By Bishop Josep Rossello January 21, 2026   While much of the religious news in the UK and Europe focuses on institutional decline—even as we hear encouraging reports of a "Quiet Revival" across the Western World—another story is unfolding under the radar. A quiet expansion is taking place across the continent. The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) has recently passed the milestone of 100 churches, now reaching a total of 116 local congregations.   What began in 2013 as a small movement in England has become a vibrant, recognized GAFCON jurisdiction, proving that Europe remains an urgent mission field. ANiE is fulfilling the call to disciple Europe through the faithful gospel of Jesus Christ.   On June 30, 2017, the ACNA Primate, Archbishop Foley Beach, consecrated Bishop Andy Lines as a missionary bishop on behalf of GAFCON, with many other Anglican Primates and Bishops participating in the consecration.   In less than nine years, the episcopal leadership has expanded from a single pioneer bishop to a team of seven—including diocesan, assistant, and retired bishops. This team provides the leadership "backbone" for a growing, faithful Anglican jurisdiction that shows no signs of slowing down, as new churches are formed, planted, and strengthened each year.   Three Dioceses, One Mission   In 2020, the GAFCON Primates Council voted to establish the Anglican Network in Europe as a "proto-province" (an initial provincial structure) with Bishop Andy Lines serving as the Presiding Bishop. Originally formed by two convocations, we have since grown to comprise three distinct dioceses: ·           AMiE  (Anglican Mission in England): Starting and strengthening churches in the birthplace of Anglicanism. Led by Bishop Tim Davies. It has 36 Congregations. ·           ACE  (Anglican Convocation in Europe): Reaching across borders into the heart of the continent, active in nine countries. Led by Bishop Andy Lines. It has 24 Congregations. ·           AMC Europe  (Anglican Missionary Congregations): The newest addition, joining in 2024 and bringing unique energy to the Network. Led by Bishop Dr. Gideon Ilechukwu. It has 56 Congregations Though each diocese maintains its unique flavour and values, they are bound by a commitment to the Lord, biblical truth, and the historic faith of orthodox Anglicanism—expressed with a clear passion to embody God’s kingdom in Europe.   The motivation behind this mission is not merely institutional; it is born of a genuine love for Europe. Approximately  90% of the European population  does not yet know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.   For those of us at ANiE, Europe isn’t just a collection of nations; it is a mission field. By prioritizing church planting, development, and grassroots discipleship, the Network seeks to reintroduce the faithful gospel of Christ to a continent many had written off as "post-Christian."   As we move beyond the 100-church mark, the message from ANiE is clear: we aren’t just making noise; we are making disciples through faithful churches across Europe.   Bishop Josep Rossello Assistant Bishop, ACE (ANiE)

January 20, 2026 1. We, Primates of the Global South, met in Victoria, Mahe, the Seychelles, from 14-17 January 2026 for our first in person meeting since the inauguration of the GSFA’s Covenant Structure at our First Assembly (9th Trumpet) in Egypt in June 2024. As we met to pray, worship and take counsel together, the Seychelles national motto ‘Finis coronat opus’ (the end crowns the work) reminded us of the biblical truth that we should be steadfast in those things which are of eternal worth and not be driven off course by passing cultural fashions, so that what we build may be sound and stand the test of time. 2. We are deeply grateful to the Bishop of the Seychelles, the Rt Rev Danny Elizabeth, and His Grace Archbishop Gilbert Rateloson, Primate of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean, for their generous welcome and the wonderful support we received from St Paul’s Cathedral, Victoria. 3. Preaching on John 6:66-69 at our opening service, Archbishop Titre Ande reminded us that we should not be surprised if there are those who abandon Jesus and his teaching. After many left him, Jesus says to the twelve ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ and Peter replies ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life’. This question comes to the Church today; are we leaving or are we staying? GSFA is staying within the Anglican Communion, but more importantly, we are staying with Jesus to bear witness that we must choose life rather than death and light rather than darkness. 4. Some of the nations we represent are experiencing war, insecurity or political tensions that threaten to spill over into violence. We grieve for the continuing violence in Sudan, South Sudan, Myanmar and DR Congo. We also prayed for Uganda as national elections took place as we met and for Madagascar as a new government is formed. We also humbly acknowledge the prophetic courage of the suffering church around the world. The tragic events unfolding in Iran were very much in our minds and we also stand in solidarity with the faithful in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and northern Nigeria. 