Islam is World’s Fastest Growing Religion // ACNA Stats Skyrocket // TEC Rump Dioceses Decline // Anglicans on Front Line in Texas Storms // GAFCON Weighs Future with Communion //

Church in Wales Archbishop Resigns // Trinity Anglican Seminary Embraces Whole Candlestick // St. Thomas, Fifth Avenue Rector Faces Title IV Complaint

The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve. – John Stott

"The greatest need of the hour is to have a clear understanding of the gospel. – J.C. Ryle

Dear Brothers and Sisters

www.virtueonline.org

July 11, 2025

Muslims are the world’s fastest-growing religious group.

In the next half century or so, Christianity’s long reign as the world’s largest religion may come to an end, according to a just-released report that builds on Pew Research Center’s original population growth projections for religious groups.

Indeed, Muslims will grow more than twice as fast as the overall world population between 2015 and 2060 and, in the second half of this century, will likely surpass Christians as the world’s largest religious group.

While the world’s population is projected to grow 32% in the coming decades, the number of Muslims is expected to increase by 70% – from 1.8 billion in 2015 to nearly 3 billion in 2060. In 2015, Muslims made up only 24.1% of the global population.

This is very troubling news at a time when Western liberal Christianity is fading into the sunset, unable to articulate what it really believes about the faith ‘once for all delivered to the saints.’

Orthodox churches that are tied to the state like the Church of England and the Russia Orthodox Church are emptying faster than a nest of baby chickens facing a king cobra.

Independent evangelical churches are growing as is the Anglican Church in North America (see here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/latest-statistics-show-acna-has-recovered-from-covid-dips) and breakaway Presbyterian, Methodist and smaller splinter denominations.

But the current disagreements are not mainly between Catholic and Evangelical forms of Anglicanism but between broadly Liberal forms of Anglicanism shaped by the values of the modern western world and forms of Anglicanism, mainly Evangelical, that are dominant elsewhere in the Global South.

The big question is whether in the face of these challenges Anglicanism will hold together and find it necessary to formally split from the Mother Church and other liberal/progressive Anglican provinces. That remains to be seen. The political effects could be huge.

*****

The latest statistics of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) are very encouraging. Latest statistics reveal ACNA has recovered from COVID dips.

Average Principal Service Attendance (APSA) during the pandemic years was 58,225 in 2021. By 2024 the figure skyrocketed to 96,148. Congregations grew from 972 in 2019 to 1,027 in 2024. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/latest-statistics-show-acna-has-recovered-from-covid-dips

*****

Anglicans are on the front lines in Hunt, Texas delivering aid and comfort to those whose lives have been affected by the worst floods in their history. Jerry and Stacy Kramer report on the situation here: “Death count today is 120. About 150 missing. They’ve called off the search. It’s now body recovery. Victims are likely buried in 100 miles of river road mud. Authorities are focused on recovery and getting snappy about relief people getting in their way.”

Lots of response ready in Kerville, which seems to be fine. Working with community leaders to pull everyone together and get on the same page.

If you want to give to the victims immediately, you can use this link: https://lovefortheleast.org/texas-flood-relief-insider 100% will get immediately to the most in need, says Jerry.

Here is a story on Dick Eastland who was Camp Mystic’s director when he died trying to save young girls amid flash floods in Kerr County, Texas.

There were no thoughts for himself as he reached forth his hands in waist deep water to grasp the girls as the river rose around him.

Was he worried about this month’s mortgage payment, his IRA plan or if his 401(K) was adequately funded for his retirement. Apparently not. Above all he was not thinking about himself, a sea change in thinking from most of us who are daily being hounded about whether a million dollars is necessary for a robust retirement.

Was he thinking about all the people who will enter therapy to find themselves, only to discover they deserve exactly what they find.

The camp was Christian and so was Dick and his wife Tweety who owned and had run the camp since 1974. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/camp-director-dies-laying-down-his-life-for-his-friends

*****

ANGLICAN FUTURE. Anglicans may get rotating global figurehead under reform plans…

Divisions over same-sex relationships have long strained ties…

Leadership structure hails from colonial era, seen as outdated…

Proposals aim to prevent a split, says bishop who led the work…

Archbishop's office, dating back to 597, currently vacant…

According to a Reuters report, the Anglican Communion is exploring diluting the Archbishop of Canterbury's role as its central symbolic leader, in an attempt to prevent internal divisions over ordination of women and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community from tearing apart the world's third-largest Christian faith.

It is clear that a Kairos moment is coming for the Anglican Communion. Whoever they choose to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury will not please the Global South. An Iranian woman bishop and several white males are in the offing, none of them are orthodox in faith and morals; they all believe same-sex relationships can be accommodated in the church in the name of “conversations across difference” a meaningless piece of gibberish designed to placate orthodox believers.

A gathering of Global South (GAFCON) bishops in Abuja, Nigeria for the G26 Mini-Conference next March could prove decisive. These bishops have already declared unequivocally that that they no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as the head, leader or spokesperson of the Anglican Communion. He has lost every power and authority to dictate to or advise other Primates and Provinces of the Communion who oversee 85% of the Global Communion, say the GAFCON bishops. But that is still not a formal break with Canterbury or the office or the CofE.

Under the leadership of Nigerian Primate Henry Ndukuba, the GAFCON bishops will “seek the wisdom of our Lord about the future of his church.” Ominous words indeed. The conference will be hosted by the Church in Nigeria, the largest and toughest of all the Anglican provinces in the communion on matters of human sexuality.

Even with the mantra that ‘we have not left the Communion the Communion has left us’, to have an openly proclaiming supporter of same-sex relationships  is the kiss of death for orthodox Global South Anglicans who are watching as their provinces, dioceses and congregations grow with a clear fix on the gospel, while the Western provinces slowly wither and die.

*****

Mary Ann Mueller, VOL’s Associate editor has done a deep dive into the Episcopal Church’s rump dioceses and finds they are limping along following the realignment. The bottom line is that ACNA dioceses far outpace TEC dioceses. While ACNA is growing and thriving (see earlier reports), TEC is not.

She writes: “Two dioceses have been relegated to an historical footnote. In 2013 the remaining Episcopal Diocese of Quincy was reunified with the larger Diocese of Chicago to become the Peoria Deanery. Initially, in 1877, both the Diocese of Chicago and the Diocese of Quincy were carved out of the existing Diocese of Illinois as was the Diocese of Springfield. At that point the Diocese of Illinois itself became an historical footnote.

“In 2022 the TEC Diocese of Fort Worth, renamed The Episcopal Church in North Texas (TECinNTX), was dissolved and folded into the Diocese of Texas, thus becoming the “North Region” of the larger Texas diocese. And so, the Episcopal Church’s Diocese of Fort Worth became just another footnote in church history.”

Most recently (2024) the Wisconsin Episcopal dioceses of Eau Claire, Fond du Lac and Milwaukee also faded into history as the three separate Badger State dioceses merged to reconstitute the original Diocese of Wisconsin pulling the historic diocese from the dust bin.” You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/episcopal-church-s-rump-dioceses-limp-along-following-realignment

*****

On Monday (July 14) — six years after a 9-year-old child came forward with sexual abuse allegations against a lay minister in an Illinois church — a long-awaited church trial will begin for Bishop Stewart Ruch, leader of the Anglican Church in North America’s Upper Midwest Diocese. Open only to those directly involved and the seven-member Court of a Trial of a Bishop, the proceeding will determine whether Ruch, an influential and charismatic figure, responded appropriately. Stay tuned.

*****

The Church in Wales already a theological and demographic disaster, found itself going from bad to worse with the resignation of its Archbishop this week.

The Archbishop of Wales stepped down after a culture of excessive drinking, sexual promiscuity, bullying, bad language and inappropriate banter at Bangor cathedral was revealed.

Andy John, who is also the bishop of Bangor, released a statement on Friday evening after calls for his resignation gathered pace.

He said he was announcing his “immediate retirement today as archbishop of Wales”, adding: “I also intend to retire as bishop of Bangor on 31 August”.

Neither his statement nor those from senior colleagues in the Church in Wales made any reference to the scandal that has engulfed Bangor cathedral over recent years. There is no suggestion that John behaved inappropriately.

You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/archbishop-of-wales-stands-down-after-bangor-cathedral-scandal

*****

Fifty years after its founding as an institution seeking to renew the Episcopal Church, Trinity Anglican Seminary now seeks to establish itself as a central hub within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and broaden beyond its history of low churchmanship, writes Jeff Walton of Juicy Ecumenism.

Inaugurated in 1975 as Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, the school in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, restyled itself as Trinity Anglican Seminary in 2024.

The change to incorporate Anglican in the institution’s name was noteworthy as an increasing number of Protestant institutions eschewed denominational labels, perceiving them as less marketable as nondenominational Christianity grew. But Trinity’s new name signaled a change in more than just branding.

