Grace is not a suggestion, a boost, or a cooperative handshake—it is the sovereign act of God upon undeserving sinners.   The Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore Aug 15, 2025 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) Among the five Solas that form the theological backbone of the Reformation,  Sola Gratia — Grace Alone —stands like a lighthouse in a storm-tossed sea. It was not merely a theological refinement; it was a rescue operation. In a world where man was told to earn God’s favor through indulgences, penance, pilgrimages, and priestly mediation, the Reformers reclaimed the ancient truth: salvation is by grace, and grace alone. Grace Is Not a Boost Modern people tend to think of grace as a sort of spiritual fuel additive—something God gives to help you do what you couldn’t quite manage on your own. But this is not the biblical doctrine of grace. Grace is not a reward for trying hard. It is not a supplement to good intentions. It is not even a reward for faith. Grace is the unmerited favor of God poured out upon the unworthy. It is the love of God for the unlovable, the pardon of God for the guilty, the healing touch of Christ upon the leper's skin. It is God doing for us what we could never do for ourselves—not even with infinite time and effort. Dead Men Can’t Reach The Reformers—especially Luther and Calvin—were adamant about one thing: humanity is not morally sick, in need of medicine, therapy, or motivation. Humanity is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Grace, therefore, is not CPR. It is resurrection. It is the divine act of raising the spiritually dead to new life. This stands in sharp contrast to the semi-Pelagian error of their day (and ours), which suggests that man must take the first step—showing some measure of desire, some inkling of righteousness—and then God meets him halfway. But Sola Gratia asserts that even the first spark of desire for God is itself the result of grace. Not of Works—Full Stop Ephesians 2:8–9 makes the claim airtight: “not of works, lest anyone should boast.” If grace is mixed with works, it ceases to be grace (Romans 11:6). The moment we insert our own righteousness into the equation, we pollute the gospel. It is not 99% grace and 1% effort—it is 100% the gift of God. Even our faith is a grace-given response. The very ability to trust in Christ is wrought in us by the Spirit of grace. No man can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). Grace Offends True grace is offensive. It offends our pride, our religious instincts, our sense of fairness. It tells us that the drunk in the gutter and the church elder have the same hope: the mercy of God. It tells us that salvation is not a wage, not a trophy, but a gift—and gifts cannot be earned. They can only be received with empty hands. This is why so many reject it. To receive grace is to admit your bankruptcy, to confess that all your best efforts amount to nothing before the throne of a holy God. Why It Still Matters Sola Gratia is not just a relic of 16th-century debate. It is the living heartbeat of the gospel. The modern Church still flirts with performance-based religion. We say "grace" but then measure ourselves by attendance, good behavior, social activism, or doctrinal purity. None of those things are bad—but none of them justify us before God. Grace alone saves. Everything else flows from that fountain. If we lose Sola Gratia, we lose the gospel. We do not need a better marketing plan, a more attractive Christianity, or a more palatable God. We need to fall on our faces before the throne of grace, crying out for mercy—and finding, to our astonishment, that He already gave it. Let us never forget: We are not saved by grit, but by grace. Not by resolve, but by resurrection. Not by merit, but by mercy. Sola Gratia. Thanks be to God.

By Chuck Collins www.virtueonline.org August 14, 2025   J. B. Lightfoot was a renown New Testament scholar at Cambridge when he was called in 1879 to be the Anglican Bishop of Durham. He spent the last decade of his life shepherding the people and congregations of his diocese.   His commentaries on many of St. Paul’s epistles and his work on the apostolic fathers are still widely read today. He is perhaps best remembered by a book he wrote that some Anglicans find troubling. In “The Christian Ministry,” Lightfoot shows the evolution of the office of bishop from the New Testament into the early church. He shows that the terms presbyter ( presbuteros, elder or priest) and bishop ( episcopos) are interchangeable in the New Testament; they describe the same office.   There is no clear distinction in the Bible between the two and there is not a clear three-fold distinction of orders of ministries (bishop, priest, and deacon) in Holy Scripture.   It didn’t take but several decades after the apostles for the church to find three orders very helpful, but to say that this is biblical is simply wrong. And in the wrong hands, this becomes a false grounding for sacerdotal views of ordained ministry that seeks to justify “special” classes of Christians and an ongoing office of apostles.   The English reformers saw the historic episcopate as of “ bene esse ” (for the well being) of the church. Since it is not clearly Scriptural, they couldn’t say, as the later Tractarians did, that the historic episcopate is of the “ esse ” of the church or that episcopacy is an indispensable requisite in a Christian church.   A case can be made that episcopacy went wild with the 1830s Tractarian revival (see Tract 10!) on into the first Lambeth Conference in 1867. This led to such ideas as: ordination automatically conveys special grace to make ordinary Christians into a special Christians.   This is the kind of nonsense that Paul rails against in 1 Corinthians 12! We in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) have unfortunately ceded authority to priests and bishops that, in someone who doesn’t see himself as a servant, can too easily lead to the abuse of power. Why, for example, do we now anoint hands with oil in ordination, “that whatsoever they bless may be blessed, and whatsoever they consecrate may be consecrated”?   There is nothing about making magic hands in our Anglican heritage until the 2019 Book of Common Prayer. We can say that a church order based on bishops, priests and deacons is good, and may even be the best system of church governance, without giving in to ugly and unbiblical clericalism.   The Rev. Canon Chuck Collins is a theologian and historian in the reform tradition.