5. We are grateful to God for the growth of the GSFA since the First Assembly (9th Trumpet) which is increasingly becoming a spiritual home, not just an ecclesial structure, modelling covenanted relationships to defend orthodoxy, promote mission, deepen discipleship and enable economic wellbeing. 6. We lamented the departure from historic Anglican teaching which is now becoming entrenched in the senior leadership of the Church of England. However, we recognise that there are many in the Church of England, united in ‘The Alliance’, who have remained faithful and are offering an increasingly effective resistance to the revisionist agenda. It was a privilege for some of us to be present with over three hundred orthodox leaders in July last year and we assure them of our continued solidarity as they contend for the faith. 7. As GSFA we are working to be truly a home for all orthodox Anglicans in which relationship based mission, mutual service, discipleship and practical action to care for one another are the flesh on the bones of our ecclesial structure. GSFA will also continue to engage for the time being with the IASCUFO Nairobi-Cairo proposals. 8. Two sessions of our meeting were given to considering a comprehensive Strategic Plan which will enable GSFA to be an increasingly effective instrument for the reform of the Communion. We have in the past written about the need for a ‘reset’ of the Communion and it was achieved in principle by the introduction of the Cairo Covenant in 2019. This created a framework for a process of reformation which is the work to which we are now committed. 9. Major landmarks in the growth of GSFA have been the development of the three activity Tracks; Leadership and Ministerial Formation, Economic Empowerment and Mission Partnerships, with a total of six in-person conferences since the First Assembly. 10. Our Second Assembly will be held in April 2027 and we deeply appreciate the offer of Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba and the Church of Uganda to host us. 11. We concluded our time together with encouragement by Archbishop Titus Chung from John 1:9-14 to be resolute in bearing witness to Jesus Christ as the light of the world. When we mirror the culture of our society, as has happened too often in the modern West, the light fades and is lost, but our great calling, as the GSFA, is to a life of faithfulness which mirrors the glory of the incarnate Word, full of grace and truth. The Most Rev Justin Badi Arama Chairman of GSFA and Primate of the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan The Most Rev Samy Shehata Deputy Chairman, GSFA and Primate of the Province of Alexandria The Most Rev Dr Titus Chung Hon Secretary, GSFA and Primate of the Church of the Province of South East Asia The Most Rev Gilbert Rateloson Primate of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean The Most Rev Ande Titre Primate of the Province of the Anglican Church of Congo The Most Rev Miguel Uchoa Primate of the Anglican Church in Brazil The Most Rev Ezekiel Kondo Primate of the Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan* The Most Rev Stephen Than Primate of the Church of the Province of the Myanmar* The Most Rev Stephen Kaziimba Primate of the Church of the Province of Uganda* *Unable to be present but subsequently endorsed the communique

TESTING THE FAITH: Christian churches running on empty? Research indicates number of Americans who don't attend services nearly doubling May 6, 2004 © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Despite a 15 percent rise in the U.S. population, a new survey shows the number of Americans who don't go to church has nearly doubled in the past 13 years, rising from 39 million to 75 million. The report by the Barna Group, a California-based consulting firm following trends related to faith, culture and leadership in the country, says the percentage of adults that is "unchurched" has risen from 21 percent in 1991 to 34 percent today. The group defines "unchurched" as not having attended a Christian church service — other than for holiday services like Christmas or Easter, or for special events such as a wedding or funeral — at any time in the past six months. The annual church-attendance tracking survey is based on telephone interviews with a nationwide random sample of 1,014 adults conducted in late January and early February of this year with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points. In a demographic breakdown, the survey revealed four dimensions: Men dominate the ranks of the unchurched. Although they comprise slightly less than half of the national population, men constitute 55 percent of the unchurched, and they represent only 38 percent of the public which