| Friday 4th July, 2008 You are here: Home - 4th July 2008 Index Page |
Front Page
Bishops’ Listening Process and Hard Gospel Project
challenged by ‘Changing Attitude’ official
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| Revd Mervyn Kingston |
A co-founder and the Secretary of Changing Attitude Ireland, the Revd Mervyn Kingston, has expressed trenchant criticisms of the bishops’ Listening Process regarding gay and lesbian people in the Church, and has voiced similar criticisms of the Hard Gospel Project’s dealing with the subject. Full Text
Hard Gospel Project responds to Changing Attitude Ireland
The following statement was made to the Gazette by the Hard Gospel Project Director, the Revd Earl Storey, in response to comments from the Secretary of Changing Attitude Ireland, the Revd Mervyn Kingston. Full Text
Editorial
FCLM And ICC/IICM
It is surprising that the President of the Irish Council of Churches, the Revd Tony Davidson (Letter, page 7), in responding to the Gazette’s 13th June lead story on the relationship between the Four Church Leaders’ Meeting (FCLM - Church of Ireland, Methodist, Presbyterian and Roman Catholic) and the established ecumenical structures (the 16-member denomination Irish Council of Churches/Inter-Church Meeting - ICC/IICM), does not give greater weight to what senior figures in a whole series of ICC member- Churches told us. Full Text
Home News
Church must stop using language of ‘decline and despair’
- Bishop Abernethy tells Synod
By Karen Bushby
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Members of Connor Synod enjoy a light moment before their evening meal |
The Church of Ireland has much to do to break down the walls and barriers of deep and painful division, the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Revd Alan Abernethy, told the annual Diocesan Synod which met recently in St Brigid’s parish church, Glengormley. Stating that the Belfast in which he grew up had not been as segregated as it was today, Bishop Abernethy told over 350 Synod members that society in this post-peace process period was more polarised than ever.
Mothers’ Union meeting focuses on parenting programme
Mothers’ Union (MU) Parenting Group Facilitators from five northern dioceses recently met in Omagh with their Diocesan Presidents and Action and Outreach Coordinators to share good practice, review resources and explore contacts they had made with their communities.
New parish centre opened in Cork Diocese
By Sam Wynn
The parishioners of the Carrigrohane union of parishes, Diocese of Cork, recently celebrated the official opening of their new Parish Centre. The old church hall has been renovated and extended over the last year and the opening provided an opportunity for parishioners to thank all those who had worked on the project, as well as all the parish volunteers who had given so much in the planning and practical work.
Greenisland parish opens charity shop in aid of African charity
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Tony Jones (left) and John Milliken serving in the African Child Ministries shop in Carrickfergus |
Greenisland parish church, Newtownabbey, Diocese of Connor, has opened a new charity shop in the centre of Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, which, it is hoped, will make a difference to young lives in Africa. All profits from the African Child Ministries food store in West Street will go directly to the Masai area of Kenya.
See House Visit
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The Mayor of Portlaoise, Cllr Rotimi Adebari (centre), with the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd John Neill (left), and the Revd Obinna Ulogwara, Diocesan Chaplain to the International Community, during the Mayor’s recent courtesy visit to the Archbishop in the See House.
Institution
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The Revd John McClenaghan (left) seen after his institution as rector of Keady, Armaghbreague and Derrynoose, Diocese of Armagh, with Archbishop Alan Harper and Canon William Adair (preacher).
Celebration of 85 years of ordained ministry
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On St Peter’s Day, the Ven. Clayton Stevenson, former rector of St Nicholas’, Belfast, and Archdeacon of Connor, celebrated 60 years of ordination, and his son, Leslie, rector of Portarlington, Diocese of Kildare, celebrated 25 years of ordination. Pictured (above) following a thanksgiving service of Holy Communion in St Polycarp’s, Finaghy, Belfast, are (front row, from left) the Revd Clifford Skillen, rector of Finaghy; the Revd Leslie Stevenson; the Ven. Clayton Stevenson (back row, from left) Bishop Samuel Poyntz, celebrant; Canon James Hall, former rector of Finaghy; and Bishop Richard Clarke, preacher.
Welcome Service
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The Revd Lesley Robinson, priest-in-charge of the Roscrea group of parishes, Diocese of Killaloe, with her parents, Herbert and Gladys Gill, following Mrs Robinson’s recent welcome service in St Cronan’s church, Roscrea.
