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[Episcopal News Service] Anglicans and other global faith leaders have condemned Israeli airstrikes over the weekend that struck an Anglican hospital in the besieged Palestinian territory of Gaza, destroying or damaging several of the hospital’s departments. Al Ahli Arab Hospital, a ministry of the Diocese of Jerusalem, had been struck several times previously by blasts in the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas since Hamas attacked Israeli communities and massacred hundreds on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel responded to that Hamas attack with an intense and prolonged aerial bombardment and ground invasion of the densely populated territory – strikes that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left much of Gaza in ruins. The latest blasts at Ahli Hospital involved two airstrikes early April 13, according to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, AFEDJ. The attack destroyed a two-story genetic laboratory and severely damaged the pharmacy, the emergency department and nearby buildings, including St. Phillip’s Church. The hospital has been described in international news reports as the last fully functioning hospital in northern Gaza. No casualties were reported from the blasts at the hospital, though the diocese reported that during the evacuation of the hospital, a child died while suffering from a previous head injury. “The Diocese of Jerusalem condemns in the strongest terms today’s missile attacks on the Ahli Arab Hospital,” the diocese said in a written statement, adding that it was “appalled at the bombing of the hospital now for the fifth time since the beginning of the war in 2023 – and this time on the morning of Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.” “We call upon all governments and people of goodwill to intervene to stop all kinds of attacks on medical and humanitarian institutions. We pray and call for the end of this horrific war and the suffering of so many.” Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell released a statement lamenting the “unimaginable suffering” endured by the Palestinians who have been forced to seek treatment at Ahli Hospital. “For the only Christian hospital in Gaza to be attacked on Palm Sunday is especially appalling,” Cottrell said. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem also condemned the attack. “Sorrow grips us this Palm Sunday: A refuge of healing is struck in the land of the heavenly physician of souls and bodies,” the Patriarchate said. Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire in January, which included the release of some of the hostages taken by Hamas during its initial attack on Israel. That ceasefire, however, fell apart in March, and Israel resumed airstrikes. U.S. officials have since been working with Arab leaders to restart ceasefire talks to again halt hostilities. Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe released a statement after the attack, asking for prayers for the hospital staff and their patients. “No matter how we understand the causes of violence in the Holy Land, we can surely agree that we must support our fellow Anglicans in alleviating the devastating humanitarian crisis now unfolding in Gaza,” Rowe said. Rowe also encouraged Episcopalians to give generously to the Good Friday Offering, the church’s annual collection in support of the Diocese of Jerusalem and the other dioceses that make up the Anglican Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Gifts can be made online or in congregations’ collection plates on April 18. Episcopalians also can write to their representatives in Congress, asking them to support a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian aid for Gaza and a just and sustained peace in the Holy Land, Rowe said. He shared resources provided by the church’s Washington, D.C.-based Office of Government Relations. – David Paulsen is a senior reporter and editor for Episcopal News Service based in Wisconsin. He can be reached at dpaulsen@episcopalchurch.org.

<article class="media media--image display--large"> <div class="image-container"> <div class="field field-media-image"> <img loading="eager" width="430" height="323" alt="" class="lazyload" data-src="/sites/default/files/styles/default_mobile/public/2025-04/Graphics_crc-news_2025-04-14_reframe-logo.png?itok=JeYOYl9U" /> </div> </div> </article> <br /> After a careful review, ReFrame Ministries is discontinuing three of its English-language programs and suspending its Russian-language ministry.

