Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to stand down

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams has announced he is to stand down in December.

He will take the position of Master of Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge from January next year, his website says.

Dr. Williams, 61, was appointed the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury in 2002.

In a statement on his website, the head of the 85 million-strong Anglican Communion said serving as archbishop had been "an immense privilege".

He said stepping down had not been an easy decision and that during the time he had left there was "much to do".

Dr Williams thanked those in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion who had "brought vision, hope and excitement" during his ministry.

In a more in-depth interview, Dr Williams reflected on growing divisions within the Anglican Church, and said it seemed some conflicts would not go away "however long you struggle with them".

Rowan Williams did not want the job of archbishop of Canterbury, and has sometimes seemed not to enjoy it.

The noise and stress of Anglicans' bitter dispute about homosexuality - and to a lesser extent about women bishops - has largely wasted the opportunities offered by Dr. Williams' charisma, personality and intellect.

Instead they've been used to prevent the Communion from fracturing and minimise the rift in his own Church.

It is not surprising that Dr. Williams wants to shed the burden of his job to concentrate on academic work, but the timing does seem strange.

Dr. Williams managed to prevent a split in the Communion at the 2008 Lambeth Conference of Anglican Churches, and even to create a nascent two-tier structure, to preserve unity albeit in looser form.

But the agreement cementing this new order has yet to be accepted by the Church of England.

It is only a few months before the Church of England's ruling synod will conduct a critical vote on women bishops.

Dr. Williams is becoming a lame- duck archbishop, just when the success of each achievement seems to rely so heavily his personal prestige.

Under his leadership, the Church of England has come close to splitting over the ordination of gay clergy and women bishops. Dr. Williams has consistently supported the ordination of women, and previously showed no objection to the appointment of an openly-gay bishop in Reading.

Dr. Williams also reflected on his controversial remarks in 2008 that adoption of certain aspects of Sharia law in the UK seemed "unavoidable," saying he stood by his argument.

He will continue to carry out all the duties and responsibilities of the Archbishop of Canterbury, both for the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, until the end of the year, Lambeth Palace said.

The Queen, as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, has been informed, it added.

The Crown Nominations Commission will consider "in due course" the selection of a successor.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said he had received the news "with great sadness" and described Dr Williams as a "remarkable and gifted leader".

Prime Minister David Cameron said Dr Williams had "guided the Church through times of challenge and change" and praised the work he had carried out around the world, including in Africa. Last October Dr Williams delivered a sermon in Zimbabwe as part of an African tour to try to heal divisions within the Anglican Church.

'Avoid schism'

His resignation marks the end of more than 20 years as a bishop and archbishop. His predecessor, Lord Carey, held the post for 11-and-a-half years and retired at the age of 66 in 2002.

Dr Williams has also been pivotal to national events, including the Royal Wedding at which he married the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey in 2011.

He has been the most able Archbishop of Canterbury for centuries and perhaps his true worth will only really be appreciated by the Church once he's gone”

His departure comes after tensions within the Anglican Communion over the issue of homosexuality and women bishops.

Dr Williams said: "The worst aspects of the job, I think, have been the sense that there are some conflicts that won't go away, however long you struggle with them, and that not everybody in the Anglican Communion or even in the Church of England is eager to avoid schism or separation.

"But I certainly regard it as a real priority to try and keep people in relationship with each other."

Responding to the announcement of his retirement, Church of England General Synod member Alison Ruoff said: "He's a kind, wise, warm, godly man, but had he actually stood up and been counted as a leader, I think we would be in a very different place in the Church of England from where we are now, and that is thoroughly regrettable."

'Dim-witted prejudice'

In an interview about his potential successor, Dr. Williams said: "I think that it is a job of immense demands and I would hope that my successor has the constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros, really.

"But he will, I think, have to look with positive, hopeful eyes on a Church which, for all its problems, is still for so many people, a place to which they resort in times of need and crisis, a place to which they look for inspiration."

Dr. Williams described serving as archbishop as an "enormous privilege".

"The privilege is that you are taken into the heart of the local church's life for a few days, you see what really matters to people in parishes, schools and prisons and hospices and so forth," he said.

"I think there must be very few jobs where you have quite that degree of open doors for you."

He said he did not believe that Christianity was losing the battle against secularisation in Britain.

"I think there is a great deal of interest still in the Christian faith," he said.

Dr. Williams becomes the 35th Master of Magdalene College from January next year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17399403

Priest Who Denied Lesbian Communion at Mother's Funeral Placed on Leave

A priest who denied communion to a gay woman at her mother's funeral mass has been put on leave by the Washington D.C. area archdiocese, but the archdiocese said the suspension is not related to the communion controversy.

