General Synod

Religious conservatives in the United States  have been complaining that developments in the political arena - the Obamcare contraceptive mandate, the progress of same-sex civil marriage - threaten religious freedom. They're crying wolf, but similar alarums in the Mother Country make a bit more sense.  Because England has an established church, some of whose bishops sit in Parliament, the political question of same-sex marriage has religious reverberations that  don't sound here.

Religious conservatives in the United States  have been complaining that developments in the political arena - the Obamcare contraceptive mandate, the progress of same-sex civil marriage - threaten religious freedom. They're crying wolf, but similar alarums in the Mother Country make a bit more sense.  Because England has an established church, some of whose bishops sit in Parliament, the political question of same-sex marriage has religious reverberations that  don't sound here.

The Reformed Church in America has launched a program that calls for creation of 98 new congregations by 1998. The program, called "98 by 98," was adopted at the 200,000-member denomination's 1990 General Synod, which just met.

Anglican archbishop: An article in Tuesday's Section A about the archbishop of Canterbury's defense of his comment that Britain would have to accept some form of Islamic law said the biannual General Synod where he spoke included representatives of the world's 77 million Anglicans. The synod was a gathering of members of the Church of England, which is included in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Anglican archbishop: An article in Tuesday's Section A about the archbishop of Canterbury's defense of his comment that Britain would have to accept some form of Islamic law said the biannual General Synod where he spoke included representatives of the world's 77 million Anglicans. The synod was a gathering of members of the Church of England, which is included in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The Church of England today approved the drafting of legislation that would admit women to the all-male priesthood. Church leaders voted 317 to 145 to approve a report by 44 diocesan bishops that outlines the steps needed to bring women into the priesthood. The vote cleared the way for the drafting of legislation that would allow women to become priests. The bishops were also asked to prepare a code of practice to safeguard individuals and congregations opposed to female priests.

Leaders of the Church of England, mother church of the world's 70 million Anglicans, on Monday overwhelmingly endorsed a church study accusing Freemasons of blasphemy and heresy. Some Christians find Masonic rituals disturbing and "positively evil," said the 56-page report. It said some found Masonic rituals had a "psychic effect" on individuals. The report was approved 394 to 52 by the policymaking General Synod at its regular summer session. Five synod delegates abstained.

Judging by his appearance, the youthful minister of Anaheim Hills Community Church could have worked his way through school modeling for the label of the Dutch Boy paint can. For Tim Van Heest, who attended his denomination's college and seminary in Holland, Mich., the resemblance is not accidental. His father and both his grandfathers were ministers of the Reformed Church in America, a 350-year-old denomination once known as the Dutch Reformed Church.

Five Anglican bishops announced Monday that they will accept an offer from Pope Benedict XVI to convert to Catholicism, primarily over their opposition to the Church of England's decision to ordain female bishops. The five bishops, in a joint statement, spoke of their distress caused by developments in the Anglican Church that they felt were "incompatible with the historic vocation of Anglicanism and the tradition of the church for nearly 2,000 years. " Officials said a new arrangement for the bishops would be determined by the Vatican, which has moved to facilitate the switch to the Roman Catholic Church by traditional Anglican clergy upset by the acceptance of female priests or gay bishops.

Australia's Anglican Church voted not to allow the ordination of homosexuals or blessing of same-sex relationships. The vote was a victory for conservatives at the church's General Synod in the western city of Fremantle. This week, the synod also voted against allowing women to become bishops.

The Reformed Church in America has launched a program that calls for creation of 98 new congregations by 1998. The program, called "98 by 98," was adopted at the 200,000-member denomination's 1990 General Synod, which just met.

Leaders of the Church of England, mother church of the world's 70 million Anglicans, on Monday overwhelmingly endorsed a church study accusing Freemasons of blasphemy and heresy. Some Christians find Masonic rituals disturbing and "positively evil," said the 56-page report. It said some found Masonic rituals had a "psychic effect" on individuals. The report was approved 394 to 52 by the policymaking General Synod at its regular summer session. Five synod delegates abstained.

The Church of England today approved the drafting of legislation that would admit women to the all-male priesthood. Church leaders voted 317 to 145 to approve a report by 44 diocesan bishops that outlines the steps needed to bring women into the priesthood. The vote cleared the way for the drafting of legislation that would allow women to become priests. The bishops were also asked to prepare a code of practice to safeguard individuals and congregations opposed to female priests.

Judging by his appearance, the youthful minister of Anaheim Hills Community Church could have worked his way through school modeling for the label of the Dutch Boy paint can. For Tim Van Heest, who attended his denomination's college and seminary in Holland, Mich., the resemblance is not accidental. His father and both his grandfathers were ministers of the Reformed Church in America, a 350-year-old denomination once known as the Dutch Reformed Church.

The general synod of the Church of England voted overwhelmingly today in favor of allowing women to become priests. The controversial question of whether women should be ordained will now be considered by diocesan synods, and the change ultimately must be approved by both houses of Parliament and by the queen. Archbishop of Canterbury Robert A. K.

The Church of England's policy-making General Synod voted, 320 to 83, to allow ordination of women as deacons, the lowest rank of the Anglican clergy. But it stopped short of allowing them to become priests. A deacon is in the third rank of holy orders, below priests and bishops. Traditionally, women have been allowed only to be deaconesses, a lay position. The change must be approved by the British Parliament before the state church can put it into effect.