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On April 23, 2004, the President of the Standing Committee and the Vice-Chair of Diocesan Council in the ECUSA Diocese of Bethlehem wrote to each parishioner of St. Stephen's Church, Whitehall, Pennsylvania. On May 2, 2004, the rector and vestry of St. Stephen's convened a special parish meeting to discuss the letter and to offer a response. The letter from the diocese and the response of the parishioners of St. Stephen's are as follows. The letter of response was adopted by unanimous vote of the parishioners. April 23, 2004 The Parishioners of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Whitehall, Pennsylvania Dear brothers and sisters, We want you to know about letters that have been sent to the lay and clergy leadership of St. Stephen's Church. Your senior warden received a letter signed jointly by the Rev. Henry Pease, president of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Bethlehem, the Rev. W. Nicholas Knisley, vice-chair of Diocesan Council, and Bishop Paul V. Marshall. That letter is enclosed. Diocesan Council and the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Bethlehem consist of representatives elected by your sisters and brothers in some 66 other churches of the Diocese of Bethlehem. Bishop Paul sent a separate letter to your clergy. We have asked the following questions in our letter: Does the Parish of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Whitehall, consider itself still to be part of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem? Does the Parish of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church consider itself still to be in communion with the Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem and under his canonical jurisdiction? The leadership of your congregation has significantly decreased the parish's participation in the mission and ministry of our wider community, even to the extent of informing Diocesan Council that your parish would not meet its constitutionally mandated financial assessment. Your leadership has also ignored several attempts by elected representatives of our diocesan community to enter into conversation about what they intend and how they understand the relationship of St. Stephen's Church and the Diocese of Bethlehem. We will be interested in how your lay and clergy leadership responds to these questions. We have decided to keep you informed because we suspect you, too, will be interested. We have resorted with some regret to formal communication by letter only after attempts to invite direct conversation with the vestry and parishioners of St. Stephen's about the leadership's apparent movement of the parish away from the diocesan community were rebuffed by the rector and senior warden. For the sake of your sisters and brothers throughout the 14 counties of the Diocese of Bethlehem and for your own sake as parishioners of St. Stephen's, we seek clarity about whether the leadership of St. Stephen's considers the parish to be part of the diocesan family—that is, whether they are willing to live within the traditional understanding of what makes a church "Episcopal." In the Episcopal church, congregations exist as such only in relationship with a duly elected bishop, specifically the bishop of the diocese where the congregation is located. The relationship of congregations among themselves and with the wider church community is defined by a diocesan constitution and canons developed and approved at one time or another by representatives of those congregations. Suggestions by the leadership of your parish that the current problem is about homosexuality or the ordination of a gay bishop seem little more than attempts to distract from the matter at hand: governance and relationships within the Episcopal Church. Any congregation and its leaders are free to disagree on issues without risking their position in the diocesan community. The Episcopal Church in the United States does not focus on beliefs held by individual members. We are bound together not by our imperfect understanding and expression of our beliefs but by our worship of God in Christ. "It is part of the reality of the Episcopal Church," our presiding bishop said recently, "that we live with divergent points of view regarding the interpretation of scripture and understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church. There is no neutral reading of scripture. We interpret various passages differently while seeking to be faithful to the mind of Christ. It is therefore important to recognize that people of genuine faith can and do differ in their understandings of what we agree is the Word of God." May no one distract us from our unity in Christ expressed by our coming together in diversity as a faith community—the community of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem and the Episcopal Church USA—worshipping God and allowing God's work to be done by the body of Christ we are. We have asked your parish leadership to respond to these concerns by May 5. Sincerely yours, The Rev. Henry Pease, President, Standing Committee The Rev. W. Nicholas Knisley, Vice-Chair, Diocesan Council

By David W. Virtue DENVER (4/30/2004)—A publicly self-professed lesbian priest in the Diocese of Colorado, The Rev. Bonnie Spencer, has been accused of luring the lonely widow of a deceased priest in the Diocese into a sordid lesbian affair, and then making up a liturgy to "marry" her at the church altar to sanctify her misconduct. Spencer told Jean Torkelson of the Rocky Mountain News that she would have no comment until she spoke to Bishop Rob O'Neill, who is out of town until next week. She added, however, that "there was no same-sex blessing." VIRTUOSITY has learned from a number of diocesan sources that the Bishop and Standing Committee are preparing for possible disciplinary hearings and actions. Under the former Bishop Jerry Winterrowd, whose weak and indecisive leadership earned him little respect from either the orthodox or liberals, the new Bishop Rob O'Neill has informed his clergy that such conduct will not be tolerated and a full investigation will be initiated immediately. "I have every confidence that our new bishop, The Rt. Rev. Rob O'Neill, will uphold diocesan standards of married and faithful, single and celibate, not to mention holding homosexual clergy to the same definitions of sexual misconduct as heterosexual clergy, and female clergy to the same standards as male clergy," the Rev. Don Armstrong, a member of the Diocesan Standing Committee, said in a telephone interview. "The whole issue of power differential between priest and parishioner is once again illustrated in this case, making it abundantly clear why it is inappropriate for a parish priest to even date a member of his or her own congregation." After an initial attempt by the Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Ed Morgan, to whitewash the whole affair, the issue quickly escalated to the point where Bishop O'Neill came under enormous pressure to act, even as his conservative clergy began placing overseas calls for Primatial intervention and oversight. As such charges have always brought immediate suspension from ministry for heterosexual male clergy and imposition of Title IV of the ECUSA Canons in Colorado, a careful eye is being kept on the situation so that similar vigor is exercised - in this case - involving a female homosexual priest. Under former Bishop Jerry Winterrowd, sexual misconduct allegations brought by three female parishioners against their female rector were handled behind closed doors allowing the only sexual predator ever discovered in the Diocese of Colorado to slip away to another diocese. Given the recent scandals in the Roman Catholic Church, Diocesan officials are reported to be sensitive not to let such a travesty be repeated in this case. The Diocese of Colorado and a guilty parish priest lost a civil suit involving sexual misconduct in the 1980s. In that case, because the Diocese knew about the misconduct, both Diocese and Priest were found liable, and the Church Insurance Company had to pay huge sums on behalf of both the priest and the diocese. Ironically, the Chancellor who lost that case and continues as a Chancellor for the diocese, as well as the Canon to the Ordinary, are both members of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, where this latest misconduct is alleged to have taken place. The former Rector of this parish, Jon Johannsen, voted for Gene Robinson and CO-51 as a Deputy to General Convention. And now, all are fully supportive of the homosexual agenda, find themselves potentially liable for what has been wrought by their liberal leanings. "Years of the liberal Denver elite running the Diocese of Colorado have lead to this. Many of them have disregarded the values and theology of the vast majority of Episcopalians across the state, and as a result their control may be coming to an end by way of this one event," said Father Armstrong. "A good example of this minority liberal disregard, was the augmenting of the elected membership of the predominately conservative Search Committee by homosexual activists in the diocese's search for a new Bishop. This was done under the guise of seeking balance by the Standing Committee. The Search Committee then proceeded to completely ignore the results of its own survey revealing Episcopalians in Colorado had roundly rejected homosexual innovations being perpetrated on the church." "But now the disregard of both the mind of the Diocese and the mind of the Communion by Bishop Winterrowd, and Bishop O'Neill, Convention deputies, and the Standing Committee has born its fruit among us, and the time of judgment and repentance are upon us."

TO: THE PRIMATES AND MODERATORS OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION FROM: ARCHBISHOP ROBIN EAMES, CHAIRMAN OF THE LAMBETH COMMISSION 29 April 2004 Dear colleagues, As Chairman of the Lambeth Commission established by the Archbishop of Canterbury following the meeting of Primates and Moderators at Lambeth Palace last October I want to give you an update on our work. I thank you for the many messages of prayerful support and for the submissions we have received from different parts of the Anglican Communion. As we continue our work in your name I do not under-estimate the complexities of our tasks nor the difficulties which face the Commission. However I am greatly encouraged by the sense of common direction and purpose already evident in our work. I pay tribute to the depth of work currently being undertaken by the members of the Commission. Following preparatory work and the first full meeting of the Commission in Windsor we are at present engaged in extensive study of certain key areas which we have identified and already agreed must be addressed in our Report. These issues concern such as the nature of autonomy, the practice of communion and relationships of interdependence as they have developed in the history of the Anglican Communion, the current status of the traditional Instruments of Unity and their relationship to each other and the interpretation of authority as we have witnessed it in the life of the Anglican Communion. The conclusions of these studies will be considered by the Commission when it meets at Kanuga, North Carolina, in June. Prior to the first meeting in Windsor I visited the United States to meet with several groups who had expressed their concerns at the decisions of the General Convention of ECUSA and the Commission will meet representatives of differing constituencies in ECUSA during our June meeting. We have received a large volume of submissions and material from different parts of the Communion and plans are being made to meet others who have expressed opinions on the current crisis from the Anglican Church of Canada and Provinces in Africa. With the constraints of time available it is impossible for us to meet personally with all who have expressed their position on the issues but I can assure you that our analysis of opinions is both thorough and extensive. However there are several aspects of the current situation which I feel I must emphasise. First, the Commission needs and I believe deserves space to do its work. Actions and statements however well intentioned which express definitive positions on relationships within the Anglican Communion run the danger of limiting the opportunities and options available to the Commission. I am grateful to my fellow Primates for remaining within the letter and the spirit of our Statement last October despite the obvious differences of opinion at present throughout Anglicanism. The recent assurance of support following the meeting of the CAPA Primates has been a great encouragement to the Commission. Second, I feel it is important that without prejudice to the Report of the Commission, we maintain the highest possible degrees of communion among those who adopt differing views at this time. In that regard those in North America who feel obliged to object to developments in the General Convention of the Episcopal Church or in the Diocese of New Westminster are still to be regarded as faithful Anglicans or Episcopalians so long as these dissenting groups do not initiate schism in their own Churches. On my visit to the United States I was impressed by those who expressed a desire to remain within ECUSA despite the strength of their feelings. Their initiatives to finding a way of maintaining communion within the Episcopal Church (USA) and the Diocese of New Westminster is further evidence of that desire but I feel such schemes will only be successful if dissenting groups are afforded sufficient support to feel their place within our Anglican family is secure. I would also hope that the wish of the Primates expressed last October that such schemes would be undertaken in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury will be observed. Third, it is obvious to the Commission that if any groups, either dissenting from the decisions of General Convention in ECUSA, or from the forthcoming decisions of the General Synod in Canada, initiate definitive beaks from their parent church, then a different situation will arise for our deliberations. The Commission would have to regard such decisions as a serious development. But until the Commission has come up with proposals for the way in which we may handle such divisions together as a Communion, the support or encouragement of other provinces or dioceses would seem to be itself a further damaging of trust and mutual life and of the very clear guidelines concerning jurisdictional boundaries that we have agreed to adopt as a Communion at successive Lambeth Conferences. While I cannot at this stage predict the form of the Commission's Report I recognise that the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council together with the Provinces will have to reach decisions which will have defining and widespread consequences. It would be my hope that once the Report is published we can take such decisions as necessary in a manner which is unrushed, in Christian charity and by means of due process. It is my prayer and earnest hope that the Report we are preparing will enable the Anglican Communion to move forward together in ways which will stand the test of time whatever difficulties may arise in future years for our world family. Wishing you God's blessing in your leadership and service. Yours very sincerely, Robert Armagh.

The American Anglican Council (AAC) held its Board of Trustees meeting April 27 – 29, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Board celebrated the realignment of Anglicanism that is underway, noting a strong grass roots movement of individuals and churches that are forming coalitions and planning program initiatives, networking, assisting with missionary endeavors and planting churches. The AAC renewed its commitment to the Anglican Communion Network (ACN) as well as those faithful individuals and congregations in hostile dioceses in need of encouragement and intervention. The Board also heard reports from various committees and staff members and discussed plans to encourage and minister to beleaguered individuals and parishes. The Rt. Rev. Frank Lyons, Bishop of Bolivia, was present as a special guest, offering an international perspective on the current situation. Explaining that his role as ACN Moderator has developed such that it is impossible to continue in both leadership roles, the Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan announced his resignation as Vice President of the AAC Board. In a letter to him the Board said, "We will miss your leadership in the operation and direction of programs of the American Anglican Council. However, we are delighted that your work as the Moderator of the Network has now expanded to the point where this realignment of your energies has become necessary." The Rt. Rev. Peter Beckwith, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, was elected to fill that position. The American Anglican Council declared complete and wholehearted commitment to the success of the Network. In a letter drafted to the Moderator, Steering Committee and Council of the Anglican Communion Network, Board members expressed "gratitude to Almighty God for the formation and early life of the Network. The recognition of the Network by Primates representing the majority of Anglicans around the Communion is testimony to the promise that the Network holds for the future of Anglicanism in North America". "Given the current climates and the lightening speed with which events are moving, it is more important than ever that the American Anglican Council remain focused, strong and healthy," said the Rev. Canon David C. Anderson, AAC President and CEO. "We as a Board are committed to persevere and work diligently for the realignment underway."

Spring blossoms and Grace Church, parish hall, first afternoon of conference Cross and stained glass window, entrance Grace church, first night of conference Acolytes prepare for procession, evensong and Lord Carey's first sermon, first night of conference, Grace Church Lord Carey preaches, Evensong, first night of conference Little Mary, Bishop Alpha's adopted daughter with harpist, Alpha is Bishop in Rift Valley, Tanzania, Evensong first night of conference, Grace Church Bishop Alpha with conference attendees, Antlers Hotel first morning of conference Lord Carey and others sing Gospel praise, first morning of conference, Antlers Hotel Jeremy Begbie talks on Mystery, Antlers Hotel, first morning of conference, Exit sign is purely intentional Ashley Null answers questions after his presentation, first morning of conference Grace Episcopal clergy with Lord Carey and Bishop alpha. Fr. Don Armstrong of Grace stands between Carey and Alpha at right Lord Carey preaches, Grace Church, communion last night of conference Robert Prichard speaks first day of conference, Antlers Hotel Ashley Null speaks second day of conference, Antlers Hotel Ephraim Radner speaks second day of conference, Antlers Hotel Bill Attwood speaks second day of conference, Antlers Hotel Peter Walker speaks second day of conference, Anglers Hotel Alpha Mohamed speaks second day of conference, antlers Hotel John Karanja speaks second day of conference Photos by Grace Episcopal parishioner and Kingdom servant, Steve Starr. In Colorado Springs Steve has a ministry working with a number of ministries as a photographer and a digital photography consultant. See more of his work at http://www.stevestarr.com. Steve was honored to win a Pulitzer in photojournalism while working as a news photographer with The Associated Press in 1970. Christian journalist friends from St. Stephens in Coconut Grove, FL. lead Steve back to Christ in 1988. "I pray daily that our denomination will return to Scripture."

ROBINSON ABSENT FOR VICTORY SUE BAILEY Canadian Press Thursday, April 29, 2004 OTTAWA -- The Senate passed a bill Wednesday to extend hate-crime protection to homosexuals, but MP Svend Robinson wasn't there to enjoy his hard-won victory. The openly gay New Democrat was in self-imposed exile from the political limelight as his private member's bill jumped the last major hurdle to becoming law. Not that Robinson, disgraced after admitting he stole an expensive ring on April 9, was far away. He was seen exchanging hugs and high-fives with jubilant supporters on a street within sight of Parliament Hill. Robinson has declined interview requests since taking a medical leave from his job. He cited stress and "emotional pain" at a tearful news conference two weeks ago. "He is under orders from his medical professionals that he's not to engage in any activities that are parliamentary," said Ian Capstick, a spokesman for the NDP caucus. Robinson was only in Ottawa for a day to complete related paperwork and retrieve some personal items, Capstick said. The timing coincided with the vote by coincidence, he said. Senators voted 59-11 to pass the bill as applause echoed through the ornate red chamber. It now requires the final formality of royal assent to become law. It was a rare feat for an opposition MP but a tempered victory. Robinson, who publicly apologized for the theft, could still face charges. A special prosecutor in B.C. is reviewing whether he should be charged. "It's a real mixture of sadness and happiness," said New Democrat MP Libby Davies, a close friend of Robinson's. "It's sort of bittersweet that he's put so much into it and he's not able to be there at the Senate to see it go through." Davies, who represents Vancouver East, called Robinson right after the vote but didn't tell reporters he was in town. "He has a lot to go through, including a possible court case," she said in an earlier interview. "But right now his focus is on getting the help he needs." Robinson, a 25-year veteran of federal politics, had worked since 1981 to add gays and lesbians to a list of groups legally protected from incitement of hatred and genocide under the Criminal Code. The bill cleared the House of Commons last September after raucous debate. At the time, the former Canadian Alliance - now part of the new Conservative party - and some Liberals fought the bill over fears that freedom of speech and religion would suffer. Opponents raised concerns that the bill could be used even against religious leaders who condemn homosexuality from the pulpit. They also attacked the logic of singling out certain groups for specific protection, arguing that violence against all people should be prosecuted equally and is already outlawed. The bill's passage in the Liberal-dominated Senate alarmed critics. "Unfortunately, most Liberals in both the Senate and the House of Commons chose to support an NDP-sponsored law that could put fundamental Canadian freedoms in jeopardy," said Conservative MP Vic Toews, a former attorney general of Manitoba. Supporters dismissed such claims, citing the frequency with which gays and lesbians - particularly homosexual men - are targeted. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Canadian Professional Police Association supported the bill. Police have so far been powerless to prosecute the likes of Rev. Fred Phelps of Topeka, Kan., who runs a website that declares God hates homosexuals. Supporters of Phelps have entered Canada twice in the last five years to hold anti-gay rallies.

OTIS CHARLES TIES KNOT GAY BISHOP PROVES IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH GRANDSON IN ATTENDANCE, 78-YEAR-OLD CLERIC MARRIES SAME-SEX PARTNER By Rona Marech, Staff Writer San Francisco Chronicle Thursday, April 29, 2004 The ceremony lasted two hours and 45 minutes. When it concluded, Otis Charles, the world's first openly gay Christian bishop, also became the world's first bishop to wed his same-sex partner in church. Charles, an Episcopal bishop, married Felipe Sanchez Paris before several hundred people at St. Gregory's of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco over the weekend. The bishop says he was guided by his belief that all human beings are called upon to live as fully as they can. That same precept guided him in 1993 when, at age 67, he announced he was gay. "The single most powerful possibility for raising people's awareness and consciousness would be when in the church relationships are being blessed," said Charles, who turned 78 on his wedding day. "When people see that two human beings want to commit their lives together and are able to do that and have the desire to do that with the blessing of God. "My 8-year-old grandson was there, and I think of what the world will be like when young people see two people can make a deep commitment to each other, and it has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with love." A grand total of four different clergy helped officiate the wedding, which began with drumming and ended when Charles and Paris were lifted in chairs and carried outside. The ceremony included singing, dancing and opportunities for the guests and the betrothed to give impromptu speeches. Three of the couple's nine grown children participated in the wedding, welcoming the new spouse into the family by placing a lei around his neck. David Perry, one of the best men, read from the poem "The Truelove" by David Whyte. "If you wanted to drown you could," he read. "But you don't." "I could barely get through it," Perry said. "This man had lived his life in fear of drowning and now he said, 'I'm tired of drowning.'" Charles, who served as bishop of Utah for 15 years and then president of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., was married for 42 years and has five children. He told his wife he was gay in 1976, but he didn't come out publicly until he retired 11 years ago. For years, Charles said, he told himself it would be too hard on the diocese, on his family, on his wife. But then keeping his secret became unbearably oppressive. "I was ashamed of myself for remaining silent when the church was involved in an acrimonious debate about the whole question of gay people in the life of the church. I couldn't live with that any longer," he said. "I came to realize that I was only going to wither and die and it would be a destructive relationship for my wife and myself." In a letter to fellow bishops, Charles wrote, "I will not remain silent, invisible, unknown." The Episcopal Church continues to be highly divided over the issue of gay priests and same-sex marriage. Last year, in a hotly debated election, Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, became bishop of New Hampshire. The church had long held that it was possible to ordain gay priests, as long as they were celibate, but Robinson's election created a furor because he has a longtime partner. Robinson and Charles are the only two openly gay bishops to this day. The question of whether to bless same-sex unions has also caused some internal strife: Though such unions aren't officially encouraged, the church has acknowledged that in some dioceses, officiating such ceremonies is common practice. Charles and his wife ended their marriage soon after his public announcement. Nearly 70 and unsure "how to be gay," Charles moved to San Francisco. For the first year, he lived among Episcopal Franciscans and began to build a new life. "What was nurturing was just simple things," he said. "Walking down the street seeing a rainbow flag or two men holding hands." He directed a gay ministry. He went dancing. He had openly gay friends. "At whatever age you come out, you have to live through whatever you've missed," he said. "Even though you're 67, you have to go through a process I associate with adolescence. Hopefully, you do it with a little more maturity and grace." Two years ago, after some relationship fits and starts, he met Paris, 62, a retired professor and political organizer with four ex-wives and four children. And the white-haired bishop fell in love. "As people get older, they turn into two kinds. Some become thinner and wispier, and the lifeblood has gone out of them because they have regrets and there are some things you can't do anymore," said the Rev. Leng Lim, a friend who's also an Episcopalian priest. "Or there are people who become really alive to the moment, to the vulnerability that is there, to the love. Because they've worked through their own stuff. And Otis belongs to that second group." Several days after marrying, the couple took turns recounting the details of their wedding. True to form, Charles shed his bishop-like pensiveness and hopped out of his chair to sing and demonstrate a dance. "See what I mean by energy?" said Paris, who has a habit of pausing mid-sentence to smile. Charles is rarely at a loss for words, but reflecting on what had passed he said, "I don't think I can describe it, but I do feel different." He touched his chest and stared at Paris for a long time. "So," he said softly.

