Almighty God, by the proclamation of thy Word all nations are drawn to thee: Make us desire, like John Eliot, to share thy Good News with those whom we encounter, so that all people may come to a saving knowledge of thee; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Christ, the King of Glory, who through the everlasting gates didst ascend to thy Father’s throne, and open the Kingdom of heaven to all believers: Grant that, whilst thou dost reign in heaven, we may not be bowed down to the things of earth, but that our hearts may be lifted up whither thou, our redemption, art gone before; who with the Father and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, ever one God, world without end.

Therefore, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

–Ephesians 4:25-32

Heritage funding for the 14,000 listed places of worship in England, including cathedrals, is to come in upfront capital grants, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced. Those in areas of high deprivation and “facing overwhelming fund-raising challenges” would be prioritised, it said on Wednesday.

The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund (PWRF) succeeds the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), under which places of worship could reclaim all the VAT paid on repairs and maintenance. Last year, the LPWGS was capped at £25,000 for each place of worship, meaning that those undertaking major repairs — such as a new roof — had to raise extra funds to cover VAT costs for the first time in two decades (News, 25 January 2025).

The new PWRF grant scheme is to be delivered by Historic England and is intended to bring places of worship in line with other heritage buildings. It has been influenced by the success of the Heritage at Risk and the Heritage Revival Funds, and, in targeting areas of greatest need, puts the emphasis on the community, DCMS says.

Read it all.

Heritage funding for the 14,000 listed places of worship in England, including cathedrals, is to come in upfront capital grants, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced. Those in areas of high deprivation would be prioritisedhttps://t.co/G2J758K7rI

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 20, 2026

Going back to 2015 isn’t enough.  

The cultural revolution is on pause. Gender ideology, in particular, is in retreat. The fight isn’t over, but the momentum has shifted, especially when it comes to children. But to finish the fight, we must understand how things came to this—how did our society accept the sexual mutilation of children on the superstitious grounds that a boy can be born in a girl’s body or vice versa? 

This question draws out the divisions between opponents of gender ideology. A movement that has lesbian feminists alongside conservative Christians was always going to be fractious, but the divisions escalate as we argue over how to win, and what winning means. Liberal elements of the coalition are especially upset by conservatives’ continued opposition to same-sex marriage, rather than just trying to roll things back to around 2015—yes to same-sex marriage, yes to the Sexual Revolution, but no to transitioning kids and no to letting men into women’s spaces, sports, and so on. In other words, LGB without the T. 

But the LGB led to the T. After winning on same-sex marriage, the gay-rights movement immediately pivoted to transgenderism. Same-sex marriage enabled gender ideology’s sudden onset, for if male and female don’t matter in marriage, then they don’t matter anywhere. Conversely, if men and women are real, then this matters for sexuality and family beyond mere personal sexual preferences. We cannot get male and female right while pretending that sex (in every sense) doesn’t matter in marriage. 

This is why warnings about the slippery slope have been more prophecy than fallacy—for another example, note that liberals are now fighting for polygamy, with the New York Times reporting that, “From big cities like Seattle and Portland, Ore., to small ones like Astoria, Ore., proponents of ‘nontraditional’ romantic relationships are making headway in getting legal recognition.” Remember when conservative Christians were called alarmist bigots for predicting this? 

Read it all.

What Binds Marriage Forever? https://t.co/E9t7nygCQC

— Public Discourse (@PublicDiscourse) May 6, 2026

Ten percent of Americans report using installment plans frequently when making purchases online, and another 17% use them occasionally. A total of 51% have used installment plans for online purchases, while 48% say they never have.

Lower-income Americans (those with annual household incomes under $48,000) are more likely to frequently or occasionally use installment payments (37%) than middle-income (between $48,000 and $89,999) and higher-income (at least $90,000) Americans are (29% and 21%, respectively). There are no statistically meaningful differences in installment-plan use by age, education or gender.

The results are based on an April 1-15 survey of 1,024 U.S. adults who are members of the Gallup Panel. Gallup did not ask respondents which types of purchases they use these installments for or how much they spend on purchases with these plans.

Read it all.

Around half of Americans have used "buy now, pay later" installment plans for online purchases, including 10% who use them frequently, according to a new Gallup survey. https://t.co/4ZEqYj4LnB

— Tulsa's News Pulse | KTUL (@KTULNews) May 20, 2026

The South Carolina standing committee also criticized Bishop Ashey for other comments he made during the lecture that “prognosticat[ed] about the outcome” of the pending case against Archbishop Steve Wood and “promoted falsehood” about its complainants. Ashey is advising Wood as he awaits trial on canonical charges of personal and sexual misconduct.

In a lengthy retraction sent to the church’s bishops a week later, Ashey apologized for his speculation that Wood would be exonerated and for his “inaccurate” portrayal of the complainants, some of whom now belong to the Diocese of South Carolina, as “aggrieved” terminated employees. Of the complainants formerly employed under Wood at St. Andrew’s Church, Mount Pleasant, none were terminated, and all resigned, though Wood asked most of them to stay, one complainant told TLC.

While the province contends that the Council is without authority to govern the court’s protocols with regard to the Ruch documents, the Council’s main item of business at its June meeting will be a vote on a comprehensive Title IV revision that fully restructures the church’s disciplinary bodies and their procedures.

If passed, the new canons will phase out the current seven-member Court for the Trial of a Bishop and replace it with a tribunal from which smaller panels are drawn, and will introduce norms of public trial procedure=—two features also found in Episcopal Church canons.

Read it all.

New for @Livng_Church: The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina calls for the release of documents related to the trial of ACNA Bishop Stewart Ruch as the church's fraught process for revising Title IV comes to a vote.https://t.co/zzTJB5SM4h

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) May 20, 2026

Almighty God, who in a rude and barbarous age didst raise up thy deacon Alcuin to rekindle the light of learning: Illumine our minds, we pray thee, that amid the uncertainties and confusions of our own time we may show forth thine eternal truth, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

May 20: Feast of Alcuin (Ealhwine) (†804), scholar and theologian. He was born in Northumbria and educated at the cathedral school in York. In 781, he met Charlemagne, who he became a key advisor to. In 796 he became abbot of St Martin at Tours. Alcuin, centre, depicted c.831 pic.twitter.com/qHqG8eLZaT

— North Ages (@NorthAges) May 20, 2026

O God, Who by Thine Almighty Word dost enlighten every man that cometh into the world: enlighten, we beseech Thee, the hearts of us Thy servants by the glory of Thy grace, that we may ever think such things as are worthy and well-pleasing to Thy Majesty, and love Thee with a perfect heart; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

–Frederick B. Macnutt, The prayer manual for private devotions or public use on divers occasions: Compiled from all sources ancient, medieval, and modern (A.R. Mowbray, 1951)

Langzaam richting beter en warmer weer. Fijne woensdag😀 #zonsondergang pic.twitter.com/dcmR9gP7le

— Tjark Dieterman (@DietermanTjark) May 20, 2026

In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and glory of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, every one who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy and a pavilion. It will be for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.

–Isaiah 4:2-6

For Waterfall Wednesday we're sharing this view of Wain Wath Falls in Upper Swaledale. Fresh air, flowing water and views like this – just what Wednesday calls for.

📸 Wendy McDonnell | #YorkshireDales #WaterfallWednesday pic.twitter.com/736NBzGovU

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) May 20, 2026

The three American Muslims killed during a shooting Monday (May 18) at a San Diego mosque are being remembered by their imam and faith community as “men of courage, sacrifice and faith” who put themselves on the line to protect others. 

The Islamic Center of San Diego identified the victims as Amin Abdullah, a gentle security guard; Nadir Awad, a dedicated neighbor; and Mansour Kaziha, a longtime shopkeeper and caretaker of the mosque.

Abdullah died protecting more than 200 children and community members, the mosque’s Imam Taha Hassane said in an interview with RNS. The “beloved” security guard was killed first, Hassane said, but before he died, he used his radio to warn teachers in the center’s school to lock their classroom doors. He “undoubtedly he saved lives today” by delaying the shooters in a gunbattle in front of the mosque, said San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl during a press conference Monday. 

Read it all.

Victims of the deadly Islamic Center of San Diego shooting have been identified. https://t.co/PTM3tr430T

— WACH FOX (@wachfox) May 19, 2026

ewly released figures from the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey confirm that church attendance in Britain remains below pre-Covid levels and that there are no signs of a revival among young people. 

The data – published by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) – shows that within Britain’s adult population, only 5% attend a Christian service weekly – down from 8% in 2018. 

Only 4% of under 35s attend a Christian service at least once a week – consistent with figures since 2017 which have ranged from 3% to 5%. 

Even among those who identify as Christians, only one in eight (13%) say they attend a religious service at least once a week – well below the 20% recorded in 2018 before the outbreak of Covid and similar to the 12% recorded during the pandemic in 2021.

Read it all.

'Quiet revival' claims 'laid to rest' once and for all as study shows UK churchgoing continues to fall https://t.co/Jh0sF0Pyg6 pic.twitter.com/0gQrM0ugpe

— Christian Today (@ChristianToday) May 19, 2026

Both the Church’s funding bodies and the Government should ramp up investment in cathedrals, where financial pressures are resulting in commercial bookings that risk “crowding out the sense of stillness and calm”, a new report has concluded.

Living Stones: English cathedrals as sacred spaces in changing times celebrated the contribution made by the country’s cathedrals, but warned that they are in “serious difficulty”, with 80 per cent in structural deficit.

“The pressures of financial survival can consume so much energy and attention that there is little left for the deeper questions of purpose and mission,” it said.

Produced by Theos, the report was funded by the Church Commissioners’ Cathedral Sustainability Fund and the Association of English Cathedrals (AEC). It will be presented to the National Cathedrals Conference in Bristol this week.

Read it all.

Both the Church’s funding bodies and the Government should ramp up investment in #cathedrals, where financial pressures are resulting in commercial bookings that risk “crowding out the sense of stillness and calm”, a new report has concluded#churchnewshttps://t.co/t0Vje0hvt0

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 19, 2026

The text comes from Hymns of the Anglo-Saxon Church, ed. Inge B. Milfull (Cambridge, 1996), pp. 317-8. Here’s a translation:

Hail Dunstan, star and shining adornment of bishops, true light of the English nation and leader preceding it on its path to God.

You are the greatest hope of your people, and also an innermost sweetness, breathing the honey-sweet fragrance of life-giving balms.

In you, Father, we trust, we to whom nothing is more pleasing than you are. To you we stretch out our hands, to you we pour out our prayers….

Read it all.

19 May is the feast of St Dunstan, one of the greatest saints of Anglo-Saxon England, who died in 988. Archbishop of Canterbury during a transformative time for the English church and nation, he was also a talented musician, craftsman and devil-fighter. https://t.co/HblFsbRp5o pic.twitter.com/1Cfss1LEaI

— Eleanor Parker (@ClerkofOxford) May 19, 2026

O God of truth and beauty, who didst richly endow thy Bishop Dunstan with skill in music and the working of metals, and with gifts of administration and reforming zeal: Teach us, we beseech thee, to see in thee the source of all our talents, and move us to offer them for the adornment of worship and the advancement of true religion; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Today is the Feast of St. Dunstan of Canterbury.

His multifaceted legacy includes his time as Archbishop of Canterbury, his reform of the monasteries, and as royal advisor to the Kings of Wessex.
He is Patron Saint of musicians and bellringers. He is depicted with tongs. pic.twitter.com/ihhpmkkUuE

— Ninefold Kyrie (@Gda1238) May 19, 2026

O God, whose dearly beloved Son was, by thy mighty power, exalted that he might prepare a place in thy kingdom of glory for them that love thee: So lead and uphold us, O merciful Lord, that we may both follow the holy steps of his life here upon earth, and may enter with him hereafter into thy everlasting rest; that where he is, we may also be; through the merits of the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Tuesday views across Wensleydale 🌿

Looking towards Bolton Castle, where history and landscape sit side by side.

📸 Wendy McDonnell | #YorkshireDales #TuesdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/pKrpK79ocU

— Yorkshire Dales National Park (@yorkshire_dales) May 19, 2026

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

–Ephesians 3:14-21

The Lennon River, Ramelton, in Donegal. pic.twitter.com/KIPJetCOk6

— Inish View (@inishview) May 19, 2026

Ahead of what the White House is calling a “large-scale revival” meeting on the National Mall devoted to “rededicating our country as One Nation under God,” a new Pew Research Center survey shows that a growing minority of U.S. adults say religion is gaining influence in American life. And more than half say religion plays a positive role in society.

At the same time, most people want churches and other houses of worship to stay out of day-to-day politics and not endorse candidates.

The new survey also finds growing familiarity with the term “Christian nationalism.” Most Americans surveyed now say they have heard at least a little about it.

Support for ideas that are sometimes associated with Christian nationalism is mostly unchanged in recent years. For example, there has been no growth in the shares of Americans who want the government to stop enforcing separation of church and state or who believe that God favors the United States over all countries.

There has, however, been a small uptick in the share of U.S. adults who say the federal government should declare Christianity the nation’s official religion: 17% now say this, up from 13% in 2024.

Read it all.

