3sz1PAR

— Albert Dros (@albertdrosphoto) March 4, 2026

The Bishop of Lichfield, Dr Michael Ipgrave, is to retire in September, he announced in Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, during the St Chad’s Day festal evensong. His announcement was exactly ten years since his nomination.

Dr Ipgrave referred to St Chad as a “constant inspiration” during his episcopate in Lichfield. The 99th Bishop of Lichfield, Dr Ipgrave said that he had been “humbled to be amongst one of the successors of St Chad, our first and greatest Bishop”.

He continued: “Chad was the first to bring to Mercia the life-giving, peacemaking, soul-restoring gospel of Jesus Christ. As we face the challenge of re-evangelising our contemporary Mercia, I am convinced that we can only do that by walking in his steps of kindness, friendliness, and humility in the service of others.”

Read it all.

The Bishop of Lichfield, Dr Michael Ipgrave, is to retire in September, he announced in Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, during the St Chad’s Day festal evensong#bishopsretirement #churchnews #churchtimes https://t.co/oP8mOoslXD

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 3, 2026

Three events, three continents, one week. A parliamentary by-election in Greater Manchester, England; a thunderous war and the death of a tyrant in Iran; and a terrorist attack in Austin, Texas. They seem unrelated. They are not. Together, they tell you where political Islam has got to—and more urgently, where its most committed adherents are heading next.

On February 26, the UK’s Green Party won a parliamentary seat in Gorton and Denton that the Labour Party had held for decades. The Green candidate, Hannah Spencer, secured nearly 15,000 votes. Matt Goodwin, the candidate for the conservative populist Reform party, came in second with about 10,500, while the Labour candidate slipped to third. The obvious question is how a party associated with bike lanes, green energy, and rewilding managed to seize a Labour stronghold in Greater Manchester.

The answer has nothing to do with climate policy.

The Greens ran two entirely separate campaigns. To progressive voters, they offered the standard mix of green and anti-austerity policies. To Muslim voters, who make up 30 percent of the Gorton and Denton electorate, they offered something else. Leaflets in Urdu, Bengali, and Arabic told readers that Labour must be punished for its complicity in the Israeli war in Gaza. The translated material framed the vote as a community act—a way for Muslims to speak with one voice. Spencer appeared in a keffiyeh outside a mosque. Green Party leadership gave interviews to 5Pillars, an Islamist-leaning outlet that has been involved in the circulation of antisemitic and homophobic content. The Green Party pulled LGBT-friendly content from its Muslim-facing literature in the campaign.

Observers of the election found that about 12 percent of ballots were cast by people engaged in “family voting,” with multiple adults present in the same booth. Britain banned the practice in 2023, but its frequency in Groton and Denton may reflect a deep-set patriarchal tendency among local Muslims.

After the victory, Green deputy leader Mothin Ali attended a London rally backing Iran’s regime—the same regime whose rhetoric targets Britain and whose operatives have been linked to terrorist plots on UK soil.

Read it all.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Iran Is Collapsing, but Islamism Is Spreading. Where will the baddies go next? To towns with charming names like Gorton and Denton? https://t.co/kjEf7vZCuL

— Ayaan Hirsi Ali (@Ayaan) March 2, 2026

President Donald Trump said the US would keep up its military offensive against Iran for as long as it takes, outlining for the first time a set of four objectives he hopes to accomplish toward reducing the threat he said is posed by Tehran.

“We projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,” Trump said at a White House event on Monday about the timeline he foresaw for the campaign. “Whatever the time is, it’s OK. Whatever it takes.”

The president has faced mounting pressure to better define the goals of his extraordinary military intervention on Iran, after days of sending mixed signals about what he wanted to achieve.

Trump said that the effort, which launched on Saturday, aims to eliminate Iran’s missile capabilities, destroy the country’s navy, cut off its path to a nuclear weapon and ensure that the government “cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”

Notably, the president did not mention regime change as one of the campaign’s goals.

Read it all.