By David W. Virtue THE WORD OF FRANK That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Episcopal Church. The life in ECUSA appeared for a season, we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the brief life, all too brief, which was with Frank and appeared to the House of Bishops with much blinding and diverse light. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us and be inclusive and not excluded, for that would be a crying shame and cause many of us to be sad, for we believe in collegiality above all else. And our fellowship is with one another and it is here that we Dance the Circle Dance of Dispossession when the House of Bishops gather, in order to dispossess ourselves of all bad thoughts and rejuvenate our karmas. I write these "gracious" words to make our common joy complete. This is the message we have heard from Sufi Rumi and declare unto you: Sufi is light; and in him there is no darkness at all for he dwelleth on a plain beyond good and evil where we all hope one day to dwell, for truly there is no darkness in that place. If we claim to have fellowship with the beloved Sufi and yet continue to walk in the darkness of absolutism where there is no pluriform thinking, we lie and do not live by the many pluriform truths of which I am a great advocate. But if we walk in the transcendent light of Sufi, as he is in the light, we have collegiality with one another; and the thoughts of Sufi Rumi purifies us from all bad thoughts and raises us up beyond good and evil so we don't have to worry about those narrow-minded orthodox types who still inhabit my church. For truly there is a GREATER truth which inhabiteth Otis of the Charles and Vickie of the Gene pool who embrace many of their own species, much to their delight and ours. If we proclaim to be without error, and I am rarely wrong, we deceive ourselves only if we do not see things my way, and the truth is not in you. If we confess that it is my way or it will be the highway, we will be liberated from the bondage of believing in sin which only causes us unnecessary guilt which I have banished as being bad for your karma and aura. For there are many truths and I know most of them. If you have not embraced pluriform truths and wish to live in the narrow confines of single truths there will ultimately be no place for you among the House of Purple, for you will feel out of place because of your narrow-minded thinking. Therefore you will cry a lot and feel excluded, and I would not wish that. CHAPTER 2 My dear ECUSANs, I write this to you so that you will not fall into the habit of believing in personal sin, for truly there are only bad thoughts and they can be brushed aside if you perform acts of mercy. Think good thoughts, for I have banished the bad and the attendant guilt. If you do have bad thoughts speak to me and I will absolve you of all psychological guilt feelings, for that is all they are. And I will speak to Sufi in your defense for he is the Righteous One. And there is no need for atonement, for Mel doth have it wrong. Think triumphantly and you will be triumphant. Think good thoughts and goodness will flow from you. For truly if you obey me, you will be right, and things will go smoothly for you. The bishop who says "I know you, Frank" but does not do what I command is a liar and shall receive a private visit from David Booth Beers and he WILL demonstrate that the truth is not in you, and verily he will invoke the Dennis Canon and you shall be very much afraid. I, Frank have spoken and my words will not be gracious unto you. But if everyone obeys my word, my love and that of Sufi Rumi will be made complete with a large and bounteous check from the many and diverse Trust Funds that I have at my disposal, and verily you shall never go without. That is how you know you belong to me. Whoever claims to live in me, must walk as I do, and good things shall flow bounteously from me to you, and you shall want for nothing. Dear friends, none of this is new, for I have been preaching pluriformity for years, it is very old and goes back to Lambeth '98 where I made public my 'pluriform truths' speech at a press conference. This is old news, but let me refresh you just in case you don't get the message and ill befalls you. Yet in a way I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in me and my revisionist pals in the HoB, because the old exclusive, fundamentalist, narrow 'light' of the gospel is slowly being extinguished and the new light of Sufi Rumi shineth, and this light inhabiteth me and it will, if you accept it and come with me to a plain beyond good and evil, find yourself shining as the noonday sun passing over a gay bathhouse in Niagara, New York which was closed down for it was no longer a 'safe place' and many did catch the dreaded disease. Anyone who claims to be in the light, and I hope that is all 100 diocesan bishops, but still loves orthodoxy, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother bishop (and you have your choice of eros, philia, storge or agape, but Frankly I prefer the first), will not cause his fellow bishop to stumble, otherwise he will be forced to stand in a corner at an Oasis meeting in the Diocese of Newark and there have his bottom smacked by Louie of the Earnest. But whoever hates his brother bishop is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness and he will no longer Dance the Circle Dance of Dispossession with us and will find (Sufi forbid), a presentment against him and face the wrath of his fellow bishops, because it is very clear the darkness of narrow-minded orthodoxy has blinded him. I write to you dear children of ECUSA, because I want to banish all bad thoughts on account of the name of my friend Sufi who knoweth all things. I write to you fathers in God, because you have known me from the beginning and I can speak out of many sides of my mouth, and make words mean what I want them to mean and not mean, and when all else fails I can resolve it all in 'mystery' which we can all embrace, even as I am embraced by you. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the narrowness of exclusive thinking. I write to you, dear children, because you are easily indoctrinated by the new thinking much proclaimed in our modern textbooks from Episcopal Publishing Houses and other publishing places of pluriformity. DO NOT LOVE THE ORTHODOX Do not love the orthodox or anything they believe any more. If anyone loves the orthodox, the love of myself and Sufi Rumi is not in him. For everything in orthodox thinking — the cravings for absolute truth, the lust for true spirituality and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from me and Suff, but from the Bible and that is subject to many interpretations, and I have used many in the course of my lifetime. For the church, The Episcopal Church may be passing away, but the Episcopalian who does my will and that of Suff will live forever, or until the money runs out and I have to take out a mortgage on 815 2nd avenue, but that will be long after I am dead and gone to live with Suff on his plain of happiness. WARNINGS AGAINST ORTHODOXY Dear children of ECUSA, many think this is the last hour of our beloved church, but it is not so. We may have a cash flow problem but it is temporary, and if the markets continue to rise we can live off the interest of the Trust Funds for years and the Church Pension Fund floweth like the Hudson River forever and ever. I may no longer travel First Class and be reduced to Business Class in my peregrinations around the globe as I promote my inclusive, affirming, pan-everything notion of mission, but I will suffer