Episcopal News Service

[Episcopal News Service] St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, a historically Black parish in Raleigh, North Carolina, will host its first Hip Hop Mass on Feb. 23 as part of its series of educational and celebratory events honoring Black History Month. “We will be bringing hip-hop – which has a tremendous influence worldwide but has not historically been a part of church worship – to the altar of God, which means a part of me and a part of many other people who were either formed by hip-hop [or] hip-hop-slash-rap is an important part of their current life,” the Rev. Jemonde Taylor, rector of St. Ambrose, told Episcopal News Service. February is Black History Month, the annual acknowledgment of Black Americans’ accomplishments and contributions, including music, to the making of the modern-day United States. The 10:15 a.m. Eastern service is scheduled to be livestreamed.  Loosely using the “Hip Hop Prayer Book” – written by the Rev. Timothy Holder, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Elizabethtown, Tennessee – as an outline, the Hip Hop Mass will follow a standard Episcopal liturgy and incorporate rapping from young adult parishioners, live music and a professional DJ. It’s intended to be both celebratory and educational. “I’ve had this question for a long time – when did Christ become not cool?” Christian Green, St. Ambrose’s music director, told ENS. “My hope is that this Hip Hop Mass can be a huge invitation to the church that magnetically draws people in, because that’s what hip-hop beats do. That’s why people blast their cars with the music any time of day when they go to places, bopping their heads and moving their bodies. Body movement is healthy, and worship doesn’t need to be stiff.” Imani Nia is a young adult spoken-word artist and parishioner of St. Ambrose who’s helping Taylor prepare the Hip Hop Mass’ sermon. She told ENS that music and musical expression are important facets of African American culture and should be included in Black History Month discussions. “When people talk about Black History Month, they tend to focus on ‘I Have a Dream,’ and the Montgomery bus boycott, but they’re focusing on the same things every year. At the end of the day, you’re not teaching anybody anything new,” Nia told ENS. “If you pull somebody over on the street and ask them what’s the first think that comes to mind when they think about African American music, they’re most likely going to say either R&B or hip-hop.” Hip-hop, formerly known as disco rap, stems from several historically African American musical genres, including funk, jazz, rock and roll, soul, scat, R&B, disco and gospel. It emerged as a music genre and culture in 1973 at a party in Bronx borough of New York City. Then-18-year-old Clive Campbell – known by his stage name DJ Kool Herc – disc jockeyed for a party his sister hosted using a self-made “breaking” technique. He’d isolate the unaccompanied rhythm section emphasizing the downbeat, or “break,” from one funk or soul record, then immediate play the break from another record and continue switching from one break to another on his two turntables. Campbell also developed a technique on his turntables where he’d loop a single break with two copies of the same record, which he referred to as a “merry-go-round.” These techniques formed the foundation of hip-hop and the art of rapping. “I remember sitting in the back of the school bus, doing Run-DMC rap, beatboxing with other people on the school bus. When I learned to drive, listening to Wu-Tang Clan and Biggie Smalls (Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G.), 2Pac on the radio and CD player, being in college and going to college parties with hip hop music,” Taylor said. Hip-hop has significantly evolved over the last 52 years and now includes many distinct subgenres –gangsta rap, such as “Who Shot Ya?” by the Notorious B.I.G.; crunk, such as “What U Gon’ Do,” by Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz; political hop-hop, like N.W.A.’s famous protest song calling out police brutality toward Black and brown people, released in 1988; trap, such as “Bodak Yellow,” by Cardi B; and others. Globally, hip-hop has influenced other art and entertainment forms, fashion, language, technology and much more. St. Ambrose’s Hip Hop Mass won’t be the first of its kind at an Episcopal parish, but mixing hip-hop music with Episcopal liturgy isn’t common. In the early 2000s, Trinity Episcopal Church of Morrisania hosted annual Hip Hop Masses. Kurtis Walker, known professionally by his stage name Kurtis Blow, deejayed the 2004 worship service. Walker, best known for his song “The Breaks,” is the first rapper to sign with a major record label. The “Hip Hop Prayer Book,” originally published in 2004 by Church Publishing Inc., translated the Eucharist and Scripture using hip-hop vernacular. Everyone involved with organizing the Hip Hop Mass carefully curated the songs to showcase different eras and based on how well they mesh with liturgy. For example, the sermon will incorporate the baseline of the song “Power,” by Rapsody featuring Kendrick Lamar and Lance Skiiiwalker. “If you were to strip the music from the service, nobody would know the difference,” Taylor said. As a music genre, hip-hop has been a driving force for social change, activism and empowerment. Artists like hip-hop group Public Enemy and the late Tupac Shakur – also known by his stage name 2Pac – have used their platforms to call out systemic injustices Black Americans face, especially police brutality, mass incarceration, poverty and mental health challenges. For example, Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” which was featured in Spike Lee’s movie “Do the Right Thing,” encourages listeners to resist racial inequity and the government’s abuse of power; Shakur’s “Brenda’s Got a Baby” addresses teenage pregnancy and its damaging effects on mothers and their families. Hip-hop as a source of social justice expression made international headlines earlier this month during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, when […]

