Letter to all Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United States From: The Rt. Rev. Jerry A. Lamb | Diocese of Northern California | July 7, 2004   Dear Sisters and Brothers:   More and more of the churches in the Diocese of Northern California are adopting the custom of Open Communion or as our Task Force describes it, "Administering the Sacrament of the Eucharist to Those Who Have Not Been Baptized." I have been issuing a carefully worded open invitation at Confirmations

Splinter group, most from Wauwatosa church, rejects gay bishop   By Tom Heinen | The Journal Sentinel | July 18, 2004   A Milwaukee priest has joined the global upheaval over the Episcopal Church's approval of an openly gay bishop and the blessing of same-sex unions by forming the first known splinter congregation in Wisconsin: Light Of Christ Church.   The Rev. Tere Wilson is renting the Hall of Fame room at the Pettit National Ice Center to hold Sunday services for what he

By David W. Virtue | Philadelphia, PA — July 19, 2004   Charles Bennison, Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, has rightly earned his reputation throughout the world as an apostate and heretical bishop, as well as being a liar.   His "theology" has been deemed so crazy that people find it difficult to believe that a bishop could say and affirm the things that he does and still remain a bishop. He has said Jesus was a sinner who forgave himself and he has changed the marriag

News Analysis | By David W. Virtue Bill Clinton's former Labor Secretary Robert Reich predicts there will be a religious war in America. Writing for the liberal magazine The American Prospect, former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich calls for a war against conservative (read Evangelical) religious believers. "The great conflict of the 21st century will not be between the West and terrorism. Terrorism is a tactic, not a belief," he writes. "The true battle will be betwe

Seabury, other churches troubled by their leader's support of gay bishop By Bethne Dufresne | General Assignment Reporter/Columnist | THE DAY 7/17/2004 NEW LONDON, CT 7/17/2004 — Power, not sex, is the crux of a dispute within America's Episcopal Church over the consecration of the church's first openly gay bishop. So said a spokesman Friday for six churches, including Bishop Seabury in Groton, that are seeking to be led by a bishop other than the head of the Episcopal Dioc

By Frances Grandy Taylor, Staff Writer THE COURANT HARTFORD, July 16, 2004 In the latest sign of the stresses tearing at a variety of denominations over social issues, six Episcopal parishes are seeking to remove their churches from the control of Bishop Andrew D. Smith, who leads the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut. The parishes want to become aligned with a bishop outside the state, one who is part of a network of conservative Episcopal churches that have come together in

By Anthony Browne THE SPECTATOR There's no plot, says Anthony Browne: Islam really does want to conquer the world. That's because Muslims, unlike many Christians, actually believe they are right, and that their religion is the path to salvation for all. A year ago I had lunch with an eminent figure who asked if I thought she was mad. 'No,' I said politely, while thinking, 'Yup.' She had said she thought there was a secret plot by Muslims to take over the West. I have never be

The Telegraph DUBLIN, 7/16/2004 A major international conference of world leaders of the Anglican Church under the chairmanship of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is scheduled to meet in Northern Ireland next February. The Belfast Telegraph has learned that primates from all 38 provinces of the Communion will meet in Newcastle, Co Down, to make crucial decisions on the future of the worldwide Church following the report of the Anglican Commission on the divis

Commentary By William Murchison THE WASHINGTON TIMES Well, just who's happy the Senate this week has been debating the Federal Marriage Amendment, defining marriage as the union exclusively of a man and a woman? Are Democrats happy? Not hugely. For all that they meant the whole time to sink the amendment on a procedural vote, there is the inconvenience of the thing, the necessity of -- one more time -- reminding the electorate Democrats aren't hot to defend traditional cultur

By Mark D. Tooley The Weekly Standard One of America's largest Protestant denominations voted in May to prohibit the solemnization of same-sex unions in its churches, to withhold ordination from practicing homosexuals, to ban church funding for "gay" causes, to require celibacy for its single clergy, and to endorse civil laws that define marriage as uniting a man and a woman. And it wasn't the Southern Baptists. No, all this occurred at the governing General Conference of the

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent THE TELEGRAPH 10/07/2004 The Church of England's largest diocese is leading an unprecedented revolt, preparing to withhold more than £100,000 in protest over spiraling costs. In a move that could have far-reaching consequences, the Diocese of London is threatening to cap the money it is expected to pay towards the Church's central bureaucracy. The development, which will alarm the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, follows a

Rabbi Daniel Lapin Thursday, July 15, 2004 On Wednesday afternoon the United States Senate voted against moving forward on a proposed amendment which would have added to the constitution these words, "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman." Some Americans are celebrating this as a triumph of tolerance while others are mourning it as the defeat of decency. However, I suspect that many Americans, whose basic credo is live-and-let-liv

Retired bishop speaks at news conference affirming outcome By John Johnson [ENS] Episcopalian senators were evenly split on the issue when the U.S. Senate defeated an attempt July 14 to amend the U.S. Constitution by defining marriage and prohibiting same-gender civil marriage. In a procedural vote on the Federal Marriage Amendment, the tally was 50 to 48 -- 12 votes short of the number needed for senators to end debate and vote on the actual amendment, according to the Episc

ACN NEWS July 14, 2004 The Anglican Communion Network (ACN) has called for a Day of Prayer and Fasting on Thursday, August 5, 2004, in observance of the first anniversary of the confirmation of V. Gene Robinson, the first openly homosexual bishop of the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA). The following Sunday, August 8, 2004, is set aside as a day to recognize and prayerfully support global missions whose ministries and resources experienced the negative repercussions of General Co

KEN GARFIELD, Religion Editor The Charlotte Observer July 14, 2004 The spiritual leader of nearly 50,000 Episcopalians in North Carolina has given his formal OK to churches in his diocese blessing same-sex unions. In a letter to clergy, Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina said "the blessing of the committed life long unions of persons of the same gender is one way our community can live the Gospel through faithful and loving pastoral care and spiri

Special Report By David W. Virtue BRISTOL, CT., 7/13/2004 — Six orthodox priests in the Diocese of Connecticut are under fire from their bishop Andrew D. Smith over their request for DEPO, and he has ordered all of them to appear before him on or before July 24th. The bishop has refused to meet all six clergy and their vestries jointly, demanding that they meet with him separately, compelling them to meet at Diocesan House. He has also refused to address all the issues of DEP

WHAT IS THE ACN DOING?! By Hugh McCann Issues for AAC-ACN folk in ECUSA and elsewhere in the Anglican communion The Anglican Communion Network says its core purpose is, "To be a missionary movement of Anglicans IN FELLOWSHIP WITH global Anglicanism, making disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ in North America and to the ends of the earth." The American Anglican Council claims that it "is a Network of individuals, parishes, specialized ministries and Episcopal Bishops

Dear Brothers and Sisters, There is a deep contradiction (perhaps many) inside Frank Griswold, The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop. He talks much about the need for unity in the church, a need to come together across divisions, to "hear" and "listen" to one other, to have "deep conversation" and much more, all the while he and his fellow revisionist bishops do things that continue to separate us all from one another. While it is true that Anglicans do not have a central a

By David W. Virtue — Philadelphia, PA — July 12, 2004 The following conversation took place between the rector, vestry and congregation of St. Luke's Church, a Forward in Faith parish in Newtown, PA and Charles E. Bennison the Bishop of Pennsylvania on July 8, 2004. During their conversation, the bishop quoted chapter and verse from many scripture passages and used numerous Latin theological terms. He also told many stories. VIRTUOSITY obtained this abstract of that meeting.

June 25, 2004 Dear Bishop Chang: I know you are forced, by your calling as our spiritual leader, to wrestle with these issues. The attached article, and these considerations of mine, are offered faithfully and in hope, that you may be guided by the Holy Spirit as you lead our Diocese in the one holy catholic and apostolic faith. Our entire delegation to last year's national convention voted for the action that precipitated the impending worldwide split. Only one among them fe