New Bishop of Monmouth Cherry Vann can help "unify" Church

From The BBC-

More than 400 people saw Cherry Vann become only the 11th person to hold the position, since the diocese was formed in 1921.

The 60-year-old former Archdeacon of Rochdale replaces the Right Reverend Richard Pain who retired last year.

The Rev Robert Lawrence said Bishop Vann could be a "point of unity" at a time of disunity within the church.

A piano and violin graduate at the Royal College of Music, Bishop Vann has spent the last 11 years in the diocese of Manchester.

She previously said the challenges facing churches in south east Wales were similar to those in the north west of England.

More here-

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-51252909

First female bishop in Wales consecrated

From Ireland-

WALES has consecrated its first female bishop in a move hailed as the culmination of a "long and hard journey".

Joanna Penberthy was ordained as the 129th Anglican Bishop of St Davids at a bilingual service at Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff.

The historic moment, conducted by Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan, was watched by more than 500 people, many of whom later cheered her exit, the Church in Wales said.

She was anointed with oil and presented with her symbols of office by Dr Morgan and the Church's five other bishops.

The Church decided to allow female bishops in 2013.

More here-

http://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/faithmatters/2017/01/26/news/first-female-bishop-in-wales-consecrated-903019/

Consecration of first woman Bishop in Wales this weekend

From Anglican News-

Wales is consecrating its first woman bishop this weekend.   The Revd Canon Joanna Penberthy is being consecrated as Bishop of St Davids at Llandaff Cathedral on Saturday, by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, with the five other Welsh bishops. The Church took the decision to ordain women bishops in 2013.

Dr Morgan said:  “This is an historic occasion for the Church in Wales as well as being a hugely significant moment for Canon Joanna. It is marvellous that it is possible for us to appoint women as well as men to all three orders of ministry and to regard that as now being the norm.  What matters is not gender but suitability, character, gifts and that was why Joanna was elected as bishop.”
More here-

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2017/01/consecration-of-first-woman-bishop-in-wales-this-weekend.aspx

Church in Wales marks 20 years of women priests

From The BBC (with video)-

It comes just weeks before the church marks another milestone - with the consecration of its first woman bishop.

On 11 January 1997, 61 women became priests at services across Wales.

It was a campaign that had lasted over a century, since the first woman was made an Anglican deaconess in Usk, Monmouthshire, in 1884.

"Today it's impossible for me to think of a church in which we don't celebrate and welcome the equal ministry of women," said Bishop of St Asaph Gregory Cameron.

"We really can give thanks for the huge step forward that the Church in Wales took in 1997. We've been greatly enriched by the dedication, service and insight of so many women over this period. May God continue this blessing."


More here-


http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-38530906

Sacred Synod to confirm election of new Bishop of St Davids

From Wales-

THE BISHOPS of the Church in Wales will meet in “Sacred Synod” at the end of this month to confirm the election of the new Bishop of St Davids.

Canon Joanna Penberthy, currently Rector of Glan Ithon (based in Llandrindod Wells) was elected by the Church’s electoral college on November 2.

Her election will be confirmed at the Sacred Synod which will take place during an Evensong service at Llandaff Cathedral on November 30 at 6pm.

The Sacred Synod is made up of the other five Welsh diocesan bishops.

More here-

http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/14914422.Sacred_Synod_to_confirm_election_of_new_Bishop_of_St_Davids/

Church in Wales appoints first female bishop

From ACNS-

The Church in Wales has elected its first female bishop, a little over three years since the Province passed legislation opening the episcopacy to women. The Revd Canon Joanna Penberthy, currently the Rector of Glan Ithon in Llandrindod Wells, in the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, was elected as the next Bishop of St Davids on the second day of an Electoral College that was locked inside the diocese’s historic cathedral. Wales joins a growing list of Anglican provinces to have appointed female clergy to the Episcopate.

The Diocese of St Davids covers the areas of Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire in the western-most part of Wales. The cathedral is on the site of a 6th century monastery founded by Saint David – Dewi Sant – the patron saint of Wales. The cathedral city is the smallest in Britain – with a population of just over 1,841.