the hardship for your sake and my gospel. The orthodox went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us and believed the new religion; but their going showed that none of them REALLY belonged to us because they could not accept pluriform truths, of which I am its foremost advocate. Their very narrowness was their undoing, for they could not see the big picture which now includes Vickie of the Gene pool. But you have been anointed by me when you became bishop. I laid my hands on your head and said you belonged to me and the Dennis Canon, and behold you do….until you die…or you will face the Title IV Review Committee. Who is the liar? It is the bishop who denies my authority and that Suff is the Liberator of our narrowness and exclusivity. Such a man is the antiSuff, he denies me and Suff and that is unforgivable. No one who denies my inclusive thinking has Suff in him; whoever acknowledges me, Frank of the Flexible Wrist, gets a night in my New York City Penthouse, dinner at Club 21…and that's a bargain. Therefore, see that what you have heard from the beginning, or 1998, remains in you. If it does, you will remain my friend forever and ever and I will be a 'safe place' for you and you shall never be attacked by narrow uninclusive bishops like Duncan of the Pitts. I write so you won't be lead astray by Iker of the Fortress mentality, for the anointing you have received from me remains with you, and you do not need anyone else to teach you, for my anointing is real, not counterfeit as some wretched cyber journalist says to you. So remain in me, for I am your liberator and friend. Fondly, Frank

COMMENTARY By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org January 9, 2026 An astute observer of the travails of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) offered this assessment: "The gravest error now afflicting the ACNA is not misconduct, nor even scandal, but a fundamental category mistake: the confusion of institutional defensibility with ecclesial fitness. Whether allegations are true or false is, at this stage, almost irrelevant. The Church does not require bishops who are merely defensible; it requires bishops whose very visibility does not fracture trust. "To install an interim archbishop whose past must be explained, contextualized, hedged, or juridically caveated—precisely amid cascading failures of credibility—is not prudence. It is a confession. It reveals a Church that has already surrendered its understanding of authority, mistaking procedural survival for moral coherence. "This is not about guilt or innocence. It is about contradiction. Episcopal authority is not a credential one holds behind the scenes; it is a public reality that either gathers trust or corrodes it. When leadership itself becomes a point of dispute, the office is already impaired. No amount of clearance can repair what visibility itself destroys. "The College of Bishops has acted as though the Church could be stabilized by internal process, governed by managerial logic, and healed by compliance. But the Church is not a corporation weathering reputational risk. It is a moral body whose authority depends upon the credibility of those who stand before it. When leaders require explanation simply to be tolerated, authority has already collapsed into administration. "What we are witnessing, then, is not merely a leadership failure but a theological one: a refusal to reckon with what a bishop is. By privileging technical legitimacy over moral intelligibility, the ACNA has chosen institutional continuity over ecclesial truth. "And institutions may survive such choices for a time. Bodies do not." I believe this assessment is accurate. Furthermore, rejiggering the canons will change nothing. This is little more than window dressing, rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The problems in the ACNA are systemic. Their model is The Episcopal Church, but with different institutional bodies and the word "orthodox" affixed to the front. The Crisis of Leadership Archbishop Steve Wood has fractured trust in the ACNA. The Washington Post article has severely damaged his credibility despite his protestations of innocence. A cloud still hangs over Bishop Julian Dobbs, with charges by JAFC Bishop Derek Jones of financial malfeasance still not fully answered. "Internal processes" will not heal the divisions, and "managerial logic" will not solve the ACNA's problems. Only an outside organization is capable of addressing the various charges properly. Canon Chuck Collins has made this point brilliantly. He writes, "I firmly believe that the ground of our church's dysfunction is theological." Dean Collins, a historian with decades of church ministry experience, believes that ACNA bishops need to hire independent church trauma experts to openly assess the cases before them and advise the church on its disciplinary canons. "There might be hope for our future," he suggests. "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." The Pattern of Accountability Failures Bishop Stewart Ruch avoided consequences even though he remains legally guilty of a misdemeanor for his failure to act. The bishops gave him a pass because police decided not to prosecute, since the youth minister was already incarcerated. Pittsburgh Bishop James Hobby abruptly resigned when it was revealed that he allegedly "failed to act with urgency, transparency, and timeliness when an accusation of sexual misconduct by a member of the clergy was brought to his attention." He did not hesitate but did the honorable thing and resigned. This misconduct involved another adult, not Hobby himself. He still remains in good standing with the ACNA House of Bishops. So why hasn't Wood resigned? Wouldn't it be the honorable course for him to step down rather than putting the church through a trial that might find him technically not guilty because he has an explanation for everything? Playing by Worldly Standards The ACNA is operating by worldly standards, not biblical ones. Lawyers are being hired, and legal fights are about to commence—not just with Wood, but with JAFC Bishop Derek Jones. In Jones's case, a deal could be cut to end all the litigation, but the ACNA steadfastly refuses. The JAFC has extended an olive branch. It has been rejected. They are ignoring the Apostle Paul's plea not to take fellow believers to court but to resolve matters for the sake of the gospel and public testimony (see 1 Corinthians 6:1-8). There is no way, if all these trials proceed to court, that the ACNA will emerge with clean hands. Can one imagine hundreds of unbelievers pouring into ACNA churches to hear the gospel, knowing that its leaders covered up sin or made deals to lessen the consequences of wrongdoing? It's not going to happen. The age of sheep-stealing is nearly over. People are no longer moving from church to church; they are simply not going to church. Sunday is for sports, coffee, sleeping in, and reading online newspapers and blogs. The Path Forward If the ACNA is to survive—and the jury is out on that—then it must fully remove Archbishop Wood from the church's leadership immediately, quickly reach a settlement with Bishop Derek Jones to end the threatened million-dollar lawsuits, and bring transparency to an otherwise opaque church. Time is running out. END

