wfn.org | NewsBriefs

[ENS.parti@ecunet.org]

May 9, 1997
Episcopal News Service
Jim Solheim, Director
212-922-5385
ens@ecunet.org

97-
NewsBriefs                                  

No action to be taken on charges against presiding bishop
        (ENS) Bishop Arthur B. Williams, Jr., suffragan bishop of Ohio
and vice president of the House of Bishops, has reported that he will take
no action on charges brought against Presiding Bishop Edmond
Browning. Williams cited a requirement that complainants bringing a
charge against a bishop include at least one priest and not fewer than six
lay persons from the bishop's diocese. Browning is canonically resident
in the Diocese of Hawaii, while the signers of a complaint filed against
him in April are from the Diocese of Pennsylvania. The complainants, a
group calling itself Concerned Episcopalians, charged that Browning
failed to fulfill his canonical duty when he refused to appoint a board of
inquiry to investigate the 1994 ordination of a non-celibate homosexual as
a deacon by Bishop Allen Bartlett of Pennsylvania. Browning told the
group at that time that a ruling by an ecclesiastical court considering
similar charges against Bishop Walter Righter had "established for the
church at this time that the ordination by a bishop of a non-celibate
homosexual person is not a disciplinary `offense' for which a charge may
be brought."

Body of missing girl is found 
        (ENS) Parishioners of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in the
rural community of Friendswood, Texas, had hoped against hope as they
joined in a search for their fellow parishioner, 12-year-old Laura
Smither, who disappeared while jogging April 3. That hope ended with
the devastating news that Smither's body had been discovered in a muddy
pit, April 20. A father and son who were training their hunting dogs
came across the body near Pasadena, Texas, several miles to the north of
Friendswood. Smither's parents, Bob and Gay Smither, had notified
police immediately after she failed to return from her routine morning
jog. Thousands of searchers hunted for her, a $50,000 reward was
offered for information that could lead to her return, and bulletins on the
search were posted nation-wide. The Rev. Robert Wareing, rector of
Good Shepherd, thanked volunteers for their prayers and help as all
vowed to spend equal energy in finding the person responsible.
According to a spokesperson at the search center, a manual of procedures
is being compiled from their experience "so similar searches can be even
more efficient." A copy of the search manual is available by calling
Good Shepherd at 281/482-7630.

Scottish bishop to walk around his diocese
        (ACNS) Bishop Bruce Cameron of Aberdeen and Orkney is
putting his best foot forward and plans to walk to every congregation in
his diocese over the next two years. Walking bishops are not unusual in
those parts of the Anglican Communion where cars or even bikes are
considered a luxury and a few centuries ago St. Ninian may have walked
around southern Scotland, but walking Scottish bishops today are
unusual. Cameron aims to walk the hundreds of miles in seven or eight
blocks spread over two years starting from St. Andrew's Cathedral in
Aberdeen on June 22, 1997. The bishop will have to resort to ferries to
take him to Orkney and Shetland. The walks will form a special
pilgrimage: "I want to highlight the relationship all the churches in the
diocese have with each other and
hopefully I will be joined by members on each leg to emphasize the idea
of pilgrimage," he explained.

Tasmania to consider euthanasia legislation
        (ACCA) A spokesman for the Anglican Church in Tasmania
recently released a statement in response to a state inquiry into the need
for euthanasia in Tasmania. Peter Stuart, Anglican media spokesperson
for Tasmania, said that "the Anglican Church continues to hold the view
that the quality and dignity of human life is best promoted through the
life-affirming choice of palliative care rather than legalizing assisted
suicide and medical killing." He said that the church could not see "how
legalizing active euthanasia could be good for Tasmania or its citizens.
The enactment of such law would place a considerable burden on elderly
Tasmanians and people living with  disabilities no matter what the
specific details of the bill.

Philippine independent church ordains first woman
        (ACNS) The Philippines Independent Church ordained its first
woman priest in February 9, 1997. Rosalina Villaruel Rabaria was
ordained priest at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Providence and Guide in
Albasan, Numancia, Aklan. The ordination was performed by Bishop
Abdais de la Cruz, the former supreme bishop of the church who had
himself once opposed the ordination of women to the priesthood. The
Philippine Independent Church is in full communion with all the churches
of the Anglican Communion.

Bexley Hall committee makes recommendations for future
        (ENS) A committee considering plans for the future of Bexley
Hall seminary in Rochester, New York, recently made several
recommendations to the school's trustees. The committee recommended
that it should remain on the campus of Colgate-Rochester Divinity School
as an accredited seminary of the Episcopal Church. The group also
recommended that it should develop a collaborative site with Trinity
Lutheran Seminary in Bexley, Ohio, with the goal of educating Master of
Divinity students under the terms of the Concordat and offering
theological preparation that would allow a graduate to serve either a
Lutheran or an Episcopal congregation. The committee noted that
cooperative ventures could be established with General Theological
Seminary in New York in the areas of advanced degree programs,
continuing education offerings, and administrative structuring which
could assist in controlling and lowering costs. 

Waite speaks at Sheboygan sesquicentennial
        (ENS) Terry Waite, the former envoy for the Archbishop of
Canterbury who was held hostage in Iran for five years, spoke recently at
the sesquicentennial celebration of Grace Episcopal Church in
Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Waite said the Anglican Church became involved
in international conflict when relatives of hostages implored them to help
because regular diplomatic avenues were not working. Waite said that the
terrorists in the Middle East were a symptom and that the urgent problem
there is the lack of decent opportunities for the poor. He urged those
gathered to support the United Nations. "Yes, it is a hopeless
bureaucracy," he admitted. "But it is the only global agency with
reasonable effectiveness."

Church fires spread in Northern Ireland
        (CT) According to a recent report from the Royal Ulster
Constabulary, 48 churches in Northern Ireland have been damaged by
arson since the beginning of last year. "People across the community
have expressed their sorrow and concern to those whose church buildings
have been torched," said Bishop James Moore of the Diocese of Connor
in the Church of Ireland. "Every effort continues to be made by clergy
and congregations to maintain the good relations, friendship and trust
which they have built up," he said. "There is a great deal more good will
than is evident on the surface of our division in Northern Ireland." The
Church of Ireland priorities fund allocated money for the repair of three
churches recently. While arson attacks on churches and church-owned
property are not new in Northern Ireland, the latest attacks are being
interpreted as a serious heightening of sectarian tension.

Rousing interfaith service highlights youth at President's summit
        (ENS) An overflow congregation of 750 adults and youth gathered
recently in the Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, for an ecumenical interfaith service of worship,
thanksgiving and hope organized by the National Council of Churches
(NCC) in connection with the President's Summit on Volunteerism. The
concerns of youth were the focus of the service. Four young people
witnessed to their commitments and hopes for the future of this country
to a group that included former President George Bush and Barbara
Bush, retired Army General Colin Powell, Elizabeth Dole and a host of
other national dignitaries and church leaders. Mother Bethel's pastor
Jeffrey Leath introduced the event by saying that it will take "not just
programs . . . but the things of the spirit to make a lasting difference" in
the lives of children. "With a foundation in the Almighty, there is no
problem which cannot be solved, there is no mountain which cannot be
climbed."

Concordat between Philippines Episcopal Church and Independent
Church
        (ACNS) Bishops of the Philippine Independent Church and the
Episcopal Church in the Philippines signed a Concordat of Full
Communion between the two churches. The concordat was hailed as
historically significant by world church leaders and is seen to have far-
reaching implications of the wider ecumenical fellowship of churches.
The two churches already share a theological college in Quezon City
where the Concordat was signed.

Russian church draws a firm line between pilgrimages and tourism
        (ENI) The Russian Orthodox Church recently reacted angrily to
plans by a Moscow company, linked to the municipal authorities, to
move into the growing business of Russian tours to the Holy Land. The
Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church claimed that
pilgrimages are the exclusive business of the church. About 20,000
Russians visit Israel every year, and the numbers are rising quickly. The
conflict became public in January when Moscow's mayor, Yury
Luzhkov, adopted a project proposed by the Moskva Company, a
commercial arm of the city government initially created to manage hotel
properties. Moskva wanted to develop low-cost "religious tourism," with
finance guaranteed by the city. The company's plan includes the
construction of a $6 million, three-star hotel in Jerusalem. Igor Burenko,
head of the pilgrimage section of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department
of External Church Relations, said that the city government had adopted
a resolution on Moskva's plans while the church's leader, Patriarch
Alexy II, was in hospital with pneumonia. Burenko said the project was
at odds with Mayor Luzhkov's promise to coordinate the project in
conjunction with the church.

Indictment alleges Boesak and bookkeeper stole $2 million 
        (ENI) The Cape High Court in Cape Town recently alleged that
prominent clergyman and former leading African National Congress
official, Allan Boesak, and his bookkeeper misappropriated 9 million
Rand ($2,025,000), not the 1 million Rand initially claimed. Boesak,
who was a high-profile campaigner against apartheid, and bookkeeper
Freddie Steenkamp face 20 counts of theft and 11 of fraud. The trial has
been set for August 4 in Cape Town. The indictment claims they
fraudulently spent 5.7 million Rand of funds given by churches in Nordic
countries and that they stole a further 3.3 million Rand of the same
funds. No pleas have been entered by the two defendants though Boesak
has repeatedly claimed he is innocent. 

Matthews elected Canada's first woman diocesan bishop
        (ENI) On May 31, Victoria Matthews will become the Anglican
Church of Canada's first woman diocesan bishop in a "Welcoming and
Seating" service at All Saints Cathedral in Edmonton. Matthews, who
became Canada's first woman suffragan bishop three years ago, will be
the sixth woman among the world's 525 Anglican diocesan bishops. She
was elected to lead the Edmonton Diocese on the fifth ballot at a special
synod meeting last month. When she was advised of her election, she
said: "The church has prayed; the Spirit has led us; the church has called
me; I accept."  According to the Anglican Journal, the Edmonton
Diocese has 13,500 Anglicans in 58 parishes and 62 congregations,
served by 65 active clergy and chaplains. Matthews said that the election
came as a complete surprise. "My total experience of Edmonton was for
five days two years ago," she said.

Lutheran assembly will give Hong Kong `hope in time of anxiety'             
(ENI) Tung Chee-hwa, the man who will be in charge of Hong Kong
after the territory is returned to China in July, recently assured a leading
Lutheran official that civil liberties, including freedom of religion, will
continue after the transition. Dr. Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF), said that during a 50-minute meeting
in Hong Kong with Tung, he had referred to the Basic Law, which
would in effect be Hong Kong's constitution, and to provisions in it for
civil liberties, human rights and freedom of religion and of the press.
"Tung affirmed the continuation of those freedoms," Noko said. "He said
the life of the churches would continue because it would be protected by
the Basic Law."

American Indians reject church-imposed `European structures'
        (ENI) A church-sponsored gathering of 125 American Indians
recently criticized what it described as the "colonial imposition" of
European church structures on indigenous communities and has called for
a new relationship with the churches and society of white Americans.
"This ecumenical and interfaith consultation declares that we will no
longer tolerate the colonial imposition of European church structures and
doctrine on indigenous communities," according to a declaration from the
conference. The Christian Indians state in the declaration that they
believe "the gospel of Jesus Christ demands that we, as a people, be
freed from the yoke and mantle of traditions and structures that have and
continue to contribute to the disintegration of our cultural heritage,
communal harmony and the God-given right to self-determination as
children of the Creator and sisters and brothers in Christ." The
gathering, held from April 17-19 in Oklahoma City, was sponsored by
the National Council of Churches, the Oklahoma Council of Churches,
several Protestant denominations and Tekawitha Conference, an Indian
organization linked to the Roman Catholic Church.

Jesus, the subject of 65,571 books, and four more every day  
        (ENI) Four new books about Jesus Christ are published every
day, and there are already more than 65,000 books world-wide with
Jesus as their main subject, according to David Barrett, missionary
researcher in Virginia Beach, Virginia. According to idea, the
information service of the German Evangelical Alliance, publication
statistics show there is a "global boom" in books about Jesus. In 1996
alone, 1,500 new books about Jesus appeared in print, Barrett told idea.
Information from libraries around the world show that there are a total of
65,571 books with Jesus as their main subject and 53,094 have the word
"Jesus" in the title. A large proportion--25,077--have been published
since 1970. Barrett is the editor of the World Christian Encyclopedia.

Third world debt is a new form of apartheid, says archbishop
        (ENI) The unpayable debts owed by many Third World countries
to the West amount to a form of oppression similar to the former
apartheid system in South Africa, Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu
Winston Ndungane of Cape Town recently declared. During a lecture at
Southwark Cathedral in London, he called for extensive cancellation of
debt, describing it as "the small change of financial exchanges" when
measured against international capital flows. The archbishop's plea
follows similar calls made recently by other churches in the United
Kingdom and elsewhere. Though some progress has been made over the
past year in finding solutions to the debt problems of developing
countries, churches and Christian non-governmental organizations believe
much more needs to be done by the industrialized countries to  help the
poorer nations, particularly in Africa. In his speech, Ndungane quoted
United Nations statistics showing that developing countries made debt
repayments of $1.66 trillion between 1980 and 1992--more than three
times the original amount owed in 1980--yet still owed more than $1.3
trillion.

Rabbi accuses Hollywood of portraying Christians as fools or worse
        (ENI) An American rabbi, Yechiel Eckstein, has accused
Hollywood of "a very real and pervasive anti-Christian bias." Eckstein,
who belongs to the Orthodox branch of the Jewish faith and is a key
member of organizations promoting Jewish-Christian relations, has urged
Christians to put pressure on the film industry to hold it accountable for
its output in the same way that consumers have taken action against U.S.
tobacco and chemical manufacturers for harm caused by their products.
Writing in an April edition of the North Jersey Jewish Standard, Eckstein
said that Hollywood had gone out of its way to portray Evangelical
Protestants and devout Catholics "in the worst possible light." Over the
past 30 years, but particularly since 1986, "Hollywood has belittled
Christian beliefs and portrayed clergy as hypocrites--or worse," he wrote.
"The cherished symbols of their faith are put to blasphemous uses," the
rabbi wrote.  "If there is a Christian character in a film, he is usually
depicted as a fool, a liar, a cheat, a diabolical murderer, or a crazy
person."