The Children’s Society said it is committed to supporting survivors of abuse and accepting the donation would not be consistent with its principles.   By Aine Fox, PA Social Affairs Correspondent Shropshire News Dec. 20, 2024 The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby had chosen to make a donation to The Children’s Society but they have declined the offer (Andrew Milligan/PA) A children’s charity has rejected a Christmas donation from the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, saying that accepting it would not be consistent with its work in supporting victims of child sexual abuse. Earlier this week Justin Welby – who will officially quit in early January over failures in handling a Church of England abuse scandal – sent an annual e-card for the festive season, and said he was making a donation to The Children’s Society. A message accompanying the card from Mr Welby and his wife Caroline noted that the charity “works with children affected by criminal and sexual exploitation, abuse” and other issues. But the charity announced on Friday that it had “respectfully decided” not to accept the donation. Mark Russell, the organization's chief executive, said: “After careful consideration, we have respectfully decided not to accept the donation offered by the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury.   “The Children’s Society is deeply committed to supporting the survivors of abuse, our teams support victims of child sexual abuse, and this means that accepting this donation would not be consistent with the principles and values that underpin our work.”   Mr. Welby announced last month he was resigning from his leading role in the Church “in sorrow with all victims and survivors of abuse” in the wake of the Makin Review.   The resignation announcement followed days of pressure after the independent review concluded barrister John Smyth – thought to have been the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church – might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported him to police in 2013.   Across five decades in three different countries and involving as many as 130 boys and young men in the UK and Africa, Smyth is said to have subjected his victims to traumatic physical, sexual, psychological and spiritual attacks, permanently marking their lives.   Smyth died aged 77 in Cape Town in 2018 while under investigation by Hampshire Police, and was “never brought to justice for the abuse”, the Makin report said.   Mr. Russell added: “We were profoundly shocked by the findings of the Makin report, and our thoughts are with all survivors of abuse. We believe that there is an urgent need for the Church of England to reset its approach to safeguarding and continue to create a safer Church and safer spaces for young people, protected by real accountability and a culture of care.     “The Children’s Society’s life-changing work supports children facing abuse, exploitation or struggling with their mental health. We remain deeply grateful for the generosity of those who share our vision and the support of those donations is crucial to changing children’s lives for the better. We will continue to focus on delivering a society built for all children.”   A spokesperson for the archbishop said: “Lambeth Palace respects the decision made by The Children’s Society.   “The Archbishop of Canterbury shares the principles and values of The Children’s Society and is committed to supporting the survivors of abuse and victims of child sexual abuse.   “He applauds The Children’s Society for their tireless work in this field.”

By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org December 13, 2024   A lot is being made of culture, realignment and restructuring as churches look to regroup after massive losses over the past few years.   Around 40 million Americans have stopped attending church in the past 25 years, with estimates suggesting that "another 2 million Americans" could potentially be leaving the church, contributing to a growing trend of declining church attendance across the country; this is often referred to as "the great dechurching." Mainline denominations are in free fall.   What can be done about it? The Episcopal Church is by no means the biggest loser but a new Presiding Bishop and his bishops are talking up realignment and restructuring as they watch the numbers drop year over year hoping to reverse the trend. You can read Bishop Sean Rowe's aspirations here:  https://www.oaoa.com/people/religion/sean-rowe-wants-to-realign-the-episcopal-church/   Reading through the various options on the situation it looks very much like the bishops are rearranging the deck chairs on the SS TEC but with fewer chairs.   The bishops met at the DoubleTree Hilton Minneapolis Airport recently, and another 55 participated virtually and tried doing just that.   To get The Episcopal Church on the right footing, the newly minted Presiding Bishop Rowe hired Insight Global an international professional services and staffing company specializing in delivering talent and technical solutions to Fortune 1000 companies across the IT, Non-IT, Healthcare, and Engineering industries.   So, the question must be asked is, how can a secular company possibly know how a church runs, if its leadership is supposed to be aligned with God's will for the church and not just the best manager for the job. Do the managers of Insight Global hear from God about how TEC should run. Do they have spiritual or biblical insights. Do they meet the requirements of leadership laid out by the Apostle Paul such as humility, servant leadership, unwavering commitment to the truth, compassion, courage, vision, passion, adaptability, and a deep care for the spiritual growth of others; essentially prioritizing the needs of the community over personal gain, while actively leading with integrity and conviction in spreading the Gospel message to all people regardless of background.   Would the deep thinkers at Insight Global know what this even means? The company talks about developing a plan for strategic realignment. But unless the plan starts and end with God's kingdom being realized on earth then it is nothing more than rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship. Aligning itself with the culture is not a winning strategy.   Two issues did pop up; one was on Title IV - the church's disciplinary system for clergy dominated discussion. Why am I not surprised. Anglican Watch a feisty unofficial watch dog on the sins of bishops and clergy has been kicking TEC's butt over failed disciplinary issues.   Here are some recent headlines: Sean Rowe removes bishop Todd Ousley from all Title IV functions prior to Ousley's departure later this year; Say farewell to a fraud: reflections on Title IV and the lies of Cayce Ramey; St. Paul's Dayton cuts Duplicitous Dan loose; Priest faces fraud allegations at Diocese of Dallas parish, resigns from Nashotah House board; Anglican Watch urges reconsideration of Duggan Title IV case in Chicago to cite but a few stories. You can read more here:  https://www.anglicanwatch.com/   The other issue was refocusing General Convention and the College for Bishops, with an educational program for newly elected bishops. How that will grow the diocese and parishes is anybody's guess. It is dubious to say the least.   One bishop seemed to catch on that the Church might need to focus on the Christian faith! OMG. The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of Indianapolis, vice chair of the House of Bishops concurred: "The heart of the matter is we want to have the Episcopal Church -- both in the aggregate and in each diocese -- be given every bit of steam it can have to make an effective witness for Jesus Christ. We talked about it being a life-and-death matter, because we believe in the dying and rising of Jesus as the core of our faith."   Well, there is a whole lot of dying going on and not much rising...and very little witnessing. Once upon a time, the Anglican bishops at the global Lambeth Conference boldly declared the 1990s the "Decade of Evangelism." It worked across the Global South, but not in the Global North.   Back 20 years ago The Episcopal Church created a "20/20 Vision" task force committed to doubling baptized membership by 2020. It was called the 20/20 strategy. One of its goals was to double average Sunday attendance (ASA) by the year 2020. It failed. The downward spiral continued. The 20/20 proposal totally flopped. Former Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's "revivals" revived nothing that we could find, but he did put on a good show.   And there is evangelism, another theme the bishops discussed. But that usually means trying to bring more alternative lifestyle pursuers into the church by pushing LGBTQ+ sexualities and pushing back on anyone who disagrees with them. Opening the doors wider to the unbaptized, or making communion available to anyone who wants it is not evangelism or pasting ashes on peoples' heads without asking if they had asked for their sins to be forgiven is not evangelism.   Therein lies the problem. Evangelism, biblically understood, is presenting the good news about Jesus, talking up repentance and confession. At its core evangelism is presenting the good news freely and trusting God to convert people.   Very few people in TEC know how to present the good news and most have never done so.   The bottom line is your average Episcopalian is going to be asked to share a faith they have not heard, bought into, or understood. If they had there would be no need for the ACNA to exist, because at the heart of the two churches there is a very different understanding of the gospel. What constitutes good news for TEC is not the same as good news promulgated by the ACNA.   TEC thinks that pushing DEI and gay marriage is good news, the ACNA does not. Railing on about racism is considered good news, but racism is not a fundamental problem in TEC with less than one percent blacks in the pews.   Pushing and advocating for LGBTQ issues is not filling churches. This crowd are not church goers. Pushing the trans cause is spiritual suicide. Switching out genitals through surgery is hardly an apologetic method to win souls for Christ.   Homosexual bishop Gene Robinson is fast becoming passe. How much more whine from pulpits about how aggrieved he is and how uninclusive the church is and how homophobic everybody is who doesn't agree with him, will average Episcopalians tolerate?   The more sexually off the rails TEC heads the worse it is all becoming. And the new presiding bishop Sean Rowe has no intention of reversing the church's stand on sexuality issues. He has made that abundantly clear.   So, if you violate the clear teaching of scripture on sexuality then why should anyone believe TEC bishops about any other doctrine the church should happily change its mind about or cavalierly discard.   TEC can't have it both ways. TEC can't proclaim a message of redemption from sin, all sin, and then give some sins a pass because the culture says so, and then hope to fill churches. It's a nonstarter. Why do evangelical churches grow? One of the reasons is a clear-eyed understanding of what grace, redemption, justification are with no compromises.   If TEC cannot proclaim a [coherent] message of redemption, then realigning and restructuring cannot stop TEC's decline. TEC will continue reaping the whirlwind of emptying churches.   END

The Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore Aug. 13 2025                         The Protestant Reformation stood not simply as a protest against Roman abuses, but as a bold return to foundational truths long buried beneath the weight of tradition. Among these truths is Sola Scriptura—“Scripture alone”—a principle that insists the Holy Scriptures are the final and ultimate authority for faith and practice. Not the only authority, but the highest. In a world where opinions are mistaken for truth and feelings for moral law, this doctrine stands like granite against the tide.   To be clear, Sola Scriptura is not nuda Scriptura—a rejection of all tradition or church teaching. Anglicanism, in particular, has always respected the tradition of the Fathers, the Creeds, and the historic Church. But it insists that all such things are subject to the bar of Holy Writ. Scripture alone is norma normans non normata—the norm that norms all other norms.   The Scriptural Basis for Sola Scriptura St. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV): “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Note the language: complete, thoroughly equipped. If Scripture alone can do this, what more is needed for salvation and godliness? Jesus Himself held the Scriptures in highest regard. When tempted by Satan, He did not engage in philosophical speculation or appeal to tradition—He said, “It is written.” Three times. Even the Son of God submitted to the authority of God’s Word.   Why Sola Scriptura Still Matters In a time when pulpits are often filled with motivational speeches and pop psychology, the cry of Sola Scriptura is not only relevant—it is essential. The Church today faces a thousand competing voices: from liberal theologians who twist the text to accommodate culture, to so-called prophets who elevate personal revelation above the written Word. Scripture has become, for some, just one voice among many. But if every man does what is right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25), then we are not a church—we are a crowd. The authority of Scripture is not merely a theological stance—it is the bedrock of orthodoxy. It guards us from error, centers us on Christ, and unites us with the saints of old who heard the same Word and bowed before the same Lord.   The Anglican Witness As Anglicans, we are bound by the Articles of Religion, which in Article VI affirm: “Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man…” Our liturgy is soaked in Scripture. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer, in particular, is a masterwork of biblical theology—our collects, canticles, and readings form a lectionary catechism, training the soul to know and love the Word. Yet even we must be wary. There is a temptation to let tradition obscure Scripture, or to let beautiful liturgy replace obedience to the text. Sola Scriptura demands that we examine all things—yes, even cherished customs—in the light of God’s revelation.   Scripture Alone, but Never Alone Sola Scriptura does not mean the Bible interpreted in isolation. The Reformers upheld the role of the Church in reading and preaching the Word. The Holy Spirit speaks not to lone individuals on mountaintops, but to the Church gathered, hearing the Word rightly divided and faithfully taught. That said, Sola Scriptura places a holy burden upon the individual Christian: you must know the Word. You must read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it. God has spoken. The question is not whether we have heard, but whether we have listened.   A Call to Return The Church does not need new revelations. It needs renewed submission to what God has already said. It does not need cleverness, but clarity. Not innovation, but fidelity. Let the Church tremble again—not before the changing winds of culture or the fads of academia—but before the unchanging voice of Scripture. Let the bishops, priests, and deacons return to the Word. Let the fathers read it aloud in their homes. Let the youth find joy in the Psalms and Proverbs. Let the faithful hunger again for what is written, and trust that God’s Word will not return void. In a world awash in confusion, we must build on rock, not sand. And the rock is written. The Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore is the Vicar of St. Luke's Anglican Church in Corinth, Mississippi. You can find his books at amazon.com/author/ronaldhmoore

By the Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore www.virtueonline.org August 12, 2025   There is a Latin phrase that thundered through the Reformation like a bell through morning mist:  Soli Deo Gloria  — “To God alone be the glory.” It is a phrase as beautiful as it is bracing, as comforting as it is corrective . In just three words, the soul is directed upward, ambition is humbled, and all of history is given its proper frame.The Church must recover it. A Song Sung by Heaven and Earth The phrase  Soli Deo Gloria  expresses what the angels declare and the saints affirm: all glory belongs to God, and to God alone. The heavens declare it in their wordless song (Psalm 19:1). The seraphim veil their faces before it (Isaiah 6:3). The elders around the throne cast their crowns before Him who is worthy (Revelation 4:10–11). It is not merely a slogan. It is a cosmic truth. In the words of the Apostle Paul: "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."  (Romans 11:36, NKJV) This is not abstract theology — it is reality. If we understood it rightly, we would tremble. The Crown of the Five Solas The Protestant Reformation gave us five defining  solas  — five pillars of biblical faith that reclaimed the truth buried beneath layers of ecclesiastical tradition and human pride. Each  sola  corrected a particular abuse: Sola Scriptura  – Scripture alone is our ultimate authority. Sola Fide  – We are justified by faith alone. Sola Gratia  – We are saved by grace alone. Solus Christus  – Christ alone is our mediator and Savior. But it is  Soli Deo Gloria  that crowns the rest. It answers the question:  Why? Why grace? Why faith? Why Christ? Why Scripture? To the glory of God alone. The Reformers knew this. Bach knew it — he would sign his compositions  S.D.G.  at the bottom of each manuscript. They understood that every note, every breath, every sermon, every life lived in Christ must echo this anthem:  Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory  (Psalm 115:1). A Rebuke to Pride Glory to God alone  is also a rebuke — a necessary one. It rebukes the pride of clerics who glory in titles, the pride of churches that chase relevance instead of righteousness, the pride of individuals who make salvation about their own willpower and wisdom. It reminds us that even our best works are the product of divine grace, not personal merit. It strips away the illusion that man is the center of the story. It brings us to our knees, and rightly so. No saint can share in this glory. No pope can assume it. No preacher can absorb it. God will not share His glory with another.  (Isaiah 42:8) Living for His Glory But  Soli Deo Gloria  is not only a theological correction. It is a life directive. When we worship, it is for His glory. When we labor, it is for His glory. When we suffer, it is so that His glory may be revealed in us. When we witness, it is not to promote ourselves, but to magnify Him. As Paul exhorts the Corinthians: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  (1 Corinthians 10:31) This is not pious decoration. It is the mission statement of the Christian life. A Word for Our Age In an age of social media spotlighting, personal branding, and self-expression elevated to sacrament,  Soli Deo Gloria  is a necessary and bracing word. It tells us: You are not the point.Your platform is not the prize.God alone is worthy of glory. This is not to diminish human dignity, but to restore human humility. We were not made to be gods. We were made to glorify God — and in doing so, we find our purpose, our joy, and our rest. Let the Church Say It Again It’s time the Church began saying  Soli Deo Gloria  again — not as a tagline, but as a testimony. Let it be stamped on our worship.Let it be the motive behind our ministries.Let it be the cry of our hearts, the aim of our families, and the rule of our thinking. Let it shape our prayers, define our preaching, and steady us when trials come. For when all is said and done, every crown we may be given will be cast at His feet.Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. And the cry of heaven will roll like thunder: “Blessing and honor and glory and powerBe to Him who sits on the throne,And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13) S.D.G. May we live in such a way that these three letters could be inscribed at the end of our days. Not to ourselves, not to our work, not to our influence, but… Soli Deo Gloria.To God alone be the glory.   The Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore is the Vicar of St. Luke's Anglican Church in Corinth, Mississippi. You can find his books at amazon.com/author/ronaldhmoore

The following graphic image is a province map of ECUSA, showing the believed current status of each diocese regarding the consecration of Gene Robinson, and the believed relationship of the dioceses to the new confessing network. The dioceses who have endorsed the network, or probably will, are shown as purple. We recognize that this is a dynamic map, and it will be corrected, changed and redistributed as needed. It is offered to further the understanding of how the politics of the current situation is affected by geography.     All Saints Pawleys Island Leaves ECUSA   Jay L. Greener Jan 8, 2004   In a resounding display of shared conviction, the parish of All Saints Church in Pawley’s Island, SC, voted tonight to sever ties to the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) and to align itself with another Province of the Anglican Communion. Over 500 were in attendance to vote on two resolutions that will alter the church’s core documents. A congregation that claims over 1,000 parishioners and deep roots to its founding in 1745, All Saints officially amended its charter to reflect a revised statement of purpose, as well as its official affiliation. The vote affirmed the unanimous decision of the church’s vestry, made in October. The church joins nine international Anglican provinces that recently severed ties to the ECUSA an institution whose revisionist and liberal actions are increasingly placing it at odds with much of the rest of the Anglican Communion.   On two separate ballots, those present voted overwhelmingly to declare a new identity and affiliation as a church. On the first, which called for all references to the Episcopal Church to be removed from All Saints charter, the vote was 464 in favor, 42 against, and 1 abstention. On the second ballot, nearly 94% of those present voted to remove All Saints from the Episcopal Church and transfer its canonical residence to another Province within the Anglican Communion.     That other Province will most likely be the Province of Rwanda, and its missionary movement in this country, the Anglican Mission in America. That decision will be finalized at a parish meeting later this month. As people were leaving the meeting, they had opportunity to transfer their letters of membership individually, and the response was overwhelming.     All Saints Rector Emeritus, the Rt. Rev. Charles Murphy, addressed the gathering before deliberations began. He made it clear that it was not a regular parish business meeting, but a special meeting of the corporation concerned with amending the church’s official charter, adopted in 1902. His comments embraced the following points:   *The Episcopal Church USA of today is very different from the Protestant Episcopal Church of 1902 under which the original charter was drafted;   *The Episcopal Church has produced, by its actions, a major realignment in the Anglican Communion whereby two-thirds of the world’ s Anglicans are now in a state of broken or impaired communion with ECUSA;   All Saints Church has resisted the revisions of the Episcopal Church for years, working for renewal and change from within; The Episcopal Church has, in effect, abandoned the Faith and Order of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.   *There are now two strategies for addressing the international crisis: either to remain inside the ECUSA and become part of an orthodox ghetto, or move outside in order to come out from under coercive structures and canons, which is the strategy of the Anglican Mission in America.   The members of All Saints obviously agreed with their longtime leader, voting to follow an outside strategy from this point on. All Saints and the Diocese of South Carolina have had strained relations for the last three years, due to actions on the part of the Diocese to claim interest in the church’s property, refusal of the Diocese to allow All Saints to vote at recent conventions, and recent efforts on the part of the bishop, Ed Salmon, to take over control of the parish. South Carolinas.   Judge Breeden has twice ruled that the Diocese has no interest in the property, which was deeded many years before the Episcopal Church even existed. All Saints will continue to worship in their current facilities, even as the diocese continues its efforts to remove them through the courts.     Overall, it was a peaceful’ meeting where a few people spoke on each side   of the issues, with one person observing that ‘the church was ready for this   moment.’ In a recent statement, the leadership of All Saints reasserted its   commitment to its members, the inhabitants of Waccamaw Neck Region, the   worldwide Anglican Communion, and Christ’s Great Commission to His Church   The Impact of Robinsons Consecration   If there is no absolute moral standard, then one cannot say in a final sense that anything is right or wrong. By absolute we mean that which applies to all people, that which provides a final or ultimate standard.   There must be an absolute if there are to be morals, and there must be an absolute if there are to be real values. If there is no absolute beyond man’s ideas, then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups whose moral judgements conflict. We are merely left with conflicting opinions. - How Should We Then Live? By Francis Schaeffer (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1976), page 145.     Dear Brothers and Sisters,   The Robinson consecration is coming home to roost. Slowly but surely, in one parish after another stories abound of parishes suffering financially, parishioners feeling betrayed and departing, and much more.   It is not just a matter of international opprobrium and rebuke or even  of orthodox bishops in ECUSA withholding monies from the national church; The New Hampshire action is now filtering down to the parish level. Virtuosity had predicted this would happen, as did many others, and now  it is coming all too sadly true.     E-mails coming into Virtuosity’s mailbox by the dozen, tell stories of  individuals and families leaving in despair and disillusionment, taking themselves off to the Anglican Mission in America, one of several Orthodox branches of the Christian Church, the Roman Catholic Church and more.   There is also the interesting side bar of orthodox Episcopal parishes  growing as believing families leave revisionist parishes that affirm homosexual behavior or who cannot sign off on the creeds, Scripture and more. So in order to remain in the Episcopal Church they sometimes drive 20 or 30 miles on Sunday to find a biblically faithful parish. And when they do, they rejoice.   One laymen wrote to me his story and I have written it up for you in todays digest. It is set in Americas heartland, and it is a sad story of the decline of a once proud parish into mission status and, by years end will, in all probability, close its doors.   The sad truth is that there are some 3,465 Episcopal parishes in the  ECUSA (nearly 50 percent of the entire Episcopal Church) have 37 members   actually attending on Sunday and the Robinson consecration will push most of them into extinct.

