To: Rectors and Vicars of the Diocese of Washington Dear Friends in Christ: I am writing to give you advanced notice that I have appointed a Task Force on the Blessing of Relationships. The Task Force will be meeting from now until the end of May when they hope to have a rite prepared for use in the Diocese of Washington for those persons for whom the Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage in the Book of Common Prayer is not appropriate or not available for optional use. In s

By the Associated Press 3/18/2004 The Episcopal Church's bishops begin a closed-door meeting Friday in Texas, where they'll try to quiet the discord that has torn at the denomination since the consecration of an openly gay bishop New Hampshire's Gene Robinson. Robinson is attending his first meeting as part of a hierarchy in which 41% of bishops who head dioceses voted against his consecration and 28 of the bishops have refused to recognize him as a colleague. Episcopal headq

By David Virtue LONDON, UK -- There is a sign in the London Underground subway (tube) that reads, "Delays expected on the Northern Line, there are unresolved problems, as a result of previous problems." In many ways this is a humorous, if not understated reflection on the current state of affairs in the Episcopal Church, (not to mention British Rail). The ECUSA's current problems are a direct result of previous problems not only unresolved, but continuing and growing and gett

AS IF TO REINFORCE THE SORRY STATE OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, Dr. David Sumner, journalist, author, and Episcopal Church historian, did some research on ECUSA’s latest figures and came up with the following information. He wrote Virtuosity to say that ECUSA has experienced a 36 percent decline in membership between 1966–2001, while at the same time ECUSA experienced a 63 percent increase in the number of ordained clergy. The number of members per clergy has declined from 343 in

The HOB showed their pathological weakness when confronted last year with how to deal with PA Bishop Charles Bennison and Pittsburgh Bishop Bob Duncan over the handling of Fr. David Moyer, the traditionalist priest in Bennison’s diocese. Presentment charges against Bennison for being a heretic went nowhere, and he too has said that schism is worse than heresy. The HOB wimped out and did nothing, sending a watered-down resolution off to a sub-committee where it sank and died w

But the show of strength told Grew, and every other revisionist bishop: do your damndest, we are ready and we will defy you, the canons and constitutions—and if it ruffles Rowan Williams’ feathers and the Eames Commission, so be it. We don’t care. While Grew’s response has so far been muted, you can be sure we will soon see a display of liberal tyranny that only the revisionists can muster. "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord" will not be on their lips—you can count on it

Bishop Grew, clearly miffed by this "invasion" of five orthodox bishops into his diocesan territory, could only say, "It saddens me that these five congregations had to create a disturbance with our common church polity, in order to focus attention once more on their minority position." "There is no crisis in the Diocese of Ohio," he opined, "except the one created by a group that hopes to hold on to attention that is slipping away as time passes." Grew did not say whether di

(Consolidated from statements by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and his Council of Advice) Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold sharply criticized the unauthorized Ohio confirmations, calling them a violation of the Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons—specifically Article II, Section 3, requiring diocesan consent for episcopal acts across boundaries. He rejected claims that the Primates’ 2003 statement authorized such unilateral action, noting it explicitly affirmed “the a

(Consolidated from statements by Canon Kendall Harmon, Rev. Todd Wetzel, Rev. Dr. David Moyer) Conservative Anglican leaders hailed the Ohio confirmation—led by five retired U.S. bishops and an international prelate from Brazil—as a necessary act of pastoral courage amid systemic ecclesial breakdown. Canon Kendall Harmon (Diocese of South Carolina) framed the event as a consequence of what he called “the arrogance” of Episcopal leadership in departing from historic Christian

By Richard N. Ostling — Associated Press The Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, stated it is “pretty clear” that five retired bishops who led a confirmation service in Ohio—without permission from the diocesan bishop—breached their ordination vows. The event, held at the invitation of six conservative congregations, aimed to provide episcopal oversight for parishes alienated by Ohio Bishop J. Clark Grew II’s support of Robinson’s 2003 consecration.

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent — The Telegraph Philip Pullman, the acclaimed children’s author and prominent atheist, revealed he may introduce Jesus as a character in his next novel. The announcement came during a high-profile public debate with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, at London’s National Theatre—home to a celebrated stage adaptation of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, which concludes with the symbolic “death” of a senescent, weaken

By David W. Virtue The Ohio confirmations mark a decisive escalation in the Anglican realignment—what one observer calls “the great unraveling” of the Episcopal Church (ECUSA). Held secretly at an Orthodox church to avoid injunction, the service drew ~800 attendees, with Bishop FitzSimons Allison preaching on defending the faith—and invoking 19th-century Ohio Bishop Charles P. McIlvaine’s warnings against rationalism and ecclesial idolatry. This act signals a new willingness

(Consolidated from multiple statements: Canon Kendall Harmon, Rev. Todd Wetzel (Anglicans United), Rev. Dr. David Moyer (FIF/NA)) Conservative Anglican leaders hailed the Ohio confirmation—led by five retired U.S. bishops and an international prelate from Brazil—as a necessary act of pastoral courage amid systemic ecclesial breakdown. Canon Kendall Harmon (Diocese of South Carolina) framed the event as a consequence of what he called “the arrogance” of Episcopal leadership in

By Richard N. Ostling — Associated Press The Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, stated it is “pretty clear” that five retired bishops who led a confirmation service in Ohio—without permission from the diocesan bishop—breached their ordination vows. The event, held at the invitation of six conservative congregations, aimed to provide episcopal oversight for parishes alienated by Ohio Bishop J. Clark Grew II’s support of Robinson’s 2003 consecration.

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent — The Telegraph Philip Pullman, the acclaimed children’s author and prominent atheist, revealed he may introduce Jesus as a character in his next novel. The announcement came during a high-profile public debate with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, at London’s National Theatre—home to a celebrated stage adaptation of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, which concludes with the symbolic “death” of a senescent, weaken

By Vanessa Walker and James Murray THE AUSTRALIAN 19 January 2004 Peter Carnley's surprise resignation as head of the Anglican Church will prompt a fierce 15-month leadership struggle between conservative and progressive Anglicans. For the first time in history, the nation's 23 bishops will join the five archbishops as real contenders to be titular head of the nation's 3.8 million Anglicans. The 47 members of a board to elect the new primate will be chosen at the General Syno

Boston Archbishop Says Pro-Abortion Politicians "Shouldn't Dare Come to Communion" LifeSite Daily News January 24, 2004 WASHINGTON, DC, In an interview with LifeSiteNews.com following the Vigil for Life Mass in Washington Wednesday, Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley expressed his great desire for a renewal of faith among Catholics. Asked about the problem of Catholic politicians promoting abortion, the Archbishop noted that the problem "is not only politicians but those (Catho

Episcopal dispute on the front line VERSAILLES CASE COULD SET EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS IN U.S. By Frank E. Lockwood HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER The dispute between the leadership of a conservative Episcopal church in Versailles and Lexington Bishop Stacy Sauls could be one of the first of many such skirmishes across the country, church observers say. The showdown between Sauls and the governing board of St. John's Episcopal Church is drawing praise and condemnation from national Epi

Local Episcopal church watches quietly as fallout continues over gay bishop By Jayson Larson Athens Daily Review Wait-and-see mode. That's how the Rev. Don Hickman, rector at St. Matthias' Episcopal Church in Athens, describes the attitudes of his congregants lately. "I think there's still a feeling that that's (all happening) back east and we're here in East Texas," the Rev. Hickman said. "We'll see what happens." The fallout continues from the national church's election las

Faced with church's stand, member walks A man from Wilsonville makes the difficult decision to leave the Episcopalian Church after it consecrates an openly gay bishop 01/24/04 NANCY HAUGHT The Marine Corps has left its mark on Robert W. Hawkins. He stands, even sits, straight and tall. His graying hair is trimmed close to his head. When he speaks, it is with an abiding sense of authority and that, he'll tell you, is the root of the problem. Hawkins, 48, a resident of Wilsonvi