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May 18, 2004 Readings: Romans 8:18-25; Mark 4:26-32 It is a tremendous privilege to be part of a significant moment in someone's life. This is a significant moment in the lives of those who gather here today: particularly, of course, those of you who are graduating, but also for the Dean and faculty, and others who oversee and are part of the life of this seminary, as well as your families and friends. This week is one of joy and celebration for me, as I have the opportunity to be here for the commencement of the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest and the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, and then travel to Virginia to take part in the commencement at the Virginia Theological Seminary. So, I am grateful for the opportunity to be with you, and to offer some reflections. [Content continues with the full commencement address...] delete html. capitalize and make bold headlines. 4:00 PM I don't see any HTML content in our conversation that I could delete. Could you please share the HTML you'd like me to work with, or clarify what you'd like me to help with? If you have HTML content you'd like me to modify by removing it and reformatting the text with capitalized, bold headlines, please paste it in your next message and I'll be happy to help! BELOW IS THE FULL TEXT OF BISHOP GRISWOLD'S COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS May 18, 2004 Readings: Romans 8:18-25; Mark 4:26-32 It is a tremendous privilege to be part of a significant moment in someone's life. This is a significant moment in the lives of those who gather here today: Readings: Romans 8:18-25; Mark 4:26-32 It is a tremendous privilege to be part of a significant moment in someone's life. This is a significant moment in the lives of those who gather here today: particularly, of course, those of you who are graduating, but also for the Dean and faculty, and others who oversee and are part of the life of this seminary, as well as your families and friends. This week is one of joy and celebration for me, as I have the opportunity to be here for the commencement of the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest and the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, and then travel to Virginia to take part in the commencement at the Virginia Theological Seminary. So, I am grateful for the opportunity to be with you, and to offer some reflections. THE PROBLEM OF COMPLAINING A number of years ago, while serving as Bishop of Chicago, I was asked to make some remarks at the conclusion of a meeting of the House of Bishops. It had been what I might call a "prickly" meeting. Though I don't remember now the presenting concerns, in the course of the meeting I had become aware of a great deal of what scripture describes as "murmuring," or -- in our more contemporary translations -- "complaining." In the hallways and over meals, bishops were voicing their discontents. As I listened to what they were saying, I thought of the complaining of the children of Israel as they traveled from Egypt through the wilderness toward the Promised Land. Our readings of the account of the Exodus at Morning Prayer during the Easter season have put me in mind of all this. The children of Israel complained because, having escaped from Egypt, and now facing the rigors of the desert, and an unknown future, they yearned for a return to the safety and familiarity of Egypt -- a land of cucumbers and melons, onions and garlic -- somehow quite forgetting that there they had been slaves. So they complained to Moses: "Why did you lead us out here? In order to kill us?" Moses in turn goes off and complains to God. "Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me?" I remember saying to the bishops, we are in a hierarchical system in which laypeople complain to the clergy. The clergy complain to the bishop. And, when the bishops get together, they complain to the Presiding Bishop. In the context of my remarks I said: I wonder what the Presiding Bishop does with all this. Does he go out on the terrace of his apartment at the Episcopal Church Center on Second Avenue in New York and, after the manner of Moses, complain to God: "Why have you treated me so badly and laid the burden of all this church on me"? Of course, I never dreamt that one day I would be the Presiding Bishop, and might actually experience this process of upward complaining. Let me hasten to assure you: though sorely tempted from time to time, I have not gone out on the terrace and railed against the heavens. LEADERSHIP IN A TIME OF MURMURING So, here you are, about to graduate and, in most instances, go off and become part of worshipping communities in which all kinds of emotions are writ large, and there you will be expected to exercise ministries of leadership. This brings me to what I would like to say something about today, and that is: how do you deport yourself as a leader in a time when there's a great deal of murmuring and complaining, not simply in the life of the church but also in the life of our society as well. If we as ministers of the gospel are given to murmuring, it is very hard for us to speak a word of encouragement, a word of hope, to those we are called to serve. PASSIONATE PATIENCE The Letter to the Romans speaks about being possessed of patience, waiting in patience, enduring in patience. I don't think we are very accustomed to being patient these days. Everything has to be instantaneous and immediate. Electronic communication has made this even worse. We send an email to someone and three seconds later are fit to be tied if we haven't had a reply. And, I might say: there are times I wish someone had taken a bit more time reflecting on what they had to say before hitting the send key. I suggest what you are going to have to cultivate now is a spirit of patience -- "passionate patience" to use a phrase employed by the present Archbishop of Canterbury. This is a kind of patience that both grounds you as ministers of reconciliation, and also helps your people live the present season themselves with graced patience that is faithful to the spirit of the gospel. Answers to urgent questions don't always come easily or quickly, or without ambiguity. Sometimes we have to live difficult and complex questions for a very long time before some clarity emerges and we are able to see the signs of the Spirit's work. WAITING BETWEEN ASCENSION AND PENTECOST So, here we are, with all of our urgencies and impatience, on the edge of that time which will take us from Ascension Day and into a period of waiting for something to happen. And -- because we are in charge of the liturgical calendar -- we do know that what we are waiting for is the Feast of Pentecost. However, when the apostles were told by Jesus to stay in the city and wait to be clothed with power from on high, I doubt they knew what they were waiting for. Nor did they have any idea how long they might have to wait. I rather think that their joyful state described in the Gospel of Luke was shot through with a certain degree of impatience and wondering: When will it happen? And what did Jesus really mean by power from on high? And here I wonder why, according to Luke's chronology which determines our liturgical year, the outpouring of the Spirit did not occur immediately following the Ascension. How much kinder it would have been had Jesus sent the Spirit forth with perfect timing just as his feet were disappearing into the clouds. Why didn't he, as he prepared to leave, say "I'm going now, but just hang on, in a few minutes, you're going to have exactly what you need." Why did he decide to leave them alone for some ten days before they received power from on high? Why did he put them through the ordeal of loss and having to wait and wonder when it would have been so much more efficient, and saved them so much anguish if, just as his feet disappeared into the cloud, the Holy Spirit descended? But, it didn't happen that way. Instead, the period between the Ascension and Pentecost afforded the apostles a profound experience of their own powerlessness. There was nothing they could do except wait. Had the Spirit immediately come upon them they might have rushed off to preach the gospel filled with a sense of their own power and competence. They needed to know something about their own powerlessness and their utter dependency upon God's grace. They had to be undefended and, in some sense, stripped naked before the power of the divine mystery, in order properly to receive the gift of the Spirit. BEYOND COMPETENCE TO POWER I have learned over many years that resting upon notions of my own competence is extremely dangerous. However, one of the realities of life in seminary is a focus -- and indeed a necessary focus -- on competence. We are taught how to interpret Scripture. We are taught how to baptize babies. We are taught how to preside at the Eucharist. We are taught how to assist people in making ethical decisions. We are taught how to deal with unexpected questions from importuning parishioners while we try to juggle a Styrofoam cup and a cinnamon bun in the context of the coffee hour. We are taught how to visit the sick, comfort the grieving and bury the dead. But, beyond all these competencies there is a power that comes not from us but from the Spirit of the Risen Christ. And, in moments of powerlessness and uncertainty we discover how true this is. When I was newly ordained I became the junior assistant at the most affluent parish in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Whenever I was called upon to preach, which was infrequently, I would mount the pulpit steps and pause dramatically. It was the custom for the sexton to dim the lights in the church at this point, and bring up a spotlight to illuminate the preacher. The congregation would then settle back in expectation and reverential silence. I must confess this routine certainly gave me an incredible sense of my own competence and power. After several years in that parish I was called to be rector of a very different congregation. There was no sexton and there were no lights to dim. The space itself was like a large living room, which made some of the homiletic flourishes that had worked so well in my former situation -- might I say -- excessive. I have no doubt that I was taken away from that secure and affluent environment, and led into a very different congregation, for my own salvation. I had to begin all over again. I realized that the preaching competency I might have claimed for myself was in part grandiosity and self-inflation and had very little to do with the actual proclaiming and preaching of the gospel. I discovered something of my own poverty. I really didn't know how to preach in a way that connected with the life of the congregation. They themselves had to show me. And, over time, they pulled out of me a living word that I didn't even know was deep within me. AN UNDEFENDED HEART Therefore, it is with fear and trembling that we enter into the life of a worshipping community. We are going there not simply to instruct and proclaim but -- in a profound way -- we are going to be shaped and formed by the very people we perceive we have been sent to serve. On our part, this calls for an undefended heart. It calls for a willingness to enter that place between Ascension and Pentecost, in which we open ourselves in patience to the promptings