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Conservative Episcopalians protest 'wedding' By Julia Duin THE WASHINGTON TIMES May 22, 2004 A conservative Episcopal group will protest a same-sex "wedding" taking place today on church property in the rural community of Leonardtown in St. Mary's County, Maryland. The ceremony involving two lesbians is so controversial among the members of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church that it was moved out of the sanctuary and into the parish hall. The church's pastor, the Rev. Paula Halliday, decided to not participate. The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is supplying a cleric to conduct the same-sex ceremony, which is drawing an estimated 160 guests. The Washington chapter of the American Anglican Council (AAC), a conservative Episcopal group, has released a statement about the afternoon ceremony. "There exists no scriptural foundation for such a blessing and a legislative vote at the General Convention can never replace the authority of Scripture to make something blessed in the eyes of God," says an open letter from the AAC to Washington Bishop John B. Chane. "Christian marriage is a life-long, monogamous union between a man and a woman." St. Andrews officials refused to comment on the matter and would not release the names of the two women in the ceremony. The controversy has appeared in one article in a local newspaper in this rural community eight miles from the naval air station at Patuxent River. The Chesapeake Bay peninsula community, which has 18,000 military employees at the station, is considered to be more conservative than the metropolitan Washington area. "This is against the grain of Southern Maryland," said Wes Courtney, one of a group of Episcopalians from Christ Church in Accokeek who will drive to Leonardtown to monitor the ceremony. "People are very up in arms about this," he said, as this is the first known same-sex ceremony in any of the region's many historic Episcopal churches. Diocesan spokesman Jim Naughton pointed out that church-sanctioned same-sex blessings have been taking place in the diocese since the late 1970s, and that an official diocesan liturgical rite for such ceremonies should be ready by June. Mrs. Halliday wrote the congregation, which draws between 100 and 110 people on Sundays, in a March letter that she was planning to conduct the ceremony, Mr. Naughton said. "She got 53 responses," he added, "saying it was a great idea and [they were] supporting it." A group of 13 parishioners then drafted a dissenting "open letter to the vestry," which is the governing body of an Episcopal parish. "We feel that the rector's actions run contrary to both Scripture and to specifically articulate thoughts from the Bishop [Chane]... that such ceremonies would not take place in a vacuum; that is, without meaningful consultation with the vestry and with the congregation. That has not happened," the letter said. One parishioner who signed the letter and who asked to remain anonymous, said parishioners thought Bishop Chane would stick to a statement he made in an Oct. 15 letter to the AAC, in which he indicated any blessing ceremony should be a joint decision of the rector (pastor), vestry and congregation. "Now he is saying, 'That is not my position.' We have got a very clear difference in communication," the parishioner said. "That is causing a huge conflict down here. "Everyone in the parish is not united on this subject. Quite a few people oppose this," the parishioner added. The St. Andrew's vestry met Tuesday night to discuss the matter and decided to move the ceremony from the 18th-century church building into a nearby parish hall. The vestry voted unanimously, with one abstention, to approve the compromise, Mr. Naughton said. "It seems this parish went out of its way to accommodate differing views," he said. Mr. Naughton added that Mrs. Halliday will not attend the ceremony because of stress from the recent suspension of her husband, the Rev. Christopher Halliday, from ministry at St. George's Episcopal Church in nearby Valley Lee, Md. The diocese has forbidden Mr. Halliday from performing any priestly duties for the next three years "after he admitted to conducting an adulterous relationship with a woman outside the country," according to the diocese. "As clergy, we are given a sacred trust," Bishop Chane said in a statement. "When we cross that line, it's a very serious business. It does great damage to those of us in [the priesthood] and to the congregations." Copyright © 2004 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Same-sex motion invalid says legal report Motion's "intended effect" is to alter Anglican Church's constitution From: ESSENTIALS CANADA May 21, 2004 TORONTO, CANADA – A highly-respected Canadian law firm says that the Anglican Church's motion on the blessing of same-sex unions, to be debated at next week's triennial General Synod, amounts to an effort to change the church's constitution. The report concludes that the church's national governing body – not individual dioceses – must deal with the issue itself through a change in its constitution "through the proper process." Authored by a senior partner at Fasken Martineau, the report says that the motion is "an attempt to change the constitutional structure [of the church] by increasing the authority of the dioceses over an issue which relates to marriage, doctrine and liturgy." The report calls into question the validity of the controversial motion, which "affirms" that individual dioceses have the power to create marriage-like blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. "It is clear that it is not correct to say that 'any diocesan synod' has the 'authority and jurisdiction' to authorize the blessing of same sex unions," the report says. The report adds that General Synod has the ability to decide the question on its own, as it did when it decided not to create a similar marriage-like blessing ceremony for non-married heterosexual couples in 2001. Anglican Essentials, Canada's largest orthodox Anglican group, says the report should be considered in the upcoming debate, but they would rather see a discussion centre around the spiritual and doctrinal, not legal, issues. The worldwide Anglican Communion has been in turmoil since June 2002, when the governing body of the Vancouver-based Diocese of New Westminster voted by a 62-per-cent majority to become the first in the world to develop a blessing ceremony for same-sex unions. In August 2003, the U.S. branch of the church narrowly approved the ordination of an openly gay man as Bishop. Both decisions repudiated a 1998 resolution of all 700 bishops in the communion, who voted by a nine-to-one majority against same-sex blessing or ordinations of non-celibate homosexuals. In October 2003, the world's 38 Anglican national leaders said the decision in New Westminster was contributing to a "tear the fabric of our communion at its deepest level." The Canadian and U.S. churches jointly represent about 4 percent of the worldwide communion. END The full report can be downloaded at http://www.forsuchatime.ca/downloads.html Contact: Chris Hawley, (604) 729-7557 media@anglicanessentials.org For more information, browse to http://www.forsuchatime.ca/media.html Summary of the report: This memorandum will consider whether the two motions to be considered by General Synod in relation to same-sex blessings are within the authority of General Synod. Summary Our principal concern is with that part of Motion A in which General Synod is asked to resolve that it: "Affirm the authority and jurisdiction of any diocesan synod, with the concurrence of its bishop, to authorize the blessing of committed