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Iran’s leading underground church planter tells of a remarkable turn to Christ from Islam by his people. 3,600 churches formed.   A WORLD EXCLUSIVE   The following is an interview with Reza (not his real name), a Christian leader in Iran’s underground church. He is a convert from Islam; one of millions. Tens of thousands of Iranian Muslims who have come to faith in Christ; more accurately, Christ has come to them in dreams, leading them out of the bondage of Islam into the light of Christ.   VOL was able to obtain this exclusive, unprecedented interview through an Anglican missionary serving in the Middle East. For obvious reasons, we cannot reveal their names. The persecution of Christians is a reality, and many Iranians, converts from Islam, are jailed for becoming Christians. Some die in jail.   By David W. Virtue, DD www.virueonline.org January 10, 2026   VOL: How long have you been doing gospel work?   REZA: I have been doing this Gospel work, church planting and ministry for eight years now. I’m 46 years old.   VOL: Did you grow up in a Muslim family?   REZA:   Yes, my family were serious Muslims, but they didn’t care very much. Now they are all Christians. My home city was strongly Muslim. Some are Sunni but not Shia. I am Kurdish, and we are all Sunni Muslims.   VOL: Tell us about your conversion to Christ, how did you come to faith in Jesus?   REZA: It started a long time ago when I first questioned the Quran on the return of Jesus, known as Prophet Isa. I was told he will return to the world before the Last Day. Muslims believe that Isa will rule for 40 years, then die, and be buried next to Prophet Muhammad. This event is expected to be a sign of the Last Day.  I was not happy with this answer. Then I had a dream. I saw Jesus coming from the sky, and I found out that Jesus is different from what the Quran teaches. When I researched about Jesus, I found out who he really is.  and chose him. On that day, eight years ago, I chose Jesus.   VOL: Would it be fair to say that Jesus chose you?   REZA: Yes. I left Islam, and just parked my faith for four years, doing nothing much; wasting my time in other ways. Then I began to read the Quran. The God of Islam in the Quran would change his words; they were not consistent. It was sometimes yes and sometimes no. In one of the Quranic passages in the Quran God is saying, ‘If people do not believe me, pray for them. But at the end of the Quran, God says, ‘If people do not believe me, kill them.’ And what is written later overrules what was written earlier.   VOL: We are hearing in the United States that something like 2000 Muslims are coming to Jesus every day in Iran. Is that true? Is it a big movement?   REZA : Yes, it is a big movement. A lot of people are having dreams about Jesus.   VOL: What percentage do you think have these dreams that has grown the underground church?   REZA: We are not sure. But we hear a lot about these experiences. They see Jesus as different; they see him as God and Savior. The Quran does not.   VOL: What does Jesus look like to them?  How does he look? Are they scared of him? Or is he nice?   REZA: All the people say they love Jesus because he is so different than what they see in the Quran. They see Transfiguration Jesus. He is bright, He is light and He is love. They see love.   VOL:   What does Jesus tell them? Does he talk to them?   REZA: He talks to them; he shows himself to them.  For me, for example, he showed me that all people are slaves to sin. And that he’s coming to free them; to set them free. I found that Jesus was the only way.   VOL: Is that the same for everyone?   REZA: Many say this is nice, but I need to learn more. Accepting Jesus can happen very quickly when they have a dream encounter, but then they think about it? Dreams make them think about it. Some of them say yes, immediately, I understand it. But for others, they need to go and research it.   VOL: Are there other believers who can help disciple and explain it to them?   REZA: It's not easy in Iran to find a believer. Because it's forbidden in Iran to leave Islam. So it’s more like that you are looking for people who have dreams and you listen to their stories. We are always looking for them.  “Have you had a dream? Do you know someone who has had a dream? Having a Bible in Iran is not easy. We have to be active as disciplers. They don't come to you. You have to go out and find them. VOL: I understand you're leading a network with over 3600 churches now; is that right?   REZA : Yes, around that figure.   VOL : That's awesome. How many years has it taken you to get there?   REZA : Eight years of hard work.   VOL: And how many generations does that represent?   REZA : More than 10 generations now.   VOL: How is a generation defined?   REZA: A disciple who makes a disciple is one generation. When that disciple, the second generation, makes a disciple, then that person is a third-generation believer. The same goes for churches. When a church plants a church, the new church is generation two. Generations are the best way to measure sustained growth and multiplication.   VOL : We've been told that there are 75,000 mosques in Iran, but 50,000 have closed. Is that true?   REZA: It's true. 100% yes. It happened in a short period of time. Islam is collapsing; the younger generations doesn’t don't care about Islam; the younger ones are the new believers.   VOL: The big question is how do you do evangelism and discipleship in Iran?. What's the best way to go about it? REZA : We introduce them by telling them how Jesus is the Christ.   VOL: How do you do that?   REZA : We do it online, and we have people inside Iran. They each have people, whom we call them oikos (family and friends), with whom they are close and they just go and share the gospel with them. You help them write out their oikos list, then you train them how to share the gospel. It's that simple, and then you put them right into a group. From the group we will then form a house church.   VOL: What do you hear about America?   REZA: When we hear things from America, we don’t understand, we don’t trust it right away. We have to check; we have to verify. Americans ask a lot of questions, but they're very supportive. I think they want to help, they want to pray, but they just want to know, really, what's going on. They say they are hearing that something big is going on, but they don't know what it looks like. In Iran we don’t have officials, like pastors, or clergy, or bishops; our believers don't go to Bible college, and they're not ordained, they don't wear a clergy collar shirt. We just experience the power of Christ in our lives. We give it a face, and then we just go and share this face with every day, normal people, not anybody special. We don't have Bible colleges or seminaries but we do have a lot of experience with the miracle power of Christ, and we often do not have Bibles.   VOL: Can you get the Bible on your phone?   REZA: Yes, we can. We can physically move some Bibles around, but it's very risky and complicated.   VOL: What do you see is the role now of Western missionaries?   REZA: The old way of doing mission work was for Westerners to come in. They stayed for a long time, and did everything and they ran everything. But now it is different. Westerners come in but they stay off to the side, saying it's your work, your church. We're just friends. It's not ours. We don't run it. We’re not in charge, you are. Westerners come in and help us along the way, but it's our work. Western missionaries just serve and release the work for us to do. It’s a better way to go and more effective.   VOL: How best can Americans help?   REZA : Right now, you can help by supporting the training of people to make them missionaries inside Iran. And then we can send them to lost places. The best job for me is to have you help with the training of our own Iranian missionaries and then go to unreached areas and send them out. It is also good when you come from the other side of the world to really encourage, help and serve us. We appreciate that.   What is hard for Americans is they are so concerned with being busy, busy, busy, and   wanting results, results, results. In our culture, you first have to be friends. We don’t do business first. You have to have a relationship. Nothing is going to happen until you have a relationship. But Americans generally don't want a relationship, they just want results, spreadsheets, reports and numbers, but that’s not why I'm here. The number one thing is relationships. I think it is biblical.   VOL: A lot of American preachers think we are living in the End Times because things look bad, Jesus is about to return. From where you sit, what do you think?   REZA: That might be how some American preachers see it; the world is going to end soon. But it looks to us like God is just getting started. So we have time. We have millions and millions who haven’t heard about Jesus; they don't know Jesus as their Savior. We need to tell everyone. And presently I would like to say we are in the middle of seeing the biggest move of God in history.   When people know Jesus as God and Savior, they will taste his power in their life, and they will just go out and share this faith with people close to them; family and close friends. Most of them will believe. They also see miracles in their lives. That's why the church is growing. Asking Jesus to come back now is very selfish of Westerners. We now have churches in all 31 states. But our new goal is to have a church in all 483 counties. We call them shahristan. We need time. We start with oikos, and then we find people who have a heart for Jesus and who want to serve Jesus as a missionary. We then deploy them and make a plan to send them to another county.   VOL: Do you think this time of upheaval that people don't care about their lives.   REZA: It is really different this time; people are now willing to die. People are being shot and butchered. They’re willing to pay the cost. But some of the police are also helping the protestors. This is new.   VOL: Are you able to get information out; is it hard to get information from inside Iran?   REZA : They make the Internet so weak it's hard right now, but we still have people there that we can talk to.   VOL: We've heard about the shortage of water. They don't have water in Tehran. Is it very serious?   REZA: Yes, they have a problem with water. It’s been a long time coming. Even though I'm not there, the regime really wants to kill people and destroy all of Iran. The Ayatollahs are the enemy of Iran. Iran is foreign foreign-controlled. Iran is controlled by Russia and others, some of them are Indian, they are not Iranians.   VOL: I’ve never heard that before. Have you ever gotten into trouble personally for following Jesus?   REZA: Yes, I have and so have a lot of people. When they find out we are sharing Jesus with people, they try to take us to jail. I had to leave my city 10 years ago. I skipped away from Iran. I have never gone back.   VOL: Do you and your friends still get into trouble?   REZA: Recently, they took one of my friends inside Iran and put him in jail. They asked him to be a spy to find out who's in the network and who is working with them. Then the regime will take them all to jail. One of my friends needs emergency care. He needs a therapist; he tried to kill himself. I don't know what happened to him in jail. Maybe he has killed himself. The regime is always looking for Christians. They have spies. So, I know some places where we've worked that have many spies in place. It is always dangerous for us. But this doesn’t slow us down. If we meet somebody and they are interested, we don’t share much for the first six months just to make sure that they are okay with us. We watch them for a while. That is why we are slow. We don't open the door for everyone.   VOL: What can Americans do; what would you ask them to pray for? How can they pray for you in your work?   REZA: We want people to know Jesus, for God to touch their hearts. I think this is a prayer that God will answer. A lot of people have a dream about Jesus. When you share Jesus with them, they are interested. So, pray for Jesus to come in dreams and visions.   Western Christians can also help in supporting us, like supporting us to bring some Iranian Believers people who want to serve Jesus. We train them to go back home to make disciples and go on to form house churches.   Now we have lots of people who are forming groups and churches. Over 3,600. They then form small groups. Leaders work full time to support themselves and their families; Many   making time for ministry can be very challenging; they work and they don't have time. Westerners can help to free up local Gospel workers to engage in them for full -time ministry, serving God. And they’re so much less expensive than supporting Western missionaries. Having full full-time local Iranian Gospel workers, gospel workers is our goal. That is the number one thing, along with training.  We bring them across the border, teach them and send them back to evangelize and disciple the next generation.   VOL: What part does the enemy play in all this?   REZA: Sometimes we call out demons and see deliverance. Sometimes it is healing. We grow fast when people see what is happening. We have seen this in 17 states where deliverance has taken place. Our fastest-moving, biggest discipleship stream is heavily involved with deliverance ministry. This is what they are known for.   VOL: Do they have a strong leader?   REZA: We have 25 very strong, big – we call them “apostolic” -- leaders. And more are coming up. But we need to support them. That is our challenge. They don't need anything else, really. The story of Joshua is a favorite theme.   VOL: How do you coach and take care of these churches in Iran?   REZA: Once a month, I call them. I ask, how is everything? How can we help? How can I pray for you? I do all this over the phone. Sometimes we use Google meet.   VOL : Thank you for your time, Reza.   If people want to support Reza and his gospel work, a link is here https://giving.lovefortheleast.org/give/384996/#!/donation/checkout   Or use our mailing address L4L, PO Box 15579, Colorado Springs, CO 80935. Put “Reza” in memo line. Do not put “Iran” anywhere. Homeland Security will intercept.

Scripture passages the group read included Leviticus 18:22, which says, "Do not lie with a male as one lies with a woman; it is an abhorrence." And Romans 1:26-27, which refers to homosexual acts as "shameless." The interpretation of these and other verses creates the chasm that divides conservatives and liberals on the issue. Conservative Christians apply the Bible literally and say it's clear that homosexuality is a sin like greed, anger or lust. And no religious leader who openly practices any sin should be endorsed, they say. But Robinson and Greenberg said there is more than one way to interpret the Scriptures. "We both take the texts very seriously," Robinson said. "We both think the way to deal with those few, brief verses which supposedly deal with homosexuality is to go through the text and not around the text by eliminating the text." Greenberg said he believes in scriptural authority and that the Torah is the word of God. But he finds it "astounding" that anyone including pastors or rabbis would claim to know the true meaning of any verse. "I just think it's marvelously, amazingly unclear, and intentionally so," he said. "Because were it clear it would have died a very early death. Its divinity is in the multiplicity of possibilities that it embodies." Rabbi Mark Diamond, executive vice president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, said the textual discourse was a step in the right direction, but that it's often more difficult to interact with those of the same faith. "The discourse and heated rhetoric within our own faith traditions is more challenging to us," he said. Greenberg said discussions about homosexuality are just beginning within Orthodox Judaism. The Rev. J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, said the debate has been ongoing for 30 years in his denomination. The Rev. Susan Russell, executive director of Claiming the Blessing, a collaborative of organizations that promote issues like the inclusion of homosexuals in the Episcopal church and the blessing of same-sex relationships, said only a few participants at Thursday's seminar were conservative theologically. It was mostly "preaching to the choir," Russell said. 'But the choir needs preaching, too!' Russell said conversations between people with conflicting interpretations of Scripture can take place if people don't feel they have to change each other's minds. "The essential ingredient for healthy dialogue is the willingness to admit you might be wrong," Russell said. "... My salvation doesn't depend on being right, but on being faithful." Robinson's election as bishop triggered an avalanche of controversy in the Anglican church. The Rev. Gene Wallace, of Church of the Transfiguration in Arcadia, said recently the debate has hurt his church, which has lost donations and members. Conservatives are rallying around the American Anglican Council, a group formed in 1996 to try and reform the denomination by preserving the orthodox Anglican tradition and Biblical authority. "We cannot pretend that all is well," the AAC states on its Web site. "We cannot ignore that ECUSA has abandoned 2,000 years of Christian moral teaching as well as Anglican tradition." Other conservatives have left Episcopal parishes altogether, and some who have remained are withholding their money from the diocese. Several international Anglican provinces have excommunicated the Episcopal Church USA over the issue. Robinson said he's "very hopeful" the Holy Spirit will pull the two sides together. Episcopalians hold a spectrum of viewpoints on many issues, including abortion, who should be president and the war in Iraq, he said. "The question is: Can we come together at the communion rail, be nourished by the body and blood of Christ, and then go back to our pews and fight about abortion and whether we should be in Iraq," Robinson said. The conservatives will have to decide if they can continue to come together, Robinson said. "I don't hear anyone wanting them to leave," he said. "But they'll have to decide that." END

Special Report By David W. Virtue Orthodox Episcopal clergy across the US can now give input to the Lambeth (Eames) Commission and speak directly to the commissioners with their views and opinions as the report is being shaped. The Letter to the Eames Commission is the brainchild of Canon David Roseberry, rector Christ Church, Plano, one of the largest orthodox parishes in ECUSA. (You can see and sign the petition at www.virtuosityonline.org) “I felt that the voices of thousands of clergy should be heard,” said Roseberry to Virtuosity. “With the advent of the INTERNET that is now possible. We strongly urge all those clergy who grieve over the state of Anglicanism in North America and who oppose the recent actions of General convention to write and tell the commission.” “We are deeply grieved over the state of Anglicanism in North America. It is being torn apart through actions that we thoroughly oppose. We repudiate the decision of the 2003 General Convention's consent to, and the subsequent consecration of, a non-celibate homosexual to be a bishop of the church. We reject the acceptance and promotion of same-sex blessings as part of the common life of our church. These introduced unbiblical and immoral teaching into the church, have jeopardized our common witness, and have brought into question our standing in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” “We want to see a roll back of the pansexual agenda in ECUSA. WeUnderstood. I’ll now: Remove all HTML tags Extract and clean the plain text Identify headlines (article titles) Convert headlines to ALL CAPS Make headlines bold using ** syntax Here is the edited result:

Memorandum to: The Clergy and People of the Diocese of Central Florida From: Bishop John W. Howe Regarding: The Church of the New Covenant Dear Brothers and Sisters, As you know, on February 5, 2004 the Rector and representatives of the Vestry of the Church of the New Covenant in Winter Springs informed the Chancellor and the Bishop of the Diocese that they had unanimously passed two resolutions the previous month. The first claimed that the Episcopal Church, USA, had abandoned its authority over the Church of the New Covenant, and the second set forth a process to transfer title of the property to a separate corporation not part of the Episcopal Church. They claimed to speak for "95 to 100 percent" of the present congregation in wishing to "come out from under the authority of the Episcopal Church." Our response was that those who wish to leave the Episcopal Church are free to do so, but clergy or members of a Vestry of an Episcopal church cannot make such resolutions while they are still in office. Accession to the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church is a prerequisite to holding such an office in a local congregation. I instructed them that if they wished to leave the Episcopal Church they would have to resign their respective positions at the Church of the New Covenant. Further, we advised them that transferring the title to the property without the prior approval of the Bishop, the Diocesan Board, and the Standing Committee would be illegal under the laws of both the Episcopal Church and (therefore) the State of Florida. I asked them to rescind these two resolutions or resign "immediately." When over a week had passed without a response, the Chancellor filed a lawsuit with the Circuit Court of Seminole County to prevent the transfer of title. That same day the Vestry informed us they had, in fact, rescinded the second resolution regarding transferring title. However, they then filed a countersuit arguing that the actions of last summer’s General Convention constituted such a departure from Anglican orthodoxy that the Episcopal Church has no further legitimate authority over the Church of the New Covenant. They asserted not only the "right" to separate themselves -- as the Church of the New Covenant -- but to take the property with them at a fraction of its current value, since CNC is essentially a one-generation church, and the present membership has paid nearly all of the costs of construction. Both "sides" asked the Court for non-binding mediation (which the Court would have ordered, anyway). That mediation took place on April 12, 2004, and it resulted in a comprehensive agreement that was approved by the Diocesan Board, the Standing Committee, and the Vestry of the Church of the New Covenant on April 15, 2004. This agreement was arrived at after nearly 14 hours of mediation where many factors were under consideration. The agreement includes the following particulars: The Vestry of the Church of the New Covenant will rescind the resolution disavowing the authority of the Episcopal Church. Both "sides" will dismiss the lawsuits without prejudice. On or before June 1, 2004 the Rector and the members of the Vestry will resign, in order to form a new church entity. I have agreed to write letters dimissory for the Rev. Carl Buffington to whatever Anglican Province or diocese he wishes to affiliate with. Between now and June 1, 2004, I will contact the present members of the Church of the New Covenant (as will Fr. Buffington), to ascertain, on a confidential basis, their desire to remain members of the Church of the New Covenant, the Diocese of Central Florida, and the Episcopal Church USA, OR to leave to become part of the new church entity. I will assure those who wish to remain that the Bishop and the Diocese of Central Florida will continue to provide pastoral care for them. The new church entity will lease the property from the Church of the New Covenant (via the Diocese of Central Florida) for one year, while providing space for the continuing congregation of the Church of the New Covenant to hold separate services of worship as it rebuilds itself under the leadership of new clergy who will be appointed by the Bishop. Prior to the end of the one-year lease the Diocese of Central Florida will determine whether or not to utilize the property for a mission congregation or parish of the Diocese. a. If the Diocese does determine to utilize the property for a mission or parish, the new church entity may extend the lease for one year while the new entity prepares to relocate elsewhere. b. If the Diocese determines it will not utilize the property for a mission or parish of the Diocese it will agree to sell the property to the new church entity at Fair Market Value (as established by a mutually agreed appraisal), with an interest-free 30-year payout. If the new entity purchases the property, the lease payments will be credited toward this payout. I am deeply saddened that we have arrived at this juncture, but I am grateful for the good will of all concerned, and the prayers of so many throughout the Diocese. It is my commitment to provide continuing pastoral care for those who wish to stay, and to say to those who wish to leave, "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." Warmest regards in him, +John W. Howe Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida 1017 East Robinson Street Orlando, Florida 32801 407-423-3567

BBC News Gay Church of England cleric Jeffrey John is coming under pressure to step down from his new position of Dean of St Albans. A group of around 40 evangelical clergy and laity in the St Albans diocese met on Tuesday to express their "dismay" at his appointment. It comes less than a year after he was forced to withdraw his acceptance of the post of Bishop of Reading. His appointment had sparked a storm of protest from Anglican conservatives. Since then, the first openly gay bishop has been consecrated in New Hampshire in the US. And the Anglican Communion has set up a commission to examine how to handle the issue of gay priests. In the meantime, the government and church authorities were urged to hold off making controversial appointments until the commission's findings were known. This drives a coach and horses through what we had considered to be a time for reflection and deep prayer Canon Nicholas Bell Downing Street's announcement last week of Dr John's appointment as Dean of St Albans has provoked further anger among some sections of the Anglican community. In a statement, the St Albans Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship said the move was a "serious error" of judgement. The group said it was "aggrieved" that the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Christopher Herbert, had agreed to the appointment. Its "disquiet and concern" was further compounded by statements made at a news conference last week by Dr John and Bishop Herbert. "We regard their views, as reported, as wholly erroneous and contrary to scripture," the statement said. 'Serious error' "We respectfully request that the appointment be withdrawn," it added. Canon Nicholas Bell, of St Mary's Church, Luton, said the appointment had been "sprung" on the diocese. And he said he was considering resigning his post as a member of the college of canons at St Alban's Cathedral. "This drives a coach and horses through what we had considered to be a time for reflection and deep prayer," he said. A statement from the diocese said Bishop Herbert was out of the country leading a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. But he would be "pleased" to meet diocesan clergy and official representatives of parishes concerned about Dr John's appointment after his return to the UK on 7 May, it said. END

Dear Archbishop Eames: Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are clergy of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. We are very grateful for your faithfulness and willingness to serve the Communion during these very trying times. These days have been very difficult and demanding for all of us and we make our appeal to you based on our love for the Lord Jesus, our fellowship in the Gospel, and our devotion to the unity of the Anglican Communion. We are deeply grieved over the state of Anglicanism in North America. It is being torn apart through actions that we thoroughly oppose. We repudiate the decision of the 2003 General Convention's consent to, and the subsequent consecration of, a non-celibate homosexual to be a bishop of the church. We reject the acceptance and promotion of same-sex blessings as part of the common life of our church. These innovations have introduced unbiblical and immoral teaching into the church, have jeopardized our common witness, and have brought into question our standing in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We have called upon the leadership of the church to repent of and reverse these unbiblical and schismatic actions, but to no avail. These actions are harming the pastoral and evangelistic ministry that we lead and will prove fatal to the unity of the church. The most recent plan proposed by the Episcopal House of Bishops to provide delegated Episcopal oversight is inadequate because all of the power remains with the revisionist bishops. It does not acknowledge the depth of the crisis facing our Church, it deals insufficiently with Episcopal pastoral care of faithful congregations and clergy, and it fails entirely to address such issues as ordination, the calling of clergy, church planting, finances or property. We appeal to you and your commission for your urgent assistance in the restoration of biblical orthodoxy and unity. Without the imposition of discipline, the situation will only continue to deteriorate. We ask you to declare the need for immediate intervention to establish discipline, order, and accountability for the Episcopal Church. We are greatly heartened to know that so many of our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion are standing with us at this time. While the situation here is painful, it is encouraging to know that the things we believe are the norm in most of the communion. The prayers and support of faithful people around the world strengthen us and their fellowship is a joy and witness to us. We appeal to you to protect these relationships in your final report to the Primates of the Anglican Communion. Yours in Christ and for His Gospel, To Add your signature to this letter please visit the following address: (CLERGY ONLY). http://69.56.194.122/creatives/episcopalchurch/Sign%20Letter.htm Press submit only once. You will receive an email right after you hit "Submit", asking you to confirm your signature. Please check your email once you are done submitting your signature. Your signature cannot be added until you confirm it via email. Thank you