COMMENTARY   By David W. Virtue, DD Www.virtueonline.org January 22, 2025   Judgment begins with the household of God…. 1 Peter 4:17   The verse cited suggests that God's judgment will first affect His own people, the church, before it extends to the world. It is not a verse you will ever hear preached from a liberal pulpit. Nobody will ever persecute The Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Canada or the Church of England. They don’t believe enough to persecute. Worse, they are being ignored. Furthermore, people are walking away because they have no transcendent message to proclaim to a spiritually threadbare nation.   Who would die for the thoughts of a lesbian Archbishop of Wales, or a ‘rave in the nave’ sodomite dean of Canterbury Cathedral! An Ayatollah might just cut their heads off to save the remnant Christians!   Churches that are being persecuted are those that actually believe something like ‘the faith once for all delivered to the saints.’ That Jesus is truly God and man, that salvation from sin is absolutely necessary; that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that ecumenism actually dilutes the faith. Whatever is left of the faith isn’t worth dying of, or for.   Progressive and revisionist churches will never be persecuted. The dilution of faith leads to irrelevance and lack of conviction. And these churches have it in abundance.   Look at the nations under persecution. Much of it is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, which is home to 14 countries on the watch list. According to Open Doors US, 388 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith — more than one in seven — an increase of more than 8 million compared to last year.   Nigeria is at the epicenter of much of the persecution going on. The list notes that the African country is the primary hotspot for deadly violence, accounting for the majority of faith-related killings globally. Of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith during the reporting period, 3,490 were Nigerian, which marks an increase from 3,100 last year, according to the report.   Nigeria is the largest, fastest growing province in the Anglican communion today. Despite persecution (perhaps because of it), the province added 15 new dioceses last year. Meantime The Episcopal Church merged dioceses across the country and continues to close churches that are no longer viable. Some are propped up by diocesan money and the Lilly Foundation. I am told that parishes with endowments are virtually the only ones that can afford a full-time rector.   Half of Episcopal churches have an Average Sunday Attendance under 50. On the other hand, five percent of congregations contain 30 percent of Episcopalians, and these tend to be the churches with the largest endowments.  When the Boomer generation has gone, the disintegration will rapidly increase. Within a decade there will only be a handful of dioceses. More merges are guaranteed. A lot of the rot in TEC began when ACNA was born following the disastrous consecration of Gene Robinson. It has been going steadily downhill since then.   There is a profound irony in all this when The Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, the Rt. Rev. A. Robert Hirschfeld, says clergy should prepare for a "new era of martyrdom" with rising tensions with federal immigration authorities. He said they should have their wills made out and their affairs in order to ensure that clergy can defend vulnerable individuals effectively. But dying for Miguel who crossed the border illegally hardly fits the martyrdom definition.   This is not dying for Christ. It is dying for a political principle that is tentative at best. It’s not as if America is going to hell like Iran, where thousands have died for freedom from demagogical leaders bent on their destruction, the destruction of Israel, and, if possible, America.   When the apostle Peter emphasizes that judgment must begin with the household of God, he is suggesting that the persecution faced by early Christians was part of God's plan to purify them and prepare them for the ultimate judgment. It highlights the responsibility believers have to live according to the teaching of Scriptures, because those who do not obey the gospel will face severe consequences. The verse serves as a reminder of the grace offered through Christ and the importance of aligning one's life with God's will. Think about that. Mainline churches are dying precisely because they no longer proclaim Christ and Him crucified; they have bought into every woke idea, capping it with homosexual marriage, transgender disorder and abortion. It is the opposite of purification.   It is why you will never hear about the judgment of God from progressive pulpits. Some key biblical verses include Romans 14:10-12: "For we will all stand before God's judgment seat... each of us will give an account of ourselves to God." This verse highlights the universality of God's judgment, indicating that everyone will ultimately be accountable for their actions.   Hebrews 9:27: "Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." This underscores the inevitability of judgment after death, encouraging believers to live with purpose and intention.   Psalm 96:13: "He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness." This verse reassures believers that God's judgment is rooted in righteousness and faithfulness, providing hope for those who suffer injustice.   If you think God is a ‘hail fellow well met’ universalist, think again. Judgment begins first with the household of God. Liberals might to think about that. Time is running out.   END

OPINION By Rev Dr Christopher Landau PREMIER CHRISTIAN NEWS 21 January 2026 After several years of fractious debate, the CofE’s consultation on sexuality and marriage officially draws to a close this month with no clear conclusions. Living in Love and Faith (LLF) has left the Church more divided than ever, says Rev Dr Christopher Landau Source: cunaplus (Alamy) This month marks an “imperfect, untidy” conclusion to the Church of England’s eight year process of trying to find unity on questions of human sexuality. And they are the words of the CofE bishops, not the critics. There are several grim ironies about the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process. But perhaps the deepest is that, under an archbishop who longed for “good disagreement”, the Church of England has actually reached new depths of disunity. Although Most Rev Justin Welby hoped that English Anglicans could learn to disagree well, he failed to shape or steer the process in a way that won the confidence of all parties. The established roles of General Synod and its associated Commissions - which exist to advise on doctrine and liturgy - were downplayed or circumvented during many of the early years of LLF. In their January letter to the wider church, the bishops said the changes that have now been introduced – the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) which may be used with a same-sex couple in the context of an existing worship service – mean that the church has acted “without departing from or indicating any departure from the Church’s doctrine of marriage”. This assertion remains disputed by many, not least because the availability and reliability of legal advice supporting such claims has itself been contested throughout the process. In December 2023, the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham cautioned his clergy against using the new prayers, writing that the “bishops have been advised that it is likely that such use is indicative of a change of doctrine”. Under an archbishop who longed for “good disagreement”, the CofE has actually reached new depths of disunity. I worry that too many bishops have, in fact, been in denial – not just about the level of doctrinal clarity in the PLF, but also about the negative impact this has had at the local level. For gay Christians