Author: wwedderburn

[Church of Ireland] Half a century of service in episcopal ministry was celebrated June 9 — St. Columba’s Day — when a congregation gathered for a Choral Eucharist in St. Columb’s Cathedral, Londonderry, Ireland, to mark the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Rt. Rev. Robin Eames. Eames served as bishop of Derry and Raphoe…

[Scottish Episcopal Church] On June 7, the final day of General Synod 2025, members backed a motion that affirmed transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex people within the church after an often emotional but always respectful debate at St. Paul’s & St. George’s Episcopal Church in Edinburgh. Specifically, the motion affirmed that trans+ people are…

Bishop Christian Kopp, head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, left, and Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe signed the Augsburg Agreement on June 7 following a Pentecost-eve Eucharist at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Munich, Germany. Photo: ELKB/MCK [Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe and Bishop Christian Kopp, head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church…

[Episcopal News Service] El Salvador’s government on June 7 arrested Enrique Anaya, a constitutional lawyer who had criticized the May 18 arrest of Ruth López, a lawyer who leads the anti-corruption unit of Cristosal, an Episcopal-affiliated organization committed to defending human rights and promoting democratic rule of law in Central America. CNN reported that Anaya had been…

Protesters are seen in downtown Los Angeles on June 8. Photo: Associated Press [Episcopal News Service] Fourteen members of the Diocese of Los Angeles were detained, the diocese said, in immigration enforcement raids late last week that sparked a weekend of intense protests and an escalating government crackdown after the Trump administration ordered the California…

[Anglican Communion News Service] On June 8, Pentecost Sunday, Bishop Anthony Poggo, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, visited St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. It is the first in a series of church and community visits he is making in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas this week, hosted by Texas Bishop Andy Doyle. Invited…

In 1985, the Rev. Fran Toy became the first Asian American woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest. Photo: Diocese of California [Episcopal News Service] The Diocese of California will celebrate the life and ministry of the Rev. Fran Toy on June 8, which would have marked the 40th anniversary of her ordination to the…

The Rev. Jacqueline Means, the first woman ordained to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church after the 1976 canonical changes allowing women to become priests went into effect, has died. (Photo: Facebook) [Episcopal News Service] The Rev. Jacqueline Means, the first woman ordained to the priesthood in The Episcopal Church after the 1976 canonical changes allowing…

Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe spoke about church leadership in a time of change during a June 3 virtual meeting of the Gathering of Leaders, a group of Episcopal clergy and lay leaders who share experiences and resources through networking events year-round. Photo: Screenshot [Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe spoke about church leadership in…

[World Council of Churches] In their annual Pentecost message, the World Council of Churches presidents, each representing eight regions and church groups around the world, reflect on the meaning of unity in diversity. “In this year, in which all churches have shared a common Easter and therefore have the joy of celebrating a common Pentecost,…