same sex unions." There are five grounds on which this can be said to be inconsistent with the canons and constitutions of the Anglican Church of Canada: It is inconsistent with the division of authority over services and ceremonies to affirm that jurisdiction lies at the diocesan level. The authority for general books of services lies with General Synod and the national House of Bishops. Authority with respect to additional services and ceremonies is a matter for the ecclesiastical provinces, not the dioceses. General Synod cannot "affirm" something which is inconsistent with the constitutions and canons. It is clear that no diocesan synod has the "authority and jurisdiction" to authorize the blessing of same sex unions. While we have not reviewed the constitutions and canons of all dioceses, those we have seen do not confer any jurisdiction or authority whatsoever on diocesan synods with respect to the authorization of new services. To take the Diocese of New Westminster as an example, the debate has been whether the Bishop has the authority to authorize such services. Even if the diocesan bishops have such jurisdiction (which we do not believe to be the case), the only role for a diocesan synod is one of advice and recommendation, not one of authority and jurisdiction. Matters of doctrine are within the jurisdiction of the national church, specifically General Synod, not the diocesan synods or bishops. The theological question as to whether the issue of same sex blessings is a matter of doctrine is beyond the scope of this memorandum. However, we note that there is an internal contradiction in Motion A in that it recognizes the doctrinal concerns but nonetheless purports to affirm diocesan jurisdiction with respect to same sex blessings. Further, we think the obligation on the Anglican Church of Canada, under its own constitution, to maintain communion with the Anglican Church throughout the world carries with it an obligation to respect the treatment of this issue by the Lambeth Conference and the Primates. The motion is inconsistent with the jurisdiction of General Synod over marriage and specifically with the Marriage Canon and the marriage service. The last General Synod considered that it was within its jurisdiction to deal with the issue of whether the Church should make provision for the blessing of the committed unions of opposite sex unmarried couples. If General Synod has jurisdiction with respect to blessings for opposite sex unions, then it equally has jurisdiction with respect to same sex unions. Looking at it more broadly, the motion is in effect an attempt to change the constitutional structure of the church by increasing the authority of the dioceses over an issue which relates to marriage, doctrine and liturgy and decreasing the authority of the national church. Such a change should only be made through the proper process for constitutional amendment. A motion in the proposed form is an inappropriate and unauthorized method for a transfer of jurisdiction. END

Health Cited Dear Friends, Grace and peace to you in Jesus Christ our Lord. Earlier this week I was diagnosed with breast cancer. This morning I saw the surgeon who expects to operate within the next two weeks. The cancer is in both breasts. Chemotherapy and probably radiation will follow. I have been told I should expect to be on medical disability leave for up to one year. Immediate implications include requesting permission to withdraw as a nominee for Primate and withdrawing my name as a nominee for the office of the Bishop of Toronto. I am meeting with the Chancellor, the Dean and Archdeacons in the next two days to discuss postponing our Diocesan Synod until May, 2005. I anticipate Greg Kerr-Wilson, John Privett and Kathy Bowman will share the position of Commissary so that no one has that ministry for too long a period. I am speaking with retired bishops about the June ordinations. I'll also see if provision can be made for some confirmations. Please be assured that while this medical news was a surprise, I am at peace with what must be done. The love of God is everlasting and I am strong in my faith in Jesus Christ, the great physician, and the healing power of the Holy Spirit. Of course I ask and welcome your prayers, and I'll make sure you are informed, on a timely basis, about my progress. There is the expectation of a full recovery. As far as I'm concerned I have lots more ministry ahead of me. In closing let me say I love you all and thank you from the depths of my heart for your vibrant and caring ministry. Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Love and prayers, +Victoria

News Analysis By David W. Virtue Orthodox parish priests caught in the tension of dealing with their revisionist bishops' refusal to allow Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight do not have to accept that lying down. Bishops who make demands that these faithful priests must accept a visitation from an unbelieving bishop, pay their dues, or else, should follow this simple procedure. THE BASIC STEPS SET FORTH IN THE DEPO PLAN: First, in the spirit of openness, the rector and vestry, or the canonically designated lay leadership seeking a compatible bishop shall meet with the bishop to seek reconciliation. Secondly, if reconciliation does not occur, then the rector and two-thirds of the vestry, or in the absence of a rector, two-thirds of the canonically designated lay leadership, after fully engaging the congregation, may appeal to the bishop who is president or vice-president of the ECUSA province in which the congregation is geographically located, for help in seeking a resolution. Those making such an appeal must inform the other party of their decision to appeal. Thirdly, when such an appeal has been made, the provincial bishop may request two other bishops, representative of the divergent views in this church, to join with the provincial bishop to review the situation, to consider an agreement for a plan, with the purpose of reconciliation. The plan shall include expectations of all parties, especially mutual accountability. The plan shall be for a stated period of time with regular reviews. The provincial bishop shall periodically inform the Presiding Bishop, the Presiding Bishop's Council of Advice, and the House of Bishops at its regular meetings of the progress and results of this process. The local bishop can still resist; but even if he agrees to alternate episcopal ministry acceptable to the parish, it will be time-limited and subject to regular review. While DEPO is deeply flawed - it requires a parish to go to their bishop who is oppressing them to seek relief - it does afford the parish multiple delay tactics and time that can work in the parish's favor. You can make the bishop jump through as many hoops as you have had to jump through. It also does not mean that the revisionist bishop's good will is worth anything. It doesn't. But that's not the point. DEPO doesn't deal, for example, with ultra-liberal bishops who refuse to ordain orthodox priests or allow a faithful parish to choose its own rector, but as an emergency measure till the Lambeth Commission has finished its report, DEPO, if followed to the letter of the ecclesiastical law can fend off revisionist bishops from pushing their way into a parish without that parish's consent. The bottom line is this: appeal your case and take a good lawyer along with you. Nothing scares even the most revisionist bishops than the sight of a lawyer who both knows the canons and is a good trial lawyer in the civil courts. You may also find out that he knows more than the bishop about the Canons and Constitutions of ECUSA and delay usually works in favor of the priest and his parish.

By Malcolm A. Kline May 03, 2004 One of the last old-school holdouts in the increasingly politically correct world of higher education is succumbing to this academic trend, leaving alumni of Sewanee, the University of the South, glad that they have graduated. Actually, the school itself may be leaving the South, at least in name. When the school hired a Chicago-based marketing firm to determine why it had dropped in U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings of American colleges and universities, the company recommended a name change. Lipman Hearne, Inc., concluded that the school was dropping on the list because, in their words, "the South can often raise negative associations before it sparks positive ones." Their research led them to this analysis, despite every population shift in the United States over the past quarter century moving below the Mason-Dixon line. Sewanee, in Tennessee, is owned by the Southern Diocese of the Episcopal Church. The children of many Episcopal priests and bishops have attended Sewanee, and novelist William Faulkner's personal papers are stored there. Lipman Hearne also concluded that the woman to take a fresh look at Sewanee's curricula and customs was Smith College president Mary Maples Dunn. Many at Sewanee wish that they had never laid eyes on her or she on them and their curricula. "In 20 years you won't know the place," Dunn stated to Sewanee's Board of Trustees in 1998. She outlined for them exactly what she had in mind. "There are, as yet, few courses here in gender studies or human sexuality; the words gay and lesbian don't appear," Dunn pointed out to the Board. "There is no major or minor in women's studies, or in African American Studies, there is relatively little non-western material, but I would argue that these are all on the way, and that Sewanee is on the verge of considerable change in the curriculum." If you go to Sewanee's website, you will find that the university now has a Women's Studies Department with course offerings such as "Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies." This course provides "a survey of the history, politics, culture, psychology, biology, and literature of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people." And Sewanee did change its name from "Sewanee, the University of the South" to "Sewanee: The University of the South." Malcolm A. Kline is the executive director of Accuracy in Academia.

The Rev. Dr. Ronald Moore Southern Anglican Substack Jan 26, 2026 One of the most difficult tasks entrusted to the Church is not preaching mercy, nor proclaiming hope, nor comforting the afflicted. It is the duty to judge. Not to condemn — for condemnation belongs to God alone — but to discern truth from error, faith from distortion, obedience from rebellion. Without this capacity, the Church ceases to be a teacher and becomes merely a commentator. She may still inspire, still console, still encourage — but she no longer governs, and therefore no longer guards. In every age, the Church has been forced to name falsehood when it clothed itself in Christian language. Sometimes that falsehood appeared as doctrinal deviation, sometimes as moral corruption, sometimes as political idolatry. In each case, judgment was not an act of pride but of fidelity: a refusal to allow Christ to be remade in the image of the age. Recently, strong language has again been used to describe the sacralization of war and nationalism — rightly so. When rulers invoke God to bless conquest, when soldiers are told they die as martyrs for the nation, when the Kingdom of Christ is confused with the ambitions of the state, the Church must speak. Such theology is not merely mistaken; it is a perversion of the Gospel. And yet beneath the louder controversy lies a quieter, more unsettling question. Not simply what is heresy. But who may rightly name it. For “heresy” is not a casual word. It is not a rhetorical flourish. It is the gravest judgment the Church can pronounce short of separation from communion. To name heresy is to claim not only theological clarity, but moral authority and pastoral credibility. And here the modern Church stands on uncertain ground. Judgment Begins at Home Scripture is unambiguous: “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17). The right to correct the world is never granted to a Church that has refused to correct herself. From the beginning, the Fathers understood that discipline within the Church was not optional but essential to her witness. Cyprian of Carthage, writing in the third century amid schism and persecution, insisted that unity and discipline were the very marks of the true Church. “He cannot have God for his Father,” he famously wrote, “who has not the Church for his mother.” But this mother, Cyprian knew, must also correct her children. Augustine, confronting both Donatists and imperial pressure, warned that judgment exercised without integrity collapses into hypocrisy. “The Church,” he wrote, “is a threshing floor,” in which wheat and chaff remain mixed — but this did not absolve the bishops of their duty to separate truth from error when doctrine itself was threatened. And Chrysostom, whose pastoral courage cost him exile and ultimately his life, warned his fellow bishops that authority without discipline invites divine judgment: “The road to hell is paved with the skulls of erring pastors,” not because they taught falsely, but because they refused to correct when correction was demanded. The Fathers did not imagine a Church that preserved unity by silence. They imagined a Church that preserved unity by truth. The Modern Collapse of Discipline Over the last generation, much of Western Christianity — and Anglicanism in particular — has steadily abandoned the practice of doctrinal and moral discipline. Errors long recognized by the Church catholic have been tolerated, then normalized, then institutionalized. Episcopal authority has been exercised selectively, cautiously, or not at all. Unity has been preserved not by confession but by avoidance. Questions once settled by Scripture and tradition have been reopened not through councils but through committees. Moral teaching has been reclassified as pastoral preference. Public defiance has been met not with correction but with dialogue. The very word “discipline” has come to sound uncharitable. The result is not mercy. It is confusion. And confusion, left ungoverned, becomes fracture. More damaging still is the quiet erosion of credibility. When bishops decline to correct open rebellion within their own communion, when synods hesitate to define the faith they profess, when shepherds fear the flock more than they fear God, the Church forfeits something essential: the moral standing to judge error elsewhere. This does not mean that later judgments become false. It means they become weaker. The charge may be accurate, yet its authority diminished. The Political Temptation of Heresy Language There is a further danger in our present moment. When heresy is named primarily in geopolitical contexts — when it appears most readily against foreign powers, hostile regimes, or ideological enemies — theological language subtly becomes political language. The Church begins to condemn most vigorously not the errors that fracture her own body, but the errors that align with external conflicts. In such a climate, “heresy” risks becoming not a doctrinal category but a strategic one. This, too, is not new. In every age, the Church has been tempted to tolerate corruption at home while denouncing error abroad. Augustine warned repeatedly that the credibility of the Church’s witness depends not upon rhetorical force, but upon visible fidelity. “Remove justice,” he wrote, “and what are kingdoms but great robber bands?” The same logic applies to the Church: remove discipline, and what are judgments but empty words? When heresy is named most confidently against political enemies but rarely against ecclesial rebellion, the world quickly learns that theology has become selective. And selective judgment soon ceases to persuade. Authority Is Not Office Alone True ecclesial judgment rests on three pillars. First, doctrinal clarity. The Church must know what she teaches, and why. Her judgments must arise from Scripture rightly interpreted within the tradition, not from sentiment or pressure. Second, moral integrity. Those who judge must themselves live under judgment. Gregory the Great warned that the bishop who corrects others without correcting himself “builds with one hand and tears down with the other.” Third, pastoral courage. The Church must be willing to correct even when correction is costly — when it threatens unity, reputation, or institutional survival. Athanasius did not preserve the faith by diplomacy. He preserved it by endurance. Where any of these fail, judgment becomes fragile. This is why the language of heresy was always used sparingly in the tradition. The Church did not scatter it in interviews or deploy it casually in controversies. She reserved it for councils, confessions, and solemn acts of discipline. It was not a weapon of persuasion. It was a final remedy when teaching itself endangered salvation. The Deeper Crisis The present controversy reveals a deeper crisis than nationalism in the East or decadence in the West. It reveals a Church uncertain of her own authority. We live in an age in which bishops hesitate to judge their own clergy, synods hesitate to correct their own provinces, and communions hesitate to define their own faith — and yet expect to speak with clarity to the nations. This inversion cannot endure. Either the Church recovers the discipline to govern herself, or she will slowly lose the right to govern anything at all. For the authority to judge the world is not granted by office alone. It is granted by obedience. The Fathers understood this instinctively. Councils spoke with authority not because they were clever, but because they were faithful. Their judgments carried weight because they themselves bore discipline. Their anathemas were feared because their bishops were holy. When discipline vanishes, judgment becomes noise. A Final Word The use of faith to sanctify violence is indeed a blasphemy. The confusion of nation and Kingdom is indeed a grave error. The distortion of martyrdom into nationalism is indeed a perversion of Christ. These things must be named. But the Church must also remember: The sharpness of her judgments will never compensate for the silence of her discipline. If we wish to speak credibly against heresy in the world, we must first recover the courage to confront it in the Church. Only then will our words carry the weight they deserve.

By Chuck Colson May 17, 2004 Today marks the beginning of legal same-sex "marriages" in America. It begins in Massachusetts: the result of the state Supreme Court's ruling in the Goodridge case which said, "barring an individual from the protections, benefits, and obligations of civil marriage solely because that person would marry a person of the same sex violates the Massachusetts Constitution." Once again, courts are out of control. What is happening in Massachusetts today threatens to redefine and, ultimately, permanently damage our society's most basic institution. That being so, you would expect a huge public outcry. Unfortunately and surprisingly, that isn't happening. Congress is seeing little evidence of public outrage--not enough calls and letters to force them to act. It amazes me since it's clear that the impact of same-sex "marriage" won't be limited to same-sex couples. Stanley Kurtz of the Hoover Institution has written that widespread acceptance of same-sex "marriage" will widen the already existing gap between parenthood and marriage and continue to break down the family. Countries, like Norway, that adopted same-sex "marriage" saw their rates of cohabitation and out-of-wedlock births shoot up. There's no reason to suppose that won't happen here. Given what's at stake, I believe that Christians need to make stopping the spread of same-sex "marriage" their number-one cultural priority. And we have got to let Capitol Hill know that we support the Federal Marriage Amendment (FMA). The FMA provides that "marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman." It also provides that nothing in the United States or any state constitution shall be construed to require states to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Legal scholars tell us that this is the only way to keep other courts from following the Massachusetts Court's lead. While activist judges can interpret statutes the way they want to, they cannot ignore straightforward language like the FMA. This is the one way we rein in activists judges and force them to conform to the will of the people. But the time to act is now, during an election year. The entire House and one-third of the Senate are up for re-election in November. These members know that a vote against FMA can be politically damaging. So we have to push for a vote this year, not next year when the political consequences will be less grave. There's another reason to act now. The more marriage licenses granted to same-sex couples in Massachusetts, the more people get used to the idea of same-sex "marriage." We begin to lose our outrage; we begin to lose our sense of perspective. If we are going to preserve traditional marriage, we must act quickly. The Senate has announced a vote on FMA for June. House leaders have promised action this summer. Call us here at BreakPoint please (1-877-322-5527) so we can send you the materials that will help you argue this case and tell you how to contact your public officials. At the time of our founding, Massachusetts played a critical role in defining American liberty. But no longer do we want to follow Massachusetts, not now as it is leading us into family anarchy. FOR FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION: Maggie Gallagher, "Traditional Marriage Will Always Prevail," Townhall.com, 11 May 2004. Read more responses and opinions at www.townhall.com. Kyle Cheney, "Court divided on incest," Daily Free Press (Boston University), 24 March 2004. Free registration required. Fred Bayles, "Mass. preparing for a rush of gay weddings," USA Today, 12 May 2004. Fred Bayles, "Mass. to allow gay marriage Monday," USA Today, 17 May 2004. Pam Belluck, "Gays Elsewhere Eye Marriage Massachusetts Style," New York Times, 14 May 2004. Free registration required. Stanley Kurtz, "The End of Marriage in Scandinavia," Weekly Standard, 2 February 2004. See also this article responding to critics. Chuck Colson, et al., "Colson to NY Times: Gay Marriage Has Never Been a Constitutional Right," BreakPoint Online, 25 February 2004. Fr. Hans Jacobse, "Having It Both Ways," BreakPoint Online, 13 May 2004. BreakPoint Commentary No. 040413, "Is Anybody Listening?" See BreakPoint's sanctity of marriage resource page.

By Elizabeth Day THE TELEGRAPH 5/16/2004 A parish disgruntled by the appointment of Canon Jeffrey John as the Dean of St Alban's will divert thousands of pounds it normally sends to central Church funds to a Christian charity that seeks to "cure" homosexuals. Holy Trinity Church in Barnet, north London, will give £5,500 a year to the True Freedom Trust, which offers therapy to encourage sexual "transformation". The parish and parochial council announced that they were withholding their £33,600 annual quota - a voluntary "tax" paid by parishes to central diocesan funds - in protest at the appointment of Dr John, a homosexual. Instead, most of the money will remain with the parish, with £5,500 a year going to True Freedom. The charity was founded in 1977 by Canon L Roy Barker, a Church of England cleric, and Martin Hallett, a Christian homosexual who renounced his "promiscuous way of life" after becoming "convinced, through scripture, that homosexual sex was wrong". It has about 1,200 supporters and offers 13 support groups for homosexuals and lesbians across Britain. The trust, based in Liverpool, also offers support for families, counselling, speakers and motivational literature. Its website states: "Our understanding of the Bible teaching is that although many people may be aware of homosexual or lesbian feelings, homosexual genital conduct falls short of God's plan for His creation." The trust belongs to the UK Association of Christian Counsellors and is a founding member of Exodus International Europe, an international ministry that proclaims "change is possible for the homosexual through the transforming power of Christ". Martin Daly, the trust's assistant director, refused to comment on the donation, insisting that the organisation had yet to decide whether to accept the money. The Rev Charles Dobbie, the vicar of Holy Trinity, said that his congregation's decision to withdraw the quota and donate funds to True Freedom had been unanimous. "I told the diocese that we would be doing this with great regret in protest at the precipitate and divisive appointment of Jeffrey John," he said. "We are donating the money to the True Freedom Trust, a Christian ministry to practising homosexuals, because we love practising homosexuals and we want them to hear the truth from the trust, not falsehood. "As a small parish church, we are drawing a line in the sand and encouraging the wider world to care about the authority of the Bible and the love of God. We don't see why a revisionist minority should redirect our belief and we hope that other churches will follow suit." The reorientation of homosexuals has been a controversial issue within the Church. Last November, the Rt Rev Peter Foster, the Bishop of Chester, said that homosexuals should seek psychiatric treatment to help them. In 2001, the Courage Trust, a charity founded in 1990 to "heal" homosexuals, declared its mission to have been wrong, saying that such relationships were "God-given". The True Freedom Trust is now the only such organisation working within the Church. Dr John, 53, was originally appointed Bishop of Reading last July, despite revealing that he was in a long-term homosexual relationship that he says is celibate. He was forced to stand down after an outcry from the evangelical arm of the Anglican Communion, but was appointed the Dean of St Alban's cathedral last month. The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement condemned Holy Trinity's actions. "I would like to see the True Freedom Trust refuse the money saying that they do not wish to benefit financially at the expense of the wider Church," said the Rev Richard Kirker, the movement's general secretary. "I can think of nothing meaner-spirited, more spiteful and vicious than trying to penalise the diocese for welcoming a distinguished churchman as dean. "The True Freedom Trust is a deplorable organisation that only helps compound the sense of guilt and lack of self-worth that many gay people find themselves experiencing because of all the negative attitudes that churches of Rev Dobbie's persuasion inculcate them with. "The trust would be far more close to the spirit of the Christian gospel if it were to recognise the existence of gay people and affirm same-sex relationships in a positive and holy way." The Rt Rev Christopher Herbert, the Bishop of St Alban's, called Rev Dobbie's protest "misdirected". He said: "The withholding of such funds can only place more pressure on other churches, which continue to work hard to raise the requested payment for the good of the whole."

ECUSA has three months or face the music 5/17/2004 A collective of 18 Primates from the Global South, representing over 55 million Anglicans, have issued the following statement, calling on the leadership of ECUSA to repent within 3 months. STATEMENT OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH PRIMATES: By the special grace of our God, we, the Primates of the Global South of the Anglican Communion representing 18 Provinces with a membership of over 55 million, have met together in Nairobi on 15 & 16 April 2004 under the Chairmanship of the Most Revd Dr Peter Akinola, the Primate of all Nigeria. We begin our gathering around the Lord's Table celebrated by the Primate of Kenya, the Most Revd Benjamin Nzimbi, and the homily delivered by the Most Revd Drexel Gomez, the Primate of West Indies and Bahamas. Through it, we experience, with deep gratitude, Christian fellowship with one another because of our unity in our risen Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As we meet, being acutely conscious of the current critical challenges we face as a Communion, we reaffirm our unswerving commitment to the historic and apostolic Christian Faith as revealed in the Holy Scriptures "once delivered to the saints" (Jude v.3), proclaimed and practised by the Anglican Communion over the centuries. It is our heartfelt desire to see the Anglican Communion move faithfully forward in true unity under the supreme authority of the Word of God. In this, we express our deep appreciation and prayerful support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams, in his unique leadership role amongst us. Affirming the Resolution I.10 of Lambeth 1998, and the unanimously agreed Primates' Statement of 16th October 2003 which the Presiding Bishop of the ECUSA himself consented to, and the Global South Primates' Statement of 2nd Nov 2003, we reiterate unreservedly our unequivocal opposition to the unilateral decision of ECUSA to proceed with the consecration of a divorced and practising homosexual priest as Bishop. This deliberate disobedience of the revealed will of God in the Holy Scriptures is a flagrant departure from the consensual and clearly communicated mind and will of the Anglican Communion. By this, ECUSA has wilfully torn "the fabric of the communion at its deepest level", and as a consequence openly cut themselves adrift and broken the sacramental fellowship of the Communion. We commit ourselves to ongoing prayer for the work of the Lambeth Commission recently appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and respectfully submit the following for their consideration: The Commission should include in its Report a specific call to ECUSA to repent; revoking and rescinding their decision and action regarding the election and consecration of Gene Robinson as a Bishop in the Church of God. Should ECUSA fail to comply within three months, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates should then take appropriate disciplinary action, which should include the suspension and ultimate expulsion of ECUSA from fellowship and membership of the Anglican Communion. Recognition and full Episcopal and pastoral oversight should be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Primates to those dioceses, parishes and laity within ECUSA who continue to uphold the historic faith and order of the Anglican Communion. Similar measures should be applied to the Bishop and Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster, Canada for their unilateral approval and implementation of rites for the blessing of same sex union. We also request the Commission to give urgent consideration to the renewal of mutual accountability and the harmonization of constitutions and canons of the various Provinces in the Communion. As Primates of the Global South, we are of one mind that these measures are essential to preserve our Communion in true union and to avoid the tragic realignment which would otherwise be inevitable. The ACC, upon the recommendation of the Brisbane 1986 Missions Conference, organised a gathering of the non-Western parts of the Communion for mutual consultation on their distinctive contextual mission challenges. The 1st South-South Encounter was held in Limuru, Kenya in 1994. The 2nd South-South Encounter in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1997, produced the important "Kuala Lumpur Statement on Human Sexuality" which was significantly fed into the 1998 Lambeth Conference resulting in no small way the historic and overwhelming approval of Resolution I.10. Other subsequent gatherings and initiatives took place in more recent years. At this juncture of critical challenges faced by the Communion for its integrity, credibility and acceptability both within and before other churches, faiths and an increasingly secularised and divided world, we resolve that our fellowship and unity be further consolidated and mutually strengthened for even more concerted efforts in our common faith, witness and mission of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, notwithstanding our diverse social, cultural, religious, economic and political contexts. We challenge ourselves to spiritual renewal and transformation in stewardship and development of resources, both human and financial, through biblical discipleship and mutual care and sharing! Thus, we further intend to gather in a 3rd South-South Encounter in Egypt under the theme of the "One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church". As we have experienced deep Christian fellowship and unity in the faith and mandate of our shared mission throughout the two days of our gathering, we are eager to share with you our wonder and joy in the amazing grace of God in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. By the mercies of God, we urge all His faithful people in our historic and worldwide Anglican Communion, especially those in difficult situations for the sake of the Gospel, to be encouraged and to remain steadfast in "faith, hope and love". "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart". (Heb 12.1-3). Most Revd Peter J. Akinola, DD, CON for and on behalf of the Global South Primates

Special Report By David W. Virtue PROVIDENCE, RI (5/15/2004) — Concerned orthodox Episcopalians of Rhode Island (CERI) have formed a chapter of the American Anglican Council to combat the growing revisionism in that diocese and to continue the work of the Great Commission. "We formed in response to the actions of General Convention and subsequent measures of ECUSA," said Leah Turner, president of CERI. "We are determined not to be driven from the church we call home, nor to be in impaired communion with the Worldwide Anglican Communion. Our 'plan' is both simple and far reaching. We are going to continue the work of the Great Commission, and in fulfilling this we will strengthen the orthodox churches in our diocese and our voice in the church." Turner said she and her fellow orthodox believers were in the final stages of completing the affiliation procedure with Andrew Pearson, the AAC national coordinator. A statewide conference on April 24th drew more than 125 people from 21 of the 63 parishes in the diocese. "We were overjoyed when this number of people showed up. It shows we have more strength than we thought, and we want to show the revisionist priests in our diocese that we are a voice to be reckoned with. We will no longer be silent." Turner said that Rhode Island Bishop Geralyn Wolf has treated her and the arrival of the AAC well, and has said she wants to be a model of how the AAC can work together with the diocese. Turner said the recent conference had a two fold purpose, said Turner. "The first was to inform people of what has been happening both in ECUSA and the worldwide Anglican Communion, and secondly to invite them to join with us in standing up for the Gospel. The theme for our meeting was based on Rom 1:16a "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ…" Turner said CERI will offer a monthly teaching series called The Institute of Anglican Studies where people can come and hear rotating speakers teach on Biblical topics grounded in orthodox Anglican understanding. The first teaching was held at the Church of Sts. Andrew and Phillip in Coventry, RI where Fr. Mark Galloway taught on Justification by Faith. "What we are most excited about is the concept of Home Ministry Groups. We have developed a training course to teach lay men and women how to lead these groups with Bible Study, Spiritual Direction, and Lay Counseling. They will be members of an orthodox parish, thus giving the rector the right to visit no matter the physical location or Diocesan boundary." "This will allow us to spread the ministry of the church into places where people live, establish an orthodox presence throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Eventually it will replace the traditional parish model with a 'Parish Without Walls'. This plan allows us to live out our calling as Christians based on sound Church Growth Principles, while strengthening the orthodox presence wherever there are parishioners of that Church." Turner said the Ministry Group leaders would be under the oversight of their rector, herself and Ken Burrill, President of AAC Massachusetts. "Together they will train and coordinate the formation of these groups. Once they are established, we will post them on every AAC related website so that people who are searching for a new model of ministry can find a group to be a part of, learn and fellowship with them, and live lives of accountability and holiness." Turner said that a third phase of the plan is still being worked on and involves the recognition of a Lay order called The Lesser Franciscans. Turner said she had received support from an orthodox ECUSA Bishop who will either consent to be our protector or will help us to find one who can. "We are waiting for his response," she told Virtuosity. The Lesser Franciscans have a simple purpose. "We want to study the life and teachings of St. Francis, live a common rule of life, and fulfill our mission statement. We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way." "It seems a desperately needed mission for our church today. The Lesser Franciscans will be affiliated with the AAC as soon as all the legal aspects have been finalized. All the Home Ministry Group leaders have been asked to join. The combination of the two phases gives people immediate access to an orthodox rector, because they are members of his church and to an orthodox Bishop if they are members of The Lesser Franciscans." "This will allow us to move forward, strengthen our voice and numbers, and in the end will work regardless of the end result of the realignment now underway in the ECUSA. It is putting power in the hands of the laity to help chart the course of our church, to remain faithful to our understanding of the Gospel, and to support and protect our priests who have been so faithful to us." Ms. Turner is a business consultant and a cradle Episcopalian born and raised in Rhode Island. NOTE: If you are not receiving this from VIRTUOSITY, the Anglican Communion's largest biblically orthodox Episcopal/Anglican Online News Service, then you may subscribe FREE by going to: www.virtuosityonline.org. Virtuosity's website has been accessed by more than 1.6 million readers in 45 countries on six continents. This story is copyrighted but may be forwarded electronically with reference to VIRTUOSITY and the author. No changes are permitted in the text.

By Robert England May 16, 2004 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND — The Church is under attack around the world and from within because it has abandoned its role of leadership by weakening the faith and yielding to the pressures of the age. That's the message preached Saturday morning by the Right Rev. Ewen Ratteray, Bishop of Bermuda, at a day-long Festival of Faith titled "Jesus: True God and Only Savior" held here at Mount Calvary Church. Bishop Ratteray chastised the Church in the West for its "utterly confusing and conflicting messages that are being sent out with regard to sexual morality," including homosexuality. "For our disunity, our seeming lack of cohesion on doctrinal matters and in others areas is seen as a sign of considerable weakness and a reason to pay us little or no attention," the bishop told the congregation. Bishop Ratteray told the gathering that instead of the world telling the Church to accept its moral standards, the Church should be bearing witness to the Gospel, calling the world to repentance, and defending its own time-honed doctrines and morality. "We do have a Gospel to proclaim, and that Good News is centered on the fact that Christ is Risen and that He is Lord and King. This was essence of the preaching of the Apostolic Church, and who are we to change that?" the bishop asked. Bishop Ratteray contrasted the timidity, misdirection and backwardness of today's Church leaders with the leaders of the Apostolic Church. "[W]ithout the enthusiasm, the dedication and fierce faith of the Apostles, the Church would not exist!" he said. "The Church in our day needs the same level of courage, determination, enthusiasm and faithfulness that drove the Apostolic Church and caused her to spread so widely and rapidly in the early years," Bishop Ratteray said. "The spread of the Church in her early years was largely due to the conviction of the disciples that Christ had been raised from the dead. Had there not been that firm belief there would not have been a Church," Bishop Ratteray said. "Only because of this were they able not only to travel widely preaching and teaching, but also were willing to put their lives at risk in the process. That could not have happened on the basis of some myth or spurious belief. But they were driven by a sure and certain experience of the Risen Christ. For they were witnesses of that fact," the bishop told the gathering. Bishop Ratteray noted that a passion for the Gospel has spread rapidly in Africa and enabled the Church there to "be a bright and burning light in a world that is so full of darkness and misery in these days." Bishop Ratteray said the Church was under assault from within by those who had abandoned the doctrines and moral standards of the faith. "The creedal statements of the Church are no longer held in the esteem of old. To say nothing of disrespect for the Sacraments of the Church." The Bishop of Bermuda faulted the movement among Anglicans in Australia to allow lay people to celebrate the Holy Eucharist as an example of the Church drifting away from its moorings. More than 100 participants, most from Baltimore and its surrounding cities and towns, attended the festival. Mount Calvary was one of the first parishes in North American to realize the devotion of the second Oxford Movement in the late 19th century. Mount Calvary was also reportedly the first Anglican parish in North America to celebrate the mass daily. The parish has remained faithful to its Anglo-Catholic calling and heritage under its present rector, Fr. John Klein, SSC, and assistant priest, Fr. Charles McClean, SSC. The festival was attended by members of Mount Calvary, as well as Grace and St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Baltimore and other parishes in the Maryland diocese. There were also representatives from St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Bladensburg, Md., the Church of Ascension & St. Agnes in Washington, D.C., St. Paul's Episcopal Church on K Street in Washington, D.C., and Christ Church in Willliamsport, Pa., among others. Following the mass, the participants heard a lecture on the liturgy and theology of baptism from Fr. John D. Alexander, rector of St. Stephen's Church in Providence, R.I. and a testimonial by Sister Mary Charles of All Saints Convent in Catonsville, Maryland. In the afternoon, there were workshops followed by the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The music of the mass was Missa Tertia by Hans Leo Hasler. The mass was sung by the choir, congregation and celebrant. The service began with an elaborate procession from the sanctuary through the congregation. Most of the congregants joined in the procession, which is the practice at the parish. Mount Calvary relies on Rite One from the 1979 prayer book with additions from the traditional Anglican service book. The Bishop of Bermuda was resplendent in a 19th century white damask and crimson velvet cope emblazoned with the initials of the sacred name (IHS) in gold thread. The bishop's stole was a beautiful example of pre-Raphaelite ecclesial needlework. Fr. Arthur Wooley, SSC, former rector of St. Luke's, Bladensburg, and Fr. McClean, SSC, acted as bishop's chaplains, both in white copes. Fr. Michael Heidt, rector of St. Luke's, Bladensburg, also processed. Fr. Klein acted as celebrant. The procession stopped for a prayer at the Marian shrine to the right of the sanctuary before resuming. Mount Calvary is a cathedral-style Gothic church that was built in stages. It lost its steeple in a hurricane nearly a century ago and it has not been rebuilt. The church is graced with handsome classical 19th century stained glass windows on the walls on either side of the pews. The sanctuary features a marble and mosaic tile raredos with twin angels and a central marble and onyx tabernacle. There is a hanging Rood (Christ on the Cross observed by the Virgin Mary and the Beloved Apostle John) suspended from the sanctuary arch, behind which hang seven sanctuary lamps. The altar was aglow with candles. A relic of St. Edward was placed for adoration at the epistle side (right side) of the tabernacle. Reflecting the style of the Rood, both the Lady Chapel and entrance to the sacristy were adorned by images of Christ and the saints. Mr. England is an Anglo-Catholic writer living in Washington, DC.