refers to itself as "born again." The unchurched are younger than the norm. The median age of U.S. adults is 43, but it's just 38 among the unchurched. Unchurched people are more likely than others to be single and to never have been married. Whereas one-quarter of American adults (26 percent) are single-never-married, nearly two-fifths of the unchurched fit that definition (37 percent). The unchurched are also attracted to the coastal regions of the country. Although just four out of ten adults (42 percent) live in the Northeast or West, more than half of the unchurched (51 percent) live there. In fact, the two most populous states in the nation — California and New York — contain 18 percent of the nation's residents, but one-quarter of its unchurched adults (23 percent). The study also found significant religious differences when comparing churchgoers to non-churchgoers. In a typical week, unchurched people are less likely than all adults to read the Bible (19 percent compared to 44 percent) and to pray (63 percent vs. 83 percent), and they are less likely to have embraced Jesus Christ as their savior. On a surprising note, while about half of the churched population has accepted Jesus as their savior, one of every six unchurched adults (17 percent) has done so as well. Interestingly, says the report, if the minority of unchurched adults who are born again were connected to a church, the resulting increase would be nearly 13 million new people — more than have joined the nation's churches in the past decade combined. Among the theological differences uncovered were that unchurched adults are less likely than others to believe the Bible is accurate, that Jesus was sinless, that Satan is real, that salvation is through the grace of God, and that God is the creator and present-day ruler of the universe. "The unchurched are more likely than others to be somewhat isolated from the mainstream activities of the society in which they live," explained author and researcher George Barna. "They see themselves as outsiders and often take refuge in that status. Evidence of this arms-length approach to life, beyond their refusal to participate in church life, includes lower levels of voter registration, less money donated to non-profit organizations, fewer non-profits supported, lower levels of media usage, and less engagement in community service activities." Additional distinguishing characteristics include the independence of the unchurched and what Barna calls their non-committal nature. "You can see this emotional and intellectual distancing of themselves through their more moderate ideology, their more ambiguous theological perspectives, a lower likelihood of embracing terms used to describe oneself (such as 'generous,' 'friendly' and 'deeply spiritual'), a substantially lower level of self-professed commitment to their faith of choice, and their rejection of the idea of responsibility for nurturing other people's faith," he said. END

ENGLAND: ARCHBISHOP SHOULD DEMAND CANON JOHN'S RESIGNATION Statement from the Council of Church Society: We the Council of Church Society are shocked and appalled by the recent appointment of Canon Jeffrey John to be Dean of St. Albans. Mr John's open advocacy of same-sex sexual activity flies in the face of the clear teaching of the Bible and the Church of England and therefore ought to exclude him from ministerial office. We are astonished that Archbishop Rowan Williams has apparently failed to oppose the appointment of a clergyman who so shamelessly flouts the teaching of Scripture that sexual activity should be confined to a man and a woman in marriage. We therefore call on Archbishop Williams to urge Dr John to resign. The text of a letter sent to the Archbishop is attached. For further information please contact: Revd George Curry (0191-273-4680 / 0775-287-2550) Chairman of Council Mr Duncan Boyd (020-7289-62650) Council member and General Synod Representative for London Diocese Revd David Phillip (01923-235111 / 07801-265049) General Secretary and General Synod Representative for St. Alban's Diocese Church Society exists to uphold biblical teaching and to promote and defend the character of the Church of England as a reformed and national Church. END TEXT OF LETTER TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY 4th May 2004 The Most Rev & Rt Hon The Archbishop of Canterbury Lambeth Palace London SE1 7JU Dear Dr Williams, We the Council of Church Society are profoundly shocked that you have permitted Dr Jeffrey John to be Dean of the Cathedral of St. Albans. We had understood that after the appointment of Gene Robinson you had called for a moratorium on such appointments until the Lambeth Commission has conducted its work. We therefore see it as deeply hypocritical that you and the Bishop of St. Albans have failed to oppose the appointment as Dean of a man who openly advocates same-sex sexual activity. The clear teaching of both Scripture and the Church of England is that sexual activity should be