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Press Association (UK)     Up to 95% of lesbians and gays are not really homosexual but sexual perverts, a Belgian cardinal claimed today. I will sign here in my own blood that of all those who say they are lesbian or gay, at most five to 10 are effectively lesbian or gay, Cardinal Gustaaf Joos, 80, told a magazine.       All the rest are simply sexual perverts. Don’t hesitate to write that down. I demand you write it down. If they come to protest on my doorstep, I don’t care. I will not open the door.     Joos, who studied with Pope John Paul, was appointed cardinal last year.     He made his comments in an interview on the state of Roman Catholicism in overwhelmingly Catholic Belgium whose legislature legalised gay marriages last year and may soon allow same-sex couples to adopt children.     Real homosexuals don’t walk the streets in colourful suits, P-Magazine quoted Joos as saying.     They are people with a serious problem and have to learn to live with it. And if they err, they will be forgiven. We must help those people, not condemn them.       The Belgian cardinal said his church rejects homosexuality, not homosexuals. He was equally strident in questioning democracy, saying in the same interview,     Politics, democracy. Don’t make me laugh. The right to vote, what is that all about? I think it is curious that a snot-nosed, 18-year-old has the same vote as a father of seven. One has no responsibilities whatsoever, the other provides tomorrow's citizens.     END       Frank Griswold writes to the bishops and to the Church A word to the Episcopal Church   January 22, 2004     For the House of Bishops     Dear brothers and sisters:     As we enter upon a new year I thought it might be well to offer some reflections on my sense of where we are as a church.  Much of it has been formed by conversations with you and others who are, so to speak, on the front lines.  This will be distributed in various ways, but in addition I would appreciate it if you would pass it along within your diocese as you feel appropriate. I continue to be deeply grateful for the way in which you and your clergy are seeking to assist the people in your dioceses, regardless of their perspectives, to live with grace through these unsettling days.     I look forward to our being together in March when we will have an opportunity to consider how the ministry of oversight we share together might best be exercised for the good of all in this present season.    Yours ever in Christ’s love,   +Frank     My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:     It has been a little more than six years since my investiture as Presiding Bishop. Over these last days I have been asked frequently - both in gatherings of bishops, clergy and lay people, and by reporters - about my view of the state of the church. As I mark the passage of this time, I have thought about our life as a community of faith in this season, and wanted to write now to share my reflections with you who are the Episcopal Church.      Though, to be sure, we face difficulty and deeply challenging issues within our common life, yet my overall sense is that our church is focused on mission, understood as the restoration of all people to unity with God and one another in Christ, as our Prayer Book tells us.  Our General Convention devoted much attention to the commitment to reach beyond ourselves.  The budget developed for these next three years reflects that commitment.  The needs are so great.  Hungers of both body and soul are deeply present in our nation and our world.  We are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ, which embraces all forms of human need and satisfies the hungers and desires of all hearts.  Dioceses, congregations, individual Episcopalians, members of my staff at the Church Center, as well as numerous committees and commissions, are actively engaged in the fundamental tasks of proclamation, evangelization, witness and service.       It is also part of the reality of the Episcopal Church that we live with divergent points of view regarding the interpretation of scripture and understandings of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.  Though we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation as it is stated in the ordination liturgy, there is no neutral reading of scripture, and we interpret various passages differently while seeking to be faithful to the mind of Christ.  It is therefore important to recognize that people of genuine faith can and do differ in their understandings of what we agree is the Word of God.     As well, we each have different images of the church. These images often contain within themselves our own expectations of what the church should be and hopes of what it might become.  When the church acts in a way that seems to threaten or overturn our expectations we feel a profound sense of loss.  Something that had seemed dependable and unchanging in the midst of our ever-changing lives has been taken away.  This sense of loss can lead to grief and to anger.       Equally, when we see the church as slow or reluctant to change, and our hopes for what the church might become are not realized, we can become frustrated, disappointed and angry.        There is a real tension within our community, which in some places is profound and severe, as some grieve because the church does not seem to meet their faithful expectation of what it should be, and others are equally saddened because the church does not seem to meet their faithful expectation of what we might become.        All of these differences: in our interpretation of scripture, in our understandings of the work of the Holy Sprit in the life of the church, and in our images of what the church should be and ought to become, were laid bare at the time of our General Convention last summer.  For quite some time we had been living with the paradox of both/and.  