Today

A new Pentagon office for soldiers' faith, and a bishop's farewell

By The FaithDaily Desk

Good morning. The most far-reaching item came from the United States military. Religion News Service reported that a memo had announced the establishment of an Office of Religious Affairs, which it said would "oversee research, technology, and analytical tools to support and assess spiritual fitness, spiritual readiness, and spiritual resilience" of soldiers. Charisma News reported the same move, attributing the announcement to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and saying he described the office as giving military chaplains an advocate at the highest level. The two accounts agree on the fact of the office; they frame its purpose in the terms each outlet used.

Religion News Service also reported that Bishop Mariann Budde announced she will resign, while remaining in post during what the outlet called a lengthy replacement process. In an interview with Religion News Service, Budde said she intended to "do all that I can to both lead well in this period and to ensure that there's as much wind in the sails of the future leader and the diocese going forward as is humanly possible."

A cluster of Anglican news came from Anglican Ink. It reported that the College of Bishops had unanimously consented to the candidacy of the Rev. Canon Dr. Kris McDaniel for Suffragan Bishop, allowing C4SO to proceed to an election at its Diocesan Convention on November 7, alongside a statement from McDaniel concerning 2015 comments on Eucharistic discipline. The same outlet carried a GAFCON statement correcting what it called inaccurate reports in The Tablet about its General Secretary, the Rt Revd Paul Donison, and the Rt Revd Anthony Poggo of the Anglican Communion Office. Anglican Ink also reported the installation of new canons at Manchester Cathedral, and a reflection from the Diocese of Northern Indiana on its vote not to pursue reunification with the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.

In other reporting, Charisma News covered a Wisconsin man jailed after police said he set fire to a crucifix inside Pilgrim Lutheran Church in West Bend, citing TMJ4, and a study finding sheeppox virus DNA in the parchment of the 1,000-year-old York Gospels. Religion News Service noted that Apologetics, Inc. had announced a 2027 debate on the resurrection. The Lutheran Witness published an October issue on justification by faith, and The Gospel Coalition released a live conversation with Nancy Guthrie and Jen Wilkin on endurance in faith.