Church of Pakistan offers practical and spiritual support amid devastating floods

[Anglican Communion News Service] Due to heavy, sustained rainfall in recent months, the Church of Pakistan, United has urged Anglican sisters and brothers to pray for those in their province who have been impacted by the floods. The local church has also been involved in distributing relief items such as baby food and sanitation kits…

South Sudan Council of Churches pleads for dialogue and peace

[Anglican Communion News Service] The Episcopal Church of South Sudan is in a country experiencing political upheaval, instability and prolonged periods of violence over many years, even after South Sudan became an independent nation in 2011. Despite ongoing reconciliation dialogues being encouraged by international bodies, a sustainable and peaceful remedy has not yet been reached in…

Western Louisiana church to build water filling station in city with failing municipal system

[Episcopal News Service] The Rev. Laurent De Prins, rector of Epiphany Opelousas in the Diocese of Western Louisiana, had just finished speaking by phone with Episcopal News Service about the clean water crisis affecting his community when he received an alert underscoring just how severe that crisis has become. De Prins and other Opelousas residents…

Centennial of milestone in Anglican–Roman Catholic dialogue is marked in Belgium

[Anglican Communon News Service] The centennial of the Malines Conversations, a milestone in Anglican–Roman Catholic dialogue, was marked Sept. 21 in Mechelen, Belgium, with a four-day conference, an academic session and a concluding Evensong service at Saint Rumbold’s Cathedral. The Malines Conversations were a series of five informal ecumenical conversations held from 1921 to 1927…

Episcopal Diocese of Maryland sees increase in the number of new people attending church

All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick, Maryland, is just one of the churches in the Episcopal Dicoese of Maryland that has seen an increase in newcomers attending services this year. Photo: All Saints [Episcopal News Service] Earlier this year Maryland Bishop Carrie Schofield-Broadbent began to hear reports of a growing number of new people coming…

Church of England bishops overseeing parishes opposed to ordained women need extra help

[Church of England] Independent Reviewer Canon Maggie Swinson is recommending extra support for two bishops who provide extended episcopal oversight to parishes with a conservative stance on the ordination of women. The role of the Independent Reviewer was established under the House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests, drawn up in…

Episcopal leadership conference focuses on churches’ response to the global refugee crisis

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Geneva, Switzerland, hosted some 18 attendees at the Sept. 19-20 conference, which included presentations, discussions and fellowship. Its Refugee Welcome Center began in 2022 in response to an influx of mostly women and children fleeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Photo: Lynette Wilson/Episcopal News Service [Episcopal News Service – Geneva, Switzerland] As Western…

Church of England bishops welcome UK’s recognition of Palestinian state

[Church of England] A group of bishops with a close interest in the Holy Land have welcomed the announcement that the United Kingdom has formally recognized a Palestinian state. Southwark Bishop Christopher Chessun, the Church of England’s lead bishop for the Middle East, said the decision could help undercut extremist narratives and strengthen moderates. Joining in…

Scottish Episcopal and Roman Catholic bishops sign declaration of friendship

[Scottish Episcopal Church] A historic declaration of friendship between the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Catholic Church in Scotland was signed in Edinburgh Sept. 16, allowing them to work more closely together in future. The Saint Ninian Declaration supports a deepening relationship between the two denominations, making greater cooperation possible while acknowledging that there are differences…

Archbishop of York, cardinal, leaders of other churches call for an end to the war in Gaza

[Office of the Archbishop of York] Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, along with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and leaders of other church bodies, have called for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of all hostages and prisoners after Israel launched its major…