[Episcopal News Service] A federal judge has refused to grant a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration that was requested by The Episcopal Church and a coalition of interfaith plaintiffs in their lawsuit seeking to block immigration enforcement actions at houses of worship. Judge Dabney Friedrich of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., issued her decision April 11, a week after hearing arguments by attorneys for the religious groups and the Trump administration. The Episcopal Church was joined by 26 other plaintiffs in the lawsuit, including Protestant and Jewish groups, in warning that changes in immigration policy were sowing fear in the communities they serve. The nonpartisan Georgetown University Law Center, in arguing the case on behalf of the religious groups, specifically objected to policy changes under President Donald Trump that ended past protections against immigration enforcement actions at houses of worship and other “sensitive locations,” such as schools and hospitals. Friedrich concluded that the plaintiffs had not demonstrated that the new administration was actively targeting immigrants for detention and possible deportation at houses of worship. She also expressed skepticism that any decreased participation in worship services or ministries was related directly to the end of U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement’s “sensitive locations” protections. “Evidence suggests that congregants are staying home to avoid encountering ICE in their own neighborhoods, not because churches or synagogues are locations of elevated risk,” she wrote in her decision. The plaintiffs now are considering their next steps in the case. “We are currently reviewing the decision and are assessing our options,” Kelsi Corkran, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney, said in a written statement. “We remain gravely concerned about the impacts of this policy and are committed to protecting foundational rights enshrined in the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” During his campaign, Trump had vowed to oversee mass deportations of millions of people living in the United States without permanent legal residency status. He began pursuing policies to follow through on that promise in the hours after his Jan. 20 inauguration to a second term, with a series of executive orders related to immigration. The next day, Homeland Security ended Biden administration policies that had identified certain sensitive areas as protected from immigration enforcement actions. The Episcopal Church is one of 12 denominations that have signed onto the lawsuit, which also includes the Disciples of Christ, Mennonite, Methodist, Presbyterian and AME Zion churches. Other plaintiffs include regional denominational bodies and other religious associations. The plaintiffs’ 80-page complaint, filed Feb. 11, includes short summaries of ways they say the government’s policies have burdened the faith organizations’ practice of their religions.

Exploring how churches can do more for climate justice, the World Council of Churches (WCC), in cooperation with the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh, organized a climate litigation training in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 11 April.

[Anglican Communion News Service] Anglican and Lutheran church leaders from around the world gathered in Amman, Jordan, for the first full meeting of the Anglican–Lutheran International Commission for Unity and Mission. Under the theme “Our baptismal unity,” participants reflected on their shared identity in Christ, built deeper relationships, and committed to a variety of catechetical, evangelical and missiological projects during the March 29–April 2 meeting.. ALICUM was established in 2018 by the Lutheran World Federation Council and the Anglican Communion’s Standing Committee as a new commission, built on the foundation of decades of agreements between Anglicans and Lutherans. In several parts of the world, Anglican and Lutheran churches are in relationships of full communion. Like the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, ALICUM pairs Anglican and Lutheran bishops and leaders with one another from various countries around the world in order to pursues shared teaching, evangelization and mission. This inaugural gathering of the full commission brought together ALICUM pairs from Cameroon, Colombia, the Holy Land, Malaysia, Tanzania, the United States and the Porvoo Communion (which included representatives from Ireland, Scotland, Finland and Germany). While the members from Canada and Hong Kong were unable to attend in person, they remain involved in the work. During the five-day summit, commission members worshipped together and engaged in theological discussions on baptismal ecclesiology and existing communion agreements. The members also undertook a pilgrimage to key biblical sites, including the Jordan River, where they renewed their baptismal vows; Mount Nebo, traditionally regarded as the place of Moses’ death; and the ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land in Madaba. Commission members shared stories of collaboration in theological education, evangelism and discipleship, public theology, youth work, and care for marginalized communities. These stories, and associated plans, demonstrated the creativity and energy of Anglican-Lutheran collaboration around the world. The commission also addressed practical challenges of teaching and sharing the faith in circumstances that range from decline and secularization to rapid growth and persecution. Members were amazed and grateful to hear stories of multiplying churches in contexts where Christians are minorities and lack material resources. The commission also explored how various agreements of full communion relate to one another and may be adopted more formally by churches in the Global South. The commission’s reflections on baptism raised questions about the place of confirmation and the Eucharist in the initiation and formation of Christians. The summit concluded with a commissioning service at the Evangelical Lutheran Good Shepherd Church in Amman. Participants expressed deep gratitude for the hospitality of their Jordanian Christian hosts and pledged to stand in solidarity with churches in the Holy Land. The Rev. Dirk Lange, the Lutheran World Federation assistant general secretary for ecumenical relations and the co-secretary of ALICUM, said the meeting “proved to be extremely rich, as the church leaders spent time bonding over shared worship and pilgrimage. New initiatives and joint projects were discussed, exploring ways of implementing the many ecumenical consensus statements and full communion agreements already reached by Anglicans and Lutherans.” Christopher Wells, director of unity, faith and order at the Anglican Communion Office said, “Lutheran and Anglican commitments to bear witness together to the one faith and one Lord serve as a summons for the whole church to give ourselves over to one another fully. We pray that all the Christian World Communions may catch fire in the power of the Spirit to profess the one faith and to share the Good News more surely with the waiting world.” The ALICUM steering committee will mentor the pairs of church leaders as they put their projects into action over the next three years. The entire commission will meet annually online and plans to hold a second in-person summit in 2028. The full communique from the meeting, along with a list of participants and outcomes, is available here.

