One of the more popular Anglican satirical blogs on the 'Net, Rich Anglican Fudge With Nuts calls itself "The most self-important Anglican blog. Ever, including VirtueOnline". We're posting one of the funniest posters that we found on their site for VOL member's amusement. TENNESSEE: ANGLICAN CHURCHES FROM 4 STATES FORM COMMON CAUSE APPALACHIA ALLIANCE Press Release Knoxville, TN - (22 May 2006) - Representatives from seven Anglican churches announced today the formation of C

By Jeff McDonald UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER April 1, 2004 Local prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Episcopal Community Services, one of the area's oldest and most-respected charities that also has weathered questions about its leadership before. The District Attorney's Office is particularly interested in records charity officials turned in to the county that investigators suspect were doctored to make it appear the organization was meeting the terms of pub

Special Report By David W. Virtue April 18, 2004 The Very Rev. Jerry A. Kramer, Jr., Dean of Christ Church in Arusha, Tanzania (Diocese of Mt. Kilimanjaro), has declined an unsolicited offer of financial support from Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold—citing ECUSA’s stance on sexuality. In a letter copied to Bishops Don Wimberly (Texas) and Charles Jenkins (Louisiana), Kramer wrote: “We cannot accept your offer at this time. When we arrived in Tanzania, we were told in no uncert

Anglican Mainstream April 19, 2004 Leading orthodox theologians—including Kendall Harmon (South Carolina), Paul Zahl (Birmingham, AL), and George Sumner (Toronto)—gathered at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, to address the Anglican crisis. Why are you here? George Sumner: “Theologians have a role to give a theological rationale for our Communion—especially in light of the global, Southern perspective.” What’s your hope? Kendall Harmon: “We haven’t lost Gospel hope—even in crisis. God i

By David Phillips Evangelical News April 19, 2004 The appointment of Dr. Jeffrey John as Dean of St. Albans—announced April 19—has drawn sharp condemnation from evangelical leaders. Though John claims celibacy in his long-term same-sex relationship, he has never repudiated the relationship itself—directly contradicting Scripture’s teaching on sexual morality. The Bible is unequivocal: sexual intimacy belongs exclusively within heterosexual marriage. As Paul writes in 1 Corint

By David Briggs The Plain Dealer April 18, 2004 Hundreds gathered at Cleveland State University Saturday to consecrate the Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., as the 11th Bishop of Ohio. Applause erupted as Bishops Gene Robinson (first openly gay bishop) and Barbara Harris (first female bishop) joined 30 others in laying hands on Hollingsworth. Surrounded by his wife and four children, he beamed. But the hard work begins now. Ohio’s diocese has shrunk from 74,000 baptized (118 pari

By Jonathan Petre The Telegraph April 17, 2004 African archbishops representing over 40 million Anglicans—more than half the global Communion—have declared they will refuse millions in annual funding from the U.S. Episcopal Church in protest of its consecration of Gene Robinson. Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, chair of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), said ECUSA’s leadership must “repent” within three months—or face decisive action. The bishops stated

Anglican Journal April 18, 2004 General Synod delegates will choose from four candidates for the next Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada: Bishop Ronald Ferris (Algoma) — former Bishop of Yukon; expertise in episcopacy and transition Bishop Andrew Hutchison (Montreal) — veteran advocate for minorities, refugees, and human rights Bishop Caleb Lawrence (Moosonee) — leads a vast diocese with a majority-Indigenous population; champion of Aboriginal clergy Bishop Victoria Mat

April 17, 2004 A coalition of clergy from the Dioceses of Athabasca and Edmonton has issued a formal statement opposing the Anglican Church of Canada’s proposed Framework for the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions, citing five theological and pastoral grounds: Christian Love True love calls us to holy living. To advise otherwise—even in the name of inclusion—offends both the love of God and neighbor. Christian Repentance The Church has failed to offer adequate pastoral care and supp

By David W. Virtue April 17, 2004 “We will not, on the altar of money, mortgage our conscience, mortgage our faith, and mortgage our salvation.” —Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria African Anglican Primates meeting in Nairobi have issued their strongest warning yet to The Episcopal Church (ECUSA): repent within three months of the consecration of Gene Robinson—or face formal consequences. Their statement preempts the Lambeth Commission’s report (due late 2004) and demands im

The Most Revd Rowan Williams Canterbury Cathedral Easter Sunday, April 11, 2004 A good many years ago, I heard a distinguished American scholar of ancient history comment on how the proclamation of the resurrection would have sounded in the classical world. “If an educated Greek or Roman had been told that someone had been raised from the dead,” he said, “his first question would have been: ‘How do you get him back into his grave again?’” For the ancients, resurrection was no

By Ruth Gledhill The Times April 17, 2004 Dr. Jeffrey John, the openly gay canon who withdrew from appointment as Bishop of Reading under pressure in 2003, has been named the next Dean of St. Albans—a senior post in the Church of England that will likely reignite global controversy. Conservative evangelicals, already on the brink of schism over the consecration of Gene Robinson in the U.S. and same-sex blessings in Canada, called the move “outrageous” and warned it brings the

By David Yonke The Blade, Religion Editor April 17, 2004 The Rev. Mark Hollingsworth, Jr., bishop-elect of Ohio, planned an “inclusionary” consecration service in Cleveland on April 17, 2004—inviting priests and bishops to process with their wives, husbands, children, and “partners.” This breaks with tradition: consecration processions are typically reserved for ordained clergy alone. The explicit inclusion of “partners” is widely seen as a public affirmation of gay clergy du

By David W. Virtue April 17, 2004 Orthodox Episcopalians in Southern California will gather for a major conference—dubbed Plano-West—at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center on June 3–4, 2004. Hosted by the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Anglican Council (AAC), with support from the San Diego Chapter, the event—An Historic Gathering of Anglicans Committed to the Great Commission—serves as a follow-up to the original Plano conference in Dallas (October 2003,

News Analysis By David W. Virtue The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Frank T. Griswold, recently viewed Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and reflected on it in the April 2004 issue of Episcopal Life: “Having heard so much about the film, I was quite curious to see what my own reaction would be. I wondered if I would be moved, or repelled by the violence. I also wondered if I would find myself seeing the film at variance with my own understanding of the Passion. Wha

By David W. Virtue April 17, 2004 The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida has voted overwhelmingly to redirect funds to the Anglican Communion Network (ACN), becoming the first diocese in the United States to do so formally. Members of the Diocesan Board approved a resolution designating approximately $20,000 in retroactive funding for 2004 to the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. The diocese has long maintained a mechanism for redirecting funds away from

Gay marriage debate deepens in New Hampshire Church leaders give testimony to House By Daniel Barrick Monitor Staff April 14, 2004 Two of New Hampshire’s top religious leaders—one past, one present—added their voices to the statewide debate on gay marriage yesterday. Retired Episcopal Bishop Douglas Theuner denounced a bill that would keep New Hampshire from recognizing same-sex unions performed elsewhere as “discrimination in the extreme.” “What is so insidious about (thi

News Analysis By David W. Virtue This is a tale of two churches. By any standard, they would be considered successful. Both churches are large with significant ministries. Both are wealthy and both are powerful forces in their communities. One is old money, one is new. They are landmark churches in their dioceses, and at least one rector is the apple of his bishop’s eye. Their rectors are known nationally and each is respected for their work and ministry in the circles they

Until the past few years, almost all Americans—and especially Presidents and candidates for President—firmly believed that America had earned God’s blessings. Now, secularists and even some Presidential candidates question this bedrock belief of religious Americans. The naysayers may unwittingly prove to be correct—if they are successful in imposing their secular agenda on the majority of Americans. From the religious point of view, same-sex marriage and its public sanction o

Who are the ultimate victims? On a micro level, our children are the victims—but on a macro level, our free society will be the victim. As President John Adams said in 1798: “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” [39] George Washington expressed this same idea in his 1796 Farewell Ad