Anglican diocese OKs same-sex blessings
Hamilton, Ontario -- A synod of the Anglican Church of Canada's Niagara Diocese voted 213-106 to authorize blessings for same-sex couples, but Bishop Ralph Spence withheld his required endorsement for the measure to go into effect.
Bishop Michael Ingham approved same-sex blessings in the New Westminster (Vancouver area) Diocese in 2002, after the synod there approved the idea for a third time, causing an international uproar.
The Toronto Diocese takes up the issue Nov. 27.
Spence said he personally agreed with the majority but must be "the bishop for all people" and "try to keep unity with the rest of the church."
An emergency international Anglican panel said last month that bishops should not authorize such blessings. The top 38 leaders of world Anglicanism meet on this and related recommendations in February.
The Niagara motion stated that the bishop would grant priests "permission to exercise their discretion in blessing the relationship of gay or lesbian couples who have been married civilly" after their congregations applied for permission.
Protestant ministers want to unionize
Toronto -- Some stressed-out United Church of Canada ministers have launched an unprecedented campaign to seek union representation.
Canadian Auto Workers union President Buzz Hargrove agreed to represent the grass-roots clergy movement, centered in Ontario and western Canada. The union normally represents auto and airline workers and miners.
The 1.5 million-member United Church, the nation's largest Protestant body, said it affirms employees' right to unions as a matter of social justice, but church organizing is "an extremely complex issue" for "theological, pastoral and legal" reasons. For one thing, ministers sit on the governing boards that employ them.
Activists among the clergy complain of abuse from parishioners, low wages and lack of security as reasons to organize.
Minister's wife Karen Paton-Evans of Ingersoll, Ontario, said congregations "are served by volunteers who are usually well-intentioned people, but they are not skilled in human resources or versed in labor law."
Presbyterian officials leave posts after dispute
Louisville, Ky. -- Two Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) officials who took part in a controversial meeting with leaders of Hezbollah have left their jobs.
The church's Louisville headquarters gave no reason for the departures of Kathy Lueckert and Peter Sulyok, wouldn't say they had resigned or been fired, declined further comment and cited employees' right to confidentiality, The Courier-Journal reported.
Lueckert and Sulyok were part of a Presbyterian delegation on an October fact-finding trip to the Mideast that included talks with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The meeting was renounced by Presbyterian leaders and criticized by U.S. Jewish officials. Israel's government canceled its planned meeting with the delegation.
Hezbollah is listed by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
Lueckert was deputy executive director of a council that administers many Presbyterian programs and supervised Sulyok, who coordinated the social policy committee.
Meanwhile, the denomination stepped up security at headquarters and warned congregations to be on alert after it received a letter from New York City threatening to set churches on fire while people were inside because of the church's Mideast views.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.