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[Episcopal News Service] East Tennessee Bishop Brian Cole and ecumenical faith leaders from across the South gathered Sept. 30 for an event in Knoxville to express their support for immigrant families living in fear of the Trump administration’s push for mass deportations. The event was part of a regional gathering, “Deepening Our Moral Witness,” hosted by the Roman Catholic dioceses of Knoxville and Lexington and convened by the Catholic Immigrant Prophetic Action Project. Faith leaders from Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama and West Virginia participated on the steps of the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “Increasingly, fear and chaos and brutality appear to be the point in immigration policy,” Cole said, according to a news release. “God has made us all, and we all belong to each other.” Read the full news release here.

[Episcopal News Service] The Diocese of Northern Indiana Standing Committee has released a lengthy statement outlining the reasons the diocese in November 2025 decided against pursuing a merger, or reunion, with the Diocese of Indianapolis, saying the decision “came from a renewed understanding of our own identity.” No single factor led to the “no” vote at the diocesan convention last year, the standing committee said on Oct. 1. The Diocese of Indianapolis also voted against a merger after three years of talks, though both dioceses said they intended to “continue and expand this Season of Collaboration.” “Several themes emerged” during the discernment process, the Northern Indiana standing committee said. “Many people expressed a desire for a more compelling vision of what a reunited diocese would become. … Though leadership was asked many times for reasons for ‘why reunify,’ no sufficient or convincing answers were given by leadership.” The standing committee did not specify which leaders it was referencing. The standing committee also cited practical concerns, such as preserving ministries that have long been part of the diocese’s identity, as well as uncertainty about how Northern Indiana congregations and members would be represented in a combined diocesan structure. “Despite sincere efforts by leaders in both dioceses, we have not yet built the depth of relationships that many believed would be necessary to support such a significant step,” the standing committee said in its Oct. 1 statement. As the diocese prepares for its next convention on Nov. 7, it also has begun discernment about the role of diocesan bishop. Bishop Douglas Sparks announced in February that he intended to retire in August 2027. “Working with the leadership of our diocese, we will consider whether to elect the next and ninth bishop of Northern Indiana or, because we are serious about continuing to consider the possibility of reunification with our siblings in Indianapolis, to call for the election of a bishop provisional until that decision is made,” Sparks said in his February message. The two dioceses in the state of Indiana had announced in January 2023 that they were launching a process to discern whether to reunify as one statewide diocese. That process coincided with several other examples of dioceses considering new partnership models as churchwide Episcopal leaders called for new approaches to addressing denominational decline. In Wisconsin, the state’s three Episcopal dioceses reunited as one in 2024. Also, that year, the dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan agreed to a juncture and combined as the Diocese of the Great Lakes. And in Pennsylvania, the dioceses of Central Pennsylvania and Bethlehem completed their merger at the beginning of 2026 to become the Diocese of the Susquehanna. Similar conversations about cross-diocesan collaboration had been underway since 2018 in the dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York. Though a merger was never openly considered, the two dioceses in April 2019 began sharing a bishop and combining some administrative and ministry functions. In 2025, the two dioceses decided to part ways rather than maintain their six-year partnership.

As Canada marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 6 this year, Archbishop Chris Harper reflects on the fragility of human covenants and the enduring faithfulness of God’s promises.

The post Standing on the promises that cannot fail appeared first on Anglican Church of Canada.

This story was originally published by Vanguard Law Magazine on September 21, 2026. You can find the original version here. Alina Marquez Reynolds had just completed her first year of law school when she walked into the Kings County District Attorney’s office for a summer internship and felt something click into place. She was assigned to work alongside prosecutors trying real ...

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The post CWS General Counsel Alina Marquez Reynolds: The Legal Foundation for a Mission of Compassion appeared first on CWS.

The Very Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy, 37th Moderator, is one of eight Canadians to be recognized for excellence and achievement benefitting the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is recognized for… continue readingcontinue reading

The Trump administration’s indefinite refugee ban, stop work orders and prolonged delays in reimbursement for resettlement agencies have had a devastating impact on tens of thousands of refugee families and communities across the country and around the world. Welcome to the latest edition of State of Play from Church World Service. This resource will provide regular updates from the CWS ...

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The post Daily State of Play: Trump’s Indefinite Refugee Ban and Funding Halt appeared first on CWS.

Make Britain hope again

A Season of Creation closing event on 4 October will prayerfully consider this year’s theme, "Living Water" (Ezekiel 47:9, 12): "Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live . . . Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing" (NRSV).

The Union for Reform Judaism today announced an evolution of its congregational strategy focused on strengthening relationships, deepening Jewish learning, and helping congregations build vibrant, resilient communities across North America.

The Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy has signed on to a letter in support of green card holders and resettled refugees, sent Sept. 30 to the secretary of Homeland Security and to the director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services.