ARKANSAS: Episcopal Priest Praises Mohammed, Vishnu, Buddha, Confucius in Rogue All Saints Liturgy

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 20, 2009

When parishioners filed into St. John's Episcopal Church in Harrison, Arkansas, on All Saints Sunday, November 1, they were handed a bulletin that sent shivers down the spines of many of the congregants. It was a case of inclusion gone wild.

The "Litany of all the Saints of God" part of their Sunday liturgy read as follows:

Litany of all the Saints of God

CELEBRANT: Blessed are all you holy ones, the saints, you who have done the will of God, and now rejoice in the reward of Eternal joy.

Holy men and women who worshipped the All Holy One as Rama, Vishnu or the Lord Krishna, forest hermits, ascetics and wise ones whose lives were incarnations of the holy books the Vedas, Upanishads and Gita -

SEWANEE: University of the South Regrettably Succumbs to Post-Modernism and Pansexuality - Part 1
University Elects Pro-Gay Bishop as Chancellor
Trustees Dump Ft. Worth Bishop's Orthodox Trustees

This is the first in a three-part series on the University of the South, the Episcopal Church's only university with a School of Theology as it transitions into the 21st Century.

Special Investigation and Exclusive Report

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
11/18/2009

Sewanee: The University of the South, The Episcopal Church's only university with a School of Theology continues undergoing profound and troubling changes as it heads into the 21st Century - changes that most who love Sewanee know compromise both its historic and intellectual character as well as its theological integrity.

The campus, affectionately known as "The Mountain," is owned by the twenty-eight southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church. Its Sewanee School of Theology is an official seminary of the church. Known simply as Sewanee, the school has produced 25 Rhodes Scholars and was ranked 36th in the annual US News & World Report list of liberal arts colleges, having fallen in recent years from a high of 24th. Sewanee is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South.

The renaming of The University of the South to "Sewanee: The University of the South" in 2004 was an official attempt to recruit and retain more minority and non-Southern students. Most students and alumni were, and continue to be, offended by the "distancing" University from its historic association with the best of Southern culture.

WASHINGTON, DC: Catholic, Episcopal Bishops Clash Over Meaning of Marriage

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
11/17/2009

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington and the Episcopal Bishop of Washington are at odds over same-sex marriage.


Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl issued a Pastoral Message for Homosexual Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington saying that of the many teachings of the Catholic Church, perhaps some of the most challenging for Catholics in today’s culture involve human sexuality, including homosexuality.

“Modern cultural pressures and assumptions are often at odds with the teachings of Christ handed down through the centuries. For some parishioners the issues are deeply personal. Living out the Church’s teaching can be a difficult challenge. Yet, no one needs to do this separated from the grace and love of the Church.

“It is important to affirm that the Catholic Church is and always will be welcoming of any person who seeks who seeks a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ….The Catechism of the Catholic Church upholds the human dignity of every person and condemns any form of unjust discrimination (2358).”

Episcopal Church Dioceses All over the Map on Rites for Same-Sex Blessings

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 12, 2009

The Episcopal Church's 100 domestic dioceses are unevenly divided over whether or not they will allow rites for same-sex blessings to occur in their dioceses following the passage of Resolution C056 at General Convention last summer.

In 2003 General Convention passed resolution C051 which recognizes that "local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions." The 2006 General Convention defeated a resolution that would have implemented a moratorium on rites for blessing same-sex unions.

By GC2009 the moral landscape had shifted even further to the left. Bishops and deputies passed Resolution C056 which called for collecting and developing theological and liturgical resources and design liturgies and to report to the 77th General Convention for further action.

Rome Rescues Anglo-Catholics. Who will Rescue Anglican's Evangelicals?

Commentary

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 11, 2009

By all accounts it was a brilliant move. The Vatican suddenly announced that a personal ordinariate would be made available to traditionalist Anglicans in the Anglican Communion, offering them a place of refuge and catching off guard the Archbishop of Canterbury. For the first time there is a sense in which Rome is recognizing that you can be Anglican and Roman Catholic.

It was a shrewd move that angered liberal Catholics like Hans Kung and threw into doubt the long standing history of Roman Catholic Anglican unity talks known as ARCIC. The ball game has changed forever. ARCIC may well be dead. At least that's the view of Rochester Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali. He may well be right.

The Church of England's toleration of gay clerics, ordained women and the future prospect of women bishops and The Episcopal Church's further and further drift from the historic Christian Faith while preferring to engage the culture by merging with it brought a sharp response from the Pontiff. Pope Benedict XVI moved quickly to stem the hemorrhaging of both Anglican churches. Rather than tolerating the excesses of the culture, he engaged it by condemning those things he saw as fatally flawed from a faith-based perspective.

