Jensen pointed up what he called "defining moments," "crucial meetings" and "turning points'" only to discover that they simply lead into another period of uncertainty. "Crisis," "schism," "division," "break-up" - this has been the language of the last five years in the Anglican Communion.

Jensen blasted hopes for the Lambeth Conference holding the communion together. "It can no longer either unify Anglicanism or speak with authority. The invitations have gone to virtually all, and it is likely that some of those not invited will still attend as guests. There are faithful Anglican bishops who are not invited, and there are others who cannot be present in good conscience. The solemn words of the 1998 Conference were ignored by the American Church in 2003, and any authority which we may have ascribed to the deliberations of the Bishops has been lost permanently. Not surprisingly, Lambeth 2008 is not going to attempt a similar exercise in conciliar pronouncements. Why would it? There is no vision here."

Jensen ripped the American Episcopal Church saying the defining moment on the liberal side was the consecration of Bishop Robinson of New Hampshire. "At first it was hoped that this was a mere aberration that it could be dealt with by returning to where we were. In fact it was a permanent action with permanent consequences. It truly expressed the heart-felt views of the greater part of the leadership of the American Episcopal Church. The only way in which steps can be retraced is by repudiating the action itself, a development impossible to contemplate. That was the year of decision for the American church, and the decision was made in the clear light of day. They knew what they were doing."

The recent meeting of the HOB in New Orleans produced nothing according to Jensen. "Many have seen in their pronouncements sufficient conformity to the request of the Primates to enable the Communion to continue on its way. I do not read their statement like that. I think that they have failed to meet the hopes of the Primates. But the significance of the document at this level hardly matters. The document taken as a whole makes the real issue abundantly clear. Sexual rights are gospel."

Jensen said the Episcopal Church was demanding that homosexuality be declared "acceptable." They believe the gospel endorses this lifestyle as Christian. "They are prepared to wait for a short time while the rest of the Communion catches up. But they do not intend to reverse their decisions about this and they do intend to proclaim this message wherever possible. They want to persuade us that they are right, and that the rest of us should embrace this development. Here is a missionary faith.

"The Americans are firmly committed to the view that the practice of homosexual sex in a long term relationship is morally acceptable. The biblical conservatives and their allies in Africa and Asia knew this. They did not need to wait for the House of Bishops. They took irreversible steps to secure the future of some of the biblical Anglicans in North America. I say 'some', because it is often forgotten that faithful Canadian Anglicans are living in a Diocese where the blessing of same sex unions is diocesan policy. What if TEC has been judged to conform to the Primates wishes? The Diocese of New Westminster certainly has not. What is to be done for the orthodox in that Diocese? What will happen if British Anglicans follow this route? This sort of question shows why a new vision and further action will be needed."

Jensen said the days of sacrosanct diocesan boundaries are over. "From now on there will inevitably be boundary crossing and Anglican episcopacy now includes overlapping jurisdictions and personal rather than merely geographical oversight. If the sexual revolution becomes more broadly accepted elsewhere, so other Bishops will be appointed as they have been in the USA. This is the new fact of Anglican polity."

Jensen's biggest gun was aimed at the Archbishop of Canterbury who he said believed that truth was found in "communion" and "inclusion" rather then "exclusion."

"From his point of view, an extended passage of time is vital. What matters for the Archbishop is not this Lambeth, but the next one and the one after that. Will those who have initiated this novelty relent and give up their commitments? Or will the objectors tire of their fuss and concede the point? Since the likelihood of the American church repenting of its action is remote, the hope must be that those who now protest will eventually weary of their protest and learn to live with the novelty of active gay bishops."

Jensen criticized Williams for his interpretation of John 14 and Romans 1, raising the issues of interpretation, human sexuality and the uniqueness of Christ as Mediator. "He has signaled the importance of hermeneutics for our future. His lecture shows that there is an unavoidable contest about the meaning of the Bible in these crucial areas ahead of us. It is a challenge which must be met at a theological level. We may think that this whole business is about politics and border-crossing and ultimatums and conferences, but in fact it is about theology and especially the authority and interpretation of Scripture.