More here-

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2016/11/church-in-wales-appoints-first-female-bishop.aspx

Archbishop: nothing improper about gay sex

From The Telegraph-

Christians who support same-sex marriage are not “abandoning the Bible” the Archbishop of Wales has insisted, as he told leading Anglicans that sex in a committed gay or lesbian relationship is perfectly “proper”.

Dr Barry Morgan used his final address to the governing body of the Church in Wales, ahead of his retirement, to urge members to rethink traditional beliefs about same-sex relationships as being sinful.

Even Biblical texts often cited as condemning homosexuality, such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone, could be “interpreted in more than one way”, he said.

More here-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/14/archbishop-nothing-improper-about-gay-sex/

Prominent Welsh priest on why he decided to leave the Catholic Church

From The Tablet-

A prominent priest in the Diocese of Menevia has announced he is leaving the Catholic Church for the Anglican Communion.

Fr Ceirion Gilbert was a parish priest at Briton Ferry in Neath, director of youth services, chaplain to two secondary schools, secretary to the bishop’s council and in charge of the diocese’s online and social media presence. He is also a fluent Welsh speaker. He has now, however, announced he is to be received into the Church in Wales on 12 October and will continue ordained ministry in the Diocese of Llandaff.

In the letter below he explains why he decided to leave the Catholic Church.

Just above the picturesque village of Llansteffan, nestled on the banks of the beautiful Carmarthen Estuary, lies the ruins of a medieval castle and, just below it, the impressive manor that substituted it when the era of castle strongholds and all that they were needed for passed into history. Since then times have changed again, and when I walk along the beach on the other side of the river and look up at them, they remind me that very little lasts for ever, and that what so often is seen as absolute truth is, in fact, contingent upon so many things - time, especially.

More here-

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/texts-speeches-homilies/4/707/prominent-welsh-priest-on-why-he-decided-to-leave-the-catholic-church

Massachusetts Bishop Gayle Harris makes history in Welsh cathedral

From ENS-

 As the Church in Wales prepares to enable women to become bishops, Bishop Suffragan Gayle Harris of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts became the first female Anglican bishop to preside and preach in a Welsh cathedral.

“The church is not just enriched by women’s ordination, it’s more enabled and empowered by women’s presence,” she told Episcopal News Service during a telephone interview from the U.K. as she prepared for her historic participation in the 11 a.m. Eucharist service on Aug. 31 at St. Asaph Cathedral in Denbighshire, North Wales. “I see women bringing to the fore the desire that all people sit at the table of leadership, that all share in the benefits of the life of God. Nobody should be ignored or left out.”

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2014/09/02/massachusetts-bishop-gayle-harris-makes-history-in-welsh-cathedral/#.VAXVaynZ_V4.facebook

Archbishop of Wales: We ‘have evolved’ from the Bible’s teaching on divorce, why not gay ‘marriage’?

From Life Site News-

The Anglican Church’s “views have evolved and changed” on the nature of marriage “a subject which Jesus pronounced very clearly,” the head of the Anglican Church in Wales said this week; therefore, it can also change its teaching on homosexuality.

In an address to the governing body of the Church in Wales, Dr. Barry Morgan, the Anglican Archbishop of Wales warned of the danger of the Anglican Churches being “seen as homophobic.” Morgan said that the Church’s views “evolve and change” as it responds to the changes in the secular world.

“The State allowed the possibility of divorce and remarriage for a long time before we did as a Church. Not only do we now bless such unions, we actually remarry divorced people in our churches,” he said.

More here-

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archbishop-of-wales-we-have-evolved-from-the-bibles-teaching-on-divorce-why/

Bishop of St Asaph backs new mixed faith school for Denbighshire

From Wales-

A BISHOP has welcomed plans for a new mixed faith school in Denbighshire.

On Tuesday, the council’s cabinet agreed to work with both the Wrexham and St Asaph dioceses towards creating a new shared Anglican and Catholic secondary school in the north of the county.

The move leaves a question mark hanging over the fate of the two existing Catholic schools, Blessed Edward Jones in Rhyl and St Brigid’s in Denbigh.

Last night, the Bishop of St Asaph, the Right Reverend Dr Gregory K Cameron said: “The two existing schools, which have a recognised Christian character are not Anglican foundations, so the prospect of provision in which the Church in Wales can be fully involved is welcome. 

More here-

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/bishop-st-asaph-backs-new-6258707

Church in Wales votes for women bishops

From The Church Times-

THE Church in Wales voted on Thursday evening to permit women to be bishops.

Cheers and applause greeted the result as it was announced at the Governing Body, which is meeting at the University of Wales Trinity St David in Lampeter, Ceredigion.

Members of the Governing Body removed a clause which would have delayed the implementation of the Bill until a separate Bill providing statutory provision for opponents had been passed.

Instead, the Bill To Enable Women To Be Consecrated As Bishops will take effect a year today (12 September 2014); and the Bench of Bishops will now have to prepare a code of practice "without delay" to provide for "those who in conscience dissent" from the ordination of women to the episcopate.

More here-

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2013/13-september/news/uk/church-in-wales-votes-for-women-bishops

With Royal Assent, gay marriage passes into law

From The Church Times-

THE first same-sex weddings in England and Wales are set to take place next summer after the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill received Royal Assent on Wednesday.

The Bill passed its Third Reading in the House of Lords on Monday night without a formal vote, after a short debate during which supportive peers brandished pink carnations. The Bill then moved back to the House of Commons on Tuesday, where MPs decided not to oppose some minor amendments made by peers, including granting survivors of same-sex marriages the same pension benefits as those in heterosexual marriages.

The Bill specifies that it is illegal for any Church of England or Church in Wales minister to marry a same-sex couple ( News, 7 December). It would require a change in both primary law and canon law before the Churches could opt in to conducting same-sex marriages.

A number of amendments proposed by members of the Bishops' bench during the Bill's passage through the Lords were not adopted. These included an amendment tabled by the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Timothy Stevens, during the Bill's Report Stage, which referred to the right of faith schools to teach traditional beliefs about marriage, which was withdrawn before a vote.

More here-

http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2013/19-july/news/uk/with-royal-assent,-gay-marriage-passes-into-law

Witchcraft 'thriving in the Welsh countryside'

From The Telegraph-

Witchcraft is thriving in the Welsh countryside, a church minister has said, as he described stumbling upon an increasing number of effergies, users of the evil eye and exorcisms.

Rev Felix Aubel claims occult practices in rural Wales have been increasing during the two decades he has been working in the area.

The minister spoke out after latest figures in the 2011 census has revealed 83 witches and 93 satanists are living in Wales.

He said there was an "unusual connection" between Christianity and witchcraft in some chapel circles in Wales.

Rev Aubel, who is the minister of five Congregational chapels in rural Carmarthenshire, said he has called out an exorcist after a witch placed a curse on one of his parishioners.

He said: "This is not a joke and I would warn people not to get involved in the occult.

More here-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9772379/Witchcraft-thriving-in-the-Welsh-countryside.html

Mixed reaction to Church in Wales review

From The BBC-

Radical plans to modernise the Church in Wales have received a mixed reaction, with one vicar casting doubt that it will lead to change.

A report recommends parishes run by vicars and lay people and holding non-traditional services on days other than Sunday.

It also addresses controversial issues, including the surplus number of churches in Wales, saying buildings that are not needed may have to close or adapt.

The study by three leading Anglicans highlights "very low morale" in some parishes.

The Reverend E Bernard Thomas, rector of Llandyrnog and Llangwyfan parish in Denbighshire, said he agreed with the recommendations in the report - but wondered if some people in the church were ready for them.

"I can remember similar reports in various years past. I hope that this will actually be acted upon and not put on some shelf," he said.

"I was on a commission in 1984 which had very radical suggestions and all kinds of things and nothing happened then. People are still carrying on.

