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99-122

News Briefs

Canadian Anglicans and Lutherans move towards full communion

     (ENS) At its national convention in Regina, Saskatchewan, 
the 200,000-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) 
overwhelmingly approved a move to establish full communion with 
the Anglican Church of Canada by 2001. The Anglicans, with about 
800,000 members, approved the declaration at their General Synod 
last summer.

     The final step will be a vote in a simultaneous convention 
in Waterloo, Ontario, in the summer of 2001, where both 
denominations are expected to approve a revised version of the 
"Waterloo Declaration" that outlines agreement on a range of 
theological issues, including the historic episcopate.

     The obvious enthusiasm for the agreement contrasted with 
similar developments between the Episcopal Church in the USA and 
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The Episcopal 
Church voted in favor of a Concordat of Agreement that would 
establish full communion at its General Convention in 1997 but 
the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly narrowly rejected the proposal. 

     The Lutherans, in consultation with the Episcopalians, have 
written a new proposal, "Called to Common Mission" (CCM), which 
faces a vote at the Churchwide Assembly in August. If approved, 
the new proposal would go to the Episcopal General Convention 
next summer.

     "It's right that we come together and celebrate our 
similarities and our gifts," said the Rev. Jon Fogleman, a 
Lutheran from Ontario who represents the ELCIC at the Anglican 
General Synod.

Increase in ordinations in Church of England

     (ENI) At a time when many churches in the West face a 
shortage of new vocations to the priesthood, the Church of 
England is experiencing a surge in ordinations. 

     Archdeacon Gordon Kuhrt, director of ministry for the 
Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, said he was 
"absolutely thrilled and optimistic" about the trend in 
ordinations.

     According to official figures from the church, ordinations 
of both deacons and priests this year are the highest since the 
1980s. Church dioceses reported that on June 29, 396 people (a 9 
percent increase from last year) were ordained deacons and 362 
deacons (8 percent increase from last year) became priests. Among 
the ordinations 36 percent of the deacons and 38 percent of the 
priests were women.

     Kuhrt cited the church's growing confidence in the relevance 
of the gospel; the impact of the' "much maligned" Decade of 
Evangelism; teams in parishes mixing clergy and lay people; and 
"sorting out its views" on women priests, as the main reasons for 
the increase.

     Despite the surge in ordinations, the number of clergy 
retiring is still a concern because they greatly outnumber the 
ordinations.

     Kuhrt said, "It will be some time before the numbers of new 
stipendiary clergy exceed those retiring, but the gap is closing 
steadily."

Pewsaction ends; Reconcilers for Christ begins

     (ENS) Due to the lack of attendance at the annual meeting of 
Pewsaction, its president and those present concluded that the 
group had outlived its purpose. After much discussion and prayer, 
Pewsaction was dissolved and Reconcilers for Christ was created.

     According to a report, those in attendance believed that the 
Lord was calling them to a new mission and purpose that could 
speak to the ongoing divisions and diversity present in the 
Episcopal Church while focusing on evangelism and maintaining the 
Anglican precepts of Scripture, Tradition and Reason. 

     Reconcilers for Christ, based upon II Corinthians 5:17-18, 
is a movement within the Episcopal Church of laity and clergy, 
striving to live out the Baptismal Covenant in an atmosphere of 
"reconciled differences," through prayer, the guidance of the 
Holy Spirit and the sacraments of the church. 

     Plans for the group includes a quarterly newsletter 
highlighting member organizations, prayers, stories of 
reconciliation, articles by guest authors, and spiritual and 
educational resources.

     A conference is planned for June 21-24, 2001.

British church takes steps to reverse policy on gay ministers

     (ENI) The United Reformed Church (URC) in the United 
Kingdom, which two years ago became the first mainstream British 
church to vote to accept practicing homosexuals into the 
ministry, has taken steps towards reversing that policy. 

     A report said the church's assembly adopted a statement by 
the URC Mission Council saying that there "is not a sufficiently 
clear mind in the church at this time to affirm the acceptability 
of homosexual practice."

     The decision will be referred to local churches, which have 
until March 2000 to register disagreement. If not more than one-
third of churches object, it is expected to be adopted as church 
policy. 

     The assembly also approved a related measure to suspend 
Resolution 19, which was passed at the 1997 assembly. That 
resolution allowed, as an interim policy, openly gay candidates 
to be accepted for ministerial training and endorsed the right of 
local churches in the URC to call practicing homosexuals as 
ministers if they wished to do so.

     Tony Burnham, URC general secretary, said: "This has been a 
long and admittedly difficult process for the church, and I 
believe the current proposal offers a way forward. It will come 
as a great relief when this single issue, important though it is, 
no longer overshadows the many vital initiatives the church is 
taking in the field of mission."

     Ian Buist, secretary of the URC caucus of the Lesbian and 
Gay Christian Movement, called the assembly decision "deeply 
flawed and divisive." It "passes judgment on all gay people, not 
just church members," he said.

     "The testimonies that we have offered in our life and 
worship have been ignored and set at naught. They have been 
despised and rejected. The statement claims to affirm and welcome 
those of a lesbian and gay orientation, but not if they fullfil 
that orientation in practice, even within permanent unions," he 
added.

     He described the deadline of March 2000 for churches to 
enter objections to the decision as "ridiculous," adding that 
"there is no way churches can absorb and catch up with all the 
work that has been done within that time."

Convocation of Churches in Europe ordains German

     (ENS) On June 7, at St. Augustine of Canterbury Church, in 
Wiesbaden, Dr. Hanns Engelhardt made history as the first German 
ordained as deacon in the Convocation of American Churches in 
Europe.

     Congregants of St. Augustine and 20 members of the Anglican 
Episcopal congregation in Karlsruhe, founded by Engelhardt in 
1994, were witnesses to this milestone service performed by 
Bishop Jeffery Rowthorn, bishop-in-charge of the Convocation.

     The Rev. Karl Bell, rector of St. Augustine, described 
Engelhardt as a devoted layman of the church. He said as 
Engelhardt anticipated retirement from his position as a Supreme 
Court justice, he began to explore the requirements that would 
permit him to be ordained in the church.

     Raised in the Evangelical (United) Church in Germany, 
Engelhardt was attracted to Anglicanism at St. Christopher's 
Church (now Christ the King) in Frankfurt during the sixties.  
Since 1969, he has been licensed as a lay assistant, then lay 
reader at the various congregations in both the Church of England 
chaplaincies and American Episcopal Churches where he has resided 
in Germany.  Appointed as lay pastoral leader of the congregation 
in Karlsruhe in 1996, Engelhardt initiated Anglican services on 
Easter Sunday, 1999, in Baden Baden for the first time in over 60 
years. 

     Engelhardt is a member of several legal and religious 
organizations and recently helped write the constitution of the 
Council of Anglican Episcopal Churches in Germany, a formal 
organization of the Church of England and American Episcopal 
congregations based in Germany.

Mothers' Union makes history -- new chief executive is a man

     (ACNS) The Mothers' Union, an organization with a strong 
commitment to social issues in the United Kingdom and throughout 
the developing world, recently announced the appointment of Reg 
Bailey as its chief executive,

     Bailey is the first man to hold this position in the 
Mothers' Union's 120-year history, marking a significant 
milestone for the organization as it adapts to the challenges and 
opportunities of the new millennium.

     Some of Bailey's tasks will be the coordination of the work 
that will take the million-member organization (across 54 
countries) into the next century. He will also help shape its 
role on the global stage as an organization committed to advocacy 
and change.

     "I'm looking forward to joining the challenge of taking the 
Mothers' Union into the next millennium. I'm fully committed to 
the family values that the Society promotes internationally. My 
vision for the future is to build upon the successful and 
empowering work that the Mothers' Union is engaged in worldwide, 
whilst ensuring that we continue to have a relevant place in 
contemporary society," he said.

     Christine Eames, president of the Mothers' Union, said that, 
"Reg will be bringing his considerable leadership experience and 
expertise of managing dynamic and successful organizations. The 
Mothers' Union is committed to equality of opportunity for men 
and women as we aim to take the values of Christian family life 
into the next millennium. Our belief in the nurturing of the next 
generation and working in our communities demands the skills of 
all whom support our aims. As a woman's organization we recognize 
that family life is not just a woman's issue."

WCC visits churches in the Democratic Republic of Congo 

     (WCC) The July 4-11 visit to the Democratic Republic of 
Congo by Dr. Konrad Raiser, general secretary of the World 
Council of Churches (WCC), and leaders of the All Africa 
Conference of Churches (AACC) was hailed as positive. 

     This was the first time in African church history that 
leaders of the two organizations made a joint visit to an African 
country and its churches.

     Raiser said he and an ecumenical delegation had been able to 
discuss the challenges that lie ahead for the churches in 
rebuilding social and political life in the country. He said, it 
was clear in conversations with representatives of the Church of 
Christ in Congo, that much was expected of ecumenical 
organizations like the WCC and the AACC and that "the Congolese 
churches look to the WCC and the AACC for support."

