Anglicans

A senior clergyman from the Church of England who claims he was blocked from becoming a bishop because he is openly gay, is apparently preparing to take his employers to court under the country’s equality law.

The Very Rev. Dr. Jeffrey John, the current Dean of St. Albans, is understood to have hired Alison Downie, an employment and discrimination law specialist, to fight his case under the Equality Act 2010, which bans discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, The Guardian reported.

In 2003, John was forced to step down as the suffragan bishop (subordinate to a diocesan bishop) of the town of Reading after conservative evangelicals in the church raised objections. He was the first openly gay priest to be nominated as a Church of England bishop. more >>

Breakaway Anglican congregations in Virginia suffered a blow this week when a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge ruled against letting them keep their church properties.

Judge Randy Bellows ruled on Tuesday in favor of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, giving them ownership over the property of seven churches, some of which date back to the 18th century.

While expressing disappointment in the decision, Jim Oakes, spokesperson for the seven Anglican congregations, said in a statement that they will remain steadfast in their effort “to defend the historic Christian faith.” more >>

The first of January hailed not only the start of a new year but also the implementation of a church body for Anglican congregations transitioning to the Roman Catholic Church.

The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter was officially created on Jan. 1. The Ordinariate will allow Anglican churches in the United States to join the Roman Catholic Church while retaining their Anglican tradition.

Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the Ordinariate, told The Christian Post that the planning of this new church body was the result of years of processing and planning for disaffected Anglicans. more >>

Nearly 80 Anglican clergymen were barred access to an annual retreat in Zimbabwe on Tuesday, inciting claims from the group that the government is prohibiting their freedom of religion.

The Diocese of Harare of the Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA) attempted to convene at a high school in Marondera – just southwest of Zimbabwe’s capital Harare – but was met by police officers who demanded the group leave the school grounds.

CPCA Bishop Nicholas Chad Gandiya said the incident was not a simple misunderstanding. more >>

British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a recent speech that England must embrace its Christian roots and maintain moral practices in politics and finance.

“We are a Christian country and we should not be afraid to say so,” he said at Christ Church in Oxford on Friday, Dec. 16.

Cameron was delivering a speech on the 400-year anniversary of the King James Bible, a fundamental part of British culture which he says “is a book that has not just shaped our country, but shaped the world.” more >>

The day after the death of famed atheist Christopher Hitchens, his conservative Anglican brother Peter Hitchens publicly mourned his brother’s death via a column written for the Daily Mail.

Peter Hitchens, who is a regular columnist and journalist for the U.K. digital publication, admitted in his article that he struggled with how to respond to condolences and inquiries for interviews in light of a sometimes strained but very public relationship between the two.

He wrote that he was compelled to share with readers soon after his closest living relative passed away late Thursday evening after a yearlong battle with esophageal cancer. Christopher, author of God is Not Great, was given advanced treatments for the cancer including radiation, but continued to downslide throughout the year. more >>