More here-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18924702

Anglican Converts Again Among Those to be Received into the Catholic Church in England and Wales

From Catholic Online-

If the numbers are correct, it looks like a large number of men and women will be received during the Easter Vigil as communicants of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

More than 3,600 people took part in the Rite of Election that leads to the final steps toward reception at the Easter Vigil; this number does not represent all those who will be received. This year, the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham is expecting around 200 lay people and 20 clergy to come into full communion from the Anglican world.

Many of those coming in are doing so as individuals but in groups. According to the London Telegraph, one of those groups is made up of the priest and 58 lay people from St. James the Great parish in Darlington, who will be received just down the road at St. Anne's Catholic Church.

An additional 20 from St. James are also being received but will not become a part of the Ordinariate at this time. There are approximately 50 people staying with the Anglican parish.

More here-

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=45551

Wales: Anglican prelate denounces 'presumed consent' for organ donation

From Wales

The Anglican Archbishop of Wales has urged the government to abandon its plan to inaugurate a “presumed consent” policy on organ donation, assuming that all people are organ donors unless they specifically say otherwise.

Dr. Barry Morgan said that organ donation should be seen as a free-will gift. He decried the suggestion that human organs could be treated as an “asset of the state.”

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=11817

Archbishop of Wales in 'significant change' warning

From The BBC- (video)

The Archbishop of Wales is urging officials to be open to "significant change" ahead of a large-scale review.

Dr Barry Morgan said the Church in Wales must adapt to cope with the decline in clergy, waning investments and falling congregations.

Three independent experts are to assess its use of buildings and financial resources.

The church's organisational structure could also change, he warned.

In a speech at a meeting of the church's governing body at Swansea University, Dr Morgan said: "It is envisaged that the group will ask fundamental questions about the life of the Church in Wales and make specific recommendations.

"In commissioning such a review, we will all have to be prepared to take seriously its findings and to be open to the possibility of significant change in our structures, ministry, use of buildings and other resources if it is seen to be in the best interests of the church and its mission to the people and communities of Wales as we look ahead to the next decade.

More here-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-13211628

Archbishop to get Freedom of Swansea

From News Wales-

The Archbishop of Canterbury is to receive the highest honour his home city of Swansea can bestow, the Freedom of the City.

Dr Rowan Williams will be following in the footsteps of people such as former US President Jimmy Carter, footballer John Charles and military organisations including HMS Scott and The Royal Welsh Regiment (Royal Welch Fusiliers) when he receives the award at a special ceremony later this month.

Swansea Council agreed earlier this year to bestow the Freedom of the City to Dr Williams, who has been leader of the Anglican Communion since 2003.

The Council said Dr Williams has a long association with Swansea and remains a great supporter of the area.

He is due to accept the honour at a ceremonial Full Council in the city's Guildhall on July 31, which will be followed by a celebratory Service at St Mary's Church in the city afterwards.

The Lord Mayor of Swansea, Cllr Richard Lewis, said the Freedom Ceremony was Swansea's way of recognising one of its most famous sons.

He said: "Dr Williams is a true son of Swansea and he's always maintained his links with the city over the years. He was educated at Dynefor School in the city before going on to Cambridge.

"Dr Williams is the first Welshman to hold the post of Archbishop of Canterbury and he is now one of the best-known clergymen in the world."


More here-

http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Community&F=1&id=19527

A delightful ecumenical gesture from the Anglican Church in Wales

From The London Telegraph-

As I mentioned the other day, a group called Friends of the Ordinariate (FOTO) has been set up by Anglicans in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Their website displays the logos of their respective Churches. Membership of the Friends does not imply a firm intention to convert, but obviously the bulk of members are interested in Pope Benedict’s offer to Anglo-Catholics who feel compelled to make this spiritual journey. Most Anglicans, to their credit, have shown sympathy and generosity towards those of their brethren considering this move.

Most, not all. The other day, Friends of the Ordinariate received a charming communication from the Anglican Church in Wales, underneath this logo:

More here-

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100027687/a-delightful-ecumenical-gesture-from-the-anglican-church-in-wales/