[Religion News Service] On Feb. 8, the diocesan council of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas officially welcomed Resurrection, South Austin, a church planted by the Anglican Church in North America, which itself was formed by former Episcopalians who broke away from The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada in 2009 over disagreements about marriage for same-sex couples and the ordination of women. The second ACNA parish to enter The Episcopal Church, Resurrection South Austin doesn’t represent a return to Episcopalianism: It was founded in 2015, years after the ACNA split, and only a small percentage of its congregants are former Episcopalians. This fits the profile of most in ACNA’s pews: Though data is sparse, the churches that have prospered most seem to be those founded since the split. “It would be difficult for me to name one person who had been in The Episcopal Church,” said the Rev. Shawn McCain Tirres, Resurrection South Austin’s founder and rector. That includes all of Resurrection South Austin’s clergy, he added. Like many ACNA churches, it was full of people who grew up in a conservative evangelical Christian church and sought out Anglicanism after becoming frustrated with the evangelical tradition. Over time, the parishioners began to realize that the kind of Anglicanism they wanted to practice would be a better fit in The Episcopal Church than ACNA. When the question was put to the church membership in 2023, about 120 people — 85% — voted to disaffiliate from ACNA. Some parishioners and at least one priest at Resurrection who didn’t want to join The Episcopal Church founded a new ACNA church instead, Immanuel Anglican. (Requests for comment from leadership there went unanswered.) “I’m excited,” Texas Bishop Suffragan Kai Ryan said. “They have a strong ministry in South Austin, and they gather and form people in Christian discipleship. They will bring a lot of gifts,” she added. In an essay in The Living Church, McCain Tirres cited ACNA’s “treatment of women, people of color and sexual minorities” as key reasons for moving. “And, while within contemporary Anglican politics there’s a tendency to fixate on matters of sexuality (important as they are), I want to resist this oversexualized reductionism.” In an interview, McCain Tirres further explained that his congregants “wanted rootedness and wanted to feel connected to something ancient and global” in joining the long-established form of American Anglicanism. He described the parish as “low-key high church,” which broadly refers to a greater emphasis on the Eucharist and ritual, as well as more traditional music. McCain Tirres said that for him it also means making it clear the church welcomes children and their noise and desire to wander around during the service as a blessing to the community. He said the sacramental character of The Episcopal Church has particular appeal to those who grew up in an evangelical tradition. “The good news about the sacraments is whether or not you feel it, or whether or not you believe it, God is there. That’s reassuring in a world of doubts. I don’t have to have it all together. The community holds me in faith even when my faith is shaking,” he said. But their parish isn’t just about the liturgy. Rez, as congregants call their church, is involved with El Buen Samaritano (The Good Samaritan), a Diocese of Texas ministry that provides services to the poor. As an ACNA church, McCain Tirres said, the parish felt it could not fully express its desire to serve those in need. “Reverence for God without reverence for the poor doesn’t make sense in the Christian faith,” he said. “Some of the conservative evangelicals would flag that as social justice or ‘woke.’ It transgresses something fundamental to white evangelicalism,” he said, adding that some ACNA Christians had called the parish “Marxist” or “woke.” “We’re a part of this (Episcopal) diocesan family because we found people who are doing the same things we’re doing, ministries of reconciliation without reservation,” he said. Resurrection, South Austin’s, former diocese, the Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others, declined to comment on the church’s departure. Tashara Angelle, a parishioner who is now a seminarian for the Diocese of Texas, said Resurrection’s care for the poor was what drew her. “We came because we loved Rez, and how they were seeking justice for the marginalized,” she said. Angelle, who is Black, said these concerns were central to her faith. “The Black church is very involved in social justice issues, and we knew we had to be somewhere that was a priority, and part of your faith. It’s not just Rez, but The Episcopal Church, that’s a thing they care about. There’s a very spiritual side,” she said. Over time, she said of Resurrection, “it became obvious we were moving away from the ACNA,” noting, “We felt a little bit like we were on an island.” Though the congregants didn’t know much about The Episcopal Church, she said, “There’s so much community, and it’s so stabilized, and there’s other like-minded clergy,” which was not the case in ACNA. “It feels really good to come into something that’s settled.” Having attended Church of God in Christ, Baptist and nondenominational churches, Angelle said her own spiritual path had begun to track toward Anglicanism and the priesthood after she encountered Anglican authors, such as Esau McCaulley, a Black evangelical who had become an ACNA priest. She praised McCain Tirres for supporting and developing her call to ministry, which wasn’t an option for women in the local ACNA churches. Joel Yu and his family had been Presbyterians until they began attending Resurrection about a year ago. “It’s a bit of an unexpected turn for us as a family that had been Presbyterian for a long time,” he said. “We wouldn’t have thought about being Episcopalian a few years ago, but we’re really excited.” Yu said he appreciated the episcopal, or bishop-centered, polity that gives the denomination its name. While ACNA has bishops, the denomination’s […]

[Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe announced staff cuts and the reorganization of several church departments on Feb. 20 as part of an anticipated structural realignment that eventually will reduce churchwide positions from about 143 to 110 and save an estimated $2.13 million a year in personnel costs. The announcement, including news that 14 current employees’ positions were eliminated, follows Rowe’s presentations earlier this week to Executive Council outlining the ways he hopes to reorient churchwide operations to prioritize serving dioceses and congregations. The plans were announced to continuing staff in a memo and an afternoon Zoom meeting before the public release.   In his Feb. 20 letter to the church, Rowe said these changes “will position us to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ more effectively in the world we see emerging.” The staff cuts involved “difficult decisions,” he said, though the realignment is “the first major milestone” toward strengthening church ministries at the local level. “To realize this vision, we will have to change some of our core staff priorities. In some areas, we will pivot to focusing on investing in strong diocesan programs and initiatives and making them available to the entire church,” Rowe said. “In other areas, we will be trying some experiments to see what might work in today’s church, learning from what we try, and building on what succeeds.” The lengthy announcement covered a wide range of changes in staffing, departmental organization and support for ongoing ministries. The church remains committed to church planting, Rowe said, though those efforts will be reorganized in ways he did not specify. Changes also are planned in how the church promotes evangelism and Christian formation, including through “an active partnership with Forward Movement.” And the offices of Transition Ministry and Pastoral Development will become part of a newly formed “leadership development department.” “I want to be clear that none of these changes indicate a lack of commitment to the ministries that are being reorganized,” Rowe said. “On the contrary, the data we collected over the past months from staff, Executive Council and bishops indicate that these areas of ministry are high priorities, and we want to devote resources and time to new models and opportunities to achieve our priorities.” Executive Council, the church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention, first proposed a “strategic adaptive realignment of our institutional structures” in a June 2023 resolution. The realignment also aims to achieve a financial goal identified by the 81st General Convention in June 2024, when it adopted the 2025-27 churchwide budget plan. That $143 million spending plan called for nearly $3.6 million in personnel savings over three years. The cost reductions to be achieved by Rowe’s staff realignment will not take full effect until the 2026 budget year, but the $2.13 million in annual savings are expected to exceed the goal set by General Convention. “This estimate also includes rough projected costs for positions that we know we will need to add in the coming months,” the church said in a separate FAQ document posted online with Rowe’s letter. “In some areas, we will pivot to focusing on investing in strong diocesan programs and initiatives and making them available to the entire church. In other areas, we will be trying some experiments to see what might work in today’s church, learning from what we try and building on what succeeds. Both of these new ways of working will require resources beyond the savings required by the triennial budget.” Rowe further emphasized in his letter that the goal of the realignment isn’t solely cost savings. “By identifying priorities for our work as a staff and restructuring the staff to support dioceses more fully, we believe that we can help The Episcopal Church make an even stronger and more effective witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Rowe said. The announcement did not specify which positions would be eliminated or in which departments. Instead, it provided a numerical snapshot of the staff reductions: Sixteen employees volunteered this month to participate in a retirement incentive program, offered to those who were at least 65. Fourteen additional employees were told Feb. 20 that their positions had been eliminated, and they were offered “a generous severance package and substantial outplacement program to support them as they discern their next vocational steps.” An additional 13 vacant positions will not be filled. When asked by Episcopal News Service about the departments affected by the staff cuts, a church spokesperson responded that the development, formation, pastoral development, transition ministry and church planting departments are being phased out. The restructured operations will continue to serve those ministry areas in other ways. Of the remaining churchwide staff, 17 will be invited to participate in a new employee-development program. “This is one way we hope to develop talent throughout the organization to build capacity for leadership in the years ahead,” Rowe said. He also announced three changes to his senior leadership team: Rebecca Blachly, director of the Washington, D.C.-based Office of Governmental Relations, will take on a broader role as chief of public policy witness. She will oversee global partnership, ecumenical and interreligious relations and Episcopal Migration Ministries, which laid off 22 of its 33 employees in January after President Donald Trump suspended the federal refugee resettlement program. The Rev. Charles Robertson, who previously served as canon to the presiding bishop for ministry beyond The Episcopal Church, will remain on the staff as canon and senior advisor to the presiding bishop. His priorities will include engagement with theological seminaries, assistance to the Diocese of Haiti, partnerships across the Anglican Communion and fundraising. Rowe also concluded that the canonical role of chief operating officer does not need to be filled. Jane Cisluycis, who had been serving as acting chief operating officer, will continue fulfilling many of her existing responsibilities in a newly created position, senior director of operations. In his presentations to Executive Council, Rowe identified several ways that this […]

