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[Episcopal News Service] All dioceses in The Episcopal Church regularly rely on the 1979 Book of Common Prayer to structure their worship services. The bishop of the Diocese of Dallas wants his diocese’s congregations to refrain from using any other liturgical text, at least on Sundays. Last month, Bishop Robert Price issued new guidance for Sunday liturgies in his diocese, based in Texas’ third-largest city. Effective Trinity Sunday, May 31. Price’s guidance specifically insisted on the use of “liturgies contained in the memorialized 1979 Book of Common Prayer,” and he advised congregations not to incorporate several other commonly used supplemental liturgical resources, including the church’s “expansive language” versions of Holy Eucharist Rite II and the collection of liturgies known as Enriching Our Worship. Those supplemental liturgies have been authorized for use throughout The Episcopal Church without the need to get permission from a bishop, a fact that Price acknowledged when he released revised guidance on June 2. “I am unable to prohibit the use of these prayers on Sunday mornings,” Price wrote in his latest letter to the diocese. “Nevertheless, the underlying reason for the original prohibition remains unchanged: the desire that our diocese pray together as one body using the memorialized 1979 Book of Common Prayer, thereby deepening our union in Christ.” Out of that “pastoral concern,” Price said he is asking clergy “to refrain from the use of the expansive-language versions of the Book of Common Prayer as an act of gracious restraint, sacrificial love, and fellowship with their sisters and brothers in Christ.” It isn’t clear how many of the more than 60 congregations in the Diocese of Dallas have regularly used expansive-language liturgies, though the bishop’s changing guidance has required at least one congregation to adjust. Church of the Transfiguration has used those supplemental liturgies for the past eight years. The supplemental liturgies “were intended to lessen the dependence on masculine pronouns for God, which can diminish our spiritual imaginations, and also introduce some changes to the Nicene Creed to foster ecumenical relationships,” the Rev. Casey Shobe, Transfiguration’s rector, said in a May 28 message to the congregation about Price’s initial prohibition. “As we begin this next chapter, we will abide by the bishop’s direction.” When Episcopal News Service reached Shobe by phone on June 3, he said he and other church leaders were still digesting the latest guidance from Price before deciding which liturgies to use in Transfiguration’s Sunday services. “We are certainly grateful for the acknowledgment of General Convention’s authority in the matter and grateful for the bishop’s leadership and humility in this,” Shobe told ENS. “We will take seriously his request … while also thinking very carefully about how much the expansive-language rites have meant for the parish in these last eight years.” Price has not said whether he specifically objects to the church’s yearslong development and authorization of expansive-language liturgies. In a written response to ENS’s questions, he did not comment on those liturgies. Rather, he indicated that asking all congregations to use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer on Sundays is a way to promote unity in a diverse diocese. “While a symbolic gesture, I believe that symbols matter,” Price told ENS. “We have a theological diversity in the Diocese of Dallas that no longer exists in many dioceses, and I am asking everyone to sacrifice their preferences in order to build mutual charity. To be honest, I am somewhat bemused that asking Episcopalians to use the 1979 BCP on Sunday mornings is perceived as being in any way radical or oppressive.” If not radical or oppressive, Price’s guidance appears to be unusual. The Rev. Ruth Meyers, a prominent scholar of the church’s liturgical history, told ENS that some bishops had forbidden the use of such supplemental liturgies while those liturgies were still being developed, but since they were fully authorized by General Convention in 2018  she was unaware of a bishop openly discouraging their use. Meyers, a longtime General Convention deputy and a retired Church Divinity School of the Pacific liturgics professor, also questioned whether a call for “unity” justified exclusive use of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. “The unity would be at the churchwide level, not at the diocese level,” Meyers said, since it is up to General Convention to determine what liturgies are authorized for use in the church’s dioceses and congregations. Price, in his statement to ENS, said the inspiration for the new guidance dates to the time before he was elected bishop when he was meeting with local leaders. “Building greater trust and collegiality amongst the clergy and parishes of the diocese was identified as a key priority of the new bishop, and I have sought to facilitate that healing and deeper unity in ways great and small since my consecration,” he said. “As a part of that effort, I have put forward pastoral guidance that seeks to bring all of us together.” The bishop’s new guidance follows decades of debate within The Episcopal Church and across the Anglican Communion about the role that “common prayer” plays in Anglican unity. Meyers underscored that the consensus over time has shifted away from a unified text in favor of a set of shared principles, approaches and structures in Anglican and Episcopal liturgies. The Book of Common Prayer was first published in 1549 for use in the Church of England, and in subsequent centuries, it became the primary liturgical text for Anglicans worldwide in the provinces of what is now known as the Anglican Communion. In 1958, the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops acknowledged that independent liturgical revisions in those autonomous provinces, including The Episcopal Church, had made it harder to agree on one single text. In response, the Lambeth Conference called attention “to those features in the Books of Common Prayer which are essential to the safeguarding of our unity: i.e., the use of the Canonical Scriptures and the Creeds, Holy Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, and the […]