President Trump said the US would keep up its military offensive against Iran for as long as it takes, outlining for the first time a set of four objectives he hopes to accomplish towards reducing the threat posed by Tehran. https://t.co/S3SA3Hxjku

— Bloomberg (@business) March 2, 2026

Lord God, who didst inspire thy servants John and Charles Wesley with burning zeal for the sanctification of souls, and didst endow them with eloquence in speech and song: Kindle in thy Church, we beseech thee, such fervor, that those whose faith has cooled may be warmed, and those who have not known thy Christ may turn to him and be saved; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

John and Charles Wesley are commemorated as renewers of the church on 3 March. Charles wrote nearly 6,500 hymns. John’s legacy is a bit more complicated. The best book on John Wesley is Frank Baker’s John Wesley and The Church of England. https://t.co/E039syt95Y pic.twitter.com/xSMzEMe9Fd

— Jeffrey Goodman (@JHGoodman8404) March 2, 2026

Write deeply upon our minds, O Lord God, the lesson of thy holy Word, that only the pure in heart can see thee.  Leave us not in the bondage of any sinful inclination.  May we neither deceive ourselves with the thought that we have no sin, nor acquiesce idly in aught of which our conscience accuses us.  Strengthen us by thy Holy Spirit to fight the good fight of faith, and grant that no day may pass without its victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ivelet Bridge is a 16th‑century packhorse bridge crossing the River Swale near the hamlet of Ivelet, between Muker and Gunnerside in Swaledale. It is one of the most charming small bridges in the Dales. #YorkshireDales #Swaledale #TuesdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/idkT9dvyDw

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) March 3, 2026

Professor Helen King has put forward a private members motion for debate at the Church of England’s General Synod that runs as follows:

‘That this Synod affirm that there are no fundamental objections to being in a committed, faithful, intimate same-sex relationship, and that such a relationship can be entirely compatible with Christian discipleship.’[1]

The Church of England website states that this motion had 161 signatures on 18 February, which is the second largest number of signatures of the four motions listed, and if the number of signatures continues to increase there is the possibility that it could be selected for debate at the General Synod in July.

The language of King’s motion deliberately echoes the language of the motion passed by General Synod in 1975 ‘That this Synod considers that there are no fundamental objections to the ordination of women to the priesthood.’ This motion paved the way to General Synod passing legislation allowing women to be ordained as deacons in 1986, as priests in 1992 and as bishops in 2014. The purpose of King’s motion is an attempt to pave the way in similar fashion for those in same-sex relationships to be allowed to be ordained in the Church of England.

The motion would not in itself make such ordination lawful, but it would provide the basis on which a measure to allow those in same-sex relationships to be ordained could then be brought forward for debate. The argument would go that because General Synod had voted for King’s motion it had established the principle that ‘such a relationship can be entirely compatible with Christian discipleship’ and this would in turn mean that it was entirely compatible with the exercise of ordained ministry.

This being the nature of King’s motion, the question that arises is whether it would be right for members of Synod to vote for it should it be put forward for debate in July. In the remainer of this post I shall set out the two reasons why I think members of Synod should not vote for it.

Read it all.

I have just published a new blog post 'Why faithful Christians should reject Helen King's private member's motion.'https://t.co/bXjhSyRYsT

— Martin Davie (@MartinBDavie) March 2, 2026

Here, Lewis is asserting the importance of stories for communicating truths, and the danger of dismissing them as feigned nonsense. The 1300 years that have passed since the reign of the Pevensie children means that they have once again taken on a mythical status among the inhabitants of Old Narnia. The beasts have no evidence of their existence, nor that of Aslan, but nevertheless they have faithfully passed on the stories through the generations and held fast to the truths they communicate.

Trufflehunter’s assertion of his faith is a kind of creed, which summarises the key tenets of his faith: “I believe in the High King Peter and the rest that reigned at Cair Paravel, as firmly as I believe in Aslan himself.” We might compare this statement of belief with the Apostles’ Creed and its opening statement: “I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” The tendency for such stories to be dismissed as merely myths or fairy stories, recounting fabulous adventures of fantastical beasts like human beings, is an important reminder of the value of the stories of the Bible for continuing to transmit the Christian faith to new generations in a society where such tales are frequently dismissed.

IT’S not just the stories that are important in passing on the Christian faith: it is also the people. The passage we have considered provides an effective contrast between the transitoriness of humans, and the edifices that they build, and the steadfastness of the badgers.

Where human rulers come and go, badgers remain. 

Read it all.

"Here, Lewis is asserting the importance of stories for communicating truths, and the danger of dismissing them as feigned nonsense."

Our #Lent series continues with a reflection on C. S. Lewis’s Prince Caspian#CSLewis https://t.co/cv1iJSInqG

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 1, 2026

As the United States and Israel pounded Iran from land and sea for a second day, a defiant Iranian regime unleashed deadly retaliatory strikes across the Middle East on Sunday, amid fears of a wider, protracted
conflagration.