and motions of grace. This is not always easy, particularly when we are tying to lead with our competencies. We need, therefore, to give root room to the Holy Spirit, for it is the Holy Spirit -- the living bond between the Father and the Son -- who draws us into God's own life through baptism. And it is the Holy Spirit who plants deep within us some dimension of Christ's fullness -- not for our self congratulation but for the common good, and the upbuilding of Christ's risen body in the world. How reassuring it is when St. Paul tells us in the 8th Chapter of the Letter to the Romans that the Spirit helps us in our weakness, and that indeed we do not even know how to pray as we ought. "But that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words." Those of us who are called upon to pray "competently" need to know that it is in our inarticulateness and inadequacy in prayer that the Spirit most deeply prays within us. FORMED BY THE SPIRIT Over time, the Spirit forms Christ in us and conforms us to the "image of [God's] Son," working in us the mind of Christ, and transforming us into ministers who proclaim the good news not only with our lips but in our lives. As Francis of Assisi tells us: "Preach the Gospel always and, when necessary, use words." So, the Spirit shapes us into gospel persons. But, that shaping requires of us a kind of relinquishment -- a giving over -- a willingness to be formed over time by the Spirit of a God who loves us deeply. Paul tells us in the Second Letter to the Corinthians that it by an act of God's mercy that we have been called to ministry and therefore we should not lose heart. Just think of that. You have been called to ministry not primarily because you are useful in God's sight, though indeed you may be. You were called to ministry through the mercy of God in order that God might love you more deeply and reveal the image of Christ in you more fully. This is the work of the Spirit. THE SPIRIT AHEAD OF THE COMMUNITY And how does the Spirit do this work? We find an answer in the Acts of the Apostles, which we have been reading at the Eucharist during these days of Easter. The Acts of the Apostles recounts the work of the Holy Spirit, and how the power of Christ's resurrection unfolded in the life of the early church and in the lives of the apostles. What becomes clear as we read the Book of Acts is that the Holy Spirit is always somewhat ahead of the community, turning things upside down and expanding the apostles' understanding of the ways of God. Here the account of Cornelius the Centurion comes to mind. Cornelius is told by an angel to send to Joppa for Simon Peter. Meanwhile, in Joppa Peter is praying on a rooftop and, in a trance, he sees a sheet being let down from Heaven filled with unclean animals. He then hears a voice saying "Get up Peter. Kill and eat." To which Peter replies "I've never eaten anything profane or unclean." "What God has made clean, you must not call profane," the voice answered. This happens three times and Peter is left scratching his head and wondering what this is all about. Messengers then arrive from Cornelius and Peter returns with them to Caesarea. He gets part way through preaching and suddenly the Holy Spirit descends on these Gentiles, on Cornelius and his family. Amazing. Imagine Peter exclaiming in confusion: "My God, I thought this was only for us. They don't even believe the right things! They're outsiders, they are beyond the pale and the Spirit has descended upon them -- just as it did upon us!" So, what happened next? Well, then the Church had to catch up with the Spirit. God was up to something they didn't comprehend. They had to rush back to their Scriptures and completely reread them and interpret them in new ways and see in passages that heretofore had seemed peripheral a whole new level of meaning. They could then say: "Ah! This is the key, this is the clue. All those things about the Gentiles we ignored. Now, suddenly they are relevant and alive because of what the Spirit has done." As well, we can look at the persecution in Jerusalem that happened after the stoning of Stephen. (And let us note here that the coats of those throwing the stones lay at the feet of a man named Saul, who comes back into the story again a bit later.) The stoning caused a number of the disciples to disperse and flee to Gentile cities. And what did they do there? Of course, they proclaimed the gospel. And that too was the work of the Holy Spirit -- moving them out into the world. THE PARADOXICAL WORKINGS OF THE SPIRIT So back to the man named Saul. Here he was going off to persecute more Christians and Christ flattens him. What an incredible about face that was. We have heard this story so often we are almost immune to its power. What a life-changing experience this was for Paul. It was truly a death and resurrection. Of course, the apostles were horrified, wondering: can we trust this man? They believed he was a spy. It was Barnabas who finally coaxed them to give Paul a hearing. And we know what happened next. Such are the strange and often paradoxical workings of the Spirit. Sometimes, something that we perceive to contradict what we understand as God's will and God's intention is precisely the way in which God deepest desire is seeking to make itself known. Speaking to those of you who are graduating, I would venture to say that there will come moments in your ministry when things are going amazingly well and you give yourself a pat on the back and a gold star. Then suddenly something happens that pulls the rug out from under you and you find yourself in confusion. And yet, when you look back and reflect upon what seemed so devastating at the time, you realize it was actually the Spirit opening you to something new, or pushing you in some new direction. I hope when you have these experiences, which you surely will, you might remember these words from your Presiding Bishop, who is no stranger to what he is saying. DO NOT MAKE STRAIGHT WHAT GOD HAS MADE CROOKED Being available to the vagaries of the Spirit is terribly important and here I think of a phrase I have used often in the context of spiritual direction, when suddenly whacky and untoward things seem to be happening in a person's life that appear to be inconsistent with what they perceive to be the ways of God. The phrase is from the Book of Ecclesiastes: "Consider the work of God. Do not make straight what God has made crooked… Do not make straight what God has made crooked." Quite frankly, my friends, and I've been at this long enough to speak with some authority, the workings of the Holy Spirit are often crooked indeed, which is part of God's strange and wild way with us. So, as you think about the ministry to which God is calling you, be ready for surprise, be ready to be disconcerted, be ready to be turned around and aimed in the opposite direction, be ready to be thwarted at every turn, be ready to be unsettled by the goings on in the church; but always be ready to be patient and listening, because you just never know when God is going to use the most bizarre circumstances to unfold more fully the mystery of God's incredible and overwhelming mercy and love. PLANTING SEEDS AND PATIENCE In the gospel Jesus speaks of God's reign in terms of planting seeds with the expectation that there will be a rich harvest in the future. This applies as well to ministry. The Spirit moves through us, through our ministries. The Spirit is always planting seeds of some kind, seeds that need to be given time to grow and mature. And, of course, as Jesus tells us, seeds have to die -- as it were -- in order to bear much fruit. Many of our expectations and assurances, our clarity about the ministry we have been called to exercise, the stunning vestments we've ordered from domestic or foreign ecclesiastical outfitters -- all of these things may have to fall apart in some way, or the seams give out, in order for God's deepest desire to break free and emerge. Returning to patience, Jesus says that seed, once planted, grows on its own and we have to be patient with its process of maturation. We need to be patient, also, with the ministry to which God calls us, the shape of which has yet to be made known. We are all -- always -- becoming. "What we will be has not yet been revealed," we are reminded in the first letter of John. I've been ordained for 41 years and I am still wondering what the ultimate shape of the ministry to which I have been called will be. The fact is: I never dreamt of being a bishop, let alone Presiding Bishop. As a priest I had what I might call a reverent disdain for the episcopal office. And then, the divine sense of humor had me become the very thing I disdained. Well, I can assure you, this took a lot of ego adjustment. THE SHAPE OF MINISTRY NOT YET KNOWN For you who are graduating today: we celebrate you -- and the end of one chapter -- and the beginning of another, the shape of which is not yet known. I want to say to you that I am quite certain that some big shifts and surprises lie ahead for you in terms of what you think your ministry ought to be, and what it actually will be. So, knowing the inevitability of change, knowing that life will surprise you, knowing that the Spirit may well take you where you had not imagined you might go, what are you to do? The answer is quite simple, at least in its articulation. Be rooted and grounded in your own companionship with Christ. Without an intimate and enduring companionship with the risen Christ, our ministries are dead in the water. Yes, you may be charming. You may preach eloquently. You may have a fine bedside manner. But without this relationship, something is fundamentally missing. And, this is why you must be rooted and grounded in your own companionship with Christ, who -- as the gospel tell us -- also had to live a series of shifts and changes. Because of his own life experience, Jesus could speak compellingly about seeds having to grow secretly, about people having to turn the soil to find the treasure. These images suggest the need for patience, not simply with others, but with ourselves. We need to be patient as the Holy Spirit works in us: shaping and forming us and making Christ shine through our lives in all their angularities, in all their thorninesses, yet in all their glory and mystery because, in the end, we are the beloved children of God. ROOTED IN COMPANIONSHIP WITH CHRIST I also want to say here that, particularly for those of us who are ordained, an authentic companionship with Christ is a necessary counterbalance to the ever-present temptation to become fascinated by the institutional life of the church and its interior workings. We can so easily lose ourselves in the mechanics and political intricacies of church life that we risk losing sight of what the whole enterprise is about. I think too that the future of our church, the quality of our evangelization, the integrity of our preaching, the force and power of our sacramental celebrations and how they give us a glimpse of the transcendent reality, all of these -- all of these -- require ministers who are rooted and grounded in the mystery we are proclaiming and celebrating. You cannot proclaim resurrection if you haven't lived it, and you can't live resurrection if you haven't died. The paschal mystery is at the absolute heart and center of companionship with Christ. THE BAPTISMAL ACT ITSELF And this is where we must take with full seriousness