By Kelly Marshall The Sun News Myrtle Beach     The congregation of All Saints Waccamaw Episcopal Church will take a historic vote Thursday night when members decide whether to split from the Episcopal Church USA or join the conservative Anglican Mission in America. The move comes during a turbulent time for the 264-year-old Waccamaw Neck church.   It has been engaged in a three-year fight with the diocese over ownership of church property and a recent attempt by Bishop Edward Salmon to remove 12 church leaders.   While other churches have disagreed with the appointment of an openly gay bishop in August and many have threatened to separate from the Episcopal Church USA, All Saints was one of the first churches in South Carolina to vote to leave and operate under an archbishop from a different province.   I’m not aware of any other parishes that are doing that, said Bruce Mason, spokesman for the American Anglican Council. Churches have been amazingly patient. Weve been encouraging parishes to hang in there a little bit longer.   We want to find a way for them to network with one another. There has not been a mass flight.   Members of All Saints disagree with the liberal stance taken by the Episcopal Church USA, said church spokesman Russ Campbell.   The bishop learned last month the church would vote to leave the union. He tried to remove 12 church leaders after he said they participated in schismatic actions. He said the church cannot remain part of the diocese if they are not part of the Episcopal Church USA.   The move was not successful because Salmon could not prove All Saints was a distressed or troubled parish, Campbell said.   Salmon also objects to a change in the churchs charter reflecting its split from the national church.   Representatives from the diocese met Monday with leaders from All Saints, said Craige Borrett, president of the diocese standing committee.   He said the leaders discussed ongoing issues in the church. He does no t know if they will attend Thursday’s meeting.     I’m praying that God will work through the leadership to resolve this situation, he said. I think the atmosphere at Mondays meeting was very positive and helpful to everybody.   If the congregation votes to leave the national church, Campbell said he does not know when the split would happen. After Thursdays vote, the church members will possibly change their church mission statement to reflect t heir split with the Episcopal Church USA.   By leaving the communion, we leave the bishop in America and go to an orthodox bishop, Campbell said.     The church also is still battling an attempt by the diocese to claim 50 acres of church property.   That dispute went to court, which ruled in favor of All Saints, saying the diocese and Episcopal Church have no legal interest in the property.   All Saints was formed in 1745, before the Episcopal Church and the diocese were established, Campbell said.   The diocese appealed, and both sides await a ruling from the state appeals court.   END

Statement of the Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo on homosexuality and blessings of same-sex unions within the Anglican Communion.     We, the Bishops of the Anglican Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (DRCongo) gathered in Kinshasa, its capital city, on behalf of the clergy and laity from the DRCongo, take this opportunity to officially express our unhappiness regarding the issues which have recently arisen pertaining to the issues of homosexuality and the blessing of same-sex relationships which we believe are contrary to Holy Scripture, and to moral law in the Third World. We therefore strongly condemn:   - the consecration of Canon GENE ROBINSON, a divorcee and an actively gay bishop of the US New Hampshire Diocese of the Episcopal Church on 2nd November 2003;   - the access to priesthood of actively gay and lesbian people;   - the use of the newly devised Prayer Book published by the Diocese of New Westminster/Canada for the purpose of officiating the blessing of same-sex marriages.   We believe that the above-mentioned acts clearly and deliberately misinterpret:   a) the Word of God   b) the resolution 1:10,98 of the Lambeth Conference of 1998 prohibiting homosexuality, an act contrary to Christian calling in Holy Scripture. In its position of moral keeper, the Church must do all in its power to prevent immorality and itself avoid being corrupted and in turn corrupting the whole world.   c) the work of the Commission established to study in depth the issue of homosexuality. The findings of this Commission initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury to try and establish proper solutions to homosexuality in the Church is due in October 2004. The bishops from the Third World opposed the consecration of Canon GENE ROBINSON as bishop in their meetings at Lambeth Palace, London in October 2003.     We knowingly declare that:   1. the Anglican Province of Congo strongly condemns homosexuality and wishes to disassociate itself from relations with Dioceses and Parishes involved in homosexuality. Therefore, it disapproves the confirmation and consecration   2. of Canon GENE ROBINSON, a man living openly in a homosexual relationship, as bishop in God’s ministry.   The Anglican Province of Congo is in fellowship with all Parishes, Dioceses and Provinces of ECUSA and of the Anglican Church of Canada in opposition to homosexuality. It is happy to support both morally, pastorally and spiritually all Christians from every part of the world within the network of theologically orthodox churches and Dioceses in opposition to homosexuality.     3. The Anglican Province of Congo condemns every immoral act which promotes active homosexuality as a cultural norm. The Gospel purifies all culture and must be in agreement with Holy Scripture.     4. The Anglican Province of Congo rejects the newly published New Westminster Diocesan Book of Prayer promoting the blessing of same-sex union. It calls upon each and every women and man of God to think about Gods Word relating to marriage in Genesis 1:27,28 and encourages abstinence as the appropriate way for those who are not called to marriage. The Anglican Province of Congo therefore invites any person knowingly involved in homosexuality to repent from his/her sin and return to the fullness of relationship with Christ. (Lev.18:23; Mat.19:4-6; Romans 1:23-27).     5. The Anglican Province of Congo seriously warns any of its Dioceses or Parishes that have fellowship with any such groups that are involved in active homosexuality for the purpose of material interest and support.     6. The Anglican Province of Congo calls upon all goodwill Christians to refrain from criticizing, judging or remaining silent on issues pertaining to active homosexuality ravaging the western world and to seriously pray for their return to God in true repentance.     7. The Anglican Province of Congo invites all within the network of the theologically orthodox Anglican Communion to remain firm of faith and be involved in a fellowship based on spiritual, moral, material and/or financial support to each other. 8. The Anglican Communion is a precious gift from Christ Himself that needs to be jealously protected and promoted by each and every faithful Anglican Church.     Kinshasa, 20th December 2003 For the House of Bishops   The Most Revd Dr DIROKPA BALUFUGA Fidele Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Congo     *****

My consecration will never affect the average Episcopalian. V. Gene Robinson, Bishop-elect of New Hampshire at GC2003   Special Report   By David W. Virtue     The Bishop of New Hampshire is in for a rude awakening. His consecration is affecting not only the entire Anglican Communion causing whole provinces to disassociate themselves from the ECUSA, it is drying up funds to The Episcopal Church from orthodox dioceses, and now it is beginning to affect local parishes as well. Here are the consequences to one parish in Americas Heartland. A lay leader in a conservative congregation in a liberal diocese sent the following report.     The question was raised at a recent parish meeting, where is the Episcopal Church going?   We are really going through a difficult time as a result of the Gene Robinson consecration, he wrote to Virtuosity.   Since September, both our attendance and our giving has declined by at least 20 percent.  We are more than $8,400 in arrears to the diocese--not because we want to withhold it--but simply because we can’t pay it.  In pledges for 2004, we only have about $75,000 which is about half of what we had in 2003 from half as many households and not enough to keep a full-time priest, and part-time secretary, organist-choirmaster, and sexton.     And that’s not all.     He writes: I think everybody on the vestry and about 95 percent of the congregation opposes what the Episcopal Church has done.  The rector tells me there are three or four individuals in the parish who think it was a good thing.  He wants to find a way to hold the parish together and remain in the Episcopal Church, but what are we to do? Last Sunday the rector told him that four families had recently left the church.  They told him basically, We stayed until the end of the year--liked you asked--but nothing has happened and so were leaving.     I wish Gene Robinson could come and look this congregation in the face on Sunday morning to see what he hath wrought.  Even for those members who supported his consecration, it still affects them because of what is happening to their parish.   If nothing happens--if the powers that be do not provide an alternative for congregations like ours--I fear that we will dissolve and most members will leave before the end of the 2004. At best, I think most people will still leave and we will become a mission congregation with aid from the diocese.  But I have also heard that this same thing is happening in several other parishes in our diocese.     Gene Robinson’s consecration affects little congregations like ours in Americas Heartland because we have been told all of our lives that we are a [capital] Church and we do things together and what one diocese or person does affects the whole Church.     Bishops and theologians have told us all our lives that we are not like those congregational churches where congregations and pastors do their own thing.     Now we are learning the truth, our Anglican theology is coming home to roost.     END

By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent THE TELEGRAPH 1/5/2003   The Church of England may have to split in two if women become bishops, one with female clergy and one without, an official report has concluded. An enclave for opponents of women priests could be created to avert a mass exodus when women are consecrated, possibly within five years.     The faction, effectively a church within a church, could have its own archbishop, bishops, parish clergy and training colleges. But it would exclude women clerics.     Proposals for a traditionalist third province have been floated before but this is the first time they have received official recognition.     They are included in a draft report on women bishops by a working party headed by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir Ali. The report is due to be considered by the House of Bishops this month and could be debated by the General Synod this year.   The proposals for a third province are certain to provoke a fresh bout of infighting in the Church, which is already reeling from the civil war over homosexuality.     Although they are only one of a handful of options suggested in the draft report, they will horrify many in the Church, who will regard them as far too extreme.   Liberal supporters of women bishops will denounce them as officially sanctioned schism, especially as they threaten a new set of divisions in an institution already riven by dissension.   A recent survey suggested that, 10 years after the Church first ordained women priests, up to a quarter of the clergy remains implacably opposed to women becoming bishops.   Moreover, a number of senior bishops is still resistant and the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, has said that he would resign if women were consecrated while he is in office.   The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has privately made clear that he is sympathetic to the idea of a third province.   The draft report, which has taken three years to complete, outlines a series of strategies that the Church could adopt if, as seems certain, it goes ahead with women bishops.   At one end of the spectrum, it could decide to make no provision for dissenters, although Church leaders recognise that this would create widespread protest. At the other, it could opt for a third province, which would be fiercely opposed by most of the bishops.   A compromise could be tried by building on the present system of traditionalist flying bishops, which was created to minister to dissenters when women were ordained as priests.   But many acknowledge that even that would not placate diehard opponents of female consecration.     END

