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GAFCON Archbishops and Bishops lay hands on new Bishop for Scotland and Europe * ACNA Assembly Sees Gospel Growth. New Scottish Primus was in love with a man, now married & father of three * Bishop Bruno Suspended by PB Michael Curry

"From many quarters today we keep hearing that the Church has to 'listen' more -- to millennials, the LGBTQ community, the transgendered, feminists, and lots of other groups with particular agendas. I get it. It's important that we talk and listen to one another, and I know as well as anyone that consultation is an indispensable part of the life of the Church today. However, when Jesus commissioned the Apostles to go forth, he instructed them to teach, not listen, didn't he?" -- Fr. Thomas Tobin

Here's the bottom line: No matter how much we strive to engineer ourselves into post-humanity, no matter the fortunes invested by transhumanist venture capitalists in increasing our intelligence, exponentially expanding our capacity to love is the only way we will ever truly enhance the human species. --- Wesley J. Smith FIRST THINGS

The scandal of clericalism. It is only against the backdrop of the equality and unity of the people of God that the real scandal of clericalism may be seen. What clericalism also does, by concentrating power and privilege in the hands of the clergy, is at least to obscure and at worst to annul the essential oneness of the people of God. Extreme forms of clericalism dare to reintroduce the notion of privilege into the only human community in which it has been abolished. Where Christ has made out of two one, the clerical mind makes two again, the one higher and the other lower, the one active and the other passive, the one really important because vital to the life of the church, the other not vital and therefore less important. I do not hesitate to say that to interpret the church in terms of a privileged clerical caste or hierarchical structure is to destroy the New Testament doctrine of the church. --- John R.W. Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
June 30, 2017

I am writing to you all from Wheaton, Ill., where the largest gathering of global Anglican leaders ever to gather on U.S. soil is taking place.

It is a sight to behold as more than 30 global archbishops, some 50 bishops, hundreds of clergy, and many more lay delegates process down the aisle of the famous Edman chapel on the grounds of Wheaton College, one of the most prestigious Christian colleges in the country, to hear 1,400 voices lifted in praise and thanksgiving to God for allowing them to preach and declare the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

It is a powerful to watch African, Asian, South American, Australian, Canada and American bishops declare their undying loyalty to Jesus Christ in the face of false talk of reconciliation, inclusivity and diversity which leads only to compromise and ultimately spiritual death.

ACNA Archbishop, Foley Beach, set the tone for this triennial Assembly with a rousing call to mission, calling on 1400 delegates to reach out to their neighbors with the unchanging love of Jesus Christ by using every means possible from words and works to a mouse click...whatever it takes, above all not to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it is the power of God unto salvation.

I, and my colleague Mary Ann Mueller, have written several pieces on this august gathering of world class Anglican leaders. If there is going to be a future for Anglicanism in North America, it will only be with the Anglican Church in North America. ACNA is maintaining and proclaiming a clear unalloyed gospel of hope, life and salvation. God is clearly doing a new thing.

You can read all the stories of this illustrious occasion in today's digest.

*****

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will get the biggest push back to his call for "radical inclusion" when the Church of England Synod meets next week. An Oxford vicar by the name of Sam Allberry, self-described as same-sex attracted, is on record that despite his attractions to men, he believed that to be a true follower of Christ then one had to be celibate, just as our Lord was. He said that his sexuality was not a matter of identity and that has become news. "Jesus Christ never married or had a romantic relationship and never had sex. If we say sex is intrinsic to human fulfillment then we say Jesus was sub-human. My church has not become a safe place for me, I was bullied at school and am now being bullied by Synod"." He said the CofE was in the process of pastorally undermining the church's official teaching. The vicar got a standing ovation.

Here is the two-minute clip every homosexual and Christian should watch:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/two-minute-clip-homosexuality-every-christian-should-watch

*****

The lunacy of sodomy reached yet another peak (are there really any more peaks?) when the Scottish Episcopal Church announced that Bishop Mark Strange would be the next Primus of the Church, following the departure of David Chillingworth.

Mr. Strange, it turns out, backs homosexual marriage, (no surprise) but then announced that he was once in love with a man, but was now married to a woman with three kids. (You can't make this stuff up).

The 56-year-old father of three is the youngest member of the SEC's College of Bishops and has been Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness since 2007.

Bishop Strange takes over as the Anglican figurehead in Scotland after the Scottish Episcopal Church became the first major UK church to permit gay marriage.

You can read the full story in today's digest.

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The saga of Los Angeles Bishop, Jon Bruno, reached new heights this week when the prosecuting attorney against Bruno called for a forensic audit of a corporate entity controlled entirely by Bruno, whom he described as "a rogue bishop." It marks a sharp escalation of the battle over the imminent sale of a huge padlocked church near the Newport Beach waterfront.

Jerry Coughlan, a local lawyer serving as Church Attorney on behalf of the Episcopal Church, wrote that Bruno's "most recent conduct is simply one more manifestation of his arrogant belief that the Episcopal Church has no rights over him and Corp Sole." Corp Sole, which holds title to the church in question, is a corporation allowed under California law that has only one officer and director: the incumbent Bishop of Los Angeles, currently Bruno.

Bruno's counsel, Vice Chancellor Julie Dean Larsen, wrote this week that the "confidential sale of the NPB Property is not contrary to any order, representation, or understanding given by the Presiding Bishop, the Conference Panel or the Hearing Panel in this proceeding. ... The Bishop and the staff of the [Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles] made no representation that the property would be maintained in 'status quo.'"

For two years, Bruno has been in conflict with congregants of St. James the Great Church. Until June 29, 2015, when Bruno ordered the locks changed, the congregation worshiped in a 40,000-square-foot church on prime real estate overlooking the bridge to the yachts and mansions of Lido Island.

The congregation, led by the Rev. Canon Cindy Voorhees, has been worshiping in a variety of places for two years, most recently in a community room at Newport Beach City Hall. [The Living Church]

Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, weighed in and publicly on the proceedings against Bruno, and formally prohibited the revisionist bishop from selling St. James the Great, Newport Beach property that is in dispute that might well cost Bruno his job.

You can read a number of stories on this ongoing legal drama that could still end up with Bruno being deposed and tossed out of the church.

*****

It is the beginning of summer and income is usually low. We must have funds to continue, so I can continue to travel to conferences for you our readers.

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution through PAYPAL at the link here: http://www.virtueonline.org/support-vol/

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In Christ,

David

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