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By David W. Virtue COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - (4/21/2004) Dr. George Carey made an impassioned plea to several hundred orthodox Episcopalians today urging them to a deeper faith, more godly living and a steady walk with God. "Spiritual power is the mastery of life which is God's ambition for each one of us," said the former Archbishop of Canterbury. "The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring us closer to Jesus Christ." In the second of three sermons delivered on Paul's Letter to the Ephesians as part of a three-day conference put on by the Colorado-based Anglican Communion Institute, the Evangelical Archbishop said not only do we have a faith we must hold without fear or compromise, but we must go deeper into that faith as debtors of God's grace. "God's power in daily living comes from a steady walk with Him," said the Archbishop who is expounding on the third chapter of Paul's Ephesian letter. "St. Paul assumed we should know God's power in our daily lives. Reading the apostle enlarges our minds and makes us aware of the Trinity in the life of every Christian. We should all want to be more powerful Christians," he said. "If the last century was the century of ecumenism this century is the century of the Holy Spirit. This Pentecostal Spirit movement is generally constructive but has some negative effects. But the Holy Spirit brings people together and does not divide us," he said. In a reference to the current travails going on in the Anglican Communion, Carey said that what the church lacked was not money, not numbers, not greater theologians, but people on fire for God. "God cries out for better people. God is looking for excellence and quality," he said. Looking back on his own life, Carey said he didn't at first love the church, but he saw that Christ loved it and he came to love it. "The church has many wrinkles, but it is love that drives her to be different. I want to know Christ's power in her love." "The foundation of the church is grounded in love. Love is the best foundation, and it is typically the work of the Holy Spirit. I want to know Christ's power in her love. You may be disappointed with our church, but we are no better than anyone else if we don't love. We are always demanding our rights but Paul says that Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her." "I have a big vision of other faiths, but I am held together by Christ who is at the center, the Omega point of my life." Carey said was possible to rise above the present situation in the Anglican Communion. Paul's understanding of the power God could unlock the hidden potential in each one of us. The power that is in us can accomplish that, he said.

By David W. Virtue COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Dr. George Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury said the Episcopal Church was in peril having lost its way and needs to unite in humility to truth and an unflinching commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Addressing several hundred Episcopalians at Grace Church & St Stephens at the beginning of a three day conference on the Future of Anglicanism in North America, Carey said, "I love my Church, I love ECUSA, it has done so much good to the world, but it is in peril now because of recent decisions." While not directly mentioning the consecration of V. Gene Robinson the openly homosexual bishop of New Hampshire, Carey said the modern church has lost the doctrine of the cross, and for St. Paul the cross was pivotal and anchor of the Faith. Many want to skip the cross, putting the focus on experience, but it must not be separated from the doctrine and redemption of our Lord, said Carey. "We live in momentous times for the Anglican Communion. Never has there been a need for leaders who have an historic faith and know where God is leading us." Carey said that what the church needs today is not adulators who want to maintain the status quo, but men who are brave under attack. The former Archbishop said that from a human perspective things can only get worse, but that is not God's perspective. From His perspective things can only get better. "When a church slackens its grip on fundamental theology it is on a slippery slope that leads beyond itself to liberalism and to death. We are called to embrace a creedal and historic Christianity." "The church grows when congregations are committed to the historic faith. God is in charge of us, He is in charge of his church and his world and he is not going to forsake us. He is going to stick with us regardless of our mistakes", said the Archbishop.