Find more of Americans views on Religion’s influence in government and public life: https://t.co/I6PWa7ge6b

— Pew Research Center (@pewresearch) May 15, 2026

The Anglican Church in North America’s Court for the Trial of a Bishop will hold hearings this week on the first pretrial motions filed in the disciplinary matter of the Most Rev. Steve Wood, according to a court announcement.

Archbishop Wood, the denomination’s primate, was indicted on ecclesiastical charges of personal and sexual misconduct last December. His trial is scheduled to begin July 20.

Four priests and seven laypeople filed a complaint against Wood last October, alleging that as bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas and rector of St. Andrew’s Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Wood plagiarized sermons, bullied staff, and made continual sexual advances toward a children’s ministry director. Wood has denied the allegations.

The ACNA’s disciplinary system sets a denominational prosecutor against an accused bishop, who is tried by a neutral court of three bishops, two priests, and two adult confirmed church members. Before trial, both sides may make requests of the court by motion.

Read it all.

There are four motions they must decide in total:
1) Abp Wood's motion to dismiss the case
2) His motion to hold the trial in private
3) The province's motion to "re-establish fairness"
4) Its motion to disqualify Cn Jeff Weber from defending Wood.https://t.co/HIjraTzJjo

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) May 8, 2026

Is the American Revolution over? As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States this year, public commentators will answer this question differently. For some, the Revolution was an event that happened in the distant past. They will celebrate the 250th with three-cornered hats, battle reenactments, and visits to historic sites. Others may try to “reclaim” the Revolution, as if the beliefs of the founding fathers froze in the 18th century and just need thawing and application in the 21st, as if little has changed since 1776.

Still others see the Revolution as ongoing. This latter view, Nathan Perl-Rosenthal argues in The Long Revolution, is the way most Americans living before the Civil War understood the Revolution.

Read it all.

Historian @JohnFea1 reviews three history books that explore the stories we tell about America and the immigrants who call it home.https://t.co/63SOf6JWZG

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) May 18, 2026

It has been suggestively proposed that the book’s “presiding genius is Pascal.” Indeed, Pascal is cited or referenced fourteen times in the extant letters. One may note, in passing, that Clermont-Ferrand, the editor’s residence, is the birthplace of Pascal.

Perhaps, however, the archbishop’s vision owes even more to the second century Church Father Irenaeus of Lyons. The dual manuscript tradition, the English and Spanish versions of the letters, present, according to Hermès, “no variant readings,” save in one important particular. The heading of the English recension echoes Athanasius and reads forthrightly: “Letters on the Incarnation.” The Spanish compilation, instead, adapts Irenaeus, with an added flourish: “Letters on the Detection and Overthrow of Reality Falsely So Called.” Assuredly, the archbishop is bent on calling out the simulacra of reality that grow ever more pervasive and controlling. 

Still, both renditions capture something essential about the spirit and scope of these letters. For they offer a penetrating and passionate refutation of a prevalent Gnosticism that abhors this body, this community, this Church, where true life is won, paradoxically, only at the price of this death. Thus, the letters constitute an uncompromising polemic against what the archbishop calls the “disincarnation” practiced by the “indefatigable Gnostics.”  

Read it all.

Against Excarnation https://t.co/BbePQPWchc

— Public Discourse (@PublicDiscourse) May 13, 2026

Heavenly Father we give thanks this day for the life and ministry of Feradach mac Cormaic, abbot of Iona. Grant that by your Spirit we may follow his example and walk in truth and lead with wisdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you forever, Amen.

May 18: Feast of Feradach mac Cormaic (†880), abbot of Iona. He was probably behind the protective spiriting away of Columba’s relics to Ireland in 878. Flann mac Maíle Dúin succeeded him. 📸August Schwerdfeger pic.twitter.com/hVmeDi7zFY

— North Ages (@NorthAges) May 18, 2026

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

Good morning from Cambridge. Have a good week#Cambridge pic.twitter.com/aVo7GXxd58

— Sandy De Born (@SandyDeBorn) May 18, 2026

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles– assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose which he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confidence of access through our faith in him. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

–Ephesians 3:1-13

Whitby Sunrise 🌞 pic.twitter.com/PSkSl4BBtE

— North Yorkshire (@visitnorthyork) May 18, 2026

O God, whose blessed Son, our great High Priest, has entered once for all into the holy place, and ever liveth to intercede on our behalf: Grant that we, sanctified by the offering of his body, may draw near with full assurance of faith by the way which he has dedicated for us, and evermore serve thee, the living God; through the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

M29 (NGC 6913) is a beautiful, fairly bright stellar cluster located about 4,000 light years away in Cygnus, the Swan. Relatively small, the cluster lies in a rich, crowded area of our Galaxy, close to the bright northern sky beacon, Sadr, Gamma Cygni. 📷 Adam Block #NGC6913 #M29 pic.twitter.com/51EwFh37y1

— Lee-Anne Gibbon (@LeeAnneGibbon1) May 17, 2026

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers entreat that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to a judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks more graciously than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less shall we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. His voice then shook the earth; but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken, as of what has been made, in order that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

–Hebrews 12:18-29

Sunday morning Sunrise. ☀️ #Shropshire pic.twitter.com/3L84Fgy3vM

— Steven Keating (@Aneedtopaint) May 17, 2026

O God, steadfast in the midst of persecution, by whose providence the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church: As the martyrs of the Sudan refused to abandon Christ even in the face of torture and death, and so by their sacrifice brought forth a plenteous harvest, may we, too, be steadfast in our faith in Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God, you gave your servants, the holy martyrs of Sudan, boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: … pic.twitter.com/7Whp12CMLn

— The Seabury Society (@SeaburySociety) May 16, 2020

Blessed art thou, O Lord God Almighty, the Ancient of Days, who hast set thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord upon the glorious throne of thy kingdom, exalted far above all peoples, all places, all times, eternally; that he who hath worn our flesh, and borne our manhood into the holy of holies, should henceforth pour down heavenly gifts upon his brethren, and be both our righteous judge and most merciful intercessor; to whom with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Spirit, one God, be ascribed all might, majesty, dominion, and praise, now and for ever.

Over The Border. 9°C and blue skies. Pheasants. pic.twitter.com/lXo34akyVj

— Yorkshire Wolds Weather (@WeatherWolds) May 16, 2026

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

–Ephesians 2:11-22

Is it even a country lane if it doesn't have grass growing in the middle, a barn halfway along and hedges full of blackbirds? I could walk for miles on the lanes at this time of year (and frequently do), just ambling and listening and breathing in the calm, still evening air as… pic.twitter.com/I7WO7QeDUY

— peaklass (@peaklass1) May 16, 2026

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are writing to you today on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina to ask you to pray. As schools close and many scatter for the summer, it is easy and natural to lose track of important provincial gatherings that will occur this season. We are writing to remind you that much is at stake in our Province and for our Diocese, and to ask you to pray for:

The May 19 Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) Executive Committee Meeting
The May 20 hearing in the Archbishop Wood case in Charleston, SC
The June 15-17 College of Bishops Meeting in Tulsa, OK
The June 17-19 Provincial Council Meeting in Tulsa, OK
The June 25 virtual Provincial Assembly
The July 20 Trial for Archbishop Wood in Charleston, SC

As we remind you to pray for these important events, let us commend to you the work of our Diocesan Standing Committee on your behalf. We have maintained a strong and united call for accountability in the Province. In the past three weeks, members of our Standing Committee have met with the Executive Committee of the ACNA and Bishop Julian Dobbs, the Dean of the Province, via zoom, and have shared our concerns with members of the Executive Committee who visited with us in Charleston. The Executive Committee in many ways shared our concerns and encouraged us in the action steps below.

We are currently working for you and for justice and transparency in the Province in the following ways:

1. We have submitted resolutions regarding the public release of the transcript of the Ruch trial and the findings of the independent investigation to the Executive Committee for consideration at Provincial Council.
2. We are seeking to build a coalition of other ACNA dioceses who share our concerns about the work of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop and the importance of transparency.
3. We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the complainants in our Diocese receive fair treatment and transparency in the process. To that end, we want to publicly say how disappointed we were when a video (see details here) of a lecture given given by an ACNA bishop promoted falsehood about the complainants as well as prognostication about the outcome of the trial. While he apologized privately to the College of Bishops and granted permission for his apology to be shared, we believe that, given the wide dissemination of that video (now removed) he should disseminate his apology as widely, and we call on the Province to address this matter.

Please do pray for us and for the Standing Committee. The spiritual warfare that surrounds a struggle for the heart of the church is always intense. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Blessings,
 
The Rt Revd Chip Edgar
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina

The Very Revd Shay Gaillard
President of the ADOSC Standing Committee

A Message from the #Anglican Diocese of #SouthCarolina’s Standing Committee about recent #ACNA matters–'We have submitted resolutions regarding the public release of the transcript of the Ruch trial and the findings of the independent investigation to the Executive Committee for… pic.twitter.com/Dbij8ONxzY

— Kendall Harmon (@KendallHarmon6) May 16, 2026