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CONGO PRIMATE ISSUES SUPPORT FOR AMIA MISSION AMIA prophetic vision says Archbishop American consecration of gay bishop affected his Church From His Grace Dirokpa B. Fidele, Archbishop of Anglican Church of Congo to the conference of AMiA at Destin, Florida. January 18, 2004 (Submitted by David W. Virtue) Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, our greeting in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. My wife would also like to offer words of thanks for your faithful prayers for her healing. Greetings as well from the Bishops and Christians of Congo. We have come here to bring to you the support of the House of Bishops and the Christians of Congo, not just the Anglicans, but all the confessing Christians of Congo, for your courage, having stood firm in the traditional faith of the Anglican church, and in the doctrinal foundation: The Bible. The practice of homosexuality and the blessing of same sex unions surely contradict this foundational document of our Christian life. On this subject, everyone in Congo cried out against the scandal in God's church, within the Anglican Episcopal denominations. The Anglican Church of Congo was identified as a church of homosexuals and all the sister churches were ready to pull away from us, as though we were a church of Satan, which did not recognize the Word of God. Fortunately, all of our Bishops responded quickly using the media such as the radio, newspaper, and public statements in order to clarify our position. We explained to the public that not all Anglicans have the same views as our brother and sister churches in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. We have condemned without restraint the acceptance of homosexuality and the blessing of same sex unions. We have made them understand that even in the United States, many of our brothers and sisters have held firm in their traditional faith in choosing to remain loyal to the biblical teachings and Christian morality instead of following their animal instincts. We know that many dioceses here are having a difficult time with ECUSA because of having stayed firm in their faith. This is also true for certain parishes with their Bishops and certain parishioners with their Priests. But, do not forget, that as faith grows with persecution, so will the church. Remember the history of the martyrs, of the church, through out the centuries. This is the cost of following Jesus. The Archbishops Emmanuel Mbona Kolini and Yong Ping Chung were also persecuted. Due to their support of the creation of AMiA (which defends a just cause), and the consecration of missionary Bishops: Rt. Rev. Charles Murphy and Rt. Rev. John Rodgers. The Archbishop of Canterbury wrote a disapproving letter to them, but "where the Holy Spirit leads there is no doubt." AMiA courageously followed the right path and today we see the results. We must courageously reject all that is against the Word of God and seek His will. The initiative of AMiA is a prophetic vision. Today's sad events in ECUSA seek to break a communion that has been built for five centuries, through the living out of the Christian Orthodox faith, based on the Bible. My hope is that the missionary work of AMiA and all those who choose the Orthodox faith will save the Anglican Communion. In Congo and maybe elsewhere, we have already been warned by our Occidental partners that because of issuing the statement showing our stand against homosexuality, there is little hope that we will be able to secure financial support from the United States for our dioceses. It is also said that the Anglican Church of Congo is already very poor and will consequently suffer even more. But, we have made our decision with the full knowledge of the consequences that will follow. Our response is clear. "No one can force us to sell or to exchange our faith in Jesus Christ, neither for money, nor can they force us to go against that which is clearly preached to us, following Biblical teaching. We will hold firm to the side of Jesus in spite of our poverty." God will certainly raise the good will to support his church in Congo and around the world. We know what God wants to use us for, the poor countries as well as the rich, working in mutual support, through prayer, the pastorate and even in material things, all for the prosperity of His church, here in Congo and around the world. Now is the time to allow God to work through us in His service. It is also our responsibility as Christians to continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who are lost in their faith, so that they will realize that they have strayed and come back to Jesus in a sincere repentance for the reconciliation of our Communion as the Body of Christ. I also want to once again reassure you of our sincere support, our prayers and our hope for the success of this winter conference 2004. Our great hope is to see AMiA prosper and become a powerful instrument of mission and witness to the Risen Christ in the United States and around the world. May the work of the Holy Spirit continue to visible in AMiA ministry +Dirokpa The Most Reverend Dr. DIROKPA BALUFUGA Fidele Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Congo and bishop of BUKAVU and KINSHASA dioceses LAMBETH: Eames Warns of Divisions over Gay Clergy Eames Warns of Divisions over Gay Clergy Feb 11 2004 By Billy Kennedy Churches Correspondent CHURCH of Ireland Primate Archbishop Robin Eames warned yesterday that the divisions, which are emerging within Anglicanism on the issue of ordaining homosexual clergy, are very serious. Dr Eames, however, speaking ahead of the first full meeting of the International Commission set up to examine Anglican structures and relations, said there is a widespread desire to maintain Anglicanism as a world communion. "Sincerely -held views are being expressed on all sides of the argument, but it is vital that ways are found of dealing with division on any issue which will stand the test of time,'' said Dr Eames, who chairs the 17-member Commission. "For Anglicanism to remain a world communion, decisions need to be taken which will allow autonomy to relate to communion and relationships, while acknowledging the on-going mission of the church throughout the world,'' he added. The International Commission, set-up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and consisting of senior clerics, theologians, academics and lawyers, will consider at its deliberations in England this week what ways the highest degree of communion and relationships can be maintained given the serious divisions within the Church. There has been large-scale disquiet in the Anglican communions since Canon Gene Robinson was elected and ordained as the first openly gay bishop, in the diocese of New Hampshire in the United States. The Commission's task will be to analysis the implications for Anglicanism from the ordination. The Commission will report to the Archbishop of Canterbury next September and its findings will be submitted to the various primates and provinces shortly afterwards. Anglican churches in Africa, the Far East and South America has said they will sever links with the American church. Within the Episcopal Church of the United States a group of those opposed to recent actions have also formed a network in opposition. END

Special Report By David W. Virtue January 20, 2004 PLANO, TX-Calling it a glorious and historic day, the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan announced here the formation of a new orthodox Episcopal Network that will hopefully provide cover for orthodox congregations and their priests caught in revisionist Episcopal dioceses. The convocation (cluster) includes twelve ECUSA bishops who have signed on to the new Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses. They are: Albany (Daniel Herzog and David Bena); Central Florida (John Howe); Dallas (Jim Stanton); Florida (Stephen Jecko); Ft. Worth, (Jack Iker); Pittsburgh (Bob Duncan); Rio Grande (Terence Kelshaw); San Joaquin (John-David Schofield), South Carolina (Ed Salmon); Springfield (Peter Beckwith) and Western Kansas, (James M. Adams). Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan was elected Moderator of the new Network and will serve for a three-year term. There are also individuals from geographic regions and one non-geographic area that were designated as "Convocations". The structural Charter was unanimously adopted with the Organizing Convocation also electing a 12-member Steering Committee comprised of individuals from across the country. "What we have done today will bear fruit for years to come in the lives of our children and grandchildren," he told a small press corps. "We came together in this Convocation from 12 diverse dioceses. Despite some differences, we share a unified conviction that the Gospel of Jesus Christ must not be compromised. We were able to proceed with unanimity on the Charter's articles. The Network is committed to moving forward with the mission and ministry of the Church. It will operate within the constitution of the Episcopal Church and in full fellowship with the vast majority of the Anglican Communion." The Network was formed in faithful response to a recommendation of the Archbishop of Canterbury as well as other Anglican Primates, said Duncan. Those dioceses that signed the Network charter will now seek final ratification by their respective legislative bodies, as appropriate. The seven purpose statement (see virtuosityonline.org ) will provide a way through the current malaise the Episcopal Church is in. "We encourage bishops and dioceses to read our charter and consider joining us in our Great Commission ministry," said Bishop Duncan. "There is now no reason for orthodox Episcopalians to leave Anglicanism." Canon Mary Hayes (Pittsburgh) said she was amazed that the with the size of this group, that they agreed on anything. The Rev. Don Curran (Central Florida) said the formation of the charter and network gives hope internationally. "The worldwide Anglican Communion is waiting for this. Some 12 provinces have broken or are in impaired communion with the ECUSA. They will now have a place to reconnect within the Episcopal Church. "This will permit us to serve in good faith within the constitution of the Episcopal Church, said Bob Duncan. "We are not splitting; we claim to be consistent with the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal church has separated itself from the ECUSA, said Duncan. Asked by a reporter if there would a replacement jurisdiction, Duncan said, "We did not discuss a replacement for the ECUSA. We are calling the ECUSA back to its rootedness." Asked how this might be viewed by the rest of the Anglican Communion, Duncan said, "we can't say what the rest of the world will do. Our aim is stand." Asked if this had the hallmark of a coup and the beginning of schism, Hayes said, "it could happen, we are not responsible for how others should respond. Curran said two bishops; Jim Stanton (Dallas) and Bob Duncan (Pittsburgh) from the Network will attend the consecration of the new Primate in Uganda. The Episcopal Church leadership in the person of Frank Griswold, Presiding Bishop was uninvited. Asked, "are you the true Episcopal Church?" Duncan said, "the other side has departed from the constitution of the Episcopal Church. We are a constituent members of half of them who say they are in impaired relation with ECUSA." The constitution operates within the one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, that is where we are. We will uphold and propagate the historic faith and order, he said. Questioned about women's ordination, canon Hayes said, one person talked about it. "We had intensive, frank, open and mutually honoring conversation and we were respectful with one another. We will disagree but it will not divide us. Both sides who agree on ordination and who do not ordain can co-exist and honor one another." Duncan was critical of the Presiding Bishop's concept of supplemental Episcopal care. It is not the same thing as alternative Episcopal oversight, which is what we are asking for. "This is the Bennison (Diocese of Pennsylvania) plan, it didn't work then and it won't work now." "We recently saw an emergency measure when in the Diocese of Atlanta two congregations came under the care of the Province of the Southern Cone, with the Diocese of Bolivia. It was a reaction to a pastoral emergency, it is temporary solution." Duncan said he was working with the president of the Episcopal Church's Council of advice to try and work things out, but he was not hopeful. Asked about the issue of money, pension and properties, Duncan said this was not the immediate issue and he hoped it would not come down to that. "We are taking it one step at a time. The shift in the worldwide Anglican communion of 77.5 million people is underway. The ECUSA lifeboat has been cast off from the Anglican Communion; we want to stay on the mother ship." END

IN THE NAME OF GOD: FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. WHEREAS the Preamble of the Constitution of The Episcopal Church provides: "The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, otherwise known as The Episcopal Church (which name is hereby recognized as also designating the Church), is a constituent member of the Anglican Communion, a Fellowship within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, of those duly constituted Dioceses, Provinces, and regional Churches in communion with the See of Canterbury, upholding and propagating the historic Faith and Order as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer. This Constitution, adopted in General Convention in Philadelphia in October, 1789, as amended in subsequent General Conventions, sets forth the basic Articles for the government of this Church, and of its overseas missionary jurisdictions"; and WHEREAS the Preface to the original 1789 Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church and each ensuing revision contains the following statement: "In which it will also appear that this Church is far from intending to depart from the Church of England in any essential point of doctrine, discipline, or worship; or further than local circumstances require"; and WHEREAS the Episcopal Dioceses of ALBANY, CENTRAL FLORIDA, DALLAS, FLORIDA, FORT WORTH, PITTSBURGH, QUINCY, RIO GRANDE, SAN JOAQUIN, SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, SPRINGFIELD and WESTERN KANSAS, by actions of their several bishops, standing committees, diocesan councils and/or conventions humbly have found it necessary to oppose certain decisions1 of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church made in August 2003 that were in violation of the instruments of Anglican unity and contrary to the declarations of the Anglican Communion made by the Lambeth Conference in 1998, which were thereafter reaffirmed by the Primates' Meetings; and WHEREAS the undersigned Dioceses and Convocations prayerfully believe these decisions and consequential actions taken by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church have departed from the historic Faith and Order and have brought immense harm, "tearing the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level"2 within this Church and throughout the Communion, as well as damaging important ecumenical and interfaith relationships; and WHEREAS, seeking to be instruments of God's will and to unite like-minded dioceses and congregations in this association, the undersigned Dioceses and Convocations resolve to maintain a faithful Anglican witness in submission to the sovereign authority of Holy Scripture and as reflected in the theological statement known as the "Confession and Calling of the Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes;" and WHEREAS the highest priority of the undersigned Dioceses and Convocations is to seek to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in unity with the See of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion, as members of that Communion; THEREFORE the undersigned representatives of the Dioceses and Convocations here assembled agree to associate as follows: ARTICLE I Name. This association shall be known as the "NETWORK OF ANGLICAN COMMUNION DIOCESES AND PARISHES," hereafter known as the "Network," and shall operate in good faith within the Constitution of The Episcopal Church. ARTICLE II Purpose. The purpose of this charter is to establish said Network, whose associated Dioceses and Convocations will constitute a true and legitimate expression of the world-wide Anglican Communion. ARTICLE III Mission and Authority. We, as Dioceses and Convocations, commit ourselves to the propagation of the unchanging Gospel of Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. We further commit ourselves to the formation of disciples submitted to the historic Faith and Order of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church under the ultimate authority of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. ARTICLE IV Relationship to the World Wide Anglican Communion. We, as Dioceses and Convocations, commit ourselves to full membership in the Anglican Communion of Churches throughout the world, grounded in the classical Anglican formularies,3 and in submission to the moral and teaching authority of the Lambeth Conference and Primates Meeting. We commit ourselves to maintaining, rebuilding, and strengthening ecumenical relationships. We further commit ourselves to the ongoing re-union of the Anglican diaspora in North America. ARTICLE V Network Structure. The Network shall be structured as follows: a) The Network shall consist of participating dioceses and convocations. A convocation will serve as the entity within which individual parishes and congregations not part of a Network diocese and wishing to affiliate with the Network will unite. Convocations shall be of two types: geographical and non-geographical. The Network will initially include five geographical and one non-geographical convocation. The five geographical Convocations, whose boundaries shall be specified by the Steering Committee, will be known as the New England Convocation, the Mid-Atlantic Convocation, the Southeastern Convocation, the Mid-Continental Convocation, and the Western Convocation. The non-geographical Convocation will be known as the Forward in Faith North America (FiFNA) Convocation. The Steering Committee shall ensure that the congregations of each convocation shall come under the spiritual authority of a bishop approved by the Steering Committee. A convocation shall be considered active when it consists of at least six worshiping congregations. b) There shall be a Network Council consisting of the diocesan bishop, two clergy and two lay representatives of each participating diocese and of two representatives (order unspecified) from each convocation. Additionally, up to five at-large representatives may be chosen by the Global Mission Partners from among their missionary societies serving the Network and the Anglican Communion. c) The Council shall: elect triennially a Moderator (President and Convening Authority; a bishop) and other officers (any order); meet annually or at the discretion of the Moderator; shape the policy and direction of the Network; and elect twelve members of the Council to serve, with the Moderator and other officers, as the Steering Committee to carry the Network mission forward between meetings of the Council. The Moderator shall have general powers of appointment. d) The Moderator (President and Convening Authority) of the Network shall cause Network Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws to be prepared in accordance with this Charter. ARTICLE VI Affiliation. The Network calls upon other like-minded dioceses, parishes, and congregations to apply for Network affiliation. Any diocese or congregation desiring to affiliate with the Network shall fulfill the requirements for membership as established by the Council and administered by the Steering Committee. ARTICLE VII Adequate Episcopal Oversight. In consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates of the Anglican Communion, the Network shall work for the provision of adequate episcopal oversight as mandated by the Primates of the Communion for parishes and congregations requesting such ministry.4 ARTICLE VIII Ordination. The affiliates of the Network hold differing positions regarding the ordination of women and pledge that we shall recognize and honor the positions and practices on this issue of others in the Network. ARTICLE IX Stewardship. All assets, of every kind and nature, held by the Network are, and shall be, irrevocably dedicated to and inured to the benefit of the charitable, educational, and religious purposes of the Network, and used according to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code #501(c)(3), and no part thereof shall inure to the private benefit of any individual or be used for any impermissible purpose. Each gift or contribution received by the Network shall be deemed restricted and designated by the donor to advance charitable, educational, and religious purposes of the Network. In the event of dissolution or termination of the Network, the Network's property shall be distributed as directed by the Network's Steering Committee in accordance with applicable law for missionary work. ARTICLE X Amendments. This Charter may be amended by the affirmative vote of two thirds of the members of the Council at a duly called meeting. Executed this 20th day of January, in the Year of our Lord Two Thousand Four at Christ Church, Plano, State of Texas, in the United States of America, in the presence of Almighty God and the below named Witnesses who hereinafter have affixed their seals. 1 Resolution C045: Resolved, pursuant to Article II, Section 2, and Canon III.22.3 of the Constitution and Canons of the General Convention, the House of Deputies, consents to the ordination and consecration of The Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of New Hampshire Resolution C051: Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 74th General Convention affirms the following: That our life together as a community of faith is grounded in the saving work of Jesus Christ and expressed in the principles of the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral: Holy Scripture, the historic Creeds of the Church, the two dominical sacraments, and the historic episcopate. That we reaffirm Resolution A069 of the 65th General Convention (1976) that "homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church." That, in our understanding of homosexual persons, differences exist among us about how best to care pastorally for those who intend to live in monogamous, non-celibate unions; and what is, or should be, required, permitted, or prohibited by the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church concerning the blessing of the same.  That we reaffirm Resolution D039 of the 73rd General Convention (2000), that "We expect such relationships will be characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God", and that such relationships exist throughout the church. That, we recognize that local faith communities are operating within the bounds of our common life as they explore and experience liturgies celebrating and blessing same-sex unions. That we commit ourselves, and call our church, in the spirit of Resolution A104 of the 70th General Convention (1991), to continued prayer, study, and discernment on the pastoral care for gay and lesbian persons, to include the compilation and development by a special commission organized and appointed by the Presiding Bishop of resources to facilitate as wide a conversation of discernment as possible throughout the church.  That our baptism into Jesus Christ is inseparable from our communion with one another, and we commit ourselves to that communion despite our diversity of opinion and, among dioceses, a diversity of pastoral practice with the gay men and lesbians among us. That it is a matter of faith that our Lord longs for our unity as his disciples, and for us this entails living within the boundaries of the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church. We believe this discipline expresses faithfulness to our polity and that it will facilitate the conversation we seek not only in The Episcopal Church, but also in the wider Anglican Communion and beyond. 2 The Primates Statement of October 16, 2003. 3 By this phrase we mean a commitment to the Scriptures, the Apostles and Nicene Creeds, the 39 Articles of Religion, The Book of Common Prayer (particularly in its 1662 version), and the Chicago Lambeth Quadrilateral. 4 Lambeth Conference, 1998, Resolution III.6.(b), "Instruments of Anglican Communion;" and the Primates Statement of October 16, 2003. END

By David W. Virtue 1/19/2004 DESTIN, FL-- He's 72 now, and he has been confined to a power chair for the last eight years since he had a stroke which affected his right leg and effectively made him unable to travel and preach. But Terry Fullam still commands great respect as a key figure in Anglican renewal in the US. He is a disciple of Dennis Bennett and he has lead many to Christ over the course of a life time. During the Anglican Mission in American conference he received a standing ovation for his life time of service. The Rev. Everett L. Fullam or Terry as he is fondly known graduated from Gordon College with a degree in Philosophy and did his graduate work at Harvard and Boston Universities. He was ordained in the Episcopal Church without ever going to seminary, and in 1972 became Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Darien, Connecticut. Under his leadership St. Paul's became one of the most active Episcopal churches in America. Its focus on parish renewal became widely-known and thrust Dr. Fullam into a much broader ministry. He left St. Paul's in 1989 to devote himself full-time to renewal of the wider church. From his base in Deltona, Florida, Terry traveled extensively, lecturing and ministering to churches around the world till his stroke. He resides with his wife and family in Deltona, Florida. Virtuosity interviewed him between teaching sessions at the Hilton hotel in Destin. VIRTUOSITY: Are you still an Episcopalian? Your presence here might be construed that you have left the Episcopal Church? FULLAM: Yes, I am still an Episcopalian, and I am here because I have a lot of friends and we go back a long way. VIRTUOSITY: Is the AMIA the answer to ECUSA's apostate drift? FULLAM: Yes, I think so. It has connected with and has the support of Primates from Africa and Southeast Asia, which none of the other Continuing churches has received. That gives them the edge. VIRTUOSITY: Do you believe that ECUSA is finished as a major Christian denomination in America? AMIA: Yes, I think ECUSA is finished. VIRTUOSITY: On whom do you put the blame? FULLAM: I blame the seminaries, because they do not give proper instruction. The process has been a gradual breakdown but it has accelerated over time, and so I don't believe The Episcopal Church can be reclaimed. I would like to be proven wrong, but I see little sign of hope. I think Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry and Nashotah House hold out the best hope for any kind of renewal if there is going to be one. VIRTUOSITY: Are you able to preach at all these days? FULLAM: No I do not preach, but I have two book manuscripts, both commentaries completed; one on Romans and the other on the Book of the Revelation. They are reflective, hopefully instructive and inspirational, that teaches and encourages, strengthens and inspires response to life with Christ. VIRTUOSITY: Who has been among the most influential of persons in your life? FULLAM: Dennis Bennett mostly. I was touched through him when I met him and read what he had to say. He opened me up to the work of the Holy Spirit in a more personal way and that was experientially wonderful. I had been a believer but through his ministry I found a deeper, richer life. The other person was my mother. She was the world's finest Bible teacher, and it was through her ministry that I was grounded in Holy Scripture. As a child I hated Sunday school where I acted up and was thrown into my mother's Bible class, where everything became perfectly clear to me. She had the ability to open up the scriptures and reach me. VIRTUOSITY: Did you grow up in the Episcopal Church? FULLAM: No, I grew in a Baptist environment, but in College and Graduate School I gradually moved into the Episcopal Church. It satisfied both my aesthetic and liturgical sensibilities. I loved music, played the piano, got involved in church music and as I began to broaden my musical tastes I found the music of the Episcopal Church, especially the hymns began to speak to me. At the same time I did not go through a turning against my background. I knew I had been greatly privileged by having a godly mother and father who loved the Lord. They raised me in the nurture and admonition of the Lord but I found a wider home in the Episcopal Church. VIRTUOSITY: What would you say are the key themes of your ministry? FULLAM: The transforming work of the Holy Spirit in a persons' life, when believers learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit instead of fighting the Spirit. It takes a while after conversion before you learn to follow the urgings and voice of the Holy Spirit. VIRTUOSITY: Do you see the work of the Holy Spirit following both justification and sanctification as a third dimension? FULLAM: Not necessarily. What happens after your commitment to Christ is that lots of people commit their lives to the Lord but they are not taught, and so they muddle along sometime for long periods with little help. Moreover the church doesn't encourage, strengthen or challenge them. But then they come to an event like this and get inspired and take a large step forward in their faith and commitment. But you need a church, a body of believers to feed you and walk beside you and correct you. VIRTUOSITY: Are you still a believer in the local church as the placed of spiritual growth and nurture? FULLAM: Yes, I believe in the local church warts and all. The tragedy is that thousands of Episcopal churches are not offering a real closer walk with Christ with sound Bible teaching. A Christian without a church is a dying Christian. VIRTUOSITY: Looking back on 40 years of ministry what are the highlights and mountain top experiences you can point too? FULLAM: I had the good fortune to have a mother who was an absolute charismatic (not in the modern sense) teacher. She knew the Scriptures and we were taught from infancy from Scripture in a very gracious and winsome way. She had the wisdom to create a desire, working with the Holy Spirit, inclining our hearts and then instructing us to move forward, and then coming alongside us with more Scripture. VIRTUOSITY: Any siblings? FULLAM: I have one brother and sister; both are older and similarly affected by our mother. My brother is 10 years old and dynamic in his faith. We had parents who had wisdom along with a godly commitment to the Lord. VIRTUOSITY: You had a vigorous secular education, studying philosophy at Harvard. FULLAM: Studying philosophy strengthened me. I also had a foundation that was strong enough in Scripture. I was challenged and I loved it. I still do. I was never corrupted by studying philosophy. I was a deeply committed Christian, but I was not then a charismatic believer. VITUOSITY: And your calling to the ministry? FULLAM: It was a natural outgrowth of my whole life. I actually was told when I went to see the Bishop of Rhode Island while teaching at a Christian college that I didn't need to go to seminary. The bishop ordained me. I had taught, I was a good teacher and he said I never needed to go to seminary. VIRTUOSITY: What happened then? FULLAM: I took a parish at St. Paul's Darien, and the rest as you say is history. VIRTUOSITY: What was the most significant thing to come out of your ministry? FULLAM: I think it was the 50 or 60 people who subsequently went on to be ordained, and a lot of them are here at this AMIA conference. Another highlight was that the Episcopal Church was beginning to stray even then. The Bishop of Connecticut was very sympathetic. We were the largest parish he had. I was classically orthodox and he knew that and he respected that. He was never hostile at all even though he was liberally inclined. He used to often say "whatever you are doing, don't stop." He loved to come to confirmations and hang around and we respected him. I taught myself New Testament Greek during that time. VIRTUOSITY: Was it natural to leave St. Paul's and go onto a wider ministry? FULLAM: All along my life seemed to flow in ways of wider ministry. It was not anything I sought, it was the Lord's leading and opening doors, because I never searched for a job or anything like that. I always had the feeling of being guided. I used often to pray, 'Take my life and do with it as you please, and place me where you want me to be, put me there and keep me there.' I think the lord did that. I have received a lot of blessing from the Lord in my life. I knew God was proving me and opening doors, so I felt from childhood that the Lord was directing me. VIRTUOSITY: How do you perceive your stroke as part of the divine plan for your life? FULLAM: I never felt bad about it. I realized it was a major change, but God has always led me and as part of the things he wanted me to deal with you. I never blamed God. I accepted it. It is part of life. I know that servants of the Lord are not exempt from all of the problems of life. I didn't feel badly about it. It was great change in limiting me. But I still see God working in me; I have never felt abandoned, that would be unthinkable to me. I committed myself to the Lord and reaffirmed it following the stroke VIRTUOSITY: Have you had to change your lifestyle? FULLAM: Yes. I had done lots and lots of travel - in the U. S. Asia and overseas to Africa for long periods of time. That has all stopped. VIRTUOSITY: Do you ever feel bitter? FULLAM: No I never do. I didn't even grieve over it. I don't say that pridefully, it was the grace of God that gave me the grace of God to receive whatever God was and is doing. It was a momentous change in my life but I am happy now as I have ever been. VIRTUOSITY: What did you see as your ministry today? FULLAM: I love to encourage Christians, especially clergy as they visit. I do a lot of writing to them. I have a ministry of encouragement, coming alongside people. The input I have had over the years is bearing fruit. Bishop Thad Barnum came from St. Paul's, Darien. I can see ways I have been able to help the church we are in. I see myself as a bulwark against the modernizing trends. VIRTUOSITY: Has it worried you that the U.S. Episcopal Church never created a solid middle core of Evangelicals that you find in the Church of England? Would you do things differently had you known? FULLAM: I don't know. All the time I was ministering, the great Episcopal churches were not connected up in the ECUSA. I have often wondered about that. It didn't happen. There was not enough vision. VIRTUOSITY: Thank you Terry. END

Warning #1 to the Church by J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) The following Sermon was preached in England, in August, 1858. "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it" (Matthew 16:18) We live in a world in which all things are passing away. Kingdoms, empires, cities, institutions, families, all are liable to change and corruption. One universal law seems to prevail everywhere. In all created things there is a tendency to decay. There is something sad and depressing in this. What profit has a man in the labor of his hands? Is there nothing that shall stand? Is there nothing that shall last? Is there nothing that shall endure? Is there nothing of which we can say--This shall continue forever? You have the answer to these questions in the words of our text. Our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of something which shall continue, and not pass away. There is one created thing which is an exception to the universal rule to which I have referred. There is one thing which shall never perish and pass away. That thing is the building founded upon the rock--the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. He declares, in the words you have heard tonight: "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it." There are five things in these words which demand your attention: A Building: "My Church" A Builder: Christ says, "I will build My Church" A Foundation: "On this rock I will build My Church" Perils Implied: "The gates of hell" Security Asserted: "The gates of hell will not overcome it" May God bless the words that shall be spoken. May we all search our own hearts tonight, and know whether or not we belong to this one Church. May we all go home to reflect and to pray! 1. First, you have a "Building" mentioned in the text. The Lord Jesus Christ speaks of "My Church." Now what is this Church? Few inquiries can be made of more importance than this. For want of due attention to this subject, the errors that have crept into the Church, and into the world, are neither few nor small. The Church of our text is no material building. It is no temple made with hands, of wood, or brick, or stone, or marble. It is a company of men and women. It is no particular visible Church on earth. It is not the Eastern Church or the Western Church. It is not the Church of England, or the Church of Scotland--much less is it the Church of Rome. The Church of our text is one that makes far less show in the eyes of man, but is of far more importance in the eyes of God. The Church of our text is made up of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. It comprehends all who have repented of sin, and fled to Christ by faith, and been made new creatures in Him. It comprises all God's elect, all who have received God's grace, all who have been washed in Christ's blood, all who have been clothed in Christ's righteousness, all who have been born again and sanctified by Christ's Spirit. All such, of every nation, and people, and tongue, compose the Church of our text. This is the body of Christ. This is the flock of Christ. This is the bride. This is the Lamb's wife. This is the Church on the rock. The members of this Church do not all worship God in the same way, or use the same form of government. Our own 34th Article declares, "It is not necessary that ceremonies should be in all places one and alike." But they all worship with one heart. They are all led by one Spirit. They are all really and truly holy. They can all say "Alleluia," and they can all reply "Amen." This is that Church, to which all visible Churches on earth are servants. Whether they are Episcopalian, Independent, or Presbyterian, they all serve the interests of the one true Church. They are the scaffolding, behind which the great building is carried on. They are the husk, under which the living kernel grows. They have their various degrees of usefulness. The best and worthiest of them is that which trains up most members for Christ's true Church. But no visible Church has any right to say, "We are the only true Church. We are the men, and wisdom shall die with us." No visible Church should ever dare to say, "We shall stand for ever. The gates of hell will not overcome us." This is that Church to which belong the Lord's precious promises of preservation, continuance, protection, and final glory. "Whatsoever," says Hooker, "we read in Scripture, concerning the endless love and saving mercy which God shows towards His Churches, the only proper subject is this Church, which we properly term the mystical body of Christ." Small and despised as the true Church may be in this world, it is precious and honorable in the sight of God. The temple of Solomon in all its glory was nothing, in comparison with that Church which is built upon a rock. Men and brethren, see that you hold sound doctrine on the subject of "the Church." A mistake here may lead to dangerous and soul-ruining errors. The Church which is made up of true believers, is the Church for which we, who are ministers, are specially ordained to preach. The Church which comprises all who repent and believe the Gospel, is the Church to which we desire you to belong. Our work is not done, and our hearts are not satisfied, until you are made new creatures, and are members of the one true Church. Outside of this Church there can be no salvation. 2. I pass on to the second point, to which I proposed to call your attention. Our text contains not merely a building, but a Builder. The Lord Jesus Christ declares, "I will build My Church." The true Church of Christ is tenderly cared for by all the three persons of the blessed Trinity. In the economy of redemption, beyond all doubt, God the Father chooses, and God the Holy Spirit sanctifies, every member of Christ's mystical body. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, three Persons and one God, cooperate for the salvation of every saved soul. This is truth, which ought never to be forgotten. Nevertheless, there is a peculiar sense in which the help of the Church is laid on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is peculiarly and preeminently the Redeemer and the Savior. Therefore it is, that we find Him saying in our text, "I will build: the work of building is my special work." It is Christ who calls the members of the Church in due time. They are "the called of Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:6). It is Christ who gives them life. "The Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it" (John 5:21). It is Christ who washes away their sins. He "who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelation 1:5). It is Christ who gives them peace. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you" (John 14:27). It is Christ who gives them eternal life. "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish" (John 10:28). It is Christ who grants them repentance. "God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance" (Acts 5:31). It is Christ who enables them to become God's children. "To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). It is Christ who carries on the work within them when it is begun. "Because I live, you also will live" (John 14:19). In short, "God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Christ]" (Colossians 1:19). He is the author and finisher of faith. From Him every joint and member of the mystical body of Christians is supplied. Through Him they are strengthened for duty. By Him they are kept from falling. He shall preserve them to the end, and present them faultless before the Father's throne with exceeding great joy. He is all things, and all in all to believers. The mighty agent by whom the Lord Jesus Christ carries out this work in the number of His Churches, is, without doubt, the Holy Spirit. He it is who applies Christ and His benefits to the soul. He it is who is ever renewing, awakening, convincing, leading to the cross, transforming, taking out of the world, stone after stone, and adding it to the mystical building. But the great Chief Builder, who has undertaken to execute the work of redemption and bring it to completion, is the Son of God: the Word who was made flesh. It is Jesus Christ who "builds." In building the true Church, the Lord Jesus condescends to use many subordinate instruments. The ministry of the Gospel, the circulation of the Scriptures, the friendly rebuke, the word spoken in season, the drawing influence of afflictions--all, all are means and methods by which His work is carried on. But Christ is the great superintending architect, ordering, guiding, directing all that is done. What the sun is to the whole solar system, that Christ is to all the members of the true Church. "Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but God gives the increase." Ministers may preach, and writers may write, but the Lord Jesus Christ alone can build. And except He builds, the work stands still. Great is the wisdom with which the Lord Jesus Christ builds His Church. All is done at the right time, and in the right way. Each stone in its turn is put in the right place. Sometimes He chooses great stones, and sometimes He chooses small stones. Sometimes the work moves fast, and sometimes it moves slowly. Man is frequently impatient, and thinks that nothing is happening. But man's time is not God's time. A thousand years in His sight are but as a single day. The great Builder makes no mistakes. He knows what He is doing. He sees the end from the beginning. He works by a perfect, unalterable and certain plan. The mightiest conceptions of architects, like Michael Angelo are mere insignificant child's play, in comparison with Christ's wise counsels respecting His Church. Great is the condescension and mercy, which Christ exhibits in building His Church. He often chooses the most unlikely and roughest stones, and fits them into a most excellent work. He despises no one, and rejects none, on account of former sins and past transgressions. He delights to show mercy. He often takes the most thoughtless and ungodly, and transforms them into polished corners of His spiritual temple. Great is the power which Christ displays in building His Church. He carries on his work in spite of opposition from the world, the flesh, and the devil. In storm, in chaos, through troublesome times, silently, quietly, without noise, without stir, without excitement, the building progresses, like Solomon's temple. "I will work," He declares, "and none shall stop it." Brethren, the children of this world take little or no interest in the building of this Church, They care little for the conversion of souls. What are broken spirits and penitent hearts to them? It is all foolishness in their eyes. But while the children of this world care nothing, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God. For the preserving of that Church, the laws of nature have oftentimes been suspended. For the good of that Church, all the providential dealings of God in this world are ordered and arranged. For the elect's sake, wars are brought to an end, and peace is given to a nation. Statesmen, rulers, emperors, kings, presidents, heads of governments, have their schemes and plans, and think them of vast importance. But there is another work going on of infinitely greater significance, for which they are all but as the axes and saws in God's hands. That work is the gathering in of living stones into the one true Church. How little are we told in God's Word about unconverted men compared with what we are told about believers! The history of Nimrod, the mighty hunter, is dismissed in a few words. The history of Abraham, the father of the faithful, occupies several chapters. Nothing in Scripture is so important as the concerns of the true Church. The world makes up little of God's Word. The Church and its story make up much. For ever let us thank God, my beloved brethren, that the building of the one true Church is laid on the shoulders of One that is mighty. Let us bless God that it does not rest upon man. Let us bless God that it does not depend on missionaries, ministers, or committees. Christ is the almighty Builder. He will carry on His work, though nations and visible Churches do not know their duty. Christ will never fail. That which He has undertaken He will certainly accomplish. 3. I pass on to the third point, which I proposed to consider--The Foundation upon which this Church is built. The Lord Jesus Christ tells us, "On this rock I will build my church." What did the Lord Jesus Christ mean, when He spoke of this foundation? Did He mean the Apostle Peter, to whom He was speaking? I think assuredly not. I can see no reason, if he meant Peter, why did He not say, "On you" will I build My church. If He had meant Peter, He would have said, I will build My Church on you, as plainly as He said, "I will give you the keys." No! it was not the person of the Apostle Peter, but the good confession which the Apostle had just made. It was not Peter, the erring, unstable man; but the mighty truth which the Father had revealed to Peter. It was the truth concerning Jesus Christ himself which was the Rock. It was Christ's Mediatorship, and Christ's Messiahship. It was the blessed truth, that Jesus was the promised Savior, the true Guarantee, the real Intercessor between God and man. This was the rock, and this was the foundation on which the Church of Christ was to be built. My brethren, this foundation was laid at a mighty cost. It was necessary that the Son of God should take our nature upon Him, and in that nature live, suffer, and die, not for His own sins, but for ours. It was necessary that in that nature Christ should go to the grave, and rise again. It was necessary that in that nature Christ should go up to heaven, to sit at the right hand of God, having obtained eternal redemption for all His people. No other foundation but this could have borne the weight of that Church of which our text speaks. No other foundation could have met the necessities of a world of sinners. That foundation once obtained, is very strong. It can bear the weight of the sin of all the world. It has borne the weight of all the sins of all the believers who have built on it. Sins of thought, sins of the imagination, sins of the heart, sins of the head, sins which every one has seen, and sins which no man knows, sins against God, and sins against man, sins of all kinds and descriptions--that mighty rock can bear the weight of all these sins and not give way. The mediatorial office of Christ is a sufficient remedy for all the sins of all the world. To this one foundation every member of Christ's true Church is joined. In many things believers are disunited and disagreed. In the matter of their soul's foundation they are all of one mind. They are all built on the rock. Ask where they get their peace, and hope, and joyful expectation of good things to come. You would find that it all flows from that one mighty truth--Christ the Mediator between God and man, and the office that Christ holds, as the Highpriest and Promise of sinners. Here is the point which demands our personal attention. Are we on the rock? Are we really joined to the one foundation? What does that good old godly man, Leighton say? "God has laid this precious stone for this very purpose, that weary sinners may rest upon it. The multitude of imaginary believers lie all around it, but they are not any better for that, any more than stones that lie loose in heaps, near a foundation, but not joined to it. There is no benefit to us by Christ, without union with Him." Look to your foundation, my beloved brethren, if you would know whether or not you are members of the one true Church. It is a point that may be known to yourselves. Your public worship we can see, but we cannot see whether you are personally built upon the rock. Your attendance at the Lord's table we can see, but we cannot see whether you are joined to Christ, and one with Christ, and Christ in you. But all shall come to light one day. The secrets of all hearts shall be exposed. Perhaps you go to church regularly and you pray faithfully. All this is right and good, so far as it goes. But see that you make no mistake about your own personal salvation. See that your own soul is on the rock. Without this, all else is nothing. Without this, you will never stand in the day of judgment. Better a thousand times in that day to be found in a cottage on the rock, than in a palace on the sand! 4. I proceed, in the fourth place, to speak of the Implied Trials of the Church, to which our text refers. There is mention made of "the gates of hell." By that expression we are to understand the power of the devil! The history of Christ's true Church has always been one of conflict and war. It has been constantly assailed by a deadly enemy, Satan, the prince of this world. The devil hates the true Church of Christ with an undying hatred. He is ever stirring up opposition against all its members. He is ever urging the children of this world to do his will, and injure and harass the people of God. If he cannot bruise the head, he will bruise the heel. If he cannot rob believers of heaven, he will aggravate them as they travel the road to heaven. For six thousand years this hostility has gone on. Millions of the ungodly have been the devil's agents, and done the devil's work, though they did not know it. The Pharaohs, the Herods, the Neros, the Julians, the Diocletians, the bloody Marys--were Satan's tools, when they persecuted the disciples of Jesus Christ. Warfare with the powers of hell has been the experience of the whole body of Christ. It has always been a bush burning, though not consumed--a woman fleeing into the wilderness, but not swallowed up. The visible Churches have their times of prosperity and seasons of peace, but never has there been a time of peace for the true Church. Its conflict is perpetual. Its battle never ends. Warfare with the powers of hell is the experience of every individual member of the true Church. Each has to fight. What are the lives of all the saints, but records of battles? What were such men as Paul, and James, and Peter, and John, and Polycarp, and Ignatius, and Augustine, and Luther, and Calvin, and Latimer, and Baxter, but soldiers engaged in a constant warfare? Sometimes their persons have been assailed, and sometimes their property. Sometimes they have been harassed by slander, and sometimes by open persecution. But in one way or another the devil has been continually warring against the Church. The "gates of hell" have been continually assaulting the people of Christ. Men and brethren, we who preach the Gospel can hold out to all who come to Christ, exceeding great and precious promises. We can offer boldly to you in our Master's name, the peace of God which passes all understanding. Mercy, free grace, and full salvation, are offered to every one who will come to Christ, and believe on Him. But we promise you no peace with the world, or with the devil. We warn you, on the contrary, that there must be warfare, so long as you are in the body. We would not keep you back, or deter you from Christ's service. But we would have you count the cost, and fully understand what Christ's service entails. Hell is behind you. Heaven is before you. Home lies on the other side of a troubled sea. Thousands, tens of thousands have crossed these stormy waters, and in spite of all opposition, have reached the haven where they would be. Hell has assailed them, but has not prevailed. Go forward, beloved brethren, and fear not the adversary. Only abide in Christ, and the victory is sure. Marvel not at the hatred of the gates of hell. "If you were of the world, the world would love as its own." So long as the world is the world, and the devil the devil, there must be warfare, and believers in Christ must be soldiers. The world hated Christ, and the world will hate true Christians, as long as the earth stands. As the great reformer, Luther, said, "Cain will go on murdering Abel so long as the Church is on earth." Be prepared for the hostility of the gates of hell. Put on the whole armor of God. The tower of David contains a thousand shields, all ready for the use of God's people. The weapons of our warfare have been tried by millions of poor sinners like ourselves, and have never been found to fail. Be patient under the bitterness of the gates of hell. It is all working together for your good. It tends to sanctify. It keeps you awake. It makes you humble. It drives you nearer to the Lord Jesus Christ. It weans you from the world. It helps to make you pray more. Above all, it makes you long for heaven, and say with heart as well as lips, "Come, Lord Jesus." Do not be cast down by the hatred of hell. The warfare of the true child of God is as much a mark of grace as the inward peace which he enjoys. No cross, no crown! No conflict, no saving Christianity! "Blessed are you," said our Lord Jesus Christ, "when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." 5. There remains one thing more to be considered: the Security of the true Church of Christ. There is a glorious promise given by the mighty Builder, "The gates of Hades will not overcome it." He who cannot lie has pledged His royal word, that all the powers of hell shall never overthrow His Church. It shall continue, and stand, in spite of every assault. It shall never be overcome. All other created things perish and pass away, but not the Church of Christ. The hand of outward violence, or the moth of inward decay, prevail over everything else, but not over the church that Christ builds. Empires have risen and fallen in rapid succession. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Tyre, Carthage, Rome, Greece, Venice--where are all these now? They were all the creations of man's hand, and have passed away. But the Church of Christ lives on. The mightiest cities have become heaps of ruins. The broad walls of Babylon are sunk to the ground. The palaces of Nineveh are mounds of dust. The hundred gates of Thebes are only matters of history. Tyre is a place where fishermen hang their nets. Carthage is a desolation. Yet all this time the true Church stands. The gates of hell do not prevail against it. The earliest visible Churches have in many cases decayed and perished. Where is the Church of Ephesus and the Church of Antioch? Where is the Church of Alexandria and the Church of Constantinople? Where are the Corinthian, and Philippian, and Thessalonian Churches? Where, indeed, are they all? They departed from the Word of God. They were proud of their bishops, and synods, and ceremonies, and learning, and antiquity. They did not glory in the true cross of Christ. They did not hold fast the Gospel. They did not give Jesus His rightful office, or faith its rightful place. They are now among the things that have been. Their candlestick has been taken away. But all this time the true Church has lived on. Has the true Church been oppressed in one country? It has fled to another. Has it been trampled on and oppressed in one soil? It has taken root and flourished in some other climate. Fire, sword, prisons, fines, penalties, have never been able to destroy its vitality. Its persecutors have died and gone to their own place, but the Word of God has lived, and grown and multiplied. Weak as this true Church may appear to the eye of man, it is an anvil which has broken many a hammer in times past, and perhaps will break many more before the end. He that lays hands on it, is touching the apple of God's eye. The promise of our text is true of the whole body of the true Church. Christ will never be without a witness in the world. He has had a people in the worst of times. He had seven thousand in Israel even in the days of Ahab. There are some now, I believe, in the dark places of the Roman Catholic and Greek Churches, who, in spite of much weakness, are serving Christ. The devil may rage horribly. The Church may in some countries be brought exceedingly low. But the gates of hell shall never entirely prevail. The promise of our text is true of every individual member of the Church. Some of God's people have been brought very low, so that they despaired of their safety. Some have fallen sadly, as David and Peter did. Some have departed from the faith for a time. Many have been tried by cruel doubts and fears. But all have gotten safely home at last, the youngest as well as the oldest, the weakest as well as the strongest. And so it will be to the end. Can you prevent tomorrow's sun from rising? Can you prevent the tide in the channel from ebbing and flowing? Can you prevent the planets moving in their respective orbits? Then, and then alone, can you prevent the salvation of any believer, however feeble--of any living stone in that Church which is built on the rock, however small or insignificant that stone may appear. The true Church is Christ's body. Not one bone in that mystical body shall ever be broken. The true Church is Christ's bride. They whom God has joined in everlasting covenant, shall never be put asunder. The true Church is Christ's flock. When the lion came and took a lamb out of David's flock, David arose and delivered the lamb from his mouth. Christ will do the same. He is David's greater son. Not a single sick lamb in Christ's flock shall perish. He will say to His Father in the last day, "I have not lost one of those you gave me." The true Church is the wheat of the earth. It may be sifted, winnowed, buffeted, tossed to and fro. But not one gain shall be lost. The tares and chaff shall be burned. The wheat shall be gathered into the barn. The true Church is Christ's army. The Captain of our salvation loses none of his soldiers. His plans are never defeated. His supplies never fail. His roll call is the same at the end as it was at the beginning. Of the men that marched gallantly out of England a few years ago in the Crimean war, how many never came back! Regiments that went forth, strong and cheerful, with bands playing and banners flying, laid their bones in a foreign land, and never returned to their native country. But it is not so with Christ's army. Not one of His soldiers shall be missing at last. He Himself declares "They shall never perish." The devil may cast some of the members of the true Church into prison. He may kill, and burn, and torture, and hang. But after he has killed the body, there is nothing more that he can do. He cannot hurt the soul. When the French troops took Rome a few years ago, they found on the walls of a prison cell, under the Inquisition, the words of a prisoner. Who he was, we do not know. But his words are worthy of remembrance. Though dead, he still speaks. He had written on the walls, very likely after an unjust trial, and a still more unjust excommunication, the following striking words, "Blessed Jesus, they cannot cast me out of Your true Church." That record is true. Not all the power of Satan can cast out of Christ's true Church one single believer. The children of this world may wage fierce warfare against the Church, but they cannot stop the work of conversion. What did the sneering Emperor Julian say, in the early ages of the Church, "What is the carpenter's son doing now?" An aged Christian made answer, "He

By RICHARD N. OSTLING ASSOCIATED PRESS PLANO, Texas (AP) - Conservative Episcopalians appeared on track to launch a new nationwide protest organization Tuesday as they began the second and final day of a meeting to launch their Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. The movement, which hopes for significant support from foreign Anglicans, was prompted by the decision of an Episcopal Church convention last August to approve openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. But Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, the group's leader, told a Monday news briefing that Robinson's name wasn't even mentioned during the first day's deliberations. Instead, he said, the 100 bishops, representing 12 dioceses and various conservative parishes in other dioceses, focused on building "a united, orthodox and missionary Anglicanism" in the United States. The delegates at the meeting plan to complete an organizational charter for the network. They also are trying to produce a new theological statement based upon previous conservative platforms. Organizers say the network is no schism but a "church within a church" whose followers will remain Episcopalians. One reason not to quit: most parishes would be forced to surrender their properties to the denomination. Duncan said the Episcopal Church "split from its own history" when it endorsed Robinson, while the network upholds traditional Episcopal teaching, "so who left?" Episcopal Church headquarters in New York has issued no formal statement about the meeting. The Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of the international Anglican Communion, in which many overseas churches have protested Robinson's consecration. Some have broken fellowship with the Episcopal Church or its majority of pro-gay bishops. The network hopes to become the American entity to which foreign Anglicans can relate. Canon Bill Atwood of the Texas-based Ekklesia Society, which aids churches in developing nations, said in a phone interview from Uganda that bishops who lead a majority of the world's Anglicans are preparing a joint statement to recognize the network. A leaked memo from one network activist said the ultimate goal is a "replacement" jurisdiction aligned with world Anglicanism. A key leader said Sunday that the concept originated with the overseas Anglican leaders and decisions on replacement are up to them. The chief business of the Plano meeting is to agree on an organizational charter to govern the network's early phase. Some delegates worked Monday night in hopes of also fashioning a theological declaration drawn from previous conservative documents. Perhaps the touchiest issue is whether the network should send bishops to minister to conservative parishes in liberal dioceses, even without denominational permission. The 12 dioceses at the heart of the network have 235,000 members, or a 10th of the nation's Episcopalians, though some parishioners in these dioceses hold liberal views. The world Anglican leader, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, named a commission to report by Sept. 30 on solutions to the global division over the U.S. actions and a parallel dispute over Canadian church blessings for same-sex couples.

By David W. Virtue 1/19/2004 PLANO, TX - An orthodox Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes representing some 100 bishops, clergy and lay delegates from 12 Episcopal Church dioceses met for the first time in an historic meeting here, with moderator Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan telling a press conference briefing that what will emerge "is a united, orthodox and missionary Anglicanism." The Episcopal Church is currently being torn apart over recent decisions by the church's General Convention to pass legislation affirming same-sex rites and for consecrating an openly non-celibate homosexual to the episcopacy. Five major Christian groups: Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox have suspended relations with the ECUSA, with two expressing solidarity with orthodox Episcopalians. Nine Anglican provinces have suspended (impaired and/or broken) communion with ECUSA over its moral actions. "We have a seven fold purpose: To bring the Network into existence, adopt a simple charter with provision for incorporation; to give hope to the orthodox of the Episcopal Church, with some sense that there is a future; to adopt a structure appropriate to the Network's early life; to elect the Network's officers; to begin to create and to live as a Network with Missions "DNA"; to prosper the cause of Adequate Episcopal Oversight and to renew international, ecumenical and North American Anglican relationships," said Duncan. The Pittsburgh bishop has emerged as the leader of the biblically orthodox in ECUSA and is an Evangelical Anglo-Catholic in theology and ecclesiology. He is the convener of the Network. Duncan was at pains to avoid language like "schism", "parallel jurisdiction" or a "church within a church" at a press conference, telling some 30 media that V. Gene Robinson's name was never mentioned during the first day of the two-day meeting. 'We want to renew Anglicanism in this part of the world. We have a vision for a united orthodox and missionary Anglicanism. This is what this meeting is about." "We worked on the articles of a draft charter including why we felt it was necessary to produce this charter. We will also be working on a theological statement, from several groups that have already produced such statements like the American Anglican Council (AAC), Forward in Faith North America (FIFNA) and the Anglican Church Dioceses of Parishes Advent statement." Duncan said the 12 orthodox dioceses sent its bishop and four representatives, representing clusters from different parts of the country where there is hostility to what we stand for. He cited the need in such areas as New England, Southeast US and West Coast where there were small clusters of biblically orthodox believers in largely hostile dioceses. Responding to a question about how this Network can work inside the Episcopal Church when clearly it could not hope to win politically, Duncan responded by saying that The Episcopal Church exceeded its own constitution and was functioning outside of its own authority but "we are working within that constitutional framework." Duncan acknowledged that there was disagreement about how we did this. "We are faithful Episcopalians. We are staying within the constitution. We want to be in The Episcopal Church but not of it." "The other side split from its own history and the communion this summer [at General Convention], not us." Asked what brought them to this point, Duncan replied that there were theological developments and a decision that 13 of our bishops took in November with a Memorandum of Agreement. "We are about historic faith and order. Robinson is not the issue. He [Robinson] would not have been consecrated if there had been an agreed upon understanding of its [the church's] constitution. "The Episcopal Church can't do that it must come back." Duncan said 11 of the 12 bishops were there; the 12th Bishop Terence Kelshaw from the Diocese of the Rio Grande could not be present but sent a full voting delegation. The conference is being held at the 2,000-member Christ Church, Plano parish under the rectorship of Canon David Roseberry.

Statement to the Parishioners of St. Johns Church in Versailles, Kentucky   In August, 2002 our previous rector Alan Hansen left the parish. The bishop met with the vestry and recommended that the vestry be frozen until a new rector was called. We have remained in place in an effort to keep the wheels on and I think we have been successful in doing so. When Alan left, we were in a critical financial crunch, and the effects of 9/11 added to the crisis. The vestry worked diligently to reduce operating costs, and with the involvement of our dedicated parishioners, we were able to turn things around. Our year-end balance sheet shows assets of:   246,165.48 dollars in checking, money market, and investment accounts 1,056,972.58 dollars in buildings and property 561,383.59 dollars in restricted funds/trusts Total Assets of 1,864,521.65 dollars.   In December, the vestry made the following charitable contributions to various, deserving, outreach ministries:   Salvation Army - 2,000.00 dollars Food For The Poor - 5,000.00 dollars St. Agnes House - 3,000.00 dollars Shoes For Kenya - 1,500.00 dollars 10 Scholarships for Youth Quake - 1,800.00 dollars ACTS 29 Ministry - 1,000.00 dollars Woodford Ministerial Association (Food Pantry) - 1,200.00 dollars Woodford Educational Endowment Fund - 1,000.00 dollars Woodford Project Graduation - 500.00 dollars Tuition to Asbury Seminary for Youth Minister Ron Garner - 2,500.00 dollars For a total of 19,500.00 dollars   The budgetary surplus for 2003, after meeting our entire diocesan pledge amounts to 39,961.66 dollars. This alone should indicate how seriously this vestry has taken its stewardship responsibility. There can be very few churches in this diocese able to make a similar claim. In August, 2003 after the National Convention, a letter was written to the bishop, stating clearly that the vestry was in disagreement with his vote in favor of the consecration of an openly gay bishop and the blessing of same-sex unions. We subsequently had four meetings in our church regarding differing viewpoints on what had transpired at the Convention, including one at which the bishop shared his opinions. In November, the vestry sent out surveys to see how each parishioner felt on the issues and in what direction they wanted our church to move. Of the 300+ surveys sent out, over 170 were completed and returned. A compilation of results told us that over 75 percent of St. Johns parishioners were in disagreement, that they would not be pledging as in the past, and that over 60 percent were in favor of aligning with an orthodox bishop within ECUSA, if it were a possibility.   A small group of parishioners went to the bishop to complain about what the vestry was doing. They clearly thought that we were planning on bringing in a new rector who would take us out of the diocese and the Episcopal Church. We were, in fact, searching for a rector who fit our parish profile, and we had hoped that eventually there would be adequate alternative oversight available. Never have we considered taking St. Johns out of the Episcopal Church. In fact, I wrote to one of this small group to explain that in a worst-case scenario, what would likely happen was that the vestry would resign at some point, leave St. Johns, and form a new mission church under an orthodox, biblically centered, Anglican affiliation. I further stated that we were not interested in seizing the property of St. Johns, and were certain to leave the church in better financial condition than that in which we had found it. I defy anyone to demonstrate where this vestry has been anything other than completely devoted to the care of our congregation, deliberate and honorable in our search, true to the majority opinion of our congregation, and above reproach in the administration of our fiduciary duties to this parish.   On December 9, 2003, the vestry submitted the name of our chosen candidate for rector. The bishop replied December 9 that he was happy to give consideration to our candidate. On December 13, the bishop convened a meeting of the Executive Council to request that St. Johns be reduced to mission status. The vestry was not made aware of this meeting, and in fact, was hopeful that the bishop would initiate his background check and plan meetings with our candidate. On December 18, the bishop contacted our candidate and suggested that they meet January 5th and 6th, 2004. After cordial, but fruitless meetings, we awaited the bishop’s answer. On the evening of January 6th, records of the Executive Council meeting of December 13 were found, quite by accident, having been posted on the diocesan website. Vestry member, Judge Wilson met immediately the next day with the bishop, and was invited to the Executive Council meeting held that same evening, January 7. At this meeting, Judge pleaded with the bishop and the Executive Council to reconsider their actions. After facing a grueling session of questioning and intimidation, Judge left completely devastated. The Executive Council ended having granted the bishops request to reduce St. Johns to mission status. The vestry is to be removed, and the bishop is to take control of this church.   For 156 years, St. Johns has been aligned with the Protestant Episcopal Church. St. Johns is a corporation registered in the state of Kentucky. All property is titled to the senior warden and vestry of St. Johns Church. We have been asked repeatedly over the years to hand over the deed to this church to the bishop, but we have never done so. We have never borrowed money from the diocese. Clearly, the only way that the bishop can take over the property is by removing us from our elected positions and putting in place those persons who would be willing to turn the property over to him. The only concern the bishop has had throughout the process of the Executive Council meeting was in regard to the property and assets of St. Johns. In explaining the outcome of the meeting to me, Fr. Jay Pierce said those words to me verbatim.   Under the administration of this bishop, within this diocese, you can find 5 churches without rectors. Having bought a huge, old house in Lexington for use as an office, at a cost to the diocese of over a million dollars and restoring it at an additional cost of another half million dollars, this bishop now finds it necessary to extend his credit line from 100,000 dollars in 2003 to 500,000 dollars in 2004. He is taking money from trust funds to pay operating expenses, and is finding that pledges have diminished, making a budget impossible. As a result, he has enacted Canon 28, calling for an assessment of 18 percent of annual parish revenues. Based on our 2002 revenues, this assessment would total 64,213 dollars. An initial, adjusted assessment (to make it more palatable) brings our bill to 33,404 dollars this year.   You now have the facts before you. I urge you to consider them carefully, before you allow this bishop to take control of your church. There is so much at stake here. The actions of this bishop toward St. Johns have been destructive to individual families within our parish, to the unity of the parish family, and the diocese as a whole. Our fate is to serve as an example for all the other parishes in this diocese. As a bishop, this man is expected to lead his flock, not beat it into submission.   We have asked for alternative Episcopal oversight as set forth by the Primates of the Anglican Communion. We are not, nor have we ever sought to be anything other than faithful, orthodox Anglicans. One of many examples is that for a decade, we have been a primary advocate of the Alpha Course throughout the state. Alpha is a uniquely Anglican approach to evangelization enthusiastically endorsed by the past and current Archbishops of Canterbury. The only reason we can imagine why this bishop would act in such an uncanonical and unethical manner towards us is his deep animosity towards evangelical and orthodox Anglicans.   I am saddened by the prospects for my church. Serving this church alongside such dedicated people has been a great honor. However, the effort has become a heavy burden. Our lives have been filled with fear, pain, anger, and ultimately, great sadness. That is not what God intended for his people. We will continue to pray for each of you, and always for our beloved St. Johns Church.   In His service, Mr. Thomas J. Thornbury Sr. Warden, St. Johns Church, Versailles, Kentucky   END

BY DAVE MUNDAY Of The Post and Courier Staff   The decision of a South Carolina parish to leave the Episcopal Church has left many in the Diocese of South Carolina confused and hurt, according to the chairman of a committee that tried to work out a compromise.   I think there’s a lot of hurt, the Rev. Craige Borrett, rector of Christ St. Paul’s Episcopal Parish of Yonges Island, said Sunday. We are breaking with family. Theres a tear in the family. Borrett and other members of the diocesan standing committee met for several hours Jan. 5 with the vestry of All Saints Church of Pawleys Island to try to find a way to keep the parish from voting to leave the denomination, which it did Thursday, he said.   The majority in the diocese, and those at All Saints, are deeply concerned about the crisis in the Episcopal Church, Borrett said in a report after the meeting. We strongly believe that our working together is the best witness in this struggle.   The committee asked the parish to delay its vote for a year to allow time for leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Churchs parent group, to come up with a plan to discipline the Episcopal Church for approving an openly gay bishop last summer.   In return for All Saints delaying the vote, the standing committee offered to ask S.C. Bishop Ed Salmon to:   -- Drop an ongoing lawsuit over the diocese asserting a legal interest in the property (should the congregation decide to leave the denomination).   -- Give All Saints a seat, voice and vote at the next diocesan convention (privileges lost three years ago after All Saints sued the diocese over a public notice stating its interest in the property).   -- Reinstate All Saints vestry (which Salmon declared ineligible for office last month after the vestry voted to recommend that the congregation leave the Episcopal Church).   -- Restore All Saints to a parish (Salmon demoted the congregation to a mission after the vestry’s vote).   -- Cancel a scheduled meeting to appoint a new vestry.   Salmon agreed to all the recommendations except dropping the lawsuit. In light of the fact that the appeal of the lawsuit has already been heard, and the ruling from the court is still pending, the bishop’s discernment was to wait for the court’s ruling, Borrett said in his report.   All Saints leaders said that if Salmon was not willing to drop the lawsuit, they would proceed with the vote to leave the denomination. The congregation voted Thursday to cut its ties with the Episcopal Church USA and come under the oversight of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda, an African member of the Anglican Communion. The decision was a big disappointment, Borrett said.   There was no imminent threat of the bishop coming up there and forcing them to do anything, he said. Everybody said, Please, don’t do it, and they went right ahead and did it.   Salmon could not be reached for comment Sunday. Salmon appointed a new vestry Friday, but there are no immediate plans for an alternate service for those remaining loyal to the Episcopal Church, which is usual denominational policy, said the Rev. Kendall Harmon, the dioceses communications officer.   It’s still our hope that cooler heads will prevail and there might be a way for this decision to be reconsidered, he said.   That’s the hope of many in the diocese, according to the Rev. Marc Boutan, associate rector at St. Philips Church in Charleston.   We need your voice along with ours to stand for the historic Christian faith against the tide of revisionism, Boutan said in a letter sent to All Saints leaders this weekend.   The diocese and All Saints agree that the Episcopal Church went beyond the boundaries of acceptable Anglican practice in approving an openly gay bishop. But All Saints can no longer hope to reform the Episcopal Church, Rwandan Bishop Chuck Murphy, a former rector who is the church’s main leader, said before last Thursday’s vote.   All Saints is home to the Anglican Mission in America, a network of churches that have left the Episcopal Church but maintain ties to the Anglican Communion through the primates of Rwanda and Southeast Asia.   The diocese, on the other hand, plans to join an emerging network of Episcopalians who publicly oppose the denominations actions on sexuality. Those in the network hope the majority of the primates (the 38 provincial leaders of the Anglican Communion) will recognize them as the legitimate expression of the Anglican faith in America.   The vote puts the congregation of All Saints at risk of losing the use of the property, which includes the historic chapel and 10 million dollars worth of new buildings on 50 acres. Episcopal Church laws state that individuals can quit the Episcopal Church, but the property must remain for the use of those loyal to the denomination. It’s a risk were willing to take, the Rev. David Bryan, one of the church’s pastors, said in a Sunday sermon in the historic chapel that’s used for traditional services. We believe the truth is more important than property.   Many of the 38 votes against leaving the denomination Thursday came from those who attend services in the old chapel, said longtime member George Saussy.   I’m still an Episcopalian, he said. I guess I’m a visitor here this morning.   He planned to keep attending services in the old chapel as usual. Most of those in the old church don’t pay much attention to what goes on in the newer buildings across the street, he said.   Most of the 468 members who voted to leave the denomination attend more contemporary services in the newer complex, which includes a much bigger auditorium with projection screens for praise and worship songs.   END

by Christopher S. Johnson Midwest Conservative Journal Webster Groves, Missouri - Copyright 2004 1/15/2004   Last Sunday at Washingtons National Cathedral, on the occasion of the celebration of the Baptism of Our Lord, Frank Griswold delivered a sermon that demonstrated once again that whatever his religion is, it isn’t Christianity:   North Dakota nominates one bishop candidate by petition N.D. EPISCOPAL DIOCESE: Candidate for bishop draws opposition Associated Press   FARGO - Voters in North Dakotas Episcopal Diocese will have six candidates instead of five to choose from when they select a new bishop next month.   Three clergy and three lay persons nominated the Rev. Henry Thompson III of Coraopolis, Pa., through a petition process. He joins five others picked by a selection committee. None of those five candidates has directly expressed his views on the recent confirmation of the openly gay New Hampshire bishop, the Rev. Gene Robinson. Thompson disagrees with the confirmation of homosexual clergy but said it is important to work together.   The search committees lack of direct questions regarding homosexuality angered some members of the diocese, who used the petition process to nominate Thompson. Thompson had been rejected by the search committee. I think he’s a very well-rounded candidate, said the Rev. John Floberg, of Thompson. Floberg said he led the petition drive to give the diocese a broader range of candidates.   Donna Pettit, the search committee chairwoman, said she believes the committee came up with a list of qualified candidates. I’m disappointed, she said. The committee worked very hard.   North Dakota Bishop Andy Fairfield, who strongly opposed the election of Robinson, retired in August.   The other five candidates to succeed him are the Rev. Christopher Chornyak, of Ellsworth, Maine; the Rev. George Martin, of Edina, Minn.; the Rev. Michael Smith, of White Earth, Minn.; the Rev. John Shepard of Spokane, Wash.; and the Rev. Peter Stebinger, of Bethany, Conn.   The election of the next bishop for the North Dakota diocese will be Feb. 7 at Fargos Gethsemane Cathedral. One candidate must receive a majority of votes, or the nomination and election process will start over.   END

by Louis Victor Priebe Washington Correspondent   WASH., DC, Jan. 13 An upcoming Public Broadcasting System (PBS) program featuring a debate on gay marriage with ECUSA gay Bishop Gene Robinson taking the proposition was assessed by a panel of concerned Christians last week at the National Press Club. Participants concluded that, with cautious optimism the program, narrated by Bryant Gumbel, could be expected to reflect a balanced and fair assessment of the controversial subject. The January 27 program is scheduled to air at 9:00 pm EST on local PBS affiliates and to feature excerpts from a debate taped on January 4 at historic Christ Church in Philadelphia, founded in 1695 and site of Benjamin Franklins grave. The debate was between newly elected homosexual ECUSA Bishop Vickie Eugene Robinson and Dr. Bob Wenz, vice president for National Ministries of the National Association of Evangelicals.   Dr. Wenz reported that the hour-long program, Flashpoints USA, will include three segments on the national motto One Nation Under God, public display of the Ten Commandments and gay marriage. The other segments were taped in Philadelphia at nearby Independence Hall featuring Alabama Judge Roy Moore and Constitution Hall. These religious issues are certain to be raised during the 2004 Presidential campaign, in the debate over the Federal Marriage Amendment Act and in prominent court tests.   During the fast-moving 25-minute taping, Dr. Wenz said he was able to make three important points: Homosexual sex is a counterfeit of what God intended for human sexuality Homosexual behavior is outside of Gods created order for procreation Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman, ordained by Almighty God and not to be altered   Robinson, Dr. Wenz reported, maintained the deviant liberal position that the Bible is always open to interpretation by each generation. Robinson studiously evaded such central topics as the nature homosexual behavior with regard to actual practices and their consequences. Dr. Wenz observed that If you are not truly objective, you can come up with any conclusion you want depending on your revisionist bias at the outset of an analysis.   Dr. Wenz said that he sought to convey what Biblically faithful Christians are for, more than what we are against. He underscored that Gods word is definitive on the subject on homosexuality and that homosexual behavior affronts reason and Gods intended role for humankind.   The assessing panel meeting at Washingtons eminent National Press Club included Rev. Martin H. Granger, president of Faith in the Family International, Rev. Ralph Weitz, a pastor at Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia, Rev. Earle Fox, founder and president of Emmaus Ministries and Allan D. Dobras, a diversely published Christian researcher and author. They had initially expressed skepticism at the hands of moderator Gumbel, whose broadcasting career has placed him in an adversarial relationship with many biblical positions.   Theres no question about it, Dr. Wenz observed, Robinson is being positioned as the national gay Bishop spokesman, not just the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire. He said tolerance of anyone’s behavior - regardless of its morality or its consequences - has become the supreme value in the religion of revisionist religious figures who advocate conformity to the secular culture.   Many questions were left unasked in Philadelphia due to limited time. A transcript of the entire proceedings will be provided. The assessment panels participants said they hoped set-ups for questions wouldn’t reflect liberal bias and that editing would not juxtapose altered questions with responses.   The group concluded that the macro issue being debated was Biblical veracity and authority and that gay ordination and marriage were subsets to it. Participants concluded that, despite ECUSAs dramatically declining membership, what the denomination does has an important impact on contemporary culture and all of Christendom. The PBS program, they felt, should help enlighten people on the importance of the topic.   Dr. Wenz had entered the debate well-prepared with Ten Principal Messages as talking points. Although he did not have time to make all of these points, they follow this article to help expand and amplify important topics related to the issue of gay marriage, ordination and other issues relevant to homosexuality.   Dr. Wenz said he plans to author an article entitled If I Were Your Pastor focusing on Robinsons behavior and his divisive role in the Christian community and advising repentance and return to Biblical standards.   Website for the National Association of Evangelicals is http://www.nae.net   END

Anglican Mainstreams leadership have given a fulsome welcome to the announcement that Canon Stephen Cottrell is to be the next Bishop of Reading, but is it not odd that they are welcoming the appointment of a man who is reported as holding a completely contrary view to theirs on the very issue which led to the formation of Anglican Mainstream, namely his support for the attempt to appoint Jeffrey John. It is true that the new bishop designate has a high-profile commitment to evangelism and accepts the practical boundaries laid down by the House of Bishops Report Issues in Human Sexuality, but he has not committed himself to maintaining orthodox and biblical teaching on homosexuality. Indeed, his reported comments make it clear that he regards this as provisional: We need to listen to what God is saying, what the scriptures are saying. We need to listen to gay and lesbian people in our church - we need to listen to what the world says.   The substantive theological differences between Stephen Cottrell and Jeffrey John both of whom are members of the liberal Affirming Catholicism group, do not seem to be of any great significance, yet the one is warmly welcomed while the other triggers the formation of an unprecedented international coalition.   Why should this be Perhaps the reason why evangelicals managed to came together over the Jeffrey John episode was that it was a remarkably unsubtle appointment - the attempt to prefer a man with a track record as proponent of the gay/lesbian cause in a diocese with a strong evangelical presence. Stephen Cottrell represents a much more institutionally savvy way of doing things because he is theologically of a similar mould to Jeffrey John, but sails under an orthodox flag of convenience which has misled some into thinking he is actually an evangelical.   Anglican Mainstream has therefore got itself into an incoherent position. It claims to be upholding biblical truth, but in practice has shown that what really matters is the appearance of orthodoxy rather than the substance. It does not seem to matter what a bishop teaches, or fails to teach, so long as he observes the current institutional rules. This is a view of Christian leadership which is clearly at variance with the New Testament requirement that those who exercise oversight should have the personal integrity of holding on to faith and a good conscience (1 Tim 1:19). In fact, this failure to follow through the biblical logic of their opposition to Jeffrey Johns appointment has left Anglican Mainstream vulnerable to the revisionist accusation of homophobia. Much has been made of the fact that Stephen Cottrell is a family man so it would seem that what you teach does not matter very much, but who you chose to share your bed with does.   That Anglican Mainstream has come intentionally or not - to split off biblical teaching from biblical practice should not be a total surprise. There seems never to have been a recognition on their part that the Archbishop of Canterbury is himself a significant part of the problem because this is exactly what he has done sought to separate his ecclesiological practice from his personal (yet well publicised) views. The bitter consequence for him was that he had to publicly abandon Jeffery John, a longstanding friend, for the sake of institutional unity; the bitter consequence for Anglican Mainstream will be that it loses its way in a marshland of ecclesiastical compromise unless it can quickly put its house in order.   The church I now lead, Christ Church Kidderminster, came into being as the outcome of a principled decision to disassociate from the spiritual authority of the current Bishop of Worcester, albeit a family man, who actively and openly supported the gay lesbian agenda and therefore rejected the authority of Gods Word which is the basis of his office. Despite pressure to compromise from certain senior evangelicals, I have never regretted taking that stand and I am convinced that it is only when we take action on issues of belief and are willing to put issues of faith before order that the Church of England will see the deep change it so urgently needs.   The Rev Charles Raven is the former vicar of St John the Baptist, Kidderminster, Worcestershire. He is now the vicar of Christ Church, Kidderminster.   END