Although the ruling states that "Councils do not have the right to bind the conscience of either pastors or members to a pro-forma set of essentials," the SPJC has sought to do just that by elevating the freedom of conscience above all other values in our common life

The following letter was sent to members of his diocese by The Right Reverend Mark Joseph Lawrence of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina on November 14, 2012

As of now, well over 1000 homes on Long Island alone have been determined to be uninhabitable. On the southern part of Staten Island hundreds of people are homeless. Hoboken, NJ – a densely populated city which is just across the Hudson River from Greenwich Village in Manhattan – was devastated. Over 1000 people there (most of whom lived in basement apartments that were flooded by Hurricane Sandy) are homeless. The gruesome search for bodies in homes that were near the affected water areas continues – as of now nearly 50 people in New York alone died as a result of the storms

When Hunter, cloaked in his white pastor robe and carrying his Bible, showed up at the church Nov. 4 ready to preach, church officials said, they confronted him in the foyer and demanded that he produce the signed declaration from Bishop T. Larry Kirkland stating his new assignment. Hunter did not have a copy of... Continue Reading

Sometimes the overall culture of an organization discourages leaders from holding people accountable. I have seen this phenomenon, for example, in a number of churches. Staff members will not be carrying their weight. They come and go as they please. No one really knows how much they work in a given week, but many suspect... Continue Reading

“This amendment clarifies what the BCO and our Standards already assume is the Biblical practice, and there is no good argument not to ask our churches to conform to this simple instruction in order to obey the plain Scriptural accounts and to help preserve our liturgical unity together as a denomination.   Therefore, we should approve... Continue Reading

Just now, hopes are high. I have talked to Church people who actively dislike evangelicals, but even they express complete trust in Dr Welby’s openness. No one expects a war between High and Low, Anglo-Catholics and Bible-bashers. They expect an archbishop who will speak bravely to England, and the wider world, in clear English, about the claims that Jesus makes on the life of society and on each human being.

Usually, stories of decline focus on "Mainline Protestantism," which has taken many hits even as it scores some others. But the demographers reveal that decline is also measured in many large evangelical Protestant churches, which are no longer exempt from the trends

(Pastor Paul) Levy said that if approved, the new building will maximise flexibility and usefulness of the spaces for a number of church and community-related activities to include a parent and toddler group, women’s English language classes and a children’s programme catering for youngsters aged five to 18.

If you want the bottom line, from a polity standpoint, here you go: When a congregation seeks dismissal under G-11.0103i (now G-3.0301a), it is the responsibility of the presbytery to fulfill its fiduciary duty under the Trust Clause.