 |
| Bishops of Llandaff and St Davids with their mentor Katharine Jefferts Schori Source: Twitter |
There is news on the grapevine that June's jollies are more extensive than previously recorded, most recently accompanying the bishop of St Davids to the US.
Presumably they met up with their mentor, the former 'heretical mentor' to Barry Morgan, Katharine Jefferts Schori. She preceded Michael Curry as presiding bishop of the US Episcopal Church (TEC) which has taken the lead in secularising Anglicanism. That explained her popularity with Barry and his bench sitters in Wales and the deference shown by the current Archbishop of Canterbury to Michael Curry.
Throwing away the best opportunity ever presented for taking forward the Great Commission, Justin Welby proposed presiding bishop Curry to preach at the Royal wedding, offering one of the foremost advocates of same sex marriage a platform to speak to around 2 billion people around the world in the knowledge that he favoured policies contrary to those of the Church of England. *
Readers may wonder why reputedly able women need mentoring after Barry Morgan confidently proclaimed without qualification that Joanna Penberthy was the best person to be a bishop. Presumably June was at least second best.
The purpose of the US visit is not entirely clear but I would be surprised if Joanna and June were not entertained by their episcopal, feminist counterparts. TEC has been in the lead in promoting same sex marriage and penalising anyone who is unable in conscience to accept TEC's liberal policies.
Consider just one example of many. A letter written to a local newspaper by a disillusioned correspondent in 2013. He was "saddened and appalled" by the "vindictive and mean-spirited language" Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori used in her "ugly" sermon:
"Alluding to Bishop Mark Lawrence as a 'tyrant' and comparing him to 'citizens' militias deciding to patrol ... the Mexican border for unwelcome visitors' was unconscionable. And to say, 'It's not terribly far from the state of mind evidenced in school shootings, or in those who want to arm school children, or the terrorism that takes oil workers hostage,' was despicable. That any Christian, much less a presiding bishop, would use such invective and incendiary words says more about the speaker than the person she is attempting to vilify.
The purpose of the US visit is not entirely clear but I would be surprised if Joanna and June were not entertained by their episcopal, feminist counterparts. TEC has been in the lead in promoting same sex marriage and penalising anyone who is unable in conscience to accept TEC's liberal policies.
Consider just one example of many. A letter written to a local newspaper by a disillusioned correspondent in 2013. He was "saddened and appalled" by the "vindictive and mean-spirited language" Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori used in her "ugly" sermon:
"Alluding to Bishop Mark Lawrence as a 'tyrant' and comparing him to 'citizens' militias deciding to patrol ... the Mexican border for unwelcome visitors' was unconscionable. And to say, 'It's not terribly far from the state of mind evidenced in school shootings, or in those who want to arm school children, or the terrorism that takes oil workers hostage,' was despicable. That any Christian, much less a presiding bishop, would use such invective and incendiary words says more about the speaker than the person she is attempting to vilify.
"However, she is the same person who has spent over $22 million [currently estimated to be around $50 million - Ed.] to sue churches over their property, who refused to sell a church back to its congregation and instead sold it to a Muslim organization, and who sued beloved, retired bishops because they challenged her authority. It is not surprising that the fruits of Bishop Jefferts Schori's leadership of TEC are a significant decline in members, controversy and confrontation with the majority of the Anglican Communion, and financial problems resulting in the need to sell prized land in Manhattan."
Although the reason for the latest jolly is unclear, the similarities between TEC policies and those favoured by the bench are plain to see raising the suspicion that 'More of the same - but faster' promised by the new archbishop of Wales will see the jolly feminist pair taking the lead on further liberalisation given their secular credentials.
That will be more women clergy in the drive for parity regardless of suitability and more LGBTQI+ initiatives leading eventually to same sex marriage given the enthusiasm of the bench for the change.
What a catastrophe for the Church in Wales these politically motivated appointments have been.
Postscript [03.06.2018]
* Reported in the Mirror:
Meghan and Harry's preacher Bishop Michael Curry destined for Britain's Got Talent final after THAT impassioned royal wedding sermon.
The American bishop will deliver a special message for the remaining contestants as they prepare for the performance of their lives.
The "most watched show on TV" provides yet another platform for the presiding bishop of TEC, thanks to Archbishop Justin Welby. Curry sounds good but he has a distorted, permissive view of God's "almighty hands of love" that allows people to pick and choose what to believe leading them astray, as did his predecessor.
Well done Welby!
It cannot go unremarked Ancient Briton.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on another milestone - 1.7 million views.
The unholy trinity above, along with the Dark --Lord and his glove puppet, are among your best recruiting agents.
A long time ago, before the ordination of women, a priest friend of mine (who was NOT, as it happened, against the ordination of women to the priesthood) declared that the best argument at that time against ordaining women priests was the women who wanted to be priests. Now we see how right he was!
ReplyDeleteJoanna & June have been to the states. For mentoring. OK. Presuming they can't access mentoring in the British Isles (highly unlikely) how is this travel, plus accommodation, plus expenses being funded? Training Budget? Discretionary Fund? Again, it all smacks of a lack of transparency and accountability. When someone said that the ordination of women would change the culture of the Church, they weren't kidding, were they?
ReplyDeleteThe odds of them dipping their hands into collection plates against them dipping their hands into their own purses are 100-1.
DeleteWhat's the former Presiding Bishop going to teach our two lady Bishops through her mentorship? Heresy, mismanagement, disunity, profligacy, victimisation, negligence and downright nastiness?
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth would you seek the advice of someone utterly tainted by her disastrous term as Presiding Bishop.
The only good she did was inadvertently help create the ACNA.
At our 9:0 a m service this morning there were15 women and 1 man besides our non resident priest. Of the women only three are not widows. The youngest is in her late sixties and the oldest in her nintythird year. Being first to return to my seat following communion, I sadly watched all my old friends return to their pews, most were limping, some more so than others, holding on to other’s arms, and some with bent backs and most looking worn but still faithful to their church and the collection plate. Later I thought about these recent posts and June’s Jollies, and feeling disillusioned, but being a day dreamer, thought, what a wonderful Christian gesture it would be if the Bishop’s et al gave up their trip to Spain and used the money to charter some buses to send these faithful servants on a free trip to Walsingham. But as I said, I am a dreamer. One thing I do know, if any of the priests in my ministry area take up June’s offer to go on the Spanish ‘pilgrimage’ I will probably,in future, be spending my Sunday mornings nearer to God’s heart, in my garden.
ReplyDeleteHope.
Hope, please don't blame the clergy, they are forced to go on this training and have no option. Without it they risk not being relicensed as it is considered essential training as most professionals now do.the difference is that in the real world there are lots of ways to do professional training including on line at very low cost. In the real world you also choose training that makes a difference to the job you do and area you do it. CiW is one product fits all so often the training makes no difference at parish level.
DeleteIf the clergy need a pilgrimage, what about the lay people? Is pilgrimage only valid for clergy? Dear Bishop - I want to go on this pilgrimage to Santiago as a pewsitter and contributor to church funds. How do I apply?
ReplyDeleteBattleaxe
Dear A.B.
ReplyDeleteLast night I awoke from a nightmare where Jeremy Thorpe had been made a bishop of the Anglican church.
Do tell me that it was only a bad dream and not a portent of things to come.
Lots of Luuuv.
The Watchman.
Dear Watchman, rest assured - Jeremy Thorpe died about four years ago. It was only a bad dream. The real nightmare is yet to happen when the deluded and uneducated members of Governing Body - bishops included - will traipse through the 'yes' lobby and dump same-sex marriage on us. At that point, the Church in Wales will become a secularized sect - if it isn't already now. The bishops will still insist that they are bishops and carry on wearing their bishops' garb, but that's only because they enjoy dressing up. Yet the Church will have abandoned her Lord and his teaching, and he will abandon her. As the prophet Amos said, "Fallen to rise no more is the Virgin Israel, forsaken on her land with none to raise her up." Even though history is cyclical, and what happened to Israel will happen to the CiW, the bishops drive headlong towards destruction.
DeleteSeymour
PP. Interesting comments about the value for money of the jolly pilgrimage. But, the one point that I have full agreement with is Danny Jones'. The serious one model fits all, is an out dated blanket gun hoe approach. Indeed it does not bring well battle hardened clergy better armed or, resourced. Each cleric needs his/her own personal training plan, using the noted funds to ensure they have greater knowledge. Other denominations, hold clergy schools, plan one to one training, provide funds and resources. What is clearly wrong with the CiW model is: accountability, focused training, and mission strategy. Sadly, this jolly pilgrimage, is looking more grandstanding than any form of good investment in dwindling clergy numbers. I wait to see the names of guests, guest speakers who will inevitably be part of this project.
ReplyDeleteSerious questions arise:-
ReplyDeleteWhat sort of training and how does it benefit members of a congregation?
Can we be told exactly how much it will cost and where the money is coming from?
Where will it be held in Santiago de Compostela, and where will clergy be accommodated?
Who has the Bishop consulted on this decision? Has she asked regular churchgoers?
Why is the chosen location better than St Padams which has bishop and clergy on the doorstep, a Cathedral, a theological college, the city of Cardiff and Cardiff Bay accessible all at a fraction of the cost?
Is the Bishop on a different planet?
Patron
Yes, planet Juno Patron.
ReplyDeleteAdded to your list could be the cost of travel insurance or will the diocese be underwriting that as well?
Chloe
real good news, for a change, from the Middle East - maybe Llandaff Pilgrimage to Iraq 2023! IRAQ PULSE
ReplyDeleteIraq's Christians, Muslims agree to revive site of ancient church
Saad Salloum June 8, 2018
A lunch meeting between a Christian tour group and local Muslims during Ramadan resulted in an initiative to save one of Iraq’s oldest churches.
Ruins of the Church of Kokheh, built by Saint Mari in the first century, screenshot from video uploaded 28 January 2018.
BAGHDAD — A group of Christians from Baghdad who visited the ruins of the Church of Kokheh, located 20 miles south of the Iraqi capital, were spontaneously invited by the local Muslim community for lunch after their tour.
The historical Church of Kokheh is one of the early points of departure of Christianity in the Middle East, Father Mansour al-Makhlissi, founder and head of the Centre for Eastern Studies at the Roman Catholic Church in Baghdad, told the visitors as he took them around the site of the church on 25 May. “It was the patriarchal residence of the Eastern Church for centuries,” he said, adding that 24 patriarchs were buried in the church built by Saint Mariin the first century.
Over the past 20 years, Christians could not visit the remnants of the church due to safety concerns, most recently due to the attacks by the Islamic State.
With the area now more secure, the Centre for Eastern Studies organized the visit to the Church of Kokheh.