the implications of our baptism. Focus is often given to the baptismal covenant and the promises we make. This is important, to be sure, but we must not lose sight of the baptismal act itself. That is, through it we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. We are brought into a lifelong process of experiencing multiple dyings and risings, losings and findings. And, through all of this -- our living of the paschal mystery -- the Spirit is working. And you will recall that I said earlier that the Spirit's work in our life is sometimes experienced as problematic or unsettling, or seems to take us into places where we do not want to go. THE ESSENTIAL THING IS PRAYER This brings us back to companionship with the risen Christ. And here, I want to say a word about the nurturing of that companionship. The essential thing is prayer. Being a person of prayer means being available in a deep and undefended way to the stirrings of the Spirit. Prayer isn't so much about the words we form. Prayer is about our availability to what the Spirit is up to deeply within us. God, as the psalmist tells us, speaks in our heart and says "Seek my face." To which we, along with the psalmist, yield ourselves in reply saying, "Your face Lord will I seek." Our prayer is our "yes" to the deep tugs and pulls of the Spirit within us. In the Letter to the Galatians, Paul tells us that we've been given the Spirit of the Son. And, it is that Spirit who cries, "Abba," within us. And thus our prayer - which we so often think of as paltry, inadequate, and self-serving -- is caught up into, and made whole, by the unceasing prayer of the risen Christ. Prayer, in the words of Julian of Norwich, "ones" us to God. Prayer works in us, over time, the mind of Christ. Prayer gives us the interior suppleness that allows us to move with grace in a variety of directions. Prayer gives us the imagination to see God at work in unlikely ways and unlikely places, and to see below the surface of things. TRACKING DOWN THE HOLY GHOST WITH GUSTO Flannery O'Connor, whose stories bear witness to the strange ways of grace and redemption, once observed that being a serious writer involved following "lines of spiritual motion as they can be perceived on the surface of life…into some point where revelation takes place." She characterized this work as "an attempt to track down the Holy Ghost through a tangle of human suffering and aspiration and idiocy. It is an attempt," she concludes, "which should be pursued with gusto." What Flannery O'Connor says about the serious writer can also be said about serious ministry. Serious ministry is about tracking down the Holy Ghost at the heart of our all too human existence with its vagaries, contradictions and paradoxes. And, it is a pursuit which must be undertaken with gusto: that is with the confidence, courage and unwavering patience that only the Spirit of Christ, suffusing our own spirit, can supply. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me," cries Paul. CLOSING PRAYER It is my prayer for you that in the strength of the risen and ascended Christ, who fills all things with his unrelenting and death-defying love, you may enter upon the ministry that lies ahead with nothing less than gusto. It is my prayer for you that you may know deep within yourselves that "God's power working in us can do infinitely more that we can ask or imagine." May God bless you and keep you, and may you seek always the companionship of the risen Christ as you move forward from this place with the love and prayers of us all. Amen.

News Analysis By David W. Virtue The ECUSA Presiding Bishop, Frank T. Griswold warned 26 graduating seminarians at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest this week that they are about to enter the wilderness, invoking the story of the Israelites wandering in the desert after fleeing Egypt. "Be ready for surprise," he said. "Be ready to be disconcerted; be ready to be turned around and aimed in the opposite direction; be ready to be thwarted at every turn; be ready to be unsettled by the goings-on in the church," he said at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in northwest Austin. His comments were reported by Eileen E. Flynn of the AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Though he didn't allude specifically to the current problems in the church, Griswold assured graduates that the Holy Spirit will be working in them at the most difficult times. "I hope, when you have these experiences, which you surely will, you might remember these words from your presiding bishop, who is no stranger to what he is saying," Griswold said. This is too disingenuous by half. The truth is; it is Griswold himself who has brought on the crisis in The Episcopal Church by consecrating a divorced, non-celibate homosexual to the episcopacy, and allowing the homosexual agenda to run rampant throughout the church with a nod and a wink, all the time telling the Primates that he understood their pain. Furthermore he has said that contemporary homosexuality is not found in, nor vaguely understood by the Biblical writers and he has more than once hinted that if the African bishops wait long enough post-modernity will catch up with them and they will see the error of their narrow-minded ways on pansexual behavior. They won't of course, as they believe in the authority of Holy Scripture, delivering themselves yet again with another blistering letter to Griswold telling him that he has three months to repent of his actions or face total expulsion from the Anglican Communion. Them's fightin' words. In an interview, Griswold told the American Statesman that he was hopeful that the church will maintain wholeness and noted that Irish Archbishop Robin Eames, who is heading the commission, has shown wisdom in handling delicate issues before. It was Eames who led a commission on women's ordination that pleased nobody at the end of the day, with provinces acting as they chose. The Episcopal Church brokered in women's ordination without theological examination, choosing to follow the bell curve of a secular women's liberation movement at the time. It should also be noted that Archbishop Eames himself is a proponent of pansexualism, and he is not unlike Griswold in his own thinking on the matter of sex outside of marriage. In a recent missive he upbraided conservatives for trying to influence the Lambeth Commission in their endeavors to prevent a split in the Communion, but then he got blasted himself by West Indies Primate Drexel Gomez for his obvious bias towards the West's liberals. Gomez wrote: "There is no small feeling amongst conservative members of the Communion that they are being asked to show restraint whilst the liberal agenda moves ahead with bishops in ECUSA taking action against conservative parishes; the Church of Canada proceeding to debate the blessing of same sex unions; dioceses in the Episcopal Church actually going forward with the authorisation of such rites, and the appointment of known advocates of same sex unions to senior office in the Church of England. This is only likely to create a situation where the playing field is perceived as skewed - conservative reaction is held back, whilst liberal viewpoints are allowed to claim too much territory. It creates the question in many minds, "Why should we wait, if others are not showing the same restraint?" I should be grateful therefore if some way could be found of addressing this question, and pointing out to our Communion that in the period of preparation of the work of the Lambeth Commission, restraint needs to be shown on all sides, and provocation to "precipitate action" avoided." Griswold loves to talk up what he calls the "diverse center," for building unity and for people who "may have different opinions yet can claim a common heritage…a common sense of mission." But the truth is that "diverse center" has all but gone. The American Anglican Council (AAC) and the newly formed NETWORK will never again believe anything Griswold says about looking for a "diverse center" they know it doesn't exist. It's Frank's fractal fantasy. The truth is; the church is radically polarizing with each passing day. Orthodox parishes are locked in mortal combat with revisionist bishops over theology, morality and property and those battles are heating up in one diocese after another with many heading towards the secular courts for resolution. It is altogether too disingenuous for Titus Pressler, the seminary dean and president, to say Griswold is leading the church "through our turbulent time with care, respect and love for all those within the body of Christ." This is arrant nonsense, unmitigated rubbish. Griswold has brought on the crisis all by himself, and for Pressler to spin Griswold's actions to make him look like the hero in the ECUSA middle, is nothing short of watching a blind man walking off a cliff face hoping that if he flaps his arms he can fly away as he plunges into the sea. Griswold hates any talk of absolutism. Like the ancient Israelites, Griswold said, "the church always is living in the wilderness between a former certitude and a new reality that has yet to emerge." That "new reality" is a revival of Gnostic paganism wrapped up in the garb of 21st Century pluriformity, and it is killing the ECUSA. But the end is nearer than either Griswold or Pressler want to admit. The threat of a formal fracture is very real as the global communion awaits the conclusions of the Lambeth Commission. The only question is what it will all look like when the final curtain is drawn on the sad drama of what was once a proud denomination. 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News Analysis By David W. Virtue Never in the history of human sexual perversity has so much sexual energy been expended by so few to achieve so little. In the case of The Episcopal Church USA the twists and turns in homoerotic behavior in recent weeks has reached the climactic level of reductio ad absurdum, leaving Global South Anglicans weeping in despair, but with a renewed desire to send hundreds of missionaries to these shores to convert Episcopalians who have never been exposed to a clear exposition of the Good News about Jesus. Consider the following. A retired 78-year old homoerotic bishop who should be spending his declining years playing with his grandchildren and telling them the ageless story of Jesus and His love, instead "marries" a 62-year old four times married man so he can "legally" engage in sodomite acts while his 7-year old grandchild is made to watch this human farce of a "wedding". But then it all goes awry. A stream of ecclesiastical outrage emanates forth, not from ECUSA's orthodox bishops who have come to expect this sort of thing and are too tired or too busy to respond, but from the Bishop of California, one William Swing, a revisionist bishop himself who has no problem with sodomy really, he has authorized same-sex unions, publicly honored same-sex marriages at City Hall, but now says he never gave approval for the "marriage" of Otis Charles but only approved a "blessing". Bishop Swing then revoked Bishop Charles license to officiate in the Diocese of California. His pseudo outrage defies all logic and understanding. According to Swing the "problem" wasn't the event itself, but Charles' failure to get parish support for the blessing. Swing said the rite must be a one-time, experimental liturgy distinctly