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[Religion News Service] A prominent Lutheran leader invoked the story of a martyr while defending work to help the needy after Elon Musk, a billionaire who runs a Trump administration government efficiency task force, described federal funding for Lutheran aid organizations as “illegal” over the weekend. Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran…

[Episcopal News Service] Cristosal, an Episcopal-affiliated human rights organization committed to defending human rights and promoting democratic rule of law in Central America, was forced last week to cut its staff and terminate its humanitarian assistance program, in response to the U.S. foreign aid freeze. Cristosal provided protection and reintegration services to 1,600 internally displaced…

[Episcopal News Service] The Rev. Kevin Laskowski will always have the distinction of being a “Jeopardy!” champion, after winning three times on the quiz show in November, but on Jan. 31 he felt short of adding tournament champion to his resume. Laskowski, the priest-in-charge at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, Virginia, appeared in the…

Bishop John Howard led the Jacksonville-based Diocese of Florida from 2004 to 2023. Photo: Diocese of Florida [Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church on Feb. 3 released documents related to the two Title IV disciplinary cases against former Florida Bishop John Howard, including details of alleged financial impropriety that had not been revealed publicly until…

Washington National Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith, left, and Washington Bishop Mariann Budde, right, present Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe to the congregation after his ceremonial seating at the cathedral on Feb. 2, as seen in the cathedral’s video of the service. [Episcopal News Service] Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, in a sermon Feb. 2 during his ceremonial…

[Anglican Communion News Service] The Anglican bishop of Goma has said people are “terrified in their homes” as fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo city continues to escalate. The Rt. Rev. Martin Gordon, who has recently evacuated Goma along with other peacekeepers, has shared “The Goma Call for Peace” urging the international community to…

[Church of England] The Rt. Rev. John Perumbalath, the bishop of Liverpool, England, retired on Jan. 30 in advance of a television network’s announcement that they would broadcast allegations of inappropriate behavior toward two women. He stated that the claims, made in 2023, and were found to be unsubstantiated. Here is the statement from Perumbalath:…

St. Michael’s Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Ministry at St. Michael’s, Brattleboro, Vermont, is seen assisting Afghans arriving in the United States in 2022. Photo: Lisa Sparrow [Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church’s nearly nine-decade history of helping refugees resettle in the United States effectively will end next month, an early casualty of the new Trump administration’s…

Los Angeles Bishop John Harvey Taylor leads prayer at the start of the Jan. 30, 2024, “Prayer and Action” webinar showcasing how Episcopalians can help people who’ve been impacted by wildfires that have been burning since Jan. 7 throughout the Los Angeles area. Photo: Screenshot [Episcopal News Service] Church leaders from the Diocese of Los…

[Episcopal News Service] The Diocese of Chicago has pledged support for immigrants as a “sanctuary diocese” since 2019. Now, with the Trump administration pursuing a new crackdown on immigration, Episcopalians in northern Illinois are living out that spirit of “sanctuary” in ways as diverse as their diocese. Some congregations in the diocese’s namesake city are…