The Rev. Julian Rush watched the headlines as 13 United Methodist pastors in the Pacific Northwest judged the fate of one of their colleagues. Few, if any, facts were in dispute. The Rev. Karen Dammann was living openly in a lesbian relationship and leveled with her superiors. And everyone knew, after a generation of bitter strife, that their Book of Discipline banned "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from ministry, because gay sex is "incompatible with Christian teachings." Rush wasn't surprised by the trial and he wasn't surprised by the verdict -- not guilty. After all, he survived a similar ecclesiastical minefield two decades ago in Colorado. "What surprised me was the way the news reports brought it all back," said Rush, 67, who rocked the whole United Methodist Church when he left the closet in 1981. "It was spooky, like a flashback. ... I remembered that whole feeling of powerlessness and total vulnerability. "I think that's probably a good thing. No matter how much progress we've made, we need to be reminded that things aren't settled yet." Rush eventually retired with his clergy credentials intact. In the mid-1980s, his peers in the Rocky Mountain region twice ruled that there was "insufficient evidence" to bring the AIDS activist and former youth pastor to trial. After all, church law focused on "self-avowed practicing" homosexuals and Rush simply declined to answer questions about his sex life. "I remember my lawyer saying, 'Make them prove it,'" said Rush, whose easy-going manner still betrays his Mississippi roots. "What were they going to do, hire a private investigator? No one wanted to do such an unseemly thing." The Dammann jury found a similar technicality. While the Discipline says "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings," the jury ruled that it never formally, legally, makes a "declaration" of this. But the jury did find this declarative statement: "Inclusiveness means openness, acceptance, and support that enables all persons to participate in the life of the Church, the community and the world. Thus, inclusiveness denies every semblance of discrimination." Based on decades of experience, Rush knows what will happen next. Furious conservatives will, on April 27, arrive at the two-week national United Methodist General Conference "with their nostrils flared and breathing fire," he said. At the same time, the confidence of the church's progressive establishment will "move up a notch or two" after a much-publicized victory. Both sides will go to Pittsburgh "with their guns loaded," he said. The Internet is buzzing with drafts of resolutions to fix the Discipline and to force the bishops to get their flocks under control. Leaders on both sides acknowledge that the evangelical, growing churches of the heartland and Bible Belt hold a clear majority. Some of their leaders will call for repentance and reform in the Pacific Northwest. "Fact is ... we don't need anything more in the Book of Discipline. We just need folks who are willing to abide by it or enforce it," said the Rev. James V. Heidinger II, president of the Good News renewal movement. "We could tweak and tighten, but unless folks are willing to abide by the will of General Conference, they will always find some words to parse or interpret differently." Strangely enough, Rush basically agrees with this legal opinion. Laws cannot hide the fact that the United Methodist Church contains two radically different approaches to the faith, he said. Traditionalists believe there is an "established," "infallible" and "permanent core of doctrine that people have to believe if they are going to be Christians," said Rush. But the "liberal side of the church sees itself as open and expansive and its doctrine, quite frankly, is not as well defined. It sees faith as a kind of process and it is constantly changing. ... "One side knows how to lay down the law and the other side knows how to emote." But the infighting will continue, said Rush, because everyone is afraid to push the scary button labeled "schism." That would be financially devastating. "Everyone dances around that button," he said. "They really aren't trying to be clear and specific. They have to keep the Discipline vague enough to keep everyone in the tent. You end up with a kind of spiritual schizophrenia, but it holds things together."

St Alban's Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship reacts to Jeffrey John appointment 27th April 2004 Reflecting the widespread concern over the appointment of Canon Jeffrey John to be Dean of St. Albans, a meeting of the Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship committee, together with a large number of clergy and laity from across the St Albans Diocese, expressed dismay at this appointment and the consequences that will flow from it. We recognise that the ministry of the Dean is confined primarily to the Cathedral but in view of the role such a person takes in the Diocese as a whole and also the importance of the Cathedral as one of the larger churches in the Diocese we regret this appointment. We note that this particular appointment has been made despite the request of the Lambeth Commission that perceived controversial appointments should be avoided during their 12 months consultation period. We consequently regard this step as a serious error of judgement. Furthermore, we are aggrieved that the Diocesan Bishop, who has also called on people not to take precipitate action, should have agreed to the appointment, thus creating division within the Diocese and the wider Anglican Communion. Such disquiet and concern has been compounded by the statements made at the Press Conference, both by Canon Jeffrey John and the Bishop of St. Albans. We regard their views as reported as wholly erroneous and contrary to Scripture, tradition and reason, as well as the statements of the House of Bishops (‘Issues in Human Sexuality’) and the Anglican Communion. We respectfully request that the appointment be withdrawn. We recognise that individual clergy, congregations and lay members have taken, or will wish to take, further action. We will continue to consult, work and pray together for the advancement of the gospel of Christ and the upholding of biblical standards in the Diocese. For further information, please contact: Revd Canon Nick Bell, Vicar of St Mary’s Parish Church, Luton Tel: 01582 721867, Email: nickbell@stmarysluton.org Canon Mr Philip Lovegrove, OBE, Chairman of the St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance Tel: 0207 448 4754, Home: 01462 481880, Email: philip.lovegrove@fiskeplc.com

