New Testament scholar Deirdre Good explains why simplistic appeals to scripture distort its meaning, and why for the Gospel family is built on magnanimity not exclusion

Deirdre Good and Julian Sheffield urge Episcopalians to embrace grace not fear

Seven 'Global South' archbishops refused to receive Holy Communion with their fellow Primates on 16 February 2007, at thir Tanzania gathering. They alleged that they were "unable to come to the Holy Table with the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church [USA] because to do so would be a violation of Scriptural teaching and the traditional Anglican understanding" - writes Matthew Davies for Episcopal News Service

A warm East African welcome met Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams when he arrived in Tanzania yesterday (13 February 2007) for a crucial Anglican Primates' meeting ‚Ä' but a gay Christian leader from Nigeria had a different experience, being interrogated for several hours before being given a visa.

As government ministers last night (24 January 2007) made it clear that they would not bow to strong pressure from Catholic and Anglican leaders who wish to retain the right for church-sponsored adoption services to refuse lesbian and gay couples, Harriet Harman, Minister for Justice at the Department for Constitutional Affairs, has reminded churches that it is not possible to be “a bit opposed to discrimination”.

The Archbishop of Southern Africa has responded robustly to a recent threat made by some African Anglican heads who say that they will not attend the forthcoming Primates Meeting in Tanzania in February 2007 because of the presence of US Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.