A Spirit-filled people. It is incorrect to call the day of Pentecost 'the birthday of the church'. For the church as the people of God goes back at least 4,000 years to Abraham. What happened at Pentecost was that the remnant of God's people became the Spirit-filled body of Christ. --- "The Message of Acts" From The Bible Speaks Today John R.W. Stott

The Communion has been broken, and it has been broken largely by the actions and attitudes of members of the Episcopal Church in the United States. That is my personal conviction, and that is what I believe history will show. --- John P. Richardson

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
1/11/2008

The Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) is off and running. Official invitations have been sent out to all Common Cause partners. Anyone else who wants to attend the Holy Land conference in June, presumably need only apply. African Primates, who are calling GAFCON, and their bishops will be joining them. The Primates have explicitly said that a prime reason for it is to provide spiritual care and support for those who would normally have expected it at Lambeth, but cannot go for reasons of conscience, said the Rev. Dr. Chris Sugden, an organizer. At least 500 plus invitations have been issued, according to one report.

The event is drawing enormous controversy from far and near. Prayer Book Society president, Dr. Peter Toon, is against it as are a number of Church of England bishops. Liberals are uniformly opposed to a conference that opposes the official Lambeth Conference. The Anglican Bishop of Newcastle, The Rt. Rev. Dr Brian Farran, disassociated himself from GAFCON, describing it as a one-dimensional conference designed to "cause embarrassment" whether intended or not, to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, and to the rest of the Anglican Communion. There is also the view that GAFCON will have negative political repercussions as two Middle East bishops are opposed to the conference. These and other opinions can be found in today's digest. On the other side of the growing Great Divide, is the view that the Anglican Communion (not just TEC) is so compromised that orthodox bishops in the U.S., Canada, Africa and some in the UK believe that the communion is irretrievably broken with little hope of its repair. An excellent article by the Rev. Charles Ravens covers the waterfront on this issue.

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Today's lead story takes us to the DIOCESE OF TENNESSEE where two parishes announced they are leaving The Episcopal Church over the denomination's usual sins of failing to see Scripture as normative and sodomy as acceptable, the first abandoned by the church, the second endorsed. This brings to five the number of parishes to leave the diocese. Bishop John C. Bauerschmidt is none too happy and has, naturally, inhibited and will, in time, depose the rectors. He is a Windsor Bishop who believes TEC has satisfied the demands of the Windsor Report. A favorite argument of liberal bishops is the one used by the Archbishop of Canterbury, namely crossing diocesan boundaries is ecclesiastically unacceptable while cross dressing (and other assorted sexualities) gets a pass.

This raises yet another question. Can the Archbishop of Canterbury save the Anglican Communion? You can read that story in today's digest. The Church of England is also on a collision course with history. Elizabeth I ensured the future of the Church of England. Elizabeth II may well preside over its demise.

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SPIN, SPIN, SPIN. In the DIOCESE OF SAN JOAQUIN, the Episcopal Church is apparently "alive and well", according to the Episcopal News Service. Clergy and laity report new hope and signs of growth. The Rev. Martin Frisard, an 82-year-old priest, will begin a new church in a senior citizen center in Sonora. So a dying denomination is now resorting to canvassing geriatrics in the hope of saving TEC! I suppose they can put TEC in their will as they sink slowly into the sunset. Heaven knows the TEC's Trust Funds are being raided for lawsuits. The nearly dead can now make out checks directly to David Booth Beers' law firm.

In an attempt to give Bishop John-David Schofield heartburn, the Rev. Canon Bob Moore, appointed by Mrs. Katharine Jefferts Schori as an interim pastoral presence in the Diocese of San Joaquin, will make a 5-day "Listening Tour" of the central valley. Canon Bob will travel the valley meeting with clergy and laity who wish to remain in the Episcopal Church in that Diocese. Canon Bob will be joined by special guest Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church. This dog and pony show will affect very little, sources tell VOL. More than 95% of the diocese has chosen to come under the Province of the Southern Cone and Archbishop Greg Venables.

Eight serving English bishops in the C of E recently signed a letter of support for the Bishop of San Joaquin. They are the Bishops of Rochester, Burnley, Fulham, Horsham, Lewes, Beverley, Richborough, and Ebbsfleet. They find common cause with the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, and with the Bishop of Fort Worth, the Rt. Rev. Jack Iker, who initiated the letter. Signatories also include three American bishops consecrated in the conservative Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA). Four retired English bishops are also among the 33 bishops on the list: the Rt. Rev. John Gaisford, the Rt. Rev. Nöel Jones, the Rt. Rev. Edwin Barnes, and the Rt. Rev. David Silk. They write to "salute" Bishop Schofield on the "courageous decision" of his diocese, which, they say, was "the result of your tenacity and faithful leadership, and for that we give thanks to God". Mrs. Jefferts Schori is not amused.

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The Bishop of the DIOCESE OF FLORIDA John Howard has sent out a letter inhibiting some 20 clergy for abandonment of communion, including some retired distinguished clergy who were never informed of their inhibition until the letter landed in their mail boxes. When one priest called about it and made an appointment to go see him, Howard ripped him to shreds for leading a Bible study at an Anglican congregation. Wrote a VOL reader; "Whatever happened to Jesus saying that he that is not against me is for me? These are people who have given their whole life to the Episcopal Church and to be treated like that shows his true colors."

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In a historic act, Bishop Frank Lyons of Bolivia transferred ten congregations in the Midwest United States to the care and jurisdiction of CANA. These congregations had been under the oversight of Bishop Lyons and the Diocese of Bolivia, part of the Anglican province of the Southern Cone in South America. Now, these congregations will be part of the indigenous US ecclesial structure in CANA. This transfer of congregations is a harbinger of the consolidation of Anglicanism for which many US orthodox Anglicans have been longing.

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At its November convention, the DIOCESE OF FT. WORTH passed the first reading of the changes to its constitution. Bishop Jack Iker and Bishop Frank Lyons presented the news of the resolution passed earlier that month by the Synod of the Province of the Southern Cone, saying that the province would provide a pastoral welcome and home to any Anglican dioceses departing their revisionist provinces. The resolution was no secret, and many at the convention already knew that it and other dioceses had received this invitation. With that introduction, a discussion ensued on a resolution thanking the Southern Cone for its offer. The convention charged Bishop Iker and the Standing Committee with the task of looking into the nuts and bolts of such an alliance.

Nearly two months have passed, and a Preliminary Report has now emerged. While it is nothing earth-shattering, and it certainly doesn't plight its troth in defiance of the established order of diocesan polity, the diocese is still very much on track to have a convention in November, at which it is expected to have a second reading of the proposed amendments. "It would be a violation of our constitution to make a pre-emptive decision," Communications Director Suzanne Gill told VOL. You can read the full statement in today's digest.

The conclusion by the Bishop and Standing Committee is that there is no deal-breaking impediment to be found in the official documents of the Province of the Southern Cone.

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In the DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES, an all-day conference for clergy in "financially stressed congregations" is planned for February 20. It's called "Worth Your Time: Real Strategies for Clergy in Financially Stressed Congregations". The purpose of the conference is to provide productive support for clergy who experience stress because of their congregation's financial stress. And what is a "financially-stressed congregation?" Apparently, it is a congregation whose budget is under $300,000. Keynote speakers will be the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, Bishop of Maine, and the Rev. Gregory Jacobs, Urban Missioner of the Diocese of Massachusetts. Both have worked with congregations with very limited financial resources. They will share their experiences, perspectives, and strategies. So as TEC reveals its theological bankruptcy, the cracks are now slowly appearing in financial ways. When will we hear the first announcement that two dioceses are merging because of money, or lack thereof?

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ST. JAMES ANGLICAN CHURCH, Oklahoma City, announced it had completed the purchase of the former Abundant Love Fellowship. The new building will be dedicated by the Rt. Rev. William Cox, Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Argentina, on Sunday January 20th at 7 PM. The new facility contains a sanctuary and parish hall and compliments the congregation's other property. The main worship services and fellowship activities will now be held there. For further information, please contact The Rev. Vern Caswell, Rector, at 405-759-3190. St. James Anglican Church is a member of the Diocese of Argentina, Province of the Southern Cone, of the worldwide Anglican Communion, under the episcopal authority of The Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Primate and Bishop. All this is living proof that new wine cannot be put into old TEC wineskins.

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On the recent announcement that the DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA is arranging for a $2 million line of credit to conduct lawsuits against parishioners, one wag noted, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: 101. When the outgo exceeds the income...The upkeep becomes the downfall! Borrowing more money and selling off capital assets won't close the shortfall.

BREAKING NEWS...

Virginia Attorney General Validates Position of ADV Parishes
The Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell has filed a motion to intervene and a brief in the ongoing church property litigation that is being heard by Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows involving eleven congregations that separated from the Episcopal Church in 2006 and 2007 and joined the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV). In his brief, Attorney General McDonnell defended the constitutionality of the Virginia Division Statute (Virginia Code § 57-9), thereby validating the position of the ADV churches and making it clear that there is no constitutional problem with applying the Statute in exactly the way ADV attorneys have advocated.

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The evangelical BISHOP OF ROCHESTER, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Nazir-Ali, was accused of undermining the work of the Church of England by an organization called Inclusive Church this week. The organization said the GAFCON conference shows how little concern the neo-conservative lobby has for the rest of the church. "Choosing Jerusalem for the meeting simply demonstrates that the neo-conservatives have little interest in the well-being of the Anglican Communion or of the Israel/Palestine situation - the last thing Jerusalem needs is another divisive conference.

"Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali's condemnation in the Sunday Telegraph of multiculturalism and remarks about 'no-go' areas are unhelpful, and likely to worsen rather than reduce community tensions. The ill-considered nature of his remarks is mirrored in his support for GAFCON and the Diocese of San Joaquin; in both cases he has taken up a position which undermines the work of the Church of England as it seeks to reflect God's generous love for those of all faiths and none."

The homosexual organization said they hoped that those bishops in the UK who are supporting the secessionist dioceses in the USA will recognize the inconsistency of their positions and cease.

And a footnote to my story on Changing Attitude, a highly placed CofE priest wrote VOL to say that he found the Rev. Colin Coward "utterly unbearable as an apostle for international sexual perversion. The Lambeth Conference will be turned into a media circus by Gene Robinson and Coward - the best reason of all for canceling it."

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Is the ANGLICAN COVENANT the best way to achieve Anglican unity? Apparently not. The London based Church Times put out a poll and discovered, to their horror, that of the 600 plus who had so far voted, only 10% said yes, with 90% saying no! One only hopes that the Primates and bishops of the Global South realize that all attempts now have been exhausted to keep the Anglican Communion together.

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GREAT BRITAIN is now a pluralist society. It is a country of people who have come from many different traditions and backgrounds, and who espouse different religious beliefs or none at all. Britain still remains a liberal democracy, governed by a single set of laws - laws whose roots lie in the Christian tradition that helped form our moral values and culture.

There is much to celebrate in the diversity of the people who make up today's Britain, and in the dynamism and richness that diversity has brought to that country. But does it also pose a threat to the primacy of the Christian tradition, and even to a single, unified set of laws based on a liberal, tolerant political outlook? Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, believes that it may have precisely that consequence, and he expressed his forthright views in The Sunday Telegraph. Bishop Nazir-Ali's concern that the rapidity and scale of immigration, together with the policy of multiculturalism, threaten Britain's Christian heritage were echoed by the Church of England General Synod, a majority of which worries that large-scale immigration is "diluting the Christian nature of Britain".

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LORD CAREY backs MPs over blasphemy laws. The former Archbishop of Canterbury is backing a new cross-party attempt by MPs to abolish Britain's blasphemy laws, The Daily Telegraph revealed. Lord Carey argues that the existing legal protections for Anglican Christianity are outdated and should be abolished. The move, supported by a former bishop as well as writers, academics, campaigners and comedians, comes in the wake of the diplomatic row over Sudan's jailing of a British teacher who allegedly blasphemed against Islam. The Church of England has signaled that it is prepared to see the abolition of blasphemy offenses after the Government announced a review of the ancient law.

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While TEC is decomposing, the VATICAN announced this week that they are creating more exorcists to tackle evil. The Roman Catholic Church has vowed to "fight the Devil head-on" by training hundreds of priests as exorcists. Fr. Gabriele Amorth, 82, the Vatican's Exorcist in Chief, announced the initiative amid the Church's concerns about growing worldwide interest in Satanism and the occult. According to plans being considered, each bishop will have a group of priests in his diocese who are specially trained in exorcism and on hand to take action against "extreme Godlessness". No word on whether the Vatican plans to send an exorcist to the Episcopal Church to cast out the demons of false teaching.

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In the SUDAN, Archbishop Joseph Marona bade farewell after eight years as Primate. An election for a new primate is set for February 14. Marona regretted that ill health had caused him to reduce by two years his term of office as archbishop, but gave assurance that in his retirement he would continue to be committed in prayer and, as his health permitted, to be available as an advisor. The Church Mission Society began work in 1899 in Omdurman. Christianity spread rapidly among black Africans of the Southern region. Until 1974, the Diocese of Sudan was part of the Jerusalem archbishopric. It reverted to the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury until the new Province, consisting of four new dioceses, was established in 1976. Civil and religious strife and a constant flow of refugees have challenged the Church since.

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In Monrovia, the rector of St. Stephen Episcopal Church, Rev. Fr. A-Too Williams, has been appointed vicar general of the EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF LIBERIA until a new bishop is elected and consecrated.

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The DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA will hold its 213th Annual Council at the end of January with the theme of "The Abundance of God's Love". One wonders how much "abundance" there is, or is needed, when the diocese is being forced to take out a $2 million loan to sue fleeing parishes. At least a dozen churches are not even able to pay their own way with some being sold to raise money. I suppose Bishop Peter James Lee can always pray for a miracle, presuming of course that he actually believes in miracles.

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CARDINAL NEWMAN's beatification "imminent". According to reports out of Rome, the beatification of the Church of England's most significant convert to Roman Catholicism is "imminent". The move would pave the way for Cardinal John Henry Newman to be made a saint. He would become the first non-martyr saint in England since the Reformation. Cardinal Newman, the 19th century Anglican churchman who founded the high church Oxford Movement before his reception into the Catholic Church, was Britain's most high-profile convert until the reception of former prime minister Tony Blair, shortly before Christmas. In an interview with L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, said Cardinal Newman is among several important personalities to be beatified soon.

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Desperate for any kind of good news about church growth in TEC, The DIOCESE OF SOUTHERN VIRGINIA announced that one church had doubled in size after members raised nearly $600,000. According to a report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the church has doubled in size with a 5,800-square-foot addition that includes a fellowship hall and new entrance featuring a Celtic cross designed in ceramic floor tile. The addition to the 32-year-old church building was completed in the fall, said the Rev. Phillip R. Glick, St. David's rector. St. David's has about 250 members.

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In an article in the New Statesman titled "The Church's true colours" outgoing Rev. RICHARD KIRKER, who is stepping down after nearly 30 years as head of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM), says that for the first half of that time, he fought a lonely battle to get church leaders to discuss sexuality. Now it's hard to get them to talk about anything else, but not in the way he had in mind. Homosexuality is at the centre of a global struggle for the soul of the Anglican Communion. He says the Church has become a repository for the homophobia unacceptable in the rest of society. It's no surprise that Kirker's main enemy today is Archbishop Peter Akinola, the powerful Anglican Primate of Nigeria.

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ALMOST 40 percent of Church of England synod support gay clergy, according to a church of England Newspaper survey report. They believe they should be allowed sexual partners, the survey found. 53 percent felt Scripture was opposed to such a move and nine percent said they did not know what course of action should be taken.

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A motion calling for the DISESTABLISHMENT OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND appeared on the House of Commons order paper - bizarrely numbered 666, the number associated with the Antichrist. Bob Russell, Liberal Democrat MP for Colchester, one of the signatories, said: "It is incredible that a motion like this should have, by chance, acquired this significant number. This number is supposed to be the mark of the Devil. It looks as though God or the Devil have been moving in mysterious ways. What is even stranger is that this motion was tabled last night when MPs were debating blasphemy." This is referred to in the Book of Revelation: "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred, three score and six."

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An Episcopal priest, with strong family ties to West Alabama and Tuscaloosa's historic Christ Episcopal Church, was elected as the new suffragan, or assistant, bishop for the DIOCESE OF ALABAMA. The Rev. John McKee "Kee" Sloan, who is the rector of St. Thomas Church in Huntsville, will become bishop suffragan in January. He will officially take the position Jan. 12. Bishop suffragan is the second highest position in the diocese behind Bishop Henry Parsley, Jr. Sloan was elected from among six candidates on the third ballot in voting Sept. 30, at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham. He will move to Birmingham for the new post.

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In OXFORD, one of the Church of England's best-known theologians is suing the Bishop of Liverpool following a row at an Oxford theological college. Dr Elaine Storkey, a regular contributor to Radio 4's "Thought for the Day" slot, told an employment tribunal in Reading, yesterday, that she had been bullied while a senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall. She accepted around £20,000 from the trustees of the college after they acknowledged that she had been unfairly dismissed from the post. But the 64-year-old is still seeking a ruling of religious discrimination against the president of the 130-year-old college, Bishop James Jones, over the row.

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GOOD WORKS are not enough. Roman Catholic missionaries should aim to convert people and not restrict themselves to humanitarian good works, the Vatican said recently. A 19-page document, which was personally approved by Pope Benedict XVI, draws on the controversial Vatican declaration he issued in 2000 that asserted Catholics alone have "the fullness of the means of salvation." The document aims to correct a "growing confusion" among theologians who argue that "it is enough to build communities which strive for justice, freedom, peace, and solidarity." The document comes as the Catholic Church faces increased competition from Pentecostals and evangelicals, particularly in third-world countries, and charges of improper "sheep stealing" from Orthodox churches, especially in Russia.

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