The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a petition by the Episcopal Church to review the ruling of a lower court, which had found that contested funds and properties in various locations throughout Illinois rightfully belong to the Diocese of Quincy of the Anglican Church in North America.

The decision effectively brings to a close several lawsuits brought by the Episcopal Church against Illinois Anglicans over funds and property that have been in contention since a 2008 split over doctrinal issues.

An Illinois District Court of Appeals had upheld an earlier court decision in Adams County in favor of the Anglican Diocese. The court ruled that there is no provision in the governing documents of the Episcopal Church (USA) that keeps a Diocese from withdrawing its membership in that organization. The Supreme Court has now subsequently decided in favor of the lower courts in its denial of the Episcopal Church's appeal.

"We give thanks to Almighty God for His providence," said the Right Reverend J. Alberto Morales, OSB, ninth Bishop of Quincy. "Our work remains the same as it ever has been, though -- to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We trust in Him to provide everything else we need as we seek to make Jesus Christ known throughout this portion of the Kingdom."

The Anglican Diocese of Quincy counts parishes in seven states and has more than doubled in size and number of parishes since the 2008 split. [Quad Cities Anglicans are represented by congregations in Rock Island, Moline, Silvis, and Geneseo, as well as the plant of a new mission in Davenport.] Episcopalians of the former diocese have been consolidated into the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.

Anglican parishes and dioceses throughout the United States withdrew from the Episcopal Church over the Episcopal Church's actions in convention which in one resolution denied the unique Lordship of Jesus Christ, and in another denied the primacy of Holy Scripture. The Anglican Church in North America is headed by her Archbishop, the Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach, and unites 112,000 Anglicans in nearly 1,000 congregations across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On April 16, 2009, the Primates of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans recognized it as a province of the global Anglican Communion.

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Episcopal Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori weighed in on the death of Ferguson, Missouri, resident Michael Brown and the outrage that has followed.

She "lamented" what she called a "tragic reality" that occurred in Ferguson, and continued to say that "racism in this nation is part of our foundation, and is not unique to one city or state or part of the country. All Americans live with the consequences of centuries of slavery, exploitation, and prejudice. That legacy continues to lead individuals to perceive threat from those who are seen as 'other.' The color of one's skin is often the most visible representation of what divides God's children one from another."

She went on to describe Michael Brown's death as a "sacramental offering" which continues to challenge us to address our divisions and the injustices in this nation that are far more than skin deep.

A former Episcopal bishop told VOL, "Not surprisingly, Jefferts Schori appears to have taken her lead from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson by ignoring the pertinent facts of the case. If Brown had been white, it would have been a one day, third page article. But since he was black, it becomes a springboard for politically correct outrage."

Following the violence that erupted, a number of churches offered "safe spaces" to those trying to escape the demonstrations to enter their churches.

Denise Lieberman, a lawyer specializing in civil rights who works with the Don't Shoot Coalition, said some churches are still determining where to draw the line.

Although churches are under no special legal protection, there is a long history of operating as safe houses. The Bible refers to cities of refuge for accidental killings where those accused of murder could safely await trial. In the 19th century, churches hid runaway slaves.

You can read the full story in today's digest or here: http://tinyurl.com/o3mwr7j

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The Presiding Bishop issued the following statement on President Obama's recently announced immigration policies:

Together with families and communities across the United States, I give thanks for President Obama's announcement that nearly five million undocumented immigrants will soon be eligible for relief from the threat of deportation. Too many families have lived for too long continually worried about parents being separated from children, wage-earners and caregivers from those who depend on them, and unable to participate fully in their communities and the nation's economy. Permanent and comprehensive reform of our broken immigration system through congressional action is still urgently needed, but the President's action is a constructive step toward a system that honors the dignity and intrinsic value of every human being. It will immediately strengthen our nation's communities by allowing immigrant families much fuller participation in American civic and economic life.

The Episcopal Church will work with Congressional leaders and the White House to press for implementation of the President's plan as quickly, fairly, and inclusively as possible. The President's plan is not perfect. Some deserving persons and families are excluded, meaning that additional work lies ahead. All persons equally deserve the ability to pursue their dreams and contribute to their communities and families with liberty, dignity, and freedom. I pray that the President's action will lead our nation toward a future in which those sacred possibilities are open to all.

