31 March 2017: 'Suspicious' fire destroys historic church in Melbourne
The New Zealand Herald reports a fire that destroyed an old church on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula (in Australia). Firefighters took 40 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which broke out at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Hastings.

31 March 2017: Church in Wales rejects charges of unfairness in episcopal nominating process
The Church in Wales issued this statement, which acknowledges receipt of complaints about the selection process but dismisses them. The Church Times has published the letter it received in response to its recent leader from the Bench of Bishops of the Church in Wales.

31 March 2017: C of E court rules that comfortable chairs can replace pews
The Telegraph (London) reported the ruling in the Diocese of Rochester that a vicar is free to replace century-old wooden pews with more comfortable seating even though such chairs are not traditional.

31 March 2017: Pope's remarks on intercommunion called 'ground-breaking'
The Church Times (London) reports that remarks made by Pope Francis during his visit to All Saints, Rome are being interpreted as an endorsement of intercommunion between Anglicans and Roman Catholics.

29 March 2017: Global theological conference held online
The Anglican Communion News Service reports that a three day conference of international theologians has taken place, with the organisers in Jerusalem but the participants taking part via the internet. Theologians from the Middle East, Nigeria, Myanmar, South Sudan, Egypt, Brazil and Tokyo were among those participating.

28 March 2017: Bishop of Los Angeles on trial for church sale attempt
The US Episcopal News Service reports on the church disciplinary hearing for Los Angeles bishop J Jon Bruno. The charges, initially brought by the members of St James the Great Episcopal Church, stem from the bishop's 2015 attempt to sell the church building in Newport Beach to a condominium developer. Please read and learn about this case before forming an opinion; it is more complex than it might seem at first glance.

The president of the Hearing Panel, Herman Hollerith IV, is the great-grandchild of the inventor of computer punch cards, which were for many decades referred to as 'IBM Cards'.

27 March 2017: Church of England creates new bishop for ethnic minorities
The Telegraph (London) reports that the Church of England plans to create a new bishop of Loughborough, based out of the Diocese of Leicester. The purpose of this new appointment is to reach out to changing cultures and populations in the area, because the Church of England is seen as 'too "quintessentially English"'. It will be the first new post created since the See of Brixworth in 1987.

24 March 2017: Great fuss over episcopal appointments in Wales and Sheffield
Thinking Anglicans has gathered reports on the discord about the appointment of bishops for Llandaff and Sheffield.

23 March 2017: Archbishop of Canterbury to make 12-day visit to Holy Land
The Guardian (London) reports the plans of Justin Welby to use his first official visit to that region to focus on religious freedom and challenges facing Christians in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Canon Andrew White, often referred to by journalists as 'The Vicar of Baghdad', told US-based Fox News that ISIS has driven so many Christians out of the reason that they will all be gone soon.

22 March 2017: Prophets of doom in Ghana should 'Shut Up'
AllAfrica.com reports the angry statement by the Most Revd Daniel Yinkah Sarfo, Primate of the Church of the Province of West Africa, in which he has asked all prophets of doom in Ghana to shut up because God has done a lot of good for the country. 'I will want to tell all Ghanaians to ignore those prophets of doom, they are not from the true God. These prophets of doom should shut up because they are not from the true God.'

22 March 2017: Obituary: Marilyn McCord Adams, theologian
Marilyn McCord Adams, one of the world's most prominent and respected philosophers-theologians, has died at 73. She was the first woman ever to hold the prestigious title of Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford University and the first woman to receive a Doctor of Divinity degree from Oxford. Obituaries in ChristianToday and The Living Church.

20 March 2017: 'Nothing good' about residential schools
Canadian Anglican leaders have upbraided Conservative Senator Lynn Beyak for her assertion that the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was overly negative in its representation of the Indian Residential Schools system. The Anglican Journal (Canada) reports. Huffington Post Canada has published the text of the letter to Senator Beyak.

