July 3, 2007 Greetings

Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, arrived on the last day of General Synod to bring greetings from the U.S. church. Among the other observers and international visitors to the Canadian church meeting were John Sentamu, Archbishop of York (centre) and Canon Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.

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July 3, 2007 Observers give bird’s-eye view of Synod meeting

International and local observers at General Synod not only brought greetings from their churches and organizations but most also commented to the gathering on the issue of human sexuality that has divided Anglicans in Canada and around the world.

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July 3, 2007 Reforming church needed after close vote on same-sex blessings

“This is not a one-agenda church!” declared National Bishop Raymond Schultz in his opening remarks to the 394 delegates and 168 visitors registered for the 11th biennial National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in...

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July 3, 2007 ELCIC elects new leader

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) made history at its June national convention by electing its first woman national bishop – Rev. Susan Johnson, currently assistant bishop of the Eastern Synod. Delegates at the...

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July 3, 2007 Lutherans reject same-sex blessings

Delegates of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada’s (ELCIC) 11th biennial National Convention rejected for the second time a motion allowing the blessing of same-sex unions. The motion encouraging synods to develop...

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July 3, 2007 Water theme flows through shared Anglican/Lutheran day

Anglicans and Lutherans took a pause from their respective annual conventions to flow together for a day of worship that celebrated their six-year-old Full Communion relationship and was centered on the theme and imagery of water.

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July 3, 2007 Highlights

In other business:•    General Synod asked for a task force to examine the role of the primate during the current triennium, including such issues as whether he/she should retain his/her diocese upon election. The...

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July 3, 2007 Local volunteers embrace visitors to General Synod

A corps of more than 225 volunteers from local Anglican parishes helped the wheels of General Synod move smoothly, from welcoming delegates at the airport and hotels to sewing “comfort cushions” for the long synod days.

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July 3, 2007 Synod meeting upheld in prayer

General synod delegates were constantly upheld in prayer during their week of exhaustive meetings in Winnipeg. A core team formed by the national executive of the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (AFP) drew up a roster in advance of Synod to ensure that the Quiet Room at the conference hotel was staffed with at least two people from morning to night.

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July 3, 2007 Church’s shepherd prepared to take on even bigger flock

The image of Jesus as shepherd is one that Archbishop Fred Hiltz particularly loves. He has committed to memory passages of the Bible referring to Jesus as the shepherd that tends to his flock, leads them to other pastures, and...

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