supportive of progressive change and their allies, years of uncertainty and waiting seem to have been largely in vain. Meanwhile, gay Christians committed to a traditional sexual ethic have wondered if the Church is about to disregard their sacrifice. And across its breadth, the Church has witnessed worrying drops in numbers of people coming forward for ordination. It seems inescapable that the uncertainty over theology and sexuality has been a key factor. My role sees me visiting parishes all round the country, and I have lost count of the numbers of places where LLF has taken a visible toll. I visited one deanery where members of a local church were picketing the event, handing out leaflets explaining their decision not to attend. I can think of several conversations with vicars in rural contexts, saddened by the decision of key people in their churches to leave. There are other impacts: clergy leaving the CofE for more progressive Anglican churches in Wales or Scotland. Another part of the story is new degrees of unity emerging in unexpected places; evangelicals and traditional Catholics have found common ground over LLF, and even evangelicals who disagree profoundly about women’s ordination have worked together fruitfully in relation to sexuality. With elections for General Synod’s new five-year term happening this year, a key danger is that this attempt at church democracy becomes riven with the factionalism against which the Bible routinely cautions. The Church of England has failed to hold together the grace and truth which Jesus models. Too many political actors in the LLF drama have disregarded St Paul’s encouragement: “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). Yet it could have been so different. LLF could have started from a place of clarity about what the Church’s existing teaching was - and thus framed options in ways that made sense for a Church with a historic prayer book that is emphatic about marriage being for one man and one woman. It could have explored change via Synodical channels, where all parts of the Church could together accept that a robust process had been followed. It could have engaged parishes and dioceses in discussion only when there was clarity about what actually was being proposed. It could have acknowledged, from the beginning, the value of drawing on the wisdom of Commissions that exist to advise on the Church’s worship and teaching. For Dame Sarah Mullally, about to begin her tenure as Archbishop of Canterbury, LLF represents a deep wound in the Church’s common life, which is a long way from healing. Having held a pivotal role in the LLF debate, she knows the deep frustrations and pain surrounding sexuality within the CofE. Her own words and actions in recent years represent a complex inheritance. She approaches the chair of St Augustine knowing that so many of the questions that prompted LLF remain unresolved, as do the political tensions that continue to undermine the unity and mission of the Church she now leads. Christopher Landau was appointed Director of ReSource in 2021. The charity supports ‘little, local, ordinary’ churches in spiritual renewal, and has grown out of Anglican Renewal Ministries. Christopher has a DPhil in Christian Ethics from the University of Oxford.

By Rowan Williams https://www.independent.co.uk/ January 19, 2026 The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has accused Vladimir Putin of “heresy” after the Russian President claimed his invasion of Ukraine was a “holy mission”. During a speech to mark Orthodox Christmas earlier this month, Putin called his soldiers “warriors” who were acting “as if at the Lord’s behest” and “defending the fatherland”. Mr Williams, who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012, condemned the use of religion to justify the invasion as “disturbing” and said that Putin’s revanchism directly contradicts the message preached by Jesus Christ. “I’d certainly say we’re talking about heresy,” he told The Independent. “We’re talking about something which undermines a really fundamental aspect of religious belief, of Christian belief, which assumes that we have to defend God by violence.” Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, more than 1,600 theologians and clerics from the Eastern Orthodox Church issued the Volos Declaration, which condemned the “Russian World” ideology as a heretical belief and practice. The belief system grants Russia a special place in the cosmic order and claims the country has a divine right to build the “Holy Rus”: a land chosen by God for the Russian people. “The idea that death in battle for your country equates to Christian martyrdom seems to be the most bizarre and unjustifiable interpretation you could take,” Mr Williams said. “There is something really, really disturbing about the systematic, comprehensive rebranding of Christianity as Russian national ideology.” He referred to statements made by Christ that his kingdom is “not of this world” and “if it were of this world, my servants would fight”. Mr Williams pointed to the fact that Putin often resists calls to scale back fighting and violence over Christian religious periods, including Christmas and Easter. He also pointed to the arrest and detention of two young Orthodox seminary members, Denis Popovich and Nikita Ivankovich. They are facing up to 20 years in prison on what critics say are trumped-up charges, according to Public Orthodoxy, a publication that is part of the Orthodox Christian Studies Centre. Mr Popovich was arrested as he was walking to Sretensky Monastery in Moscow for “petty hooliganism” and “allegedly shouting and using obscene language”. Public Orthodoxy wrote in a newsletter on the anniversary of his arrest: “Anyone who knew this devout young man understood immediately that such behaviour was inconceivable for him”. Six weeks later, the allegations had transformed into terrorism charges. Asked what he would say to Putin, the theologian said: “The word Christianity contains the name Christ. Which Christ do you think you’re serving? The one of the Gospels or some nationalist goblin?” In 2024, the Ukrainian parliament outlawed the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church because of its strong support for Russia’s invasion. The Russian Orthodox Church has been a powerful ally of Putin, giving its blessing to the war and supporting his campaign to uphold what he calls traditional values in Russian society, in contrast to perceived Western decadence. Mr Williams said that Russia’s use of faith as a justification for war should be an alarm bell for the West. Governments are in denial about the extent to which religion is being “weaponised” to drive human conflict across the world, and religious leaders should step up their condemnation of violence, he suggested. “In the West, we might think that religion is draining away but it certainly isn’t in other parts of the world,” he said. “To imagine that faith can only be defended by violence is a bit of an insult to faith really. If you’re saying faith can only be strong if I beat the living daylights out of unbelievers, you’re not saying much about the strength of faith, are you?” Orthodox priests told The Independent last week that Putin is more akin to the “Antichrist” than a messiah, and that he holds “demonic” beliefs antithetical to the faith. “Seen from a Christian perspective, you don’t use unholy means to pursue a holy mission,” the former Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines, told The Independent. “When that unholy means involves slaughtering people, invading their country, and telling lies.” END