World News
Bishop Nazir-Ali to boycott Lambeth Conference as ‘matter of conscience’
The Rt Revd Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, has said that he will not attend the Lambeth Conference this month as a "matter of conscience", rather than as a challenge to the 77 million-strong Anglican Communion.
Representatives of the world’s main religions to discuss world poverty
High ranking representatives of the world’s main religions are to gather in Japan to discuss world poverty, climate change and violence in advance of the 7th-9th July meeting, in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo, of leaders of the Group of Eight industrial nations.
Church groups urge international action on Zimbabwe
Leaders of international Christian organizations have urged the international community to increase its efforts to address the "rapidly deteriorating situation" in Zimbabwe. "It is essential that the international community reaffirms the integrity of democratic elections as the means by which Zimbabwean citizens choose their leaders," the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) have said in a joint letter to the United Nations, the South African Development Community and the African Union.
Anglicans encouraged to study with their bishops
Anglicans around the world have a unique opportunity for Bible study with their bishops during the Lambeth Conference. ‘Signs on the Way’ - focusing on St John’s Gospel and complementing the Bible studies in which the bishops and their spouses will take part during the Lambeth Conference - is now available on the web.
Letters to the Editor
Insight I
Gay clergy in the Church of Ireland
By Mervyn Kingston
Developments within both the Anglican Communion and wider society are working to increase the visibility of gay and lesbian clergy and to change their status within the Church of Ireland. Dioceses of the Episcopal Church in North America and of the Church of England have for decades accepted openly gay and lesbian clergy, including partnered gay and lesbian clergy. Full Text
Insight II
Bishops’ Appeal allocations cover wide range of projects
By Martin O’Connor
The Bishops’ Appeal Advisory Committee meets six times a year - in January, March, April, June, September and October. The Committee decides on funding applications received at all meetings, other than the January one, which is reserved for reviewing the previous year and looking forward to issues that might arise during the incoming one. The latest meeting was held on 16th June and the following projects were approved for funding.
Soap
By Ted Woods
Jonathan Cooper was finding it hard to keep his head upright. The weight of hands seemed to press him down. The encircling vestments were making him claustrophobic. He was being priested! Unlike being made a deacon, when there were only the bishop’s hands on the candidate’s head, all the priests present joined in the laying-on of hands for the ordination of a priest.
Popular Culture
Snapshots from Colombia
The poor tell us who we are, The prophets tell us who we could be, So we hide the poor, And kill the prophets. - Phil Berrigan
I’m sitting at the Juan Valdez café at the Museo Botero in Bogota, Colombia, as the late afternoon rain washes away the city’s residual pollution, watched over by the imposing mountain-top church of Monserratte de Cerro, whose enormous Christ statue seems to want to let the people in on a secret.
Life Lines
The Year of Living Biblically
In my previous column, I wrote about one way in to the Old Testament for any readers who want to get to know it better, but are fearful about how and where to start. But assuming that those so inclined are now doing swimmingly with the Book of Ruth, there are still some hurdles to be jumped.
Yours Faithfully
Stewards of the voice
The man who came to stay complained about the birds. He said they woke him up well before dawn peached the skies. And, he reminded us, his bedroom faced East. You could tell he took it personally. He had important meetings in the university, so he needed to be up and at ’em, firing on all cylinders. Impossible after such a disturbed night. He hadn’t thought to pack sleeping pills. He had an overactive brain, was sensitive to noise, but everyone had told him how quiet the West of Ireland was.
News Extra
Standing Committee News
The Standing Committee of the General Synod met in Dublin on 17th June. In opening the meeting, Archbishop Alan Harper welcomed the Very Revd Chris Peters, Dean of Ross, to his first meeting of Standing Committee. Dean Peters is a clerical representative for Cork, Cloyne and Ross, following the election of Archdeacon Robin Bantry White as clerical Honorary Secretary to General Synod for the Southern Province. The Archbishop also welcomed the new Church of Ireland Press Officer, Paul Harron, to his new post. Archbishop Harper paid sincere thanks to Dr Adrian Empey, retiring Principal of the Theological College, expressing good wishes for the future to him and Mrs Empey.
Closer FCLM work with ICC/IICM would be beneficial - Salvation Army leader
Following our report of 13th June on the relationship between the Irish Council of Churches/ Inter-Church Meeting (ICC/ IICM) and the Four Church Leaders’ Meeting (FCLM), the Divisional Commander of the Salvation Army in Ireland, Major David Jackson, has commented to the Gazette on the subject.
Appointments