"What new vision of the Anglican Communion should we embrace? Where should it be in the next twenty years? How can we ensure that the word of God rules our lives? How are we going to guard ourselves effectively against the sexual agenda of the West and begin to turn back the tide of Western liberalism? What theological education must we have? How can we now best network with each other? Who is going to care for Episcopalians in other western provinces that are going to be objecting to the official acceptance of non-biblical practices?"

Jensen said the need for high level discussion of these issues is urgent. He called for a first step and said he looked to the Global South leadership to call for another 'Blast of the Trumpet.' The ensuing consultation must start with the reality of where we are now, and look steadfastly to a future in which the bonds of Communion have been permanently loosened. It has to strengthen the fellowship by which churches will help each other to guard their theological good health while engaging together with the task of preaching the gospel to an unbelieving world.

"The basic issue is no longer how can the communion be kept together. How can biblical Anglicans help each other survive and mission effectively in the contemporary world? The Africans have shown a commendable concern for this very issue and taken steps to assist the western church. They have recognized that the gospel sometimes divides and sometimes requires new and startling initiatives. We must now all take the actions and do the thinking required to safeguard biblical truth, not merely in the West but throughout the Anglican world. To fail here, will be to waste the time and effort which has brought us to this fateful hour."

An orthodox Episcopal priest, Fr. Greg Brewer based near Philadelphia, said that Archbishop Jensen rightly calls us to plan now for a long term future of struggles, if Biblical Anglicanism throughout the world is to not just survive, but thrive. "In a way this requires we Americans, especially, to reevaluate our history with revisionism as learners and ask what God has been trying to teach us. Where were the mistakes we made? What can we learn from what we have endured that is exportable? How can we assist other parts of Anglicanism that are just beginning to enter into this struggle? How can we serve one another?

"To enter into this place of global service, Biblically faithful Anglicans in the West must move away from the position of acting as victims of revisionism, We must let go of our self pity and find new energy to serve others who only beginning this very same struggle. We in the west need to see our struggle with revisionism as a first chapter in a global struggle for Biblical orthodoxy. Our struggles are only the beginning. We didn't know it, but we have been in a kind of classroom, and God has been our chastening Teacher. We still have much to learn, but we also have much to give, and potentially many to serve."

In June, the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Sydney urged Archbishop Jensen and his five regional bishops to make a stand to protest the Lambeth Conference guest list that denied orthodox bishops while including heretical ones, and said a parallel Lambeth should be held at the same time in England next year.

To date the House of Bishops of the Province of Rwanda and the Province of Uganda have said they would not attend Lambeth because some of their bishops were not invited and because the faith was being undermined by liberal elements in the Anglican Communion.

This call to boycott Lambeth is a personal snub to the Archbishop of Canterbury who has been urging unity, prayer and conversation by the bishops and at whose personal privilege Lambeth is held.

The Primate of Nigeria has also called for a postponement of Lambeth to allow for a cooling off period, but this was rejected by Williams when VOL raised the question with him at a press conference in New Orleans recently.

Said Williams, "I am not persuaded. I am not sure that we could ever define what an adequate 'cooling off period' could look like. I do not want the next years spent in anxiety about when and whether Lambeth will occur. I feel the need to keep faith with the conference planners and with those across the communion for whom the regular meeting is a matter of nourishment and growth...particularly the smaller provinces that should not be held hostage by the political maneuvers of the larger ones."

The Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA), which met in Mauritius recently said only an Anglican Covenant can now save the Anglican Communion from disintegration. The primates said an "Anglican Communion Covenant is the one way for us to uphold our common heritage of faith while at the same time holding each one of us accountable to those teachings that have defined our life together and also guide us into the future." They rejected as "unsatisfactory" a 19-page report by the Joint Standing Committee of the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates which found that the House of Bishops had largely satisfied the concerns raised by The Episcopal Church's partners in the Communion.

It is clear that momentum is building with a growing number of non-African Anglican archbishops now saying they will not attend Lambeth next year. If representatives of the vast majority of the Anglican Communion do not, in fact attend Lambeth and form their own more orthodox association, then Lambeth will be a hollow occasion representative only of liberal western pro pansexualists. At that point the Anglican Communion as we know it is over.

END