Anglican Overseas Aid appoints CEO; Woman and child die in Nigeria cathedral bombing; First Moravian rector of an Episcopal parish; Catholic Church in Australia admits to 620 child sex abuse cases; Vatican Council II’s golden anniversary; Dutch ecumenical leader wants churches to examine slavery history
Anglican Overseas Aid appoints CEO
The appointment has been anounced of Bob Mitchell as CEO of Anglican Overseas Aid. Bob has been the interim CEO at Anglican Overseas Aid since the start of September.
Bob is a committed Christian and was recently Chief of Mission at World Vision Australia. He has a strong commitment to international aid and development, with broad experience of management and governance in the sector.
A/Prof Julian Rait, Deputy Chairman of Anglican Overseas Aid, said, “We are delighted to appoint Bob as CEO at Anglican Overseas Aid following a rigorous selection process that attracted a field of high quality candidates. The process revealed the high regard that our organisation has within the aid and development sector.”
http://www.aco.org/acns/digest/index.cfm/2012/9/25/Anglican-Overseas-Aid-appoints-CEO-Bob-Mitchell
Woman and child die in Nigeria cathedral bombing
A suicide bomb attack on a cathedral in Nigeria has left a woman and child dead.
The suicide bomber is also reported to have died in the attack on St John’s Catholic Cathedral in Bauchi Town, northern Nigeria.Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that the bomber detonated his explosives at the church gate after being refused entry into the grounds at around 9am local time on Sunday.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/3/woman.and.child.die.in.nigeria.cathedral.bombing/30692.htm
First Moravian rector of an Episcopal parish
On Sept. 16, the Rev. Carl Southerland was installed as rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, North Carolina, becoming the first Moravian pastor of an Episcopal parish since the two denominations inaugurated a full-communion relationship in 2011.
“It is an exciting day for the Moravian Church and the Episcopal Church,” said Southerland. “My appointment into the Episcopal Church has been a wonderful process. To come into the Episcopal Church, I’ve felt so welcome. It’s been a real blessing for me, and I’m very excited to be here.”
Southerland served in various positions with the Moravian Church in North Carolina for 41 years before joining St. John’s, including positions as pastor at First Moravian, Greensboro, Fries Memorial, Winston-Salem, and Unity Moravian, Lewisville; and associate pastor at Home Moravian in Winston-Salem.
The two denominations formalized the communion on Feb. 10, 2011. The official text of the agreement included a statement explaining, “We seek this relationship of full communion so that our mission as Christ’s church will be more effectively fulfilled and each of our communions might be more complete because of the spiritual treasures of the other.”
Catholic Church in Australia admits to 620 child sex abuse cases
The criminal offences were carried out mostly between the 1930s and 1980s, the Church in Victoria said.
http://www.thejournal.ie/catholic-church-abuse-australia-605446-Sep2012/
Vatican Council II’s golden anniversary
One of the most important events in the modern history of the Catholic church will soon reach a historical milestone. On Oct. 11, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council will be celebrated by the church throughout the world.
On Oct. 11, 1962, Blessed Pope John XXIII confidently threw open the windows of the church, trusting that the Holy Spirit would blow through it with a fresh breeze of renewal.
http://ncronline.org/blogs/making-difference/vatican-council-iis-golden-anniversary
Dutch ecumenical leader wants churches to examine slavery history
An ecumenical leader in the Netherlands has called on the country’s churches to examine their role in the history of slavery, ahead of next year’s 150th anniversary of the Dutch abolition of slavery.
http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=5941