State of the Church//Emerging Evangelical Churches//New Australian Archbishop is Evangelical//Two Continuing Churches Merge//Anglicans Weigh in on Texas Hurricane Relief//Victims Test Ruch Trial//

CEN Newspaper Closes

State of the Church//Emerging Evangelical Churches//New Australian Archbishop is Evangelical//Two Continuing Churches Merge//Anglicans Weigh in on Texas Hurricane Relief//Victims Test Ruch Trial//CEN Newspaper Closes

Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from His fruit, and no effective witness without His power. As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead. --- John R.W. Stott

Trials are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, and to drive us to the Bible --- J.C. Ryle

“The most merciful God is so disgusted with same-sex sexual behavior because this crime is too far away from God’s plan for man. His plan is for a man and a woman to unite into one body with one and everlasting love and cooperate with God. New life can be born and grow in the warmth of the family.”  — Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop emeritus of Hong Kong

The Episcopal Church talks about being loving, liberating, and lifegiving. But the reality it’s a case of “lying” (about the church’s commitment to respecting the dignity of every human being), “leaving” (as in 40 percent of church members over the past decade), and “losing” (members, resources, and, if you will, market share)'.”  --- Anglican Watch

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

www.virtueonline.org

July 25, 2025

There is a rot spreading through the bones of Western civilization. It is not a foreign invasion, nor an economic catastrophe, nor even a cultural war in the loudest sense. The rot is quieter, more insidious. It is selfishness—a deep, narcissistic self-interest that has wormed its way into every corner of our common life. And if we are honest, it begins not in the halls of Congress or the decadence of Hollywood, but in the mirror, writes the Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore.

“Civilization, at its heart, is the long, shared agreement that I am not the center of the world. That my desires must be tempered by duty. That my speech must be governed by manners. That my actions must consider the good of others, not merely my own comfort. The very word civil springs from this understanding—that we owe something to each other as members of a society.

“But in an age of unbridled self-expression, where the self has become sacred, these civil obligations are viewed as shackles. We no longer ask what is right, but what is right for me. We do not teach children to control their impulses; we validate them. We do not teach young men and women to build strong marriages; we tell them to ‘do what makes you happy.’ And when the inevitable misery comes, we call it freedom.”

Look around. What do you see? We see churches that are emptying for lack of commitment and truth telling. We see flagrant violations of safeguarding the sheep, while the shepherds fleece the flocks. We see sexual abuse among our leaders on a scale we have never seen and financial corruption of once godly institutions being splashed across the Internet. We see seminaries closing because it is not financially viable to keep them going; some die from bad theology. They are nails in the coffin for future generations of churches needing priests and pastors. The people look up and are not fed.

If this makes you depressed you are in good company. There are worse things in life to be than depressed.

But there are shards of light. New smaller churches evangelically driven are popping up across the country. There are approximately 4,014 evangelical churches in the US as of July 2025. This number reflects the growing presence of evangelical communities in the country.

A 27-page report, put together by the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) project, looked at a large and diverse sample of American churchgoers. Many say their faith is stronger, their churches more vibrant and their involvement more consistent than at any point in recent memory.

Drawing on responses from more than 24,000 Christian churchgoers surveyed between September 2024 and January 2025, the EPIC Attender Survey, spearheaded by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, showed that 34% of U.S. adults said they believe religion is increasing its influence in American life — up from 20% just a year ago.

But a majority of Americans (59%) continue to say religion is losing its influence on U.S. society, but that figure is down from 75% a year ago. A Pew Research Center report from this past February also showed that the decline in Christianity had stabilized following a two-decade decline.

So, there are glimmers of hope amidst the darkness. Nones, (people without religious affiliation) are still growing. In a Pew Research Center’s polling, 28% of U.S. adults are religiously unaffiliated, describing themselves as atheists, agnostics or simply “nothing in particular” when asked about their religion.  But this is levelling off.

There is a fresh new hunger by young people who are hungry for truth — and what the Church must do, says Jack Graham, a Texas pastor and author of ‘The Jesus Book.’

“The answer has always been clear: go back to the Bible,” says the former Southern Baptist Convention president.

According to Graham, perhaps nowhere is that sense of spiritual hunger more visible than among young people. Contrary to the often-cited narrative of church decline, the pastor said he’s encouraged by what he’s seeing on the ground.