We had not been called to say either/or about some of the questions before us concerning homosexuality - which is undeniably a difficult issue for  many.  Nevertheless, at that Convention, our constitution called for diocesan bishops and the House of Deputies to give consent to the ordination as bishop of a man living in a committed relationship with a partner of the same sex.  Since that time, we have been learning a great deal about what it means to live openly and honestly with differing points of view.  It has not been easy, and yet we have not drawn back from this necessary, painful and often grace-filled work.  I live in great hope that through the tension of this complex season in the life of our church God is leading us more deeply into who we are called to be as a community of faith.  I have never felt more privileged to serve this church.       I have heard from many of you that you are now participating in respectful conversations reaching a deeper level than seemed possible before.   I continue to be grateful to our bishops, members of the clergy and all others who are doing such important work in helping the church to engage in the costly and demanding discipline of deep conversation about how our faith is shaped and formed in response to the gospel.        As we go about this work we are blessed by our Anglican tradition.  One of the distinctive characteristics of Anglicanism across the centuries has been its ability to make room for difference within a context of common prayer.  In worship our various perspectives and understandings of the gospel are brought together. Our differences are reconciled not by our cleverness or ability to compromise but through our common adherence to the risen Christ who meets us in word and sacrament. It is for this reason that common prayer is particularly important in our Anglican tradition.  As we gather week by week in our congregations we are being fed and nurtured in that tradition, and given the ability to live together in a love worked into us by the Holy Spirit which unites us beyond our differences.       In virtue of our baptism into Christ, dimensions of the truth as in Jesus are reflected in each of our lives.  The search for truth is a corporate undertaking.  As the mind of Christ is formed in us by the Spirit, we are able to discern Christ in the lives and experiences of one another.  In this way, the dimensions of truth we share are enlarged.  We grow to maturity in Christ by encountering one another with our differences, rather than in spite of them.        God’s truth is ever unfolding and the Holy Spirit is still leading us on.  According to Jesus; words in the Gospel of John it is the function of the Spirit of Truth to lead us ever more deeply into the fullness of truth.  Jesus is speaking to his disciples not individually but collectively as a community.  He tells them he has many more things to say which they are unable to bear at the present moment.  He tells them the Spirit will draw from what is his and make it known to them.  From this we know that the appropriation of the truth as in Jesus is a process of continuing prayer and discernment which involves us both personally and collectively as a community of faith.        As I listen to various voices around our church I become ever more aware of what I call the diverse center:  people, lay and ordained, who share a common commitment to one another as limbs and members of Christ’s risen body, even as their prayer and reflection and life in Christ have led them to different points of view.  The diverse center is able to accept the tension caused by these different points of view.  They are able to see this tension as part of the reality of being baptized into a community in which difference can be reckoned as something potentially positive and creative rather than a threat.  The diverse center can live with difference, knowing that not one of us has the fullness of truth, and that we each perceive different aspects of truth.  This is so because, for the Christian, truth ultimately resides in the One who is the truth, namely the risen Christ.        The Episcopal Church has been energized by a renewed commitment to mission.  This is evident as we reach out to seekers and new generations, as diocese after diocese commit themselves to giving in support of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and as new Jubilee Centers seek to address the needs of local communities.  I do not think it is accidental that our sense of revitalization is coming at the same time as a difficult season of living with our differences.  Both have to do with what it means faithfully to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ and therefore with mission.  Prayer and discernment have led us to a graced confidence that we, shaped by our Anglican tradition, have much to share with the world in Christ’s name.  May this confidence ground and guide us in the days ahead.  And, may we remember, as we engage this work - which is nothing less than God’s work - that God’s power ;working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.       Please be assured of my prayers for you all as I ask you also to pray for me.      Yours in Christ,     Frank T. Griswold Presiding Bishop and Primate The Episcopal Church, USA     END

By RICHARD N. OSTLING AP Religion Writer January 21, 2004     PLANO, Texas -- Episcopal conservatives who are bitterly opposed to same-sex blessings and the ordination of gay clergy launched a new, nationwide organization that plans to defy church leaders and may well wrestle with them for control of parishes and dioceses.       Rather than a schism or breakaway, the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes vows to fight Episcopal Church actions it says departed from the historic faith and order and have brought immense harm. This has been, for us, a glorious and historic day, said Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan, elected as network leader Tuesday after delegates gave a governing charter unanimous approval.       Under the charter, the networks core will be the 12 dioceses in nine states that sent delegates to a meeting at a suburban Dallas church. They must now return home and ask for formal diocesan approval to join the network.       These dioceses include roughly one-tenth of the Episcopal Church’s membership of 2.3 million, though some parishioners in those dioceses will undoubtedly oppose the new group.       Network leaders contend they’re not leaving the Episcopal Church but the church left them when it began allowing gay clergy and blessings for same-sex couples. Novembers consecration of openly gay Bishop V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire brought the situation to a crisis point.     Robinson was traveling and could not be reached for comment, his spokesman Mike Barwell said. Daniel England, a national church spokesman, said the network would be a lot more troubling if their numbers were stronger.     The network has characterized the new group as a church within a church and talk of schism was downplayed during the two-day meeting in suburban Dallas. One reason is that parishes would likely be forced to surrender their properties to the denomination if they leave.       The most ticklish aspect of the network is conservative parishes within liberal dioceses. Each member parish will be placed under the spiritual authority of a bishop approved by the networks 13-member steering committee -- a direct challenge to the Episcopal Church system of leadership.       Though the meeting made no decision, some activists also want the network to have outside bishops directly lead conservative congregations in liberal dioceses upon request, even against the wishes of the resident bishop, which would violate church law.       I don’t think most Episcopalians, committed to a system centered on the authority of diocesan bishops, are going to put up with that kind of behavior very long, England said. It goes to the heart of what it means to be an Episcopal Church.       However, the network says it will operate in good faith within the constitution of the Episcopal Church as a true and legitimate expression of the worldwide Anglican Communion.     Delegates who approved the charter were sent by dioceses based in Albany, N.Y.; Pittsburgh; Charleston, S.C.; Jacksonville and Orlando, Fla.; Peoria and Springfield, Ill.; Salina, Kan.; Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Fresno, Calif.       Together, they represent churches with a combined 235,000 members. The network hopes to add some of the 31 other dioceses whose head bishops voted against Robinsons elevation.       The network will create five geographical districts -- New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern, Mid-Continental and Western -- and one non-geographical district.       The meeting discussed writing a doctrinal platform but lacked the time to do that in Plano, and delegates acknowledged they disagree about whether women should be ordained.       Anglicanism is a global body of churches stemming from the Church of England and the Episcopal Church is its U.S. branch. A wide majority of overseas Anglican leaders insist on the traditional Christian teaching against same-sex activity, but that’s a minority view among U.S. Episcopal leaders. The network wants to get recognition -- and greater legitimacy -- from those overseas Anglican leaders.       Due to the U.S. dispute and another over same-sex blessings in the Anglican Church of Canada, the world Anglican leader, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, appointed a crisis committee to propose solutions by Sept. 30.      END

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 analyze 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

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 Gods 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.  Todays 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   *****

Special Report   By David W. Virtue VIRTUOSITY 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 Charters 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 be 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 cant 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 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 Bishops 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 was a 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 mothership.       END

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   January 20, 2004   The Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes was officially launched today at the Networks Organizing Convocation at Christ Church, Plano, Texas.  The Convocation included representatives from 12 Episcopal dioceses as well as individuals from geographic regions and one non-geographic area that were designated as Convocations.  The gathering unanimously adopted a structural charter this afternoon.  The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan was elected Moderator of the new Network and will serve for a three-year term.  The Organizing Convocation also elected a 12-member Steering Committee comprised of individuals from across the country. Today is a significant and joyful moment in the life of the Church, said Bishop Duncan.  What we have done today will bear fruit for years to come in the lives of our children and grandchildren.       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 Charters 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.   Those dioceses that signed the Network charter will now seek final ratification by their respective legislative bodies, as appropriate.       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.       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 level2 within this Church and throughout the Communion, as well as damaging important ecumenical and interfaith relationships; and     WHEREAS, seeking to be instruments of Gods 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 Networks property shall be distributed as directed by the Networks 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.     I 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 VIRTUOSITY 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 led 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 ECUSAs 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 person’s 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 to pray often. 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

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 groups leader, told a Monday news briefing that Robinson’s name wasn’t even mentioned during the first days 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 Robinsons 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 networks 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.     END

Dear members of FIFNA,     The switchboard has been lighting up at our Fort Worth headquarters with many calls over the past several days. The basic question from the callers is, What does FIFNA think about the Network, and are we really part of it or not. Let me first say that what follows is my personal commentary as President of FIFNA. It is not a Council statement. The Council is scheduled to meet February 11-13, at which time Bishop Duncan plans to be with us, as well as representatives from other Anglican jurisdictions. I would expect that the Council will make a corporate statement at the end of our meeting about the Network, and upon other areas of concern and development.       The week following, Fathers Ilgenfritz, Tanghe, and I will travel to London for a meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury along with FIF leaders from England, Scotland, Wales, and Australia. There will undoubtedly be a statement for you at the conclusion of that meeting at Lambeth Palace as well.   It would be an understatement to say that the crisis of Faith and Order in ECUSA and the Anglican Communion has intensified in recent months. This greater crisis exists because of the rejection of biblical morality by ECUSA as a body in a highly symbolic way with the election, approval, and consecration of Gene Robinson.     You well know that Forward In Faith (and its previous identities as ECM and ESA) has consistently stated that the ordination of women to the priesthood (and the subsequent ordination of women to the episcopate) was a gross violation of and departure from Biblical teaching, Apostolic Order, and Catholic Truth. I think that Bishop Kapinga of Tanzania’s words are worthy of serious reflection. He stated, With the ordination of women, ECUSA left the Catholic fold of the Church. With the consecration of Gene Robinson, ECUSA left the Christian religion.     We now have The Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes before us. You can read its Charter on the America Anglican Councils website. In Article V of the Charter, there is the proposal for a non-geographical Convocation...known as the Forward in Faith North America (FiFNA) Convocation, and may include all congregations which apply to and are accepted as FiFNA members.     The Network understands itself as a church within the Church.     You may remember that this is what the Episcopal Synod of America stated of itself in June of 1989 as its founding Assembly. In July of 1997, our identity was altered in the Good Shepherd Declaration, that ESA/FIFNA would continue in its mission to be the Church....We are not leaving anything or going anywhere¦We have said from the beginning that we intend to be the Church.  We will continue to be who we are.     With the passage of time, and with ECUSAs introduction of and legislation for more theological innovations (along with the selective interpretation of Canons, and the legislative decisions of many Dioceses and agenda of their bishops), the concept of being a church within the Church is deserving of serious reflection.     We now see ECUSA as a Province of the Anglican Communion whose actions have been rejected by a large number of Provinces which represent two-thirds of the Communions membership. Only if the Network interprets itself as a church sharing a common mind with the majority of World-Wide Anglicans can their focus and identity be grounded in the theological integrity required.     I had hoped to be present at the Networks organizational meeting in Plano, but pastoral responsibilities as the Rector of Good Shepherd, Rosemont, as well as a scheduling conflict, prohibited my attendance. Father Ilgenfritz (one of FIFNAs Vice-Presidents) was there as our official representative.     I believe that the creation of the Network (encouraged by the Archbishop of Canterbury) is a good first step towards the Primates call for Adequate Episcopal Oversight. Let us remember that oversight implies jurisdiction.     I also believe that there will be no fundamental change until diocesan bishops are willing to cross diocesan boundaries, and orthodox priests are willing to refuse the sacramental ministry of revisionist bishops. I would hope that in conscience leaders will increasingly be unable to accede to the misuse of Canon Law, false teaching, and the tyranny of revisionist bishops.     It is wise for us to appropriate the declaration of the Council of Constantinople:     They who separate themselves from communion with their bishop on account of any heresy condemned by the Holy Synods of the Fathers, while he evidently proclaims the heresy publicly, and teaches it with brave front in Church - such persons, in excluding themselves from communion with their so-called bishop before Synodical cognizance, not only shall not be subject to canonical censure, but shall be deemed worthy, by the Orthodox, of becoming honor; for they condemn as teachers, not bishops but pseudo-bishops; and they do not cut up the unity of the Church by schism, but hasten to deliver her from schisms and divisions.     And many centuries later, Richard Hooker wrote, [capitalizations are Hookers]   Laws touching Matter of Order are changeable, but the Power of the Church; Articles concerning Doctrine not so. We read often in the Writings of Catholic and Holy men touching matters of Doctrine. This we believe, this we hold, this the Prophets and Evangelists have declared. This the Apostles have delivered. This the Martyrs have sealed with their blood, and confessed in their Torments, to this We cleave as to the Anchor of our Souls; against this, though an Angel from Heaven should preach unto us, we would not believe. But, did we ever in any of them read touching Matters of mere Comeliness, Order and Decency, neither Commanded nor Prohibited by a Prophet, any Evangelist, and Apostle. Although the church wherein we live do ordain them to be kept, although they be never so general observed, though all the Churches in the World Command them, tough Angels from Heaven should require our Subjection thereunto, I would hold him accursed that doth obey     Unsettling and spiritually challenging words from a Church Council and from the seminal mind of our tradition.     With the Dennis Canon as it relates to parishes and their property, and with how a Dioceses status could be judged as a binding relationship with the National church, we may be hostages with no seen avenue of freedom. And within this situation, one cannot be reckless or cavalier as stewards of the church. But when we stand before the great judgment seat of Christ, I don’t believe that how diocesan boundaries were honored will be a criteria for our Lords favorable judgment.     I pray that this commentary will be received and understood with a generous spirit. I pray that God will continue to use FIFNA as faithful people who are characterized by humility, repentance, steadfastness, and obedience to the Word of God Incarnate and the Word of God written.     You have my assurances that FIFNA remains committed to its mission which is:     To uphold the historic Faith, Practice and Order of the Church Biblical, Apostolic and Catholic, and to resist all efforts to deviate from it.   David L. Moyer+ 22 January 2004 Feast of St. Vincent, D. & M.   END

By Prof Stephen Noll Vice Chancellor Uganda Christian University     While there are many high principles of theology and ecclesiology worth discussing at this time of historic crisis, the bread-and-butter political issue facing most conservative leaders in ECUSA is how to keep the property.     Several years ago, I wrote that the key issues were twofold: international recognition and property. In my opinion, the first issue is now settled. Conservatives have already received adequate recognition by the Primates-Who-Count to consider themselves an ongoing part of the Anglican Communion. It strikes me that most conservatives are willing even to forego recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury if they can be partnered with the Province of Nigeria. Is this not so. So the main problem now is property. I begin with an anecdote from one of the first AAC Board meetings in 1996. I posed to an AAC bishop the question: ˜What if your liberal counterpart in the House of Bishops came to you with a proposal to stop the infighting in the Church by means of a property settlement, for example, by allowing each congregation to decide whether it wanted to affiliate with Church A or Church B. I asked: ˜Would you take up the offer?  In a moment! was his reply.     Again, one of the truly great post-mortem remarks from GC 2003 was Canon David Anderson's comment that the AAC was looking for as amicable a separation as Gene Robinson had gotten from his wife.     Acrimonious divorce     The problem is, when it comes to church property, the Episcopal establishment is not interested in amicable settlements. Why? Because they wrote the divorce law in such a way that ˜no-fault divorce and equal division of the property is not an option. And they are either mean-spirited and power-hungry or self-deluded enough to make it stick.     One might think true liberals would say: ˜OK, we admit it. We have made a daring departure from 2,000 years of Christian teaching on sexuality. We believe this decision is prophetic, but we acknowledge that many will see it as a deviation from Scripture and tradition on a matter of conscience. Therefore, in the spirit of Gamaliel, we are willing to let conservatives follow their conscience and take their property with them. When our cause is vindicated, we shall graciously welcome them back into our fold.     But they don’t say that, because they are mean-spirited and power-hungry, governed by neo-Marxist convictions that all conflicts of right are veiled conflicts of might, in which case they think: ˜We've got the power, they want it; why should we give it up Or they are self-deluded, believing their own theo-propaganda that homosexuality is unarguably the work of the Holy Spirit which conservatives are resisting. The fact is, they do hold the power in the constitutions and canons of the Episcopal Church USA, which are the only governing documents recognized by the secular courts in matters of property ownership. Case after legal case has demonstrated this. Again, one may have a theoretical debate about whether the Dennis canon is the mother of all evils. The irony, of course, is that the same people who believe the Bible “the fundamental constitution of the Christian Church “can be twisted into pluriform knots become wooden literalists when it comes to the Episcopal Church. But that’s the way it is: we can’t change this fact.     Exodus strategy     In my opinion, this reality explains much of the apparent machinations and ˜win-win statements of the American Anglican Council. To be sure, the AAC began with the hope that the Episcopal Church could be reformed from within. I think that in recent years, at least since GC 2000 and GC 2003, most of the AAC leaders and members have come to agree that the Episcopal Church is unreformable. The problem they are facing is: how do we get out of Egypt with the booty      The problem of property also explains why the most coherent and the best short-term reactions to the present crisis have been happening at a diocesan level “ but only in dioceses with a strong bishop that have already been thoroughly infiltrated by conservatives (Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Florida, Central Florida, Fort Worth, Quincy, Albany, any others). Constitutionally, the national church will find it hard to depose the bishops and recapture whole dioceses, although it may be able to prevent them from freeing their parishes (for example, if the lawsuit against the Diocese of Pittsburgh succeeds, which it may).     Parishes and clergy in hostile or lukewarm dioceses, however, seem extremely vulnerable. I assume this is one reason why some have kept a low profile over the last decade as the spectre of Gene Robinson slouched toward Minneapolis to be born. I would assume that this is because some clergy have sworn to live and die with their episcopal boots on and have foolishly kept their congregations in the dark on the pending crisis. Honestly, how many of you clergy out there wouldn't jump at the chance to join a parallel orthodox jurisdiction within the Anglican Communion if you could take your pension, your buildings, and your budget with you     Viable options     The problem is, it looks like you can’t have it all, barring an act of God. Look at your options:     1. Take the Anglican Mission in America route and leave now.     2. Wait and see if the Primates and the AAC leaders can carve out an alternative jurisdiction with at least quasi-rights of tenure and property ownership via alternative episcopal oversight.     3. Muddle along congregationally and hope your bishop or the next GC don't force you out.     Have I missed any other options? A long-shot might be a lawsuit claiming that the Episcopal Church has violated its Constitution and thus its canons are of no effect.     This option, it seems to me, would only work if the Primates, including the ABC and/or the Lambeth Conference, excommunicated ECUSA and named an alternative jurisdiction as the legitimate USA branch of the Communion. This will not happen immediately, and even if it does, Im not sure wed get the property from the secular courts.     Let me conclude with a brief spiritual reflection. By focusing on the property issue I am not necessarily accusing conservatives of bowing the knee to Mammon. As someone recently noted, all property is Gods and we have an obligation to be stewards of it as best we can. We also have responsibilities to provide for our families “though not necessarily ˜in the manner to which we have been accustomed. We also know that Jesus sometimes calls his disciples to ˜sell all that you have and follow me. This is part of our Reformation Anglican heritage “let goods and kindred go" and has been experienced on the mission field and in the Global South churches.     I am sure that there is room for us conservatives to think together about the ecclesiastical crisis we are in “both theologically and politically. But lets be patient and charitable, aware that we are working within very constricted parameters, and let’s be attentive to Gods call in case at some point we may have to get out now.     END

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent and Jonathan Wynne-Jones THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 1/19/2004 The Church of England is being asked to take its biggest step towards accepting the primacy of the Pope and the concept of infallibility since Henry VIII broke from Rome 450 years ago.     A joint Roman Catholic and Anglican report arguing that the Pope should be recognised as the universal primate is to be debated by the General Synod next month. Church leaders anxious to promote unity have welcomed the proposals, but they will meet fierce resistance from conservative Protestants.     The Rev David Phillips, the general secretary of the Church Society and a Synod member, said: We would reject universal primacy even if the papacy is reformed. There is no way we would want to be linked to the Roman Catholic Church. On some issues, its teaching is even worse now than it was at the Reformation.     The Gift of Authority report was published several years ago by the Third Anglican/ Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).     It argued that Anglicans should accept the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome as long as the Pope devolved much of his power to his bishops and local churches.     More controversially, the report also suggests that the Church as a body could, in certain circumstances, make infallible pronouncements on matters of teaching.     Most Anglicans, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, are opposed to the present concept of papal infallibility, which allows the Pope to make such declarations, which cannot be overturned, on his own.     In reality, however, there have been only a few such ex cathedra statements, relating mainly to the Virgin Mary. Catholic teaching on controversial issues such as birth control is not covered.     The Pope has recently signalled his willingness to re-examine his role and even evangelical bishops have indicated that they could accept him as a spokesman.     However, many will view the Synod debate as largely academic as unity talks have been derailed by the Anglican decision to ordain women and the row over homosexuality.     Moreover, the Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt Rev Ian Cundy, who is the chairman of the Church of England’s Council for Christian Unity, is expected to slow progress on the ARCIC report further when the Synod meets from Feb 9.     While the bishop will welcome moves towards greater unity between the Churches, he will criticise aspects of the report and ask for more detail and clarity in key areas.      END