20 March 2017: Obituary: Terence Finlay, former Bishop of Toronto
The Anglican Journal reports the death of Terence Finlay, who was bishop of Toronto from 1987 and Metropolitan of Ontario from 2000 to 2004. Friends remembered his smile and laughter, his modesty, and his collaborative leadership style. He helped shape the church's response to the legacy of the Indian residential school system. He made headlines in 1991 when he fired a priest who was in a same-sex relationship; years later they were reconciled at a special service. In 2006, after he retired, he was reprimanded for marrying two lesbian friends. His wife, Canon Alice Jean Finlay, has served on the central committee of the World Council of Churches. The Anglican Communion News Service (London) reported on the tribute from the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

18 March 2017: Anglican saga: Kunonga to pay $427,000
The former Bishop of Harare and Mashonaland, Nolbert Kunonga, who was excommunicated in 2008, is no stranger to ecclesiastical and civil courts. After his ousting, he continued to claim church resources, and sold shares that had belonged to the Church of the Province of Central Africa. In what may be the final chapter of the saga, The Herald (Harare) reports that the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe has upheld an earlier judgment ordering Kunonga to repay the funds, plus interest and court costs.

17 March 2017: Australia's Anglican Church 'ashamed' about child abuse
Al Jazeera reports Australia's primate is '"deeply ashamed" after a government report found nearly 1,100 people had filed child sexual assault claims against the church over a 35-year period.' Reuters explains this report came a month after it was explained the Australian Catholic church had paid A$276 million (£172 million) in compensation to thousands of victims since 1980.The Rt. Revd Greg Thompson, Bishop of Newcastle resigned Thursday over his work with abuse advocacy.

17 March 2017: Former Burundian Archbishop to lead Anglican Centre in Rome
Lambeth Palace has annouced the Rt Revd Bernard Ntahoturi will lead the Anglican Centre in Rome. Vatican Radio provides a short biography of his life and ministry.

15 March 2017: Anglican church weddings reach record low
Premier.org.uk reveals that the number of couples choosing to get married in an Anglican church in England and Wales has fallen to its lowest level ever.

13 March 2017: Dean and Canon Precentor of Exeter Cathedral Resign
Both clerics have resigned following a critical visitation report by the bishop. Thinking Anglicans has more.

12 March 2017: Pockets of Anglican child abuse shame
The Australian Associated Press reports that Australian Church records on child sex abuse claims will be released as its senior leaders face the royal commission's final Anglican hearing soon. A University of Sydney law professor says there are pockets within the Anglican Church that have 'pretty appalling records' of child abuse.

10 March 2017: Sudan named as new 39th Province of the Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion News Service reports the creation of a new Province of Sudan. Currently, Sudan is an internal province within the Anglican Church of South Sudan and Sudan.

10 March 2017: The clergy who were told to step off the ladder
During the 1980s it was not unusual for ordinands to be advised or directed to sell their homes to fund their training. Now some of them fell they were let down. The Church Times tells some of their stories.

9 March 2017: Bishop appointed to Sheffield turns down the offer
Every newspaper in Britain has reported the resignation of Philip North (who is opposed to female clergy) who was due to become the bishop of Sheffield. Here is what The Guardian has to say and here is what the Church Times has to say. Thinking Anglicans has their usual exhaustive roundup of coverage here and a collection of statements and commentary here.

7 March 2017: Anglican primates of Oceania speak out on climate change
The Anglican Communion News Service reports from a meeting in Australia of the primates of island countries that climate change is endangering their very existence.

6 March 2017: Provisional bishop in San Joachin voted diocesan in uncontested election
The US Episcopal News Service reports the landslide election in the Diocese of San Joachin of Provisional Bishop David Cappel Rice as the diocesan bishop. Despite him being the only candidate, the vote was not unanimous.

4 March 2017: Conflict continues about new Bishop of Sheffield
Thinking Anglicans has gathered links to various discussions and arguments about the suitability of Philip North to be Bishop of Sheffield because he opposes the ordination of women.

3 March 2017: Pope Francis plans joint visit with Archbishop Justin to South Sudan
The Church Times reports that Pope Francis, in comments after his visit to All Saints in Rome, expressed a desire to make a joint visit to South Sudan with Archbishop Welby. Francis is quoted as saying 'We are looking at whether it is possible, or if the situation down there is too dangerous. But we have to do it, because they — the three [Christian communities] — together desire peace, and they are working together for peace'. The newspaper describes Welby as 'keen on the idea'.

2 March 2017: English vicar faces official complaint for children's furniture in 12th-century church
The Telegraph reports that an English vicar faces an official complaint for installing a children's plastic table and chairs in a 12th century church. Rector Lynda Klimas introduced the white furniture set as a way to keep young children entertained during services. But a disgruntled churchgoer has made an official complaint as he feels it has no place in the 'historically sensitive and sacred' Lady Chapel. A child of our acquaintance, who is small enough to sit comfortably in the chairs pictured in the Telegraph article, told us 'That man needs more homework', referring to Kevin Sims, who filed the complaint.

1 March 2017: Former US Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina to join ACNA
The Christian Post (USA) reports 'A diocese that broke away from The Episcopal Church partly over ideological differences will be joining the theologically conservative Anglican Church in North America.' The breakaway bishop managed to convince South Carolina judges that his diocese was still the official 'Diocese of South Carolina', requiring the non-breakaway group to refer to itself as 'The Episcopal Church in South Carolina'. We cannot imagine that they will attempt to retain legal rights to the name 'Diocese of South Carolina' after joining ACNA, but we could be surprised.

1 March 2017: Deposed Tanzanian bishop withdraws civil suit against his accusers
AllAfrica reports that Dr Valentino Mokiwa, former Bishop of Dar es Salaam, has withdrawn his anti-deposition lawsuit against the archbishop and the province's trustees. This makes him liable for the not-insignificant court costs accrued thus far.

27 February 2017: Anglican church in Israel reopened after 80 years
The Anglican Communion News Service reports that a service of rededication has taken place at St Saviour’s Church, in Acre in northern Israel, which was closed in the late 1940s. The story of how the church came to be closed and why it has been reopened is worth your time to read.

26 February 2017: Francis becomes 1st pope to visit an Anglican church in Rome
The Associated Press reports that Pope Francis' visit to All Saints Church, a Church of England parish in Rome on 26 February marked the first time a Roman Catholic pontiff visited an Anglican Church in Rome. The first Anglican Church in Rome proper opened in the 1870s, though Anglicans have been worshipping there for 200 years.

24 February 2017: Opponent of female priests urged to decline bishop of Sheffield post
A senior Church of England theologian, Martyn Percy,has called on the newly appointed bishop of Sheffield to stand aside ahead of his consecration, saying his opposition to female priests 'will cause significant pastoral and public damage to the church'. The Guardian (London) tells the story.

23 February 2017: Anglican ministers in Ottawa learn how to use naloxone kits
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) writes of a workshop attended by 20 Anglican Church of Canada clergy on how to administer naloxone, in a city with rising opioid overdoses. Naloxone can reverse the effects of overdoses of certain opioid drugs.

22 February 2017: Is the altar also a wardrobe? Lions and witches?
Per The Telegraph (London) a row has broken out at one of England's "largest and grandest" churches over plans to have the altar double up as a wardrobe to save space.

21 February 2017: Worry over fundraising targets for NZ cathedral restoration
Stuff NZ reports that Anglican leaders fear fundraising targets for the NZ$100 million Christ Church Cathedral restoration project are too ambitious, and want taxpayers to foot the bill if the money cannot be raised.

19 February 2017: Government, church at odds over Christ Church Cathedral
Stuff NZ reports on the standoff between the city government of Christchurch New Zealand and the Diocese of Christchurch about the future of the earthquake-ruined cathedral in that city. In the meantime, the temporary 'Cardboard Cathedral' built as a stopgap is serving wonderfully in its stead. It is common now, 6 years after the earthquake, to hear them referred to as the cardboard cathedral and the stone cathedral.