confined to a man and a woman within marriage. Anyone who teaches to the contrary is clearly unfit for ministerial office in this Church. We therefore call on you to urge Dr John to resign. Yours sincerely, David Phillips (Revd) on behalf of the Council of Church Society CANADA: SAME-SEX DEBATE MUST HAVE "CLARITY AND HONESTY" SAY ORTHODOX ANGLICANS CANADA: Orthodox Anglicans call for greater "clarity and honesty" in same-sex debate Essentials Canada says motion will be a "plain endorsement" of same-sex blessings May 5, 2004 TORONTO, CANADA — Canada's largest orthodox Anglican coalition is calling on church leaders to embrace "clarity and honesty" in the debate at the church's General Synod at the end of May regarding the blessing of same-sex unions. In a written statement, the governing council of Anglican Essentials Canada, a coalition of the nation's three main orthodox groups, says it believes that Anglican Church officials are trying to downplay the meaning and importance of a controversial motion surrounding the blessing of same-sex unions. "Our greatest concern lies with statements from our national church claiming that passage of this motion does not indicate an endorsement of the blessing of same-sex unions," the statement reads. The same-sex motion asks the governing body of the Anglican Church of Canada to state that individual dioceses have the power to create marriage-like blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples. "In our view… General Synod can only affirm that which it endorses….Accordingly, we expect Canadian Anglicans will rightly see passage of this motion as a plain endorsement of same-sex blessings. … [T]his is primarily a question of Christian ethics and morals. Efforts to reframe the issue as one of institutional jurisdiction are at best unhelpful, and could serve to deepen the disenfranchisement many Anglicans experience with their national church." "We call upon our national leaders to embrace a spirit of candor and transparency surrounding this issue and the debate, in plain and genuine language," adding that church leaders needed to acknowledge the "obvious and well-documented impact" on the future of the national church and the 77-million strong Anglican Communion. 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. 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. -30- Contact: Chris Hawley, (604) 729-7557 media@anglicanessentials.org For more information, browse to: http://www.forsuchatime.ca/ http://www.anglicanessentials.org/ STATEMENT FROM THE ESSENTIALS COUNCIL OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA May 5, 2004 Many members of our church have been voicing their views recently regarding the upcoming debate over the blessing of same-sex unions, to take place at this month's General Synod. Much of this discussion involves the motion drafted by the Council of General Synod, which, simply put, states that individual dioceses have the power to bless same-sex unions. The motion, and the General Synod process surrounding its debate, has generated considerable controversy in recent weeks. Some have criticized the motion because it appears vague and lacks substance. Others believe these blessings are de facto marriages and ought to be viewed as such. Others have expressed alarm that only two hours of open debate over the eight-day meeting have been allotted to consider the matter. These and other criticisms are indeed legitimate. But as a Council, our greatest concern lies with statements from our national church claiming that passage of this motion is not an endorsement of the blessing of same-sex unions. The intention seems to be to soften and minimize the implications of this decision and its obvious and well-documented impact on the future of our church, nationally and worldwide. In our view, and in the view of many Canadian Anglicans, General Synod can only affirm that which it endorses. Accordingly, we expect Canadian Anglicans will rightly see passage of this motion as a plain endorsement of same-sex blessings. It is also our view that this is primarily a question of Christian ethics and morals. Efforts to reframe the issue as one of institutional jurisdiction are at best unhelpful, and could serve to deepen the disenfranchisement many Anglicans experience with their national church. It is entirely possible that our national church has been preoccupied with this particular issue for decades precisely because it cannot bring itself to address the critical questions directly. We call upon our national leaders to embrace a spirit of candor and transparency surrounding this issue and the debate, in plain and genuine language. Whatever the outcome, let us not minimize the depth and seriousness of the issue, but face it with a renewed sense of faith and integrity. The Essentials Council, Anglican Church of Canada END

by Michael J. McManus This week an Oregon judge gave advocates of gay marriage an historic victory - the nation's first recognition of same-sex marriages. Multnomah County Circuit Judge Frank Bearden told the county to stop issuing licenses for same-sex marriages. But he ordered Oregon's legislature to recognize the 3,022 marriage licenses issued since March 3 to gay couples, and to pass a new law legalizing same-sex unions. Does this sound familiar? The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in November that gay couples have the right to marry and ordered the state legislature to make same-sex marriages possible within 180 days. The magic day is May 17, when Massachusetts is slated to begin allowing gay marriage. The legislature did not do as it was told. It began the process of passing a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to the union of a man and a woman. But the amendment would also legalize civil same-sex unions, which is marriage by another name. However, to be adopted, it must re-pass the legislature in 2005 and then be approved by the voters in a 2006 referendum. Gov. Mitt Romney asked the state's highest court to stay its order, pending full Massachusetts acceptance or rejection of the amendment. That's unlikely. The state's Attorney General, a Democrat, supports the court decision, while Romney is a Republican. What's common to both cases is fierce judicial activism, in which a court orders the legislature to pass a law granting same sex couples either the right of marriage or civil union. In studying American history, I learned it is the job of elected leaders to pass laws, and for the courts to interpret them. On this issue, however, elected leaders have also acted illegally. San Francisco's mayor ordered city clerks to grant homosexual and lesbian couples marriage licenses, though Californians voted in a referendum that marriage is between a man and a woman. One prescient man foresaw these developments and developed a long-shot answer - a U.S. Federal Marriage Amendment that states "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any state shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman." Matt Daniels is the man of the hour. Although white, he grew up in Spanish Harlem as a son of a father who deserted his mother when he was only two. "My growing up was miserable," he told USA Today. His father was "a gifted and irresponsible aspiring writer." His mother was a secretary until she was mugged and left disabled, depressed and on welfare. "Things would have been different if my father had been around." Matt was also attacked at knifepoint and gunpoint. No wonder Matt Daniels says, "Marriage is the key to reducing the high levels of youth crime and child poverty, caused by the epidemic of fatherless families in America." Inspired by his mother, he excelled at school, won a scholarship to Dartmouth and became a lawyer. He created the Alliance for Marriage to craft a Federal Marriage Amendment several years ago. Anticipating the argument that gay marriage is a civil rights issue, he first won the backing of Rev. Walter Fauntroy, a former aide to Martin Luther King, Jr. Black denominations were his first national supporters. He now has the backing of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals. It was a brilliant strategy. Today a higher percentage of Hispanics and African-Americans say that marriage is the union of a man and a woman - than whites. And public support for the Federal Marriage Amendment has grown from 55 percent last July to 64 percent. Equally important, President Bush has given his support, as have 118 Members of Congress and leading U.S. Senators such as Majority Leader Bill Frist. However, the amendment is opposed by such conservative groups as Concerned Women for America. Its president, Janet LaRue, is concerned that the amendment would allow states "to create marriage in another name, a phony marriage." Vermont's law permitting same sex civil unions would be untouched by the amendment. Finally, few Democrats in the House or Senate co-sponsor the amendment that must win the support of two-thirds of Congress. So far, the public seems apathetic. Few have called or written Congress. Gay marriage is not inevitable, but it is likely unless an aroused public demands the constitutional protection of marriage. END TXT Copyright 2004 Michael J. McManus Michael J. McManus Co-Founder & President Marriage Savers 9311 Harrington Drive Potomac, MD 20854 301 469-5873 (FAX) 301 469-5871 email: MichaelJMcManus@CS.com Web: marriagesavers.org Next National Training to Create a Marriage Savers Congregation: July 10-11 in Washington DC before the Smart Marriages Conference

