Presiding Bishop Michael Curry received on Wednesday a new primatial cross, crafted in Bethlehem with olive wood and mother-of-pearl inlay, Episcopal News Service reports. The new cross, a gift from the Diocese of Southeast Florida, becomes a companion to the silver primatial cross that has been used by the past seven presiding bishops. It was presented to Curry in his … [Read more...] about From Bethlehem, a New Primatial Cross
Palestine
Council Considers Palestine, Lay Pensions and More
By Kirk Petersen The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church delayed action this week on a controversial proposal to create a "no-buy list" that would prevent church investment in companies seen as supporting Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. At a four-day meeting in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, the council also discussed how to provide interpretation and … [Read more...] about Council Considers Palestine, Lay Pensions and More
Israel-Palestine Divides the Houses
By Matthew Townsend and Kirk Petersen By the penultimate day of its deliberations, the 79th General Convention had settled several of the hot button issues anticipated in Austin — churchwide same-sex marriage, a salary for the president of the House of Deputies, and liturgical revision, to name a few. One topic, however, continues to elicit considerable debate: the church’s … [Read more...] about Israel-Palestine Divides the Houses
Deputies Move on MeToo, Israel
By Matthew Townsend In a busy legislative session on July 9, the House of Deputies passed a substitute resolution that continues the 79th General Convention’s effort to shed light on the harassment and exploitation of women in the church. Substitute Resolution D016 — or Seeking Truth, Reconciliation and Restoration — rolled together an original resolution by the same … [Read more...] about Deputies Move on MeToo, Israel
Ideas for Israel-Palestine Debate
David Paulsen reports for Episcopal News Service: A group of bishops and deputies who were asked to find a way to navigate the often-thorny discussions of Episcopal Church policy toward Israel and Palestine has announced its recommendations for fostering open and productive debate on those issues at General Convention this July. Five bishops and five members of the House of … [Read more...] about Ideas for Israel-Palestine Debate
Mennonites Approve Divestment
The Mennonite Church USA has voted to divest from companies that profit from Israel’s military presence in Palestine. The resolution passed by 98 percent July 6 during the denomination’s national convention in Orlando. It directs the church’s financial agency to withdraw investments from companies that are “profiting from the occupation” and asks individual Mennonites to do … [Read more...] about Mennonites Approve Divestment
Make Room for Healing
Review by Brian Grantz“With new understanding we can reject both despair and old patterns that merely choose sides.” This is both the central thesis and an honest plea from Alex Joyner in A Space for Peace in the Holy Land. Joyner’s concise book explores how Christians might distinctively and effectively engage the deep divisions and conflicts that characterize relations … [Read more...] about Make Room for Healing
Leaders Welcome Ceasefire
From a press release by the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle EastAs leaders of American Jewish, Christian, and Muslim national religious organizations, united in the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East (NILI), we welcome the ceasefire agreement of Israel and Hamas, and the negotiations to make it … [Read more...] about Leaders Welcome Ceasefire