The Rev. Canon Chris Ahrends: “It’s time for a form of ‘civil disobedience’ within the church — call it ‘ecclesiastical disobedience’ — by clergy of conscience.”
The Rev. Paul Nesta, rector: “We aren’t here today because a building was consecrated [in the 1950s]. We’re here because a people were consecrated and given good work to advance.”
The Diocese of Sydney’s synod has eliminated a controversial 2019 provision of its governance policy that required lay officials of diocesan-affiliated schools and aid agencies to profess their belief in a traditional ethic of sex and marriage.
“This is the worst flooding that we have seen and it’s the worst flooding that this structure will have seen,” said the Very Rev. Sarah Hurlbert, dean of Asheville's Cathedral of All Souls.
Vanderbilt offered few details about its plans, which are pending approval from various regulatory bodies, though the deal builds on the university’s existing presence in the city.
The conference drew 220 clergy and laypeople from 30 countries and 28 provinces, under the theme “Leading Safer Churches: Power and Vulnerability in Church Life.”