Three U.S. troops were killed in Kuwait, the Pentagon said on Sunday, the first Americans to die in President Trump’s high-stakes war with Iran. And at least nine people were killed in a small Israeli city near Jerusalem. Explosions resounded in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, killing at least four people, as local air defenses sought to repel Iranian drones.

Read it all.

“U.S. troops killed as blasts jolt Mideast,” The New York Times says on Monday’s front page. “Retaliatory strikes widen war with Iran,” the San Francisco Chronicle says.

Read more of today's newspapers here. https://t.co/LINQxUp88K

— The Week (@TheWeek) March 2, 2026

Almighty God, who didst call thy servant David to be a faithful and wise steward of thy mysteries for the people of Wales: Mercifully grant that, following his purity of life and zeal for the gospel of Christ, we may with him receive the crown of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever (moved from yesterday).

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! Happy St David's Day!

The patron saint of Wales/Cymru, you can find depictions of him throughout Wales – like this window from St David's Church in Blaenporth, Ceredigion.

📸 1 © Llywelyn2000 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
📸 2 © Bill Nicholls (CC BY-SA 2.0) pic.twitter.com/PoO7ChzV01

— National Churches Trust (@NatChurchTrust) March 1, 2026

Almighty God, whose servant Chad, for the peace of the Church, relinquished cheerfully the honors that had been thrust upon him, only to be rewarded with equal responsibility: Keep us, we pray thee, from thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, and ready at all times to give place to others, (in honor preferring one another,) that the cause of Christ may be advanced; in the name of him who washed his disciples’ feet, even the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

2 Mar: d.?672, St Chad, bishop of Mercia #otd

He studied at Rathmelsigi in #Ireland

Some of his relics still survive pic.twitter.com/AOhHvifRpE

— John McCafferty (@jdmccafferty) March 2, 2026

O Eternal God, who hast taught us by thy holy Word that our bodies are temples of thy Spirit: Keep us, we most humbly beseech thee, temperate and holy in thought, word and deed, that at the last we, with all the pure in heart, may see thee and be made like unto thee in thy heavenly kingdom; through Christ our Lord.

Beautiful morning here today 😁 pic.twitter.com/CSWsrHeZyJ

— Sister Walburga (@SisterWalburga) March 2, 2026

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities that may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! and… welcome to the start of meteorological spring ⛅

While snowdrops are still out in abundance we're already looking forward to the splashes of Daffodil yellow and some warmer, lighter spring days 🙏 #YorkshireDales #Spring #StDavidsDay pic.twitter.com/2qZBGIwUDs

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) March 1, 2026

The joint attack brings war to the country for the second time in eight months and risks a wider regional conflict in one of the most economically sensitive parts of the world.

🚨 Breaking: USS Abraham Lincoln strike group is now attacking Iran's navy pic.twitter.com/CD9rTMWucv

— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) February 28, 2026

Almighty and eternal God, who has so made us of body, soul and spirit, that we live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from thee: Make us to hunger for the spiritual food of thy Word; and as we trust thee for our daily bread, may we also trust thee to give us day by day the inward nourishment of that living truth which thou hast revealed to us in thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Beautiful frosty sunrise across Broadford Bay, Isle of Skye #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @ThePhotoHour @StormHour @VisitScotland pic.twitter.com/KM3eiiKk9T

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) February 28, 2026

Mr Simpson also addressed the issue of falling church numbers.

He admitted the church had been declining in England and the western world for about a century, but added: “Some people think that means the church is irrelevant, and I disagree completely.

“Wherever churches are running activities that help people with problems in their lives, or in spaces where they feel welcomed and they feel seen and heard, that is a great thing.

“Often churches find it hard to know how to actually represent the Christian message in ways that are accessible to people in a very different world. But wherever they do that well, what I see is that people find faith is deeply relevant to their practical needs.

“But I also think there is an increasing spiritual hunger in people as England and much the western world has left faith behind. There is a gap, and actually, the Christian message speaks to that directly.

Read it all.

It was a pleasure to welcome the Venerable Rick Simpson and pray with and for him for all that lies ahead.

You can read more on yesterday's Choral Evensong here: https://t.co/VbbhEiXjVJ pic.twitter.com/uhOwNvbGGN

— Durham Cathedral (@durhamcathedral) February 20, 2026