Ethics & Religion Support for Federal Marriage Amendment Grows by Michael J. McManus This week an Oregon judge gave advocates of gay marriage an historic victory - the nation's first recognition of same-sex marriages. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Frank Bearden told the county to stop issuing licenses for same-sex marriages. But he ordered Oregon's legislature to recognize the 3,022 marriage licenses issued since March 3 to gay couples, and to pass a new law legalizing same-sex unions. Does this sound familiar? The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in November that gay couples have the right to marry and ordered the state legislature to make same-sex marriages possible within 180 days. The magic day is May 17, when Massachusetts is slated to begin allowing gay marriage. The legislature did not do as it was told. It began the process of passing a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to the union of a man and a woman. But the amendment would also legalize civil same-sex unions, which is marriage by another name. However, to be adopted, it must re-pass the legislature in 2005 and then be approved by the voters in a 2006 referendum. Gov. Mitt Romney asked the state's highest court to stay its order, pending full Massachusetts acceptance or rejection of the amendment. That's unlikely. The state's Attorney General, a Democrat, supports the court decision, while Romney is a Republican. What's common to both cases is fierce judicial activism, in which a court orders the legislature to pass a law granting same sex couples either the right of marriage or civil union. In studying American history, I learned it is the job of elected leaders to pass laws, and for the courts to interpret them. On this issue, however, elected leaders have also acted illegally. San Francisco's mayor ordered city clerks to grant homosexual and lesbian couples marriage licenses, though Californians voted in a referendum that marriage is between a man and a woman. One prescient man foresaw these developments and developed a long-shot answer - a U.S. Federal Marriage Amendment that states "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any state shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman." Matt Daniels is the man of the hour. Although white, he grew up in Spanish Harlem as a son of a father who deserted his mother when he was only two. "My growing up was miserable," he told USA Today. His father was "a gifted and irresponsible aspiring writer." His mother was a secretary until she was mugged and left disabled, depressed and on welfare. "Things would have been different if my father had been around." Matt was also attacked at knifepoint and gunpoint. No wonder Matt Daniels says, "Marriage is the key to reducing the high levels of youth crime and child poverty, caused by the epidemic of fatherless families in America." Inspired by his mother, he excelled at school, won a scholarship to Dartmouth and became a lawyer. He created the Alliance for Marriage to craft a Federal Marriage Amendment several years ago. Anticipating the argument that gay marriage is a civil rights issue, he first won the backing of Rev. Walter Fauntroy, a former aide to Martin Luther King, Jr. Black denominations were his first national supporters. He now has the backing of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals. It was a brilliant strategy. Today a higher percentage of Hispanics and African-Americans say that marriage is the union of a man and a woman - than whites. And public support for the Federal Marriage Amendment has grown from 55 percent last July to 64 percent. Equally important, President Bush has given his support, as have 118 Members of Congress and leading U.S. Senators such as Majority Leader Bill Frist. However, the amendment is opposed by such conservative groups as Concerned Women for America. Its president, Janet LaRue, is concerned that the amendment would allow states "to create marriage in another name, a phony marriage." Vermont's law permitting same sex civil unions would be untouched by the amendment. Finally, few Democrats in the House or Senate co-sponsor the amendment that must win the support of two-thirds of Congress. So far, the public seems apathetic. Few have called or written Congress. Gay marriage is not inevitable, but it is likely unless an aroused public demands the constitutional protection of marriage. END TXT Copyright 2004 Michael J. McManus

Church of Apostles no longer funds diocese, national church By Frank E. Lockwood HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER PRESTONSBURG - Leaders of a Lexington Episcopal congregation, objecting to the consecration of openly gay bishop Gene Robinson, are no longer sharing communion with Lexington Bishop Stacy Sauls. Church of the Apostles, a 7-year-old evangelical parish, has stopped giving money to the Lexington diocese and the Episcopal Church USA. The congregation, with an average attendance of about 110 people, has contemporary worship services -- no pews, prayer books or pipe organs. But it adheres to traditional scriptural interpretations, and is in "impaired communion" with the diocese, said its minister, the Rev. Martin Gornik. The Lexington parish is the second parish to publicly challenge Sauls. Saint John's Church in Versailles split in January after diocesan leaders dismissed that church's governing board. Earlier this month, the church's governing board voted unanimously to join the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes -- a national group which claims the Episcopal Church has abandoned "the historic faith of the Bible." Yesterday, at the diocese's annual convention, Gornik and four members of his congregation declined to take bread and wine which Sauls had consecrated. They sat in silence while others went forward. "Clearly, this is an unusual thing," Sauls said afterward. The impaired communion capped a day that featured diocesan elections, a worship service and a brief debate about marriage for gays. Asked whether he thinks Apostles will leave the Episcopal Church, Sauls said he doubts that will happen, but added, "It certainly is a possibility that can't be ruled out." Gornik said the congregation is committed to the Anglican tradition. But locally, Apostles will continue to dissent "until there is a change in direction by the leadership of the diocese." Relations have been strained since Sauls voted to approve the election of Robinson, a Lexington native, as bishop of New Hampshire. "It is serious and grievous that our diocese cannot affirm what we understand to be basic and central teachings of the faith," Gornik said. Sauls said he respects Gornik and hopes the relationship will be restored. "I do not consider myself in impaired communion with them in any way," he said. "But I respect the fact that they see the relationship as impaired from their perspective." In recent weeks, Episcopal leaders have downplayed the importance of correctly interpreting scripture. The Episcopal bishop of Virginia, Peter James Lee, recently told his diocese's annual convention: "If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy." Sauls put it differently. Saying that "Scripture is full of logical inconsistencies," he told his annual convention Friday that "when it comes to family, how I love matters more than how I think." Loving each other, Sauls told the convention, "matters more than how many other commandments, laws or rules I can quote or how many specks I can see in the eyes of others while ignoring the log in my own." Gornik said he can't support efforts "to revise and change what has been understood as traditional and historic teachings of the church, based on scripture." Since founding Church of the Apostles in 1996, "We have taught, preached, discipled and formed people in the orthodox traditions of the church. That's who we are." In other convention business: • A resolution opposing marriages for gay couples in the church, tabled by the convention's resolutions committee, remained off the agenda -- despite protests from some deputies. Lay deputies voted 54-46 not to debate the issue now, siding with a resolutions committee which Sauls had appointed. Clergy voted 19-7 to delay the discussion. • The convention voted to oppose the death penalty for juvenile offenders and to increase assistance to Haiti. • Deputies approved a resolution praising Sauls' "perseverance, wisdom and visionary leadership." END

News Analysis By Uwe Siemon-Netto UPI Religion Editor WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) -- As soon as Sheikh Mohammed Mohammed Ali leaves his house in Baghdad for a drive around town, he takes off his white turban that marks him as a Shiite Muslim scholar, and places it on the seat next to him in his Toyota. "Many Shiite clerics are doing this. It's safer that way," he told United Press International Monday in a telephone interview from his London home where he had just returned after an extended stay in Iraq. "My turban would make me a target of Wahhabi assassins, who have already killed so many Shiite scholars. That's why I wear the turban only indoors -- and always in the mosque." The Shiite clerics' turbans, which are distinct from the headgear of Sunni imams, come either in black or in white, depending on whether the bearer is a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed -- in which case black is the proper color -- or not. Mohammed Mohammed Ali wears white. Wahhabis, a puritanical sect that originated in present-day Saudi Arabia in the 18th century, have traditionally not been part of the religious scene in Iraq. "They have begun infiltrating the country already in the last 10 years of Saddam Hussein's regime," said Ali, who before the outbreak of the war was a leader of the London-based Iraqi National Council. "The Sunni sects in Iraq used to be non-violent. But then the Wahhabis came and bribed Iraqi Muslims to join them. This way they took control of mosques even in Najaf and Karbala (the Shiites' holy cities), and in Basra in the South." Complaints by Shiites that Wahhabi infiltrators target them for assassination have been common almost since the beginning of the current war more than a year ago. They also claim that adherents of this sect are intent on provoking a war between the Shiite majority and the Sunni minority. But the sect's spokesmen angrily contest reports in some of the most respectable Western media, including London's Daily Telegraph and the Christian Science Monitor, that its agents are fanning the Iraqi insurgency. A book titled "The Wahhabi Myth" authored by Maneef James Oliver and authenticated by Sheikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee, a top religious leader in Saudi Arabia, attributes the extremism of Osama bin Laden and his fellow terrorist to a different source. "They are adherents of a newly risen sect called Qutbism, whose origins come from Egypt, not Saudi Arabia," he wrote. This movement is named after Sayyid Qutb who founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. As the London newspaper, The Independent, observed two years ago, this is not an Islamic tradition but very much a Western-based ideology. In an article titled, "How Marx turned Muslim," the Independent's correspondent John Gray explained, "The inspiration for Qutb's thought is not so much the Koran but the current Western philosophy embodied in thinkers such as Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Heidegger." But Mohammed Mohammed Ali, a moderate Shiite scholar propagating interfaith harmony as the only possible means to bring peace to Iraq, does not see things that way. "In the last 10 years there have been huge transfers of funds to Iraq to make Muslims convert from their own sect to extreme Wahhabism," he said. "This happened with the support from politicians in the Gulf states and many other Arab countries." While a prominent Wahhabi cleric, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Saalih al-'Uthatmeen, condemned terrorist outrages such as suicide bombings, saying their perpetrators would go to hell, the tradition of Wahhabi violence has a history of almost a quarter of a millennium. In "The Wahhabi Movement," historian Ted Thornton reminded his readers that in their zeal Wahhabis even once declared holy war on fellow Muslims, an act expressly forbidden by the Koran. They destroyed other believers' minarets and grave markers and, in 1802, the tomb of the Shiites' Imam Husayn in Karbala, their holy city in Iraq, an event that has remained unforgotten to this very day. Copyright © 2001-2004 United Press International

“Rather than encouraging honesty, charity, clarity and harmony within the American church and within the larger Communion, the leadership of ECUSA has resolutely pursued a course of response to evangelical outrage over Robinson’s consecration (and other related matters) that has furthered obscurantist denial, malicious accusation, ecclesial confusion, and discord – something we might have been spared had disengagement from the Communion by these leaders been pursued vigorously and openly from the start.” Anglican Communion Institute statement, April 2004. Dear Brothers and Sisters, COLORADO SPRINGS--It was a kairos moment in the life of the Episcopal Church this week when several hundred Episcopalians gathered in the Adams Mark hotel to actively penetrate the fog of the Episcopal Church’s revisionist hegemony. A former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. George Carey, along with a bevy of scholars and churchmen representing some of the best minds in the Anglican Communion, met to dissemble the latest spin coming out of western Anglicanism. Meeting under the auspices of the Anglican Communion Institute, the conference pulled no punches with its bold banner declaration: “The Future of Western Anglicanism – History and Hope.” In his opening remarks the Rev. Dr. Christopher Seitz, an American born theologian, now teaching at St. Andrew’s University in Edinburgh, said that the Anglican Communion, and the US Episcopal Church was at a crisis point “that we are all trying to adjust to.” “The situation is sufficiently messy, and unstable, and changing from moment to moment, that if one were to produce a tidy paper in preparation for this event, it would likely be dated by the time we assembled. Such is the volatile, confusing, indeed rather frightening, reality we now find ourselves in as Anglican Christians,” he said. Seitz said the Lambeth Commission, was an epicenter, clearing house, and dumping ground for the church’s present problems and confusions. “On the one hand, its timeliness as a meeting is obvious and essential, whatever one’s hopes for its outcomes or effectiveness. On the other hand, it serves the purpose of changing the subject if but for a brief season.” Seitz said it was by no means clear that the now-annual Primates Meeting would [ever] find themselves able to sit down and discuss, much less break bread or celebrate The Lord’s Supper, with Frank Griswold or Michael Peers of Canada. ‘The last emergency meeting in October led to an appeal for forbearance which, before the ink was dry, was ignored in the name of protecting the human rights and decision processes of a small diocese in a small American church, in a state whose motto is ’live free or die.’ Live free they did indeed. In the aftermath of that decision have come wave after wave of reaction and counter-reaction, so that the work of the Commission is super-heated beyond anyone’s imagining.” AMONG CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS were panelists working directly with the Commission and who are in contact with the Primates of the Global South, who met recently in Nairobi; or with Canterbury itself. Other input to the Commission is coming from England and elsewhere. The Anglican Communion Institute (ACI) completed its own submission which VIRTUOSITY has posted in today’s digest. The ACI leaders were convinced of many truths in their deliberations, but one single over arching truth exercised their minds the most - the discipline of the Presiding Bishop of ECUSA and of consenters to the consecration of Canon Robinson, as well as resolutions associated with same-sex blessings. Their main conviction was that unless such discipline was exercised against Griswold and 62 revisionist bishops, the Communion could not survive. What they resolved was that the Episcopal Church should separate itself from faithful orthodox Episcopalians who wish to uphold ‘the faith once delivered’ and who wanted to be in sync with the vast majority of Anglicans worldwide, and they should declare themselves a national, autonomous denomination with its own brand of religious faith lead by Griswold and those revisionist bishops who wish to join him. This, they argued, was the only honest way forward. They could take all the revisionist resolutions of the last half dozen General Conventions and practice them to their heart’s content. Issues of property, etc. could be resolved “graciously,” (a much favored word of Griswold), or the courts could decide. But at the end of the day, you would have one revisionist Episcopal Church, unaffiliated with the worldwide Anglican Communion, but perhaps in harmony with the majority of Anglicans in the Anglican Church in Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The faithful remnant would be THE Episcopal Church with full ties to the Anglican Communion. YOU CAN READ ALL THE STORIES IN TODAY’S DIGEST that flowed from this conference. Lord George Carey the former Archbishop of Canterbury had some harsh things to say about the Episcopal Church as did Dr. George Sumner, Canon Bill Atwood and others. This conference was truly a mixture of history and hope with much sober reflection on the reality that faces us as a Communion and the Episcopal Church. On a personal note I would like to say that I have rarely met such a group of men and women that embodied scholarly heads and pastoral hearts. Among them were Dr. Ashley Null, Dr. Edith Humphrey, Dr. Robert Prichard, Dr. Jeremy Begbie, Dr. Peter Walker, Dr. Ephraim Radner, Bishop John Karanja, Canon Bill Atwood and Dr. George Sumner. This writer was privileged to address a banquet gathering. Many of the speakers like Dr. Radner are scholars in pastoral ministries because their orthodox views are not welcome in liberal ECUSA seminaries. They labor uncomplainingly in the Episcopal vineyard, reviled by their revisionist bishops, but faithful to their Lord. Please feel free to post these stories far and wide as they deserve wide reception and reading. IN OTHER NEWS, the American Anglican Council has come out with a strong statement in support of the recent meeting of CAPA (African) Primates meeting in Nairobi. They like the African bishops chastise ECUSA for the moral positions it has taken. You can read their statement. Canon David Anderson, AAC’s president was at the ACI meeting in Colorado Springs, indicating that the realignment presently under way will embrace all those who stand against the revisionist Episcopal Moloch. THE DIOCESE OF LOUISIANA HELD THE LINE on sexuality issues at its recent convention. Following their bishop’s lead they said no to same-sex blessings and that celibacy for single persons or fidelity in marriage would be the standard. There were a number of resolutions affirming the church’s traditional teaching on human sexuality lead by orthodox Bishop Charles E. Jenkins. But even traditional dioceses are feeling the financial pinch. The diocese passed a budget of $1.4 million but the diocese will only send $78,000 to the national church, 66 percent less than last year. IN ENGLAND the Evangelical backlash over the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey John the homoerotic dean of St. Alban’s has aroused the wrath of the Church of England’s evangelicals. They have called for an urgent meeting with Tony Blair to express their fury at the appointment of the homosexual cleric Dr Jeffrey John as Dean of St Albans. No sooner did he get the job than Dr John pressed for the blessing of same-sex unions. In the latest word from England, the Evangelicals are threatening to withhold funds and possibly bankrupt the C of E. This is a tactic that North American Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic Episcopalians are doing in ECUSA. It’s a tactic that is worthy of emulating apparently. The liberals (in England) and the revisionists (in the US) are canonical fundamentalists and literalists when it comes to money. You can watch the presentments and threats start to really fly when dioceses start to mandate assessments and orthodox parishes start to balk. Hell hath no fury like a revisionist bishop scorned. KEEPING THEM IN THE DARK. A Virtuosity reader recently sent the following note. It is typical of what the revisionists are actively doing to keep people blind, deaf and dumb to its tactics. “While reading David Thorman's recent letter to Virtuosity, I was intrigued by his comment with regard to the events of General Convention last year. “I too knew absolutely nothing about the issues to be acted upon at General Convention, and this is why: “At my former parish, not one of the deanery members and delegates to diocesan convention ever bothered to tell the congregation about the issues coming before the August General Convention. They no doubt supposed that we would read about it in Episcopal Life or our diocesan paper. They evidently forgot that one of their responsibilities as representatives of their parish was to keep their fellow parishioners informed! So it is no wonder that I was surprised and taken off-guard, and consequently, I must assume that this same sort of thing happened in many other parishes. I therefore am not at all surprised that the reaction to the events at General Convention, followed by the "consecration" of Gene Robinson was as widespread and as negative as it was!” PLEASE NOTE A CHANGE OF WEB ADDRESS FOR THE NETWORK (NADCP). It was http://www.anglicancommuniondioceses.org it is now http://www.anglicancommunionnetwork.org. I AM POSTING a number of stories for your enlightenment and education. Please feel free to forward them to your friends. With the INTERNET nobody needs to stay in the dark anymore. Tell your friends to join by going to the website: www.virtuosityonline.org and joining up, or you can simply read the stories at the website. PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING VIRTUOSITY. New stories are posted daily to the website. If you want to stay completely current then go to www.virtuosityonline.org and scan through the categories that interest you. The dates will show how current the story is. Please know that your financial support and encouragement makes this ministry worthwhile. This is a critical year in the life of the Anglican Communion and VIRTUOSITY is pulling out all the stops to keep you informed on a daily basis. Please be generous and make a donation through PAYPAL at my website or send a check by snail mail to VIRTUOSITY, 1236 Waterford Rd., West Chester, PA 19380. Thank you. British readers can send their tax deductible cheque to: VIRTUOSITY c/- Brycedale 105 Ridgeway Northaw Herts EN6 4BG Thank you for your support. All blessings, David W. Virtue DD