Bishop of Lexington suspended after adultery

THE Bishop of Lexington, Kentucky, the Rt Revd Douglas Hahn, has been suspended for one year from his duties as bishop and from ordained ministry, the diocese announced a fortnight ago. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the US, the Most Revd Michael Curry, took this action after learning that Bishop Hahn had had a sexual relationship with an adult female parishioner, and intentionally withheld this information when seeking the position of bishop. He has admitted to the charges against him, and he and Bishop Curry have reached an official “Accord”, or agreement, providing for terms of the suspension, the diocese said.

Chinese lawyer Zhang Kai released

ZHANG KAI, a prominent Chinese lawyer who had mounted a legal campaign to challenge the Government’s removal of crosses from Christian churches and places of worship (News, 24 March), has been freed from imprisonment, news agencies reported at the end of last week. He had been held by Chinese authorities since August, and state television showed him in a televised “confession” last month, admitting to various crimes, including endangering state national security.

Further curbs on Sudanese ministers

TWO senior ministers, and a lay member of the Sudan Church of Christ (SCC), have been told to report daily to the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported on Wednesday. The Revd Ayub Tilyab, President of the SCC National Council, and the Revd Yagoub Naway, a minister in Ombadda and Vice-president of the Ombadda Area Council, were arrested on 21 March by NISS agents, and held for questioning. They were later released on condition that they report to the NISS office daily. There has been a series of arrests of religious leaders and adherents by NISS agents in the last four months, CSW says.