[Episcopal News Service] Episcopalians in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia are helping to clean up the damage and assess losses after flooding hit the region for the third time in four years. Heavy flooding also occurred in 2021 and 2022. The Diocese of Lexington, which covers eastern Kentucky, has been the site of flooding before. Southeastern Kentucky experienced catastrophic flood waters in 2022, but flooding was higher in some places this year than in 2022, the Rev. Becca Kello, the diocese’s canon missioner, told Episcopal News Service. “The floods rose a little bit slower this time, so people knew more what they needed to do,” she said, helping to account for significantly fewer deaths than the 40 who died in 2022. Flooding also occurred in a different part of the diocese this year, Kello said, with Pike County among the hardest hit. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Feb. 18 announced that the death toll in that state from rain, subsequent flood waters, and then freezing temperatures and snow stands at 14 people. Three people died in West Virginia when a truck in which they were riding was swept off the road and into a nearby river. The Rev. Rob Musick is a chaplain at the University of Pikeville as well as priest-in-charge of St. James in nearby Prestonburg, Kentucky. He told ENS that while the downtown area of Pikeville was spared – thanks in large measure to a project that moved the river years ago – surrounding areas were devastated. “Water in some areas was over the tops of buildings,” he said. “It’s a total loss for some communities.” One student, who lives about an hour away in West Virginia, had water up to the roof of her house. Musick noted that during his time at the university, the region experienced significant flooding; in 2010, 2021, 2022 and again this year. With the university closed, he is leading students in cleaning out houses so people can begin to assess their losses and make plans to rebuild. Pike County is part of Kentucky Appalachia, which has suffered from poverty for generations, he said, so the option of rebuilding somewhere else isn’t available to them. Those who lived in now-destroyed mobile homes often had no flood or renters’ insurance so have lost everything without any means to replace it, he said. Luckily, Kello said, churches across the diocese appeared to be spared, although the priority for diocesan leaders has been checking on the safety of parishioners. Many people live in the valleys between Kentucky’s “hills and hollers,” she said, which puts them at greater risk as water rushes downhill. The Diocese of West Virginia, which includes the entire state, has determined that all its churches were spared but still is awaiting word on the status of the Highland Educational Project, the Rev. Jordan Trumble, canon for communications and congregational development, told ENS. The project has been an outreach ministry of the diocese for more than 70 years, she said, serving one of the poorest counties in the United States. It not only provides direct services to area residents but also hosts mission groups from across the country and is the site for a summer reading camp for children. Bishop Matthew Cowden has reported that roads in McDowell County, where the project is located, all are washed out. The diocese is working on a plan to collect and deliver supplies when the roads are open, Trumble said. In addition, several parishes are taking up their own collection of supplies for affected areas in McDowell County and surrounding areas. Some stores in that area have been flooded, and those that are open are quickly running out of supplies, she said. Like eastern Kentucky, West Virginia is mountainous, with towns built at the foot of the hills. That means, Trumble said, that when rain falls and rivers rise, people always are at risk. And this winter has been an especially wet one, with January snow followed by recent rains, and then more snow. The Ven. Josh Saxe, archdeacon for community resilience and disaster response ministries, is leading the diocese’s recovery efforts, Trumble said, adding that previous work in helping church communities develop resiliency in the face of natural disasters has paid off this week. The diocese also has been working with Episcopal Relief & Development to help provide funds to affected areas, and it also is collecting money through its website. “We are continuing to assess needs and plan for long-term recovery in these areas,” Trumble said. Lexington’s Kello said that residents of these areas understand what it’s like to live there, but life has become much harder with what she called mega-climate events occurring more often. “People are capable of navigating floods,” she said, “but not these kinds of floods.” — Melodie Woerman is an Episcopal News Service freelance reporter based in Kansas.

[Episcopal News Service] Russia’s unprovoked invasion of its neighbor Ukraine is three years old this month, and Russian aggression dates back more than a decade to 2014, when Russia sent troops into the Ukrainian region of Crimea and said it was annexing the territory, in violation of international law. Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine has been devastating for the people of Ukraine, who have lived under constant threat of Russian bombardment and, in eastern regions, of Russian occupation. “The large-scale destruction and interruption of power and water supplies throughout the country will likely worsen the living conditions for millions of Ukrainians through a third winter of war,” the United Nations said in an October 2024 update. It also has been deadly for both sides. Ukraine reported a death toll of 43,000 soldiers as of December 2024. On the Russian side, 172,000 troops had been killed as of early January, according to one estimate. Verifying such estimates has been a challenge for independent observers and news outlets covering the war. The Trump administration recently began what it said were negotiations with Russia to end the war, without including Ukraine in those talks, and President Donald Trump falsely claimed that Ukraine was to blame for Russia’s war. Since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 — and even before that attack — The Episcopal Church and its leaders have spoken out several times to condemn the Russian aggression and offer support for the Ukrainian people. Here are seven examples. January 2022: Executive Council adopts statement “Executive Council expresses grave concern about the escalation of tensions and military buildup along the border of Russia and Ukraine, and denounces any invasion which would cause great suffering and harm. … Executive Council condemns the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and laments the harms caused to that population and to all Ukrainians.” March 2022: House of Bishops condemns Russian invasion “We are gathered at a moment of profound jeopardy to the principles of international law and peace. As we meet and pray together as a House of Bishops, Ukraine — an independent, sovereign nation that has posed no threat to others beyond its borders — has been invaded by military forces of Russia, without provocation and without justification.” March 2022: Presiding Bishop Michael Curry supports Ukraine “[Ukrainians] have a right to defend their freedom and to protect it, and the rest of the world’s got to do whatever it can not to precipitate a worse war that will engulf the whole world, but to do everything possible to stand for human rights and decency. That’s not utopian thinking,” Curry, then the church’s presiding bishop, told Episcopal News Service. March 2022: Anglican Primates’ Meeting backs Ukraine in communiqué  “We are particularly aware of the humanitarian crisis and other catastrophic effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We call for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. We know, from our experience in the different parts of the world we are from, that conflict causes lasting damage. The longer a war goes on, the longer it takes to heal shattered relationships and bring about reconciliation.” July 2022: 80th General Convention adopts Ukraine resolution “Resolved, that the 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church condemn the aggression launched by the Russian Federation on the sovereign and independent nation of Ukraine on February 24, 2022; and be it further resolved that this convention call on the leaders of the Russian Federation and its supporters to cease their aggression and enter immediately into good-faith negotiations in which Ukraine’s sovereignty and security are assured and call those among the nations of the world who may have the capacity to influence the choices made by those directing this war urgently to do so.” February 2023: Episcopal Church issues statement after year of war “Thousands of people have died, with many more being injured or displaced as a result of this war. We lament the loss of life and the human suffering this conflict has caused.” June 2024: 81st General Convention adopts Ukraine resolution General Convention called “for the Russian Federation to end its attacks in Ukraine, and for a just peace to be negotiated respecting all of Ukraine’s pre-2014 territory as recognized by international law.”

