January 15, 2004     Dear fellow Episcopalians in West Tennessee,     As the Bishop of The Diocese of West Tennessee, it is my privilege to serve beside you in witness to Christ. In this particular circumstance, I do so now as one who must uphold the doctrine, discipline and worship of the Church I have sworn to defend. No matter what one’s opinions are about the more controversial decisions reached at our last General Convention, one has to admit that they were done publicly and above board. Using the long established means to reach decisions as a Church gathered in Convention, the outcome and resulting actions were literally done before the eyes of the world.     Loyal opposition and honest dissent to such actions are legitimate and should be honored by all. I have been careful to do so. However, deceitfulness and subversive sabotage justified in the name of serving Christ cannot be overlooked. To this point, I direct your attention to an article in the January 14, 2004 issue of The Commercial Appeal outlining publicly the American Anglican Councils confidential game plan for the destruction of The Episcopal Church U.S.A. by becoming a replacement jurisdiction, even if it means disobedience of canon law on a widespread basis as deemed necessary. At this time I have in my possession the full text of the confidential letter cited in the article. In as much as what has been done in darkness has now been brought into the light, I  urge you to read for yourself this document that lays out the American Anglican Council’s plan of destruction.     I do not endorse, nor will I have this diocese in any way associated with this effort, and I will use all the power of my office to see to it that our clergy and congregations will not be in any formal membership arrangement with this or any other such group seeking to destroy the Episcopal Church. To this end, I am taking the following initial steps: First, I am posting in its entirety on our diocesan web page ( www.episwtn.org ) the letter from the American Anglican Councils representative, the Rev. Geoffrey W. Chapman, who writes on behalf of the American Anglican Council and their Bishops Committee on Adequate Episcopal Oversight. It is their response letter to Episcopal congregations across the country who have requested what they describe as Adequate Episcopal Oversight. Specifically, this letter refers to oversight by a bishop who has bought into the American Anglican Council’s plan to sabotage The Episcopal Church. This secret plan is very different from AACs public statements to the effect that it would work within The Episcopal Church under its Constitution and Canons to bring about change in Church policies.     Second, I have called a special meeting of the Standing Committee. I am asking for its advice and counsel concerning what next steps need to be taken by my office regarding our clergy and congregations formally affiliated with the American Anglican Council and, implicitly, with its agenda.     Third, while it may be obvious from the tone of this letter, I want to go on record in saying that I am not, nor have I ever been, a member of the American Anglican Council. Further, I do not endorse, support or condone their plan to methodically create anarchy in the Church.     Fourth, until the American Anglican Council made explicit what many already thought was their real agenda, I have spoken with respect for the bishops, members of the clergy and lay persons who have found in this organization a place to express their honorable dissent and loyal opposition. It is to you that I address the following:     It is my firm belief that most of you who have associated with the American Anglican Council did so for honorable reasons with no idea that their avowed actual goal is to destroy The Episcopal Church as it currently exists. However, according to their own documents, they seem to advocate whatever means necessary to innovatively move around, beyond or within the canons to do so. I know that not everyone associated with the American Anglican Council is of one mind. However, these revelations that have just come to light may help clarify your thinking about their agenda. As such, I hope that you will see this as an opportunity for you and your congregation to rethink and officially disassociate with this organization.     I ask your prayers for our Church, our Diocese and for our clergy and lay leaders who will be asked to help me be faithful in accomplishing this ministry for Christ's witness and love. To that end, I remain,   Faithfully yours,     The Rt. Rev. Don E. Johnson Bishop of West Tennessee     (As provided for in Title III, Canon 24, Section 5, this Pastoral Letter is to be read at each service on either Sunday, January 18th, 25th, or February 1st, 2004, or announced as being available, and a sufficient number of hard copies should be provided to those requesting them.)

Archbishop calls for greater evangelistic efforts to reach US for Christ   By David W. Virtue     DESTIN, FL (January 14, 2004)-More than 900 packed the ballroom of the Hilton hotel here last night, in the largest gathering yet of the fast growing Anglican Mission in America - a movement spawned from the dying river of the Episcopal Church and its embracive apostasy. The joy was palpable as the mostly former Episcopalians worshipped, drawing energy from a hundred voice choir, raising holy hands, invoking an orthodox Trinity to bless the fruit of their labors, as the 4th annual winter conference got underway.     Who is the Lord of your life, cried the Rev. Mike Hesse, Destin area rector of Immanuel Anglican Church, an AMIA parish.     JESUS roared the crowd.     A Shofar sounded as an instrument of warfare and pending victory. The AMIA-ites sang, we will follow ancient paths and discover future faith, well embrace Christs mystery that will set the people free. HE will set his people free.     This theme seemed to echo the freedom many now found no longer being associated with the Episcopal Church.     Those gathered here included African Archbishops Bernard Malango (Central Africa), Emmanuel Kolini (Rwanda), and Balufuga Dirokpa (Congo) while Archbishop Metelemele (Tanzania) sent Archdeacon Npiruka as his official representative and the Primate of India J. K. Samuels met with Bishop Murphy and gave his endorsement. Also present was a Nigerian bishop John Rucyahana, Bishop of Shiyra, Rwanda and from South East Asia, Archbishop Yong Ping Chung. There was also two ECUSA bishops and more than 100 AMIA priests and several ECUSA priests weighing their options as they consider their future outside ECUSA.     They sang we must stand against the tide...and keep your Word, a reminder that the church they had left no longer applied or was relevant to their spiritual needs.     In his opening sermon Primate Yong Ping Chung told the assembled crowd that they were gathered to testify to the great works God has doing in their lives as individuals and as a mission, only 4 years old. There has been renewal and revival taking place in our AMIA churches. The theme  of the conference is Rediscovering the Ancient/Future Faith.     The hope of Christianity is being challenged and attacked, Christian people need to rediscover the truth about God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the world in which we live. Our actions must be judged by the Word of God and not let our interpretation rule our lives. Jesus Christ and his word is the ultimate authority for our churches.     We have allowed the temptations of our cultures and secular human desire, worldly philosophies together with canons and constitutions of the church to blind us to the faith that was once entrusted to the saints.     Today we are here to rediscover the truth and essence of our faith, to rediscover our ancient/future faith and truth that will set out people free. Our God is greater than any other, our God is sovereign and he alone is God.     The world has camouflaged our faith, people have added their own opinion, the invasion of the contemporary culture and eagerness of the church to accommodate the culture has altered the essence of our faith.   Elements are added because they thought that was what Christianity needed. They have distorted the scriptures, they have changed the grace of God into license about immorality and denied Jesus Christ’s own sovereignty and Lord.     We need to go back to our roots and ancient faith, and discover once again the essence of our faith, to see God in his entire splendor and his glory. We need to go back to the beginning. Before the world was created God was there. Our faith begins with God...in the beginning God.     We need to strip of the fluff of worldly euphemisms and acknowledge our sin. God is very specific and clear, and calls sin by its true name...for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, he said.     His command to us is go and make disciples of all nations...baptizing them in the name of the Trinity. The Anglican Communion needs Jesus, the AMIA needs Jesus; We all need Jesus. We need Jesus to set us free from the bondage of sin.     The archbishop said the AMIA should reach out to the lost 130 million in the US who do not yet know Jesus. We desire to win lost souls for Jesus, it is the desire of our hearts and life to bring Good News to all those around us. Let us make it our commitment, he concluded.     END

News Analysis     By David W. Virtue January 14,2004     DESTIN, FL-In what is a sign of the growing influence of the Anglican Mission in America, four Primates of the Anglican Communion appeared at the 4th Annual Winter conference here yesterday to add support though not officially endorsing the mission.     Prior to this, only two Primates, Emmanuel Kolini (Rwanda) and Yong Ping Chung (South East Asia) have recognized the Anglican Mission, consecrating six AMIA bishops to the American scene over the last four years. The appearance of four more Primates, including Bernard Malango, (Central Africa); Fidele Diropka (Congo), Mtetemala (Tanzania) – his representative the Rev. Francis Npiruka was present,  Benjamin Nwankiti (Nigeria) as well as the Primate of the Church of South India J. K. Samuels who met earlier with Bishop Murphy and gave the mission his endorsement; another African bishop, John Rucyahana, and several ECUSA bishops, demonstrates the growing influence and public recognition the AMIA is receiving from a number of Anglican Communion leaders.     The Archbishop of Canterbury has still not recognized the Mission, but sources tell Virtuosity that he will see their leaders, Bishops Charles Murphy and John Rodgers later in the year.     When the AMIA first sprang into existence, ECUSAs Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, fearful that the AMIA might be recognized in his own backyard, raced across the Atlantic and implored then Archbishop George Carey not to recognize them. His trip was successful. Carey condemned the movement as schismatic and pled with all parties not to break rank with the Episcopal Church.     The AMIA has more than 50,000 members with some 60 parishes plus missions, with new parishes coming on board and start-up parishes opening every few weeks.   END

An Exclusive Interview with Bishop Charles Murphy   By David W. Virtue VIRTUOSITY     PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC-The leader of the fast growing Anglican mission to America wears a heart pacemaker these days, but that hasn’t stopped the pace of growth of his mission to bring the gospel to Americans who want something more than Evangelical Lite in worship and spongy feel-good sermons. The 56-year old leader is laid back, though still imposing, bearing in mind that he was once offered the job as rector of the largest Episcopal Church in the US (in Houston) and was offered a chance to run for Bishop of Florida. He turned down both offers. Chuck, as he is known by friend and foe alike, is a former Episcopal priest who is, by any standard of measurement, on a roll. But he is not without his detractors. Mention his name and you get one of two responses. He’s either the devil incarnate who left the Episcopal Church when he should have stayed to reform it, or he is the savior of Anglicanism in the US by offering a safe place for Episcopalians who can no longer abide the church’s leftward swing to revisionist thinking in faith and morals.   His detractors say he is a renegade Episcopal priest with powerful ambitions to have his own show; that his Anglican Mission is a jump start operation to split the ECUSA. He would argue, as do his followers and not a few Episcopal bishops and Anglican Primates that he is merely responding to the 40-year breakdown in the ECUSA and the cry of thousands of laity who want an alternative place to practice the Anglican expression of their faith. Oddly enough it is not just the Episcopal Church’s revisionists like Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold who hate him, a goodly number of Evangelicals dislike what he is doing as well.     His more immediate problem is a clash he is having with the Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina, Ed Salmon, over the property the AMIA headquarters shares with All Saints Waccamaw, a 1,000 person evangelical Episcopal church that was, till recently, a parish of the diocese and the Episcopal Church.     I interviewed the bishop recently in his office in Pawleys Island.   VIRTUOSITY: The Bishop of South Carolina, Ed Salmon, has declared All Saints Waccamaw a mission. He has excommunicated the vestry and put in his own vestry. Where does that leave you?     MURPHY: We had a special corporate meeting last Thursday night. We had 500 adults present, two-thirds of the adult membership. 42 voted against changing the church’s charter and 38 voted against leaving the ECUSA. 462 overwhelmingly voted for consensus. It was very positive. We are severing all ties and coming under the oversight of another province.   The membership wants to come under the oversight of the AMIA and to transfer their canonical letters to the Episcopal Church of Rwanda.     In short we have moved on. Bishop Salmon has appointed another vestry with four new families. Ed [Salmon] is moving forward to set up a shadow vestry, a mission committee, and reduce the church to a mission.     VIRTUOSITY: The parish voted overwhelmingly to end its relationship with the Diocese. Have you heard from the Bishop? What has been the response? MURPHY: He met Friday at a local hotel with 10 people and appointed a senior warden, a junior warden, and the rest of the committee and the new mission committee. He will write and present his side and take out a full page parish advertisement.     VIRTUOSITY: Will you walk away from the properties if you have too   MURPHY: Yes we will. The reality is the Dennis Canon can be used retroactively. If it happens, the congregation will leave. This is the cost of discipleship.     VIRTUOSITY: The courts have determined that the dioceses and national church had no interest in this property. Even though Ed Salmon appealed, Judge John  Breeden Jr. said a second time under a motion that the diocese had no interest. He issued a summary judgment saying in effect that it was not worthy to be taken up and made a trial over. Ed Salmon has gone to the Appellate court to get a ruling.     On Sept 19, 2000 the diocese filed a notice in the public records of Georgetown, SC, which states that the subject property is held in trust for the Episcopal Church and the PECUSA in the Diocese of South Carolina. The filing of this notice precipitated this action. It was all initiated by Ed Salmon. He filed using the Dennis Canon; it is in the records of the Georgetown Courthouse.     If the Dennis Canon wins it would set legal precedent and hurt everyone. That is regrettable. It troubles me to be in litigation because of 1 Cor. 6. At the same Paul Also appealed to Caesar because he could not get justice from the religious courts and he appealed to the secular courts. If you have good cause in the ecclesiastical setting, I think it is right to appeal.     VIRTUOSITY: Do you think that the AMIA could be the evangelistic arm of the new Network of Confessing Dioceses and Parishes?   MURPHY: It is too early to know. The Network has not sorted out the specifics.     VIRTUOSITY: With the emerging creation of this Network on the horizon why do you believe it would still be best for orthodox parishes to leave the ECUSA?     MURPHY: I believe that there are two strategies among the orthodox that are presently being implemented. There is the inside strategy which argues that the best way forward is to fight within the system. This is about either reform and correction of the ECUSA which idea may now be largely abandoned, or at least a safe haven, shadow-government church within a church - an orthodox ghetto.     The outside strategy is to go offshore, seek canonical residence in another province, appeal to the international Primates for backing and support and get out from under the coercive structures and canons of the Episcopal Church so we can move forward with the mission.     All Saints, Waccamaw has chosen the outside strategy. On Thursday night All Saints said they can no longer remain a part of the ECUSA and will seek canonical residence off shore in another province, in this case Rwanda. They are applying for affiliation in the AMiA.     VIRTUOSITY: Why are you doing it at this time?     MURPHY: We believe that a house divided against itself cannot stand and therefore the creation of a shadow government or another house within a house is a failed strategy. It may take years, decades, but it will happen. Just the strains in the Anglican Communion show that a house divided against itself cannot stand. The real solution is an outside strategy, inside the Anglican Communion but outside the ECUSA.       VIRTUOSITY: Would you like to be recognized by Canterbury?     MURPHY: I believe there is a realignment going on in the Communion and I will need to know where Rowan Williams ultimately lands before I am able to answer that question. Ultimately, the answer to that question must come from our two overseeing archbishops. We are going to meet with Williams in March and perhaps we will get more clarity in answer to my question.     VIRTUOSITY: Do you think the Episcopal Church is the answer the AAC prayer for continued unity     MURPHY: I believe that a house divided against itself cannot stand We should have had discipline and correction in the House of Bishops 30 years ago.     VIRTUOSITY: Some have said you are calling yourself a Presiding Bishop     MURPHY: No. I am a Bishop and the chairman of the Anglican Mission.     VIRTUOSITY: There is a group, the Anglican Communion Institute, calling for quiescence in the face of revisionism. They argue that the orthodox, though opposed to revisionist actions, should just wait, pray, be humiliated and let the Holy Spirit lead. Do you believe in such a strategy?     MURPHY: Thank God for pacifism, and I am so glad there are few of them. There are four Ps: Power, position, properties and pension, but we cannot let those four Ps be the determining factors. I don’t think it is bad to have four things necessary for a vibrant organization, but it is regrettable if those 4 Ps become the ultimate determining factor. All Saints, Pawleys, though is concerned about property, but for All Saints those 4 Ps are not ultimate. We have to risk our jobs to keep our jobs.     VIRTUOSITY: There is implicit in this argument that those who stay no longer think the Reformation was a good thing. How would you respond to that?     MURPHY: I would not be an Anglican if I thought the Reformation was bad. I would be a Roman Catholic.     VIRTUOSITY: Thank You

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

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

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

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

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

By FRANK MORRISS THE WANDERER   Anglicanism, that is, the religion of an English established church whose head on earth is the British monarch, began based on one of those monarchs' self-serving judgment that he could marry as many times as necessary to produce a male heir. Henry VIII at first veiled that seizure of authority from its legitimate possessor, the Bishop of Rome, in scruples about the validity of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. He made a private interpretation of Scripture to argue his vows with the Spanish princess were invalid because she had been once married to his deceased brother, Arthur. Rome rejected his petition for an annulment from Catherine on the grounds a dispensation had been granted from whatever impediment might be involved, and later, Catherine, defending her marriage to Henry, insisted the marriage to 16-year-old Arthur (even then sickly) had never been consummated. Her confessor, Bishop John Fisher, argued in her favor, and he above all others would have known if in fact the marriage to Henry's brother was complete (ratum et consummatum).     For his several other marriages, Henry could find no other argument other than that he by his own declaration, approved by a supine Parliament, was head of the Church in England, and could do as he wished.   All of this defied the clear evidence in Scripture that putting ones wife away and taking another is adultery, as well as the fact that Christ made Peter, who became Bishop of Rome, as His Vicar on earth, and that the Church had recognized the Bishop of Rome and no other as having that title and authority to teach, govern, and bind and loose. In breaking with that authority, Henry and all who accepted his schism which rapidly evolved into full-blown heresy, reduced religion to being simply what its constituents, whether citizens, monarchs, or clerics or those pretending to be clerics, want it to be.   All of that must be kept in mind in considering the decision of the Episcopal Church, an offshoot or sprout of Anglicanism, that a man living in a feigned state of spousal relationship with another man, having split from his wife and children to do so, is fit to be a bishop.   Indeed, spokesmen for the majority that voted approval of this promotion of an Episcopal cleric to hierarchical status have proclaimed him more than fit for the job  they have praised him as deeply spiritual, exemplary in his ministry, a paragon of priesthood deserving the rank to which they have lifted him by his invisible halo, as it were.     That this is a step toward recognizing marriage of homosexuals is admitted by supporters of this decision, one of whom (the bishop of the Episcopal seminary) said it is just a matter of bringing along reluctant Episcopalians to accepting such a step. Approval for blessing such marriages awaits the community’s arrival at the point the homosexual activists and their supporters have planned the debauching of the marriage of man and woman by putting homosexual acts on its level.     The New Hampshire bishop-elect at the center of this parody of religion said Episcopalians are on a learning curve that will lead them to accept gays in every position of authority, which of course minimizes the real intention, that it will be an acceptance not only of their sexual appetites, but of their indulgence in those appetites by sodomy and other unmentionable sexual acts, none of which is in keeping with the decent and natural purpose of the sexual faculties given us by our Creator. The only learning curve Christians should be on is toward obeying, serving, and following Christ as closely and perfectly as possible, which includes being chaste.     Therefore, any genuine learning curve to be followed by Christians leads to Christs teaching, rather than away from it. And one of those teachings is that lust is forbidden to the Masters followers, and that sex is to be used to make man and woman one flesh. The Church has always accepted that Christ made this nuptial union analogous to His own union with His Church. It is therefore blasphemous to even consider equating the lustful acts of homosexual sex with marriage, and it is sacrilegious to attempt to dignify such unions with a blessing or liturgy, which the Episcopal Church is on it way toward doing.   Make no mistake, two major evils are involved here lust and pride, the claim of autonomy in the matter of sexual use and the claim of righteousness in asserting lust is virtue rather than vice.     There is little chance the Anglican Church, the schismatic root of Episcopalianism, will intervene effectively in what its brash American offspring is doing. For one thing, there is no effective authority at hand to do it. Just as the formal head of that Church the British monarch is a figurehead, her primate-designate, the archbishop of Canterbury, is as well. Even if he had effective power, the present holder of that office is an earth, fire, and wind worshiper. It is not likely he would be overly shocked at the desire of some within the church he heads to appear costumed as fauns, frolicking after one another piping the music of the Lupercal.     After all, the Anglican Church has surrendered traditional opposition to contraception, abortion, female clergy, divorce. It would be naive to think it will now take a stand against its shepherds engaging in objectionable activities of all sorts, and even being admired for doing so. The argument that God loves everyone is attractive in an egalitarian age that insists what one does would never be counted against the good God's desire to have all saved. Further, the revolt against the nature and meaning of human acts in favor of fides sola or even good intentions suggests that Heaven is guaranteed.     Indeed, the truth that God loves everyone is now taken as that very guarantee. That overlooks that the crucial question for God’s creatures is do they love God.      It’s easy to answer that question with of course! But then, what did Jesus mean when He said, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father in Heaven shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And what is the meaning of the parable that tells of seven foolish virgins denied entry to the wedding feast because they let the oil of their lanterns burn out     There is not a hint of scriptural teaching, including that of Christ, that sexual satisfaction alone can provide the substance of marriage. But there is direct testimony aplenty that the use of sex to bring new lives into being is such substance. God makes woman to be man’s companion; the command to Adam is to increase and multiply. Jesus reminds His listeners that at the beginning the creation was of man and woman who can become one flesh, and for that reason any putting away of one’s wife and remarriage involves adultery. The only nuptial blessing given by Christ was at Cana.     St. Paul condemns the desire of man for man, woman for woman in no uncertain terms. And thus for those who believe in the inerrancy of scriptural teaching, in the protection of the valid episcopal college from error, must surely accept that sodomy is a major departure from that teaching, and therefore a grave sin which, if not sincerely repented and resisted, would disqualify any candidate for that college.     The decline of sexual morality in the West, and even within what citadels of Christianity as remain, is the evil fruit of a totally personalist, subjective moral jurisdiction by each individual. The privacy claimed in matters of sex  even extending to reproduction is simply an assertion of autonomy of the individual in that area of life. It makes no matter if that is the case what any other authority says, even when it is the authority of Christ's Church, headed by HisVicar on earth, or the recorded authority of God's word.     Sexual sins amount to Adams choosing to eat of the fruit that God ordered him to forgo in Eden. Not all sexual sins are of equal malice, and there may be subjective mitigation of guilt in their regard. But if sodomy and other deviant sexual use are not seriously immoral, then surely no other sexual use can be condemned, either in or outside of marriage. Give in regarding homosexual sex, and every city becomes Sodom, every person becomes a potential citizen of Gomorrah.     None of the above is meant to insult or denigrate or even discourage sincere Anglicans or Episcopalians. And undoubtedly some may be ignorant of the issues involved in the origins and directions of their denominations. But most educated persons of those churches must recognize some facts of history. They must recognize how the Church of England drifted into a state of indifference to the meaning of apostolicity, entering a state of quasi-Protestantism and surrendered the full sacramentalism (most disastrously the Mass) that it kept at its very beginning (though for only a matter of months).   If they know anything about the revolt of the Non-Jurors against the acceptance of Protestant royal houses by the Church of England, and of the later Oxford Movement that attempted to revive Anglicanisms historic link to the Church before Henrys schism and Elizabet’s heresy, then they will know the direction of their church has been toward doctrinal and moral dissolution from the beginning.     The last serious chance for Anglicanism to choose either the substance of Catholic faith or the path to irrelevance was the issuance of John Henry Cardinal Newmans Tract 90 of the Oxford Movement. That attempted to establish a compatibility of Anglicanisms 39 Articles of Faith with the ancient Creeds and interpretations of Catholicism. The Anglican authorities of the early 19th century used Newmans tract as an excuse to silence the Oxford Movement. Many Anglicans, especially Oxfordians, went to Rome with Newman; many, many more remained with an Anglicanism now revealed as determined to resist any challenge to its presumptions to be genuinely linked to the Church Christ founded.     That has led to the present moment, when it is clear the congregational idea of being whatever members of the community want it to be puts the Anglican and Episcopalian Churches on the edge of total religious irrelevance. Gradually, if those churches do not step back from that possibility, they will merge with the prevailing culture no  matter how pagan, indecent, perverted, or diabolic that culture might become.     Other Protestant churches have already become pale shadows of Christianity, even the Christianity of their Reformation founders. A few islands of resistance to that fate remain, but it is unlikely these can remain long above the tides of secular morality (more properly, immorality).     In attempting to be relevant to such culture, Christian churches become more and more irrelevant. That is proving itself true even within some areas of the Catholic Church. Modernist theology and thought are becoming more and more unattractive, more and more like a senile nonagenarian who has lost his memory along with his recognizability as something meaningful to the following of Christ. What is prospering is traditional Catholicism faithful to the Church’s beginnings and the ongoing stream of Tradition as a parallel Revelation to Scripture.   That will be a bulwark for the Catholic Church as it rejects such enormities as gay unions, women clergy, trial marriage, legalized adultery, vice converted to virtue, sin mutated into sanctity. And reject it will, for the promise was made to the Church built upon the Rock who was Peter and now is each of his Successors, . . . and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.     It should be clear to all who have the purity of heart that enables them to have a true religious vision that such protection was not given any other church, as those gates prevail more and more over the purely human claim to hold divine credentials.     END

By Juliet Williams Associated Press     MILWAUKEE - A Roman Catholic bishop who waded into politics with a decree that lawmakers who support abortion rights can no longer receive Holy Communion has ignited a debate over the separation of church and state.     Bishop Raymond Burke of La Crosse cited Vatican doctrine, canon law and teachings by the U.S. bishops in an announcement telling diocesan priests to withhold communion from such lawmakers until they  “publicly renounce their support of abortion rights.” This is about as stark a decree to come down against Catholic politicians as we’ve seen in recent history, said Barry W. Lynn, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.     “The problem with it is that elected officials have to represent people of all faiths and none, and not adhere to one religious demand like the bishops,” he said.   Pope John Paul II appointed Burke, 55, archbishop of St. Louis in December. Burke signed the decree in November, when he still had the authority to do so, but it was not made public until Thursday.   Burke is to be installed in St. Louis on Jan. 26. The Vatican and U.S. bishops have for years urged Catholic legislators to consider their faith when they vote, and a task force of bishops is weighing whether to recommend sanctions for Catholic politicians who support policies contrary to church teachings.     In November, Burke wrote letters to at least three Catholic lawmakers, telling them they risked being forbidden from taking the sacrament by continuing to vote for measures he termed anti-life, including abortion and euthanasia.     Democratic U.S. Rep. David Obey, who received a letter from Burke, said Friday that he respects the sacred oath he took to uphold the U.S. Constitution.     Obey said Burke can instruct him on faith and morals in his private life, but should use ``persuasion, not dictation to affect his political votes.     State Senate Minority Leader Jon Erpenbach, a Democrat who was raised Catholic, expressed a similar view.     “Dictating public policy for people of all faiths by holding sacraments hostage from those who believe does not sound right,” Erpenbach said.     Dan Maguire, a professor of theology at the Jesuit Marquette University in Milwaukee, called Burke a ``fanatic who has embarrassed the Catholic Church by using bullying tactics.     “He is not a theologian and he is making terrible mistakes that have been addressed in theology in the past, Maguire said.” He’s making a fool of himself. And the politicians are absolutely within their Catholic rights to ignore him.   END

By Cara Eastwood Wyoming Tribune-Eagle     CHEYENNE - Episcopalians seeking a more conservative church might find refuge in a new, as of yet unaffiliated group founded by a veteran in the Episcopal denomination.     The Church of St. Peter, Apostle and Confessor will begin meeting Jan. 18, and the Rev. H. W. Skip Reeves is eager to plow new ground with his congregation. Initial attendance, estimated between 75 and 150 people, will be comprised mainly of Episcopalians who stopped going to church after last year’s controversial appointment of a gay bishop.     I’m the last person on Earth that many people would think to do this, Reeves said. I’ve always been what you would call a company man.     Reeves served as rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for over 10 years and retired last year. His problems are not with St. Marks or any of the parishioners there, he insists, but instead with the national church.     After the General Convention, when church leaders decided to confirm openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson and recognized that bishops are allowing blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples, Reeves said he began to feel the church moving away from his beliefs.     I strongly feel that I am not leaving the Episcopal Church, it has left me, he said in a recent letter to the Tribune-Eagle.     Reeves departure from his 34-year connection to the Episcopal Church comes after weathering several major storms like the altering of the prayerbook and the ordination of women.     But the confirmation of Robinson, however, was the last straw for Reeves and many other conservative Anglicans.     The perception of conservatives is that this is a gross violation of interpretation of scripture, Reeves said.     The Episcopal Church’s lack of official doctrine or statement of faith is part of the problem, Reeves said.     The Church of St. Peter, Apostle and Confessor, however, will be what Reeves calls a confessing church: meaning that the congregation will be guided by a statement of faith and will not hesitate to state what it believes.     St. Mark’s lost 40 percent of attendance after Bishop Robinson’s confirmation, Reeves said.     Although he made a point to not stir up dissention because of his personal view of the issue, Reeves said many dissatisfied parishioners came to him for help and advice on where to go. He waited until he officially retired before founding a new church.     Episcopalians generally don’t change denominations, he said. They just stop going to church.     Reeves said the new church would welcome homosexual people into the congregation, so long as they are celibate or have the desire to try and convert to heterosexuality.     It’s the behavior that contradicts scripture, Reeves said. Not the individuals.   END