Idowu-Fearon Speaks Up

From The Living Church, 11 Apr. 2016

The Anglican Communion secretary general has denounced accusations of interference in whether Church of Kenya would send a delegation to the 16th Anglican Consultative Council.

The Most. Rev. Josiah Idowu-Fearon called the accusations, reported by George Conger in Anglican Ink, “scurrilous” and “made in a manner against all biblical principles of appropriate behavior.”

The Most Rev. Eliud Wabukala, primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya, had announced that his province would boycott the ACC Meeting because of concern that ACC leaders would not sufficiently enforce the consequences requested by the January Primates’ Meeting. A letter appeared briefly on the Anglican Church of Kenya’s website that said Archbishop Wabukala had reversed his position.

Iduwu-Fearon Hails Task Force

From The Living Church, 11 Apr. 2016

LUSAKA, Zambia — The Episcopal Church will take additional steps to respect the consciences of those who disagree with same-sex marriage, and the Anglican Covenant is far from dead, the Most Rev. Joshua Idowu-Fearon told delegates to the Anglican Consultative Council today in Lusaka.
Archbishop Idowu-Fearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, addressed both topics extensively in a report of his work since he began in this role several months ago.

The archbishop said he had recently visited the United States to participate in the consecrations of the Rt. Rev. Peter Eaton, Bishop of Southeast Florida, and the Rt. Rev. George Sumner, Bishop of Dallas. He also was the keynote speaker at a mission conference in the Diocese of Connecticut, which the Rt. Rev. Ian Douglas, one of the Episcopal Church’s ACC delegates, serves as bishop.

The archbishop said he met with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry to discuss the situation of those remaining within the Episcopal Church who reject General Convention’s recent decision to authorize the blessing of same-sex marriages.

5000 Celebrate in Zambia

LUSAKA, Zambia — Amid pounding African drums, Archbishop Justin Welby opened the 16th Anglican Consultative Council with a festival Eucharist on the grounds of Holy Cross Cathedral. About 5,000 Anglicans from the Province of Central Africa’s four nations, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, gathered for the service.

Most wore the uniforms of church societies and guilds. The service, which lasted about four and a half hours, included grand processions, multiple performances by choirs, brass bands, and praise groups, a sermon by Archbishop Welby, and greetings from Zambia’s president, Edward Chagwa Lungu.

ACC Hears Reports of Crises

From The Living Church, 9 Apr 2016.

LUSAKA, Zambia — The deep needs of local churches and opportunities for joint action across the Anglican Communion were topics of discussion by the Anglican Consultative Council. Evangelization, discipleship, the worldwide migration crisis, climate change, and violence were identified as urgent global issues.

The Rev. Philip Groves, director of the Anglican Communion’s Continuing Indaba project, led the exercise. Participants reflected in small groups on the Five Marks of Mission developed by the ACC, and to discuss needs and priorities that are emerging in their local contexts.

Applause for a Notion

From The Living Church, 8 Apr. 2016

LUSAKA, Zambia — The first day of the 16th Anglican Consultative Council focused on “establishing the ACC Community,” with discussion of the recent Primates’ Gathering, a dramatic reading of the Book of Ruth, and the joyful song of a local church choir.

“The cathedral and diocese have been praying for you; not just for this conference, but for unity in the church,” said the Very Rev. Charles Thomas, dean of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka. “The world is watching. The world is waiting.”

Youth Celebrate Creation

From The Living Church, 7 Apr. 2016

LUSAKA, Zambia — Solar energy, green manure, tree planting, and forcing extension agents to get out from behind their desks to serve the people will all be in the future of “Green Anglicanism.”
That’s the word of young Anglicans from across Central and Southern Africa at a conference held in conjunction with this week’s opening of the Anglican Consultative Council.

“Young Green Anglicans: Intentional Discipleship and Climate Change” drew 75 youth from South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Angola, Mozambique, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe for a three-day conference at Lusaka’s Marian Shrine Retreat Center.

The coup

“But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than human authority.’”  Acts 5:29

There are a few Sundays a year when it would be nice if the lectionary creators had lined up our Scripture lessons in chronological order. Today would be one of them. We started with a story from the early church, then moved to a vision of the last days and then back to one of Jesus’ first resurrection appearances: that’s enough time travel to make Marty McFly’s head spin.

So let’s start again, and tell the story in order this time.  It begins with the disciples, hiding that first Easter evening in a locked upper room. They were terrified, confused, grieving, and lost. They were afraid of those who held the power, especially the temple authorities who had handed Jesus over to be crucified, and who might have them next on their list. They were still mourning Jesus’ death and the way that it had dashed all their hopes.  They were confused about the events of the morning: an empty tomb, a vision of angels, maybe Magdalene had even seen the Lord.  But what did it all mean?  Where was Jesus?  When would they see Him again, and what would He think of them?  What comes next?