different from the marriage rite and approved in advance by the bishop and the liturgy must not attract media attention. How disingenuous can you be? Well, California's Episcopal gay community was so outraged they blasted Swing for his double standards. They wrote, "You have authorized the blessing of same-sex unions on a case-by-case basis for some time now. Blessing same-sex unions is fine, just don't let anyone know about it!" (And don't presume to think that it is the moral or sacramental equivalent of marriage.) This is, at best, a mixed message," they cried. Oh me, oh my. The outrage of aggrieved sodomites knows no loyalty. They will brook no opposition even from one like unto Swing who is as pro-gay as they come and who heads a grab bag of religious impulses and spiritual wifters under the banner of the United Religions Initiative. Episcopal sodomites got so outraged they screamed at Swing, "Shouldn't we feel more than a little shame that our civic leaders have displayed greater courage in this matter than our spiritual leaders?" Hell hath no fury like an Episcopal sodomite scorned! While all this is going on in California, Bishop John Chane in the Diocese of Washington is proposing to move way beyond General Convention's resolution on same sex blessings, and says his gay clergy can prepare rites "for couples for whom marriage is not an appropriate or desirable step." Will he get his knuckles rapped by Frank Griswold for doing this? Will ECUSA's orthodox bishops file presentment charges? Not a prayer, they know that such actions would not even get outside the Title IV Review Committee. On the other hand Bishop Jenkins, (Louisiana) the Presiding Bishop's Council of Advice president would just love to dump a bucket load of charges on the Akron Five bishops for crossing diocesan lines, a minor charge compared to dispensing with the faith altogether on time-honored biblical sexuality. The American Anglican Council cynically observes that Swing's action against Charles might have something to do with what happened at GC2003, the worldwide negative reaction that followed Robinson's consecration and the looming Lambeth (Eames) Commission that could dynamite the whole Anglican Communion. And in the Diocese of Massachusetts another scenario played itself out this week that is even more cynical and disingenuous than a bunch of naked sodomites trying to practice celibacy in a gay bathhouse. The bishop, Tom Shaw, who is a great believer in participatory sodomy for his gay and lesbian priests, and who thinks the secular laws in Massachusetts are just great, told his fellow priests that they cannot solemnize same sex "marriages" even though the Massachusetts Judicial Supreme Court has said homosexual couples will have the right to "marry." The Massachusetts Episcopal Bishop dropped this bombshell to the clergy of the country's third largest diocese who gave as his rationale that while he advocated the full civil rights of gay and lesbian people and their families, he saw a contradiction between what civil laws allow and what the canons and the Book of Common Prayer state, which, he says, is that marriage in the Episcopal Church is between a man and a woman. And then the decidedly pro-gay bishop goes on to say, gulp, that if anyone signs a marriage license and conducts an actual marriage ceremony, rather than a church "blessing," for a same-sex couples that priest will be breaking church law and subject to defrocking. Really. So to test this twist on Episcopal canon law up jumps ECUSA's leading lesbian 'theologian' at Episcopal Divinity School the Rev. I. Carter Heyward, who told the Boston Globe that she plans to defy church law and perform two lesbian unions (marriages) this month. We can't wait to see how Shaw will act. A thoroughly pro-gay bishop bringing up a lesbian Episcopal theologian on charges she acted outside the canons. Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola should be greatly impressed as he looks for his barf bag marked "ECUSA HYPOCRISY" to throw up in. Unofficially, Shaw is a close friend of Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and perhaps he does not want to compromise the already delicate relations the archbishop has with orthodox bishops of the Global South. Williams has never repudiated "The Body's Grace" a pamphlet extolling the virtues of homoerotic behavior. Shaw's action might be viewed by the Anglican Communion as a sop, albeit legalistic and altruistic to prevent the inevitable break up, by adhering to a strict interpretation of the canons at a time the ECUSA has no core doctrine on sexuality issues (see Righter Trial) nor can the majority of its bishops affirm basic doctrine, defeating Resolution B001 at the last General Convention. "Maybe this is a sop to the people like myself who feel badly as to what's going on and who are splitting from the Episcopal Church," said Gerry Dorman, a board member for the Massachusetts chapter of the American Anglican Council, an Episcopal group that opposes same-sex unions. "They've been ordaining gays and blessing same-sex unions here for a long time. The diocesan directory lists same-sex spouses as well." The truth is marriage rites and blessings is little more than a distinction without a difference, noted a Virtuosity reader. The dioceses of Delaware, Nevada, Massachusetts and New Hampshire all have official same-sex "blessing" ceremonies. Similar rites for the Dioceses of Long Island, Hawaii and Washington dioceses are being developed. Episcopal clergy who disobey any orders from their bishop are subject to "inhibition," which means they are not allowed to function as a pastor for a set amount of time, usually six months. If they have not changed their actions, the bishop can then file a "presentment against them in an ecclesiastical court, where they will be defrocked if found guilty." For The Episcopal Church to really triumph it must repudiate all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman, and its laity, priests and bishops who diocese by diocese have performed these acts must be called to repentance and faith, that the church might experience renewal and restoration. 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.

Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry Names the Very Rev. Paul Zahl New Dean and President May 13, 2004 Zahl's Ministry to Play Integral Role in Future of Anglican Witness Ambridge, PA (May 13, 2004) - The Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry Board of Trustees announced today that the Very Rev. Paul F. M. Zahl has accepted a unanimous and enthusiastic call by the board to become the new Dean and President, succeeding the Very Rev. Dr. Peter Moore who will retire next month. Chairman of the Board of Trustees Hugo Blankingship said, "The Lord has blessed us indeed, as Paul will assume the awesome responsibility of Trinity's vital role as a bearer of an orthodox evangelical witness in North America." In partnership with Trinity's existing highly qualified and dedicated faculty, Zahl will be responsible for developing curriculum, programming and partnerships to prepare Trinity for long-term worldwide Christian ministry. According to the Rev. Canon David H. Roseberry, search committee chair, "After an exhaustive, prayerful, international search we have found an excellent leader who is responding to a genuine call from God. He will be able to lead our students, faculty and alums to preach and teach the Gospel throughout the world." He added, "The enormous worldwide response to our search (which included candidates from Canada, England and Africa among others) and the caliber of the candidates who emerged indicates that Trinity has come into its own. Trinity will be an important training ground for the next generation of Anglican leaders." Zahl, 52, was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1976. With undergraduate studies at Chapel Hill and Harvard, and graduate studies at Nottingham, he was awarded the Doctorate in Theology from Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tübingen in 1994. Since 1995 he has served as dean of Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. Zahl and his wife, Mary, will relocate to Ambridge in early August, though he will assume the office of Trinity Dean and President on July 1, 2004. Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, serves the Lord by forming Christian leaders, both lay and ordained. Trinity is a seminary in the Anglican tradition, especially serving the Episcopal Church as an evangelical, "Great Commission" seminary. Trinity also serves all those committed to the spread of the gospel, whatever their tradition. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Mr. Wicks Stephens Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry 311 Eleventh St. Ambridge, PA 15003 (724) 266-3838 wstephens@tesm.edu

INDONESIA 14 May 2004 An Indonesian church leader wrongly convicted of possession of firearms and imprisoned in Palu, Sulawesi, has been allowed to go to Jakarta for medical treatment due to the intervention of a Muslim cleric. Rinaldy Damanik was wrongly convicted of possession of firearms on 16 June 2003. He was sentenced to three years imprisonment, due to end in September 2005. Rinaldy was a signatory of the Malino peace agreement in December 2001 and has worked hard to end the violence. He has also been an outspoken critic of the police's handling of the anti-Christian violence, which many feel to be the real reason for his arrest. On 12 April 2004 he became extremely ill, frequently collapsing with a high fever. He had a stone in his urethra and was in urgent need of ultrasound treatment which could not be carried out in the provincial hospital. He was in constant acute pain and in and out of consciousness. At first, the authorities would not let him leave Palu for the necessary treatment. Pastor Damanik's legal advocates tried on several occasions to convince officials to allow his temporary hospitalisation in Jakarta to no avail. However, after the amazing and unexpected intervention of a senior Muslim cleric, officials finally let him and his entourage travel to Jakarta on Tuesday 4 May, accompanied by two prison guards and two policemen. Some months ago, the cleric had a vision during prayer that he was to visit Rinaldy in prison. Since then, Ustadz Idrus Alhabsy, who appealed on Damanik's behalf, has been impressed by Rinaldy's life and words. Recently, he became infuriated when he read in the newspapers about how Rinaldy was being treated and how he would die if he did not receive medical treatment. Alhabsy showed great compassion and courage of conviction when he went to the prison on 4 May and confronted the authorities, tearfully pleading for Damanik's release. This dramatic turn of events was very welcome. Very quickly, approval was given for Rinaldy to fly to Jakarta the next day, 5 May, for specialised treatment. Upon arrival in Jakarta, it was discovered that the stone in his urethra had miraculously dissolved without the need for an operation, though it caused a large scratch. He is still in some pain and will be treated further in Palu, due to stones in his kidneys and a possible Hepatitis B infection. Rinaldy Damanik's supporters have to raise the funds required for travel to and from Jakarta and for any hospital treatment that he receives there. Barnabas Fund has been able to be of service by allocating some funds for this purpose.