The Muddled Mind of Arizona Episcopal Bishop Kirk Smith

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 5, 2009

Of all the commentary appearing on blogs and in Anglican cyberspace regarding the Pope's recent offer of a safe harbor to traditionalist Anglicans, none has appeared more inane, muddled and downright inaccurate than that of the Rt. Rev. Kirk S. Smith, the Episcopal Bishop of Arizona.

Here is what he said:

SMITH: I've been waiting a few days to make any comment on the recent invitation from Pope Benedict XVI to disgruntled Anglicans to become Roman Catholics.

VOL: First of all, these Anglicans are hardly "disgruntled". What they are wanting is to be faithful to Scripture, tradition and reason at a time when the Episcopal Church is unfaithful to Scripture, has virtually wiped out all tradition, and is being totally unreasonable over property issues.

Cranmer Scholar Weighs Bible in Light of English Reformation and American Culture

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 5, 2009

David W. Virtue recently interviewed Cranmer scholar, historian and theologian The Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null in the unlikely venue of New York City where neither lives. The occasion was a "Focus on Ministry" conference held at the American Bible Society which included outstanding Bible teacher and expositor Jonathan Juckes, Rector of Kirk Ella in East Yorkshire. He has served at major Anglican evangelical parishes in England (Sevenoaks, St. Helen's, Bishopsgate) and was on the staff of the Proclamation Trust, an organization dedicated to promoting expository preaching. The Rev. Gregory O. Brewer, rector of Calvary St. Georges co-chaired the event with the Rev. John Mason Founding Rector of Christ Church New York City. Mason taught New Testament theology and has been an Anglican minister for over thirty-five years. He is originally from Sydney, Australia.

Dr. Null is canon theologian in the Diocese of Western Kansas. He is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, London, and currently The Episcopal Church's Scaife-Anderson Fellow at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Seminary in New York. He is the author of "Thomas Cranmer's Doctrine of Repentance: Renewing the Power to Love" and a "The Power of Unconditional Love: Thomas Cranmer for Today", forthcoming from Holy Trinity, Brompton, in London. Since I was attending the lectures he was giving here in New York, he agreed to this interview.

VOL: Canon Null, what are you doing in New York City?

NULL: I have the privilege and pleasure of speaking at the first annual Focus on Ministry Conference in NYC which is a partnership of Christ Church Anglican, Calvary/St George (TEC) and the American Bible Society.

VOL: What is the thrust of your message?

NULL: I have specially appreciated two things about this conference. First, its wrestling with how to understand the Bible in light of the insights from the English Reformation and, secondly, how those in the Anglican tradition can effectively proclaim the Gospel to those steeped in the assumptions of American popular culture.

Episcopal Dioceses Face Downsizing, Closing Parishes, More Departures

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 4, 2009

A number of congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Maine are on the brink of bankruptcy with over 50% of its parishes receiving grants-in-aid. This has lead to the curtailing of funding for mission programming at the diocesan level and no money left to support the buildings or their budgets.

The Rt. Rev. Stephen T. Lane, in an address to his diocese, said that several of his congregations face "literal bankruptcy" and that tweaking the system and the budget will no longer work. He argued that what is needed is something he called "Adaptive Change."

"What we're always trying to do is tweak the system, tweak the budget, so it works a little better, a little more efficiently. We're always trying to build a better mouse trap or give ourselves a little more breathing room. We're trying to make the old system work as well as it possibly can work. But what if things have changed so much that the system itself no longer will serve? What if we've squeezed every penny out of every dollar? What if, instead of tweaking the system, we have to adapt to the change? What if we have to build a new system? What if we have to learn a new way to be church? That work is called Adaptive Change."

UECNA Presiding Bishop Deposes Bishops Who Moved to REC
Reformed Episcopal Bishop Royal Grote Denies Irregular Transfers

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
November 3, 2009

The Presiding Bishop of the 30-year-old United Episcopal Church of North America (UECNA) has deposed two of his bishops because they joined the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC).

Archbishop Stephen Reber wrote a letter to his clergy saying that he had deposed Bishop Wes Nolden, who now serves as a bishop of the REC/ACNA in the Missionary Diocese of the Central States, because he conspired to leave the UECNA before his consecration. He also deposed Nolden's Archdeacon, the Rev. David Straw. Another bishop, Sam Seamans also left the UECNA and was received into the REC.

As soon as the vote was taken I called Bishop Reber to inform him of the vote of my parish and I resigned effective immediately, wrote Nolden.

"It was the day after I resigned that I was examined and received into the REC. I did everything by the book, as did my parish."

Both Nolden and Straw are ministers of Trinity Anglican Church in Evansville, Indiana. Both men have been received into the REC/ACNA. Both men deny any irregularity in their move from the UECNA to the REC. REC Bishop Royal U. Grote also denies any irregularity in their move to the REC.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH: To Sue or Not to Sue, That is the Question

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/29/2009

Increasingly it is becoming clear that The Episcopal Church is easily winning all the legal battles, some 60 or more, to retain properties they neither built nor paid for, but, because of the Dennis Canon, believe they have the right to own.

For the most part it has been a slam dunk.

A parish announces it is leaving. They retain legal counsel to keep the property. The bishop says, no you can't. Lawsuits are filed by one side or the other and the legal struggle begins. Millions of dollars later, after going through several court levels, the judge usually finds in favor of the diocese and the national church. The parishioners and priest, always the majority, leave and start over down the road. To date, one whole diocese - Pittsburgh - has lost in the struggle to keep its properties. They will appeal.

Bishop of Western Kansas Resigns

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/28/2009

The Bishop of Western Kansas, the Rt. Rev. James M. Adams has resigned his episcopacy and will take a parish in the Diocese of Central Florida under Bishop John W. Howe.

Bishop Adams wrote that the Domestic Missionary Partnership of $55,000 (from the National Church), begun four years ago, has changed and is no longer supporting the diocese’s base budget, only ministries. It leaves the diocese financially vulnerable.

In a Pastoral Letter to the diocese he wrote, “As most of you know, our recent Diocesan Convention revealed the Diocese’s weaknesses as it has struggled to be a Diocese. Assessment rates, which have hampered ministries in local congregations, was no surprise to this Convention, and the expenses of a full time Diocesan Bishop and his office have led to the realization that Western Kansas needs to decide how best to continue Christ’s ministry as The Episcopal Church in two thirds of the State of Kansas. Unfortunately, for all the options to be considered, a sitting Diocesan Bishop would not be helpful, neither to the process nor to the ongoing fiscal responsibilities of the Diocese.”

Diocese of South Carolina Calls Time Out from the Episcopal Church

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/25/2009

It came as no surprise that a special convention of the diocese of South Carolina voted overwhelmingly in four resolutions to distance itself from certain bodies of The Episcopal Church.

Some 300 Episcopalians gathered at Christ Church in Mt. Pleasant, a suburb of Charleston, and approved four of five resolutions, one of which declared General Convention Resolutions D025 and C056 "as null and void." This special convention was restricted to congregational delegations. Visitors and the news media were barred from attending.

The voting margins were expectedly large supporting the diocesan bishop, the Rt. Rev. Mark Lawrence by 85+ percent in all four resolutions that include:

FRESNO, CA: Bishop John-David Schofield Announces Retirement
Does not call for Coadjutor at this time

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/24/2009

The Rt. Rev. John‐David M. Schofield, Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin (Anglican) announced that he plans to retire in October of 2011. He made the announcement at the 50th Anniversary Annual Convention taking place at St. James' Cathedral, which is celebrating its 130th Anniversary.

The 2009 Convention welcomed four new Churches into full membership, including the first congregation from Nevada. The expansion of the oversight under Bishop Schofield's jurisdiction is expected to continue as numerous other local Anglican Churches continue to petition the Diocese to accept them as full member congregations.

The four congregations welcomed this year are Jesus the Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Henderson, Nevada; St. Andrew's in the Desert Anglican Church, in Lancaster, California; St. David's Anglican Church, in San Rafael, and a Spanish speaking congregation in Seaside, California, Santa Maria de Juquila.

Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Could Keep Orthodox Anglicans within the Church

News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/23/2009

A group of maligned orthodox Anglicans believe they have found a solution to keeping the Anglican Communion from splitting.

The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, led by the Rev. Dr. Chris Sugden, Dr. Vinay Samuel and the Rev. Paul Perkin in the UK, say they can keep "Orthodox" Anglicans from defecting to Rome.

Former Quincy Bishop Denies Renouncing Episcopal Ministry; Jefferts Schori Ignores Canons

By David W. Virtue and Fr. Michael Heidt
www.virtueonline.org
10/21/2009

The former Bishop of Quincy, the Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, 63, said he never renounced his orders in The Episcopal Church, that his private letters to Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori went unanswered, he received no pastoral care, and both his wife's and his health benefits were cut off, all this after 35 years of faithful service to The Episcopal Church.

His voice breaking with emotion, the retired bishop told a press conference that as a result he has had to get a job to obtain medical benefits for both him and his wife who have medical conditions.

"I find it really remarkable that a conclusion that I have renounced my orders without anybody asking me. Is it canonically legal, he asked?" He flatly denied that he had renounced his ministry as alleged by Jefferts Schori, The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop.