ECUSA NEWSMAN RESIGNS... AKINOLA REBUKES WILLIAMS, COFE EVANGELICALS PRESS CASE

By David W. Virtue

Three major events shook the life of the Anglican Communion this week. The first was the announcement that Dan England, Director of Communications for the national Episcopal Church suddenly, and unexpectedly resigned.

There had been no inkling of this. An official statement put out by Pat Mordecai at the church's headquarters said it was for "personal reasons." Griswold said that "the creative initiatives begun by Dan England during his approximately four years on the staff have been much appreciated." His position will go temporarily to Robert Williams, a homosexual from California who directs the Episcopal News Service and oversees media relations for the Episcopal Church. He will assume the title of Acting Director of Communications.

But his departure immediately triggered speculation by the American Anglican Council who put out a press release, "Is the Episcopal Church Leadership in Disarray?" "Does Mr. England's resignation signal an acknowledgement that the approach chosen by ECUSA has proven ineffective, unsuccessful or even a complete failure?"

Ironically part of Mr. England's job description was to deal with Internet communication which had gotten away from the revisionist leadership of the Episcopal Church. Griswold had moaned on several occasions about so-called Internet communicators that were harming ECUSA's cause.

THE SECOND BOMBSHELL came late Friday night when a two-page letter was faxed to Virtuosity by a Nigerian priest in the US. The letter was a stunning rebuke by Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola of Dr. Rowan Williams over the appointment of yet another white male, and liberal at that, to the Anglican Communion Office in London.

Akinola was particularly incensed, accusing the Archbishop of "marginalizing and treating as irrelevant a very large segment of the Anglican Communion."

Furthermore, Canon Kearon did not publicly repudiate homosexual behavior, a failure that could rebound on both him and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Global South Bishops and orthodox bishops of the West have publicly repudiated this behavior both at the 1998 Lambeth Conference and in subsequent primatial statements.

THE THIRD BOMBSHELL came this week when the Church of England Evangelical Council made a submission to the Lambeth (Eames) Commission detailing a carefully reasoned, closely argued condemnation of recent theological and moral innovations in the US, Canada and the UK.

By acting now the CEEC has adopted a first strike policy, retaliating quickly before the liberals swing into action. British Evangelicals also have another advantage. They are the largest, most powerful and richest segment of the Church of England and they can withhold money to make their point.

REFORM, the conservative evangelical network, announced plans for a national campaign to its 1,700 members. The group called on parishes to test whether their diocesan bishops held "orthodox" beliefs on homosexuality. If their bishops' views proved unacceptable, they were urged to declare themselves in "impaired communion" and to cap their contributions.

The bottom line is that an apostate church that will not listen to its members' voices will eventually hear from their pocketbooks.

IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH USA the beat goes on in various dioceses across the country.

In the DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUT, the Bishop Andrew Smith, is ratcheting up the pain on half a dozen orthodox parishes that won't fall into line with his revisionist agenda.

In the DIOCESE OF SOUTHERN VIRGINIA, the rector and congregation of Grace Episcopal Church, Newport News, left The Episcopal Church. The Rev. R. Bolling "Bo" Bryant, the rector, and the wardens said they now wanted to be under the authority of the Anglican Mission in America. The church, all 100 percent, walked out leaving the keys at the front door.

In the DIOCESE OF COLORADO a newspaper article provoked a heated debate between an orthodox priest and the head of the Diocesan Standing Committee.

AND THOUSANDS WITNESSED THE OPENING OF THE CATHEDRAL IN RWANDA this week. The Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) and Rwanda's President Paul Kagame were among thousands of Anglican faithful who attended the official opening and blessing of John the Baptist Cathedral in Ruhengeri, Rwanda. An altar call made during the service saw 1,080 people accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior.

All blessings,

David W. Virtue DD