"But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord said to Moses...he (Pharaoh) and his officials hardened their hearts." Exodus 9:12 & 34 Dear Brothers and Sisters, It is now becoming apparent to this writer and to the orthodox leadership in The Episcopal Church that God is hardening the hearts of its revisionist bishops. As He did with Pharaoh in the days of the Exodus, he is doing again today. And just as the wrath of God was visited upon Pharaoh, so it will be on ECUSA's unbelieving bishops. The hearts of unbelieving, canonically Fundamentalist ECUSA bishops are being turned against the truth; they have turned the truth of God into a lie and as a result they will now do all in their power to stamp out the remnant of orthodox, faithful believing priests, inhibiting them, reducing their status as rectors, demanding more and more money, while pushing congregations to accept unbelieving inclusionist priests to lead them. In one diocese after another the screws are being tightened, fear and loathing reigns as rectors and vestries weigh their future as letters pour in from revisionist bishops demanding loyalty to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church while the Faith itself is rubbished and made irrelevant. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: DIOCESE OF WESTERN NEW YORK Bishop J. Michael Garrison has come down hard on three rectors in his diocese writing letters demanding loyalty and money. He has lowered the boom on one orthodox rector, making unreal demands on him, in order to stifle the priest's canonical right for Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight. DIOCESE OF BETHLEHEM Bishop Paul Marshall is coming down on Anglo-Catholic priest William Ilgenfritz, because the priest is orthodox. The bishop has written a book lauding lesbian love. DIOCESE OF PENNSYLVANIA Bishop Charles Bennison is waging war on three Anglo-Catholic parishes with multiple lawsuit actions pending. Now he is threatening an Evangelical parish priest, demanding the right to make a visitation even though his own Standing Committee has told him not to and the rector has asked for alternative Episcopal oversight. DIOCESE OF NEWARK Bishop John Croneberger has tossed out a Hispanic woman priest because she attended the Plano conference last year. They say she resigned, she says she was fired and has hired an attorney. DIOCESE OF ALABAMA Bishop William Parsley is playing hard ball with several parishes who want to join the Network. He gave Dr. Paul Zahl a hard time when he was Dean of Advent Cathedral. Parsley won't relent it seems till everyone has fallen into line with his way of thinking. DIOCESE OF MASSACHUSETTS Bishop Tom Shaw refused to ordain an Evangelical priest despite his four years of jumping through hoops. The deacon, Simon Barnes who is now resident in the Diocese of Pennsylvania will now be priested by Bishop Bob Duncan of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the Diocese of New Jersey. Go figure. DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUT A dozen orthodox priests are in conflict with their bishop Andrew D. Smith. They watch and wait hoping the Lambeth Commission will give them room to breathe the fresh air of orthodoxy. One priest has already had a public face off with the bishop. DIOCESE OF MISSOURI A lone orthodox rector has told the bishop he's leaving and believes he has a legal, moral and ecclesiastical right to the property. Bishop George Wayne Smith thinks otherwise and it is all going to court. DIOCESE OF NEW YORK A lonely orthodox priest on the banks of the Hudson River walks on eggshells with Mark Sisk his bishop. He wants DEPO but has to face a tyrannical revisionist suffragan bishop in the person of Cathy Roskam. DIOCESE OF EASTERN MICHIGAN Bishop Ed Leidel faces a revolt from some six parishes in the Flint River Convocation (Deanery). Two priests have already resigned, parishes are losing people and money to the diocese is in free fall. DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA Several wealthy orthodox parish priests will shortly face the wrath of Bishop Peter Lee when he realizes that the money pool is drying up faster than he can replace it. They have it, he wants it. Their pain has only just begun. DIOCESE OF MISSISSIPPI The vestry of an orthodox parish expressed its displeasure to the Bishop Duncan Gray for assigning to them, as an interim priest, a man they say is not only a homosexual, but living in a non-celibate relationship with another man. The Bishop briefly engaged his brain and the priest was quietly recalled. This kind of thing went on for years in the Diocese of Washington under Bishop Ron Haines – dumping queer priests on unsuspecting orthodox parishes by his development officer Ted Karpf. DIOCESE OF SOUTHERN OHIO The Rt. Rev. Herbert Thompson, Jr. removed the Rev. John Reade, who has been serving as priest-in-charge at All Saints', Portsmouth, apparently to prevent any conflict that might arise from Fr. Reade's orthodox Christian faith and his decision to leave The Episcopal Church for the Roman Catholic Church. Fr. Reade was ordained to the priesthood in June 2003. Heaven forbid that Fr. Reade should lead others "astray". AND ALL THE WHILE THIS IS GOING ON Orthodox bishops cross diocesan lines to minister to faithful priests in a revisionist diocese, while a revisionist bishop (Walter Righter) works without permission in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. And to top off the insanity a queer bishop marries his partner in the revisionist Diocese of California, which the diocesan, Bishop Swing protested because it was a "marriage" and not a "blessing" as if that is going to impress the Primates. DIOCESE OF NEW JERSEY - THE OUTRAGE CONTINUES Ms. Mantelle Bradley, the pregnant lesbian priest Youth Ministry leader in the diocese gave birth and so could not attend the last Happening weekend. But not to worry, a source told Virtuosity, she was there showing off the new baby to all of the teens participating. And a couple of weeks ago, her baby was baptized by Bishop George Councell. "They had to have the baptism in her partners church because the two churches that Mantelle is vicar of were too small for the crowd of well-wishers which included the teens from around the diocese who idolize her," said the source. WEST COAST EPISCOPALIANS TO MEET Orthodox West Coast Episcopalians will meet in Long Beach, California, June 3-4. Among the Plano-West goals: preparing "for the emerging realignment of an orthodox and vital Anglicanism in the United States." THE HEAT IS ON ARCHBISHOP EAMES AND THE LAMBETH COMMISSION In an address to the Irish General Synod recently he said this: "I want to make plain to this Synod and to the wider Anglican Communion that without prejudice to the final report of the Commission what the media likes to term the conservative view and the liberal view are being listened to, noted and taken fully into account. It is wrong for anyone to conclude that the Commission is listening only to one or the other. It is wrong to think that the Commission is more sympathetic to one view rather than to another"-- much Anglican waffling. "The fact that pilgrims on the journey of the Church can differ on the interpretation of that same Scripture has produced much of our present crisis. So we need guidance on how we interpret Scripture". Really. The Global South have no difficulty in interpreting Scripture, they, along with most of us take the plain meaning of the text unless it is metaphor, Psalmody, poetry etc. Mel Gibson had no problem with the literalness of Jesus' pain and suffering and he figured out that the tomb was later empty...all by himself. No to sodomy yes to the resurrection, no PhD from Cantab or Oxon necessary. THE JEFFREY JOHN APPOINTMENT Strictly speaking, the appointment of the Dean of one of the historic cathedrals is made directly by the Crown. It became de facto a prime ministerial appointment in the 19th century, and is nowadays handled by a senior civil servant in 10 Downing Street, Mr. William Chapman, who identifies candidates, and consults with the diocesan bishop about the appointment. The evidence suggests that a series of recent decanal appointments have followed the New Labour agenda, such that it is very rare for a married male to be offered a deanery. Given the sensitivities involved with Jeffrey John it is extremely unlikely that this appointment would have been made without the full knowledge and at least passive consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury. A (ludicrous) distinction may have been drawn between the ministry of a bishop and that of a dean. "It now seems that the rule in Issues in Human Sexuality has been modified so that a gay lifestyle is permissible for the laity, but not for the clergy, unless they become senior clergy." "I wonder whether he will decide to wear a bullet proof vest for his installation? 'Safe sex plus safe consecration'?" ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY'S WIFE PLEADS FOR FAMILY VALUES Jane Williams made a plea for family values this week. "Divorce and infidelity have 'ravaged' British families much as war and Aids have destroyed lives in the Third World," she said. In a speech to the Mothers' Union, Jane Williams said that too many children were growing up without models of lasting, committed relationships. Her comments follow a series of high-profile divorces and allegations of infidelity surrounding the footballer David Beckham, who is idolized by many young people. Mrs. Williams, who is a theologian and mother of two, asked what chance young people would have of "building for themselves something they had never seen". "I have seen housing estates where families that are already fragmenting are all put together, often with poor public transport, no schools, no doctor's surgery, no shops," she said. "How can that possibly help to uphold the family?" BIRMINGHAM NEWS CLARIFICATION REGARDING DR. PAUL ZAHL "A story on the first page of Friday's Metro/State section was inaccurate on several points regarding the Rev. Paul Zahl, dean of the Cathedral Church of the Advent. The story said Zahl had resigned. Zahl says he has accepted the unanimous nomination of the board of directors of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pa., but won't resign until Trinity's board votes to elect him president and dean of the school. Zahl noted that he presented his decision to the cathedral's executive committee in person, although the story implied otherwise by saying he was out of town and unavailable for comment on the day he notified the committee. Zahl said the story also implied that his decision was related to controversy in the parish over his opposition to the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop. That was not the case, Zahl said." BISHOP GREIN, ANN RICHARDS AND GRACE CHURCH IN MANHATTAN Virtuosity has received word that Richards, who was cited as "the other woman" in Grein's divorce proceedings is going to marry the former NY Bishop. This will be her third marriage and his second. As a priest in the 'Diocese of Sodom' she requires Bishop Mark's permission. Can't imagine that being a problem. She is no longer with Grace Church but has gotten a job as chaplain of Grace Church School. What a great model of a Christian cleric for the school, faculty and students to emulate! No word on where they are tying the nuptial knot, but Grein must be happy on several counts. He walked away from 39 charges laid against him courtesy of Frank Griswold and an attorney Griswold brought in to look at the charges. He also walked away from a presentment against him, and the case of the Rev. Janet Kraft was nearly resolved when Federal Judge Wood refused to consider Janet's case against the former bishop. But Kraft is not giving up, Virtuosity was told, she is appealing to a higher court. Good for her. Kraft, you will recall, was a priest at Grace Church when she was dismissed by Grein so he could put Richards in her place. Makes you wonder just how corrupt the Diocese of New York is. And oh yes, the source for the rumor was Joan Grein. DIOCESE OF OLYMPIA ELECTS NEW SUFFRAGAN BISHOP She is The Rev. Bavi Edna 'Nedi' Rivera. She is the first Hispanic woman bishop and only the 12th woman bishop in the history of the Episcopal Church in the United States. A Virtuosity reader noted that Nedi Rivera's father refused to ordain women when he was a bishop. She, on the other hand, is an ardent feminist. "I do have to laugh about the Hispanic aspect. Her mother is white." DIOCESE OF WASHINGTON The Rev. Christopher Halliday (St. George's Episcopal Church, William and Mary Parish - Valley Lee, MD) was removed from the church by Bishop John Chane of the Washington Diocese for "violation of his sacred vows" and will no longer be a practicing priest in the United States and will be returning to England. Seems that Rev. Halliday was having an affair with a woman from England and his wife (Rev. Paula Halliday) found an email between the two and reported the affair to the Bishop. Rev. Halliday has been barred from having any contact with parishioners from the church and must make an appearance before the Vestry of the church to explain his actions and issue a personal apology before leaving the country. Now this is the same diocese that has pushed queer priests onto unsuspecting parishes, spent a million dollars crucifying one single Anglo-Catholic priest, and its former diocesan Bishop Ron Haines never allowed single or married white males to be priests in his diocese during his tenure...and Chane is among the worst of the worst revisionist bishops pushing queer rites and more. DIOCESE OF THE RIO GRANDE Where Bishop Terence Kelshaw is shortly to retire, the Diocese reported on the bishop search process. In the midst of the search the Standing Committee president of New Hampshire contacted the Rio Grande Search Committee to tell them he was appalled at the tactics of the Rio Grande Via Media. So much for the inclusionary methods of the Via Media. URGENT NEWS - MISSIONARY SUPPORT FUNDS NEEDED There is an urgent need to replace missionary support funds that are being lost because of ECUSA's sin, writes Bill Atwood of EKKLESIA. "The actions of the ECUSA General Convention to consecrate a non-celibate candidate in a same-sex relationship continues to create shockwaves around the world. Last month the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa released a statement saying that CAPA Provinces were no longer willing to receive funds from 815 or revisionist dioceses. They made this decision lest they be accused of supporting the same-sex agenda of ECUSA by accepting funds." "I have received word that there are a number of missionaries appointed by the Episcopal Church that have been informed that they must sever their relationship with ECUSA and find orthodox sources of funds in order to stay in Africa. The challenge is significant. There is an immediate emergency need to raise money. While it will take some time to learn the full extent of the need, we are aware of an immediate need for almost $60,000 for missionary support to replace rejected funds. The total need will likely exceed $1,000,000 per year. As has been the case since our inception, 100% of designated funds are delivered to the field. There are not (nor have their ever been) any deductions for administrative overhead. Immediate support can be sent through the Ekklesia web site (www.ekk.org) or by check to Ekklesia, PO Box 118526, Carrollton, TX 75011-8526." THE JESUS SEMINAR AND SPONG ANNUAL ROAD SHOW In Nyack, NY recently Spong said, "Jesus cannot be bound in the Scriptures, creeds, doctrines or dogmas of the church." During his tenure as Bishop of Newark, the diocese went into free fall and lost more than 30 percent of its membership. Under Bishop John Croneberger it is faring no better. As for the future, Spong said the church has to first drop the concept of original sin. Mankind was never perfect and has never fallen, he said, but is still trying to become human. "We have to see the Christ figure as an experience of God that helped people become more fully human, to help set them free," he said. Truth is thousands are being freed up to leave the Episcopal Church precisely because of Spong and his nonsense. PRESIDING BISHOP'S EMAIL A Virtuosity reader noticed that the Presiding Bishop's e-mail address has been removed from the Episcopal Church website. The wag observed, "You don't expect it's because he's been receiving too much laudatory mail, do you?" ISLAMIC PERSECUTION AND SUPPORTING PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS One of the issues facing worldwide Anglicanism is Islamic persecution and the need to support persecuted Christians and fulfilling the Great Commission as the best response to this persecution. Dr. Peter Hammond who has been received as a minister in the Episcopal Church of Sudan will be speaking on "Revival Amidst Persecution in Sudan" at First Presbyterian Church 252 Admiral Circle Lawrenceburg TN 38464 on Thursday May 20 at 7PM for more information people can email pastor@soulfriend.org Dr. Hammond's website is http://www.frontline.org.za Dr. Hammond ministers in the war zones of Africa and has spent considerable time ministering in the war torn areas of the Sudan. CORRECTION - ADVENT CATHEDRAL In my last digest I said Bishop Parsley will nominate and place the new Dean of Advent Cathedral in Birmingham. Not so. A cathedral staffer wrote saying, "We are a parish church cathedral. Our relationship with the Bishop is governed by an agreement between the Advent and the Diocese. That agreement covers the selection of a Dean and states: 'When the office of Dean of the Cathedral is vacant, it shall be the duty of the Chapter to elect and call a Dean in accordance with and pursuant to the Canons of the Diocese as they relate to the call of a Minister.' Canon 8 of the Canons of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Alabama states: 'A Rector shall be elected by the majority of the Vestry, on written ballot, after prior consultation with the Bishop.'" CORRECTION - LAMBETH COMMISSION "You continue to name the Lambeth Commission on Communion as the Eames Commission. This is wrong. The Eames Commission reported on the Ordination of Women to the Episcopate in the last century, and took a particular line, which is not a precedent for the basis of the Commission's findings on this issue." CORRECTION - REV. JOHN KARANJA In a story on the recent Anglican Communion Institute held in Colorado Springs I referred to the Rev. John Karanja as a bishop. "I am not a bishop but a priest of the Anglican Church of Kenya teaching at Trinity Lutheran Lutheran in Columbus, Ohio." ADDITIONAL STORIES I am posting a number of stories in today's digest including another on the current malaise of The Episcopal Church. THE AKRON FIVE BISHOPS The Akron Five Bishops who crossed diocesan lines recently have written a response to Bishop Jenkins the president of the PB's Council of Advice. You can read that story today. Please feel free to forward them to your friends. With the Internet nobody needs to stay in the dark. Tell your friends to join by going to the website: www.virtuosityonline.org and signing up, or you can simply read the stories at the website. SUPPORTING VIRTUOSITY Please consider supporting Virtuosity. New stories are posted daily to the website. If you want to stay completely current then go to www.virtuosityonline.org and scan through the categories that interest you. The dates will show how current the story is. Please know that your financial support and encouragement makes this ministry worthwhile. This is a critical year in the life of the Anglican Communion and Virtuosity is pulling out all the stops to keep you informed on a daily basis. Please be generous and make a donation through PayPal at my website or send a check by snail mail to Virtuosity, 1236 Waterford Rd., West Chester, PA 19380. Thank you. All blessings, David W. Virtue DD