By David Phillips Following the announcement that Jeffrey John is to be the next Dean of St. Albans there have been some rather contradictory messages emanating from the Diocese. Richard Inwood, Bishop of Bedford, was one of those who last year signed a letter calling on Jeffrey John not to take up the post as Bishop of Reading. The normal protocol for the appointment of Deans means that Richard was not consulted by the Diocesan Bishop but only learnt about the appointment a few days beforehand. Bishop Richard was thus presented with a fait accompli and appears to have acquiesced to it. In his statement on the appointment he said: "The appointment of Canon Jeffrey John as the Dean of St Albans means we shall have a gifted preacher and teacher in this key position. He also brings a commitment to mission, both within the Cathedral community and beyond, which I welcome warmly. Jeffrey John has made certain undertakings to the Diocesan Bishop on the Bishops' statement Issues in Human Sexuality. This assures me that none of the issues that caused concern last summer to so many people, including myself, will arise." Regardless of what else is said it is the view of Bishop Richard that Jeffrey John had made undertakings to abide by the Issues in Human Sexuality report. But what were these undertakings and when were they made? On the PM program last night this point was raised with Christopher Herbert, the Diocesan Bishop: "Interviewer: The bishop of Bedford the Rt. Rev. Richard Inward is quoted as saying that Jeffrey John has made certain undertakings to the bishop on the bishop's statement Issues in Human Sexuality. What undertakings would they be? As was made clear in the press conference today the undertakings were exactly those made by Jeffrey John before and so nothing has changed. Christopher Herbert asserts that no new undertakings have been given. Instead the undertakings were simply those made by Jeffrey John before his non-appointment to Reading. 'Nothing has changed.' The interviewer pressed the point regarding what undertakings had been given. "Interviewer: Could you just spell them out? Herbert: Yes indeed, he is the first person to say yes he is homosexual and secondly he says and always says he has a celibate lifestyle and that for me stays within the boundaries of what the House of Bishops Statement is about for clergy. So I don't have any difficulties with anyone saying "Yes I am homosexual and yes I am celibate I simply don't see what the problem is, it seems to be a perfectly honourable situation to be in and obviously achieved at some great thought and perhaps cost." Therefore all that Jeffrey John has done is to say that he is celibate, which he said last year, and that he will abide by the statement Issues in Human Sexuality. This needs to be clearly understood. Jeffrey John and his current partner, another Anglican clergyman, have, according to them, been homosexually active in the past. This is against the policy of the House of Bishops but no action was taken against either of them. There is no indication that either of them are repentant for their past actions and now this appointment effectively endorses their past behaviour and tears up the House of Bishops policy. In fact, one commentator noted that the House of Bishops has no longer has a policy and is entirely without direction. Last year Jeffrey John claimed to be celibate though there appeared to be different stories circulating about how long his policy of celibacy had been pursued. In his statement yesterday and I believe previously he simply says that he is celibate at the moment. He has made it clear that he does not agree with the House of Bishops statement, he is certainly not going to teach in accordance with it and who knows how long he will continue to teach one thing and do another? More importantly, the prime issue in this case has to do with teaching, not simply lifestyle. Prior to his non-appointment to Reading he taught consistently against the House of Bishops' statement, he has continued to do so since. Therefore for Jeffrey John to say that he abides by the House of Bishops statement is pure fiction. David Phillips is General Secretary, Church Society General Synod and Representative, St Albans Diocese END

"Wait till the end and you will see the outcome of events. Don't fuss, don't worry yet awhile. Imagine someone who is not of the trade watching a blacksmith start melting down gold and mixing in ashes and straw. If he does not wait till the end, he will think that the poor piece of gold is going to be destroyed. Now, if the farmer waits all the winter, so much the more ought you to await the final outcome of events, remembering who it is that ploughs the soil of our souls. And when I speak of the final outcome, I am not referring to the end of this present life, but to the future life -- God's plan for us aims at our salvation and glory." St. John Chrysostom, On Providence 9. 