[World Council of Churches] The World Council of Churches Young People in the Ecumenical Movement will host its second online gathering on June 10 via Zoom. Young ecumenists worldwide are invited to meet, share experiences and strengthen relationships across regions. Building on the momentum of the first virtual gathering held in 2025, the 90-minute event will provide opportunities for informal conversation and mutual learning through regional breakout groups. Participants will also receive an introduction to the YPEM Global Collective and its ongoing efforts to connect and empower young people within the ecumenical movement. Read the entire article here.

Over 100 Canadian CRC members gathered at Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ont., May 28-31 for the Canadian National Gathering. Springing from a 2013 report on “Cultivating Binationality in the CRCNA” (see Acts of Synod 2014, pp. 432, 440-42), the Canadian National Gathering provides a time to strategically celebrate, discern, and envision bold next steps for the CRCNA in Canada locally, regionally, and nationally. The theme of this year’s gathering was “Foundation to Future.” Al Postma, executive director-Canada of the CRCNA, spoke throughout the weekend about “Gathering the Builders” and concluded with a message titled “Sending the Builders,” challenging participants to carry the event's insights back to their home communities. Six-Stream Focus Participants at the gathering were grouped into six streams...

The Banner has launched a new video series, The Banner Synod Recap, to provide listeners with accessible coverage and analysis of Synod 2026. The first episode was released after the virtual convening session of Synod 2026 on May 27 and focuses on the officers elected to serve this year's assembly. Lora Copley, interim editor of The Banner, is hosting the series and will be joined by various guests before and during synod to discuss key topics, decisions, and developments. The May 27 video explores the role of synodical officers and introduces those elected to serve Synod 2026: President: Rev. Chad Steenwyk Vice president: Rev. Derek Buikema First clerk: Rev. Jose Rayas Second clerk: Rev. Dave TenClay Read more in The...

The latest Ebola-virus outbreak continues to spread across parts of the Great Lakes region in Africa. More than 1,000 confirmed cases in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are now linked to cross-border movement, creating a heightened public-health risk for communities in Uganda, particularly in refugee-hosting and border districts where World Renew works. Many families in these areas were already facing significant health, displacement, and livelihood challenges before the outbreak began. World Renew and trusted local partners have begun efforts to help communities protect one another and reduce the risk of transmission. World Renew’s response in Uganda focuses on community-based prevention and trusted communication, recognizing that effective Ebola response depends on local leadership and culturally respectful...

At the 40th Korean Ministry Association (KMA) Annual Gathering in April, Rev. MoonBae Kim shared critical insights from his 36 years of holistic experience leading within the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Over this span of time, as well as serving six years on the Candidacy Committee, Kim has been a vital bridge between the Korean Presbyterian tradition and CRC Reformed theology. Following is a summary of his interview on how the CRC can healthily embrace multiethnic diversity while ensuring belonging. Q1. As a Korean pastor with decades of experience in the CRCNA, do you still find Western denominational culture unfamiliar today? Even after 36 years in the CRC, the culture can still feel unfamiliar. Korean pastors are typically...

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Young People in the Ecumenical Movement (YPEM) will host its second online Connection Gathering on 10 June, inviting young ecumenists from around the world to meet, share experiences, and strengthen relationships across regions.

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