“There’s a renewed interest in the pure Gospel without a lot of the trappings and trends,” he said. “There’s a desire for authenticity among young adults right now.”

While Bible sales are up, Bible engagement remains a challenge.  According to Graham, the only antidote is a profound, personal knowledge of the Bible.

From across the pond comes this encouraging word. Young men aged 18 to 24 are now attending church, up from four percent to 21 percent over the last six years. Are we seeing a Gen Z revival in the UK? Perhaps, but in a country that has more practicing Catholics and Islamists it is still a drop in the bucket. Time will tell.

In the Netherlands there is an uptick among Gen Zers in church attendance. The Netherlands was once a society where Protestants and Catholics lived in distinct but parallel worlds known as “pillars” — each with their own schools, political parties and newspapers. But those pillars began to crumble after World War II.

By the late 1960s, nearly 70% of Dutch people identified as religious. Today, the reverse is true: About 60% of Dutch people say they have no religion at all.

But beneath the surface of this secular landscape, spirituality seems to be stirring. Last year marked the first in decades to see a reversal of this downward trend. Though modest, there was a 2% increase in the number of people identifying as religious in the country, according to government statistics. While Islam has been the fastest growing religion in recent years, the bump was seen in Christian denominations, particularly among Protestants. And while church attendance is still down, independent research has found one potential source of the increase: Gen Z.

*****

Some good news from Down Under. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Mark Short, Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn since 2019, was elected on July 19 as Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia. He is the first non-metropolitan to be elected as primate since the church began electing its chief bishop in 1910, and the first evangelical to lead the church since the early 1980s, according to a report in the Daily Declaration. Smith will work alongside the retiring primate, Archbishop Geoffrey Smith, and take over formally on November 1.

*****

But what of the Church of England which still remains without an archbishop.

The church has a major problem. Whoever the next ABC will be, he or she will not meet Global South orthodox standards on biblical sexuality. The picks to date are woefully lacking theologically, except as church managers.

Church of England progressive candidates, from an Iranian woman bishop, a former nurse now a bishop, to a small cluster of white male bishops that includes an Anglo-Catholic, bode ill for both the CofE and the wider communion who repudiate any talk of homosexuality or committed same-sex relationships. They demand that orthodox biblical standards on human sexuality only, be recognized. But that ship has sailed, and not a single candidate would get proposed if they had not ticked all the progressive boxes. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/next-abc-will-not-meet-global-south-orthodox

*****

The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, a liberal, came in for a scorching analysis of his statement on same sex marriage by evangelical theologian Dr. Ian Paul. It was a brilliant take down of the ailing archbishop. He accused the archbishop of fudging the issue over same sex marriage. He specifically accused the archbishop about the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) report calling it “disastrous”, “divisive” and “damaging” to the Church of England. Dr. Paul also pointed the finger at former Archbishop Justin Welby describing the LLF report he engineered as “ill conceived”, “incoherent” and “open to misrepresentation.” You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/british-evangelical-anglican-theologian-takes-down-archbishop-of-york-over-same-sex-marriage

*****

The Bishop Ruch story won’t go away. It is heating up with the bishop determined to stay in power at whatever embarrassment it is causing to the leadership of the Anglican Church in North America. The bottom line is that after six years the victims are still not being given the justice they claim is theirs, and for Ruch to stay in power is only enabling the continuance of the victimization.

What is at stake is the safety of our children in the ACNA and our stand against the abuse of power, writes Canon Chuck Collins. The main questions remain plain:

Did the bishop fail to believe a nine-year old victim of sex abuse who brought these allegations to him more than six years ago, did he fail to report this to the authorities and to the church where the abuser ministered openly, and did he support the abuser (now in jail for his crimes) financially and pastorally while failing to support the multiple victims of egregious abuse in any way?

Was the bishop more concerned about institutional safety and the security of his job than for the safety of our children, and did his fellow bishops support him in this?

Was the pattern of protecting abusers, supporting and encouraging them, seen in subsequent promotions and ordinations of other sex abusers in ministry in his diocese, without informing the parishes or the diocese? Was this his pattern? Is this his pattern?

These questions are from the only one of three investigations what were done (two of which have been kept secret!). Was there a deliberate effort to extend this trial process - now over six years! - and multiply diversions (cover up) so that Bishop Ruch can remain in ministry?

And now, is there a conflict of interest appointing Archdeacon Job Serebrov to be the Provincial Prosecutor, given his cozy connection to St. Paul's House of Formation, a Greenhouse ministry? The Greenhouse Movement was married in numerous ways to Bishop Ruch and the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/prosecutor-resigns-calls-acna-bishop-stewart-ruch-trial-irreparably-tainted

*****

A deep dive into the recent statistics of the Anglican Church in North America, reveals some uncomfortable truths about the future of the church if major growth is not forthcoming from younger generations. Most churches are sustained financially by Boomers, who pay as much as 80% of the church’s budget. They will be gone in 10-15 years. The ACNA recorded only 119 new converts, not to be confused with baptisms or transfers. While overall the ACNA trend is upwards, the number of new parishes rose by only 14 (or 1.4%) from 1,013 to 1,027 However, there were zero church plants in 2024. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/acna-figures-reveal-disturbing-trend

*****

The Hurricane flood story in Texas has garnered much national attention. Few know that two Anglican missionaries were on the ground running when they heard the news. Jerry Kramer and his wife Stacy who were deeply involved in rescue operations in Katrina (New Orleans) in 2005, jumped into their car and headed to the flood zone. I interviewed Jerry about what he was able to do there. You can read my exclusive interview here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/anglican-missionaries-hear-go-now-in-historic-texas-flood

*****

Anglican Watch, the Episcopal Church’s unofficial watchdog, has sharply criticized the Episcopal Diocese of New York for ignoring the requirements of the church’s Title IV clergy disciplinary canons. The move follows retaliation by the Episcopal Diocese of New York against a male adult who complained to the Diocese about three separate incidents of sexual assault by gay parishioners. Two of the alleged perpetrators were employees of St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue; one remains a priest in good standing. You can read more here: https://www.anglicanwatch.com/anglican-watch-press-release-condemns-diony-title-iv-misconduct/

*****

TWO CONTINUING CHURCHES have announced a merger.  The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America and the Anglican Catholic Church (ACA-ACC) announced they had reunited, according to the latest edition of THE TRINITARIAN.

A special General Synod will be held in Charleston, SC in October to await ratification by the Provincial Synods. Archbishop Brian Marsh of the Anglican Province of America (APA) called the “historic event” a cause for celebration.

The G-4 group of Continuing Churches which have gone to G-3 and will now be G-2. Metropolitan Mark Haverland of the ACC observed that since 2015 the scattered continuing churches have consolidated among the larger and more responsible of the dioceses and churches.

*****

Trinity Anglican Seminary has appointed Dr. Matthew Barrett to its faculty as part-time Research Professor of Theology beginning in August of 2025, strengthening the seminary's commitment to theological formation in the Anglican tradition and its expanding church-based formation efforts. Dr. Barrett brings expertise in classical theology, including Reformation theology, and is passionate about helping students retrieve the Great Tradition for the sake of recovering creedal orthodoxy in the church. His appointment directly supports Trinity's strategic emphasis on being "classically Anglican" and providing excellent theological formation for future church leaders, said the Rev. Alex Banfield Hicks, Vice President of Advancement.

*****

With sadness we note that the Church of England Newspaper (CEN) has shut down with no further editions to be released until further notice. This decision follows the passing of Keith Young, the paper's owner and director of Political and Religious Intelligence Ltd. The CEN has been a voice for evangelical members of the Church of England for over a century, contributing to the evangelical institutions and supporting an open evangelicalism.

*****

A statement from the Bishops of the Anglican Network in Europe following the passing of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill repudiated the decision by the Westminster Parliament. “These votes show that while we live in a democracy and respect it, many of those elected to positions of the highest power can no longer be trusted to carry out their responsibilities with wisdom. Sadly, but not surprisingly, leaders from the established church who have influence in government have for the most part been reticent to speak God’s word; to call the faithful to pray in these dark and uncertain times, and to call godless rulers to repentance and faith in Christ.”

“As Bishops of the Anglican Network in Europe we urge all faithful believers in Christ to consider and lament what Parliament has done.”

*****

Mark Short Becomes Australia’s First Evangelical Anglican Primate in Over 40 Years

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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: Bashing Bibi is not the way to go: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/168952512?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts