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From: Evangelical Fellowship of Irish Clergy An Anglican cleric who led the protest against the blessing of same-sex unions is to address Church of Ireland clergy in the coming week. The Rev. David Short, rector of St John's, Shaughnessy, Vancouver, made his protest after his Bishop in the Canadian diocese of New Westminster permitted rites for so-called 'gay marriages'. His parish, along with ten others, formed a coalition, the Anglican Communion in New Westminster (ACiNW), which has been recognised by the past and present Archbishops of Canterbury. Currently, the ACiNW represents 25% of the worshipping community in New Westminster. Chief among their concerns is the departure from traditional Biblical Christian faith and morals within the Church and the threat to those who practice orthodox Anglican Christian faith. Mr. Short will be addressing Church of Ireland clergy and lay readers at a lunchtime meeting in Portadown on Wednesday, organised by the Evangelical Fellowship of Irish Clergy. Its chairman, Canon Clive West, explained the purpose for this meeting, "David will be sharing his experiences of living in a church structure which is hostile towards Biblical faith and informing us of developments internationally." The meeting, entitled "Thinking for the Future" takes place in the Fergus Hall (St Mark's Church Hall), Portadown from 11.30am - 2pm on Wednesday 3rd March, 2004. An Australian by birth, David Short is married to Bron and they have two sons, Ben and Josh. He says of the current situation in New Westminster, "I believe that we are in a Diocese that has unilaterally severed its connection with the global Anglican Communion by being the first to officially bless same-sex unions." The Anglican Communion, of which the Church of Ireland is a part, is presently facing great controversy over homosexuality. In the past year the Diocese of New Hampshire, USA has elected a practising homosexual as its bishop, and New Westminster was the first Anglican diocese to permit the blessing of same-sex unions. Archbishop of Armagh, Robin Eames, is heading a commission to look at ways the Communion might be able to stay together at this time. The Anglican Communion in New Westminster (ACiNW) has received unprecedented support from around the world. 358 Anglican clergy, Bishops, and Archbishops from across Canada and around the world have issued public statements rejecting the New Westminster decision and supporting the ACiNW. See www.acinw.org The Evangelical Fellowship of Irish Clergy exists to provide its members with encouragement, refreshment and teaching from the Bible. Their purpose is to see the clergy of the Church of Ireland equipped in biblical ministry, that Jesus Christ may be better known.

Enemy-occupied territory – that is what the world is. When you go to church you are really listening-in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent us from going. - C.S. Lewis – Mere Christianity, II-2 Spin Can Make You Dizzy A diabolical communiqué, intercepted by Gerry Hunter From the Desk of the Undersecretary for Ecclesiastical Affairs My Dear Dogwood, I doubt that you realize what a lucky devil you are. In fact, your recent behaviour has been so bizarre that you probably don't even realize that, bereft of blessing as we are, luck is all we have. Douglas Todd's piece in that marvelously cynical and secular publication, the Vancouver Sun, caught the Secretary's attention. Now for whatever reason, he gives you credit for causing it, when I know for a fact you were wasting your time trying to get some clod to curse when he stubbed his toe. But you are getting the credit, along with an assignment to prepare the analysis and recommendations for follow-up. Worse yet, his Disgrace made it clear that the quality of the report would be a clear indicator of my abilities as your directing executive. So do pay attention to what I'm telling you here, or we will both end up in the gulag. First, the article itself. We are on pretty thin ice here. The piece is so fawning and solicitous that one could conclude it was written by a press secretary, not a news gatherer. Not that we mind when paeans of praise for Michael Ingham fall into our laps, but we don't want them to be so obvious. But more to the point when you write your analysis, nephew, be aware that you are merely dealing with the kind of thing that one religionist routinely writes about another religionist. As distinct from what a Christian churchmen might write about one of his fellows, this article concentrates on the man, with his beliefs entering the picture only as peripheral ornaments. (More about those beliefs later.) So do not make the mistake of presenting this to the Secretary as something truly profound or insightful. You do that, and we will both be served up, garni, at the next executive banquet. Consequently, you had better just point out that the image presented in the article is that of a typical religionist, and leave it there. Strong but benevolent; his prayer, Bible reading, and golf all part of a tidy package; eager to discuss; a head as sensitive as foam rubber, to go along with his "spine of granite"; a man who places people before beliefs, even, you could note, beliefs that would nurture them. Don't forget to point out the favorable contrasts the writer includes concerning those churchmen who oppose his subject's efforts. It wouldn't hurt to complement the writer on how he has included them to bolster his subject's observations on "vehement language" and "hate mail." Also, the fact that the writer has worked in the view of togetherness before faithfulness probably deserves a favorable mention. And for the hate of Heaven, don't neglect to complement the writer for working in his subject's dismissal of those opponents, who are similar in ecclesiastical rank to the subject, as mere pragmatists, rather than as men of Christian conviction. The Secretary himself had a strong hand in encouraging that kind of thinking. In summary, Dogwood, don't make your usual mistake of presenting the ordinary as something extraordinary, and trying to claim credit for it. I happen to know that the Secretary considers you senior tempter material. He clearly does not know you well, and it is best for us both that he does not come to. You will notice, I hope, that I have said very little about the beliefs of the subject up to this point. Neither should you, in the analysis of the article. They pertain mostly to the recommendations that you should present, so you should discuss them at that point, as I am about to do now. Unfortunately, Dogwood, it will not escape everyone's notice that those beliefs of the subject that do come out in the article are much more Socinian then they are Christian. They aren't really good Socinianism, because they seem to be muddled with pop psychology and New Age spirituality. Still, they will alarm those who take the Enemy's teachings seriously. I've already mentioned how the subject categorized golf together with his prayer and Bible reading. You will notice, I hope, the reference to "the spirituality, the Zen, of golf," in the article, and how that concept has been developed into a course, if you please. Also, the ranking of togetherness before faithfulness will get the Christian reader's attention, as will the characterization of those who think differently as "architects of schism." For the Enemy's call to follow the narrow path, and enter the narrow gate, we have the subject's invitation to swim in "a big river." Don't make too much of the subject's father holding God responsible for evil. What you want to hit on there is the subject's characterization of Jesus as a way-shower, as distinct from a savior. Nor should you hit too hard on the subject's observations about his opponents "willingness to flout the church's cannon law," because he does try to represent himself as the leader of a Protestant denomination, and we don't want to undermine that image by making him look crypto-Roman. Still, you might be able to make something out of his delicious tendency to put man's corporate laws before the Enemy's Commandments and scriptural teachings. But the article has saved the best for last in the area of beliefs. Unfortunately, it also lets the cat out of the bag. When a man says, "a Christian is one who believes Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth and the life. This is not to say there are no others. This issue will be the next major battleground," he is making a statement that is going to attract attention beyond his own extended corporate sphere. If we are not careful, a statement like that could lead to difficulties involving the Enemy's followers who look to Rome, Constantinople, Geneva, Canterbury, or wherever. The recommendations you present the Secretary had better take that into account. There are several possibilities you should consider in your recommendations, but the following one should predominate. Don't waste much time on the Romans, or the Eastern Orthodox who have moved back from the subject's Anglican Communion until they sort things out. The best we can hope for from them is that they just let this pass without commenting. Come up with some ideas on how to encourage them in thinking that it really isn't their affair, and to have them say nothing. You might mention that, in those circumstances, the delicious prospect for confusion among their faithful, in the midst of such silence, is very real. After all, many of them live in the same culture whose ideas have overwhelmed the subject's spiritual thinking. Additionally, those vermin with no real concept of what it means to follow the Enemy, but who think they are somehow doing so, will continue to swim in the big river, and not be moved to make for the shore while there's still time. We like that river. It delivers many souls to our gates, and the water, once vaporized, helps make our environment in hell delightfully beastly. So in this case, as a many others, just letting nature take its course will serve our purposes just fine. The subject's own co-denominationalists should probably be moved to silence as well. That is undoubtedly impossible in the case of that pesky remnant in his own area. But on a national and international level, we would certainly hope to achieve some degree of success in that regard. And of those two, the national is by far the most important. People outside of the subject's own country of residence have already made a lot of noise to minimal effect, and our own strategy should be one that helps to insulate those in his own national corporate ecclesiastical entity from being any more influenced by offshore noise over this article than they seem to have been from past noises. So then, come up with some recommendations on how to make it easy for everyone, but especially the latter group, to simply ignore this abject abandonment and denunciation of faith in the Enemy's Son. How, you ask? Well, Dogwood, if the Secretary considers you to be senior tempter material, I'm sure you will be able to come up with a way. And if you can't, you can be sure that all I, your adoring uncle, will fill in any gaps before I deliver your report to His Disgrace, thereby solidifying an unbreakable hold over you through the rest of eternity. Your affectionate uncle, Tapeworm

VATICAN CITY - Pope John Paul II criticized the media saying they often give a positive depiction of extramarital sex, contraception, abortion and homosexuality that is harmful to society. The pontiff, in a statement issued ahead of the Church's World Communications Day in May, urged the media to promote traditional family life. "All communication has a moral dimension," his statement said. "People grow or diminish in moral stature by the words which they speak and the messages which they choose to hear." But the pontiff, whose theme was "The Media and the Family: A Risk and a Richness" also had some positive words on the media. "On the one hand, marriage and family life are frequently depicted in a sensitive manner, realistic but also sympathetic, that celebrates virtues like love, fidelity, forgiveness, and generous self-giving for others," he said. "On the other hand, the family and family life are all too often inadequately portrayed in the media," John Paul added. "Infidelity, sexual activity outside of marriage, and the absence of a moral and spiritual vision of the marriage covenant are depicted uncritically, while positive support is at times given to divorce, contraception, abortion and homosexuality. Such portrayals, by promoting causes inimical to marriage and the family, are detrimental to the common good of society." The pope urged "responsible communicators" to resist commercial pressure and secular ideologies. He also called for regulations to stop the media from acting against "the good of the family," although he rejected censorship. Parents, too, have an important role in controlling the quantity and nature of media use in the home, John Paul said. "Even very young children can be taught important lessons about the media: that they are produced by people anxious to communicate messages; that these are often messages to do something - to buy a product, to engage in dubious behavior - that is not in the child's best interests or in accord with moral truth; that children should not uncritically accept or imitate what they find in the media." The pontiff has frequently spoken out about the challenges created by new technology and has called for greater responsibility by the media. He also praises the potential of mass communications. John Paul himself has avidly used the media to get his message out and has presided over a technological revolution at the Vatican. This included the 1995 start of its web site and the recent introduction of papal messages sent to mobile phones.

By South Carolina Standing Committee November 15, 2025 To:  The  Anglican Diocese of South Carolina  Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Yesterday, Bishop Edgar sent a letter to the clergy of our Diocese expressing his support for those who brought a Presentment against Archbishop Steve Wood. Bishop Edgar also sent a letter to the College of Bishops. urging the senior bishops tasked with calling for an inhibition of the Archbishop to do so. We, the Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, stand with our Bishop in full support of the victims. We, too, urge the College of Bishops to inhibit Archbishop Wood. While he has placed himself on a leave of absence, such leave can be ended at his discretion. An inhibition—though not a statement of guilt or innocence—protects the integrity of the inquiry and ensures that the process needed to seek the truth can proceed without interference. Some have asked what the Standing Committee has done so far and what our next steps will be. Below is a summary of our actions: What the ADOSC Standing Committee Has Done 1.       Tuesday, November 4:  In executive session with Bishop Edgar, Canon Jim Lewis, and our Diocesan Chancellor, Ben Hagood, we reviewed the allegations in the Presentment and heard from Bishop Edgar regarding his role in the process. Together, we affirmed our commitment to support the victims in every way possible. 2.     During the Clergy Retreat, Bishop Edgar addressed the clergy directly. Because our lay members on the Standing Committee were not present for that conversation, on  Thursday, November 13,  we met by Zoom to bring all members—clergy and lay—up to date on these matters. Agreed-upon Next Steps 1.       Next week:  We will meet with the ADOSC clergy involved in the Presentment, to hear firsthand how we can best support them. 2.     To the Diocese:  We issued this letter to express our unified support for our Bishop and for the victims. 3.      To the College of Bishops:  We will be sending a letter urging them to correct the false narrative that has circulated regarding the victims, and to not only inhibit Archbishop Wood but to issue a godly admonition. We ask you to keep all who are involved in your prayers—especially the victims, those caring for them, and all who bear responsibility for leadership and discernment in this difficult moment. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, The Standing Committee of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina The Rev. Mary Ellen Doran, President The Rev. Jeremy Shelton, Vice-President The Rev. Jamie Sosnowski The Rev. Corey Prescott The Rev. Bill Clarkson Mrs. Lindsay Dew Mrs. Shirley Wiggins Mr. Robert Kunes Mr. Ben Dixon Mr. Terry Jenkins Mr. Bobby Kilgo

who faces allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and plagiarism, announced his paid, voluntary leave of absence from the role last week Nov. 3   By Kathryn Post RELIGION NEWS SERVICE November 14, 2025 (RNS) — Clergy in the Anglican Church in North America are calling for the denomination’s archbishop, Steve Wood, to be inhibited, or temporarily suspended from ministry, in the wake of allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and plagiarism against him.   The archbishop announced his  paid, voluntary leave of absence  Nov. 3, following a series of reports in The Washington Post in which a former church employee and another woman accused Wood of unwelcome advances.   “Given the seriousness of the charges against our Archbishop (sexual harassment and abuse of power), we believe that a voluntary leave of absence is insufficient. Canonically, a voluntary leave of absence allows the Archbishop to return to office when he sees fit,” the letter says. “Instead, we suggest that the Archbishop be inhibited until the conclusion of the trial that will determine his guilt or innocence.”   As of Friday afternoon (Nov. 14), more than 80 clergy in the denomination had signed an  open letter  calling for the inhibition.   A spokesperson from the denomination told Religion News Service that Wood’s leave of absence is “understood to be a voluntary inhibition from ministry for a designated period of time.” They added that Wood, the denomination’s executive committee and the denomination’s bishops agreed the leave of absence would extend  until the investigation into the allegations against Wood has concluded .   On Thursday, Bishop Chip Edgar of the ACNA Diocese of South Carolina published a letter calling those who brought the charges against Wood “credible and trustworthy.” He also said he has “urged the senior bishops tasked with calling for an inhibition of the Archbishop to do so,” and that an inhibition is “an acknowledgement that continued ministry in the face of serious charges further damages the reputation of the Church.”   ACNA’s bylaws don’t discuss protocols for taking a leave of absence, and they describe an inhibition as a “temporary suspension … from the exercise of ministry” imposed on a clergyperson by senior church leaders. In October 2022, ACNA Bishop Stewart Ruch, who is accused of mishandling abuse allegations in his diocese,  decided to end  his voluntary leave of absence; the denomination had no power to prevent Ruch from returning.   Wood, a bishop in South Carolina, was elected last year to lead the ACNA, a small denomination that began in 2009 as a breakaway group of congregations that objected to the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada’s acceptance of openly LGBTQ+ clergy.    The Washington Post  Oct. 23 report  broke the story of the  allegations from Claire Buxton , a former children’s ministry director who served with Wood at St. Andrew’s prior to his election as archbishop. Buxton told the Post that Wood gave her more than $3,000 from church funds and, in April 2024, attempted to kiss her in his office. A second woman, who identified herself only as Jane Doe, said Wood pressured her into situations she was “uncomfortable with” and to drink alcohol with him. It’s unclear when these alleged incidents took place.     Wood also faces allegations from several priests of bullying and plagiarism. He has denied all but the  most recent allegations  of sexual harassment from the unnamed woman, which he declined to comment on, and is submitting to a church process for vetting the claims.   The open letter clarifies that its four authors, who include the Revs. Esau McCaulley and Tish Harrison Warren, both ACNA priests and public theologians, do not presume to know what the church investigation may discover. It also notes that an inhibition isn’t an indicator of the accused’s guilt or innocence.   “Again our goal is not to presume guilt, but to give space to investigate and discern guilt or innocence with all possible protections in place,” the letter says.   The  denomination’s bylaws  say that an inhibition can occur when there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that the accused has engaged in conduct that may warrant being presented with church charges, and when it is “in the best interests of the Church to do so.” Wood has already been presented with church charges, including alleged violation of ordination vows, conduct giving cause for “scandal or offense” and sexual immorality. Next, an appointed 10-person board of inquiry will assess those charges.   The  bylaws  indicate that the “Dean of the Province may temporarily inhibit the Archbishop,” but must first obtain written consent from four of the five senior bishops in the denomination. The inhibition can last no longer than 60 days but can be extended. The dean of the province is Bishop Sutton, who has been tapped to take over Wood’s responsibilities as archbishop and who  has recused himself  from “all matters pertaining to Archbishop Wood’s Board of Inquiry and any subsequent disciplinary process.”    The open letter asks for ACNA’s bishops to “meet in council with those tasked to make this decision and inform them of your opinion on the matter to aid in their discernment.” The letter says it will gather signatures through next Sunday, Nov. 23, and will then present it to ACNA’s bishops.

By Obianuju Mbah Christian Today Nov. 11, 2025   The Lausanne Movement is weighing in on how artificial intelligence might shape the future of Christian mission.   Under its new research division, LIGHT, the movement is examining both the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities presented by the rapid rise of AI in the Church and everyday life — from communication and learning, to ministry, theology and pastoral care.   “AI is neither savior nor threat in itself,” said the latest LIGHT briefing on AI. “Rather, its value depends on how it is discerned, governed, and deployed by God’s people.”   As AI becomes increasingly embedded in global society, the Lausanne initiative aims to guide church leaders in understanding how technology can support, rather than distort, the Church’s mission to fulfil the Great Commission.   For pastors, missionaries, and theologians, the conversation goes far beyond ethics.   Artificial intelligence is now translating Scripture, automating communication, and assisting in evangelism and outreach — a tool that can accelerate mission work, yet risk diminishing human connection if misused.   The LIGHT Briefing cautions against both “naïve optimism and paralyzing fear.”   Instead, it urges believers to engage AI with theological depth and ethical awareness, asking questions such as: “How can these tools strengthen authentic relationships rather than replace them? How might the church model transparency, equity, and justice in a digital age? And how can AI be leveraged to accelerate the Great Commission while keeping Christ at the center?”   To help ministries discern wisely, Lausanne researchers propose a four-part ethical framework.   It calls the Church to keep technology aligned with the Great Commission (Commission Alignment); to strengthen rather than replace genuine human and divine relationships (Relational Alignment); to ensure fairness, sustainability, and care for the vulnerable (Utility and Equity Alignment); and to uphold transparency, accountability, and moral responsibility in all technological use (Moral Alignment).   These principles encourage the Church to ensure that all technological use reflects biblical values of justice, truth, mercy, and love.   The report warns: “AI must not be allowed to interfere with ... our communion with God nor our connection with others. Rather, it should be leveraged to strengthen authentic human connection.   “As beings morally accountable to God, we can never assign moral agency to machines. Ultimately, we must take responsibility for the technologies we use and share with others.” One of the most discussed applications is proclamation evangelism — the public sharing of the Gospel.   While AI can now translate Scripture into new languages or generate culturally relevant content, Lausanne emphasises that digital tools cannot replace the incarnational witness of believers.   “The gospel remains unchanged,” the authors write. “Biblical commands transcend technological innovation and demand faithful proclamation, regardless of medium.”   AI may assist evangelists in streamlining communication, protecting workers in restricted regions, and analysing data to reach new audiences, but the embodied human voice, they argue, remains irreplaceable.   The report states: “Jesus, the Word made flesh, proclaimed the kingdom through his incarnational presence. Embodied humans — ensouled, indwelled, and empowered by his Holy Spirit — connect with other humans in ways a machine never can and never will. Evangelism involves testimony of ‘lived experience’ with Jesus.   “In an increasingly artificial and disembodied world, it is the authentic and embodied human that brings the tangible love of Christ to the lost and lonely. Our presence says we cared enough to show up in person to ‘proclaim the good news to the poor’ and ‘proclaim liberty to the captives.’”   The LIGHT Briefing acknowledges that the church has faced technological revolutions before and will do so again. With discernment, courage, and prayer, believers can approach this new frontier not with fear, but with hope — trusting that in the digital age, as with ages before, God’s mission continues through His people.   The report concludes: “Relationally, AI challenges the efficacy of God’s design. Theologically, AI challenges the sufficiency of God’s methods. These challenges must be confronted and considered prayerfully.   “While AI may augment, it must always serve, not supplant, the spirit-filled human herald in proclaiming the good news and fulfilling the Great Commission.”   END

Welsh Lesbian Archbishop Calls for Unity // TEC AWA Figures Show Decline in Church Attendance   Dear Brothers and Sisters, www.virtueonline.org November 14, 2025   BIBLICAL illiteracy is growing in America. In 2022, a comprehensive survey found that 26 percent of evangelicals think the Bible is more made-up than historical (up 9 percent since 2016); 56 percent think God accepts the worship of every religion (up 8 percent since 2016); and from 2020 to 2022, 13 percent more evangelicals agreed with the statement “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.” How much these stats have to do with our collective brain rot is unclear, but it’d be naive to think the two are unconnected.   One way to fight biblical illiteracy is to attend a faithful church and invite a friend with you.   I often hear that today’s digital technologies pose no greater threat to the church than the television did back in the 1950s. The church just needs to adapt to the times, and biblical illiteracy will sort itself out. But will that strategy work?   We’re not in an oral culture like that anymore. The problem with Gen Z—and now Gen-Z pastors—is that they are fast approaching the illiteracy of the ancients, hundreds of years after Scripture memorization fell out of fashion. That means a digitally mediated, cloud-based scripturality will never have a serious chance of producing well-rounded disciples of Jesus Christ.   DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHURCH   Many believe that the central challenge to orthodox Christianity in our moment is the question of digital technology and, particularly, what the philosopher Anton Barba-Kay has called “digital formation.”   Sometimes one can hear people speaking of social media and digital technology as if it is a kind of tool we pick up and set down at discrete times.   But this actually misrepresents the problem.   The problem is not that we used to have a shared space where rational actors deliberated together but now due to social media and smartphones we have a shared space where irrational actors shout at one another. Such a scenario would actually be better than the one we truly have. The problem before us is that the shared space itself has evaporated, floating upward into the cloud.   Specifically, Barba-Kay argues that digital formation is defined by the loss of geographic and in-person contexts and their replacement with a kind of everywhere and nowhere context that exists only in digital “space.” The outcome of this is that digital technology makes lofty promises with regards to communication, connection, and community, but it only delivers on those promises on its own terms. In other words, it delivers 'community' but on the condition that we understand community in the decontextualized way of digital technology.   What this means is that digital space, by its very nature, tends to be corrosive of the values that shape us as Christians. Digital space is not governed by shared loci of authority founded on offices and texts. The problem facing us in this moment, then, is whether spaces of Christian formation can endure in a digital moment. We shall see.   *****   The Anglican Church in North America is in free fall. Its Archbishop Steve Wood has stepped back from his three roles as archbishop of the ACNA, as bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas and he has resigned from his parish after 25 years of ministry.   Hanging over his head is a presentment and possible inhibition. He is maintaining his innocence in the face of alleged sexual misconduct, plagiarism, financial chicanery, bullying and abuse charges. It is not a pretty picture. Every day seems brings fresh revelations and commentary from a wide variety of informed persons.   Late yesterday, word came down that South Carolina Bishop Chip Edgar says Archbishop Wood should be inhibited now before his presentment trial. Edgar also apologized for not being more proactive in listening to the cries of those allegedly abused by Wood. Edgar apologized for his lack of support of the Presentment to the complainants. “I assured our clergy, and want to assure our whole diocese, that I support these men and women in their efforts,” he said. He also said the College of Bishops should issue a public apology for disparaging statements they made about the complainants.   Perhaps this is a moment for the Diocese of the Carolinas , which is joined at the hip with the Diocese of South Carolina to merge with the larger diocese. Edgar could hire a suffragan bishop to assist in what would be 89 parishes. It would end the rivalry.   In a piece why I believe the ACNA will survive but change is necessary, I argue that confession and true repentance is needed. Furthermore, ACNA should stop beating up on JAFC Bishop Derek Jones for his alleged abuse, when Archbishop Wood has been charged with the same thing. Pot and kettle come to mind. You can read it here:   https://www.virtueonline.org/post/why-acna-will-survive-but-change-is-necessary-confession-and-repentance-are-needed-at-this-kairos   Dr. Matthew Wilcoxen writing for Mere Orthodoxy blog suggests a structural way forward as a solution for the ACNA. In a piece titled, How to Reform the Anglican Church In North America, he argues that the root of the issue is something he calls Mimetic Rivalry.   “We are caught in ordinary human patterns of imitation and competition, and our structures often make them worse instead of better. Because diocesan and parochial boundaries overlap, the church’s life is shaped by constant comparison. What might have been neighboring fellowship has become overlapping jurisdiction, and rivalry seeps into every level of the system. We built a system designed for rapid church planting in a time of enthusiasm, but we did not build one capable of sustaining peace in a time of consolidation. The result is predictable: factions, suspicion, and chronic institutional anxiety.”   Wilcoxen, an Australian evangelical Anglican theologian, says that if we do not change our form of governance, no number of new statements, goodwill, or charismatic leaders will save us. What is needed is to reform ACNA to remove the structural incentives to rivalry. This reform must not only be a moral or spiritual aspiration but rather a constitutional reality.   He condemns what he calls structural rivalry. “Bishops, rectors, and diocesan councils operate within unclear lines of accountability. Extra-canonical powers such as “godly admonition,” informal investigations, and unappealable episcopal decisions allow strong personalities to substitute for due process. When the law is elastic, every dispute becomes personal, and every personal dispute becomes a test of loyalty.”   Wilcoxen points to fragmented doctrine, dependent safeguarding, property patronage, insecure vocations and weak synodical life as a result. You can read  it here: https://mereorthodoxy.com/how-to-reform-the-anglican-church-in-north-america?utm_campaign=13660601-Mere%20Orthodoxy%20%7C%20Weekly%20Digest&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_yD0FiOoymQyu_6ovsAI2dPNBeo4kQREOIs1QSz4780a0RxhnPqeKQ7s1JtaETbP4MoeFyRzSrLdkPxK7kN_xkzkPQpA&_hsmi=389678021&utm_content=389678021&utm_source=hs_email Yes, the ACNA will survive as a humble denomination, hopefully learning from its lessons of pride and self-sufficiency, but the way forward will be rocky until all the facts are known.   *****   The Episcopal Church has released its 2024 diocesan stats for Average Weekly Attendance figures. However, the complete statistics for all across the board metrics are still missing in action.   Perusing the domestic attendance stats revealed that 57 dioceses registered a drop in weekly attendance from 2023 with the dioceses recording a double digit plunge in attendance. They include: the Navajoland (21%); Georgia (17.2%); Eastern Oregon (16.3%); Western Massachusetts (13%); Mississippi (12.2%); Southwest Florida (11.8%); and Los Angeles (11.6%).   