19/4/04 Tony Blair personally sanctioned the controversial appointment of Jeffrey John as the next dean of St Albans - which some say is one of the most important jobs in the Church of England reports the Guardian. According to the newspaper the Prime Minister's involvement was part of a Downing Street campaign to warn Anglican leaders that a person's sexuality should not bar them from senior positions. Number 10 officials are understood to have been dismayed by recent Church infighting over homosexual clergy. However, Downing Street's decision to install the openly gay but celibate Canon of Southwark, Jeffrey John, as Dean of St Albans in Hertfordshire plunged the Church into more arguments. John's promotion, recommended by the Prime Minister's appointments secretary, William Chapman - and endorsed by Blair - will also raise questions over the extent to which politicians should decide who fills senior ecclesiastical positions. In contrast to the way bishops are chosen, Number 10 wields almost total control over the appointment of deans. Chapman is understood to have taken soundings from Church leaders but was adamant that John, seen by many as one of the most brilliant theologians of his generation, should be given a senior position. Religious groups quickly pointed the finger at the crucial role played by Downing Street over John's job. "This is Number 10 saying the way the Church treated Jeffrey John over the Reading affair was poor," said Martin Reynolds, spokesman for the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement. But the appointment, brought condemnation from traditionalist Anglicans already enraged by the ordination in America of Gene Robinson, a homosexual, as the Bishop of New Hampshire. One cleric described Dr John's appointment as "outrageous", while others predicted that it would deepen divisions that became apparent during the row over Dr John's abortive appointment as bishop last year. The Rev David Holloway, a leading member of Reform, an evangelical group, insisted that Dr John's new role would lead to schism within the Church. "This is a very serious issue for the Church of England," he said. "It is not a secondary point that Christians can decide for themselves; it is primary. This appointment and support for homosexuality generally from the leaders of the Church is basically institutional heresy and institutional decadence."

Special Report By David W. Virtue The Dean of Christ Church in Arusha, Tanzania, has written a letter to the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church Frank T. Griswold rejecting an offer of funds, citing ECUSA's stand on human sexuality and the recent Robinson consecration. The Very Rev. Jerry A. Kramer, Jr, Diocese of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the Anglican Church of Tanzania, said in his letter to Griswold that his offer to support he and his wife as Volunteers for Mission of the Episcopal Church here in Tanzania were unacceptable. The letter came unsolicited. Kramer wrote: "While we are Episcopalians in good standing in the Diocese of Texas, and very much love and respect our dear Bishop Don Wimberly, we cannot accept your offer at this time. When first arriving in Tanzania, we were told in no uncertain terms that we would be asked to leave had we come here affiliated in any way with The Episcopal Church Center. Neither can we represent the ECUSA, in conscience, having denied the truth of scripture and the Church's traditional beliefs on issues of human sexuality. We categorically reject the consecration of Gene Robinson as an act that is not of God and whose Office we will never recognize." "Our ministry here has been hampered from day one by deep suspicions directed at any one coming in the name 'Episcopalian.' We can tell you first hand that African Christians feel utterly and brutally betrayed by the Church in America. The consecration of Gene Robinson has caused enormous harm here and emboldened persecution and violence against the Christian Community." Kramer concluded saying, "our ministry here in Tanzania simply cannot be credible, nor would it be accepted, if affiliated publicly with the ECUSA. In fact it would put us at greater jeopardy than we are at present. Nor can we represent the ECUSA officially because of its sinful actions that are tearing the bonds of our Global Communion. Please keep us in your prayers and be assured of ours." A copy of the letter was sent to Texas Bishop Don Wimberly and to Charles E. Jenkins, Bishop of Louisiana. This week in Nairobi, Africa's pan Anglican bishops rejected any further funding from The Episcopal Church USA citing the recent consecration of V. Gene Robinson, an openly divorced, homosexual to the episcopacy.

By Jane Seyd jseyd@nsnews.com 5/17/2004 A conservative priest at St. Simons Anglican church in North Vancouver says both he and his congregation have quit the Anglican Church of Canada over the issue of same-sex marriage. Ed Hird, the reverend at St. Simons, is one of four conservative priests who recently wrote to Anglican Bishop Michael Ingham telling him his "services as a bishop are no longer required." St. Simons is one of a number of conservative Anglican parishes that have clashed with Ingham over his willingness to bless same-sex marriages. Hird said his church voted to cut all ties with the Diocese of New Westminster because parishioners believe blessing same-sex marriages goes against biblical scripture. Hird said Ingham's position is a "violation of basic scriptural teachings and Christian morals." "The issue to us is being faithful to Anglican teachings," he said. Hird said he and his congregation have instead arranged to come under the jurisdiction of a conservative Anglican church leader in Rwanda, Africa. Hird said St. Simons is now a "missionary" church in North Vancouver. But a representative from the Diocese of New Westminster said under church laws, parishes can't unilaterally quit the Anglican church in their own country. "Parishioners may choose to leave the Anglican Church of Canada but parishes don't," said George Cadman, chancellor of the diocese. "It remains a parish of this diocese." Cadman said it's Hird's choice to resign if he wants, but the diocese still controls the church and its property. Hird disagrees with that, and said the congregation has consulted a lawyer, who told them "we have a good case" for retaining ownership of the church independently. St. Simons isn't the only Anglican church in North Vancouver that has been embroiled in legal fights with the bishop. Earlier this year, two locally-elected church officials of St. Martin's Anglican Church launched a legal suit against Ingham over his decision to oust them last September under a rarely-used church law. That power struggle also stemmed from the same-sex marriage issue. The pair filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court, asking for a judicial review of the bishop's decision to fire them. The case is still before the courts. Meanwhile, Hird said gays and lesbians are still welcome at St. Simons. "It's not an issue of rejecting people," he said. Hird said he views homosexuality in a manner similar to the way he views alcoholism and believes people can "recover" from their sexual orientation.

19th April 2004 OXFORD, UK - As some of the leading Northern Anglican theologians gather at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford for a two day discussion on the current crisis in ECUSA, Canada and the wider church, Anglican Mainstream managed to talk to three of the leading Mainstream players in the Anglican Church: Kendall Harmon, Canon Theologian of South Carolina, Dr Paul Zahl, Dean of the Cathedral Church of the Advent, Birmingham Alabama and Dr George Sumner, Principal of Wycliffe College Toronto. Anglican Mainstream: Can you please tell us why you're here in Oxford? George Sumner: It's a gathering of theologians. Theologians have a role to play at the present moment in the church, to give a theological rationale for our Communion. We're particularly grateful to be here with someone like Chris Sugden who reminds us of the global and southern perspective and dimension of that Communion. Mainstream: Is there anything at the start of this meeting that you'd like to share with Anglicans across the whole world? Kendall Harmon: We haven't lost our Gospel hope even in a time of great crisis. God is still God no matter what. There is a sense of central confidence in the Gospel that permeates our meeting, but also a sense of the need to respond with great seriousness to the crisis we face. It's a tremendous challenge. There's also a sense of our own inadequacy which is actually a help. I was very moved by the fact that we began the day with a devotion and prayer. Mainstream: What do you hope will be the result of this meeting? Paul Zahl: First, in a state of some despair at times and "in the trenches" as many North Americans feel it is a tremendous encouragement to be with people like Alister McGrath, Chris Sugden, Oliver O'Donovan and Andrew Goddard and others who have not yet given up the fight and are really working in fellowship to affirm the Gospel in a very troubled and muddy situation. I feel strengthened by them. In a more concrete way there's a possibility that we might produce some kind of submission to the church at large, some kind of a statement that's quiet, scholarly and theological that might make an impact for good. A positive and clear statement of Gospel orthodoxy in the face of the challenges that we very much feel in our home contexts and feel to an only slightly lesser extent here at Wycliffe Hall. I agree by the way with Kendall Harmon who spoke of the devotional at the start of the day that Alister McGrath led, that assured us that the presence of the Lord was never to be questioned. He is with us in all times and places and that inevitably gives us the sense ultimately of being on the winning side as far as the Kingdom of Heaven is concerned, and that meant a great deal to me personally. Mainstream: What's the best part about having this meeting in Oxford? Kendall Harmon: Oxford is where my two youngest children were born, where I did my doctorate and I never fail to be inspired by the Spires! George Sumner: I'm taking my children home a really nice English Soccer shirt and some sharp English shoes for my daughter. Paul Zahl: The remarkable weather that totally drenched me when I arrived at the station yesterday and all my papers and all my under-things were completely and totally destroyed. I'm very glad to be home in lovely Oxford as always! Mainstream: Thanks so much for taking time out to talk to us, and our best wishes and prayers for the rest of your meeting.

BRITISH EVANGELICALS DECRY JEFFREY JOHN APPOINTMENT Jeffrey John announced as next Dean of St Albans By David Phillips Evangelical News Downing Street announced this morning (Monday 19th April 2004) the appointment of Jeffrey John as the next Dean of St. Albans. The press had leaked the appointment over the weekend. Dr John is a founder member of the group affirming catholicism. Last year his appointment was announced as the Bishop of Reading but he was then persuaded to step down because of opposition within the Diocese of Oxford and from the wider Anglican Communion. Dr John lives with his male partner although he has asserted that in recent years he has been celibate in order to live by the present policy of the House of Bishops. His partner is or has also been a parish minister in the Church of England. There is no indication that Dr John considers anything wrong with the present or past state of his relationship. The Bishop of St. Albans, Christopher Herbert, is reported as saying: "I warmly welcome this appointment. Jeffrey John has a well-deserved reputation for being a good, caring pastor. He is an intelligent, courageous priest who will follow a long line of superb Deans of St Albans and will bring to the Abbey a wide range of gifts. He is a man of prayer, a preacher and teacher of real authority and grace." The Bishop will have been actively involved in the appointment because the Dean is also Rector of the Abbey Church of which the Bishop is Patron. Previously the Bishop had appeared to sit on the fence on the issue that is tearing the Anglican Communion apart and last year called on people in the Diocese for a period of calm reflection after the appointment of Gene Robinson as 'Bishop' in New Hampshire, USA. The appointment of Jeffrey John appears to be a provocative act. Why is this a problem? The Church of England affirms the supreme authority of Holy Scripture in all matters of faith and conduct and expects it clergy to uphold the teaching of Scripture. The Church of England asserts that the Bible is the Word of God and in our Homilies, which serve to clarify and contextualise the doctrinal standard of the Church it is very simply states that the Bible is God's infallible Word. In matters of sexual conduct the Bible is very plain, there is only one proper place for sexual intercourse, namely the covenantal relationship between a man and woman. This is what marriage represents, it is part of God's creation plan, ordained from the beginning, and can be seen in some form in all human societies. This view was clearly endorsed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything outside of this, whether it be sex before marriage, homosexual sex, adultery, bestiality, or whatever, is wrong. Indeed, in various places in both the Old and New Testament God declares that such things are an abomination. In his first letter to the Corinthians the Apostle Paul writes the following: "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers-none of these will inherit the kingdom of God." Because Christians have always believed the Scriptures to be God-breathed they have always taken this statement very seriously. God does not here say that sexual sins are worse than greed, habitual drunkenness or theft. Rather, all who practice these things, and remain unrepentant in them, will not inherit the kingdom of God. There have been attempts by some to question whether the reference to sodomites in this verse really means homosexual practice. However, despite the efforts made the meaning will not change and honest interpreters and commentators have had to admit this fact. They may not agree with what is said in the verse, but they cannot deny what it says. For those who believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and this ought to include all loyal members of the Church of England, this makes the matter very plain. To practice these things and to remain unrepentant in them is to but shut out of the kingdom of God. Therefore, this is an issue of salvation as has been clearly stated by some of the churches in Africa. The heart of the Christian faith is that all people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all under God's just condemnation and are deserving of death and eternal destruction. The glorious message of the Christian gospel is that through faith in Christ and because of His sacrifice on the cross, we sinners can be saved, our sins can be reckoned to Christ and therefore through Him we can inherit eternal life. These facts are borne witness to by the doctrinal standards of the Church of England. What this means is that all, from the greatest to the least, are called to repent of their sins and believe in Christ. To continue knowingly and willingly in doing what God declares to be wrong is to reject the message of salvation. The issue in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion today is very simple. God declares in His word that certain behaviour will mean that people do not inherit His kingdom, but we have teachers and leaders who are saying that this behaviour is acceptable. Sometimes they even go so far as to say that such conduct is honouring to God. Those who teach these things and those who support and encourage them are setting themselves against God, they are deceiving people and leading them to destruction. Underneath all this lies the issue of the nature and authority of the Bible. Christians through the ages have always declared the Bible to be the Word of God and have therefore accepted its authority. This has been the teaching of Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox alike. Today in the western world the dominant religion in many churches is liberalism. By and large liberalism has had the effect of strangling to death once vibrant churches. Liberals do not believe the Bible to be God-breathed and therefore although some may have an attachment to the norms of the institutional church, or to beliefs and practices of Christians in the past, at heart they believe that they have the authority to decide which parts of the Bible are relevant for today and which simply serve to show how people in the past understood God and their faith. Liberalism is in effect idolatry since the individual becomes the one who determines what God is like and what He expects of people today. David Phillips General Secretary, Church Society General Synod Representative for St. Alban's Diocese

OHIO: Episcopal bishop installed David Briggs Plain Dealer Religion Reporter 4/18/2004 Hundreds of voices sang in hushed reverence Saturday, asking for the coming of the Holy Spirit, as the Venerable Mark Hollingsworth Jr. prepared to be consecrated as the 11th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. Those in attendance declared earlier in one voice that it was their will to ordain the former archdeacon from Massachusetts, who now was being surrounded by 30 bishops for the ancient ritual of the laying on of hands. Applause broke out after Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church; Barbara Harris, the first female bishop; and the other prelates together asked God to make Hollingsworth a leader in the church. Then for a few shining moments, with his wife and four children gathered around him, Hollingsworth, 50, broke out in a broad smile and basked in the adulation pouring toward him throughout the Cleveland State University Convocation Center. Now comes the hard part. The diocese that he takes over has shrunk rapidly from 74,000 baptized members in 118 northern Ohio parishes in 1966 to 32,000 baptized members in 2002. Of those, only 24,000 are communicants, or more active members in the diocese's 103 parishes. And Northeast Ohio is a flashpoint in the turmoil over the national church's decision to ordain Robinson and to acknowledge the blessing of same-sex unions. Last month, five diocesan churches that uphold traditional teachings on sexuality brought in conservative bishops for a confirmation service in a borrowed church. Last week, the five churches announced they have their own conservative bishop and asked Hollingsworth, a strong supporter of Robinson, to stay out of their parishes. But Saturday's consecration was not disrupted by any protest. Many Episcopalians think they have the right guy in Hollingsworth, who is used to deflecting shots as a goalie in adult hockey leagues. He endeared himself to churchgoers even before his election with his admission that he has already overcome one tough opponent - alcohol addiction. "Sobriety saved my life," he said in a recent interview. The strength he was given to battle alcoholism two decades ago as a young priest is a gift Hollingsworth said he hopes to offer back to others in the church. With the church growing grayer as well as smaller, many also see in Hollingsworth, a father of children ages 4 to 13, the chance for greater outreach to youth. "He's going to bring some youth and an appeal to younger people," Marjorie McDougle, 45, senior warden of St. Timothy Church in Macedonia, said after the service. Certainly, for one lovely spring morning in a once-in-a-decade changing of the spiritual guard, there was a spirit of celebration. The audience was energized by the procession of bishops and clergy in colorful robes as well as by the Trinity Chamber Orchestra and a 240-voice choir that presented a beautiful array of liturgical music from black spirituals to classical and folk offerings. At one point, Bishop J. Clark Grew II, retiring as bishop of Ohio after a decade, danced and encouraged people around him to sing. Amid the pageantry, Hollingsworth added personal touches. He selected a layperson, Massachusetts state legislator Byron Rushing, to give the sermon. At one point, Rushing asked Hollingsworth to turn 360 degrees, reminding the new bishop and his flock, "You are in this together." And, after he was made a bishop, Hollingsworth gathered children around him, assuring them the church is not complete without their presence. "In Jesus' love of us and in our love of Jesus, we're all tied together . . . people we agree with, people we don't agree with," he told the children. Afterward, when he was asked if the Holy Spirit was present, a jubilant Hollingsworth pumped his fists in the air and said, "Absolutely. Absolutely." But the new bishop is being thrust immediately into the episcopal fire. One of Hollingsworth's first decisions will be whether to go ahead in the next month with long-planned pastoral visits to three of the five churches that have asked him to stay away - St. Barnabas in Bay Village and the Church of Holy Spirit and St. Luke's, both in Akron. "Bishop Hollingsworth faces an uphill battle to avert the crisis and curb the mounting membership and money losses in the diocese," the Rev. R. James Tasker of St. Barnabas said in a written statement. Tasker was not in attendance Saturday. "It will take nothing less than a return to biblical faith to restore trust and any sense of normalcy." In earlier interviews, Hollingsworth said he would like to meet with leaders of the five churches. He said he is willing to go as far as he can to meet the needs of conservative parishes while preserving unity in the diocese. It's not the easiest assignment for any new bishop, Hollingsworth acknowledged. But he said it is the right one for him. "While I regularly have self-doubt and insecurities, I haven't for once doubted this is a faithful thing to do," he said. "It's not self-confidence that draws us deeper into faithfulness. It's God-confidence. "I have confidence in God that the people of the Diocese of Ohio and I can make a worthy thing together of our companionship in Christ." The Rev. Nancy Roosevelt of Christ Church in Shaker Heights, a longtime friend, said Hollingsworth is "the man for the hour." She has several friends in alcohol recovery, and like many of them, she said, Hollingsworth is an open, honest person. He will work hard to find common ground in the diocese, she said. When she has helped churches choose new clergy, Roosevelt encouraged members to ask themselves, "Who would you want to die with?" The 11th bishop of Ohio is one of those persons, she said. "I would trust Mark with my soul," she said. "Mark would be someone I'd want to die with."

Church fire ruled arson Blaze destroys sanctuary; no suspects named By Gerald Ensley DEMOCRAT SENIOR WRITER A fire that destroyed a recently controversial Tallahassee church early Friday has been ruled arson, after investigators found evidence of burglary and vandalism. Though police had no suspects Friday, current and former church officials said they don't think the fire was related to their recent dispute. The Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit on Kerry Forest Parkway had its 6,000-square-foot sanctuary building destroyed by the fire, which was discovered shortly before 2 a.m. Friday. An adjacent administration building suffered smoke and water damage but was otherwise unharmed. The church was founded 20 years ago and is one of eight Episcopal churches in Tallahassee. In February, its Rev. Dennis Ackerson resigned in a dispute over the direction of the Episcopal Church and its recent ordination of an openly gay bishop. Two-thirds of the 150-member congregation joined Ackerson in leaving Holy Spirit to start a new church. But neither Ackerson nor Sterling Henderson, who along with her husband, Michael, serves as priest-in-charge of Holy Spirit, was willing to think Friday that any of their members were involved in the fire. Both pastors said the church division was over theological issues and produced no personal animosity among members. Both pastors were on the scene in the pre-dawn hours Friday while firefighters worked to put out the blaze. Numerous current and former members of the church stopped by throughout the day. "None of us are bitter or harbor any ill feelings toward the Church of the Holy Spirit; we all have wonderful memories of the church," said Ackerson, who spent more than three years as pastor. "I would be very surprised if anyone who left the church started the fire." Sterling Henderson agreed. "Certainly, there was sadness by those who left, just as when a family no longer lives together," Henderson said. "But there was no rancor, no anger, no good-guy/bad-guy thing. I don't know of any political issues that would have driven someone to do this. If someone's angry, they're angry at God." The blaze was reported at 1:53 a.m. by a resident of the nearby St. Ives Lane subdivision. Six units of the Tallahassee Fire Department, with 20 firefighters, had the blaze extinguished by 2:55 a.m. By 8 a.m., the fire scene was being combed by investigators - including agents from the FBI and federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, state fire marshal, TFD and Leon County Sheriff's Office. The interagency investigation is a requirement of the National Church Arson Task Force, established in 1996. By early afternoon Friday, investigators had not determined the cause of the fire, and the investigation is expected to take several days. But they had found evidence of burglary and "criminal mischief," or vandalism, in excess of $200 damage. Both charges are felonies, and any fire that occurs during a felony - whether intentional or accidental - brings a felony charge of arson. Lt. Linda Butler, spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office, said no suspects have been identified and no items appeared to be stolen from the church. But she would not release the details of the vandalism. "When we find people we think may be involved, those will be details we'll be able to ask them about that only they would know," Butler said. Butler said the estimated damage to the church was $750,000, not including furnishings, which included 14 stained glass windows, an altar, pulpit and numerous crosses made by church members. Paul Van Brunt, spokesman for Florida Diocese of the Episcopal Church, said the church is fully insured through the diocese. The Church of the Holy Spirit planned to hold a special service in the parking lot Friday evening, then gather there Sunday for its regular service. Henderson said the church spent nearly a decade in temporary locations, ranging from storefronts to the Bradfordville Hunt Club (itself destroyed by fire in 2002), before moving into the Kerry Forest church in 1992. The church, which now has about 50 members, may rent a temporary location until the is rebuilt. "The roots of this church are gypsy; we'll tent worship if we have to," Sterling Henderson said. "But we'll rebuild here without a doubt." Ackerson said he and the members who left the church in February were spurred by what they felt was the Episcopal Church's departure from adherence to Biblical scriptures, a trend they felt was underlined by the the church's acceptance of same-sex marriages and the ordination of a gay pastor, the Rev. V.G. Robinson, as bishop of New Hampshire. Ackerson congregation now worships in the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Capital Circle Northeast and is considering affiliation with an Anglican church. "Most of us (in his congregation) are sad today," Ackerson said. "We still have friends at Holy Spirit, and we'll be at their service (Friday) to support them." Though members of Holy Spirit also were saddened by Friday's fire, they predicted it would make them stronger. "I think this is going to rev things up," said Judy Welch, one of the church's founding members. "All the other (local Episcopal) churches have been supporting us (since February) to make sure we have what we need to rebuild. "But as things happen in a tragedy, this will bring more cohesion and support."

"True Love Waits" Lowers Teen Birth Rate Ethics & Religion by Michael J. McManus Ten years ago Southern Baptist churches began asking their teenagers to sign a "True Love Waits" pledge of chastity. This was derided by groups like Planned Parenthood who argued that it was unrealistic to expect teenagers to remain chaste till marriage. Planned Parenthood's answer is comprehensive sex education which assumed teens would be sexually active, and urged them to have "safe sex" with condoms. It did not work. In 1970, only 29 percent of females aged 15-19 had premarital sex. By 1991, the figure shot up to 54 percent. The greatest increase was among the youngest teens. In 1970, less than 5 percent of 15-year-olds had experienced sex. That soared five-fold to 26 percent by 1988. The consequences have been devastating. There were only 59,000 births to unmarried teens in 1950 which skyrocketed ten-fold to 522,000 by 1990. And that is in spite of 364,000 abortions to teenagers in 1990, which were virtually zero before 1970. When teaching contraception increased teen pregnancy, sex educators got birth control clinics opened nearby, then moved into the schools, finally simply handed out condoms. All of this with federal funding. The emotional impact of premature sex has been devastating. Teen rates of depression have soared and teen suicides quadrupled from 2.7 per 100,000 in 1955 to 11.1 in 1995. Amidst this moral chaos, Southern Baptists lit a candle of hope, that teenagers might be persuaded to remain chaste. Specifically, Baptist youth groups were urged to sign a "True Love Waits" pledge card that states: "Believing that (ital) true love waits, (close ital) I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, those I date, my future mate, and my future children to be sexually pure until the day I enter a covenant marriage relationship." In 1994 I remember seeing a sea of 211,643 pledge cards displayed in neat rows of plastic holders over acres between the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. Ten years later, a total of 2.5 million teens have pledged "True Love Waits." What has been the impact of this inspiring commitment of young people to moral lives? First, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the percentage of sexually active high schoolers has fallen from 54 percent to 46 percent. And the greatest drop has been among boys! Second, teen birth rates have fallen 31 percent. Chastity is the only real form of "safe sex." Third, teen suicides have fallen 13.5 percent. Fourth, True Love Waits launched an abstinence revolution, moving Congress to appropriate funds for sex education programs that not only make a case for chastity, but teach skills to teenagers on how to resist the lines of the MTV culture: "You would, if you loved me" can be countered, "If you loved me, you would not ask." Unquestionably, the declines in teen sexuality are partly due to providing $144 million to promote abstinence. For example, there is now an Abstinence Clearinghouse that provided many of the statistics you are seeing in this column (abstinence.org) Yet federal and state governments still spend $1.73 billion to promote contraception. "Overall, government spent $12 to promote condoms and comprehensive sex-ed for every dollar to encourage abstinence," reports Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation. These priorities are upside down, according to parents. A Zogby poll found that 85 percent of parents said the emphasis placed on abstinence for teens should be equal to, or greater than the emphasis on contraception. What can be done? First, more parents need to attend School Board meetings to demand that abstinence education replace comprehensive sex ed. Second, citizens ought to swing behind the President's attempt to nearly double federal funds for abstinence which are a part of the welfare reform bill that died on the Senate floor two weeks ago, thanks to Democratic opposition. This is the same bill which provides the first major funding for marriage education. The bill will surface again in June. Write Democratic Senators. Or better, send teenage pledgers to meet their Senators! Most important, religious youth group in other denominations should go to truelovewaits.com to order pledge cards, father-daughter rings and other material to promote God's plan of chastity. Southern Baptists are organizing an international display of commitment cards on August 22 at the Olympics. Two hundred thousand have already been collected in South Africa. Will your teenagers or those from your church have their pledges displayed in Athens? That is up to you! END TXT. Copyright 2004 Michael J. McManus

African Archbishops reject US cash in gay clergy row By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent THE TELEGRAPH 4/17/2004 African archbishops representing more than half the worldwide Anglican Church are to refuse millions of pounds a year from their US counterparts in protest at its first openly gay bishop. Archbishop Akinola said the church's leaders should be disciplined for allowing a gay bishop to be consecrated. The conservative archbishops, who opposed the consecration of Canon Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in November, said that they would not sacrifice their faith and conscience on the altar of money. Their action will be seen as another step towards schism over the issue of homosexuality. Many of them are disillusioned with the efforts of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams to keep the worldwide Church together, and they are making preparations for a rival Church with an alternative leader. The most likely candidate, the Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, said the liberal leadership of the American Episcopal Church must be disciplined for supporting the consecration. The archbishop, the chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), said that the Episcopal Church leadership had three months in which to "repent" or the CAPA bishops, representing about 40 million Anglicans, would feel free to take action.

ANGLICAN JOURNAL April 18, 2004 Delegates to the meeting of General Synod will have a slate of four candidates to choose from for their next primate. The 40 bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada, meeting in Regina for their regular, twice-yearly meeting, nominated five candidates for the primatial election, but one bishop declined the nomination. The candidates are: • Bishop Ronald Ferris, 55, of the diocese of Algoma. Before becoming the ninth bishop of the northern Ontario diocese of Algoma in 1995, he served as bishop of the diocese of Yukon from 1981 to 1995. His area of expertise is episcopacy and transition into episcopacy, with course work in Anglican theology, contextual theology, and the church and law. • Bishop Andrew Hutchison, 65, of the diocese of Montreal. Described by his peers as "an astute and experienced spokesman for the church in the political arena," he was consecrated as a bishop in 1990. He is an outspoken advocate for minorities, refugees, and human rights in church and state. • Bishop Caleb Lawrence, 59, of the diocese of Moosonee. He heads the diocese which covers the second largest land area (next to the diocese of the Arctic), and where about half of the parishioners are indigenous Canadians, mainly of the Cree nation. A strong advocate for the rights of aboriginal Anglican clergy, he was consecrated as bishop in 1980. • Bishop Victoria Matthews, 49, of the diocese of Edmonton. Elected the first female bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada in 1993, she is the country's only female diocesan bishop. After serving as suffragan (assistant) bishop of Credit Valley, diocese of Toronto, she became bishop of the diocese of Edmonton in 1997. From 2003 to early 2004, she chaired the house of bishops' task force that examined alternative episcopal oversight for clergy and parishioners who strongly object to church decisions. If elected, Bishop Matthews would be the first woman primate in the Anglican Communion, a federation of 38 provinces around the world. Also nominated as a candidate was Bishop Fred Hiltz, diocesan bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Bishop Hiltz declined the nomination, with the consent of the house of bishops (by church law, the house may compel a candidate to stand in a primatial election). The 310 delegates to the triennial meeting of General Synod will elect the primate, or leader of the denomination, on Monday, May 31 at Brock University, in St. Catharines, Ont. General Synod meets from May 28 to June 4.