Gene Robinson honoured in special service

THE former Bishop of New Hampshire, the Rt Revd Gene Robinson, who was the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, presided on Sunday at a special service in Christ Church Cathedral, Indiana, during which he was honoured by a special choral piece. “Our Wildest Imagining” by Dominic DiOrio, performed by a four-part chorus, organ and brass quintet, features snippets of sermons and observations by Bishop Robinson, who served as Bishop of New Hampshire from 2004 until his retirement in 2013. Bishop Robinson, who is 78, described it as “the honour of a lifetime”.

Living Out co-founder resigns over ‘inappropriate relationship’

THE Revd Sam Allberry, a former member of the General Synod and a co-founder of Living Out, a group that supports same-sex attracted Evangelicals, has resigned as a pastor of Immanuel Church, Nashville, it was announced this week. A statement from the church said that, in spring 2024, its elders became aware that Mr Allberry had “engaged in an inappropriate relationship with an adult man in 2022”, but ruled that “though [his] conduct was unwise, it did not rise to the level of disqualification”. In January of this year, however, the elders received new information about the relationship that had not been previously disclosed, which led them to decide that Mr Allberry “is currently disqualified from gospel ministry”. Mr Allberry has also resigned as a fellow of the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics.

First female bishop elected for NZ’s South Island Indigenous see

THE Primates of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia have announced the election of Archdeacon Susan Wallace as Bishop of Te Hui Amorangi ki Te Waipounamu, Anglican Taonga reports. Bishop-elect Wallace will become the first woman to lead the Amorangi and the second Indigenous woman to be elected bishop in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Archbishop of Aotearoa, the Most Revd Don Tamihere, said that it was a “profound choice”.

Saint Augustine’s University files for bankruptcy

SAINT Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina, is filing for bankruptcy in order to restructure its finances and will stop its battle — which began in 2023 — to retain its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the Episcopal News Service reports. However, the university said that it is not closing and has not given up on long-term plans to rebuild. “Chapter 11 [bankruptcy] provides a comprehensive path to address our financial challenges and move forward with a stronger foundation,” the board of trustees said. All students who complete their studies before 15 May will be able to earn degrees from an accredited institution.

CSW welcomes Pakistan’s Child Marriage Restraint Bill

THE passing of the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2026 by the Punjab Assembly in Pakistan has been welcomed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide as “an important step towards preventing the abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage of Christian and Hindu girls, which has been increasing in the province in recent years”. The Bill, which was presented in the assembly by the Punjab Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, and passed on 27 April, raises the minimum legal age for marriage for girls from 16 to 18 — already the case for boys — and declares underage marriage to be a non-bailable offence.

Kansas pastor runs for Democrats

A PASTOR and co-founder of the Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas, is running to be the state’s first Democratic congressman since 1932. The Revd Adam Hamilton, 61, described himself during a press conference last week in Prairie Village, where he grew up, as an “independent-minded Democrat”. He said: “In a world that feels more and more divided, I’ve had the privilege of being a pastor for 36 years of a church that’s roughly equally divided between Republicans, Democrats and independents. Our people love each other precisely because of their differences.”

Attack on Mozambique Catholic mission condemned

THE Roman Catholic Archbishop of Nampula, the Most Revd Inácio Saúre, has expressed “deep sorrow” and appealed for Christian solidarity following an attack by militants linked to Islamic State. The attack and fire at the Catholic mission of Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, in the Diocese of Pemba in Cabo Delgado province, took place at the end of April. It resulted in the destruction of key religious and social infrastructure, including the parish church, missionaries’ residences, and a small community school, leaving the mission largely destroyed, Vatican News reported.