17 February 2017: Archbishops of Canterbury and York issue letter after Synod vote
The Anglican Communion News Service reports that the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have written to members of the General Synod of the Church of England setting out the next steps following this week’s vote at Synod not to 'take note' of a report on Marriage and Same Sex Relationships. To understand what this means, read this article in The Guardian, read the above-mentioned ACNS release, read the actual letter, or read the coverage in Thinking Anglicans.

17 February 2017: Egypt’s Anglicans Face 'Existential Threat' from fellow Protestants
Christianity Today (USA) reports 'Egypt's top Anglican leader is accusing its top evangelical leader of attempting a 'hostile takeover' to prevent Egyptian Anglicans from achieving state recognition as an independent national church.'

13 February 2017: Damning verdict on response to child abuse in Australia
The Anglican Communion News Service reports the Royal Commission examining allegations of child sexual abuse in Australia has delivered a damning verdict on a system which enabled a culture of abuse to flourish. You can read the report here.

13 February 2017: New bishop for US armed services
The US Episcopal News Service reports on the ordination and consecration of the Rt Revd Carl Wright as the seventh bishop suffragan for the US armed forces.

12 February 2017: Anglican church tipped to reveal Western Australia abuse allegations
PerthNow reports on the ongoing investigations into sexual abuse complaints from 1980-2015 and a report expected to be made public later this week. Earlier this week, former priest Raymond Sydney Cheek was sentenced to two years in prison for offenses against five boys over the course of thirty years.

11 February 2017: Church faces new split over attitude to gay relationships
The Guardian reports on an open letter sent by fourteen retired Church of England bishops to their successor bishops over managing conflict rather than providing leadership on issues of LGBT persons and the continued marginalisation of the same.

9 February 2017: The Most Rev David Chillingworth announces his retirement
The Scottish Episcopal Church has announced that the Most Revd David Chillingworth will retire this July as Primus and Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane after eight years as Primus.

8 February 2017: Former Chief Operating Officer of Episcopal Church (USA) sues church
The Rt Revd Stacy Sauls, former Chief Operating Officer of the Episcopal Church (USA) has filed suit over concerns regarding 'tenure as chief operating officer of the DFMS and his departure from that job' according to The Living Church. The full text of the complaint is also available.

7 February 2017: St Peter’s Basilica to host Anglican Evensong for the first time
The Catholic Herald reports regarding the first Anglican Evensong to be held at St Peter's Basilica. In conjunction with the Anglican Centre in Rome, the Choir of Merton College, Oxford will sing the service led by the Most Revd David Moxon, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Representative to the Holy See and Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome with Archbishop Arthur Roche, the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the Vatican preaching.

6 February 2017: Archbishop of the two Sudans to retire
Radio Tamazuj (Sudan) reports the Most Revd Daniel Deng Bul will step down as Primate and Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and South Sudan in November of this year, having served since 2008.

4 February 2017: US Episcopal diocese proposing private dormitory surrounded by campus
As reported by the Athens Banner-Herald (Georgia, USA), the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is proposing a novel approach to college chaplaincy at the University of Georgia. The 'multi-story mixed-use residential, retail and institutional structure' plans to replace the current property used for the campus chaplaincy with a structure that combines the chaplaincy with a private dormitory open to all students. Despite some zoning concerns from the county, the diocese is aiming to move forward with the complex not 'as a money-making proposition, but as an extension of its ministry', according to the attorney working on the rezoning.

3 February 2017: Critics call C od E Bishops' sexuality report 'ungodly'
As reported by the Church Times (London), LGBT Christians, gay-rights campaigners, liberal clerics, and members of the General Synod have reacted with anger and frustration to the conclusions and tone of the report on human sexuality from the House of Bishops, while conservative Anglicans, and campaigners against gay marriage in the C of E, have expressed concern about its 'ambiguous' recommendations. The Church Times has summarised the results and effect of the Shared Conversations on church doctrine.

1 February 2017: ABC sets out vision for 2017 Primates Meeting
The Anglican Communion News Service announced that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has written to every primate in the Anglican Communion to set out his hopes for the next Primates' Meeting, which will take place in Canterbury in October. He also gave details of last week's report by the Church of England's House of Bishops on human sexuality.

1 February 2017: ABC issues apology over Church of England links to child abuser
The Independent (London) reports on the apology issued by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby for not reporting the head of a Christian charity accused of carrying out sadomasochistic attacks on young boys. Justin Welby issued an 'unreserved and unequivocal' apology on behalf of the church after admitting he had worked at the holiday camps where the teenage boys were groomed. Thinking Anglicans has gathered quite a number of reports and commentary on this sorry episode in the church's past.

29 January 2017: Wales is about to lose a radical archbishop as Barry Morgan retires
One of the longest serving archbishops in the Anglican Communion is set to retire, on 31 January according to Wales Online. Dr Morgan, who witnessed many changes to Wales and the Church in Wales, will have spent 24 years as a bishop and nearly 14 as Archbishop. He reflects to the BBC on his tenure as bishop.

29 January 2017: Sydney Anglican Church rife with abuse, recent synod acknowledges
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) reports on a 'shocking admission' by the Diocese of Sydney that domestic abuse is rife within its ranks. At the recent synod, a motion was passed that acknowledged domestic abuse as a major problem within the church.

28 January 2017: Perth sex abuse reparations to cost diocese more than AUD $1 million
Perth Now states 'Child sex abuse is expected to cost the Anglican diocese of Perth more than $1 million over just three years.'

25 January 2017: Presiding Bishop, other Episcopal leaders call on Trump to maintain refugee resettlement efforts
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church (USA) has called for newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump to continue 'the powerful work of our refugee resettlement program without interruption', following president's executive order forbidding the entry of citizens of certain countries from entering the US.

24 January 2017: Liberia: new Trinity cathedral dean opposes Christian state
The National Christian Council of Liberia was launched last year, calling for a return to the 1947 constitution, which prescribed Christian principles as the foundation for Liberia. The Liberian Council of Churches disagreed, feeling that peace in the nation would be better attained through interfaith collaboration. When Canon James Sellee was installed as dean of Trinity Episcopal cathedral, he stated his opposition to the movement to declare Liberia a Christian state. The Daily Observer (Monrovia) reports that Dr Sellee urged people of all faiths to work together for peace, rather than seeing each other as warring factions on a battlefield.

23 January 2017: Canada's Indigenous Affairs minister says Anglican apology is vital
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation quotes Carolyn Bennett, Canada's Minister of Indigenous Affairs: 'A long-awaited public apology from the Anglican Church for the rampant sexual abuse perpetrated by former priest Ralph Rowe in the 1970s and 1980s will be vital in helping victims heal.' The Anglican Church of Canada acknowledged last week the tragic legacy of Rowe, a former Boy Scout leader, who abused countless children during the two decades he spent travelling amongst remote First Nations communities in northern Ontario.

23 January 2017: Warring Anglican Primates Summoned to New Meeting in October
Christian Today reports Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has quietly called for the Primates of the Anglican Communion to meet 2-6 October 2017 for what will be called 'only as Primates of the Communion in 2017' rather than a 'Primates Meeting'. The letter itself was dated November 2016.

22 January 2017: Queen's chaplain resigns over cathedral Koran reading row
The Telegraph reports the resignation of the Revd Gavin Ashenden, one of the Queen's 33 special chaplains, over the reading from the Koran at St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow during an Epiphany service.

22 January 2017: It all started with a pizza
This Sunday the Revd Rebecca Osborn will deliver her first sermon in Inuktitut. She and her husband went to an information session on the north at the Pittsburgh seminary where they were studying. She told CBC News that they went for the pizza, but the idea of working with the Inuit stuck in their heads. She has been in Iqaluit for a year and a half, learning to read and write and speak her new language. She believes that will make it easier for her in heaven, where she is confident that Inuktitut will be spoken.