“We seek to educate ‘the whole candlestick,’” said the Rev. Alex Banfield Hicks, Trinity’s director of leadership development. Hicks led a campus tour for delegates to the ACNA Provincial Council, which met June 18-20 at the school’s newly consecrated Trophimus Center, which is named for the companion of St. Paul mentioned in Acts and 2 Timothy. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/trinity-anglican-seminary-goes-whole-candlestick

*****

St. Thomas, Fifth Avenue, a blue-blood flagship Episcopal parish finds itself riddled with sodomy in the sacristy and choir lofts. Anglican Watch, an unofficial watchdog on sexuality issues in TEC filed a Title IV clergy disciplinary complaint against the Rev. Canon Carl Turner, rector of St. Thomas, Fifth Avenue. “We did so on behalf of a male victim of sexual assault at the church, whom we referred to by the pseudonym “Michael” in order to protect his privacy and to avoid causing additional trauma. The complaint centers on claims that Turner (“respondent”), acting directly or through others, attempted in violation of the Title IV church disciplinary canons to interfere with the ongoing criminal and Title IV investigations into the matter, which address two alleged sexual assaults against the victim, by publishing various false and defamatory per se statements about the victim in the St. Thomas church newsletter. Specific allegations we believe to be false include claims that the victim:

1.     Threatened one or more persons connected with St. Thomas.

2.     Harassed one or more persons with St. Thomas.

3.     Made false accusations, apparently about being sexually assaulted.

4.     Damaged church property.

5.     Had been arrested due to his conduct at St. Thomas.

You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/anglican-watch-files-title-iv-clergy-disciplinary-complaint-against-the-rev-canon-carl-turner-rect

*****

The Church of England’s General Synod, meets in York this weekend with an agenda omitting debates on the issues of same sex blessings and safeguarding scandals which have created headlines in the past year. Instead, members will discuss £1.6 billion three-year national spending plans, clergy pensions, a redress scheme for victims and survivors of church-related abuse, church growth and outreach. Bishops asked whether Living in Love and Faith has ‘run into the sand’.

At its opening session this evening, bishops will attempt to answer 217 questions on a wide range of topics.

On Gaza, they were asked if they would condemn the unabated killing of civilians, but the Bishop of Gloucester said there will be no further statement beyond calling it a grave sin.

On the MPs’ decision to decriminalise abortion, the Bishop of London said Lords Spiritual will address the change.

On the Living in Love and Faith same sex blessing process, bishops were asked if it had “run into the sand”. The Archbishop of York said: “The LLF team and Programme Board will also continue to work on a range of scenarios and associated risks that might arise if no agreement can be reached on the current draft proposals”.

One can only imagine the captain of the Titanic knowing the ship has hit an iceberg calmly announces that he will not discuss the matter; the ship has merely ‘run into the sand,’ and just pour yourself another drink. The spiritual blindness is overwhelming.

*****

For some excellent reads I commend for your consideration my piece: Rowan Williams and another Gospel -  https://www.virtueonline.org/post/rowan-williams-and-another-gospel

Stephen Noll’s piece on Independence Day -  https://www.virtueonline.org/post/critical-lovers-and-loving-critics-why-i-put-out-the-flag-on-independence-day

Dave Doveton’s Why a Doctrine of Martyrdom Attracts Adherents - https://www.virtueonline.org/post/why-a-doctrine-of-martyrdom-attracts-adherents-the-weight-of-guilt-and-the-desperate-attempt-at-re

David Duggan’s water of confession  waters of confession essay take on Rowe on his own terms as the apostle of Dietrich Bonhoeffer here:  https://www.virtueonline.org/post/the-waters-of-confession-against-the-tide-of-idolatry

A fine piece on England’s suicide and abortion laws: --https://www.virtueonline.org/post/christians-urged-to-keep-up-pressure-against-assisted-suicide-and-unlimited-abortion

Ex-gays get little press. They are regularly accused of homophobia. This group gathered to offer hope for men and women caught in the vortex of unsavory sex and have left the LGBTQ lifestyle. -- https://www.virtueonline.org/post/ex-lgbt-christians-gather-at-calif-state-capitol-to-protest-gov-t-censorship-offer-hope

*****

VOL holds a unique place in Anglican news gathering. While we report on the news, we believe it is important to interpret the news to readers searching for answers to hot button issues. Our team of writers spare no effort in finding and getting the word out to you the reader. We may often wait to get the full picture but it is worth it. We hope you think so too. VOL’s news gathering is comprehensive, analytical and, we believe faithful to Scripture and our Anglican tradition. We keep you informed about global Anglicanism as few services do. We wake up each day and ask the question what do our readers need to know to keep them informed so they can make good decisions. We are here because of readers like you.

Would you consider a tax-deductible donation to keep the news coming. A PayPal donation link can be found here: http://www.virtueonline.org/support.html

If you are more inclined with checks, you can send your donation to:

VIRTUEONLINE                                                                   

P.O. BOX 111                           

Shohola, PA 18458

Thank you for your support,

Yours in Christ,

David

My Substack on the Middle East continues to grow. It is drawing a lot of attention from across the globe. You can access it here: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/  I am a strong supporter of the state of Israel’s right to exist and prosper while confronting her enemies both foreign and domestic. My latest can be seen here: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/168077058?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts