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by George H. Gallup Jr. Senior Staff Writer     After dipping to an all-time low in the wake of the recent sex abuse scandals afflicting the Catholic Church, weekly church attendance among Catholics appears to be on the rebound. However, historical Gallup Poll data show that Protestants have now clearly overtaken Catholics in church attendance, for the first time in Gallup polling history. Between March 2002, when the news of the scandals broke, and February 2003, weekly church attendance among Catholics fell nine percentage points to 35%, the lowest measurement since Gallup began asking the question in 1955. By November 2003*, however, the figure had climbed 10 percentage points to 45%. Protestants levels of church attendance, meanwhile, remained fairly stable during this same period.     While it is up from earlier this year, that 45% figure among Catholics is 29 percentage points lower than the 74% recorded when this question was first asked in 1955. Comparatively, Protestants church attendance is actually slightly higher in November 2003 (48%) than it was in 1955 (42%).     George Gallup Jr. is the Chairman of the George H. Gallup International Institute and is recognized internationally for his research and study on youth, health, religion, and urban problems.   END       Biblical Worldview Has a Radical Effect on a Personal Life   (Ventura, CA) –   Any objective social analyst would conclude that the United States faces its fair share of moral and spiritual problems. A new research study from the Barna Research Group suggests that a large share of the nation’s moral and spiritual challenges is directly attributable to the absence of a biblical worldview among Americans Citing the findings from a just-completed national survey of 2033 adults that showed only 4% of adults have a biblical worldview as the basis of their decision-making, researcher George Barna described the outcome. If Jesus Christ came to this planet as a model of how we ought to live, then our goal should be to act like Jesus. Sadly, few people consistently demonstrate the love, obedience and priorities of Jesus. The primary reason that people do not act like Jesus is because they do not think like Jesus. Behavior stem s from what we think – our attitudes, beliefs, values and opinions.     Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our  research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate  core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to  the challenges and opportunities of life. Were often more concerned  with survival amidst chaos than with experiencing truth and significance.   Not Just Any Worldview   The research indicated that everyone has a worldview, but relatively few people have a biblical worldview - even among devoutly religious people. The survey discovered that only 9% of born again Christians have such a perspective on life. The numbers were even lower among other religious classifications Protestants (7%), adults who attend mainline Protestant churches (2% ) and Catholics (less than one-half of 1%). The denominations that produced the highest proportions of adults with a biblical worldview were non-denominational Protestant churches (13%), Pentecostal churches (10%) and Baptist churches (8%).   Among the most prevalent alternative worldviews was postmodernism, which seemed to be the dominant perspective among the two youngest   generations (i.e., the Busters and Mosaics).     For the purposes of the research, a biblical worldview was defined as believing that absolute moral truths exist that such truth is defined by the Bible and firm belief in six specific religious views. Those views were t hat Jesus Christ lived a sinless life God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned Satan is real a Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people and the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.     The Difference a Biblical Worldview Makes One of the most striking insights from the research was the influence of such a way of thinking upon people behavior. Adults with a biblical worldview possessed radically different views on morality, held divergent religious beliefs, and demonstrated vastly different life style choices.     People’s views on morally acceptable behavior are deeply impacted by their worldview. Upon comparing the perspectives of those who have a biblical  worldview with those who do not, the former group were 31 times less likely to accept cohabitation (2% versus 62%, respectively) 18 times less likely to endorse drunkenness (2% versus 36%) 15 times less likely to condone gay sex (2% versus 31%) 12 times less likely to accept profanity 3% versus 37%) and 11 times less likely to describe adultery as morally acceptable (4% versus 44%). In addition, less than one-half of one percent of those with a biblical worldview said voluntary exposure to pornography was morally acceptable (compared to 39% of other adults), and a similarly miniscule proportion endorsed abortion (compared to 46% of adults who lack a biblical worldview).     Among the more intriguing lifestyle differences were the lesser propensity for those with a biblical worldview to gamble (they were eight times less likely to buy lottery tickets and 17 times less likely to place bets) to get drunk (three times less likely) and to view pornography (two times less common). They were also twice as likely to have discussed spiritual matter s with other people in the past month and twice as likely to have fasted for religious reasons during the preceding month. While one out of every eight adults who lack a Biblical worldview had sexual relations with someone other than their spouse during the prior month, less than one out of every 100 individuals who have such a worldview had done so.     Some Groups Are More Likely to Have a Biblical Worldview Adults who have a biblical worldview possessed a somewhat different demographic profile than those who did not. For instance, individuals who attended college were much more likely than those who did not to have this perspective (6% versus 2%, respectively). Married adults were more than twice as likely as adults who had never been wed to hold such a worldview (5% versus 2%). Whites (5%) were slightly more likely than either blacks (3%) or Hispanics (3%) to hold this ideology. One of the largest gaps was between Republicans (10% of whom had a biblical worldview), Independents (2%) and Democrats (1%).       Residents of Texas and North Carolina were more likely than people in other states  to have a biblical worldview. Among the states in which such a worldview was least common were Louisiana and the six states in New England. The nation’s largest state - California - was average (i.e., 4% of its residents had a biblical worldview).     Attributes such as gender, age and household income showed no statistical relationship to the possession of a biblical worldview. Some Churches Are Helping People     The research found that one of the most effective methods of enabling people to develop a biblical worldview is by addressing seven critical questions that consistently lead to beliefs and behaviors that are in tune with biblical teaching. Outlining that process in a new book he has written as an outgrowth of the research, entitled Think Like Jesus, Barna also noted that many churches are already helping their congregants to implement such a way of addressing daily challenges and opportunities.     The emphasis of these churches is to not only teach biblical perspectives, according to Barna, but also to help people connect the dots of the core principles taught. Rather than simply provide people with good material and hope they figure out what to do with it, these are churches whose services, programs, events and relationships are geared to weaving a limited number of foundational biblical principles into a way of responding to every life situation. The goal is to facilitate a means of interpreting and responding to every life situation that is consistent with God’s expectations. These are not perfect people, but once they catch on to the critical principles found in the Bible and train their minds to incorporate those views into their thinking, their behavior varies noticeably from the norm.     Research Source and Methodology     The data described above are from telephone interviews with a nationwide random sample of 33 adults conducted during September through November 03. The maximum margin of sampling error associated with the aggregate sample is B12.2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All of the interviews were conducted from the Barna Research Group telephone interviewing facility in Ventura, CA. Adults in the 48 continental states were eligible to be interviewed and the distribution of respondents coincided with the geographic dispersion of the U.S. adult population. Multiple callbacks were used to increase the probability of including a reliable distribution of adults.     The data from the 03 survey was compared with figures on worldview possession compiled from Barna Research Group surveys conducted in 02 in order to assess the reliability of the new data. The 02 surveys also showed that just 4% of the aggregate population and 9% of the born again segment ha d a biblical worldview. Other repeated measures were compared, producing virtually identical results to the current measures.     Born again Christians were defined in these surveys as people who said they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still import ant in their life today and who also indicated they believe that when they die they will go to Heaven because they had confessed their sins and had accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Respondents were not asked to describe themselves as born again. Being born again is not dependent upon any church or denominational affiliation or involvement.   The Barna Research Group, Ltd. is an independent marketing research company located in southern California. Since 1984, it has been studying cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes an behaviors. If you would  like to receive regular e-mailings of a brief overview of each new bi-weekly update on the latest research findings from the Barna Research Group, you may subscribe to this free service at the Barna Research web site (www.barna .org).     END

By Paul Cocke News Editor Anacortes American     Members of a new Anglican church in Anacortes say that they didn’t leave the Episcopal Church the church left them.       The Trinity Community Church of Anacortes, part of the Anglican Province of America, has been meeting at the Anacortes Public Library since August. The congregation consists of 50 to 60 people, many of whom previously attended Episcopal churches in the valley. Our people believe that they really have not become disaffected, but rather they have adhered to the faith and tradition that always been there. They’re continuing that and their feeling is that the church they once knew and attended has left them, said Bishop John Hamers, who is leading worshipers at the new church.     Episcopal Church policy for some time has created a rift among its members, highlighted by the controversy sparked by the recent consecration of an openly gay man as bishop of New Hampshire.     Bob LaRue said he and his wife Jean had been regular members of Christ Episcopal Church in Anacortes, but that some of the things that have been happening both locally and nationally had kind of caused us to drift away.     LaRue said they attended an Anglican church in Shoreline, which led to discussions about starting a new church here.   We mentioned once or twice that it would be nice if we could have an Anglican church up here in the valley, someplace that we could attend, LaRue said.     That led to Bob and Jean LaRue and another couple, Randy and Sandra Walley from Mount Vernon, meeting with Hamers and the new local church was born.   But Hamers said the rift in the church stretches back decades.   The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican Communion, which encompasses churches around the world descended from the Church of England. Anglicanism is rooted in the Protestant Reformation in England, with the archbishop of Canterbury as its spiritual leader.   Many of the early colonists in this country were members of the Church of England, but when America declared its independence from England, it became important to them to have an indigenous church.     As far back as the 1960s, Hamers said that more conservative-minded Episcopalians became disenchanted with some of the directions the Episcopal Church was taking. They felt that the Episcopal Church hierarchy was moving toward sort of watering down theology and not adhering to traditional interpretations of Holy Scripture.     So they began to break off and said, if you’re going off in that direction, we cant follow you. We’re going to stick with what we have known, the heritage of our faith, said Hamers, adding that movement has been intensifying during the last 10 to 15 years.   Hamers said that many of those people did not accept the idea that the Scriptures and the teaching of the church were subject to modification to suit the culture, but rather were God word and applicable to the condition of mankind in all ages.     And as a result of that, in some locations, entire parishes just walked away from their church buildings and left the Episcopal Church, Hamers said.     In other areas, portions of congregations left the Episcopal Church, in some cases forming their own parishes.   They thought they were in isolation and it took a number of years for them to become aware of each other and as they became aware of each other they started growing back together, Hamers said, adding there still some of that going on.     Hamers estimated there are a couple of hundred parishes across the United States of traditionalist Anglicans, some of them going under different names.     What were seeing here in Anacortes and Skagit County right at the moment is people who have more recently made the decision we can no longer go along with the directions that it appears to us the Episcopal Church is taking. They’ve said, no, we want to stick with the Bible as God’s word and be more conservative, if that’s a good term, Hamers said. There are some stay-at-homes who are now coming back to church because a more conservative church is available to them.     Were saddened over the fact that the church that we did know has gone off in those other directions, but we feel we are bound to stick to those basic fundamentals that we believe in ... Hamers said.     We fill a niche of people who want traditional worship and believe that the Bible is the enlightened word of God. It’s pretty simple, really, said Bob Hyde, senior warden for the new church.   Recently, overseas bishops who said they represented 50 million of the world77 million Anglicans jointly announced they were in a state of impaired communion with the Episcopal Church a step short of declaring a full schism, according to the Seattle Times.     And the Times also reported that conservatives within the U.S. church have asked the archbishop of Canterbury to authorize a separate Anglican province for them in North America.     The Rev. Peter Strimer, communications director for the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, which covers Western Washington, said that the church’s ordination of women as priests in 1976 also provoked similar sentiments from more conservative members of the church.     Strimer said the Episcopal Church has always welcomed and included people with widely divergent views, from the more conservative to the more liberal. Instead of leaving the church, Strimer said he wished people would stay and share their views.     We are very sad that anyone feels the need to leave at this time, especially because we feel one of the main characteristics of the Episcopal Church is inclusiveness, Strimer said. The decisions regarding Gene Robinson becoming the bishop of New Hampshire is best seen as a symbol of that inclusiveness. Those people who have chosen to leave as well as everyone in all our communities will always be welcomed back with open arms.     But Hamers and other leaders of the new church say its formation was not a direct result of the elevation of Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. LaRue noted their new church held its first service, after weeks of planning, the weekend the new bishop was consecrated.   The gay bishop issue is not the big issue. That’s a symptom only of the fact that the Episcopal Church no longer professes, so far as we can determine, that the Holy Scriptures are relevant to today society. And that has brought about this symptom, Hamers said.   I’m sure that the whole thing that came out of convention has probably been kind of the last straw for some of the folks who joined our congregation as we’ve gone along, said LaRue, adding that the bishop calls it the alarm clock going off.     We are not a church against something. Were a church that’s for something. And our thrust for the present and future is really an emphasis on building a family church where families are welcome and there is Christian education for children as well as continuing Christian education for adults, and ministering to one another in a church parish and family in a positive way, Hamers said. We want to make it very clear our objective is not to sit around and criticize other people or what they’re doing.   Locally, there have been other issues as well, including the fact that the three Episcopal churches in Skagit County share priests who rotate among them. Members of the new church said they want a priest who has the time to minister to their spiritual needs, as well as providing pastoral support for families.     However, Strimer said such regional clusters of priests working with more than one church is not unique to Skagit Valley and is indeed often found in areas where smaller congregations cannot support a full-time priest.     Many members of the new church live in Anacortes, although some come from Guemes Island, Oak Harbor, Mount Vernon and beyond, said Hamers, who came out of retirement to lead the new church.   Hamers said the intent is for the church to offer worship to Anacortes residents and to those living beyond Fidalgo Island as well, since it is the only such Anglican Church in Skagit Valley.   Church members are looking for more permanent quarters than the library, but said they work hard to make sure the library meeting room really has the appearance of a church on Sundays. The Trinity Community Church of Anacortes holds services at 10 a.m. Sundays in the front meeting room at the library. Adult Bible study and Sunday School starts at 9 a.m. For more information about the church, call Bishop Hamers at 360-428-7709.   END

Associated Press   COLUMBUS, Miss. - The Rev. Sandra DePriest has become the first Mississippi Episcopal priest to step down to protest the ordination of the church first openly gay bishop DePriest told The Commercial Dispatch newspaper in Columbus that she could no longer actively serve as a priest until the gay bishop issue is resolved.   DePriest finished up with the Church of the Good Shepherd in Columbus and St. Johns Episcopal Church in Aberdeen on Christmas Day.     DePriest told the newspaper she was not resigning her vows for the time being, but could no longer actively serve as a priest until the gay bishop issue was resolved.     Earlier this year, Bishop V. Gene Robinson became the first openly gay man elevated to that rank in any major Christian body.   Robinson was ordained after an August vote at the Episcopal Church USA General Convention in Minneapolis.   Many Episcopalians who believe in a traditional interpretation of the Bible want Robinson removed as bishop and have won the support of several American bishops.     DePriest said she is one of those opposed to Robinson’s ordination and her stance on the issue meant she could not continue leading worship. I believe that my vows have been placed in conflict, DePriest said. I took vows to uphold Scripture when I was ordained ... and at the same time I took vows to uphold the doctrine and discipline of the Episcopal Church of the United States. And I cannot teach those doctrines and disciplines.     DePriest joined the priesthood after a 17-year career as a lawyer. She joined the seminary in 1996 and was ordained in 1999.   After spending two years as the priest of Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala., DePriest took her position with the two churches in Columbus and Aberdeen.     DePriest said the appointment of Robinson to a senior position within the church was a deal breaker for Episcopalians who believe in a traditional interpretation of the Bible.   DePriest said these Episcopalians consider homosexuality a sin that must be repented a belief completely at odds with Robinson openly gay lifestyle.   DePriest said for the moment, she is not willing to leave the church completely while there is hope that the rift can be repaired.   DePriest said the Episcopal Church USA was willing to provide alternative pastoral care for priests and congregations who were opposed to Robinson’s ordination. This arrangement, she said, is supposed to keep disgruntled members of the faith under the Episcopalian banner by allowing them to shift their churches under the authority of another bishop.   DePriest said this is unacceptable to members of the faith who a re thinking about splitting from the church because they no longer support its leaders. DePriest said under present arrangements, those Episcopalians would have to abandon their churches and sever financial links with the church.     Bishop Duncan Gray of the Mississippi Diocese said the Anglican faith that Episcopalians practice - founded in England over 400 years ago - was based upon diversity of belief and tolerance. We were founded in theological conflict, Gray said.   Gray said the church had the ability to broker a compromise with in its DNA. He claimed a number of the 13 bishops who had been identified as working against the church leadership had since clarified and even retracted earlier statements.   Gray said a great deal of work is going on behind the scenes to broker a compromise.     This is certainly something that will be ongoing, but I’m very pleased with the efforts (of the church) to respect individual conscience, Gray said.     END

By Dr. Chris Seitz Special to VIRTUOSITY     As President of the Anglican Communion Institute I am pleased to announce the appearance of a new document drawn up for the orthodox Anglican presence within the United States and Canada. It is titled The Theological Charter for Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes of ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada. It follows in  the same line as other ACI documents, including Claiming Our Anglican Identity and Steps of Discipline but is meant to serve as the theological mission statement for Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes in North America. It has been adopted as such by the Bishops who form the leadership for this network, whose Moderator is the Rt Revd Robert Duncan.   The Theological Charter will be a topic of discussion at the ACI January Conference in Charleston, SC on The Future of the Anglican Communion (St PhilipChurch, 8-9 January). The Archbishop of the West Indies, The Most Reverend Drexel Wellington Gomez, will be the keynote speaker at that event. Please join us for a lively discussion of important issues now facing Anglicans in the United States and in the wider Communion.     This site has on it the Theological Charter for our times. Anglican Communion dioceses and Parishes is the umbrella organization in communion with the wider Anglican Communion, with oversight by an international coalition of Primates, Bishops, Clergy and Laity, and exists for all those in their various situations who want the Episcopal Church to more than a mere reflection of the culture, but to be again a real witness to the joy a lives dedicated to obedience and discipleship.     Here is offered a place where Dioceses, individual parishes or congregation, Bishops, Priests, Deacons and Laity can register their opposition to the current leadership and error of the national church, but more importantly express their hope and plans for the future, for rebuilding the Anglican presence in the United States.   The central document the undergirds the work of this coalition is available at VIRTUOSITY website www.virtuosityonline.org .   For more details see anglicancommunioninstitute.org , or contact The Rev.d Donald Armstrong at GraceRector@aol.com . http// www.AnglicanCommunionDioceses.org/     END

By David Bedein FrontPageMagazine.com December 26, 2003     This is the first Christmas since the Palestinian Authority adopted an   official constitution based on Koranic Sharia Law, which means that   all Christians who live under the PA are now subject to Islamic LawOver the past three years, while attention has focused on Israeli and Palestinian casualties of the current war, at least one hundred Christians who live in areas ruled by the Palestinian Authority have been arrested and imprisoned for holding church services or conducting public Christian practices without authorization.     Some of these Christians were set free when the Israeli army liberated the jails in the Palestinian Authority at the time of the Israeli army incursion into Palestinian cities in April, 2002.     Those freed Christian prisoners from the Palestinian jails now take refuge by hiding throughout Israel, as they surreptitiously work to try to get their families out of Palestinian cities to join them and emigrate to any safe haven they can find in the West.     I have met with a few of these Christian Palestinians. One of them, whom I shall call Joseph to protect the confidentiality of his identity, described the ordeal that he has experienced. He and his brother live in hiding while badgering the US consulate for help to try to get US visas for their families, and have done so ever since their liberation by Israel more than 18 months ago. Joseph described to meow his family cannot openly practice Christian holidays in Bethlehem under the watchful eyes of the PLO Islamic police force. After all, the only place in the West Bank where the PLO army currently operates is in the Bethlehem area. Joseph also described how the US-funded Palestinian public school system has become Islamicized, and how his late nephew was literally tortured to death at age 12 by his schoolmates because he expressed love and respect for his uncle as a practicing Christian.   Last Spring, the Vatican Ambassador to the Holy Land, Archbishop Msgr. Pietro Sambi, known as the Papal Nuncio, warned a US Congressional delegation that the new Palestinian Authority approved state constitution, funded by US AID, provided no juridical status whatsoever for any religion other than Islam in the emerging Palestinian Arab entity. The Papal Nuncio also expressed his concern to visiting US lawmakers that the PA had adopted Sharia Islamic Law, based on the model of the Sharia from Koranic edicts as practiced in Iran or in Saudi Arabia.     Article (5) of the official Palestinian State Constitution reads as follows Arabic and Islam are the official Palestinian language and religion. Christianity and all other monotheistic religions shall be equally revered and respected.     In other words, As Archbishop Sambi noted, other religions such as Christianity, let alone Judaism, are only to be respected, while being denied any juridical status under the new Palestinian State Constitution.     The status of Islam as the official religion of any future Palestinian Arab entity is also expressed in Article (7) of the official Palestinian State Constitution which states that The principles of Islamic Sharia are a major source for legislation. Civil and religious matters of the followers of monotheistic religions shall be organized in accordance with their religious teachings and denominations within the framework of law, while preserving the unity and independence of the Palestinian people.     The constitutional translation can be accessed on the home page of the website www.israelbehindthenews.com     Islamic nations which have adopted the Sharia law, have mandated the absolute supremacy of Muslims over non-Muslims as matter of law, more than of simply of attitude.   What worried the Archbishop was that all Christian churches and all Christian schools will be placed under the arbitrary authority of Islamic Fundamental Law, which allows nothing more than tolerance of other religions at best.     For the past seven months, the US embassy has been asked to comment on the US-funded Palestinian State Constitution. No response has been forthcoming from anyone in the US government, except for denials that it exists. Yet the author of the PA State Constitution, Mr. Nabil Shaath, affirms the existence of the PA State Constitution, as presented by the Vatican’s ambassador.     The PA state constitution’s imposition of Sharia Islamic Law is most certainly in effect.     Calls to the US embassy and US consulate to determine whether the US government is looking into the situation of Christians under the rule of the Palestinian National Authority have not been answered.     After all, it was USAID which financed the creation of the PA State Constitution, which meant the imposition of the Islamic Law throughout the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority.     Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran which have adopted Sharia Islamic Law, have made life quite difficult for Christians. Under Sharia Islamic Law, Christians are considered dhimmis, second class citizens.     A research study released last Christmas by the Jerusalem Center For Public Affairs entitled The Beleaguered Christians, notes that in Egypt, Muslim, but not Christian, schools receive state funding....It is nearly impossible to restore or build new churches....Christians are frequently ostracized or insulted in public, and laws prohibit Muslim conversions to Christianity.     That same study notes that Saudi Arabia is one of the most oppressive countries for Christians. There are no churches in the whole country.   Foreign workers make up one-third of the population, many of whom are Christians. For their entire stay, which may be years, they are forbidden to display any Christian symbols or Bibles, or even meet together publicly to worship and pray. Some have watched their personal Bibles put through a shredder when they entered the country. In Iran, the printing of Christian literature is illegal, converts from Islam are liable to be killed, and most evangelical churches must function underground.     Bethlehem is understood by Christians to be the birthplace of Jesus. When Israel retook control of Bethlehem in 1967, the majority of Bethlehem residents practiced various denominations of the Christian faith. However, with Israel withdrawal due to the Oslo Accords and after less than ten years of Palestinian Authority rule the Middle East has witnessed a dramatic exodus of Christians from the city. This Christmas, less than 5% in the city of Jesus birthplace is Christian.   The mainstream media have hesitated to report that fact. President George W. Bush administration has envisioned a democratic Palestinian entity that is devoid of terror. Instead, officials of US AID have fostered a constitution which envisions creation of the Islamic totalitarian state of Palestine, completely devoid of religious freedom and human rights.     This Christmas, an Islamic army occupies Bethlehem. This Christmas, no Church can operate in Bethlehem without Islamic approval.   And Christians in the Palestinian Authority are not seeing a Merry Christmas as a result.     This is the legacy of what the US AID has facilitated, with or without the knowledge of the White House.     David Bedein is the bureau chief of the Israel Resource News Agency, located at the Beit Agron International Press Center in Jerusalem.     *****

Ai Lin Choo, Vancouver Sun Friday, December 26, 2003   ABBOTSFORD Surrounded by Christmas wrappings, presents and excited children, about 20 members of Abbotsford newly terminated Church of the Holy Cross gathered in their priest’s  living room for Christmas service Thursday.   While the gathering was mostly upbeat and included the usual Christmas songs and nativity stories, the reasons behind the domestic gathering were still on the minds of many.     We as a church community will continue as we always have. It unfortunate that the diocese has felt the need to close down the mission, said Dave Chapman, who has been a member of the church since it opened in 2001.     Thursday was the first time parishioners had met for a service since hearing that Bishop Michael Ingham had decided to terminate their mission. The small church has been battling Ingham ever since he decided to sanction same-sex marriages in the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster.     Reverend James Wagner said the service renewed his commitment to his congregation, adding, we will continue to worship, even though were apparently not recognized formally.     The makeshift church looked like any other Christmas-morning household.   Children ran around excitedly displaying and playing with their new toys. But for the parishioners, the atmosphere reiterated a sense of loss -- of not feeling like they belong to a larger community.     We hear a lot about tolerance and diversity and that diverse views should be respected. It seems to me a strange way to resolve conflict, said Chapman.   He said he has been feeling frustrated and disappointed since hearing that the church has been cut off from the New Westminster diocese. He finds it ironic that a church is closing down a mission when, in his view, churches are supposed to be about opening new missions.     There’s just something strangely ironic and surreal about all this.     And although the mission church is only three years old, member Rachel Weiland said she is very hurt by the closure.     We follow the minority these days and we stick to the word of God and the diocese doesn’t, so they just cut us off, she said.     While the New Westminster diocese does not place an obligation on priests to perform same-sex marriages, Wagner says the issue is only part of the fight with the diocese. Members of the mission church say they differ from their diocese in their belief that gays and lesbians can be cured of their sexual orientation.     Wagner says the controversy is now being looked at by a task force at the Canadian House of Bishops for dissenting parishes and hopes the decision to terminate the church will be overturned. Beyond that, he says, he has no plans for what he will do next. I haven’t thought that far yet.   Because the New Westminster diocese withdrew funding to the church in October, Wagner doubts the congregation will be able to continue to meet in the location where it has been holding services lately – a seniors room at the Matsqui Recreational Centre.     But Jeremy Smyth, who described the mood Thursday as quiet and reflective, said that doesn’t mean it lacked joy. In a strange way, I am joyful because as a Christian I find it a joy to be persecuted for Jesus sake -- especially at Christmas time when were caught up in the stress and activities of preparing for it, he said.     END

Michael Higgins National Post December 23, 2003   An Anglican church defying its bishop by refusing to support same-sex unions has been terminated only days before Christmas.     The decision by Bishop Michael Ingham to close Holy Cross in Abbotsford, B.C., is the latest action in a dispute that is threatening to split the Anglican church worldwide. Despite the closure, the priest at Holy Cross, the Rev. James Wagner, vowed yesterday to celebrate mass on Christmas Day with parishioners.     As far as the diocese is concerned we do not exist. We are a non- entity, Mr. Wagner said yesterday. But I will not abandon these people. I will continue to pastor and pray for them in the midst of this crisis.     He said the decision to close the church was a surprise because it is so close to Christmas.     Ronald Harrison, executive archdeacon of the Diocese of New Westminster, said Holy Cross brought the closure upon itself by seeking episcopal oversight from another bishop. He said that as a result of the church declaring itself independent was that its funds had been stopped and eventually the bishop was forced to close it.     The decision by Bishop Ingham to sanction same-sex unions and the broader issue of homosexuality are dividing Anglicans. In October, church leaders met at a crisis conference in London called in part because of Bishop Ingham approval of same-sex unions. The Canadian House of Bishops has also set up a task force to look at parishes opposed to Bishop Ingham decision.     Holy Cross, a mission church that relies on its funding from the diocese, is part of a group of breakaway churches in New Westminster that was seeking episcopal oversight by Bishop Terry Buckle of the Yukon.     In October, the Diocesan Council of New Westminster voted to close Holy Cross but needed Bishop Ingham approval. However, funding was withdrawn from the church.     In a letter dated Dec. 18, Bishop Ingham informed Mr. Wagner that he had decided to close the church.     Mr. Wagner said he told parishioners the news on Sunday.   They were shocked and surprised that it would come at this time. When they got the news it was four days before Christmas. None of the other churches in the breakaway group has been closed.   Because they are incorporated individually, and dont rely on funding from the diocese, they have been able to carry on.     Mr. Wagner said his church was being ostracized within the diocese though it is aligned with Anglican thinking worldwide.   Substantially we are right in step with Anglicans throughout the world and that has great consolation for them [the parishioners] because they very much want to be Anglicans. They are not doing things rebelliously and very much want to be a part of the family of Anglicans throughout the world, Mr. Wagner said.     The termination of the church meant they were like sheep without a shepherd, he said.     He said although they would celebrate Mass on Christmas Day, they would not be recognized as Anglicans. It not just that the Diocese of New Westminster will not recognize us as Anglicans, the really sad thing is that, unofficially, there are many Anglicans who want to recognize us, but, officially, there is no one that will recognize us as such.     Mr. Wagner had already had his pay cut off by the diocese and said he now needed to consult with his lawyer to see what his position is.     I don’t regret what I am doing or the circumstances I find myself in. I think that Jesus often talked about his disciples having to count the cost and having to take up their cross, he said.     He called on the Canadian House of Bishops and primates internationally for clear leadership.   Mr. Wagner said the parish had already been in discussion with the House of Bishops task force. The task force was set up to establish adequate provision for Episcopal oversight of dissenting minorities.     It followed a call from Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, who warned the Anglican Church was in danger of splintering over the issue of homosexuality.     After the task force was set up, Bishop Ingham wrote to Holy Cross offering to restore its funding if it accepted his authority.     Mr. Harrison said the bishop had never had a satisfactory reply except from Mr. Wagner, who said he was consulting his lawyer.     We support and fund all kinds of things, including mission initiatives, but if they have openly declared their hostility to the diocese and the diocesan bishop and will not rescind that even when the bishop has stepped back from the plate, the question is Why would we fund that?     The decision was made months ago and the bishop withheld his decision while he waited for the parish to respond favourably. They didn’t correspond with him. It has nothing to do with Christmas. We have been waiting for their response for some time.     +++

News Analysis   By UWE SIEMON-NETTO UPI Religion Writer January 2004   The following question is of course highly speculative and may sound slightly off the wall, but it still makes some sense Could 2004 be a Nigerian year? Consider the following Chances are that pope John Paul II, who is very ill and tired, will not last for another 12 months. Who will take his place?  One of the likely prospects is Cardinal Francis Arinze, 71, an Ibo from Nigeria and now prefect of the Vatican Congregation on Divine worship. He is tough, energetic knows how to handle youth -- and most importantly perhaps - - is an expert on Islam.   Then consider another branch of Christianity -- the Anglicans. The most powerful traditionalist voice is that of archbishop Peter Akinola, primate of the Anglican province of Nigeria with 17 million-18 million faithful.     His see, Abuja, may well become the Canterbury of the 21st century, just as Constantinople once proclaimed itself the second and Moscow the third Rome. As conjecture in Anglican circles goes, the current archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, will continue to waffle on the crisis in the Episcopal Church USA.     But time is running out. Ten out of the 11 African primates want to cut ties with the tiny American offshoot of Anglicanism, or at least the diocese of t he first openly homosexual bishop, Gene Robinson. Most Asians and Latin Americans feel the same way. And Peter Jensen, archbishop of Sydney in Australia, has already mused aloud about the possibility of shifting his allegiance from Canterbury to Abuja, Nigeria capital.     Akinola has already made clear that he will not let America’s wealth persuade him to make doctrinal concessions to what he considers the Western heresies.     In other words, there’ll be a split in world Anglicanism.     Now let’s guess on Nigeria is not only home to two of the most powerful Christian prelates involved in the lesser clash of cultures -- the one pitting Scripture against false doctrine. Nigeria is also the place where the big culture war is being fought -- the conflict between radical Islam and Christianity, both growing rapidly.     Chances are, then, that Nigeria may become the main focus of religion reporters in the New Year -- or perhaps not. To begin with, nobody can predict when the pope will die, and who will take his place. Given the Church2,000-year history it is very likely that after the polish pope25-year reign, it will once again be an Italianturn.     It could be that Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Vienna will succeed him, or Cardinal Phillippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon and a man of great personal holiness, or maybe even the ageing Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, the German prefect of the Pontifical Congregation for the doctrine of Faith, who might bring theological order back into the Roman Church.     Or it could be anybody. Suffice it to say the biggest religion story of 2004 will presumably come from Rome, and that five things can be considered a given about the new man on St. Peter’s throne.     1. He is a disciplinarian, which John Paul II is not, which accounts for a considerable theological chaos in the Church.     2. He has John Paul’s passion for the young.     3. He is, like John Paul, able to garner the respect of representative of other faiths, especially Islam.     4. He shares his commitment to ecumenism, without which it would be hard t o accomplish the next pontiff perhaps most important task     5. He must continue John Paul’s strategy of re-evangelizing Europe and thus strengthen the Christian Church against the potential onslaught of Islamic radicalism.     There are many small signs pointing to Europe’s slow spiritual recovery There is the fact that 70 percent of the new ordinands in the Church of England are evangelical. There is the reawakening of Christian intellectual life in France -- and the missionary zeal of the Catholic and Protestant churches in that most secularized of all European nations.     There is substantial evidence for a reawakening of religious interests in Germany, where pastors suddenly rank second-highest in the publicestimation of various professions, and where on regional television religious programs are the most popular. Another sign is that the American feature film Luther is a resounding success in the land of Luther, where only 20 years ago Protestant theologians called the Reformer passe.     These developments tend to be subtle -- less obvious than bloody acts of terrorism committed by terrorists in the name of Islam, or conflicts between Sunni and Shiite Muslims dominating the television news from Iraq.     But for the moment, sociologists of religion from both sides of the Atlantic agree, it looks as if in 2004 vibrant Christianity will be the most powerful faith in the world. Meanwhile, Islam may well provide bigger headlines, but has yet to find the ground it has lost 1,000 years ago.     Unless, of course, you consider militant Islamism the true voice of that religion. In that case, most Christian, Muslim and Jewish theologians would beg to disagree.     END     ***

EDITORIAL   The TELEGRAPH 28/12/2003     It is a regrettable aspect of modern life, as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, asserted in his Christmas Day sermon, that those who show religious faith should sometimes be treated as figures of fun. The nervous sniggering about the Prime Minister religious faith which ripples over the surface of the media from time to time, he asserted, is part of the same fear and unease towards religion that manifests itself in the proposal to ban the wearing of Muslim headscarves in French schools. Dr Williams would be wrong, however, to assume that when people show irreverence towards religious figures it is necessarily a scornful response to their faith. If Dr Williams feels personally the object of mirth, he should reflect on some of the secular aspects of his work. The leaking of his Christmas Day sermon, much of which was trailed in a newspaper last Sunday, is typical of the tawdrier political practices developed by the New Labour spin machine but is unworthy of the office of Archbishop of Canterbury. A sermon is supposed to be a private communion between the priest and his congregation, not a media event, leaked and spun in advance to favoured journalists.     Dr Williams has become adept at using the media to his own ends. Yet he does so not to offer spiritual guidance but to advance a soft-Left political agenda. A full page of the Daily Mail last week was devoted to a piece by Dr Williams proffering family financial advice. The credit explosion has made life a lot easier in all sorts of good ways, he wrote. But it is in danger of slipping out of control unless we have some better regulation and some new attitudes. The Archbishop would more likely find himself being taken seriously were he to render unto the Government the business of financial regulation and concentrate a little more on spiritual leadership.     Since Dr Williams became Archbishop of Canterbury the Anglican Church has been riven by the debate over homosexual clergy. It is not easy to see how politically-correct Episcopalians from Virginia can be reconciled with fundamentalists from central Africa who are driven to preach blood and hellfire whenever the word homosexuality is mentioned, nor to see how schisms can be prevented. Dr Williams approach to the problem, however, seems to be not even to try.     In June, during the controversy over the abortive appointment of Dr Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading, Dr Williams secretary for public affairs, Jeremy Harris, penned a memo worthy of Alistair Campbell. The issue of homosexuality, suggested the memo, has to be managed in media terms by seeking to take the sting out of it and displacing it in the public mind. The memo went on to suggest a number of attractive alternative stories by which the media might be deflected from the issue of Dr John. ABC, as the memo referred to the Archbishop, was advised to deliver a reading of his own poems, make a high-profile Lord’s intervention or announce a theological prize.     Unfortunately for Jeremy Harris, a former BBC journalist, the media turned out to be less gullible and less trivia-obsessed than Lambeth Palace imagined. Most newspapers stuck to the real story, the disquiet over the appointment of Dr John and into the circumstances of Dr John’s late decision to step down.     Dr Williams has been no less morally flabby on the issue of Islamic terrorism. On Christmas Day the Pope appealed to God to rid the world of the scourge of terrorism. The Archbishop of Canterbury, on the other hand, reserved his clearest condemnation for the Westcounter-terrorism campaign. Imprisoning terrorist suspects in Guantanamo Bay and Belmarsh prison, he complained, sends out the wrong message to Muslim societies. Those of the Christian faith, he said, should show themselves to be on the side of humanity by making sacrifices for the sake of justice.       The sacrifices to which Dr Williams refers presumably involve risking another terrorist attack on the scale of September 11. So far, the counter-terrorist campaign has been remarkably successful in preventing al-Qaeda attacks in Europe and America, in spite of that organization strikes elsewhere in the world. Moreover, this has been achieved without any curtailment of the rights of ordinary Muslims in Britain and America, who are free to practise their faith with a degree of freedom of which Christians in many parts of the Islamic world can only dream. Does Dr Williams really suggest that humanity would better be served by refusing to imprison those who, given the chance, would delight in making a nuclear attack on a Western city?     Dr Williams has yet to deliver a poetry reading in the manner suggested in the Lambeth Palace memo. But if he does treat us to his poetry we hope it will give us greater reason to take him seriously than many of his public pronouncements, which, thus far, have echoed Edward Lear rather than Alfred Lord Tennyson.       END

December 2003 Dear Friend of Ekklesia, The decision of the Presiding Bishop and others to proceed to consecrate V. Gene Robinson despite the unanimous voice of opposition from other Anglican provinces, the Archbishop of Canterbury, other denominations, and even other faiths has wounded the Christian faith around the globe and isolated the Episcopal Church. Approximately 52 million Anglicans are in church each Sunday around the world. Already, the leaders of 50 million have declared impaired communion. Some have even gone beyond that. Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, West Africa, Rwanda, Central Africa, South East Asia, and Tanzania have formally broken communion. Those provinces represent about 35 million Anglicans. I have been dispatched with a diplomatic pouch of documents to consult with Anglican Primates and Archbishops about finding their way forward. They are deeply committed to Biblical faith. They are also committed to those of us who maintain historic teaching and have rejected the actions of the Presiding Bishop and the General Convention.     Working with faithful Anglican primates is a two-way street. There is no question that we need their leadership and help, but they also live in circumstances of great need. To help address that in recent months your gifts to Ekklesia have helped accomplish many vitally important-even lifesaving-projects. Together this year we have     Provided more than twenty tons of grain for famine relief in Central Africa     * Bought and outfitted a small fleet of commercial fishing boats for Lake Malawi. These boats will provide food for starving people, jobs, and income to the diocese for ministry.     * Been building two radio stations in Tanzania that should be going on the air-any day. They will provide Christian teaching, English classes, health education information, and advertising income for ministry from advertising revenue. Helped primates travel to critically important Anglican Communion meetings.                                    * Provided bicycles for all the clergy in Antsiranana Diocese m Madagascar as a memorial gift in thanksgiving for the ministry of Bishop Keith Benzies who died in office last year.     * Helped replace grants, scholarships, and other gifts that have been withdrawn or refused as a result of the crisis.     * Played a critical role in bringing continuing Anglicans together and helping to facilitate an emerging federation of jurisdictions.     Though the situation is grave, there is cause for rejoicing. Not only is Ekklesia working closely with the American Anglican Council, Forward in Faith, and Anglicans United, we are actually bearing fruit. Our labor has helped provide a spiritually secure future. Many questions remain about institutional life an d property, but faithful primates have committed to provide Episcopal oversight for those of us who remain committed to the Anglican Way in America. Ekklesia has been at the center of the conversations and commitments to provide faithful oversight for you. To go on, though, we need your help.     We must raise about $100,000 by Easter in order to operate, travel, and answer the poignant and urgent requests that come to us almost daily from overseas. Obviously, we do not receive any support from the national church. Overseas primates are deeply committed, but do not have financial resources. It is partners like you that that have helped us accomplish miracles over the last  eight years. Now, a Biblically faithful Anglican church in North America is within reach! Will you help?     Yours in Christ,     The Rev. Canon Bill Atwood, D. Min. General Secretary       PS. Please check out our web site ( www.ekk.org ) and order my new book about the crisis. Wild Vine-Fruitful Vine Crisis in the Anglican Communion. You can order them through Forward in Faith at 1-800-225-3661.20     ***

by David G. Duggan © Special to VIRTUEONLINE www.virtueonline.org April 30, 2025   For 36 years I’ve lived halfway between two pillars of Chicago’s German community: St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic church and St. Luke Lutheran. Both have bell towers which call out the hour; perhaps because the parishes pre-dated time zones, and one is a tenth of a mile west of the other, there is a slight offset when they begin their chimes.   Both parishes were started in the latter part of the 19th century when Chicago had more German-born residents than any city west of the Rhine. For most of those 130-plus years St. Alphonsus was owned by a German order of monks: the Redemptorists, and for most of the last 60 years, it offered a mass said in German. St. Luke had been a Missouri Synod parish with strict instruction in German.   I offer these observations in light of the recent death of Jorge Bergoglio, the first pope from an immigrant community, and the first who was ordained to the priesthood after Vatican II which introduced the mass in the vernacular language of the worshipers. Though Spanish was his mother tongue, and Latin the language of the Vatican, in normal discourse he conversed in Italian. When in Rome ... And for whatever reason, he quietly put the kibosh on the Latin Mass, which had been making inroads under his two predecessors.   Language is the way God communicates with us. Commandments and Torah, prophets and proverbs, chronicles and case studies all point not only to God’s glory, but to His purpose.   But that wasn’t enough. Language, particularly in translation has slippage. As a lawyer who made his living from the imprecision of language, I can attest to how people want words to mean what they think they mean.   So God sent His Son, the Word made Flesh, to dwell among us. Knowing that wouldn’t be enough, after Christ’s death and resurrection, God the Father sent His Holy Spirit, breathed into the disciples as the guardians of the Word until His coming again. Word is just breath, wrapped around tongue, blown through teeth and pursed through lips, but it is our connection to God.   END

Theologian and pastor Leonardo De Chirico, a world specialist on Roman Catholicism, analyses the Pope's legacy.   By Daniel Hofkamp EVANGELICAL FOCUS 21 APRIL 2025   ROME : The death of Pope Francis is causing a cascade of reactions and opinions around the world, as he is a figure of global influence.   The evangelical world is no stranger to this. He is perhaps the Pope who has been closest to evangelicals, so it is important to consider his legacy carefully.   Leonardo de Chirico, an Italian pastor and theologian, has studied contemporary Roman Catholicism for three decades, writing and speaking internationally on the relationship with Catholicism and its theology.   His reflections are translated into several languages and published in various media around the world. In Protestante Digital, his articles are published in the Sunday magazine 'Desde Roma'.   Spanish news website Protestante Digital contacted Leonardo de Chirico to get his first reaction to the death of Jorge Mario Bergoglio.   Question. What do you consider to be the most important doctrinal legacy of Pope Francis for the Roman Catholic Church?   Answer. He was not a doctrinal Pope he didn’t like professional theologians. He thought that doctrine is an evil device and a waste of time if it becomes a check to admit some and reject others.   His own theology can be summed up with the slogan: “all all all”: catholics of every strip, non-catholics, Jews, Muslims, people of no faith, we are all brothers and sisters.   “All brothers” is the encyclical that perhaps will mark the Roman Catholic church for some time. Francis stretched the catholicity (inclusion) and minimized the Romanity (traditional outlook) of Roman Catholicism.   Having said that, he had his own doctrinal agenda that was twofold: first, giving the impression of not changing the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church (e.g. on women priests); second, introducing all kinds of ambiguities that obscured catholic teaching and practices.   Do all religions lead to God? Can you be a Catholic the way you want (divorced, having sex outside of marriage, non-practicing, not caring much)? Do magisterial and canonical boundaries still matter? Is sacramental repentance necessary or it is a commodity for Catholics?   To these questions Francis’s answers were purposely clumsy. His desire was to affirm all, wanting his Church to be the “field hospitaly” where we are “all brothers”. Q. How has the emphasis on fraternity and interreligious dialogue transformed Catholic identity during his pontificate?   A. When the Pope spoke of “unity”, he did not have in mind unity among Christians according to gospel criteria. He thought of the unity of mankind as a “polyhedron”.   For him, ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue were two ways of saying the same thing: “we are already one; let’s pray and walk together”, e.g. with non-Catholics, with Jews, with Muslims.   His pontificate began with the exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” calling his church to mission, but mission for him was to go out and affirm all where they are. This global embracement was the gospel for him.   Q. What impact has the “shift towards the Global South” had on the politics and future of the Catholic Church?   A. Francis was elected to help Rome grow in the Global South while the West is going through a tense relationship with the Roman Church.   His pastoral attention and international travels concentrated on it. Statistics say that, while decline is the reality in the West, Rome is growing in the Global South.   However, the Global South (especially Africa) is rather conservative in its moral theology and negatively reacted against some “openings” made by Francis on the blessing of same sex couples and the admission to the Eucharist to divorced couples.   If you see the number and the provenance of cardinals made during his pontificate, there is no doubt that Francis has made his Church more “global” and less “Western”. We will see what will happen in the upcoming conclave.   Q. Do you believe the synodal process initiated by Francis will truly change the Church’s power structure, or is it more symbolic than effective?   A. As a Jesuit, Francis liked to initiate “processes”, not really knowing what the outcomes would be. After encouraging the German synodal path, he became scared of the predictable results (e.g. ordination of women priests, same-sex marriages) and stopped it.   At the same time, he began a synodal process for the whole Church using big words (e.g. “an upside down authority structure”) very much up in the air. Up to now, it looks more about a bureaucratic conundrum than anything else.   Q. How do you assess Francis' gestures of rapprochement with evangelicals? Have they led to real change or were they mainly diplomatic gestures?   A. Francis showed kindness towards evangelicals. The same attitude was expressed to liberals, eastern orthodox, and other religious groups. He seemed to come close to everybody and gave the impression to all that he was close to them.   He knew the “evangelical” language and practices (e.g. “conversion”, spontaneous prayer). Some evangelicals were impressed by this attitude and exchanged it with an “evangelical” ethos.   In fact, he did the same with all other people, always repeating the same message: “we are already brothers and sisters, let’s walk together and pray together; formal and perfect unity will come”. He seemed so close, yet he was so far away from the gospel.   END