Only one out of 36 dioceses showed a double digit growth in attendance: South Carolina at 13.4%.   Nine dioceses showed a less than one percent increase in weekly attendance including: Arizona (0.7%); California (0.04%); Montana (0.4%); New Jersey (0.4%); Northwest Texas (0.4%); Northwestern Pennsylvania (0.6%); TEC Pittsburgh (0.3%); Utah (0.9%); and West Texas (0.8%).   Ten dioceses showed an increase or decrease in weekly attendance by fewer than ten souls including: Massachusetts (+1); California (+2); Iowa (-2); Montana (+4); Kansas (-4); TEC Pittsburgh (+5); Northwest Texas (+6); Northwestern Pennsylvania (+6); Delaware (-8); and El Camino Real (-8).   You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/episcopal-church-continues-decline-in-awa-latest-figures-show Tracking the attendance numbers in new hybrid dioceses of The Great Lakes and Wisconsin and also in Hawaii are problematic.   The Diocese of the Great Lakes came into being as the dioceses of Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan joined forces to form a united Michigan-based diocese.   In 2023 the Diocese of Eastern Michigan had an AWA of 1,170; and the Diocese of Western Michigan had an AWA of 2,408 for a combined total of 3,578.    That 3,578 figure is what the new Diocese of the Great Lakes reported for its 2024 AWA.   So the question is: Was there absolutely no change up or down in the number of Episcopalians who showed up for services in 2024? Or did the Diocese of the Great Lakes just plug in the combined 2023 numbers for its 2024 figure?   Looking at the reconstituted statewide Diocese of Wisconsin the 2024 attendance figure of 4,008 seems to reflect a very small dip of 11 people in the pews from the combined 2023 figures of the dioceses of Eau Claire (411); Fond du Lac (1,243); and Milwaukee (2,354) with a combined 2023 total of 3,997.   Over in Hawaii the Pacific island diocese took in Micronesia with a 2023 AWA of 78. During the same period of time the Diocese of Hawaii had an AWA of 2,079 for a combined total of 2,157.   However, adding in the AWA from Micronesia did not really boost the Diocese of Hawaii’s weekly attendance figures much. Hawaii's 2024 AWA stands at 2,084 only six more from its 2023 figure of 2,079 even with addition of Micronesia.   *****   Meantime The Episcopal Church faces its own dysfunctional Title IV process for the church and its members. It’s time to start over, says Anglican Watch. The blog is calling for the wholesale re-write of Title IV. Problems in the Title IV process and its implementation are everywhere. Here are our top-level concerns:  Judicatories don’t understand the goals of Title IV. In its current iteration, the goals of Title IV including accountability, healing, reconciliation, respect, and care for all involved. But there’s plenty of evidence that church officials at every level still view the Title IV clergy disciplinary process as “going nuclear,” and something to be avoided whenever possible.   “We consistently see intake officers who are either reluctant to pursue a complaint or who minimize the severity of the situation, apparently because they’re unwilling to start the Title IV process.” You can read more here: https://www.anglicanwatch.com/title-iv-its-time-to-start-over/   *****   A judge has granted in part a temporary restraining order request from a chaplains group seeking to cut ties with the Anglican Church in North America. The Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy recently filed a complaint against ACNA over the Anglican denomination’s refusal to allow the ministry to disaffiliate.   U.S. District Judge Bruce Hendricks of the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division issued an order last week partly granting JAFC’s request for a temporary restraining order.   According to Hendricks, while the court “does not intend to entangle itself into an internal canonical dispute over the Anglican Church’s ecclesiastical structure,” some issues raised by JAFC “may be ripe and appropriate for the Court’s consideration, such as Plaintiff’s trademark claims.”   “After hearing arguments from the parties, counsel for Defendant effectively conceded that Defendant would refrain from using Plaintiff’s service mark ‘Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy,’ Plaintiff’s trademark, ‘Anglican Chaplains,’ and Plaintiff’s trademarked logo,” wrote Hendricks.   However Anglican Ink sought to spin it that the JAFC lost Bishops in the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces & Chaplaincy. Bishop Derek Jones publicly accused Anglican Ink blogger George Conger of “publishing numerous untruthful stories about Bishop [Derek] Jones and the JAFC/SJAFC.”    An article on Anglican Ink’s website titled “SC FEDERAL COURT HANDS JONES A LOSS IN HIS BATTLE WITH THE ACNA,” is just the latest. “The reporter, George Conger, misstated facts and proposed conclusions that defy reality,” the communications team at JAFC told VOL.   Anglican Ink claims The Federal District Court for the District of South Carolina rejected the bulk of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy’s claims for an injunction or temporary restraining order against the Anglican Church in North America.   Jones told VOL that JAFC has retained more than two thirds of all 300 chaplains. “The ACNA only got a handful. Most of the chaplains are loyal to us.” You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/anglican-ink-accused-of-misstating-facts-and-conclusions-in-jafc-vs-acna-imbroglio    *****   Donald Trump and the BBC have different views on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The BBC questions the claim made by Trump that Christians in Nigeria are facing a wave of violent persecution. The BBC is not simply misguided: it is a regrettable example of how the Corporation fails to act as a neutral broadcaster in stories that matter to Christians.   Let’s be blunt. Christians in Nigeria are under serious threat. The UK‐based aid group Open Doors UK reports that more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. Its partner resources testify to displaced Christian families living in makeshift camps, traumatized after attacks by militants. A new report has found that ethnic and religious violence in Nigeria has claimed the lives of nearly 56,000 people in the West African country over four years — and the victims were disproportionately Christian.   The charity, Release International, confirms Nigeria is “tipping into a spiral of violence” against Christian communities. And another organization, Barnabas Aid, notes the crisis of displacement, loss of livelihoods and churches destroyed in what it terms part of the “anti‐Christian” wave in the West African country.   Catholics and Anglicans head the most persecuted of Christian groups. They are retaliating with prayer and protests but not weapons. The government has decided to act after Trump has threatened to intervene in that country, and has sent troops to go after Boko Haran and Fulani tribesmen. The government’s argument that this is farmer/herder problem is not been taken seriously by the U.S.   *****   The first female Archbishop of Wales Cherry Vann has called for "unity" and said that the global Anglican Church should not "be divided" by her selection to the role.   In the world of fantasy ecclesiastical politics, calling for unity in a global church that is bitterly divided over homosexuality, is a bit like asking Bibi Netanyahu to surrender his IDF forces to Hamas in the hope that peace would come to Gaza.   Her appointment has attracted criticism from orthodox voices, most notably in the Global South. The lesbian archbishop believes that her appointment was "the right role for me at this time, for the church and for Wales". No mention of whether God approves of the anointing; it’s just good for the folk in Wales who don’t know any better.   Addressing those who had been "less supportive", she said she had taken on the role "because this is what God has called me to do". If God had called her, He would be denying his own written word that expressly forbids those kinds of sexual relationships. Paul writing in Romans (1:25) “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. https://www.virtueonline.org/post/lesbian-archbishop-wants-unity-at-any-price-the-first-female-archbishop-of-wales-has-called-for-un   *****   There’s been a lot of talk about a quiet revival in the Church of England but it is not true. New attendance stats released by the Church of England are in marked contrast to the Bible Society’s report of a quiet revival in the UK.   The Bible Society “Quiet Revival” report claimed that “Church attendance has risen by 50 per cent over the last six years,” according to stats from a You Gov survey in England and Wales conducted for the Bible Society. “In 2018, just 4 per cent of 18–24-year-olds said that they attended church at least monthly. Today, says The Quiet Revival, this has risen to 16 per cent, with a notable rise in the proportion of young men attending.   “Attendance at Church of England churches rises for the fourth year in a row” is the headline on the official Church website. “The overall number of regular worshippers across the Church of England’s congregations rose to 1.009 million in 2024, a rise of 0.6 per cent, according to the annual Statistics for Mission findings,” the Church of England “Statistics for Mission” report says.   But the eagle-eyed Madeleine Davies of the Church Times contradicts the official optimism. “The data, published recently, record that in 2024 attendance rose for the fourth year, but that recovery since the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed. Increases in attendance since 2023 were smaller than in previous years. In 2019, a “middle-sized” church had an all-age average weekly attendance (AWA) of 34.5; in 2024, the equivalent figure was 26. The median church has just one child in attendance, compared with three in 2019.   So where is the quite revival taking place? Mainly Pentecostal and independent Anglican churches. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/the-quiet-revival-passes-the-church-of-england-by   *****   The Living in Love and Faith report has collapsed. The House of Bishops has decided that stand-alone services and clergy same sex marriage can only be pursued through formal synodical processes (a B2 process for standalone services and a Measure / amended Canons for clergy same sex marriage).  They continue to believe that the Prayers of Love and Faith, as commended in December 2023, can still be used at the discretion of clergy.  Currently, they do not believe that any ‘provisions’ are needed for those who in good conscience are not able to use the Prayers of Love and Faith.  They have not indicated what they will bring to General Synod in February 2026, and/or any other actions/initiatives that they might offer.    To read more click here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/efac-calls-on-bishops-to-restore-confidence-in-their-leadership   A number of clergy in the Church of England are resisting a decision by the House of Bishops which put the brakes on moves to allow stand-alone services for same-sex blessings and to allow clergy to be in same-sex marriages. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/cofe-clergy-vow-to-offer-same-sex-blessing-services-despite-bishops-decision   *****   Please consider a tax-deductible donation to VOL’s vital ministry. VOL reaches readers in 55 countries with hundreds visiting our new website daily. I take no salary, but I do employ staff to maintain our online presence on social media. We urgently need to raise $25,000 by the end of the year. Online: 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 tax-deductible donation to: VIRTUEONLINE                                                             P.O. BOX 111                     Shohola, PA 18458   Thank you for your support, David   My Substack on the Middle East continues to grow. It is drawing a lot of interest and 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 report can be seen here: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/178890395?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished

By Mary Ann Mueller www.virtueonline.org November 14, 2025   The Episcopal Church has released its 2024 diocesan stats for Average Weekly Attendance figures. However, the complete statistics for all across the board metrics are still missing in action.   Perusing the domestic attendance stats revealed that 57 dioceses registered a drop in weekly attendance from 2023 with the dioceses recording a double digit plunge in attendance. They include: the Navajoland (21%); Georgia (17.2%); Eastern Oregon (16.3%); Western Massachusetts (13%); Mississippi (12.2%); Southwest Florida (11.8%); and Los Angeles (11.6%).   Only one out of 36 dioceses showed a double-digit growth in attendance: South Carolina at 13.4%.   Nine dioceses showed a less than one percent increase in weekly attendance including: Arizona (0.7%); California (0.04%); Montana (0.4%); New Jersey (0.4%); Northwest Texas (0.4%); Northwestern Pennsylvania (0.6%); TEC Pittsburgh (0.3%); Utah (0.9%); and West Texas (0.8%).   Ten dioceses showed an increase or decrease in weekly attendance by fewer than ten souls including: Massachusetts (+1); California (+2); Iowa (-2); Montana (+4); Kansas (-4); TEC Pittsburgh (+5); Northwest Texas (+6); Northwestern Pennsylvania (+6); Delaware (-8); and El Camino Real (-8).   You can read more here: Tracking the attendance numbers in new hybrid dioceses of The Great Lakes and Wisconsin and also in Hawaii are problematic.   The Diocese of the Great Lakes came into being as the dioceses of Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan joined forces to form a united Michigan-based diocese.   In 2023 the Diocese of Eastern Michigan had an AWA of 1,170; and the Diocese of Western Michigan had an AWA of 2,408 for a combined total of 3,578.    That 3,578 figure is what the new Diocese of the Great Lakes reported for its 2024 AWA.   So the question is: Was there absolutely no change up or down in the number of Episcopalians who showed up for services in 2024? Or did the Diocese of the Great Lakes just plug in the combined 2023 numbers for its 2024 figure?   Looking at the reconstituted statewide Diocese of Wisconsin the 2024 attendance figure of 4,008 seems to reflect a very small dip of 11 people in the pews from the combined 2023 figures of the dioceses of Eau Claire (411); Fond du Lac (1,243); and Milwaukee (2,354) with a combined 2023 total of 3,997.   Over in Hawaii the Pacific island diocese took in Micronesia with a 2023 AWA of 78. During the same period of time the Diocese of Hawaii had an AWA of 2,079 for a combined total of 2,157.   However, adding in the AWA from Micronesia did not really boost the Diocese of Hawaii’s weekly attendance figures much. Hawaii's 2024 AWA stands at 2,084 only six more from its 2023 figure of 2,079 even with addition of Micronesia.   END

By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org November 13, 2025   The ACNA Bishop of South Carolina Chip Edgar has called for the inhibition of ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood, following revelations that include sexual misconduct, abuse of power and plagiarism.   In a letter to his diocese Edgar said, “I want to clarify my support for the Complainants in the matter concerning Archbishop Wood and I have urged the senior bishops to call for Archbishop Wood’s inhibition.”   Bishop Edgar said that it was not true that complainants had gone to the press before they initiated the disciplinary process.   “I’ve written to the College of Bishops explaining to them that, for over six months the complainants sought a way forward, following the canonical structures of the Anglican Church in North America. I and several other bishops were involved at this preliminary stage. Throughout their efforts, they were stymied by a system that appeared unable to do what it is designed to do. I’ve asked the College for a unified, public apology for these disparaging statements.”   Edgar apologized for his lack of support of the Presentment to the complainants. “I assured our clergy, and want to assure our whole diocese, that I support these men and women in their efforts. I acknowledge it didn’t always seem like I did—I’ve apologized to them and sought their forgiveness, which they have generously given—but I do. Those who brought these charges forward are credible and trustworthy, and the charges they bring are serious. They must be investigated fully, until a trial court can determine guilt or innocence.”   Edgar said that calling for an inhibition of the archbishop makes no judgment as to the guilt or innocence in the face of charges, rather it is an acknowledgement that continued ministry in the face of serious charges further damages the reputation of the Church.   END

COMMENTARY   By David W. Virtue DD November 13, 2025   An insider told Virtueonline that the situation in ACNA is worse than we all know. I suspect he is right.   This week ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood stepped back from his job as archbishop, his bishopric and his pastoral charge. It was needed and necessary.   Two women have stepped forward alleging inappropriate sexual contact. One we know by name, the other we do not. The optics are horrible even if Wood beats the charges as he thinks he will. The other charges are equally brutal...abuse of power and plagiarism. Boasting about a possible sexual conquest only adds to the power dynamic. The brutal Washington Post stories will forever be archived as a reminder that ACNA was not only not perfect, but riddled with pride, power and imperfection.   Wood’s alleged behaviors have shattered the myth of righteous moral superiority that ACNA claimed ere it departed from The Episcopal Church over that church’s acceptance of homosexuality. That day is done.   The canonical cover ups that have followed with bishops covering for each other and Wood are indefensible. Whipping JAFC Bishop Derek Jones over abuse of power issues rings hollow when similar charges are laid at the feet of Archbishop Wood. If Jones’ hands are not clean, neither are Archbishop Wood’s. Pot and kettle come to mind.   And then there are the charges by women and some ten priests who took their concerns to the church before the Post story broke and got nowhere. Why did the bishops not act when all this started to bubble up? Head in the sand comes to mind, or worse, ‘how dare you tell us what to do, you laity just don’t know what we know, how dare you tell us our jobs.’   But as one missionary priest told VOL: “The bishops need to hear loud and clear, No. We don’t trust you. Make changes or you will lose us. Final warning.”   Well apparently, now we do know and it ain’t pretty. It is clericalism writ large. It is a group of men who love to dress up and put on a good show...in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.   “My lord, Archbishop” is overblown BS and ecclesiastical grand standing. Anglican leaders like John Stott, J.I. Packer and others would have none of it.   In all the years I watched John Stott, only occasionally did I see a dog collar on him. He led an untarnished life even as he trotted around the world with young men educating them for the next pulpit generation. He was probably the greatest preacher of the 20th century yet he remained humble and self-effacing, influencing preachers like Rick Warren, who became America’s pastor.   ACNA bishops are popinjays. Second rate minds dressed up in first rate robes. To date more than 20 percent have been caught indeflagratio and fired from the church. That’s huge. Bishop Stewart Ruch III should have gone right after the first allegations surfaced. He is still holding on nearly six years later hoping a court will exonerate him. Well good luck with that.   Should the councils of the church be in the hands of bishops alone? Why are there no lay representatives; do they think we are dull of learning because we don’t have access to a miter. Dean Chuck Collins an ardent reform theologian and historian said he tried hard to believe them. “I was naive about what Bishop Chip Edgar (SC) calls ‘a troublesome spirit of pride’ which I have come to see as clericalism. The Anglo-Catholic (or three-streams) father-knows-best mindset has opened us to blatant abuses and a sick culture of secrecy.”   “Those who had their hearts set on becoming primate were not elected. Congregants in every ACNA church who were promised integrity that was sorely lacking in the church we left.”   Collins believes that our bishops need to hire outside independent church trauma experts to openly assess the cases in front of us and advise us on our disciplinary canons, “there might be hope for our future.”   “Bishops disciplining bishops behind closed doors is a silly unworkable solution. And the next time we elect a primate, we must call it an assembly, not a conclave. We are electing a leader, not a pope.”   Dr. Kendall Harmon, a canon theologian bemoans the situation and says it means that a group of people who love ACNA had such a profound mistrust of the existing process that they felt they had a better chance of beginning to get the truth into the light in a secular newspaper as opposed to the process provided by the church. “What we are looking at here, brother and sisters, is a colossal mess which has so many things out of kilter one hardly knows where to start.”   ARE TWO DIOCESES NECESSARY?   One of the presenting issues is why South Carolina has two dioceses virtually joined at the hip. Is there a need for the Diocese of South Carolina and the Diocese of the Carolinas comprising 42 parishes in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC) covers an area of 24 counties in the eastern part of the state of South Carolina. It has 47 parishes under Bishop Charles Francis “Chip” Edgar.   With Wood gone now might be the time to unite the two dioceses under Bishop Chip Edgar and engage a Suffragan bishop to assist him, with input from laity.   HOW TO REFORM THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA Matthew Wilcoxen writing for Mere Orthodoxy suggests a structural way forward as a solution for the ACNA.   He believes that the root of the Issue is something he calls Mimetic Rivalry.   “We are caught in ordinary human patterns of imitation and competition, and our structures often make them worse instead of better. Because diocesan and parochial boundaries overlap, the church’s life is shaped by constant comparison. What might have been neighboring fellowship has become overlapping jurisdiction, and rivalry seeps into every level of the system. We built a system designed for rapid church planting in a time of enthusiasm, but we did not build one capable of sustaining peace in a time of consolidation. The result is predictable: factions, suspicion, and chronic institutional anxiety.”   Wilcoxen, an Australian evangelical Anglican theologian, says that if we do not change our form of governance, no number of new statements, goodwill, or charismatic leaders will save us. What is needed is to reform ACNA to remove the structural incentives to rivalry. This reform must not only be a moral or spiritual aspiration but rather a constitutional reality.   He condemns what he calls structural rivalry. “The founding compromise between ‘geographical’ and ‘affinity’ dioceses was meant to preserve freedom; in practice it has bred competition. Multiple bishops may claim overlapping flocks, and clergy are encouraged to compare jurisdictions rather than inhabit a stable home. Without fixed boundaries, there can be no neighborly charity, only marketplace dynamics clothed in ecclesial language.”   “Bishops, rectors, and diocesan councils operate within unclear lines of accountability. Extra-canonical powers such as “godly admonition,” informal investigations, and unappealable episcopal decisions allow strong personalities to substitute for due process. When the law is elastic, every dispute becomes personal, and every personal dispute becomes a test of loyalty.”   Wilcoxen points to fragmented doctrine, dependent safeguarding, property patronage, insecure vocations and weak synodical life as a result.   Our public tolerance of divergent practice on women’s ordination has hardened into parallel theologies of holy orders. This lack of settlement keeps the church in a permanent state of negotiation; each diocese is tempted to justify itself by contrast with another. Until we resolve this, unity will remain procedural and not sacramental. You can read his full statement here: https://mereorthodoxy.com/how-to-reform-the-anglican-church-in-north-america?utm_campaign=13660601-Mere%20Orthodoxy%20%7C%20Weekly%20Digest&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_yD0FiOoymQyu_6ovsAI2dPNBeo4kQREOIs1QSz4780a0RxhnPqeKQ7s1JtaETbP4MoeFyRzSrLdkPxK7kN_xkzkPQpA&_hsmi=389678021&utm_content=389678021&utm_source=hs_email   This is not a call for schism but for repentance in the matter of our ecclesial form. We ask our bishops, clergy, and laity to risk their present securities so that our children might inherit a peaceful and fruitful church. If we take these steps together, ACNA can still become what it was meant to be: a faithful Anglican presence in North America for the next century and beyond.   Yes, the ACNA will survive a humbler denomination, hopefully learning from its lessons of pride and self-sufficiency, but the way forward will be rocky until all the facts are known.   END