By Ted Schroder January 4, 2004   Last week I received a letter addressed to the churches of Amelia  Island Ministerial Association from Claudia Sovilla, of the Amelia  Island Genealogical Society. She was extending an invitation to the  members of the churches, who are interested in genealogy and history to  attend the Genealogy Course and Mary Fears program in January. She  wrote, The Churches have great resources for information and members  with stories of their ancestors. This area is rich in history. Tracing roots has transformed genealogy from a methodical past-time to a raging passion for mill ions of Americans. Wondering who am I, where I came from, and a missing link to the past and heritage. Joan Hackett and  Mary Nelson will be instructors. My parents were not much interested in their antecedents.   When I  asked them questions about the family they gave vague answers that obscured rather than illuminated. It made me wonder whether I was  descended from a long line of undesirables! But I doubt whether they were that interesting.     I have cousins on both sides of my family who are the keepers of  the family histories. They supply me with information when I need it. I  am gathering material to write a fictionalized account of four  generations of my family. In discovering what might have happened to  them I understand better what formed my parents and grandparents, and  influenced me.   Some years ago I participated in a continuing education program  on Family Systems Theory, which explored how the dynamics of family  histories can repeat themselves in the lives of each generation. The  exercise of drawing up a genogram of your family history, which  identifies the patterns of marriage, children, divorce, births and  deaths, can throw considerable light on your own experience.   None of us is self-made. None of us is a stand alone. Each of us  Comes from somewhere. We have continuity to the past. We are the product  of generations and our own choices. Erik Erikson describes the stage of  Integrity in the Life Cycle as the acceptance of ones own and only  life cycle and of the people who have become significant to it as something that had to be and that, by necessity, permitted of no  substitutions. It thus means a new different love of ones parents, free  of the wish that they should have been different, and an acceptance of  the fact that ones own life is ones own responsibility. It is a sense  of comradeship with men and women of distant times and of different pursuits, who have created orders and objects and sayings conveying human  dignity and love. (Identity and the life Cycle, p.104) Erikson placed Integrity as the last stage in the life cycle.     I am presently reading The Hornets Nest, a novel of the American revolutionary war in Georgia and the Carolinas, by Jimmy Carter. In writing about those times former President Carter is also trying to understand his continuity with his family members who settled in Georgia. By writing about that period he is getting in touch with what it must have been like for his ancestors. Some of the characters are based on them. He said that he began to study his family history in 1998. It was the 100th birthday of his ancestor who moved to southwest Georgia. As he started study the history he got interested in the period .   In Matthews account of the early childhood of Jesus (Matt.2:13- 23) we find that Jesus experienced this continuity with the past. Like his ancestor Joseph he was taken to Egypt. Jesus recapitulated the history of Israel by his sojourn in Egypt. Like Moses he was saved from certain death at the hand of the king of his day. When the time was come to return, the holy family left Egypt and traveled to Nazareth. Israel discovered its identity in Egypt , and the exodus from Egypt was the  central point in the history of the nation.   Pharoah tried to destroy the people in Egypt, but Moses brought  them out into the land of promise. Just as Pharoah failed to kill Moses,  Herod, the new Pharoah, failed to kill the Savior. Eventually, Moses  brought the children of Israel out of the land of bondage and death, and Moses successor was to bring the people out of a worse bondage and a worse death, the death of sin. Jesus is seen as the successor of Moses: he came to save his people from their sins. Jesus is going to rescue us. He is going to usher in the new exodus.   Matthew sees Jesus as fulfilling the Old Testaments predictions.  The history of Gods children is recapitulated in the history of Gods Son. As Israel of long ago was led down to Egypt, so was Jesus. As Israel came out, so did Jesus. He embodies and fulfils the history of the people of God in his own person.   Michael Green, in writing about these stories about Jesus childhood, concludes: Matthew makes it plain that God works through both surprise and  continuity to bring about his purposes. The story of Jesus is utterly continuous with Abraham, with David and with the whole history of the chosen people. Bu t it also bristles with surprises. Perhaps this is to encourage us to expect God to be working in our lives steadily and continuously, making sense of our past history, but also to be on the lookout for Gods surprises in our lives, ready to grasp them and follow through their implications when they come. (The Message of Matthew, p.74)   Joseph was surprised by the angel of the Lord appearing to him in a  dream and directing him to escape to Egypt. Yet in so doing he fulfilled the prophecies, and repeated the history of his family. When Herod ordered the mass acre of the boys under two years old he didnt realize that he was repeating the sin of the Pharoah who opposed Moses. At the right time the angel directed Joseph and Mary back to the land of Israel. There they were warned in a dream not to settle in Judaea but to go to Galilee.   How often do we repeat the history of our ancestors? Sometimes we slip into committing the same sins as they did. Joseph was enabled to survive and flourish, to take care of his family, and to move on toward fulfilling divine destiny because he obeyed the guidance that was given him.   God is working in our lives steadily and continuously. He encourages u s to make sense of our family histories, to discover patterns of behavior that are to be either avoided or embraced. We are also meant to be on the look out for Gods surprises in our lives, and be willing to grasp them and follow through on their implications when they come.   What surprises will God have in store for you this coming year? Whatever they are, they are meant to be for your good. When you respond to them positively you will find that you will be fulfilling your divine destiny.   The Rev. Schroder is the rector of the chapel on Amelia Island Plantation. He is an Episcopal priest.   END