Persecution of Christians Around the World The following stories are made available by the Barnabas Fund, a leading world authority on the persecution of Christians around the world. HUNDREDS OF CHRISTIANS DIE IN BLOODY MASSACRES IN KANO NIGERIA 14 May 2004 Many hundreds of innocent Christians have died in Kano since a Muslim protest turned into carnage in retaliation for Muslim deaths hundreds of miles away in Yelwe. Members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) say some 600 Christians have been killed so far this week in Kano, Nigeria's second-largest city. Andrew Ubah, the general secretary of the association in Kano, told Reuters on Thursday 13 May that he was keeping a tally based on reports from church leaders throughout the city. "Almost 600 people have been killed and 12 churches burned," he said. David Emmanuel, a factory worker told Reuters he saw two truckloads of corpses on Wednesday night, and he counted at least 30 bodies in the street. Elsewhere, correspondents have seen 35 mostly burned and mutilated bodies. The official police tally of 30 that remains more or less static from Wednesday night is belied by the overflowing morgue and the constant stream of eye-witness reports from all quarters of the city. Bodies were being discovered on Thursday and because the main hospital mortuary was full were taken to undisclosed locations, according to the Red Cross. "Not all cases are reported, especially cases in which relatives have already buried their dead," said Aminu Inua, a Red Cross official in Kano. "Hundreds of people were killed," said Christian leader Mark Amani. "Some corpses were burned in wells. Even little children were killed. The bodies of pregnant women were ripped open and their bodies burned," he said. Sources report the killing of several hundred people when defiant mobs of Muslim youths armed with clubs and machetes and cutlasses rampaged at about 1 a.m. on Thursday despite a police imposed curfew. Mobs went from house to house looking for Christian victims and in some cases trapped the occupants inside and torched the houses. Police have been issued orders to shoot armed rioters on sight. While Muslims have complained that the police have killed innocent civilians as a result, they do not mean the scores of hacked bodies that lie in the streets and in charred buildings and vehicles according to residents. There are fears that the number of deaths may continue to grow since an order was circulated by Umar Ibrahim Kabo, the most senior Mulim cleric in Kano, for all Christians to leave the area by today, Friday 14 May. More than 30,000 residents, mostly Christians, have been driven from their homes in Kano officials said on Thursday, a figure confirmed by Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon in a telephone conversation with Barnabas Fund. Barnabas fund wishes to announce an urgent appeal to support the survivors, those displaced from their homes and the families of Christian victims in Kano. You can make a donation to help the pastors, their families and their churches through a Barnabas Fund office or via our website donation page - Remember to specify Project 39-500. At least 269 people have been killed in brutal violence between Muslim Hasua/Fulani and Christian Tarok fighters in Plateau State since February. The latest round of violence was sparked by a clash between Muslims and Christians in the village of Mavo in Wase District in mid-February, in which some 10 people were killed. Several days later on 19 February four police officers were killed in Tunga village, Langtang North District, by Islamic militants seeking revenge. The town of Yelwa in Shendam District first saw violence on 24 February when Fulani Muslim fighters struck again, massacring some 48 Christians who fled to a church in a vain attempt to find refuge. Some reports suggest as many as 50 more may also have been killed, and over 100 Christians fled the town. Two days later Christians turned on their Muslim neighbours in the nearby town of Gerkawa, Mikang Local Government Area, killing 40 - 50 in retaliation for the massacre in Yelwa. Army units evacuated some 3000 Muslims from Gerkawa, relocating them to Yelwa and further strengthening the Muslim dominance of the town. Tensions remained high in the region throughout March and April and exploded again into major violence in several villages in the border region of Plateau and Taraba States in late April when an estimated 100 people were tragically killed. The latest attack which has enraged Muslims across the country occurred in the aftermath of this violence, as on the weekend of 1 - 2 May Christian fighters attempted to retake Yelwa. (The town is now widely reported in the international media as a "mainly Muslim town" with no reference to the fact that this is only as a result of the massacre and driving out of Christians in February.) The deaths of 67 people have been confirmed in this latest bloody clash, with some estimating the total death toll at 200, 350 or even 630 people tragically slain. In addition to those killed, hundreds have been injured and at least 7,500 have been internally displaced because of the violence over the past three months. Thousands of homes and several churches and mosques have been burnt to the ground. Some reports indicate women and children have been kidnapped. Other minor clashes have also taken place. PRAY Pray for the families of the victims and the survivors of the attacks in Kano; pray that the Lord will heal them and mend this devastation in their lives. Pray that the government of Nigeria will have the strength to act justly and decisively in this situation and in the tensions felt throughout Nigeria; pray that further atrocities will be prevented.