wfn.org | Episcopalians: News Briefs

[dmack@episcopalchurch.org]

May 23, 2003

2003-116

Episcopalians: News Briefs

Church of Scotland rejects union, will remain free of 
bishops

(ENI) The Church of Scotland has overwhelmingly rejected a plan 
to form a "super-church" with three other Protestant 
denominations. The church's general assembly rejected the church 
union proposals by 384 votes to 99.

The decision at the church's general assembly on May 19 echoed 
opposition among congregations to the Scottish Church Initiative 
for Union (SCIFU), which would have broken with 400 years of 
Presbyterian tradition by creating the office of bishop in the 
united church.

Some church members had also voiced concerns that the 
distinctive Presbyterian office of elder would be put at risk, 
while others feared that a united church based on 
"maxi-parishes" formed from the denominations taking part would 
introduce too much bureaucracy.

The other partners in the union initiative were the Scottish 
Episcopal Church, the Methodist Church, and the United Reformed 
Church, but the Church of Scotland is numerically dominant with 
40 per cent of all Scottish churchgoers, according to Christian 
Research, a UK compiler of church statistics.

Erik Cramb, convener of the denomination's ecumenical relations 
committee, told ENI: "SCIFU is dead as far as the Church of 
Scotland is concerned. There will be no continuing burden of 
arguments." He admitted he had not foreseen the scale of the 
defeat and had thought the outcome would be "too close to call."

During the debate, the Rev. Paraic Reamonn said church members 
were being asked to "vote ourselves out of existence." Gordon 
Savage, another delegate, said: "We are surely all one in Christ 
Jesus and we don't need to negotiate complicated joinery of 
denominations to make that apparent."

The church union initiative began in 1994, and opposition to the 
office of bishop became clear as soon as it was proposed. Cramb 
explained that the idea was for a new sort of bishop, chosen for 
six years and then reverting to another job. "It was not the 
old, monarchical bishop--more an extended moderator [elected for 
one year to head the Church of Scotland]. I'm disappointed that 
I failed to persuade the Assembly," he said.

Michael Henley, Anglican bishop of St. Andrews and chair of the 
unity initiative, regretted that the general assembly "did not 
have the courage to support the SCIFU proposals. I am still very 
interested in pursuing the SCIFU initiatives with the Methodists 
and the URC. This idea is not going to go away."

Zimbabwe's churches call for God's help to deal with crisis

(ENI) The heads of Zimbabwe's main Christian associations have 
called on citizens to dedicate themselves to fasting and prayer 
for "divine intervention" in the face of an unprecedented 
political and economic crisis.

The church leaders appealed to all churches and Christians in 
Zimbabwe to unite "in seeking the face of God through prayer and 
fasting persistently asking our Father to heal our land." The 
appeal came from the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), the 
Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference (ZCBC), the Evangelical 
Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), and the heads of Christian 
denominations.

They called for a spirit of tolerance and reconciliation and an 
end to politically motivated violence, amid continuing reports 
of government-backed violations of human rights.

In a separate statement, the ZCC sharply criticized corruption, 
restrictions on press freedom, and the politicization of food 
aid, the Daily News reported. The ZCC, whose members include 
Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, and independent churches, said it 
was now geared up to speak out on behalf of the voiceless in 
society.

Leading Christians have hailed recent efforts by the leaders of 
three African countries to broker a solution to the crisis 
besetting the southern African country. The presidents of South 
Africa, Nigeria, and Malawi visited Zimbabwe in early May for 
separate talks with Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, and 
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition party, the 
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Mugabe, who led the nation to independence in 1980, narrowly 
defeated Tsvangirai in a presidential election last year that 
was characterized by some international observers as 
fundamentally flawed. There was media speculation that the 
recent talks were intended to establish an interim government 
including representatives of both Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe 
African National Union-Patriotic Front party and the MDC.

The visit by the three African leaders followed a similar 
mission in March by Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, the head of 
the Anglican Church in South Africa, who came to Harare in March 
for meetings with Mugabe and Tsvangirai. The Daily News reported 
 that Ndungane was expected back in Zimbabwe at the end of May 
on a pastoral visit and fact-finding mission.

Ecumenical Forum for Young Theologians set for September in 
Jerusalem

(ENS) The Ecumenical Forum for Young Theologians--an 
international organization that brings together members of 
churches from Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and the 
Global South--is sponsoring a study tour of Palestine and 
Israel, September 3-15, with an optional visit to Jordan.

The study tour will include conversations and encounters with 
Christians, Muslims and Jews on both a secular and religious 
level. "The aim of the program is an exposure of future church 
and community leaders to the practicalities of dialogue among 
three world religions in a practical way, to provoke further 
thought and study and ultimately to encourage their engagement 
in the peace and justice movement at their own places of 
ministry," according to an announcement from the Rev. Yazeed 
Said, acting dean of St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem, 
convenor of the forum.

"The study tour will be centered on dialogue, at a grassroots 
level, with varied interest groups in Palestine and Israel," he 
said. The study includes "exposure visits" in Jerusalem, a 
seminar on the history and theology of Christian sites, the work 
of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, the East Jerusalem YMCA 
and other Christian non-governmental organizations. Participants 
will also visit a YMCA rehabilitation center and hear 
presentations by an ecumenical panel of local Christian youth 
ministries, as well as a discussion of the issue of Israeli 
settlements--and a visit to the Kiryat Arva settlement in 
Hebron.

During a trip to Gaza, the group will tour the Ahli Arab 
Hospital, operated by the Diocese of Jerusalem, and visit a 
refugee camp. In Ramallah the group will meet with 
representatives of the Palestinian Authority and local church 
leaders. At the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, the group will 
meet with Arabic and Jewish members.

Several days of the forum have been set aside for interfaith 
dialogue with a series of workshops and study and reflection 
groups, concluding with an Ecumenical Eucharist for the Eve of 
Holy Cross Day at St. Anne's Basilica.

Chane becomes National Cathedral's interim dean

(ENS) The Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane, bishop of Washington, will 
become interim dean of the Washington National Cathedral 
following the departure of the Rev. Nathan Baxter on June 30. 
The bishop will hold this position until a new dean is elected 
and in residence.

To manage the day-to-day affairs of the cathedral, Chane has 
appointed the Rt. Rev. A. Theodore Eastman, former bishop of 
Maryland, to the new role of bishop's vicar. "Bishop Eastman 
brings to this ministry great pastoral sensitivity, and a blend 
of administrative and collegial skills that will make for a 
smooth transition during the search process for a new dean," 
Chane said. "I am deeply grateful for Bishop Eastman's 
willingness to accept the challenge of this very important 
ministry."

Eastman will also serve as vice chair of the Protestant 
Episcopal Cathedral Foundation's Board of Trustees. The 
foundation is the organization that oversees the activities of 
the cathedral, three schools (Beauvoir, National Cathedral, and 
St. Alban's), the College of Preachers, the National Cathedral 
Association, and All Hallows Guild. To assume his new 
responsibilities, Eastman will resign as executive vice 
president of the foundation, a position he has held for two 
years. Maj. General (Ret.) Stephen T. Rippe will succeed Eastman 
as executive vice president of the foundation, and will remain 
its chief operating officer.

"General Rippe has demonstrated significant executive and 
fiduciary leadership within the foundation and his promotion 
will continue to strengthen the already good work undertaken by 
all the foundation's member institutions," Chane said. "With 
Bishop Eastman and General Rippe now in positions of new 
leadership, I believe the cathedral, already well nurtured by 
Dean Nathan Baxter, will be in a healthy position to call a new 
dean in the future."

Chane will continue to serve as president of the foundation and 
chairman of its board of trustees. Tina Mead will continue to 
serve as provost of the cathedral.

Spirit and sustainability explored in Enough for All' 
conference

(ENS) With the creation of a global marketplace, mass 
communication, and consumerism, how can we create a world that 
is built on sustainability and honors both God's earth and its 
people? This is the question that hundreds of people of faith 
from across the country will address during a conference on 
Enough for All: Sustainable Living in a Global World, to be held 
at Seattle University, June 20-23. The conference, sponsored by 
the Eco-Justice Working Group of the National Council of 
Churches, will examine the spiritual, ethical, and theological 
implications of living in a global economy.

Author and theologian Sallie McFague, economist Dr. David 
Korten, and activist Damu Smith are the featured keynote 
speakers and will help participants uncover ways to make a 
difference in their own faith communities.

"This is a unique opportunity for people of faith working on 
environmental justice issues to gather together in fellowship," 
said Martha Gardner, conference committee chair.

Through presentations, workshops, and field trips, participants 
will discover a spectrum of individual, congregational, and 
societal actions that can help create a healthier, more just, 
and environmentally friendly sustainable world. The biennial 
gathering of the ecumenical community is open to denominational 
staff, clergy and lay leaders, theological educators, and anyone 
interested in learning how the Christian community can take a 
leadership role in addressing issues of sustainability.

For more information on Enough for All, check the website at 
www.webofcreation.org/ncc/conference or contact Cassandra 
Carmichael, 80 Charles Street, Annapolis, MD 21401. Phone: 
443-822-3720. E-mail: cassandra@toad.net. Interested persons can 
also contact Martha Gardner, consultant for Environmental 
Ministries at the Episcopal Church Center, at 
mgardner@episcopalchurch.org or 800-334-7626 x6056.

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