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In Colorado Springs, a high school has banned Christian students from meeting outside of classes. Far from acquiescing to this, two Anglican clergy pushed back saying it is suppression of students' rights to free religious speech and discrimination

As a result, a religious-freedom lawsuit was filed against Pine Creek High School by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) following the banning of the group of Christians who only wanted to sing religious songs, pray, and discuss issues of the day from a religious perspective.

Chase Windebank, a senior at the District 20 School, had been convening an informal prayer group for the past three years with his friends and was not disrupting classroom time. They shared their Christian faith during an open period earned by high-achieving students. Other kids used the time to play on their phones, eat snacks, get fresh air outside, or schedule meetings for a wide variety of both official and unofficial school clubs.

A Pine Creek choir teacher had given permission to Windebank and his fellow worshipers to meet in an empty music practice room. No complaints ever ensued from other students or faculty. For three years, the group encountered no problems, according to ADF's complaint. But in late September, Windebank was summoned to the assistant principal's office and ordered to stop praying because of "the separation of church and state."

One outraged clergyman, the Rev. Eric Zolner and the parent of a 15-year old daughter, fired off a letter to Ms. Van Matre, District 20 board president, challenging the school's decision and the claiming it smacked of the totalitarian tactics found in Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union when they sought to suppress religion and free thought.

He blasted the misuse of the First Amendment clause to the US Constitution arguing that the prayer group's actions did not violate the "separation of church and state." This amendment was a reaction to what had been experienced in places like England where the church was (and still is) state controlled.

Another Anglican priest, the Ven. Michael Williams, a USAF Chaplain and Veteran of 25 years, and now associate rector at St. George's Anglican Church, wrote Van Matre describing her actions as "deeply disappointing" and condemned the administration of PCHS for suppressing the students' rights to free religious speech and discriminating against Christians. "These students have been policed, singled out and targeted specifically because they are Christians. This violates all sorts of civil rights as well as basic rules of civility and common sense. If the school goes forward attempting to justify such blatant discrimination against the free speech rights of an individual because of their religious identity, the ADF will set them straight."

You can read the full story here or in today's digest: http://tinyurl.com/lxyqqhb

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"It's the end for Iraqi Christians," writes Josh Glancy in The Sunday Times, as he recounts the appalling horrors, heartbreaks and sheer despair of Iraq's Christians, many thousands of whom are homeless, destitute and traumatized. Many hundreds have had their hands held and tears wiped away by Canon Andrew White, the acclaimed 'Vicar of Baghdad', who, sadly, no longer ministers in Baghdad.

He has been ordered home by the Archbishop of Canterbury. When there's a $57m (£36m) bounty on your head (quite literally), it becomes a little too dangerous to expound the scriptures every Sunday especially if the demonic hordes know exactly which pulpit you'll be preaching from, at what time, and approximately for how long. With assets of £5.2bn, a few million quid wouldn't be much missed from church coffers; but the Government intends to shed light on the grey areas and close all insurance loopholes relating to the payment of ransoms in order to cut a primary source of terrorist funding. So the Vicar of Baghdad is back in England, at least for the moment, for health and safety reasons.

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This week, the world witnessed a highly unusual religious event. There was minimal coverage of the event by the liberal press (or, depending on the paper, no coverage at all) both in the US and the UK, so if you blinked, you may not have noticed.

The Vatican hosted an international, interfaith conference to "examine, propose anew, and witness" the importance of traditional marriage. Entitled "The Complementarity of Man and Woman: An International Colloquium", the gathering included prominent religious leaders and scholars from nearly two dozen countries and many different traditions, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Taoist.

Former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Jonathan Sacks addressed the conference, as did leading evangelical pastors from the US, such as Rick Warren and Russell Moore. President Henry Erying, one of the highest leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also spoke; this is the first time a Mormon leader has been in official attendance at a Vatican conference.

Pope Francis opened the proceedings on Monday, asserting that "children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child's development and emotional maturity."

The purpose of the conference was bold. It was, frankly, to reassert that God has ordained marriage to be between a man and a woman, and that this union is at the very heart of our purpose as human beings. A man and a woman "are not just two people. He is for her, and she for him; it is inscribed in their bodies. Their union will bring life that binds and mingles families, encourages faith to flourish, and brings humankind and the world's diverse cultures to flower again."

Yet, redefining marriage is not the only threat to traditional marriage. For too long, marriage has been under attack by the Left as an oppressive institution, particularly for women. The result has been the development of government policies which do nothing to support or incentivize marriage. Fewer people are getting married, and therefore more children are born out of wedlock. The result, paradoxically, is that "the collapse of marriage has created a new form of poverty concentrated among single parent families, and of these, the main burden is born by women." Rejecting marriage as outdated or inherently oppressive has done nothing for women; indeed, it has only put them in a weaker position.

It was wonderful this week to see a conference devoted specifically to discussions and "witnesses" regarding the importance and necessity of traditional marriage. What was even more wonderful was to see so many leaders and members from different faiths come together in a common, and very urgent, cause. For too long, especially in the US, different denominations have often regarded each other with suspicion.

"This week heralded an historic moment when our similarities triumphed over our differences, enabling us to send a strong signal to the world that God is not dead, and neither is marriage. Humbly, yet boldly, we declared that we will not be silenced.

"We live in a world that is increasingly hostile to religion, and particularly to religious traditions which posit a distinction between what God commands and what man may want. Many people see religion as they see politics: you should make your voice heard and get the change that you want. And so there is ever-increasing pressure (often from non-religious people) on various religions to alter their respective doctrines on marriage in the face of cultural changes.

"Yet, the message from this conference was that across these many different religions, the doctrine on marriage cannot change: 'For on earth marriage binds us across the ages in the flesh, across families in the flesh, and across the fearful and wonderful divide of man and woman, in the flesh. This is not ours to alter. It is ours, however, to encourage and celebrate.'"

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In Tasmania, Australia, a bishop wanted a sex abuse apology. Tasmania's Anglican Bishop, John Douglas Harrower wishes a Hobart boys' school had taken his advice and apologized sooner to a former student sexually abused by a teacher.

An emotional Harrower choked up as he recounted to a royal commission his 2002 advice to The Hutchins School board that they say sorry to the victim.

"I personally would have wished that the school had given an apology, a fulsome apology," said Bishop Harrower, who has been head of the church in Tasmania since 2000.

In 1993, a man known for legal reasons as AOA reported to the school his abuse in 1964 by then headmaster David Ralph Lawrence. He sought acknowledgment of the abuse and an apology from Hutchins.

It took more than two decades and repeated pleas from AOA before the apology was forthcoming in October. The school has refrained from apologizing to AOA because, despite lengthy investigations, it could not confirm the abuse occurred.

"If you can't prove, substantiate that in fact this complaint actually occurred then how do you actually give an apology for it?" Bishop Harrower, acknowledging the school's predicament.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is looking at how Hutchins and the Anglican Church handled reports of abuse at the school.

Four victims have given evidence to the Hobart hearing detailing sexual abuse at the school in the 1960s at the hands of teachers including Mr. Lawrence.

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A bishop's crozier gifted to the Anglican Bishop of Auckland in 1914 is being gifted to the Anglican Maori Bishop. The crozier is an intricately carved pastoral staff, shaped like a shepherd's crook.

It was gifted by four northern Maori tribes to mark 100 years since missionaries such as Samuel Marsden arrived in New Zealand and settled with Maori at Oihi in the Bay of Islands.

The Anglican Bishop of Auckland, the Right Reverend Ross Bay, rediscovered the crozier earlier this year and will return it to Maori Right Reverend Kito Pikaahu, the Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau.

Bishop Ross Bay said the return of the crozier symbolized 200 years of the church's relationship between Maori and Europeans.

The ceremony was held at a celebration of the Bicentenary of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Khyber Pass.

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Since the Fall of 2011, Nashotah House Theological Seminary has provided a home for St. Michael's Anglican Church (ACNA) by renting to the parish the then newly completed Adams Hall building of Dekoven Commons. During this time, St. Michael's has contributed to the mission of Nashotah House not only through payment of rent and providing field education opportunities, but also in the form of financial gifts supporting both seminarians and seminary needs. The length of the church's stay on the Nashotah House campus was never strictly defined and envisioned only that the new church plant would live among the seminary residents for a "season," said Bishop Edward Salmon outgoing Dean and President of Nashotah House.

The regular Sunday morning presence of St. Michael's makes the planned, expanded, use of Adams Hall by Nashotah House more difficult. The rector and vestry of St. Michael's are completely understanding of this and have conveyed their willingness to look for a new location and be prepared to leave by the middle of February 2015.

However, a source told VOL (provided by a vestry member) of St. Michael's that Nashotah House quadrupled their rent from $1000 per month to $4000 per month--which is exorbitant and far above what any new church can afford to pay--or anybody else for that matter. "It was an obvious effort to force them out, since Nashotah House has no other use for the space on Sundays--and no one else can afford to rent it at that price. The fact that Nashotah House had to issue this kind of press release about the departure of St. Michael's shows that Salmon wanted to make sure the TEC constituency is aware the ACNA parish has finally been removed from the campus, and he got Thad Butcher to sign the release in an attempt to make the ACNA constituency think everything is okay. But it isn't.

