Paul Barnett (Photo: Sue Careless)

By Sue Careless

FOR ALMOST a decade Mere Anglicanism has attracted clergy and laity alike for thought-provoking presentations and glorious choral worship in the community that has been dubbed the Holy City because of its many spires. 

About 280 people gathered at the eighth and largest annual Conference in Charleston, South Carolina, Jan. 24^th-26^th to hear stimulating talks on the theme: “Behold the Man!: The Person and Work of Jesus Christ.” While it was mostly theologians who spoke from the podium, the audience they were addressing was not predominantly academic so their talks had to be clear and concise.

Two scholarly bishops addressed the gathering. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Barnett, an historian of ancient history and a former Anglican Bishop of North Sydney, Australia, said “I could not reject the historical reliability of the New Testament,

Late-breaking news: IN ADDRESSING what would seem to be a case of ecclesiastical identity theft, a circuit court judge issued first a temporary restraining order and then a temporary injunction against The Episcopal Church (TEC), preventing it from using the names and seal of the independent Diocese of South Carolina.

The order, which took effect on Jan. 23^rd, prohibited misappropriation of the Diocese’s identity for ten days. A hearing had been scheduled for Feb. 1 to determine

’I have not renounced my orders as a deacon, priest or bishop any more than I have abandoned the Church of Jesus Christ.’
–Mark Lawrence

(Photo: Sue Careless)

By Sue Careless

PRESIDING BISHOP Katharine Jefferts Schori claims she has “accepted the renunciation of the ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church of Mark Lawrence as made in his public address on Nov. 17” and she has “released him from his orders in this Church.” However, Lawrence denies that he has renounced his orders per se, only that he and his diocese have withdrawn from TEC. 

The Presiding Bishop made the announcement

Angus T. Jones

(Photo: www.smh.com.au)

(Staff)  THE CHILD star of the CBS hit show Two and a Half Men has asked millions of fans to stop watching the program “and filling your head with filth.” Angus T. Jones, 19, has portrayed the nephew of a womanising, partying bachelor in the comedy since its 2003 launch

(Staff)  FOR THE FIRST TIME in its history, the United States does not have a Protestant majority, according to a new study. The number of Americans with no religious affiliation is on the rise, which led to the percentage of Protestant adults in the U.S. dropping to a new low of 48 percent.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life reports that among the reasons for the change

(Staff)  THE PRESIDING BISHOP of the Episcopal Church (TEC) has suspended the ministry of the Bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina until the House of Bishops can meet to vote on whether to remove him completely. This action by TEC triggered two pre-existing corporate resolutions of the Diocese, which simultaneously disaffiliated the Diocese from TEC and called a Special Convention which will be held in Charleston on Nov. 17.

On Oct. 15 Bishop Mark Lawrence was notified

Bishop John Howe

(Photo: geoconger.files.wordpress.com)

(Staff)  A REFERENCE PANEL of The Episcopal Church (TEC) has found that a case of misconduct can be made against nine serving and retired TEC bishops under that Church’s controversial Title IV disciplinary canons.

The case against the bishops proceeds from two separate

THE GENERAL CONVENTION of The Episcopal Church, which met in Indianapolis in July, has authorized a provisional rite for the blessing of same-sex couples. The resolution does not make the rites mandatory, but leaves it up to each diocesan bishop to implement them, adapt them for local use or not use them at all.
On July 9th the House of Bishops approved

Charles Colson

Photo: www.prisonfellowship.org

(Staff)  CHARLES COLSON, the “dirty tricks” political operative who was jailed for a Watergate-related burglary but who, after a religious conversion, founded the largest prison ministry in the world, died on April 21st . He was 80 years old.  
He once boasted that he would “walk over [his] own grandmother” to ensure the re-election of President Richard Nixon. One of the traits Colson shared with Nixon