Churches Together in England on the Diamond Jubilee; Archbishop’s sermon from St Paul’s Cathedral; .General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church; Priest turns movie-maker for choosing rector film; Revd Tom Heffer – Memorial Service announcement; Muslim converts in U.K. energize community but face obstacles
Churches Together in England on the Diamond Jubilee
The Presidents of Churches Together in England (CTE) have acknowledged The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with the following statement:
‘We join the nation in its rejoicing at Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. As we celebrate, we give thanks to God that her personal commitment to her role as monarch, and her service to the people of the United Kingdom, are grounded in a deep faith in Jesus Christ which is an inspiration to countless citizens of nation and Commonwealth. Her understanding of the wholeness and harmony of the nation is a crucial factor in strengthening our commitment to one another.
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/articles.php/2515/churches-together-in-england-on-the-diamond-jubilee
Archbishop’s sermon at St Paul’s Cathedral
Text of sermon preached at the National Service of Thanksgiving held in St Paul’s Cathedral
http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/005527.html
General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church
Representatives from Dioceses across Scotland will gather in Edinburgh (Palmerston Place Church) from 7-9 June for the annual meeting of the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Throughout the three day gathering, matters ranging from social issues to church policy will be debated. The meeting of the General Synod is presided over by the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Rev David Chillingworth who says “General Synod 2012 is the point at which the Scottish Episcopal Church decides whether or not it is ready to adopt the Anglican Covenant. That debate and consideration of the accompanying Motion gives us an opportunity of discussing the life of the global Anglican Communion of which we are a part. In giving further consideration to the Whole Church Mission and Ministry Policy, we shall continue to develop our commitment to engage in mission with the changing character of Scotland today. This will be an important Synod. It will express the way in which we, with our ecumenical partners, feel called to make a positive contribution to our society.”
http://www.scotland.anglican.org/index.php/news/entry/general_synod_of_the_scottish_episcopal_church/#When:10:14:47Z
Priest turns movie-maker for choosing new rector film
East Anglian Daily Times – Commissioned by the Church of England, ‘How to Choose the Perfect Priest’ was filmed over the course of four days at Aldeburgh’s 15th century church of St Peter and St Paul. The venture came about after the Reverend Canon Nigel Hartley met members of …
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/aldeburgh_priest_turns_movie_maker_for_church_project_1_1398974
The Revd Tom Heffer – Memorial Service announcement
A celebration of the life and ministry of the Revd Tom Heffer, former Secretary General of The Mission to Seafarers, will be held on Tuesday, 3 July at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate, Holborn Viaduct EC1A 2DQ in the City of London. The service begins at 12noon and will be led by the Revd Canon Ken Peters, director of justice and welfare at MtS. A reading will be given by the former Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation, Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos and members of staff from the MtS family will also take part. Mr Heffer’s widow, Roz, and daughter, Abi, will be in attendance.
Following the service, light refreshments will be served at St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill EC4R 2RL.
Muslim converts in U.K. energize community but face obstacles
ENI -Muslim converts in the United Kingdom — a small but growing number — often bring new energy to their faith communities, but also report facing obstacles to acceptance.
“Converts are a bridge between non-Muslim, mainly white, communities and Muslim communities who are mainly from sub-continent communities,” said Fiyaz Mughal, founder and director of London-based Faith Matters, an inter-faith organization, in an interview with ENInews.
However, converts also told researchers last year that they felt cast adrift after their acceptance of Islam. Although mosques were delighted to welcome new members, they often failed to provide support when their new co-religionists faced hostility from family and friends, they said.
The study, by Kevin Brice of Swansea University in Wales, said there were about 100,000 converts to Islam in the U.K. in the 2000-2010 decade, up from 60,000 in the 1990s.
http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=5703