[The Catholic Diocese of Westminster] Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell has written to Cardinal Vincent Nichols, archbishop of Westminster, expressing his prayers, along with those of many faithful Anglicans, for the health of Pope Francis during his period of hospitalization. The text of Cottrell’s letter follows. My dear brother in Christ, I wanted to be in touch, given the continued news about the Pope’s health. This comes to assure you and the faithful of the Roman Catholic Church, of my prayers and those of many faithful Anglicans for the health of Pope Francis during this period of hospitalization; we are praying for a good and swift recovery, for his comfort and peace, and also for all those who tend to him and minister to him. I was present in Rome at the recent Ecumenical Vespers, over which His Holiness presided, and he reminded those in S. Paul’s Outside the Walls that hope lies at the heart of the Gospel, the ecumenical endeavor, and this Jubilee year. And so we continue to pray that His Holiness might be nourished by the hope of the Gospel and know the love and healing of Our Lord Jesus Christ in these days and the days ahead. This comes with my warm fraternal greetings. As ever, Archbishop Stephen Cottrell Archbishop of York

[Church of England] The General Synod of the Church of England has voted to strengthen the role of young adults in shaping the church’s future, passing a motion to embed their voices more systematically in national decision-making. The motion, brought by the National Society for Education, will establish a group of up to 200 young adults, ages 18-25, from across all dioceses. These young people will contribute directly to Synod’s discussions through surveys, reports and presentations. Up to five representatives from the group will attend each Synod session, ensuring that young adults’ perspectives are heard in a structured and sustained way. The initiative also seeks to encourage more young adults to stand for election to Synod in the future. The decision builds on previous commitments made in July 2023, when Synod called for greater engagement with children and young people. Following that resolution, initial funding was secured through the Archbishops’ Council to support this work. This latest step affirms the church’s commitment to becoming “younger and more diverse,” embedding young adults’ voices at the heart of its governance. Kenson Li, who moved the motion on behalf of the National Society, said, “This motion is really about encouraging everyone to be intentional about listening and learning from our younger brothers and sisters wherever we encounter them. But it is first and foremost an encouragement to the young people outside this chamber; with this motion we are saying to them: we need you, we need your voice, we want to be challenged about the assumptions we make here in your absence, and most importantly, we need to hear your voice because we cannot understand the church’s mission without you. “We hope that this space will enable each participant to deepen their Christian discipleship, a space for sharing spiritual gifts; it is about creating cross-cultural encounters and journeying together. This is why we will be intentional in including young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, ethnic minority groups, those who are disabled, those who are neurodiverse, and those from LGBTQIA+ communities. “I hope that through this process, more young people will see themselves as belonging here in this chamber, and that a change of culture and perception will mean more of them will be elected to Synod in their own right in the next quinquennium.” The bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt. Rev. Jonathan Frost, who chairs the National Society, added, “We must create space … where profoundly different, unheard or unrepresented voices can emerge beyond our cherished echo chambers. “We need their voices now; to be the whole body of Christ, discerning Christ’s way for us together, not just in the future, but today. “The proposal being co-created will provide a structured, supportive and safeguarded way for young people to express their views, navigate the complexities of synods, and, I trust and pray, become those who will serve in synod in the years ahead. “As a diocesan bishop, I’m already making a note of those I should encourage to step forward, and I will be asking my fellow bishops to do the same!” The group of young adults will meet regularly, with at least one in-person gathering per year and additional online meetings. Their contributions to Synod will be carefully planned in collaboration with the Business Committee, ensuring a well-structured and meaningful engagement with national discussions. The initiative will be overseen by the National Society for Education, working in partnership with national church teams to ensure safeguarding, leadership development and structured engagement. The newly formed group will be drawn from across all dioceses, with up to 200 participants meeting each term to discuss issues affecting the church. Up to five young adult representatives from the group will contribute to Synod sessions, ensuring their perspectives inform key debates and decisions. An amendment brought by Clare Williams of Norwich was carried, which added encouragement to link the new plans to opportunities for those under the age of 18 to have their voices heard. The motion was passed overwhelmingly by a show of hands. The Church of England remains committed to fostering a “younger and more diverse” church and hopes the initiative will encourage more young adults to stand for election to Synod in future years.

[Episcopal News Service] The Rt. Rev. Mark Bourlakas, who has been bishop of the Roanoke-based Diocese of Southwestern Virginia since 2013, has announced that he is leaving to become an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Virginia. Virginia Bishop E. Mark Stevenson announced that Bourlakas would begin work on June 1 and will have an office in The Falls Church, west of Arlington. The diocese’s headquarters is in Richmond. Stevenson also said Bourlakas will join him and Assistant Bishop Gayle Harris in providing general support across the diocese but more specifically would work with the diocese’s Office of Congregational Vitality. Bourlakas said he has met with Southwestern Virginia’s chancellor and diocesan staff, as well as with the members of the Standing Committee. That body will be responsible for overseeing the diocese after the bishop leaves and for preparing for the election of Bourlakas’ successor. He also said he had several conversations with Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, who in a statement called Bourlakas “a valued colleague in the House of Bishops” and noted that the diocese “is poised to go from strength to strength in this time of transition and discernment.”

[Episcopal News Service – Linthicum Heights, Maryland] Executive Council has talked of a “strategic adaptive realignment” of The Episcopal Church’s operations at least as far back as June 2023. This week, the council got its first substantive look at how those changes will be implemented under the new leadership of Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe. Dioceses will be offered greater support in responding to Title IV clergy disciplinary complaints, Rowe told Executive Council at its meeting this week. He also aims to help dioceses conduct more effective and timely bishop searches. The church’s Office of Communication will assist locally with digital evangelism and, as needed, with crisis communications. A team of church leaders will begin rethinking how best to convene General Convention, the church’s triennial gathering and its primary governing body. And under the realignment, various churchwide departments will be “unified” into two divisions, one focused on racial, social and environmental justice programs and the other coordinating the church’s witness to the wider world – with both divisions prioritizing support for the work of dioceses and congregations. “We’re investing in creating a more unified structure for this work,” Rowe told Executive Council during its morning session Feb. 18. “The Episcopal Church has a unique opportunity and a voice in this particular time, but it has to be strategic and streamlined, carefully planned.” Executive Council met here Feb. 17-19 at the Maritime Conference Center in suburban Baltimore, with some members participating remotely via Zoom. As presiding bishop, Rowe chairs Executive Council, while House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris serves as vice chair. Rowe was joined in the Feb. 18 presentation by representatives from Compass, a consulting firm that was hired to help develop and facilitate a realignment plan. It has spent the past four months surveying the churchwide staff, department heads, the House of Bishops and Executive Council to collect and analyze the data that now is informing the planned changes. Rowe and other churchwide leaders did not reveal yet what those changes will mean for individual church employees, though the presentation’s outlines and summaries suggest The Episcopal Church could be poised to transform significantly how it coordinates program, operations and ministry at all levels of the denomination. On Title IV, for example, Rowe suggested that the church could expand capacity at the local level by assisting with documentation, procedural advice and training, as well as making experienced intake officers and investigators available to serve multiple dioceses interested in that option. Rowe also would like to help dioceses reduce the time it takes to fill vacant bishop positions, from a current average of about 22 months. On justice issues, the church’s unified departments would establish regional working groups, so dioceses can collaborate and share best practices. And many small dioceses with minimal staffing “are in need of hands-on help with communications, particular in times of crisis,” Rowe said, such as natural disasters, mass shootings and other catastrophes. Executive Council, as the church’s governing body between meetings of General Convention, is responsible for managing the churchwide budget, adopting new policy statements as needed and providing oversight for the work of the program and ministry staff that reports to the presiding bishop. In addition to the chair and vice chair, it has 38 other voting members, a mix of bishops, other clergy and lay leaders. Twenty are elected by General Convention to staggered six-year terms – or 10 new members every three years. The Episcopal Church’s nine provinces elect the other 18 to six-year terms, also staggered. Executive Council typically meets three times a year, and in the past, its meetings have been hosted by different dioceses around the church. The last meeting, in November 2024, was held in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In response to budget constraints, however, council is scheduled to meet again in June at the Maritime Conference Center, which has long been a frequent meeting venue for the church’s other interim bodies because of its accessible location and cost savings. Lay member Tivaun Cooper of the Diocese of New York proposed a resolution that would recommit Executive Council to traveling to different dioceses for its meetings. The Rev. Molly James, the interim General Convention executive officer, advised that such a plan could increase the cost of each meeting by $50,000. Cooper’s resolution was postponed until June so it could be studied further. “We like the general, overall idea, if we can afford it,” said Lawrence Hitt II, a lay member from Colorado who chairs Executive Council’s Governance & Operations Committee. The rest of the agenda for this week’s meeting was light on action items, though council members voted Feb. 19 to forgive about $2.7 million in debt accrued by the Diocese of South Carolina after a 2012 schism. They also approved the creation of a subcommittee on deaf and disability inclusion, in response to a resolution adopted by the 81st General Convention. On council’s final day, Rowe also announced that four finalists had been identified in the search for a successor to Chief Financial Officer Kurt Barnes, who is retiring after 21 years in that top leadership position. Rowe and Ayala Harris expect to have a nominee to submit for Executive Council’s approval at a special meeting in March. Executive Council showered Barnes with applause after Ayala Harris presented him with her President’s Service Award, which she said was given in recognition of his “unwavering commitment to the financial health of The Episcopal Church. His impact will be felt for generations to come.” Structural changes ‘to serve and comfort and transform God’s people’ Rowe had invited Compass in November to present its initial findings to Executive Council, and this week’s meeting built on those initial deliberations as the presiding bishop prepared church leaders for the coming changes. He and his team indicated that they intended to set more clearly defined priorities and encourage greater collaboration between departments and with dioceses. “We must remember that our job, as the board […]

