More and more of the churches in the Diocese of Northern California are adopting the custom of Open Communion or as our Task Force describes it, “Administering the Sacrament of the Eucharist to Those Who Have Not Been Baptized”. I have been issuing a carefully worded open invitation at Confirmations and other major events in the Diocese. At our last Diocesan Convention in November of 2003, a Resolution was put forth to prohibit this custom.

This week, priests from the six churches - Christ Church in Watertown, St. John's Church in Bristol, St. Paul's Church in Darien, Trinity Church in Bristol, Christ & The Epiphany Church in East Haven, and Bishop of Seabury Church in Groton - each received a "pastoral directive" and were summoned by registered letter to meet with Smith.

The development, which will alarm the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, follows a 28 per cent jump in the amount that the diocese has been asked to contribute.

The Bishop of Willesden, the Rt Rev Peter Broadbent, who is leading the
London diocese's campaign, said the Church needed to carry out a
fundamental independent review of its bureaucracy and make significant cuts.

With the impending anniversary of Gene Robinson’s confirmation to the episcopate, the ACN bishops, at a recent meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, called for a specific date of organized intercessory prayer for the Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church and global witness.