"If Salmon wanted to do this properly, the proper thing would have been to wait until St. Michael's found a new location and announced their relocation and then to have issued a press release thanking St. Michael's for their years of shared ministry and wishing them well in their new location. But no, the news Salmon wants to communicate is that St Michael's is moving off campus, and he can't even wait until they find a new location to make the news public. More than one quarter of the student body attend St. Michael's, since it is the only ACNA parish in the immediate area."

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The looney behavior of Dean Gary Hall of Washington National Cathedral continues apace. First, it was inviting a boat load of Muslims to come and worship in the cathedral effectively negating its particular Christian character.

Now the cathedral has invited a liberal Methodist woman, the Rev. Canon Gina Gilland Campbell, to preside at Holy Eucharist for the first time at the Cathedral this Sunday, November 30, 2014. It is all part of an emerging agreement between the Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church.

In announcing this new opportunity, Cathedral Dean Hall commented, "I am overjoyed that the close relationship between the Episcopal Church and the United Methodist Church now allows for the kind of Eucharistic sharing that will bring our two churches closer together. I am personally thrilled that the Rev. Canon Gina Campbell--a minister in the United Methodist Church and the Cathedral's canon precentor--will now be able to preside at the Holy Eucharist and Holy Baptism in the Cathedral's liturgies. As the cleric directing our worship, Gina has brought depth and skill to the crafting of Cathedral services. It is a gift to us that she will now be fully authorized to stand at the table as a full participant in liturgical leadership."

The Episcopal Church has a concordat with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America as well as with the Moravians. By having a Methodist, the Episcopal Church has absorbed or been absorbed by most major mainline churches.

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ISLAM IN EUROPE. If you want to imagine a future for the US, take a look at what you are seeing now in Europe. This is what we might be up against in the foreseeable future.

There are areas in Europe -- notably Paris, Malmo, and a number of English cities -- where entire districts have been taken over, but violent conflict such as that shown on the YouTube clip is rare. Intimidation of local people is more commonplace, especially in attempts to enforce Arab culture and sharia law -- trying to force women to cover up, banning alcohol, attacks on gays, etc.

But it will get worse. Another 160,000 arrived in the UK last year alone, and there is no real attempt being made to slow the growth in numbers, only spin from the government trying to suggest that they are doing something about it.

Multiculturalism can only work when people arrive in small enough numbers to be assimilated. What we have seen is the balkanization of parts of Europe into Muslim zones.

And Islam teaches its adherents not to fraternize with the rest of us.

Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/A3YQANdvvbY

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ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach has introduced an Advent Video Series which you can see here: http://anglicanaid.net/awaiting-christ-together-messages-global-anglican-family/
http://vimeo.com/112185133

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DEATH OF RENOWNED AUTHOR P.D. JAMES: Ms. James was a practicing Anglican who featured the Church of England in many of her novels, including "Death in Holy Orders" (2001). In a 1980 interview with The Washington Post, she explained her affection for detective fiction in charged moral tones, noting, "They're based on the fundamental belief that life is sacred and murder is unique and uncommon. In a sense, detective novels are like 20th-century morality plays; the values are basic and unambiguous."

In short, P.D. James was far too excellent to be labeled a mere "Christian writer." But it is impossible to understand her work without taking her faith into account. Were some journalists afraid to admit that a mainstream writer this important was, gasp, a traditional Christian believer?

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We have entered the Season of Adventand we hope that you will open your hearts and wallets to keep VOL coming into your e-mail. The time has come to give this everything we have. We are struggling for funding as we end the year and go into the New Year. If struggle is what it takes, we are prepared. VOL is worth it, the thousands of you who come daily to VOL's website think so or you would not come back time and time again. Clearly the work we are doing is worth it.

I want to challenge ALL of VOLs readers, please make a tax deductible donation. If you come to VOL's website regularly YOU ARE committed...committed not only to the stands we take but to our Anglican faith and tradition. To keep our staff paid, stories written, research done and website maintained we need your help. We are a lean ministry with minimal overhead. We are stripped down for survival. We do not receive corporate money. Still we are falling short on our Fall fundraising drive. If you are not an active donor, and you believe in what we do, please get behind VOL with a tax deductible contribution.
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In Christ,

David