     In addition, Raiser said, the Congolese churches are 
actively tackling the essential tasks of national rehabilitation 
and reconstruction in a cooperative way, and are planning to set 
up a "round table" that will "create the conditions for 
international relief measures by the churches."

     He described the conversation with Laurent Kabila, Congo's 
head of state, as "open and nuanced." During a 45-minute 
interview, Kabila had expressed his hopes for a lasting cease-
fire. Raiser noted the fact that Kabila sent the draft of the 
ceasefire agreement to various social groups for their reactions, 
even before its signing.

     Another promising element, Raiser commented, was the call 
for a national debate on the restructuring of the country.

Bessette/Kennedy memorial held at Christ Church Greenwich

     (ENS) On Saturday, July 24, a memorial service was held to 
celebrate the life of Lauren Bessette and remembered and honored 
her sister Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and brother-in-law John F. 
Kennedy, Jr.

     More than 500 invited guests attended the service at Christ 
Church, in Greenwich.

     The Rev. Jeffrey Walker, rector of Christ Church, and the 
Rev. Dr. Ralph Ahlberg, pastor emeritus of the Roundhill 
Community Church in Greenwich, officiated, and the Rev. Hugh W. 
Tudor-Foley participated in the service. Prior to his retirement, 
Ahlberg was pastor to the family.

     The service was an ecumenical one, but grounded in the 
Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.

     Christ Church was chosen because close friends of the 
Bessette family were parishioners.

Angola will be missionary diocese in Southern Africa

     (ACNS) The Synod of the Anglican Church of the Province of 
Southern Africa unanimously voted July 17 to create a new 
missionary diocese of Angola in response to requests from 
Anglicans in the country and to celebrate an amazing pattern of 
growth. Bishop Denis Sengulane of Mozambique reviewed for the 
meeting the history of the wounded people in the war-torn country 
and how, eight years ago, the church in Angola sought episcopal 
oversight and collegiality with the Anglican Communion.

     "The church continues to grow in spite of political 
complexities," the bishop said, adding that the church has sought 
to remain neutral in the political conflict. Yet he called on all 
political leaders to work for the "full fruition of peace," 
arguing that "a call for peace is another part of our 
responsibility."

     Beginning with a membership of about 9,000 eight years ago, 
the church now as about 26,000 members with 27 priests, 11 
deacons, 158 evangelists and 140 catechists.

     The Rev. Carlos Matsinhe of Lebombo said during the debate 
that incorporating Angola as a missionary diocese will bring us 
"much closer to the suffering people of Angola and a wonderful 
opportunity for mission." Someone else pointed out that the 
Angolans have "a hunger to belong to a family." 

     Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, adopting the general theme 
of  "Journey to Wholeness," told the meeting that "we have not 
lived well with our differences. We have allowed them to form the 
basis for exclusion, prejudice and intolerance." He challenged 
the church to "learn how to celebrate the wealth of difference 
that God has created."

     He added, "We have considered some of the challenges and 
threats to our wholeness--threats posed by poverty, violence and 
prejudice." And it is time to "look for ways to allow our 
diversity to mirror the divine diversity, rather than allow our 
diversity to divide us from ourselves and one another."

Friends of Canterbury supported by new organization

     (ENS) A new international organization to support Canterbury 
Cathedral in England, the mother church of Anglicanism, has been 
formed, succeeding the Canterbury Cathedral Trust in America that 
was formed in 1982. 

     A new five-person American council of Friends of Canterbury 
will be under the leadership of the Rev. John Harper,

     former rector of St. John's Church of Lafayette Square in 
Washington, D.C. who has been instrumental in raising $2 million 
for the new Education Center adjacent to the cathedral.

     The organization serves as a contact in the United States, 
helping to organize trips and to assist in fundraising. Members 
receive regular information on the cathedral and its mission and 
are eligible to join special pilgrimage tours led by the dean.

Presbyterians vote to continue dialogue on homosexuality

     (ENS) The 211th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church 
(USA) approved a minority vote calling for two years of study and 
discussion on whether to ordain practicing homosexual persons as 
ministers, elders or deacons. Commissioners rejected a majority 
report from its committee on church orders and ministry that 
would have approved deleting a provision that requires fidelity 
in marriage or chastity in singleness. Such decisions require the 
approval of a majority of the church's 173 presbyteries. Those 
arguing for the minority report said that it provided "the quiet 
time that we need for civilized and thoughtful discussion, 
listening respectfully to one another, when we are not under the 
threat of having to vote on something, and maintaining our 
historic standard against behavior that is contrary to Scripture, 
contrary to order, contrary to tradition, contrary to our 
constitution."