[Anglican Church of Canada] The Rev. James Spencer has been building with Lego since he was eight years old. Today, that lifelong hobby is getting his parish, St. Mary’s Anglican Church with buildings in Clarenville and Burgoyne’s Cove, Newfoundland, Canada, noticed online – and forming the heart of a new ministry to local children.  Over the last year, Spencer has been building a pair of Lego models of the Clarenville and Burgoyne’s Cove church buildings—built at the scale of one Lego “stud” (the basic unit of Lego blocks, demarcated by one of the nubs that let the bricks interlock) to one foot.  “I started collecting all the bricks I’d need and I did some measurements in the churches and worked out everything and started building,” he says. “It’s taken a year and a fair number of Lego orders to get all the pieces I needed, but I think it came out more or less as I was hoping it would.” His creations measure around one foot by two feet in width, he says, and replicate everything from the churches’ accessibility ramps to their stained-glass windows, with minifigure parishioners in the pews. He started the models as a way to say thank you to the two churches in the parish for the warm welcome their congregants had given him in his first year of ministry. And when they were finished, the reaction was bigger than he could have expected.   “I wanted to do it as something that they could have in their church they would enjoy. And it’s talked about everywhere. I rarely run into someone who doesn’t mention it to me. It’s spread all over Facebook,” he says. “And it’s getting attention to the church that, well, the church is enjoying because you know how it is these days – sometimes the church kind of gets lost in the background.”  Spencer is also reaching out to make the church a presence in people’s lives through a new Lego outreach ministry at the church. Organizers have been building up a collection of bricks donated by parishioners and community members until they had critical mass to start the program, which involves local children coming by the church to build for fun and the occasional challenge project. There’s no overtly religious element, says Spencer, who also runs a Dungeons and Dragons game for some kids at the local middle school. But it doesn’t have to be overtly religious to be a valuable form of outreach.  “I’m a big believer that the church needs to connect with our young people without necessarily always throwing Scripture at them,” he says. “I’ve got a group of kids at the Dungeons and Dragons event, at the Lego who, later on in their life, no matter what they hear people [saying] about the church, any negative things, they’ll look back and say ‘Yeah, I remember people from my church. Reverend James would come and play Dungeons and Dragons with me. He seemed like a nice guy.’”  If the church starts by being a positive presence in their young lives, he believes, that will pay off in the form of better relations in the long run. He currently has about a dozen kids coming to the Lego ministry, which began in late March, and a rotating group of eight or nine players in his Dungeons and Dragons game.  In the meantime, building models of the parish’s churches has become a way of drawing attention from outside the bigger versions’ walls.   “The Anglican church has spent an awful long time stuck in our buildings, dreaming of the days when people came to the buildings out of, well, basically out of expectation and tradition. And those days are over. We need to be out in the community. I’d rather people see my church everywhere else and just sometimes in our building.”

During a visit with churches and communities in Bangladesh, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay met with religious leaders, participated in interfaith dialogues, and expressed solidarity for all those in Bangladesh coping with devastation from climate change.