21 January 2017: First woman bishop consecrated in Wales
The Church in Wales announced and reported the consecration of the Rt Revd Joanna Penberthy as the 129th Bishop of St Davids. Probably we should also say Cyhoeddodd yr Eglwys yng Nghymru gysegru fel Esgob Gwir Barchedig Joanna Penberthy 129eg Tyddewi.

20 January 2017: Egyptian Anglicans building partnership with Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Diocese of Egypt has announced a landmark partnership with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Alexandria Library) to advance cooperation in art, science, culture, peace-building, dialogue and the combating of extremism.

20 January 2017: Church of England synod papers published
Thinking Anglicans reports on the publication of General Synod papers for the upcoming Church of England General Synod.

18 January 2017: New moderator for Church of South India
The Anglican Communion News Service reports the election of the Rt Revd Thomas Comment as the new moderator of the Church of South India.

18 January 2017: Australian Anglican leaders 'feel silenced' by their church about same-sex marriage
Buzz-feed reports on the submission by Dr Muriel Porter to Australia's Senate inquiry into marriage equality. She says most ordinary Anglicans have no problem with same-sex marriage, and that progressive Anglican leaders feel silenced on the issue. Her comments are in stark contrast to a submission from the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, written by Reverend Dr Michael Stead, which says the proposed exemptions do not go far enough and are “manifestly insufficient” to protect religious freedom.

15 January 2017: Scottish primus distressed at offence over reading Koran in Glasgow cathedral.
The BBC reports that the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, who is also the Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, says the Church is 'deeply distressed' at the offence caused by the reading of a passage from the Koran in a Glasgow cathedral.

13 January 2017: New Bishop for Algoma
The Sault Star (Ontario) announces the scheduled consecration next month of the Revd Anne Germond as 11th bishop of Algoma.

13 January 2017: US Episcopal leaders address church's part in Trump’s inauguration
The Anglican Communion News Service reports on the controversy surrounding the involvement of Washington National Cathedral and its choir in the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

11 January 2017: Australian priest dies shortly after being charged with 24 child sex offences
The Newcastle Herald (New South Wales) reports the death of former priest George Parker just three weeks after he was charged with 24 child sex offences against two young boys in the 1970s.

10 January 2017: Archbishop of Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa has died
Archbishop Brown Turei, who was the leader of Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa, one of the three leaders of the Anglican Church in what people of European ancestry call New Zealand, has died. There is extensive coverage in Anglican Taonga.

8 January 2017: Obituary: Una Kroll
The Guardian reports the death of the Revd Dr Una Kroll, 91, 'a doctor, a nun, a feminist campaigner with a prominent role in the movement for the ordination of women, an activist for peace and justice, counsellor to many, and to many others a disturber of the peace.' The Church Times tells how she was recalled as medical missionary in Liberia, after siding with the Africans rather than with mission authorities. An American monk, Leo Kroll, was sent to mediate the dispute. When they fell in love and married, he was dismissed from his order and she from her calling as a nun. She led a vocal protest when the General Synod of the Church of England in 1978 voted against legislation that would allow women to be priests. In recent years she became a Roman Catholic, in solidarity with Catholic women denied a voice in their church.

3 January 2017: Knightship for bishop who chaired Hillsborough panel
The Church Times reports that the bishop of Liverpool, the Rt Revd James Jones, who chaired an independent panel on inquiry into the Hillsborough football disaster, has been knighted in the New Year Honours list, for services to bereaved families and justice. 

2 January 2017: Quick-thinking vicar saves parishioner who caught fire
During the Christmas day service at All Saints Church, Upper Caldecote in Bedfordshire, the vicar, the Revd Frank Coleman, noticed that a woman had been set alight after leaning on a candle. The Telegraph reports that she seemed unaware of what was happening until he rushed towards her and put out the flames with his bare hands. His hand was serously burned, and some nurses had him plunge it in cold water. Only after the service had ended was he rushed to hospital. 

2 January 2017: Wife of Quebec’s bishop becomes a priest
The CBC reports on the unique relationship between the Revd Cynthia Patterson, recently ordained priest in the Diocese of Quebec, and her husband, the Rt Revd Dennis Drainville, the outgoing bishop diocesan.