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PASTORAL LETTER FROM PRESIDING BISHOP MARK HANSON August 22, 2009 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ: Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. -- Colossians 3:14-15 I write to you from the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis with official information about the actions of this assembly related to human sexuality. I am grateful for the manner in which this church has engaged in this conversation. The way this assembly has...

The Assembly began with breakfast and “table talk,” small group discussion around tables, and then they convened in plenary As the public session began, two speakers expressed great concern that following the adoption of the social statement yesterday, there was loud applause and cheers. It was noted that our rules declare this kind of response to be out of order, and the PB did nothing to call the assembly to order. The cheers were hurtful to those whose “bound conscience” were sorely wounded. The PB agreed, and apologized for his mistake. Kirsten --- (didn’t get her name or synod) urged...

Episcopal Church leaders in Los Angeles today nominated an openly gay priest and an openly lesbian priest as bishops, becoming one of the first dioceses in the national church to test a controversial new policy that lifted a de facto ban on gays and lesbians in the ordained hierarchy. The nominations of the Rev. John L. Kirkley of San Francisco and the Rev. Canon Mary Douglas Glasspool of a Baltimore-based diocese are likely to further inflame theological conservatives in the U.S. church and their global partners in the Anglican Communion, who have repeatedly warned about the repercussions of such action....

Barely two weeks after General Convention, the Diocese of Minnesota has nominated Bonnie Perry, a partnered lesbian, for bishop. Integrity is "delighted" at the news, saying that "the actions of our General Convention will put a sad chapter of discrimination against the LGBT baptized behind us."

Preaching God's word with an eye on national politics Pepperell vicar leads liberal think tank By Rich Barlow Globe Correspondent / March 5, 2009 One day about six years ago, the Rev. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale was testifying before Congress on behalf of abortion rights, basking among politicians who were interested to hear her views and happy to shake her hand. The next day, the Episcopal priest was back for a meeting at St. David's, her tiny Pepperell church, where a 2-year-old scaled her chair to perch on her head.

Faith forms a bond for a lesbian priest and a Mormon father of three A documentary film about same-sex marriage and theology leads to friendship, admiration and new understanding. By Duke Helfand February 7, 2009 Who could have foreseen what would happen between the Mormon filmmaker and the lesbian priest? Not Douglas Hunter, even after he took a leap of faith and trained his camera on the Rev. Susan Russell.

The Episcopal Church in California is taking up arms against Proposition 8, an amendment that would change the California constitution to preserve the integrity of marriage as being between one man and one woman. In the process the U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion is clashing with a huge interfaith coalition, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Hindus and Sikhs, which is simultaneously launching a campaign to promote the proposition. Voters will have an opportunity on the 2008 California General Election ballot in November to support Proposition 8, which will reinforce the wishes of 61% of California voters who supported true...

Why was the 3rd secret of Fatima kept secret for so long?

NEWS WATCH: World Council of Churches Praises Late Arafat in Controversial Statement November 11, 2004 UTC By: Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent, BosNewsLife JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- In a move expected to raise Arafat peace maker? Arafat peace maker? Source: Via Google Images controversy, the World Council of Churches (WCC) expressed its condolences Thursday, November 11, to the Palestinians following the death of Yasser Arafat at age 75, earlier in the day. Although Israeli government officials and some of their Christian supporters in Jerusalem criticized Arafat for his alleged links to terrorist networks, a WCC official described him as someone...