Annual convention of diocese begins today at Marshall University By Bob Withers The Herald-Dispatch Huntington -- Up to 450 delegates to the 127th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia will face some divisive issues when they meet at Marshall University starting today. A lay organization called West Virginia Anglicans plans to offer resolutions during the three-day meeting to confirm the diocese's continued allegiance to traditional Episcopalian beliefs and practices and permit parishes to contribute financially to the diocese without also forcing them to support the national church. The resolutions are a reaction to a decision during last spring's 2003 General Convention of the Episcopal Church USA to elect the Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion, as bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. The vote has prompted some Episcopalians to leave the denomination or curtail contributions to their churches, requiring budget cutbacks. "Whether the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia remains united or whether it shatters as members and perhaps entire parishes leave it will be decided by (the) diocesan convention vote," says Dr. Matt Vester, senior warden of Trinity Episcopal Church in Morgantown and a WVA organizer. "Membership in the Diocese has declined 50 percent over the past 30 years. Should the Diocese of West Virginia fail to pass resolutions that distance it from the actions of the national church, this demographic and financial decline will likely accelerate." Vester says that 19 of 38 provincial Anglican churches and archbishops have declared broken or impaired community with the national Episcopal Church after the convention's vote and its decision to give dioceses the option of allowing same-sex blessings. Members of more than 15 parishes have joined West Virginia Anglicans, and the group has been experiencing steady growth each month since its creation in December 2003, Vester said. More than 200 families in the diocese have expressed support for the group's aims. But the group's views are far from being universally accepted. "The polity of the church is like the United States of America," says the Rev. Donald Vinson, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church on Washington Boulevard. "For a diocese to disassociate itself or declare void an action of the church is similar to a state like West Virginia declaring a national law void. I see those resolutions in that light." The Rev. Mark Seitz, rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Wheeling, is sponsoring a financial resolution that permits parishes to redirect the money that would normally go to the national church to a ministry designated by the diocese. Another resolution sponsored by Seitz dissociates itself from the actions of the General Convention that it says were "contrary to Holy Scripture" and that had the effect of "separating the church from the Anglican Communion and from the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Rev. Kirk Haas, rector of Trinity Church in Morgantown who is sponsoring the resolution to reaffirm traditional teachings, says it is "not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word written." "The crisis that has been created in the Episcopal Church USA and in the worldwide Anglican Communion by the actions of the 2003 General Convention is primarily a crisis of how Christians can know spiritual truth," Haas says. "Without the universal authority of Holy Scripture, the Church is reduced to personal opinions that may be manipulated by the prevailing culture." Vester adds that the General Convention vote in effect established that the leaders of the national Episcopal church have the power to excise some parts of the Bible and substitute cultural prescriptions. "These actions also establish that a plain reading of the Bible is no longer possible, since what might seem obvious to a lay reader may now be deemed irrelevant or even repulsive by some leaders within the national structure," he says. The Right Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, says that West Virginia Anglicans have no status in the diocese or the national church. "They are not an official body of any kind in the church," he says. The convention, which opens at 1 p.m. Friday in the Marshall Student Center, is open to the public.

By Julia Dunn The Washington Times May 14, 2004 One of the largest and most liberal Episcopal dioceses in the country is banning its clergy from solemnizing same-sex "marriages" in anticipation of Monday, when the Massachusetts Judicial Supreme Court has said homosexual couples will have the right to "marry." The decision was announced in a May 6 letter by Massachusetts Episcopal Bishop Thomas Shaw to clergy in the 79,000-member diocese, the country's third largest after Virginia (89,000) and Texas (86,000). "I have ... advocated for the full civil rights of gay and lesbian people and their families," Bishop Shaw wrote. However, "there is a contradiction between what our civil laws will allow and what our canons and the Book of Common Prayer state, which is that marriage in the Episcopal Church is between a man and a woman." This was a surprise decision because Bishop Shaw and his two assistant bishops openly support homosexual "marriage," as do a majority of Episcopal delegates who voted at a March 13 diocesan convention to approve the state Supreme Court's ruling. However, anyone who signs a marriage license and conducts an actual marriage ceremony, rather than a church "blessing," for a same-sex couple as of Monday will be breaking church law and subject to defrocking. "Maybe this is a sop to the people like myself who feel badly as to what's going on and who are splitting from the Episcopal Church," said Gerry Dorman, a board member for the Massachusetts chapter of the American Anglican Council, an Episcopal group that opposes same-sex unions. "They've been ordaining gays and blessing same-sex unions here for a long time," he said of diocesan officials. "The diocesan directory lists same-sex spouses as well." Several dioceses in the Episcopal Church routinely "bless" homosexual couples who are not permitted to "marry," such as a much-publicized rite last month in San Francisco involving a retired Episcopal bishop, the Rev. Otis Charles, who "married" his male partner. The diocese retaliated a day later by revoking his license to officiate and removing him as an assistant bishop. The dioceses of Delaware, Nevada, Massachusetts and New Hampshire have official same-sex "blessing" ceremonies. Similar rites for the Long Island, Hawaii and Washington dioceses are being developed. However, only in Massachusetts will clergy be able to perform the legal functions of solemnizing a marriage, which includes the signing of a marriage license. "The question is," said the Rev. Ian Douglas, professor at the liberal Episcopal Divinity School (EDS), a seminary in Cambridge, Mass., "can priests be legal agents of the state if their own church says no?" A lesbian professor at EDS, the Rev. I. Carter Heyward, told the Boston Globe that she plans to defy church law and perform two lesbian unions this month. She did not respond to a phone inquiry yesterday. The Diocese of Massachusetts also did not respond to inquiries on how Miss Heyward would be disciplined for her act. A minister with the New England synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America informed Bishop Margaret Payne of an intent to disobey, according to the Globe. The synod declined to release the name of the clergy in question, but did say in a statement that the denomination does not even have rites for same-sex blessings. Pastors also may not officiate at a same-sex "marriage," the statement said. Episcopal clergy who disobey any orders from their bishop are subject to "inhibition," which means they are not allowed to function as a pastor for a set amount of time, usually six months. If they have not changed their actions, the bishop can then file a "presentment against them in an ecclesiastical court, where they will be defrocked if found guilty." Most Christian denominations forbid same-sex blessing ceremonies, as do Orthodox and Conservative Jewish groups. However, the Reform and Reconstructionist Jewish groups do. The Unitarian Universalist Association, which is based in Boston, not only allows the practice but has scheduled dozens of same-sex "weddings" at its churches across the state. Meanwhile in Boston, a federal judge yesterday declined to grant an emergency stay on same-sex "marriages," and conservative legal groups said they were taking their case to the federal appeals court. "We will appeal this case as far as necessary to ensure that the separation-of-powers principle is upheld in Massachusetts. The Republican representative form of government must be restored so the people can have a chance to define marriage," said Matthew Staver, president of Liberty Counsel, one of several conservative groups representing 11 Massachusetts lawmakers and a Catholic activist. In arguments Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Joseph Tauro, the plaintiffs said the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overstepped its authority when it unilaterally redefined marriage law to allow same-sex "marriage" in its Nov. 18 Goodridge decision. The Massachusetts attorney general's office and lawyers with the Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders said the high court was within its purview in its decision.

By David Quinn Religious Correspondent Irish Independent May 14, 2004 Divisions over homosexuality emerged yesterday as the three-day annual General Synod of the Church of Ireland drew to a close in Armagh. Delegates publicly disagreed over how homosexuality should be regarded by the Church, with some arguing for a more inclusive attitude and others insisting that the Church had to remain faithful to the teaching of the Gospel. The disagreements are a sign of the splits within the Anglican communion worldwide that have become more visible since the election of an openly gay man as bishop of New Hampshire last year. The bishops had not intended that the issue of homosexuality would be raised at the Synod but several delegates were provoked into speaking when Dr Joan Turner of the Church's marriage council pleaded for a re-consideration of the Church's traditional teaching on homosexuality. In an official presentation, she urged delegates to "reconsider our understanding of the concept of personality, including sexuality". She said "this will involve careful re-analysis of what we mean by homosexuality while adhering to the Christian ideal of marriage as a life-long commitment of one man with one woman." However, Dermot O'Callaghan, a delegate from the diocese of Down and Dromore, said that she had "undervalued marriage" by describing it as an ideal, "as though it is unattainable" and he was "concerned that the concept of showing generosity towards homosexual practice will weaken marriage". Mr O'Callaghan was backed by Stephen Crowder of Clogher diocese, who said that "just because someone has a genetic disposition to violence does not make it right. Nor does it make sexual conduct of various kinds right." However, Dean Michael Burrows of Cork diocese said he did not want the public to think "that the Synod is attentive only to the side represented by Mr O'Callaghan".

