According to the New York Times, Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning approved the ordination performed by Bishop Walter Righter which led to presentment charges against the retired Bishop of Iowa. The Times recounts the ordination of J. Robert Williams, a practicing homosexual, by Bishop John Spong of Newark, as setting off "a firestorm of protest among his conservative and even moderate Episcopal colleagues."

When it came time to ordain Barry Stopfel to the diaconate, Bishop Righter did the laying on of hands, rather than Bishop Spong.

"Jack (Spong) and the Presiding Bishop agreed it was better for Jack not to ordain Barry ... because he (Spong) was a lightning rod for controversy, and I was kind of a safe person from Iowa, and not too many people paid attention to me," the Times quoted Bishop Righter.

* * *

In a recent issue of his diocesan newspaper, Cross Current, the Rt. Rev. B. Sidney Sanders, Bishop of East Carolina, shares memories of 40 years of ordained ministry with readers:

"I remember fearing that I would say the words wrong in the wedding service, and sure enough, one day it happened," he wrote. "For instead of praying to God that this couple be lawfully joined together, I remember clearly asking that they be joyfully loined together.

"I remember the horror of my good clergy friend when he asked the bride if she took this man ... and the bride answered NO. I remember my friend's spontaneous response was, 'You can't do this to me!'"

* * *

The newsletter of the Church of the Ascension, Bradford, Pa., included the following bloopers:

"Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in school days."

"Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person(s) you want remembered."

"For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs."

* * *

One of the most positive stories of 1995 came from Trinity Church, Carrolton, Texas, which is raising funds to expand its facilities. Trinity's members decided they would send the first 10 percent of the funds they raised to a ministry outside their church. That decision led to a gift of $50,000 to the Diocese of Enugu in the Church of the Province of Nigeria to be used for the construction of a cathedral. Bishop Gideon Nweke Otubelu of Enugu went to Carrollton to receive the check and told parishioners that the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd has more than 4,000 members and "a very militant ministry. We are always ready to go and win souls for the Lord," he said.

* * *

To Mike in Houston: Yes, those bits of letters in this space [TLC, Dec. 31] were real.

David Kalvelage, editor