By The Rt Rev. Dr. Marshall MacClellan www.virtueonline.org November 13, 2025   Growing up helping my grandfather on his cattle ranch I remember his old adage, “It’s useless to beat a dead horse.” This phrase comes to mind as I look at the woes of the ACNA TITLE IV discipline process and the train of litigation running. In the upcoming 2026 ACNA Provincial assembly, delegates will debate adjustments to the current disciplinary process.   In this author’s view, the judicial framework of an “ecclesiastical trial” and process should be thrown out as a deceased equine. While I am not an expert in civil jurisprudence, I have been a police officer in Florida and have continued to serve as a law enforcement chaplain in three different agencies in Texas and Florida over the last 42 years. I have worked with criminal and civil trial processes. In my view, the discipline process for priests, bishops and even archbishops should be modeled on a professional ethics board rather than a jury trial framework. While the upcoming proposed adjustments to TITLE IV give more “off ramps,” the entire framework of presentment and trial remain the same horse.   The current ACNA TITLE IV discipline process is based on a judicial model of civil and criminal jurisprudence, judge, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, and jury. While this works for our civic life, it is absolutely dysfunctional for Christ’s Church.    In U.S. jurisprudence, the judge, prosecutor and defense attorneys are professionals, vetted, trained, experienced (and well paid) for this purpose. They have volumes of case law that provide legal, enforceable guardrails for impartiality, rules of evidence and enforcing true testimony by witnesses, experts and alleged victims.   In ACNA ‘ecclesiastical trials,’ rules of evidence and procedures may or may not be followed and are not enforceable. Lying under oath is not enforceable as it is in a criminal trial. One need only to glance at the Bishop Stewart Ruch “trial” for the point to be made. How many years has the investigation and trial gone on? How many millions of dollars has the ACNA (from local parish tithes) and Bishop Ruch (personally) poured into the proceedings?   How many prosecutors have resigned in frustration and protest over the dumpster fire? Four prosecutors have thrown up their hands in exasperation. Church tithes have been poured through the sieve of the ‘trial.’ Five years and still counting that Bishop Ruch, his wife and six children, “innocent” or “guilty” have been dragged through the mud.   No “real” justice system would take that long. “Justice delayed is justice denied” said British Prime Minister William Gladstone and echoed by Dr. Martin Luther King. Now that the ACNA Archbishop is up next in this judicial model, one can only imagine the disaster that will ensue and the years and money wasted. Could this be why Bishop Jones, seeing the train wreck of the ‘ruched-up’ trial, the violations of TITLE III process and TITLE IV quagmire, and given no avenue for honest conversation, decided to opt out, disaffiliate and turn to the professionals in Federal Court? According to Bp Jones, when the Archbishop attempted the ‘godly admonition’, Archbishop Wood admitted that he had already been investigating Jones for a year on “complaints” and had impaneled three like-minded bishops for a presentment without ever seeking from Jones his side of any of the complaints (violating TITLE III, Canon 8, sect. 8.2) or even consulted the JAFC Standing Committee in the process, violating TITLE III, Canon 8, sect 7.1.   Seeing the train wreck of Bishop Ruch’s ‘trial,’ and the violations of the Canons from the outset would be enough for anyone to decide to decouple from the doomed locomotive and take his case to the professionals in Federal Court.   These are the inevitable woes of the ACNA using a “Trial” framework. What if, instead, the ACNA Province used, for TITLE IV the model of an ethics board? Our fellow professional doctors and lawyers use this framework to ensure, enforce, and correct moral and ethical issues regarding licensure or board certification.   This process more favorably fits within Christ’s model for examining and confronting alleged ‘sin’ and invites remorseful restoration (see Matthew 18:15-22). It also fits the range of outcomes, as per TITLE IV, Canon 8, sect. 3.  A ‘real’ judicial framework calls for a binary outcome, “innocent” or “guilty.” An ethics board is more nuanced in options.   What if an archbishop or bishop intends good, but lacks a level of self-awareness or relationship management (EQ) in particular situations? An alleged ‘victim’ perceives something not intended. “Sin” has occurred but not intended. The conclusions and outcomes in an ethics board allow for a wider range of rehabilitation, repentance, and restoration.   The possible ‘punishment,’ in ACNA Canons is, at most, loss of credentials (Holy Orders). The loss of career is significant, but from a law enforcement officer’s perspective, it is not a prison sentence or hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. The worst outcome is exactly the worst outcome of an ethics board, not a criminal or civil trial. An ethics board of peers also fits the calling of bishops as “defenders of the Faith.”   Are ACNA bishops not qualified and trustworthy enough to make these kinds of ecclesiastical determinations? Rather than a presentment using a judge, prosecutor, defense attorney and jury, when complaints are raised against a priest, bishop or archbishop, convene an ethics board of at least three (impartial) clergy peers with the bishop or archbishop as overseer. If the accused is an archbishop, as in the current situation, bring in a primate from another province to oversee. Guardrails and qualifications such as impartiality would need to be detailed.   If a clergy has been accused of actions that go beyond ethical or moral violations into criminality, call law enforcement. If civil law has been violated, then it is proper to take them to the professionals in civil court. Additionally, clergy, even archbishops, are out of their depth running “trials.” In trials expensive attorneys are required and only one trial can be done at a time. The Bishop Ruch trial demonstrates that, in the current framework, this takes years. Imagine if we had several “trials” lined up in a row. Actually, there are. Please consider doing more than changing the saddle on the expired equine or getting a new riding crop. Dismount.   The Rt Rev. Dr. Marshall MacClellan is Bishop Suffragan of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy section...fotot

As they arrived where the evangelist was to speak, a crowd of 200 people was already packed into the house. Like many others, Duan had to sit in the courtyard and listen to the teacher through the open window. When Brother Wang began preaching, Duan felt a terrible shock. It was like hearing himself! He began to tremble with fear. Was he dying? Even the phrases the teacher used sounded familiar. Confused, he staggered up to the window to see the preacher, causing a commotion as he fell over people. The preacher stopped and there was a moment of shocked silence as the men looked at each other. The crowd was hushed as they realized the amazing physical likeness. "I'm sorry for interrupting your excellent message," Duan began. "You see, I had a son who would be your age right now. If he had lived, he would have looked and sounded just like you." Brother Wang began to tremble violently. Suddenly, his legs buckled under him and he had to be caught before he fell. Clutching his pounding chest, he sobbed, "Are you Daddy Duan?" Everyone wept as father and son were reunited. The preacher told how he had indeed been brought up by Wu, who was so impressed by Duan's act of giving that he had become a strong Christian. "I'm not your real father," Wu used to say to him. "He's a great man of God, full of grace and love. He gave you to me, and I give you all my love and the encouragement to put God first, just like your real father." Wang's adopted parents had moved away from the earthquake zone before the tragedy, but both died of cancer in their 60s. Wang became an evangelist and tried to find his real father, but Duan had changed his name so many times to avoid arrest that he had proved untraceable. As father and son continued to hug and weep, the elder of the church stood up and declared, "It's December. We have seen our sermon tonight: Christ came into the world to save sinners -- that is Christmas. Just as Duan handed his only son to the care of his enemy, so God handed over His own Son to us sinners. Let us rejoice in their reconciliation and ours too."