Episcopal Life Daily January 22, 2008
Episcopal Life Online is available at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.
Today's Episcopal Life Daily includes:
* TOP STORY - Myanmar elects Stephen Than Myint Oo as Primate and Bishop of Rangoon * TOP STORY - Bonnie Anderson encourages open conversation in Albany diocese * TOP STORY - GAFCON organizers challenge Jerusalem bishop's concerns for planned Holy Land event * TOP STORY - Archbishops of Canterbury and York to reach new audiences through websites' revamp * TOP STORY - Trinity Institute opens on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, addresses religion and violence * TOP STORY - Climate change focus of January 27 Episcopal Life Weekly bulletin inserts * WORLD REPORT - CANADA: Canterbury censures foreign interventions in response to Primate's letter * WORLD REPORT - ITALY: Pope and WCC head Kobia to pray together for Christian unity * WORLD REPORT - MIDDLE EAST: Holy Land church leaders denounce Israel's blockade as 'immoral' * WORLD REPORT - WORLDWIDE: Anglican/Episcopal World suspends publication, moves to web-based format * PEOPLE - Connecticut priest Aaron Manderbach honored on 70th anniversary of ordination * PEOPLE - Sally Bingham installed as Canon for Environmental Ministry in California diocese * TEACHING - Start Up! Start Over! Congregational development seminar registration opens * DAYBOOK - January 23, 2008: Today in Scripture, Prayer, History * CATALYST - 40 Days of Lent: Different Shoes
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TOP STORIES
Myanmar elects Stephen Than Myint Oo as Primate and Bishop of Rangoon
[Episcopal News Service] The Church of the Province of Myanmar (Burma) elected Stephen Than Myint Oo as its Primate and Bishop of Rangoon out of a field of five nominees on January 15 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Yangon, Myanmar.
Myint, 50, has served as Bishop of Hpa'an since 2005. He will be consecrated and enthroned as Bishop of Rangoon and Myanmar's sixth Anglican Primate on February 17 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Yangon.
From 1993-2004, Myint served Holy Cross Theological College in Yangon as
a librarian, lecturer, and dean of Studies. He has also served as an assistant priest and priest-in-charge of two Myanmar churches. He received his M.Th from Trinity Theological College in Singapore, where he continues his study for a D.Th.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_94168_ENG_HTM.htm
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Bonnie Anderson encourages open conversation in Albany diocese
Communication must remain focused on unity in Christ, Bishop Love says
By Mary Frances Schjonberg
[Episcopal News Service] Close to 300 members of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany (http://www.albanyepiscopaldiocese.org) spent the afternoon January 19 talking about how the diocese might have more open communication and more dialogue on the subjects about which the members disagree.
Earlier in the afternoon, House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson had challenged that group sitting in the nave of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (http://www.standrewsalbany.org) in Albany, New York, to "venture in your diocese toward creating a model of open conversation." Such a model, she said, could be a gift to the rest of the Episcopal Church.
The occasion for the discussion was a meeting titled "Can we talk? Faith and Diversity in the Episcopal Church," sponsored by Albany Via Media (http://www.albanyviamedia.org), which calls itself an organization of clergy and lay Episcopalians seeking to keep the diocese aligned with the Episcopal Church.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_94166_ENG_HTM.htm
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GAFCON organizers challenge Jerusalem bishop's concerns for planned Holy Land event
By Matthew Davies
[Episcopal News Service] Two organizers of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), planned for June 14-22 in the Holy Land, have held separate meetings with Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani who has been critical of the event and urged its planners to reconsider.
Bishop Peter Jenson of Sydney, Australia, and Nigeria Archbishop Peter Akinola met January 12 and 15 respectively with Dawani in Jerusalem after he said he was "deeply troubled" that the GAFCON meeting, of which he had no prior knowledge, "will import inter-Anglican conflict" into his diocese.
The minutes of the meetings, which were emailed to Episcopal News Service, noted that the Most Rev. Mouneer Hanna Anis, Primate of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, is also concerned about the event and that his advice to the organizers -- that this was neither the right time nor place for such a meeting -- had been ignored.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_94158_ENG_HTM.htm
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Archbishops of Canterbury and York to reach new audiences through websites' revamp
[Lambeth Palace] The archbishops of Canterbury and York, Dr. Rowan Williams and Dr. John Sentamu, have launched new websites to help project the archbishops' beliefs, activities and personalities to a wider audience, with the aim of creating sites that utilize the best in web technology and design, Lambeth Palace announced January 22.
The website addresses are http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org and http://www.archbishopofyork.org
"Both websites use a fresh and modern design, which share a similar style and structure, but different content," the announcement said. "The design themes of each site help complement the public profile of both archbishops, with the Archbishop of Canterbury's site using shades of contemplative blue and grey, whilst the Archbishop of York features vibrant reds. New functionality has also been introduced in both sites such as videos, RSS feeds, a 'contact us' form and photo gallery."
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_94155_ENG_HTM.htm
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Trinity Institute opens on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, addresses religion and violence Presiding Bishop delivers opening homily
By Daphne Mack
[Episcopal News Service] Coinciding with the nation's celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Trinity Institute's 38th National Theological Conference -- Religion and Violence: untangling the roots of conflict -- began on January 21 with an interfaith Evensong.
Trinity Institute, running January 21-23 at Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City, is a conference which presents emerging and inclusive theological perspectives and engages participants in inquiry, dialogue, and reflection.
In delivering the homily, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said, "We remember today the birthday of a prophet who was also something of a mystic."
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_94152_ENG_HTM.htm
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Climate change focus of January 27 Episcopal Life Weekly bulletin inserts
[Episcopal Life Weekly] Bulletin inserts for Sunday, January 27, present an outline of "For the Beauty of the Earth," a Lenten program focused on climate change and what can be done about it. Created by the Episcopal Public Policy Network, the curriculum includes information, activities and action items for each week in Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday, The insert briefly describes the weekly themes and gives directions on how to obtain materials online.
Bulletin inserts are available at
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78650_8852_ENG_HTM.htm
More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife
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WORLD REPORT
CANADA: Canterbury censures foreign interventions in response to Primate's letter http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_94146_ENG_HTM.htm
ITALY: Pope and WCC head Kobia to pray together for Christian unity http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_94156_ENG_HTM.htm
WORLDWIDE: Anglican/Episcopal World suspends publication, moves to web-based format http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_94147_ENG_HTM.htm
More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm
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PEOPLE
Connecticut priest Aaron Manderbach honored on 70th anniversary of ordination
[Episcopal News Service] St. Stephen's Church in Ridgefield, Connecticut, honored its rector emeritus, the Rev. Dr. Aaron Manderbach, with a festive Eucharist and reception on December 15 celebrating the 70th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
The service was attended by Connecticut Bishop Suffragan James E. Curry, retired Connecticut Bishop Suffragan Jeffery Rowthorn, and the Very Rev. Joseph Britton, dean and president of the Berkley Divinity School at Yale.
Manderbach, 95, was ordained a priest in 1937. He served at Church of the Mediator in Philadelphia in 1937, and became vicar of Trinity Church, Collingsdale, Pennsylvania, in 1940.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81831_94157_ENG_HTM.htm
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Sally Bingham installed as Canon for Environmental Ministry in California diocese
[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Diocese of California installed the Rev. Sally Bingham as Canon for Environmental Ministry at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, on January 17. Bingham, founder and president of The Regeneration Project and its Interfaith Power and Light campaign, is believed to be the first such canon.
California Bishop Marc Andrus calls the installation a "recognition of [Bingham's] outstanding advocacy in the field of environmental ministry."
Through Interfaith Power & Light (IPL), Bingham works to mobilize a religious response to global warming. IPL state programs work with congregations of all faiths to address global warming through the use of renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation. Recently, IPL launched an online nonprofit energy efficiency store.
More People: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81831_ENG_HTM.htm
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TEACHING
Start Up! Start Over! Congregational development seminar registration opens
[ENS] Clergy and laity of congregations learning the fundamentals of congregational growth will gather March 31-April 4 in Vancouver, British Columbia, for a Start Up! Start Over! seminar. The seminar is open to both members of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. This will be the final western region seminar offered under the leadership of the Rev. Charles Fulton, who is retiring later this year.
Start Up! Start Over! is a national training event for clergy and laity that provides basic congregational development theory and skills for congregations in decline and seeking a new direction, have hit a growth plateau and need new energy, or are thriving and ready for their next step.
Fulton, director of Congregational Development and president of the Episcopal Church Building Fund will lead a seminar staff of experienced practitioners of church growth who have started new churches and led congregational turn-arounds.
Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78650_94171_ENG_HTM.htm
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DAYBOOK
On January 23, 2008, the Church calendar remembers Phillips Brooks, Bishop of Massachusetts, 1893.
* Today in Scripture: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_ENG_HTM.htm * Today in Prayer: Anglican Cycle of Prayer: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm * Today in History: On January 23, 1893, Phillips Brooks, bishop of Massachusetts, abolitionist, and author of "O Little Town of Bethlehem," died.
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CATALYST
"40 Days of Lent: Different Shoes" from Forward Movement, by Matthew B. Harper, 64 pages, paperback, c. 2008, $3
[Source: Forward Movement] This 2008 Lenten book of meditations follows prisoner, Matthew B. Harper, through Lent, a season in which he perpetually lives, a season of preparation, repentance, and learning.
He writes, "The lives of prisoners are nothing other than parables of Lent...I hope we can walk our journey together and I hope my life can offer insight into you own."
To order: Episcopal Books and Resources, online at http://www.episcopalbookstore.org, or call 800-903-5544 -- or visit your local Episcopal bookseller, http://www.episcopalbooksellers.org
More Catalyst: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/83842_ENG_HTM.htm