In a statement, the archdiocese said Father Marcel Guarnizo was placed on administrative leave because of "credible allegation that Father Guarnizo had engaged in intimidating behavior toward parish staff and others."

The statement did not elaborate on what that behavior might have been.

Guarnizo, a suburban Maryland priest, had been criticized by Barbara Johnson and her family for his behavior at the funeral of Johnson's mother. Johnson, who is a lesbian, said Guarnizo denied her communion at her mother's funeral mass.

"He covered the bowl with the Eucharist with his hand and looked at me, and said I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman and that is a sin in the eyes of the church," Johnson told ABC News affiliate WLJA in Washington.

"She was clearly distraught,"  her older brother Larry Johnson told ABC News.

Both Barbara and Larry Johnson wrote letters to the Archdiocese of Washington, saying they believe that Guarnizo's actions then and during the rest of the funeral were unacceptable. The Johnsons say the priest walked out of the service while Barbara Johnson was delivering her eulogy.

Family member also say the priest failed to come to the grave site, and the burial was attended by a substitute priest found by the funeral director.

As for the decision to suspend Guarnizo, Larry Johnson told ABC News: "I think the actions of the diocese speak for themselves. Whatever the ultimate reasons were, as far as I'm concerned, this individual, for the time being, will not be in parish life.

"I think this is a pretty significant action that they took," he said. "I don't think they would have taken it lightly."

Johnson and his sister had wanted Guarnizo removed from dealings with parishioners.

"This isn't about gay rights and it isn't about Catholic bashing, it is simply about the conduct of a reprehensible priest," he said.

The Johnson family issued a statement today saying that they "pray for the Archdiocese of Washington, Father Guarnizo, and all Catholics during this time of upheaval."

"While we understand this letter does not pertain to the events that occurred at our mother's funeral, we are hopeful that Bishop Knestout's decision will ensure that no others will have to undergo the traumatic experiences brought upon our family," the statement said. "We urge all Catholics to put aside political points of view, and pray that our Church will remain in Christ's love.

But the head of DignityUSA, a group that focuses on gay and lesbian rights and the Catholic Church, said the incident as part of a wider problem.

"The reality is in some ways it is very emblematic of the hierarchy's approach to gay people, transgender people," Marianne Duddy-Burke said. "There are little messages of rejection that happen all the time."

Guarnizo did not return an email asking for a comment about the communion incident.

The Archdiocese of Washington issued a statement that indicated Guarnizo should have taken up the matter of whether Johnson could receive communion in private.

"When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion it is not the policy of the Archdiocese to Washington to publicly reprimand the person,"  the statement said.

Duddy-Burke said the archdiocese's response misses the point.

"I would hope that it provides a wake-up call to church leaders to make them see where the extremes of their policy are leading," she said. "My concern is they will just see this as an isolated incident and fail to see the context."

Larry and Barbara Johnson both received letters from the archdiocese apologizing "that what should have been a celebration of your mother's life … was overshadowed by a lack of pastoral sensitivity."

Guarnizo has been in the Washington area for a year, after serving as a priest in Russia. The Archdiocese of Washington has launched an inquiry into his alleged intimidating behavior toward staff and others. In its statement, the archdiocese said, Guarnizo will remain on leave "until all matters can be appropriately resolved with the hope that he might return to the priestly ministry.

Anglicans Must Turn Over Property and Assets to the Episcopal Diocese

Court Enters Final Order in Favor of Diocese

3/1/2012


Today, the Fairfax Circuit Court entered a final order in favor of the Diocese of Virginia in its effort to recover Episcopal property for the mission of the Episcopal Church. The Court also denied the CANA congregations' recent motion for partial reconsideration of the court's original ruling of January 10.

"We hope that this will mark the end of this lengthy litigation," said the Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, bishop of the Diocese of Virginia. "By closing this chapter, both the Diocese and the CANA congregations have the freedom to focus our energies on the mission and ministries of our respective congregations, and even what we might be able to do together for people and a world in need of the Gospel's work," Johnston added. "For the Diocese, we even now are undertaking an initiative known as Dayspring, an integrated effort to discern and implement a comprehensive vision for our congregations and properties affected by this litigation. We look forward to sharing more news as Dayspring continues to take shape."

Under the final order, the CANA congregations must convey to the Diocese of Virginia all real and personal property by April 30, 2012. The real property includes seven church buildings and a significant number of other parcels.  The personal property includes both tangible items, such as chalices, prayer books and crosses, and intangibles, including the funds on hand. The ruling allows the CANA congregations to retain some restricted funds over which they have no discretion and that do not benefit the local congregation, the Diocese or the Episcopal Church. The court has set March 30 as the deadline for the parties to determine the disposition of those funds. Where the parties do not agree, the court will make a judicial determination.

"Today marks a major milestone in this effort," said Henry D.W. Burt, secretary of the Diocese. "We respect fully the CANA congregations' right to pursue an appeal, and we are in discussions with them as they face significant issues of discernment and transition in their path forward."

Read the report here:  http://www.thediocese.net/Customer-Content/WWW/CMS/files/final_order.pdf 

Article source:  http://www.thediocese.net/news/newsView.asp?NewsId=40968220

Archdiocese Speaks Out on Mandatory Contraception Coverage

January 26, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people—the Catholic population—and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing; with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting www.usccb.org/conscience, to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Administration’s decision.

With every good wish, I remain
Cordially yours in Christ,

The Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Premier Lutheran Theologian to Lecture at Luther Seminary

Mark Granquist / February 25, 2012

In addition to stops in Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Chicago, the Twin Cities will be included on the spring American lecture tour of the distinguished German Lutheran theologian Dr. Oswald Bayer. Bayer will be delivering a lecture at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, on Friday, March 23, at 1 p.m., in Room 100, Northwestern Hall.


In this lecture, which is free and open to the public, Bayer will be addressing the subject of the nature of the word of God. For Bayer, this word, “which remains forever” (Isaiah 40:8), enters the public realm, apocalyptically, and yet it remains a mystery. The mystery is that of the divine name, which unlike all other mysteries, especially the agonizing mystery of evil and the hardness of heart, is not a riddle that once solved is put aside. It is the mystery of the eternally rich, living, and therefore inexhaustible God.

German theologian Oswald Bayer; photo provided by Lutheran Quarterly

Bayer champions a Lutheran theology that is creative and eager to engage philosophical thought.

Bayer is professor emeritus of systematic theology at the University of Tübingen in Germany. He is particularly engaged in research on Martin Luther and Johann Georg Hamann, and serves as the academic leader of the Luther Academy Sondershausen-Ratzeburg. He is also an ordained pastor of the Lutheran Church of Württemberg and was the editor of Neue Zeitschrift für Systematische Theologie und Religionsphilosophie from 1986-2006.

Bayer champions a Lutheran theology that is creative and eager to engage philosophical thought. His life’s work has been the exploration of the often polemical engagement of Reformation theology with modern thought. (See, for example, “Theology the Lutheran Way” and “Freedom in Response: Lutheran Ethics: Sources and Controversies,” both published in 2007). He is particularly concerned to ascertain the place and task of Lutheran theology in our time.

This intention is paradigmatically apparent in his book, Johann Georg Hamann as a Radical Enlightener, recently published by Eerdmans. The volume is also available in a Japanese edition. His Martin Luther’s Theology: A Contemporary Interpretation has been published in German, English, Portuguese, and Chinese.

Professor Vitor Westhelle, of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, lauds Professor Bayer as “[o]ne of the most significant and original Lutheran voices of this generation, in both historical and systematic theology.”

Bayer will also be the keynote speaker on Friday night, March 23, for a private banquet at Augsburg College in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the periodical Lutheran Quarterly. The board and supporters of this journal, along with several Lutheran seminaries, are sponsoring Bayer’s lecture tour in the United States. Lutheran Quarterly is the premier English-language journal of Lutheran theology and history, and has recently published its 100th issue, a remarkable feat for an entirely self-supported academic journal.

For information about the public lecture at Luther Seminary, call 651/641-3456 or visit www.luthersem.edu.

http://metrolutheran.org/2012/02/premier-lutheran-theologian-to-lecture-at-luther-seminary/

Grace--Eau Claire has a New Strategy

UPDATE ON FEBRUARY 26, 2012, MEETING

 

As you should all be aware, on Sunday, Febuary 26, Grace Lutheran Church met in a special congregational meeting to determine a response to Synod Council demands resulting from an adjudication process brought against Grace by Amazing Grace ELCA, Inc. The motion that was unanimously passed (236-0) at that meeting was a successful first vote to disaffiliate from the ELCA. A second vote to disaffiliate is scheduled for May 30, 2012.

This week a letter was sent to Bishop Pederson and the Synod Council informing them of the meeting and the vote. Today an article was published in the Eau Claire Leader Telegram concerning that vote. I take this opportunity to challenge the claim that the vote was somehow "improper".

 

Each church has its own constitution which is its primary governance. The ELCA Constitution 9.52 states: "The governing documents of congregations recognized at the establishment of this church shall continue to govern such congregations." The ELCA also has a Model Constitution for Congregations that is updated periodically by the churchwide organization. When a church (such as Grace) updates its own constitution, it is required to include updates made to the Model Constitution. But a church is not required to update their constitution when and if any changes are made to that Model. That means that while the ELCA changed the rules regarding disaffiliation in the Model, we are not mandated to change our constitution to match the Model. We have rules regarding disaffiliation. Our rules do not require a 30-day notification to the bishop of our intent to vote to leave the ELCA. Our Constitution is our primary governance; and our vote is, therefore, valid and binding. Our Constitution requires notification to the Bishop of the results of the first vote, and a consultation with the Bishop within the 90-days before our second vote. The notice has been sent, and a consultation will be negotiated.

 

Within the court order, the congregation was instructed to review the recommendations of the Synod Council and discern a response. The "spirit" of the court order was met with a resounding vote to move away from the ELCA.

If anyone has any questions, please contact me.

Thank you.

 

Anne

Divisiveness Persists at Grace Lutheran of Eau Claire

Posted: Friday, March 2, 2012 11:00 pm

Eau Claire Leader-Telegram staff                                

Grace Lutheran Church again is attempting to break away from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, according to its senior pastor. 

During a special meeting Sunday, the congregation voted 236-0, with "a handful of abstentions," to rescind the large Eau Claire congregation's ELCA affiliation, the Rev. Rolf Nestingen said via email.

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However, Drew Ryberg, an Eau Claire attorney who is representing nearly 70 estranged members of Grace Lutheran Church in a civil lawsuit, questions the validity of the vote.

"What they did was improper, completely improper," said Ryberg, whose clients are asking a judge to intervene in the dispute over church affiliation.

Nestingen doesn't see it that way. The most recent vote - the historical church's second attempt at disaffiliating with the ELCA in less than a year - was prompted by "recommendations" from the Synod Council of the ELCA's Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, he said.

The Synod Council in January sent a letter to church officials detailing its final decision in an adjudication process resulting from the dispute - that Grace Lutheran Church immediately recognize its sole affiliation is with the ELCA, terminate affiliation with the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ or any church other than the ELCA, immediately restore full voting memberships to all members moved to associate member status since Jan. 1, 2011, and immediately recognize that anyone who meets the required criteria and who does not want to remain affiliated with the LCMC is a voting member.

"It occurred to us that there was a fifth option, to which the judge agreed, that we take another first vote to disaffiliate in order to clearly express the will of those members remaining at Grace," Nestingen said.

The congregation, prompted by a church member's petition to leave the ELCA because the denomination had been drifting theologically to join the more conservative Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, held its first disaffiliation vote at a special meeting on April 3.

Those voting in support of leaving the denomination outnumbered those opposed, 288-225. However, the total was more than 50 votes short of the two-thirds supermajority needed. Had that threshold been reached, a second vote would have been held a minimum of 90 days later to confirm the split.

Shortly after the first disaffiliation vote, Grace Lutheran's church council voted to dual affiliate with the LCMC, an action not permitted by the ELCA, according to its officials. However, others debate that, noting there are other dual affiliated ELCA congregations.

"Certainly congregations have the right to disaffiliate, but they must follow proper constitutional process," said Bishop Duane Pederson of the ELCA Northwest Synod of Wisconsin.

During the denomination's 2011 Churchwide Assembly in August in Orlando, Fla., the constitution for congregations was amended regarding the disaffiliation process. Before a vote can be taken at a special meeting, congregations must provide written notice to the bishop at least 30 days before and consult with the church leader.

"I did not receive that notification in advance, so any (recent) action regarding disaffiliation (Grace Lutheran Church) may have taken from the ELCA's standpoint is invalid," Pederson said this week.

In the congregation's latest attempt to leave, Nestingen said the second required disaffiliation vote is scheduled for 7 p.m. May 30, the night before Polk County Judge Molly GaleWyrick is scheduled to act on a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs in the suit - identified as Grace Lutheran Church-ELCA - are suing Grace Lutheran Church-LCMC, along with the church council. The defendants are asking that the suit be dismissed, claiming in part there aren't two Grace Lutheran entities and some of the plaintiffs have no standing to sue.

"The true heart of the dispute involves ecclesiastical matters in which civil courts should not become entangled," wrote Jay Heit, an Eau Claire attorney representing the defendants, in a brief in support of dismissal. "The superficial issue ... that this court is simply being asked to decide - whether the correct process and procedure (were) followed leading up to the Synod Council's decision - can be answered from the record with a resounding 'no.' "

Earlier this year, GaleWyrick granted an injunction - sought by the pro-ELCA plaintiffs - and ordered the church's annual meeting, scheduled for Feb. 5, be postponed until further order of the court. She also ordered the defendants to limit spending to ordinary and necessary expenses.

"They're acting contrary to the court order, in the spirit of the court order," Ryberg said of the latest disaffiliation vote.

O'Brien can be reached at 715-830-5838 or christena.obrien@ecpc.com.

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front_page/article_33a324e8-895a-5555-8a1f-ec04b4159167.html