Will HR-1388 begin the erosion of religious liberties?

The following is an excerpt from HR 1388, a bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama to institute mandatory volunteerism for students who are receiving government education loans. Note the activities and organizations that students would not be allowed to participate in. SEC. 1310. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. Subtitle C of title I (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 132 the following: 'SEC. 132A. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. '(a) Prohibited Activities- An approved national service position under this subtitle may not be used for the following activities: '(1) Attempting to influence legislation. '(2) Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts, or strikes. '(3) Assisting, promoting, or deterring union organizing. '(4) Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements. '(5) Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to Federal office or the outcome of an election to a State or local public office. '(6) Participating in, or endorsing, events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials. '(7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of proselytization, consistent with section 132. '(8) Consistent with section 132, providing a direct benefit to any-- '(A) business organized for profit; '(B) labor union; '(C) partisan political organization; '(D) nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, except that nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and '(E) organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph (7), unless the position is not used to support those religious activities. '(9) Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services. '(10) Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive. '(11) Carrying out such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit. The entire text of the bill is here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-1388

Nevada Anglicans

As the Anglican Church of North America is being birthed, three new churches have been planted in Nevada. Little Church in the Valley, Reno, Sierra Anglican, Reno and Jesus the Good Shepherd, Henderson..

Little Church in the Valley is a parish consisting of orthodox Anglican, Lutheran, and United Methodist members. Their priest, Fr. Karry D. Crites, graduated from CDSP in 1990, and was ordained priest that same year. He was pastor of St. Francis Episcopal / Grace United Methodist Church, Lovelock, Nevada from 1990-6, ELM Community Church - Reno, Nevada from 1997-2008, and transferred to the Anglican Church of Uganda in December 2008. Fr. Karry is also a hospice chaplain. Little Church in the Valley is a friendly congregation that seeks to be transformed by their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The parish has an active Bible Study program as well as other special activities including an annual camping trip with Sunday Worship at a local lake. They meet at Little Church in the Valley, 9301 Lemmon Drive, Reno , Nevada 89506. Their website is www.littlechurchinthevalley.org . Fr. Karry can be reached at frkarry490@aol.com.

Sierra Anglican Church, also in Reno, is pastured by Fr. Ron Longero. Before Fr. Longero recently arrived, they had been served by Fr. Brian Foos of St. Andrews Academy and Christ the Redeemer Church in nearby Lake Almanor, California. They were also blessed by Fr. Jim Obermeyer from Phoenix, Arizona who is part of the Anglican Missions in the Americans-AMiA.

In May of 2008, Fr. Ron Longero relocated from Kansas to his home town of Carson City, Nevada. He was invited to lead his first service at Sierra Anglican on February 15th. Rev. Longero is a graduate of the Nashotah House Seminary. He is in the process of being received into the AMiA network of oversight and supervision.

They are meeting at Mountain View Montessori School, 565 Zolezzi Lane, Reno, NV, 89511. Their websited is www.sierra-anglican..org. Fr. Longero can be reached at ron_longero@sierra-anglican.org.

Jesus the Good Shepherd Anglican Church is currently meeting in private homes through Lent and will launch on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009! They will be meeting at the Hampton Inn and Suites at 421 W. Astaire Rd, Henderson, NV 89014.

Fr. Howard and his wife, Deacon Erin Giles are clergy of the Diocese of San Joaquin and met at CDSP in 2000. They were subsequently married, graduated, ordained and have been serving churches in the Central Valley of California since 2005. Along with a strong core group, they are praying for a church that will be catholic, evangelical and charismatic. The Lord has given them the 34^th chapter of Ezekiel, specifically verse 16 as a founding text. Fr. Howard says that “We are committed to seeking those who are lost, bringing again those who were driven away, binding up those who are broken, and strengthening those who are sick.�

Their website can be found at www.goodshepherdhenderson.info. Fr. Howard can be reached at howard@goodshepherdhenderson.info.

Nevada Anglicans are committed to the Common Cause, to GAFCON and are looking forward to being united in the Anglican Church of North America. Please join them for worship and fellowship as they serve the Lord our God!

Montana Personhood Amendment Passes State Senate, 26-24 Vote.

Helena, Montana - 02/26/2009 - Montana's Senate passed constitutional Personhood Amendment, SB 406, in a 26-24 vote. The amendment, introduced by Senator Dan McGee, passed on its third reading on the Senate floor this morning. This is the first Personhood Amendment in U.S. history to pass a State Senate.

"Senator Dan McGee, writing the language of SB 406 himself, has shown what it truly means to be pro-life," stated Keith Mason, of Personhood USA. "Senator McGee's successful efforts on behalf of all human beings at all stages of human life are a giant step forward in historic efforts to ensure the rights and protection of every individual."

SB 406, which defines person for the purposes of application of inalienable rights, states, "All persons are born free and have certain inalienable rights...person means a human being at all stages of human development of life, including the state of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency."

"Praise God! The honor of being the first State Senate in U.S. history to recognize the personhood of pre-born children goes to Montana," commented Cal Zastrow of Personhood USA. "Thanks to the leadership of Sen. Dan McGee, The Montana Personhood Amendment now moves forward to the State House of Representatives."

Read more about it here.

New Anglican Church in Southern Nevada

Fr. Howard and Deacon Erin Giles, clergy in good standing of the Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin, are forming a core group to plant an Anglican church in the Las Vegas/Henderson area of Southern Nevada. A group of twelve is planning Ash Wednesday and Lenten Soup Suppers in private homes. Please contact us so that you can join us in fellowship and in seeking the Lord.

Our first Sunday worship will be on Palm Sunday with a full schedule through Holy Week at an undetermined location.

The Lord has blessed us with chapter 34 of the Prophet Ezekiel as a foundation for our calling as a church. From this chapter, we were inspired to be named Jesus the Good Shepherd.

Our Statement of Purpose, Mission and Vision
We will seek those who are lost, and bring again those who were driven away, and will bind up those who are broken, and will strengthen those who are sick (Ez. 34:15,16a), by continuing stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:42); holding fast the profession of our faith without wavering, provoking one another unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, but exhorting one another as we see the day approaching (Heb. 10: 23- 25).

Please contact the Revs. Giles at 702-430-8789, at our mailing address, 2980 Sunridge Heights Pkwy, Suite 120, Henderson, NV 89052, by email, howard@goodshepherdhenderson.info or visit our website at www.goodshepherdhenderson.info.

We give thanks for the Anglican community that is supporting us in prayer and encouragement, and look forward to being a planting of the new province in Southern Nevada.

Williams sensitive to limits of his authority, archbishop says

Riazat Butt in Alexandria

guardian.co.uk, Monday 2 February 2009 21.17 GMT

The archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is "sensitive" to the limits of his authority and role in the affairs of Anglican provinces, according the archbishop of Brisbane.

Speaking at a press conference in Alexandria today, the scene for a meeting between the world's most senior Anglican clerics, the Most Rev Philip Aspinall responded to a question about whether the assembled primates had discussed the role of the archbishop of Canterbury, who has caused resentment among traditionalists who believe he is too lenient with liberals in North America.

As a sign of protest, the Church of Nigeria deleted references to Canterbury from its constitution in 2005 and, last year, the Global Anglican Future Conference, a parallel network for conservative evangelicals, downgraded Williams' status, saying they did not accept that Anglican identity was necessarily determined through recognition by the archbishop of Canterbury.

Aspinall, who has been appointed spokesman for a meeting that will address divisive as well as less contentious issues, said: "The archbishop of Canterbury is trying to deal flexibly, creatively and responsively to the situation [affecting the communion]. He is very sensitive to the limits of his authority and role in provinces outside his own, [but] the see of Canterbury is pivotal."

Williams, the titular head of the communion,has yet to make public remarks about the nature or progress of the discussions, but he is expected to do so later in the week as the meeting draws to a close. . . .

Read it all in The Guardian

Anglican Primates discuss Covenant solution to problems: CEN 2.03.09

By George Conger

February 3, 2009

Moral suasion, not binding legislation will be the backbone for the proposed Anglican Covenant, Australian Archbishop Philip Aspinall told reporters on Feb 2.

In their second business session at the 2009 Primates’ Meeting in Alexandria, the primates were briefed by Archbishop John Chew of Singapore on the work of the Anglican Covenant Design Group — the group tasked by Archbishop Rowan Williams with crafting a document that would set the permitted boundaries of Anglican diversity.

Dr Aspinall said that it was his impression the Covenant designers were “pulling back from the language of sanctions and teeth” in the draft document. The Covenant would be about “koinonia … fellowship .. of communion” between churches. Given the legal structures of the 38 autonomous member churches of the Anglican Communion, he said it was unrealistic that the final Covenant would be a legal mechanism whose ultimate sanction would be “not inviting you to a meeting.”

“Hitting people over the head with sticks” was not the best way forward, Dr Aspinall said. . . .

Read it all at Geo Conger's blog

Canadian bishop resigns to join Anglican Network: CEN 1.31.09 p 6

By George Conger

January 31, 2009

A one-time candidate for election as Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada has quit that church to join the breakaway Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC). On Jan 23 the Rt. Rev. Ronald Ferris, retired Bishop of Algoma announced he had been received by Presiding Bishop Gregory Venables into the Province of the Southern Cone. . . .

Read it all at Geo Conger's blog