[World Council of Churches] A Palestinian delegation visited the World Council of Churches on Feb. 18 to participate in deep dialogues on justice, peace and the dignity of all people. The delegation was led by His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, patriarch of the Holy City of Jerusalem and All Palestine and head of the Jerusalem Council of Churches. The delegation met with WCC general secretary the Rev. Jerry Pillay, who reiterated the Council’s continued calls for a just peace and for immediate action to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The delegation and the WCC also discussed why the international community must act decisively in ensuring immediate access to humanitarian aid, including food, water, medical supplies and shelter. Read the entire article here.  

[Religion News Service] In the more than five years that Stillmeadow Community Fellowship in Baltimore has worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to rehabilitate the 10-acre forest on its urban land, what stands out to the Rev. Michael Martin is kids’ reactions to the “great things in (God’s) original architecture of nature.” Children who are unfamiliar with nature may get the “heebie-jeebies” when they first walk through the church’s walking trails by the stream and the pond, Martin, an Evangelical Free Church of America pastor, said. But after a few days of learning about their surroundings during summer camp or an after-school program, that nervousness changes so much that the adults have to coax them back inside for music classes. But as a result of President Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze, Stillmeadow’s summer camps are now at risk as promised grant money isn’t coming in. And the urban forestry program that would have allowed others to experience Stillmeadow’s land transformation is in jeopardy, Martin said. Faith organizations are among those across the United States suffering funding losses amid the Trump administration’s quest to dismantle former President Joe Biden’s major climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act. On the first day of Trump’s second, nonconsecutive term in the White House, he signed an executive order pausing the disbursal of funds that were appropriated through the 2022 law. And, despite a judge’s order on Feb. 10 — which called the freeze “likely unconstitutional” and directed the IRA funds to resume — grant recipients said funding remains paused. The IRA majorly expanded the U.S. Forest Service’s urban forestry program with a $1.5 billion investment to help city residents adapt to climate change. More than 300 faith organizations have lost access to grant funds intended to plant trees in disadvantaged urban communities, leaders who managed grants for numerous organizations told RNS. The vast majority of those grantees are congregations, as well as a few religious educational institutions and religious service organizations. In addition to lowering urban temperatures, planting trees can clean the air of pollutants, capture carbon and reduce flooding by soaking up rainwater. The urban forestry program specifically targeted disadvantaged communities as determined by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, which took into account environmental burdens, higher-education enrollment and formerly redlined census tracts before it was taken offline by the Trump administration. “ Tree plantings in the congregation, the hope was then that can reverberate out into the community, and so that their congregants would also want to increase tree canopy in their own yards,” said Cassandra Carmichael, the executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, which was poised to work on tree planting across seven cities before the funding freeze. Carmichael said the organization has not yet been reimbursed for costs already incurred. Faith in Place, an environmental nonprofit based in Chicago, had already announced subgrants to faith groups in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana for urban tree planting. It planned to build on previous work using “nature-based climate solutions,” but the Rev. Brian Sauder, a Mennonite pastor who serves as its president and CEO, told RNS its IRA-funded projects are on pause. “It’s unconscionable to us that trees are now a partisan political tool,” he said. The number of faith organizations with urban forestry plans whose funding is frozen may be far higher as several religious grantees did not respond to RNS’ inquiries. The 300-plus affected were relayed to RNS by the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, Faith in Place and Creation Justice Ministries, each of which oversees grants to be distributed to various organizations. The National Baptist Convention, USA, and the Church of God in Christ, two historically Black denominations, also each received a $1 million grant during the Biden administration as part of the IRA-funded urban forestry program. Their representatives did not respond to inquiries about the status of those projects that aimed to provide shade and lower electric bills in urban areas. The threats to the promised funding — especially after recipients complied with all the steps of the application process — represent broken commitments, Martin said. “ Other than Jesus, who else can you trust other than the federal government of the United States of America?” Martin asked. Martin framed the funding freeze as wasting money because it disrupts years of work. “ We’ve been evaluated. We’ve been audited. We bring good returns. We can show with our after-school programs an improvement in kids’ GPAs,” he said. Some faith leaders remain optimistic about funding being restored. Avery Davis Lamb, executive director of Creation Justice Ministries, which works with Protestant and Orthodox Christians, said congregations in the network are excited about the possibility of studying the Bible’s teaching on trees, especially Revelation 22, and planting them, “knowing what they’re doing is an act of faith.” The network’s congregants “ know that those trees are going to bring a lot of healing to the community,” he said of its plans to plant trees in  Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; and Baltimore. Those plans, however, are now on pause. The White House did not respond to an RNS request for comment about the status of the frozen funds and the impact on faith communities. Moreover, the IRA funding freeze and other proposed Republican policies affect other faith-based environmental initiatives. “The single biggest area where the religious community is mobilized is around the energy tax credits that were part of the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb, a board member of Interfaith Power & Light, which partners with congregations to address climate change, and the rabbinic adviser to the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life. The IRA enabled nonprofits, including hundreds of congregations, to install renewable energy sources on their properties, allowing them to get credit on their electric bills. In an August 2024 letter, members of the House Republican Conference urged Speaker Mike Johnson to seek options to prevent the repeal of the IRA’s energy tax credits, saying a “full repeal would create a worst-case scenario where we would have spent billions […]

