"Not Angels, but Anglicans" : Diana Butler Bass

Christian Episcopal author and speaker, Diana Butler Bass, has posted her thoughts and commentary on The Episcopal Church's General Convention 2009 on her blog Progressive Revival at beliefnet.com. It is a good read as well as a clear perspective on our Church and its' future.

Some readers have asked if I have blogged about DO25 and CO56 yet. Don't know what those are? I highly recommend you find out here what the excitement is about, if you don't already know. You may have to backtrack as developments are constantly happening ALL the time.

If you want a running live commentary and reaction from deputies and attendees at Convention, sign onto Twitter and join the "Twub" at #ecgc, to get second by second reporting from the floor of Convention along with pictures and video clips.

Catherine

Different voices to preach at daily worship services during Episcopal Church General Convention 2009

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in Union with The General Convention

has provided a schedule of who is celebrating and preaching during Convention courtesy of Thomas Squiers of the real Diocese of Fort Worth. You can visit the new diocese by clicking on the link above.

Here is the schedule:

Eight preachers – ranging from the Presiding Officers and the Archbishop of Canterbury to a popular TV correspondent and an internationally-known activist – will be among the many voices at the daily worship services during General Convention 2009 of The Episcopal Church.

Episcopalians will gather this summer for General Convention 2009 (GC09), July 8 – 17 at the A naheim Convention Center in California (Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles).

A theme has been designated for each daily Eucharist, with a bishop of The Episcopal Church as celebrant. Additionally, a different preacher will address the daily theme. The Eucharists will be held daily at 11:30 am (Pacific); Sunday Eucharist will be held at 10 am (Pacific).

The daily themes were developed by the Liturgy and Worship Subcommittee of the GC09 Planning and Arrangements Committee, chaired by the Rev. Canon Carol Wade of the National Cathedral in Washington DC and the Rev. Frank Wade of the Diocese of Washington (DC).

All the sermons will be available for viewing through the innovative Media Hub, presented by the Office of Communication to bring the actions of General Convention to those who are there and those who can’t be there.

Celebrants and Preachers

On Wednesday, July 8, the worship service celebrant and preacher will be the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.

On Thursday, July 9 the theme is God’s people. The celebrant will be Bishop J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles , the host diocese for GC09. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will conduct a Bible study during the worship service.

On Friday, July 10 the theme is Unity. The celebrant is Bishop Steve Miller of the Diocese of Milwaukee, co-celebrated by a member of the Moravian clergy. The preacher will be President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson.

On Saturday, July 11 the theme is Hospitality. The celebrant is Bishop Frank Brookhart of the Diocese of Montana; he will be joined by a member of the Methodist clergy. The preacher will be Ray Suarez, senior correspondent for PBS’s NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and formerly of NPR’s Talk of the Nation.

Sunday, July 12 will be the main General Convention Eucharist and the Ingathering for the United Thank Offering (UTO), a mission and grant-awarding program of The Episcopal Church. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will be the celebrant and preacher.

On Monday, July 13, the theme is Domestic Poverty. Celebrant will be Bishop Prince Singh of the Diocese of Rochester with preacher Courtney Cowart, Director of Advocacy and Community Affairs for the Office of Disaster Response in the Diocese of Louisiana.

On Tuesday, July 14 the theme is the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The celebrant is Bishop Rob O’Neill of the Diocese of Colorado who is also the chair of Episcopal Relief & Development. The preacher is Abagail Nelson, Senior Vice President of Programs for Episcopal Relief & Development.

On Wednesday July 15, the theme will be Creation and Environment. The celebrant will be Bishop Greg Rick el of the Diocese of Olympia and preacher will be Bishop Steve Charleston, former Dean of Episcopal Divinity School who offers a focus on environmental issues.

On Thursday, July 16, the theme is Evangelism with celebrant Bishop Wilfrido Ramos of the Episcopal Diocese of Ecuador Central. The preacher is Brian D. McLaren, internationally known speaker and activist and author of important works including Finding Our Way Again, and Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crisis, and a Revolution of Hope.

On Friday, July 17, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will be the celebrant and preacher at the closing Eucharist.

The Episcopal Church’s General Convention, held every three years, is the bicameral governing body of the church. General Convention, the second largest legislative body in the world, is comprised of the House of Bishops, with upwards of 200 members, and the House of Deputies, with clergy and lay representatives from the 110 dioceses, at over 700 members.

The Episcopal Church, with 110 dioceses in 15 nations, is a member province of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

Katie Sherrod: The Undermining of the Episcopal Church continues...

Katie Sherrod is an independent writer and journalist in Fort Worth, Texas. Her blog "Desert's Child" chronicles in part if not whole, the developments in the Episcopal Church USA, its ups and downs and the controversies that assail it. Here is the latest development that many of us are completely unaware of and if you read this and think your friends, or priest, or fellow parishioners need to know how the undermining of our Church continues, then guide them here or to Katie's blog. The truth will on one level, set you free, and on another, turn your stomach.

Here is part of Katie's article revealing the latest conspiracy to weaken and break The Episcopal Church USA:


There is news busting out all over cyberspace about a group of Episcopal Church bishops and rectors calling themselves Communion Partners and a group grandly named the Anglican Communion Institute Inc. who are working to establish as fact their "belief that Episcopal Church polity legitimately arises out of the autonomy of dioceses who gather in voluntary association at The Episcopal Church in General Convention. In this view it is the diocese and not The Episcopal Church that is the "basic unit" of The Episcopal Church. In this argument TEC is not a metropolitical entity, but rather a free association of dioceses."

In this world view, a diocese would have full right to sign on to an Anglican Covenant, thus maintaining its purity without having to leave the Episcopal Church for an entity such as ACNA -- the Anglican Communion in North America, the "province' Duncan and Iker et. al. are trying to set up to replace The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada in North America.

But while these Communion Partner bishops and rectors say that this is a way to keep dioceses and parishes from leaving the Episcopal Church, they also have to know that this argument will be used against the Episcopal Church in the litigation now going on in the dioceses of San Joaquin, Fort Worth and Pittsburgh.

Read the rest of her informative and revealing article at Desert's Child.

See the newest entry for more information and explication from the Episcopal News Service .