[ELD] Conservative Anglicans, meeting in Jerusalem, struggle to find a united voice / New study finds religion in U.S. is non-dogmatic, diverse

[Matthew Davies]

Episcopal Life Daily
June 24, 2008

Episcopal Life Online is available at
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife.

Today's Episcopal Life Daily includes:

* TOP STORY - Conservative Anglicans, meeting in Jerusalem, struggle to
find a united voice
* TOP STORY - New study finds religion in U.S. is non-dogmatic, diverse
* WORLD REPORT - CANADA: Bishops trade advice before leaving for Lambeth
Conference
* WORLD REPORT - ENGLAND: Young people will challenge bishops to listen
at Lambeth Talk
* EDUCATION - Nine new students matriculate at Episcopal Divinity School
* MULTIMEDIA - Video: Colorado Bishop Rob O'Neill on vitality of
Jerusalem diocese
* OPINION - Do we really need a Communion?
* DAYBOOK - June 25, 2008: Today in Scripture, Prayer, History
* CATALYST - Youth Ministry

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TOP STORIES

Conservative Anglicans, meeting in Jerusalem, struggle to find a united
voice

By Matthew Davies

[Episcopal News Service] The diversity of opinions expressed by some of
the 1,000 participants attending the Global Anglican Future Conference
(GAFCON) reveals that the current divide in the Anglican Communion is
more than simply a conflict between liberals and conservatives.

The language adopted in a 94-page document, "The Way, The Truth, The
Life," released on June 19, appears to indicate that the GAFCON
leadership had already made up its mind that division was inevitable.
The document, however, was drafted by a small number of GAFCON leaders.
Other participants at the June 22-29 summit in Jerusalem are "at
different points in the journey," Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda told
ENS.

Acknowledging that the conservatives at GAFCON are struggling to find
their voice, Orombi recognized that "some are staying; some are tired;
some are walking. It's important for people here to define their needs."

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_98214_ENG_HTM.htm

- - - - -

New study finds religion in U.S. is non-dogmatic, diverse

Pew Forum report also details Americans' social and political attitudes

By Mary Frances Schjonberg

[Episcopal News Service] A second report on the Pew Forum on Religion &
Public Life's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey finds that while many
Americans are highly religious, most are not dogmatic in their approach
to faith.

"The fact that most Americans are not exclusive or dogmatic about their
religion is a fascinating finding," Luis Lugo, director of the Pew
Forum, said in a news release. "Most people will be surprised that a
majority of adherents in nearly all religious traditions, including a
majority of evangelical Protestants, say that there isn't just one way
to salvation or to interpret the teachings of their own faith."

Researchers analyzed the religious practices of a nationally
representative sample of 35,556 U.S. adults. Episcopalians were included
in the survey's mainline Protestant churches category and made up 1.4
percent of the respondents. Details about the breakdown of the
respondents' denominations is available here. Respondents were
interviewed over the telephone in either English or Spanish.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_98208_ENG_HTM.htm

More Top Stories: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/elife

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WORLD REPORT

CANADA: Bishops trade advice before leaving for Lambeth Conference
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_98216_ENG_HTM.htm

ENGLAND: Young people will challenge bishops to listen at Lambeth Talk
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_98198_ENG_HTM.htm

More World news: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81808_ENG_HTM.htm

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EDUCATION

Nine new students matriculate at Episcopal Divinity School

[Episcopal Divinity School] Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) celebrated
its June matriculation ceremony, welcoming nine new students into the
school's community during the morning service on June 19 in St. John's
Memorial Chapel.

The students are enrolling in EDS' Master of Divinity degree program
through the Distributive Learning option, which allows them to complete
most of their course work during EDS' intensive January and June terms.
This permits students to earn their degree without having to relocate to
EDS' Cambridge, Massachusetts campus. The new students represent the
Episcopal, Unitarian Universalist, United Church of Christ, and
Metropolitan Community Churches.

Matriculation is a medieval academic ceremony which has its roots in the
12th and 13th century, when cathedrals and founding universities were
becoming centers of education, debate, and discussion. 

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78650_98215_ENG_HTM.htm

More Education: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_93222_ENG_HTM.htm

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MULTIMEDIA

Video: Colorado Bishop Rob O'Neill on vitality of Jerusalem diocese

[Episcopal News Service] The Rt. Rev. Robert O'Neill, bishop of the
Diocese of Colorado, speaks about the vitality of the Episcopal Diocese
of Jerusalem and its 37 institutions that provide education, healthcare
and vocational training throughout the Holy Land. O'Neill was visiting
the Jerusalem diocese at the invitation of Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem
Suheil Dawani.

Video: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81231_ENG_HTM.htm

More Multimedia: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80056_ENG_HTM.htm

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OPINION

Do we really need a Communion?

By Robert O'Neill

[Episcopal Life] As the bishops of the worldwide Anglican Communion
prepare to gather next month at the Lambeth Conference -- a gathering
held only once every 10 years -- many people are waiting to see if our
global Communion of 38 independent churches can remain unified in the
face of deep disagreements, ostensibly over issues of human sexuality.
 
But the real question is not can we stay together, but do we really want
or need unity within the Anglican Communion?
 
The question is not new. 
 
In 1988, as Anglican bishops gathered for the Lambeth Conference and as
religious and secular media speculated about the possible dissolution of
the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie raised
the same question: "Do we actually need a worldwide Communion?" The
issue then was the ordination of women, and specifically the expected
consecration of the first woman bishop, Barbara Harris, who had just
been elected in Massachusetts.

Full story: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_98199_ENG_HTM.htm

More Opinion: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80050_ENG_HTM.htm

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DAYBOOK

On June 25, 2008...

* Today in Scripture: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/82457_ENG_HTM.htm
* Today in Prayer: Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acp/index.cfm
* Today in History: On June 25, 1115, Bernard founded a monastery at
Clairvaux, France, that would soon become the center of the Cistercian
religious order.

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CATALYST

"Youth Ministry" from Abingdon Press, by Jason Gant, edited by Adam
Hamilton, 64 pages, paperback, c. 2008, $24

[Abingdon Press] Gant focuses on a practical approach to youth ministry
needs, emphasizing that young people need to understand a relationship
with God through their head, their heart, and their hands. 

This practical, user-friendly, guide includes: 

- A collection of solid ideas that zero in on helping professional staff
and laypersons develop and maintain a thriving youth ministry. 

- Shows leaders how to create a place where youth come to know God
personally through youth groups, retreats, and special events. 

- Offers suggestions for building young people's knowledge through
Sunday school, small groups, Bible studies, and discussion groups. 

- Includes tips for challenging youth with options to serve through
missions, ministry teams, and acts of kindness and mercy.

To order: Episcopal Books and Resources, online at
http://www.episcopalbookstore.org, or call 800-903-5544 -- or visit your
local Episcopal bookseller, http://www.episcopalbooksellers.org

More Catalyst: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/83842_ENG_HTM.htm