[Episcopal News Service – Linthicum Heights, Maryland] Executive Council is poised to forgive about $2.7 million in debt that the Diocese of South Carolina accrued after a 2012 diocesan split, in which theologically conservative church leaders led a large group of Episcopalians to leave the church. After that split, The Episcopal Church had responded in part by lending money to the remaining Episcopal diocese and its congregations as they fought a decade-long legal battle to retain possession of their historic properties. Those court cases were largely resolved in the Episcopal diocese’s favor in 2022. Since then, some congregations have moved back into their historic churches, and the diocese has pursued church planting efforts in other communities. On Feb. 17, South Carolina Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley appeared on Zoom to address two committees of Executive Council, which is meeting here at the Maritime Conference Center. Woodliff-Stanley emphasized that South Carolina is one of The Episcopal Church’s original nine dioceses, dating to 1785, and now with the court fight resolved, Episcopalians in South Carolina are focused on rebuilding congregations and growing ministries in their communities. “We could not have done what we had to do without the church being with us. And we are now asking you to be with us in this season of rebuilding,” Woodliff-Stanley said. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe spoke briefly to the committees, arguing strongly in favor of forgiving the diocese’s outstanding church loan. “I am in complete support,” Rowe said, adding that acting on the proposal was about more than forgiveness of past debts. “I believe this would be, on our part, an investment in the mission of that diocese.” Executive Council’s committees on Finance and Governance & Operations voted unanimously to advance the proposal, to which Woodliff-Stanley responded, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” The measure will proceed to likely approval by the full Executive Council on Feb. 19, the final day of this meeting. The Charleston-based Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina once counted as many as 78 worshipping communities across the southeastern half of the state, including along the Atlantic Coast. Parochial report data show that the diocese’s baptized membership topped 29,000 in 2011, the year before the diocesan schism. Churchwide theological and doctrinal disputes, especially related to full LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church and lingering objections to women’s ordination, had been simmering for years. After the 2003 consecration of the church’s first openly gay bishop, the talk of schism led to lawsuits in dioceses across the United States where some leaders sought to break from The Episcopal Church while keeping control of Episcopal churches. South Carolina was one of five dioceses upended by schism. The others were Fort Worth in north-central Texas, Pittsburgh in southwestern Pennsylvania, Quincy in northern Illinois, and San Joaquin in central California. In October 2009, a majority of delegates at a special South Carolina diocesan convention voted to authorize the bishop and standing committee to begin the process of disassociating from The Episcopal Church over General Convention resolutions that endorsed greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the life of the church. South Carolina leaders accelerated their plans to leave the church in 2012 after General Convention approved rites for blessing same-sex unions. After the split, Episcopal membership in the remaining Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina dropped below 6,400 across 22 continuing parishes and missions, but Episcopalians in South Carolina found ways to continue worshipping and serving their communities amid a series of legal victories and setbacks in the church property lawsuit. Now, with that legal battle behind it, the diocese can devote more of its time and resources to ministry priorities, including addressing racial justice issues and the prevalence of extreme poverty in the state, Woodliff-Stanley said. She also highlighted the early success of Church of the Messiah, a storefront church plant in Myrtle Beach that is looking to the diocese for help in establishing a more permanent worship space. The Episcopal Church has forgiven the debt of a diocese in a similar situation at least once before. The Diocese of San Joaquin was approved for about $5 million in debt forgiveness in 2017, the same year that the diocese installed its first diocesan bishop since its own schism in 2006. Michael Glass, chancellor for House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris, also served as chancellor of the Diocese of San Joaquin during its fight to retain diocesan properties after a schism. He spoke Feb. 17 in favor of granting South Carolina’s request, a gesture that also will reassure the wider church. If other dioceses face similar upheaval, they will know “we’ll back you up,” Glass said. “It’s really important that message get out there.” – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

[Church of England] General Synod on Feb. 11 debated and voted on two proposed models (labelled 3 and 4) for independent safeguarding in the Church of England. Members approved a motion (amended) that endorses “Model 3” first, while doing further work on “Model 4” (both models are outlined in the Future of Church Safeguarding Synod paper). The approved motion includes: Setting up an external scrutiny body, which is likely to be on a statutory basis in order to give it “teeth” and so would require legislation. Transfer of most functions currently delivered by the National Safeguarding Team (NST) – except policy development – to an external employer, eventually and after all development, consultation and legislative processes are complete. Further work to determine the legal and practical requirements necessary to implement model 4, which would involve the transfer of safeguarding teams in dioceses and cathedrals to the same external employer as the NST. Lament and repent of the failure of the church to be welcoming to victims and survivors and the harm they have experienced and continue to experience in the life of the church. The original motion from the lead safeguarding bishop, the Rt. Rev. Joanne Grenfell, endorsed Model 4. Speaking after the debate she said, “We have missed the opportunity to say unequivocally to victims and survivors today that we hear their concerns about trust and confidence in the church. “I am committed to working with where we have got to today continuing to do feasibility around model 4, as well as moving swiftly to set up a statutory body for scrutiny, audits and complaints.” Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said, “I support independence in Safeguarding. I’m disappointed that the church is now going to do that in two stages, but I fully commit myself to work toward implementing synod’s decision and making it happen.” Bishop Philip North, who brought the amendment to the original motion, said, “Synod has voted almost unanimously for real progress in independence in safeguarding. “What we’ve got is a strong endorsement of moving immediately to setting up an independent scrutiny body and more work to ensure that operational independence is legally and practically deliverable. “This gives us a chance to make immediate progress on what we can achieve whilst not slowing down the pace on more fundamental change.” Additional information and the final motion can be read here.

[Church in Wales] Swansea’s iconic St. Mary’s Church became Wales’ first minster in a special service on Feb. 16. The declaration was made by Archbishop of Wales Andrew John. The church, which was rebuilt in the 1950s after being burned to the ground during the Nazis’ three-day blitz of the city in World War II, is a city center landmark and has long been home to Swansea’s civic services. It now is known as Swansea Minster, a title given to a large or important church in an urban area that serves the civic community and hosts a college of chaplains who serve the area and its people. The declaration of minster reflects the importance of the building to the city. The Church in Wales is investing £2.8 million, or more than $3.5 million, over the next five years from its Growth Fund to complete the transformation. The vicar of St. Mary’s, the Rev. Justin Davies, said, “There has been a buzz around the city since the announcement was made. I think people are genuinely pleased that the church is getting recognized for what it is, and in the place it is. “It’s also seen as a boost to the city. Many city centers are having difficult times, and Swansea is one of those, so to have something  positive happening in the middle of Swansea, as part of a greater regeneration funded by the city and county of Swansea, is a really good thing.” The service featured specially commissioned music by composer Sir Karl Jenkins, and the sermon was preached by former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. A video of the history of the church and the city also was shown during the service, which also featured prayers offered by people across the city. Davies said, “It’s really exciting to have the piece of music composed by Gower resident Sir Karl Jenkins, “The Glory of this House,” especially for the service. It was commissioned by St. Mary’s and paid for by Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts. It was heard for the first time at the service and then will be here for everlasting, so that’s a fantastic thing to happen.”

[Episcopal News Service – Linthicum Heights, Maryland] Executive Council has convened here Feb. 17-19 for its first meeting since the inauguration of President Donald Trump – a political earthquake that Episcopal leaders say has shaken many of the communities the church serves, but not the church’s commitment to serving them. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe and House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris, in their opening remarks Feb. 17, did not reference Trump by name but alluded, mostly in general terms, to the sharp shift in many federal policies during the first month since his return to office. “We are weathering what has proven to be a hard season for us and for the people that we serve, for sure. Many of us are afraid and looking to the church to provide a sense of safety and moral witness,” Rowe said. “As the political landscape of the United States becomes even more confusing and harder to navigate, we are being called to make decisions here in this place that are firmly rooted in the kingdom of God.” Rowe then repeated a theme that has become common in his public addresses since the inauguration: The people marginalized by society and by our political leaders are at the center of God’s kingdom. In his remarks to Executive Council, he again singled out “migrants, transgender people, the poor and vulnerable.” In God’s kingdom, “they are not reviled and scapegoated. … They are the bearers of salvation,” Rowe said. “If we believe this to be true, where does that leave us as a church? Where does that lead us as a church?” Ayala Harris cited a recent lawsuit as one example of the church actively responding to the needs Christ calls on his followers to meet. The Episcopal Church last week joined more than two dozen ecumenical and interfaith partners in suing the Trump administration over policy changes giving immigration agents greater flexibility to conduct enforcement actions in houses of worship and other “sensitive” places. “This is not about politics. It’s about embodying Christ’s radical hospitality in our very structures and policies,” Ayala Harris said. “The Gospel compels us to welcome the stranger, to care for the vulnerable and to ensure that all who seek spiritual sanctuary can do so freely. And my friends, if we fail to lead with courage, we risk not just stagnation but irrelevance.” Executive Council is The Episcopal Church’s governing and oversight body between meetings of General Convention and typically meets in person three times a year. Its last gathering, in November, occurred days after both Rowe’s installation as the church’s 28th presiding bishop and Trump’s election as president. The current meeting is being held in suburban Baltimore at the Maritime Conference Center, a frequent venue for Episcopal Church governance meetings. Executive Council’s initial agenda for this meeting was light on action items – the board spent most of its first morning in a training on emotional intelligence and effective interpersonal relations – though some of its upcoming sessions, both open and closed, will touch on Trump’s suspension of the federal refugee resettlement program, committee work and church leaders’ ongoing recruitment of a new executive officer for General Convention and a chief finance officer for the church.  On Feb. 18, representatives from Compass, a contractor hired to survey and analyze the churchwide staffing structure, will present their latest findings and recommendations to council members, and on Feb. 19, Rowe is scheduled to offer more details in a closed session about efforts he is spearheading for a “structural realignment” of churchwide operations to better serve the needs of dioceses and congregations. The first phase of those plans won’t be unveiled publicly until after this meeting. Ongoing tensions among some council members also surfaced again briefly during the morning session Feb. 17 on emotional intelligence session, which was led by three representatives from the consultant Visions Inc. Sandra Montes, a lay Executive Council member from the Diocese of Texas, raised concerns about the way Visions had framed discussion, suggesting that it was based in a white-centric understanding of emotion and communication. “This is completely different to people of the global majority to LGBTQIA+ people. And when we show up as ourselves … we are seen differently than who we are,” Montes said. “Do you want me to be, like, OK, I need to learn my emotions so I don’t show that I’m angry or that I don’t show that I’m scared? That’s what this seems like to me.” Another member, Thomas Chu of the Diocese of Long Island, who is gay, rose to object to Montes’ generalizing about all people of color and LGBTQ+ people. “I’m feeling mad, sad and scared,” Chu said, referencing some of the emotions listed on a Visions graphic. “Sandra, you can speak what you’re saying. But I’m an LGBTQIA+ person, a person of color. I feel very differently from you. And I accept what you said, but please don’t represent us. … This is [about] process – it’s not about what you said, it’s about how you said it, and you had an impact on me right now.” Executive Council is chaired by Rowe, as presiding bishop, and Ayala Harris is vice chair. It has 38 other voting members, a mix of bishops, other clergy and lay leaders. Twenty are elected by General Convention to staggered six-year terms – or 10 new members every three years. The Episcopal Church’s nine provinces elect the other 18 to six-year terms, also staggered. Ayala Harris, in her opening remarks, underscored the importance of Executive Council in upholding the church’s faith values, especially in today’s world. “Our decisions here ripple through the life of every diocese, every congregation, every seeker who is looking to The Episcopal Church right now as a beacon of radical welcome and transformative love,” she said. “As we make decisions about resource allocation and policy, we directly influence the capacity of our congregations to serve their communities, […]

[Anglican Church of Canada] The General Synod will meet June 23–29 in London, Ontario, and a major item of business will be the election on June 26 of a new primate of the Anglican Church of Canada. Canon III requires the Order of Bishops to meet prior to the General Synod meeting to choose three or more nominees – and this meeting must occur between 30 and 120 days prior to the date of the election. This will take place during the meeting of the House of Bishops scheduled for March 31–April 4. On April 2, the Order of Bishops will prayerfully discern the names of the nominees in a balloting process as set out in the regulations of Canon III as determined by the Council of the General Synod. These names will be posted on the General Synod website at 9 a.m. Eastern on April 3. The General Secretary is required to collect and disseminate biographical information about the nominees. In order to give time for the nominees to provide this information and for General Synod staff to assemble it in a uniform style for dissemination, this information will be posted on the website at 9 a.m. Eastern on April 11. The nominees also will be asked a series of questions and given the opportunity to have their answers recorded on video. Once these videos are edited and ready to be posted, they will be added to the website at 9 a.m. Eastern on April 22. During the meeting of the General Synod, the Orders of Clergy and Laity will gather at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, Ontario, for the election of the new primate on June 26. Once that process is complete, the acting primate will announce the election of the new primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

[Anglican Communion News Service] Anglican primates from the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) on Feb. 12 issued a statement for peace on the ongoing crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The statement was signed by the Most Rev. Albert Chama, primate of the Church of the Province of Central Africa and chair of CAPA, on behalf of all Anglican primates in Africa. The statement follows. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) We, the Africa Anglican primates representing the Anglican Communion in Africa, express our deepest and grave concern and unwavering solidarity with the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid the ongoing crisis that has persisted for decades. The turmoil impacting the nation is a profound humanitarian tragedy, marked by violence, displacement, and suffering that affects millions of innocent lives. We acknowledge the extensive history of conflict in the DRC, deeply rooted in colonial legacies and exacerbated by political instability, economic exploitation and ethnic tensions. This crisis has taken a heavy toll, resulting in the loss of lives, the disruption of families, and the endangerment of communities that have long sought for peace and justice. As followers of Christ, we are called to be peacemakers, advocating for love, reconciliation, and justice. We therefore urge: 1. An End to Violence: We call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the violence perpetrated against vulnerable populations, especially women and children, particularly in the areas around the eastern province of the country. The protection of all civilians must be prioritized, and those who commit acts of violence must be held accountable. 2. Dialogue and Reconciliation: We encourage all parties involved in the DRC’s conflict to engage in meaningful dialogue, prioritizing reconciliation efforts that foster understanding and healing among diverse communities. The path to peace requires a commitment to listening, understanding, and resolving grievances through non-violent means. In this wise, we lend our support to the various initiatives by the regional blocs such as the EAC, SADC, the AU and the UN and other well-meaning bodies. 3. Support for Humanitarian Aid: We urge the international community, including governments, humanitarian organizations, and individuals, to extend their support to address the urgent needs of those affected by the crisis. Access to water, food, healthcare, shelter, and education must be prioritized to restore dignity and hope within especially the displaced communities. 4. Respect for Human Rights: We call for the protection of human rights and the promotion of justice within the DRC. Our commitment to Christ’s teaching compels us to stand against corruption, oppression, and any actions that violate the inherent dignity of every human being. 5. Sustainable Development: We acknowledge that long-term peace in the DRC requires addressing the root causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, and lack of access to resources. We implore national and international leaders to work collaboratively towards sustainable development in the region, ensuring that the wealth of the DRC benefits all its citizens. We, the Africa Anglican primates, stand with the people of DRC in prayer and action. We encourage local churches and communities to be agents of peace, fostering environments where love and hope can flourish despite the shadows of despair. May God grant us the strength and wisdom to work together toward a peaceful and just future for all in the DRC.

[Anglican Communion News Service] On Feb. 14, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem issued a humanitarian plea about defending the dignity and presence of the people of Gaza. They said they “raise our voices in sorrow and steadfast resolve in the face of the ongoing suffering in Gaza.” They added, “The people of Gaza, families who have lived for generations in the land of their ancestors, must not be forced into exile, stripped of whatever is left of their homes, their heritage, and their right to remain in the land that forms the essence of their identity.” Archbishop Hosam Naoum, primate of the Province of Jerusalem & the Middle East and bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, was among those issuing the statement, which follows. As custodians of the Christian faith and conscience in this sacred land, we raise our voices in sorrow and steadfast resolve in the face of the ongoing suffering in Gaza. The devastation that has unfolded before the eyes of the world is a profound moral and humanitarian tragedy. Thousands of innocent lives have been lost, and entire communities stand in ruin, with the most vulnerable — children, the elderly and the sick — enduring unimaginable hardship. Amid this anguish, we are compelled to speak against the grave threat of mass displacement, an injustice that strikes at the very heart of human dignity. The people of Gaza, families who have lived for generations in the land of their ancestors, must not be forced into exile, stripped of whatever is left of their homes, their heritage and their right to remain in the land that forms the essence of their identity. As Christians, we cannot be indifferent to such suffering, for the Gospel commands us to uphold the dignity of every human being. The words of our Lord remind us: “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed.” (Isaiah 10:1-2) In this critical moment, we acknowledge and support the position of His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, President El-Sisi of Egypt and others, whose firm and principled stance has remained clear and unwavering in rejecting any attempt to uproot the people of Gaza from their land. Their relentless efforts to provide humanitarian aid, appeal to the world’s conscience, and insist on the protection of civilians exemplify leadership at its highest level of responsibility. In this same spirit, we also call for the release of all captives from both sides so that they can be safely reunited with their families. We appeal to all people of faith, to governments and to the international community to act swiftly and decisively to halt this catastrophe. Let there be no justification for the uprooting of a people who have already suffered beyond measure. Let the sanctity of human life and the moral obligation to protect the defenseless outweigh the forces of destruction and despair. We call for an immediate, unfettered humanitarian access to those in desperate need. To abandon them now would be to abandon our shared humanity. As we lift our prayers for those in mourning, for the wounded and for those who remain steadfast in the land of their forefathers, we remember the promise of Scripture: “The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:14) May the God of mercy strengthen the afflicted, soften the hearts of those who hold power, and bring forth a peace that upholds justice, preserves human dignity, and safeguards the presence of all people in the land to which they belong.

[Episcopal News Service] East Tennessee Bishop Brian Cole joined his counterpart in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to write a column in the Nashville Tennessean pleading for the state to commit to distributing federal food assistance to address child hunger this summer. The state has until Feb. 15 to decide whether to use the federal funds. The program helps feed low-income children in the summer, when they no longer have access to the free or reduced-cost meals they receive during the school year. “The program is a lifeline at a time when inflation in food prices makes it impossible for too many families to provide adequate nutrition for their children,” Cole said in the column with the Rev. Kevin Strickland, who leads the ELCA’s Southeastern Synod, with congregations in Tennessee and three other states. Cole’s Knoxville-based diocese has congregations in the eastern third of the state. The full column can be read here.

[Episcopal News Service] Minnesota Bishop Craig Loya has established a new migrant support fund and has asked diocesan congregations to take a special collection on March 2 to add to its initial gift of $10,000. Loya created the fund, he told Episcopal News Service, because the diocese has seven congregations where immigrants are the majority of members, and another two where immigrants are a sizable minority. Four are predominantly Latino, but all of them include people who have arrived in Minnesota from around the world. “We are richly blessed by this diversity,” he said. But in a time when recent immigrants are the target of what he called hateful rhetoric and unjust policies, “we really feel as a diocese that we have to provide a response,” he said. Loya thinks the fund can be helpful in two main ways: providing money to congregations’ existing or new initiatives that serve recent immigrants, especially if they need to expand those efforts; and partnering with other organizations to help fill the gaps that will result from cuts to federal funding under President Donald Trump. Specifics are still in flux, Loya said, as changing circumstances affect where the need is greatest, but he knows the need will be enormous. And just because there is a limited amount the diocese can do “doesn’t let us off the hook to do what we can,” he said With Episcopal Migration Ministries winding down its core operations after the Trump administration halted federal funding for refugee services, Loya said that now is “a moment for us to recommit to the stranger among us with the love God extends to every human being.” Since announcing the fund’s creation on Feb. 6, more than 100 individuals have made personal contributions, he said, and he also has been contacted by ecumenical colleagues in the state to see if there was a way they could either partner with the fund or start one of their own. Loya’s commitment to the fund, and meeting the needs behind it, springs from what he describes as the Christian community’s dual vocation of witness and resistance – “witnessing to God’s vision for beloved community in the world, witnessing to the power of God’s love and God’s coming kingdom in the world; and resisting the way in which the forces of evil in a broken world are always breaking down the creatures of God.” A model for how Christians can speak up in challenging times, he said, comes from the comments Washington Bishop Mariann Budde addressed to President Donald Trump in the Jan. 21 Service of Prayer for the Nation at Washington National Cathedral. Her words were “brave, convicted, clear, gentle, humble and loving,” Loya said. He also supports the action of The Episcopal Church in joining the lawsuit against the Trump administration for allowing immigration officers to target churches and other “sensitive” places for arrests as part of the president’s promised crackdown on legal and illegal immigration. “There is probably no clearer moral imperative in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures than the call to care for the stranger and the foreigner in our midst,” Loya said. “We are given that call because when we were estranged from God, God met us with embrace rather than exclusion.” Loya also acknowledged that while his primary motivation for serving immigrants in his diocese comes simply from being a follower of Jesus, as a third-generation Mexican American it feels personal. “When I see photos of some of the people in the early deportation efforts, I see my grandmother, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins,” he said. He added that for Christians, “what affects one of us affects all of us.” In addition to announcing the migrant support fund, Loya’s message also encouraged support for the diocese’s migration caucus, a group of clergy and lay people who have been meeting online for several months to help congregations better understand what is happening with immigration and how they can assist. He noted a series of resources the caucus has gathered. As bishop, Loya also called on Minnesotans to pray as a way to ground their work and advocacy, and he offered a special prayer that he asked to be used as the end of the Prayers of the People every Sunday until Easter Day: O God, who embraced us with perfect love and made us your people when we were yet strangers to you: be present with all refugees, immigrants, and displaced people throughout the world; may they know the consolation of your presence, and the liberating power of your love. Then give us grace, we pray, to extend ever wider your embrace in a world of exclusion, until all your children are knit together as beloved family in the perfect love that is your very heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who was displaced among us, and who now lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. — Melodie Woerman is an Episcopal News Service freelance reporter based in Kansas.