Ethics & Religion By Michael J. McManus Three different groups competed behind the scenes to persuade President Bush to take different stands on marriage in his State of the Union. Ironically, none ca me away satisfied but all were pleased to some degree. Appetites were whetted by a page one Jan. 14 New York Times story that began: "Administration officials say they are planning an extensive election-year initiative to promote marriage, especially among low-income couples, and they are weighing whether President Bush should promote the plan next week in his State of the Union address. "For months, administration officials have worked with conservative groups on the proposal, which would provide at least $1.5 billion for training to help couples develop interpersonal skills that sustain `healthy marriages.'" A network of marriage educators, scholars, activists and leaders at the Department of Health and Human Services knew instantly that what was described was their favorite Bush proposal, a "Healthy Marriage Initiative." It is a $300 million a year plan tucked into Welfare Reform that would pay for "public advertising campaigns on the value of marriage; education in high schools" on relationship skills; marriage education and skill training as conflict resolution and financial management "for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers;" pre- marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples; marriage enrichment for already married couples; divorce reduction programs and "marriage mentoring programs which used married couples as role models." However, contrary to what the Times believed, this is old news. The President first proposed this law two years ago. The House and the Senate Finance Committee passed the bill. However, it is stalled. Senate Democrats are resisting giving Bush "another victory" in an election year. Activists hoped Bush would argue for its passage. Another cluster of conservative Christians such as Concerned Women for America and Family Research Council (FRC), hoped the President would clearly support a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would limit marriage to "the union of a man an d a woman," prohibiting same-sex marriage such as that ordered in November by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court of the state's Legislature within 180 days. FRC President Tony Perkins argues that if Massachusetts begins issuing same sex "marriage" licenses in May, "they will rapidly spread around the country, as homosexuals travel to Massachusetts to marry and then return to their home states and challenge state laws against" gay marriage. Recent U.S. Supreme Court cases suggest it would overturn those laws. Just before he delivered the State of the Union, leaders of 100 million evangelicals and Catholics wrote the President in support of a third idea. "We call on you to join us in setting an important national goal - to slash America's divorce rate in half over the next decade," wrote Ted Haggard, President of the National Association of Evangelicals and Richard L and, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. They applauded his "Healthy Marriage Initiative," and argued, "We believe that the disintegration of marriage is the central domestic problem of our time. Half of new marriages are failing and marriage rates have plunged." They noted "Catholics and Protestants in 183 cities created Community Marriage Policies with the conscious goal of pushing down divorce rates" with such initiatives as thorough marriage preparation of 4-6 months that includes taking a premarital inventory and discussing issues it raises with trained mentor couples, enriching existing marriages with an annual retreat and training couples whose own marriages had once nearly failed to come alongside those in current crisis. Haggard and Land cited an independent study providing evidence that divorce rates are declining in many cities. (Disclosure: I am president of Marriage Savers that helped create this initiative.) Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore, past president of Catholic bishops, sent a separate letter to Bush supporting the divorce reduction goal. In his State of the Union, Bush did back a 1996 federal law defining marriage as "the union of a man and a woman," noting that "activist judges have begun redefining marriage by court order....If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative...would be the constitutional process." Perkins was disappointed Bush did not explicitly endorse the amendment and is awaiting the Massachusetts outcome. Nor did the President mention the Healthy Marriage Initiative or slashing divorce rates. But all three groups were pleased that a President declared, "Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage." And for the first time, Catholic and evangelical leaders set a goal to slash divorce rates in half by 2014. END

By Terry Mattingly Jesuits rarely receive frantic calls from Hollywood megastars rushing to finish movies that are causing media firestorms. But Father William Fulco is getting used to it, as Mel Gibson completes his cathartic epic "The Passion of the Christ." While mixing dialogue the other day, Gibson hit a scene in which a man standing at a door lacked something to say. The director needed a line -- right now. Fulco's first question was unique to this project: Was this character supposed to speak Latin or first-century Aramaic? "Mel said the camera was not on the speaker's face, so we did not need to synchronize what he said with his the movements of his mouth," said Fulco, who translated the screenplay into the two ancient languages, with English subtitles. "The character needed to say something in Aramaic in the ballpark of, 'What do you want?' So I had him say in rather colloquial early Aramaic, 'MAH? MAH BA'EH?' That is literally, 'What? What wanting?' " That worked. It has been nearly two years since Fulco answered the telephone and heard a strange voice blurt out: "Hey Padre! It's Mel!" Gibson's proposal was unusual, but fit the Jesuit's skills as a professor of ancient Mediterranean studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Fulco began digging into Hebrew texts seeking the roots of the now-dead Aramaic language, while simultaneously exploring dialects such as Syriac spoken today in tiny Christian enclaves in Iran, Syria and Turkey. He also stepped into heated academic debates between those who favor a more Italian-friendly Latin and those who reject this approach. "I'm getting hate mail about Latin pronunciations," said Fulco. "On guy wrote who was angry about what he called 'these ecclesiastical bastardizations' of the Latin. Not only was he going to boycott the movie, he said he was going to call his high school Latin teacher and tell her to boycott the movie as well. 85 "I have to keep reminding people: This is not a documentary. We had to make artistic choices." Legions of critics, of course, oppose the film for other reasons. Liberal Catholics and some Jewish leaders claim the script is tainted by anti-Semitism. Meanwhile, Gibson -- who has invested $25 million in the project -- has previewed early versions to rapt audiences of traditional Catholics, evangelicals and others. The film opens on 2,000 U.S. screens on Feb. 25, which is Ash Wednesday. It is crucial to realize that the images and language at the heart of "The Passion of the Christ" flow directly out of Gibson's personal dedication to Catholicism in one of its most traditional and mysterious forms -- the 16th century Latin Mass. "I don't go to any other services," the director told the Eternal Word Television Network. "I go to the old Tridentine Rite. That's the way that I first saw it when I was a kid. So I think that that informs one's understanding of how to transcend language. Now, initially, I didn't understand the Latin. 85 But I understood the meaning and the message and what they were doing. I understood it very fully and it was very moving and emotional and efficacious, if I may say so." The goal of the movie is to shake modern audiences by brashly juxtaposing the "sacrifice of the cross with the sacrifice of the altar -- which is the same thing," said Gibson. This ancient union of symbols and sounds has never lost its hold on him. There is, he stressed, "a lot of power in these dead languages." Thus, the seemingly bizarre choice of Latin and Aramaic was actually part of the message. The goal of Gibson's multicultural, multilingual team was to make a statement that transcended any one time, culture and tongue. "We didn't want another movie with Jesus as some kind of Aryan superman or Jesus as a surfer," said Fulco. "We saw one movie in which Jesus was almost this Michael Jackson kind of character. Try to imagine that. "We didn't want an American Jesus, or a Japanese Jesus or a French Jesus. What we wanted was a language that allowed Jesus to be none of these nationalities, so that he can be all of them at the same time. This is a universal story." Terry Mattingly (www.tmatt.net) teaches at Palm Beach Atlantic University and is senior fellow for journalism at the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. He writes this weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service.

By Cheryl H. White, Ph.D. There has been much talk of late about a "second Reformation" in the church – this one, involving the Episcopal branch of the church catholic and apostolic. In theory, such an undertaking will involve purging the modern revisionist elements from within the Episcopal Church to stay the course for the historic and orthodox faith. Reformation and renewal were sixteenth century buzzwords too, among learned men who sought a return to the authority of Holy Scripture in a church catholic that had drifted far from its Biblical basis. Sound familiar? Yes, we must have a return to the recognition that Holy Scripture is the final and ultimate authority for the whole Body of Christ. However, the first Reformation did not happen in a vacuum devoid of education, and neither can this one. Education of the laity (and in some cases, apparently, the clergy) is absolutely necessary to prevent future crises like the ones facing the Episcopal Church today. This point is a salient one, for the current condition of the Episcopal Church did not happen suddenly and without warning. Somewhere along the way, there has been a slow and gradual corruption of our identity, and the blame lies with all of us. Now we find ourselves in a struggle to let the world know who we (the orthodox) really are, amidst the influence of a post-modern element that has been cultivated within this church for many years. The Elizabethan notion of the Anglican Church as the via media – a brilliant sixteenth century settlement of religion for England – was intended to provide a broad and ecumenical path for the faithful. There is no question that the via media (middle way) of fully developed post-Reformation Anglicanism provided a uniform means of worship that appealed to a broad and diverse group of Christians. However, the history of early Anglicanism shows us that the authority of Holy Scripture and the Creeds were the fixed signposts for the via media. Diversity was permitted, with the understanding that there were limits to what the Anglican Church would sanction, based on those boundaries just described. Today, a movement within the Episcopal Church has invoked the name and historic recognition of the via media, yet with seemingly little understanding of its bases, origins or tenets. To make a bold and sweeping claim that Anglicanism was conceived in diversity, therefore, we must allow all diversity, is representative of a dangerous deterioration of our Anglican identity. It is a deterioration that must be addressed through education. Are we truly ready to meet that challenge? Episcopal parishes across the country should be examining their curricula for Confirmation classes – not just for young people, but adults as well. Are we teaching our historic origins? Do people entering the Episcopal Church understand our beautiful and historic liturgy? Are we stressing the orthodoxy of the Church Fathers and the faith delivered to the saints? Most importantly, are we offering Bible-based education for all of our members? While it is true that the Episcopal Church can provide a spiritual home for a great variety of people, perhaps it is time to recognize we can no longer afford an attitude that accepts all diversity for its own sake. Our anchors must be Holy Scripture and the Creeds – in keeping with the rich and orthodox tradition of the via media. Do we understand what it truly means to be Anglican? Ours is a rich inheritance, full of meaning for today. Understanding our origins and embracing our history must be an essential element of a Second Reformation, if there is to be one. If we cannot define ourselves fully in terms of the historic catholic faith, we have little hope of avoiding future schism-producing issues, and the inspired via media will potentially be lost forever. -Cheryl H. White, Ph.D., is a professor of history at Louisiana State University in Shreveport and on the Vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Her primary field of study is Church History and Reformation Studies, and her doctoral dissertation, "The Struggle for Catholicity in the Tudor Church of England" explores the unique historical aspects of early Anglicanism

By the Rev. Dr. Orley Swartzentruber The Response of Bishop FitzSimons Alison to the argument of Ephraim Radner's lecture in Charleston raises a very central point, and deserves to receive all the attention he and Radner give it. I am grateful that this debate arises between the two men, who have great respect for each other, and whom I personally admire. With the background of a former Mennonite minister, nourished on a heavy diet of Anabaptist history, in which divisions upon divisions are an outstanding feature, I come with a strong conviction hammered out among some of us younger ones who took it upon ourselves to discuss at some length the issue of the "legitimate break." We came then to the conclusion that a break in church fellowship is only legitimate when it is forced upon you: one must not choose to split one's church. The Anabaptists chose otherwise, with disastrous consequences. To take but one clear example from the Reformation, Luther never asked to create a Protestant church. He asked for reforms in the Catholic church (the issue was Indulgences) and he was excommunicated for it. He proceeded from there, in a word, to do the next best thing available to him. Not to dwell on other people's history, however, I note that bishop Alison raises the same central question when he says, "Philip Turner, one of [Radner's] colleagues, makes it clear what is his hope: If the Primates and Rowan Williams are prepared to exercise some discipline on the American Episcopal Church and the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada, then we will continue to have an Anglican Communion" But Bishop Alison asks, "And if not?" I submit that on this question hinges a great difference – a moral difference – as to how we ought to act. "If we are given a choice, then Bishop Allison's vision is probably correct..." If we are given no choice, then Ephraim Radner's vision is probably correct. If we have other choices, as for example the choice Turner contemplates, then I believe our duty is to remain within, and continue to work for reform as we are doing. In any case, I submit that as there is no case for a just "pre-emptive war," so there is none, in matters ecclesiastical, for pre-emptive schism. The Rev. Dr. A, Orley Swartzentruber Rector, All Saints', Princeton, NJ. (Retired)

By Jason Lesley, Managing Editor GEORGETOWN TIMES January 28, 2004 South Carolina Bishop Edward L. Salmon told about 60 parishioners who voted against leaving the Episcopal church earlier this month they are the true congregation of All Saints, Waccamaw. Salmon gathered the remnants of his flock at the Carriage House Club at Litchfield Plantation Tuesday after being denied access to the All Saints property by representatives of the 450 members who voted to leave the church Jan. 8. "Any kind of public controversy is not a good thing," Salmon said. "The church is in turmoil on a number of matters, and that turmoil has expressed itself at Pawleys Island. We need to be sure we do not say anything about the other people involved and focus on what the Lord wants." The All Saints congregation voted to change the church's corporate charter, deleting references to the Episcopal Church USA and the Episcopal Diocese of S.C., in response to the consecration of Gene Robinson, the church's first openly homosexual bishop. But All Saints leaders have been fighting the diocese in court for three years over ownership of the church property on Kings River Road, valued at about $50 million. Salmon said the diocese had tried to leave the All Saints situation alone. "We thought that if we didn't do anything destructive, we could work it out," he said. "The issues at hand are the property and the bishop's authority in the church. I could no longer look the other way." Salmon said there must be an Episcopal congregation in existence to hold title to the All Saints property when the lawsuit is settled. A more immediate question came from the audience. "Can we meet in the Old Church?" Salmon said he could not answer that question last night but promised to pursue the matter this week. He said a retired minister could easily be found to preach at a church service. The majority of those at last night's meeting wanted to have 8 and 10 a.m. services in the historic old church. "Why do we have to ask them to go to our church?" another member of the audience asked Salmon. "They have taken it over," Salmon answered. "While I don' t agree with what they've done, let's treat them as Christian people and pray for them." All Saints spokesman Russ Campbell said the request to use the Old Church will be sent to the church council and then to chancellor Ross Lindsay III for a legal opinion. "It's a legal matter," Campbell said last night. Another member of the audience last night asked about going to the All Saints Access service. Church officials have said the dissidents could attend any service, but technically they will be visitors. "Worship won't taint your soul," Salmon assured the questioner. Another asked about giving money to the Episcopal Church. "Make your contributions to this congregation," Salmon said, pointing to the people seated around him and adding the wardens would organize a means of collecting money and depositing it in a new bank account. Another asked Salmon if he had ex-communicated warden Doc Lachicotte and the other vestry members at All Saints, as they have claimed. "I've not ex-communicated anybody," he said. "They are no longer communicants in good standing by leaving the church. They can't have it both ways, leave the church and remain in good standing." Salmon said he has no earthly idea how the situation at All Saints will play out. "The diocese's strength is in jeopardy when a group can take over its property. The strength would be gone. We've got to find a way to allow All Saints to function as it always has." END

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Many of you are aware that the clergy, vestry and people of St. John's, Melbourne have been reexamining their relationship to the Episcopal Church, and considering the possibility of severing their ties with it, and with the Diocese of Central Florida, since (at least) the General Convention of 2003. Last week the Rector, Fr. John Miller, informed me that all but one of the clergy, and all but one of the vestry, have decided to join the Anglican Mission in America. They informed the congregation of this decision at the Annual Meeting, which began last Sunday afternoon. The Meeting began between the services on Sunday morning, and then it was recessed - to be reconvened on this Saturday afternoon, January 31, at 1 PM. I will be meeting with them at that time, accompanied by Fr. Dabney Smith, representing the Standing Committee. In a letter I asked Fr. Miller to read to the congregation last Sunday, I said that I do not want to argue with anyone who wishes to leave, but I want to present the position of the Diocese of Central Florida, and my own commitment to those who decide to stay, and I want to examine with them some of the options available to them. I was not planning to announce anything until after that meeting has taken place, but it appears the secular press has gotten at least some parts of the story, so I am writing to bring all of you up to date. And to ask your prayers for all parties concerned. Warmly in our Lord, +John W. Howe Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida

On Sunday, January 25, 2004, Fr. John E. Miller, III, the Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Melbourne, Florida, and Mr. William R. Schultz, Senior Warden, announced that the parish vestry, meeting January 22, 2003, had voted (11-1) to recommend to the parish that it leave the Episcopal Church. The vestry, the church's governing body, also unanimously voted to affiliate with the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), an Anglican province formed some six years ago in an effort to revitalize Anglican theology and mission in America. St. John's is one of the oldest churches in Melbourne, having been founded in 1897. The Journal of the 34th Annual Convention of the Diocese of Central Florida reports that St. John's has 887 communicants in good standing and operating revenues of $764,000. The parish has been a generous contributor to the Diocese for many years. Miller and Schultz spoke to members gathered for the church's Annual Meeting, which typically meets for an hour, and announced that, due to the gravity of the decision placed before the members, the Annual Meeting would be extended to include a three-hour session scheduled for 1:00 – 4:00pm January 31, 2004. Present to address parish members at the later gathering will be the Bishop of the Diocese of Central Florida, the Right Rev. John W. Howe, and a representative from AMiA, the Rev. Dr. Tim Smith. At the conclusion of the presentations and question and answer session, parishioners have been asked to vote either to accept or reject the vestry's proposals. Fr. Miller also informed the congregation that he has requested a letter dimissory from Bishop Howe to the AMiA. A letter dimissory is, in effect, an ecclesiastical letter of transfer. Miller reported that the Bishop was amenable to this, and added that other clergy of the parish staff, including the Rev. Jonathan H. Riddle and the Rev. E. Lynn Turner, had also requested letters dimissory. Fr. Gray T. Echols, Miller's assistant for seven years, received his letter dimissory from Bishop Howe to the AMiA on Friday, January 23, 2004. One member of St. John's clergy, deacon Elizabeth A. Murray, has decided to remain in the Episcopal Church. The Vestry proposals and letters dimissory come on the heels of the election of Gene Robinson to the office of Bishop in the Episcopal Church in November of last year. Robinson abandoned his wife and two children to embrace a noncelibate, homosexual relationship in which he has remained to date. In addition, Miller noted that at the last General Convention, the legislative body of the Episcopal Church, resolutions were adopted which enabled Church liturgies for the blessing of same-sex unions to occur. Schultz stated that plans were under way to have the property, on Young Street in historic Eau Galle, appraised for the purpose of negotiating a purchase from the Diocese. It was unclear as to whether such a purchase would proceed, as diocesan- and national-level requirements would need to be explored. If it is not possible to purchase the land, departing members would gather in another location to make additional plans. "Yes, there is a measure of sadness in this," Miller remarked. "But, God has given us a truly exciting vision. We labored long and hard to see the vision take shape within Episcopal Church, but the new wine is rupturing the old wineskins. Now we are beginning to understand that part of the great adventure of fulfilling God's vision for St. John's may entail seeking a new location. That's a bit scary, but thrilling, as well. I have great faith that God will provide for us, just as He always has." Asked about those who choose not to follow him out of the Episcopal Church, Miller stated, "My heart and love remain with them. These are people I have served in Christ for eight years, and we have greatly enriched one another's lives. I will miss them, and I understand that leaving a church as warm and lively as St. John's is an extremely difficult thing to do. It's been agonizing for me " the hardest year's I've ever given to God. Jesus still has good work for those who chose to stay, and I am working very hard with Bishop Howe to make sure that the pastoral needs of those who remain will be met, and I am certain that they will be." END

BY GREG GARRISON News staff writer The Birmingham News 1/25/2004 The formation of a national protest network last week in response to the denomination's first openly gay bishop is "clearly divisive," said Alabama Episcopal Bishop Henry N. Parsley. While 12 bishops have signed on to the new Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, Alabama's bishop won't. "This is unfortunate," Parsley, head of the Diocese of Alabama, said about the formation of the network. "We do not need `a church within a church.' As the New Testament bears witness, we are to be the church together, with inevitable differences of opinion at times." Three of Alabama's largest Episcopal churches had priests at a meeting in Texas to learn about formation of the network. "They have been very careful not to use the term schism in any way - it's a church within a church," said the Rev. John Harris Harper, a priest on the staff of Cathedral Church of the Advent. "They want to stay within the Episcopal Church, and network with others that share biblical orthodox faith," said the Rev. Michael Wycoff, rector of Christ Episcopal in Tuscaloosa. "It gives those of us who are biblically orthodox hope to stay in the church." Harper said he, Wycoff and the Rev. John-Michael van Dyke of Church of the Ascension in Montgomery were among 130 priests and lay members from some of the nation's largest Episcopal churches who attended a Wednesday briefing in Plano, Texas, to explain the network. Although Parsley voted against approving the Rev. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as the first openly gay bishop, he has remained steadfast in his support of the denomination. "I cannot support those who would divide and separate us." Harper said there should be consequences for the denomination's endorsement of Robinson, who is divorced and lives with his male partner. "I would like very much to see a cut in the funding to the national church," Harper said. "Now they take 20 percent of the diocesan budget. A tithe (10 percent) would be plenty adequate." The Diocese of Alabama will have its annual convention Feb. 5-7 in Montgomery, and churches have submitted several resolutions calling for Alabama to disassociate itself from the national church's vote to approve Robinson. Some call for a decrease in the funding that goes from Alabama to denominational headquarters in New York. "We tend not to debate things of a controversial nature," Wycoff said. "This year, there is no way to avoid it." Parsley said he's open to debate at the convention. "We have a wonderfully open and democratic process at the diocesen convention, where all voices will be heard," Parsley said. "I will encourage that process to go forward." Owns buildings: Harper noted that in the Episcopal Church, the diocese owns church buildings, so dissenters can't leave and take their property with them. "I am not aware of any Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Alabama that are making a move to leave the Episcopal Church," Wycoff said. "We are certainly not." The Rev. Doug Carpenter, rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal in Birmingham and chairman of the committee that will handle the resolutions, said only four families out of 500 at his church expressed concern about Robinson's becoming bishop of New Hampshire. "You don't leave a family when it's having a disagreement," Carpenter said. "That's when you need to work together. Normally Anglicans accept the fact we don't all think alike." Carpenter said he voted against Robinson, but only because the church has not addressed the issue of rites to recognize homosexual unions. "The reservations I had were how we went about it," Carpenter said. "The rule of the Episcopal Church is that an ordained person has to be either celibate or married. My preference is that we discuss whether to change that rule or not, not jump over it to make an exception for New Hampshire." Carpenter said the denomination should have changed its rules to allow gay unions if it was ready for an openly gay bishop. "You'd have to allow for legal gay relationships," Carpenter said. "We're going to stand firm for lifelong monogamous relationship, heterosexual or homosexual." Wycoff agreed such issues need to be resolved. "It goes to the very soul of the church," Wycoff said. "It's not just about human sexuality, it's about the authority of Scripture and the role it plays in the life of the church." END

[Note: This is an extremely lengthy theological essay. Due to space constraints, I'm providing the opening section. The full document continues for many more pages with detailed theological and historical discussion.] Bishop FitzSimons Allison has done me the honor and blessing of addressing serious questions to me about the church's history and calling. It is an honor, because his own witness to the Christian faith and on behalf of our church's faithfulness is one of such substance and informed care that any public disagreement on his part with me represents the offer to become a part of a conversation colored by evangelical integrity. It is a blessing, because the character of clarity his own questions to me advance and the grace with which they are raised can only elevate the quality of my reply and, I would guess, of the thinking of those listening in. Bishop Allison was responding, in part, to a lecture I gave several weeks ago at an Anglican Communion Institute conference in Charleston. In general it seems that Bp. Allison is concerned that I am promoting a kind of weak resistance to heresy in our church, because I have called such resistance to be accountable to strict standards of humility, order, and – as far as possible! – unity... [The document continues with extensive theological discussion about church history, the Reformation, responses to heresy, and practical considerations for the current crisis. The full text is approximately 15-20 pages long.]

The Church of England Newspaper A dramatic, late-night intervention by Michael Green saved the proposed alliance of traditionalist Anglicans in America from collapse. Canon Green, who was Archbishop George Carey's Evangelism Advisor, rallied 14 bishops and over 100 lay and clerical delegates and observers behind a charter that will keep the group within Anglicanism. The result meant the formal establishment of the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes (NACDP) at its organising convocation in Texas on Jan 19-20. The NACDP "will operate within the constitution of the Episcopal Church and in full fellowship with the vast majority of the Anglican Communion," stated its Moderator, the Rt Rev Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh. "There is now no reason for orthodox Episcopalians to leave Anglicanism," he told the media at the close of the gathering held at Christ Church, Plano, Texas. The NACDP is not "a church within a church" stated the Rt Rev Peter Beckwith of Springfield, and is "in, but not of" the Episcopal Church of the United States noted South Carolina delegate, the Rev Canon Kendall Harmon. The 10-point charter adopted by the NACDP commits its members to the "propagation of the unchanging Gospel of Jesus Christ" and to the aid of traditionalists seeking alternate or "Adequate Episcopal Oversight" who are opposed to the innovations of doctrine and discipline represented by the consecration as Bishop of New Hampshire of a divorced man living in a homosexual relationship. The convocation offered an olive branch to participants from Forward in Faith, adopting a statement of latitude on the question of the ordination of women that pledges to "honour the positions and practices on this issue of others in the Network." "The most significant" aspect, however, of the convocation noted Dr Harmon "was that we passed [the charter] unanimously." The genesis of the NACDP arose from a meeting between the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and four American bishops on Oct 17 at Lambeth Palace. The Rev Jonathan Jennings, Lambeth Palace Press Officer, told The Church of England Newspaper, "Dr Williams encouraged [the bishops] to pursue any questions of oversight firmly within the context of their relationship with ECUSA, along the lines envisaged by the Primates' meeting." Thirteen American diocesan bishops responded to the Primates' challenge and released a theological statement in December justifying their dissatisfaction with the course taken by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and the American General Convention. The convocation that followed, however, opened under a cloud of uncertainty and fear following a series of attacks that labeled the proposed Network "schismatic" and "fundamentalist". Though the public face of the meeting was polite and calm, disagreement arose over how and when to act. Several bishops were unwilling to back calls for alternative Episcopal oversight unless and until they had the full backing of their dioceses. Others raised concerns over the canonical implications of crossing diocesan boundaries to provide alternative Episcopal oversight. The convocation had reached its nadir over canonical wrangling when Bishop Duncan invited Canon Green to address the stalled gathering. Canon Green reminded the convocation why they were there and what they had been called to do. The eyes of the Anglican Communion were on the convocation, Canon Green said, pleading for "boldness" and "courage", asking if now was not the time to act, when would it be, and if they were not the ones to act, who would be? "You can talk until the cows come home, but there has got to be some action," Canon Green told The Church of England Newspaper the next day. "It was as if a dam burst," Canon Harmon told us. Various participants later described Canon Green's words as "electric", "Churchillian", and as an "outpouring of the Holy Spirit" upon the group. Canon Green also urged the NACDP to put aside differences with the Anglican Mission in America making a "heartfelt plea for reconciliation," one participant noted. The AMiA, Canon Green later told us, "is fully Anglican". As the Network reconvened on the second day, the delegates united behind Canon Green's call for action confidently resolving differences over alternative Episcopal oversight and the ordination of women and unanimously endorsed the final document. A copy of the charter and minutes from the meeting, a spokesman for the NACDP said, were being sent to Dr Williams and Bishop Griswold. END

As usual, I made a big impression at the premiere of "Big Fish." The director, Tim Burton, had been pestering me to come, and at last I agreed to pop in. What was tricky, of course, is that my husband is losing patience with the film's star, Ewan MacGregor, because he won't give up. "Give up, Ewan," I keep telling him. "I've been married thirty years." But still the roses arrive almost daily. It's a good thing I went, however, because I was needed to re-orchestrate the score, rescue a technician from the burning projection booth, translate all the dialogue for the Ambassador from Mongolia, and prevent lovesick Ewan from once again throwing himself out a window. Does it matter that not a word of that is true? According to this film, no; made-up stories are better than dumb old real life, and anyone who objects to such vigorous self-embroidery is a sourpuss. Even Christian reviewers have been swept up in this enthusiasm, leaping from a sturdy point--that works of imagination can prepare folks for the Gospel-to a shakier one, that any tall tale is a blessing. Imagination sprung free induces wonder, and that's always good, isn't it? That would have been an interesting question to explore, if "Big Fish" had taken it seriously. The story looks promising at first: Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) has charmed people all his life with his preposterous self-flattering tales, which may hide a kernel of truth. They charmed his son, Will (Billy Crudup), for too long, until he realized he was being strung along and recoiled at the betrayal. He has good cause to be bitter. Edward's stories aren't just entertaining yarns, but self-promotion, grabbing for attention even on days that should be Will's. Now Edward is dying, and Will has come home for a final encounter. Will there be a breakthrough, where father and son connect at last in honesty? Nope. Instead, Will acquiesces in his dad's impenetrable narcissism and offers him a final blaze of self-glorifying fantasy. This could have been an exquisitely poignant moment, as Will accepted that his dad would never be able to see his son as a valuable, interesting human being on his own. We would have admired Will's sacrifice as he said goodbye in the only terms his dad allowed. But we don't get that-instead we're supposed to believe that the old man's truth-stretching was the right thing to do all along. Will was just being a stick-in-the-mud. The closing line (which, at the screening, was muffled by sniffly sobs throughout the audience) is, "A man tells stories so many times that they live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal." You know, actually, there is another aspect to immortality. Imagination can provide a springboard to faith or into an empty pond. "Big Fish" recommends tale-spinning as a satisfying end in itself, precluding the need for spirituality or any further dimension to life. You're not even required to have honest, humble relations with those you supposedly love. But no matter how useful and enjoyable imagination is, you wouldn't want to live there. Reality is God's home address. Having vented that, I have to say that this is a terrific piece of filmmaking. Albert Finney is extraordinary, and produces a Southern accent that is as natural as a bayou breeze-good work, especially in a Brit. He's a joy to watch; less so is Jessica Lange, who is not given enough to do as his wife, Sandra. Edward's life-long motivation is supposedly his devotion to Sandra, but her character is too immobile and sketchy for us to get what he sees in her. Maybe she's just a screen he's projecting his imaginary perfect wife on. The film's style switches deftly between the scenes involving worried Will and those depicting Edward's absurd stories (in which his youthful character is portrayed by Ewan MacGregor, who is just going to have to leave me alone). Burton shows MacGregor marching through scenes with plucky, exaggerated insouciance, and all the colors are from a bag of Skittles. Then we switch to Will and his pregnant wife talking in bed, and it's plain as a documentary, their dialogue so natural it sounds improvised. The alternation of the styles continues subtly, leading the viewer along without calling attention to itself. At the end it's exhilarating when a character crosses over; as Will tells a story he breaks visibly out of one format into the other, and all the light and color in the room shift before our eyes. There is some excellent work in "Big Fish," and for a good while you hope that a thoughtful message will match it. Put this down as the one that got away. Frederica Mathewes-Green www.frederica.com END

By Tom Mitchell LEADER TIMES Monday, February 2, 2004 KITTANNING -- There will be no split in the Episcopal Church over the ordination of a homosexual bishop last fall. That's the message the Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh imparted to the congregation of St. Paul's Church yesterday. St. Paul's Pastor, the Rev. David Wilson said Duncan was in Kittanning on his annual visit to St. Paul's, one of 75 Episcopal Churches in the Diocese. Duncan said the ordination of the Rev. Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire was a "presenting issue," but the underlying issue, he said, was the undermining of scriptural authority. "I came here today to say that God's word can be trusted and that it can transform our lives," Duncan said. "I feel that the Episcopal Church has made a terrible mistake in blessing things the way they are instead of the way God intended them to be. Scripture says that we human beings are sinners. I'm talking about all sin, not just homosexuality. God's pattern is to have a man-woman marriage. But the Church is saying that same sex marriage is something God wills. It is not." Duncan said that he and the priests in his diocese are not condemning one particular sin. He said they are taking a stand against all sin. He said that they would oppose the ordination of anyone who might be guilty of any sin, such as adultery, fornication or robbery. "Sin is sin," he said. He added that while the ordination of Robinson is a very divisive issue, the Pittsburgh Diocese has no intention of separating from the Episcopal Church. Wilson said his congregation and allied churches in the Diocese are still faithful to the same doctrines that American Episcopalians have adhered to for more than 200 years. "We have not and will not split from the Church," Wilson said. "The National Episcopalian Church has split from our doctrine and has split from us." Wilson said Duncan encouraged congregation members to remain faithful to the church's doctrines and to stand firm against sin. "This is a time to reflect on what's taken place during the past year," Wilson said, "and realize that we're the same people we have been for centuries. We haven't changed, the national church has. It has left the faith and that has left us a 'church within a church.' That's the best way to put it." Wilson added that the Pittsburgh Diocese would have no fellowship with Robinson unless he renounces his self-admitted "gay" lifestyle. He said he is in full agreement with the stand taken by Duncan. END