DUNCAN SAYS PARSLEY "MISCHARACTERIZES" NETWORK A STATEMENT FROM BISHOP ROBERT W. DUNCAN, ACN MODERATOR, IN RESPONSE TO BISHOP PARSLEY'S LETTER TO THE CLERGY OF THE DIOCESE OF ALABAMA I read with deep concern Bishop Parsley's statement and letter of Pastoral Direction to the clergy of the Diocese of Alabama. In this communication, Bishop Parsley described the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes (commonly known as the Anglican Communion Network) as a "divisive organization outside the canonical structures of the Episcopal Church, the charter of which is undermining of the good order and mission of this church." As Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, I must address these serious mischaracterizations Bishop Parsley has made. The Episcopal Church violated its own Constitution by its decisions at General Convention 2003 resulting not only in intractable divisions within the Episcopal Church, but also within the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury first recommended formation of a network of "confessing" dioceses and congregations. In response to that call, the Anglican Communion Network is developing as a biblically-based missionary movement dedicated to upholding a faithful expression of Anglicanism in North America. The creation of the Anglican Communion Network, quite contrary to Bp. Parsley's assertions, has enabled many orthodox Episcopalians to justify remaining in the Episcopal Church during this time of crisis. I am extremely confused about why Bishop Parsley expresses such hostility to a network which was conceived by Archbishop Williams and is recognized by 14 Anglican Primates, serving as the only American connection to Anglicanism in the eyes of some primates. Bishop Parsley voted against innovations in sexuality at General Convention and is on record for orthodox Christianity. I would have expected him to embrace the Network rather than condemn it, and I invite him to have conversations with me and other ACN bishops so he can better understand the mission and ministry we offer. We would be delighted to address his concerns point by point. In the meantime, I urge him to reconsider his Pastoral Directive prohibiting association with Anglican Communion Network as well as well any potential actions against his clergy and laity. Attempts to use Episcopal power as a means of limiting the freedoms of faithful Episcopalians have proven utterly bankrupt over the last 30 years, leaving disunity and broken fellowships wherever they have been put in place. As a policy tool, I suspect they will serve a "basically" conservative bishop like Bishop Parsley no better than it has the radicals with whom his votes at General Convention are in such sharp disagreement.

Special Report By David W. Virtue 5/13/2005 FIVE bishops who participated in the irregular confirmation of 110 persons at a multi-congregational action in Akron, Ohio recently, have replied to a letter from the President of the Presiding Bishop's Council of Advice, saying they would assent to a meeting if it was "honest and open" not done in secret and that 10 additional people be invited to listen to the discussion but not to participate. The five bishops include C. FitzSimons Allison, Maurice Benitez, William J. Cox, Alex B. Dickson and William C. Wantland. In their letter to Bishop Charles E. Jenkins, the orthodox five said the Council of Advice would choose five and they would choose five. "Our hope and prayer is that our meeting can in some way help facilitate a reaffirmation of the Christian faith as the indispensable basis of our unity." The five bishops then launched into what they viewed as the central issue regarding faith and order in The Episcopal Church. "We appreciate your letter saying that you recognize that our commitment is to Christian Faith and Anglican Doctrine but your suggested agenda seems not to reflect this concern." The five bishops argued that being "accountable to one to another" should be subordinate to the much more serious matter of our common accountability to the faith which we as bishops, have sworn to guard. "Your claim that 'faith and order' are 'givens' and 'cannot be considered apart from one another' is generally and desirably the case. It is not true, however, of the history of Christianity in which catholic Christians, including St. Athanasius, clearly honored faith over territorial order in cases of heretical and schismatic bishops (cf. the Arian and Donatist schisms among others)." "Since the time of Bishop Pike the House of Bishops has tended to reduce essential and substantial theological concerns to mere matters of 'how we treat each other' (to quote your concerns) and in the case of Pike, from his denial of Christology and Trinity, to his 'tone and manner.' Your suggestion of inviting a 'facilitator' ('with no theological agenda'), and the Presiding Bishop's assistant for 'Pastoral Development' seems to follow this same line of thinking. We do not wish the issue of faithful doctrine to be reduced to mere interpersonal relations. Our primary concern is not personal; and pastoral, as important as that may be, but objective, impersonal, and classical concerns for the faith that has been entrusted to us as bishops." The five orthodox bishops sad they were willing to meet with the Council of Advice if "we are all committed to a discussion of the faith of the Church as the essential principle of unity." Note: If you are not receiving this from VIRTUOSITY, the Anglican Communion's largest and most widely read biblically-orthodox online news service, then you may subscribe FREE at www.virtuosityonline.org. Virtuosity has had more than 1.6 million hits at its website. Readers can be found in 45 countries on six continents.

Conservative, West Coast Episcopalians plan meeting By Sandi Dolbee UNION-TRIBUNE RELIGION & ETHICS EDITOR May 13, 2004 Seven months ago, Episcopalians upset over the election of an openly gay bishop gathered in Plano, Texas, to take a stand for their beliefs. Next month, a West Coast offshoot of that meeting will be held in Long Beach. Among the goals: preparing "for the emerging realignment of an orthodox and vital Anglicanism in the United States." The focus of "Plano-West," to be held June 3-4 at the Long Beach Convention Center, is on mission and evangelism, said the Rev. Tony Baron, an Oceanside priest and one of the organizers. But a key element will be an opportunity for like-minded conservative Episcopalians to support each other. "This is a chance for us to see who's out there and who does feel the same," said Baron, who is rector of St. Anne's Episcopal Church. It also will be an opportunity for participants to discuss a recently formed maverick network that is challenging the authority of the U.S. Episcopal Church. Launched in January, the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes was set up to offer disgruntled churches alternative "spiritual authority." Under the network's plan, these parishes would break away from their local bishop and realign themselves with bishops approved by the network. The reason for this chasm centers around the consecration of Bishop V. Gene Robinson in New Hampshire. Robinson, a priest who is divorced and living with a longtime same-sex partner, was elected bishop by his diocese last June. Two months later, his election was confirmed by a majority vote at the denomination's national meeting in Minneapolis. The repercussions have been divisive both in the 2.3 million-member Episcopal Church and the worldwide, 77 million Anglican Communion to which the U.S. denomination belongs. Much of the Anglican Communion opposed Robinson's consecration. Baron said the election shunned conservatives. "What I object to more than anything else is the process," he said. "The process violated what we are as Anglicans. It was a command decision where a consensus decision was needed." No churches in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego have formally aligned themselves with the breakaway network, and the region has so far avoided some of the open fractures occurring elsewhere. But that could change, depending upon who becomes the new local bishop. San Diego Bishop Gethin Hughes, a conservative, is retiring, and an election for his replacement is scheduled in the fall. While Hughes voted against Robinson's elevation, he also has called for maintaining unity. The emphasis appears to be on maintaining the status quo — at least for now. "We love Bishop Hughes," Baron said. "We're going to honor him. This is his last year. We want to make his transition a joyful one and a peaceful one." "Plano-West" is being sponsored by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Anglican Council, a conservative group that also helped organize the network. Baron expects from 1,200 to 2,000 clergy and lay people — including about 30 local priests — to attend the Long Beach gathering (an East Coast version held in Virginia drew more than 2,600 participants). A spokesman for the diocese said Bishop Hughes does not plan to attend. To register for the conference, participants must sign a "statement of faith," which includes that "all Scripture is God's Holy Word" and that "God set aside marriage to be between one man and one woman." Meanwhile, splits within the Episcopal Church are continuing to occur. Among the recent ones was in Robinson's own diocese in New Hampshire, where about 40 parishioners have left to form a breakaway parish. Two other churches there have taken steps to affiliate with the conservative network but have not quit the diocese. In New Jersey, St. Anthony of Padua Church in Hackensack has applied to the Newark Diocese to be led by Wisconsin's retired Bishop William Wantland, a network supporter, instead of resident Bishop John Croneberger, who backed Robinson. These fractures may be a sign of things to come in other Protestant denominations whose rules are set by democratically styled elections. Last week, some conservatives in the United Methodist Church suggested that it study ways to execute an "amicable separation" because of deep divisions over homosexuality and other issues. While delegates to the Methodists' General Conference in Pittsburgh instead endorsed a last-minute statement on unity, the battle is not over. As one conservative leader put it: "The division of our church has already happened. It just hasn't been named or formalized yet." The Associated Press and Religion News Service contributed to this report.