1 Dear Brothers and Sisters, Orthodox believers are being refined in the crucible of the Episcopal Church. The fire is raging all around us. We are all being sorted and sifted. We are being tested to the very limits. Yet St. John Chrysostom tells us to wait. It was another horrible week in the life of the Episcopal Church. ECUSA's first openly homoerotic bishop Otis Charles, now 78, married a 62-year old man who had been married four times before to women. The ceremony lasted two hours and 45 minutes. When it concluded, Charles, the world's first openly gay Christian bishop, also became the world's first bishop to wed his same-sex partner in church. The retired bishop turned up with his grandson to the "wedding". That alone is enough to have mothers running for cover with their children in hand. When I asked a lady in Colorado Springs, why more and more women were signing on to Virtuosity, becoming more open in their support of this ministry, declaring themselves out of communion with ECUSA, and willing to write for VIRTUOSITY, she had this to say. "Pansexuality threatens our children. When you move sexuality away from God ordained limits our children can become victims of sexual predators, because no one knows where the boundaries are any more." She is right of course. ECUSA is, sexually speaking, without boundaries. Old sodomites marry younger ones; a transgendered man is ordained a deacon, he goes from being Paul to Paula, a pregnant lesbian priest runs the youth ministries for a diocese, a sodomite is consecrated to the Episcopacy, the age of consensual sex is getting lower…and on and on it goes. Parents see their moral authority challenged and they run for cover and take their children with them. "We will leave the Episcopal Church before we allow our sexually vulnerable children hear things approved of that God says a resounding no to," said the woman. And that may well be ECUSA's undoing. Women, mothers with young impressionable teenage children; the rot will stop with the women. IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS BETHLEHEM BISHOP Paul Marshall, author of a book on lesbian love, comes out swinging, putting his handful of orthodox priests on the defensive? You can read that story today. Or why a self-professed lesbian priest in the DIOCESE OF COLORADO may face disciplinary charges because she is accused of luring the lonely widow of a deceased priest in the Diocese into a sordid lesbian affair, and then making up a liturgy to marry her at the church altar to sanctify her misconduct. You can also read that story. BUT THE NEWS is not all bad. The recent Anglican Communion Institute conference in Colorado Springs was a win win. The conference emboldened church leadership around the country. "The sense of urgency that everyday delayed hundreds leave the church is finally dawning on many of us. Clearly the financial situation is far worse than predicted. Parishes are all in a bind, payrolls hard to meet as people are failing to show up, not return after breaks for skiing and spring break, and collections are plummeting. Diocesan assessments are simply going to be the first thing to go--just to keep the lights on and the salaries paid," writes the Rev. Don Armstrong an ACI leader and parish priest who is prepared to stand up to his revisionist bishop Rob O'Neill. The numbers being shared by the clergy around the church are far worse than was first predicted. Members are leaving this tension filled church that lacks leadership and a gospel in droves. The Episcopal Church is disintegrating before our very eyes. In three years the Diocese of Colorado--if things go really well will close 40 congregations--in seven years there may be only a couple dozen Episcopal congregations still viable and the diocese will be bankrupt---all so a practicing homosexual can be a bishop in New Hampshire, and because we lack the integrity and love to tell gays to straighten up and instead take the easy way out by saying they are just fine--when they are not. The Rev. Kevin Martin president of Plano-based VITAL MINISTRIES and an expert on congregational development for more than 15 years says in his recent newsletter that in the 40-year steady decline ECUSA is experiencing that we are losing our percentage of the U.S. population faster than the actual numbers. He writes: First is 1930 when we began a long period of steady growth. Second is 1965 when ECUSA was at its largest. Third is 2000, the last year that we have full numbers. It clearly shows the rise and decline of the Church. Several points stand out. Among these I would list: The decline of congregations. The dramatic decline of children in Church schools. Today, the average church school has 37 children. The increase in clergy fueled by the larger number of non-parish and retired clergy. The relative stability of the burial number. The back door remains consistent. The decline in adult baptisms, receptions and confirmations. The fact that we baptize less than one adult per congregation. It is beyond any reasonable comprehension that our leaders can know these numbers and claim that ECUSA is doing well. "I can only attribute this to either denial or political spin," he says. You can read his full report today. The AMERICAN ANGLICAN COUNCIL BOARD met this week in Atlanta, Georgia and celebrated the realignment of Anglicanism, noting a strong grass roots movement of individuals and churches that are forming coalitions and planning program initiatives, networking, assisting with missionary endeavors and planting churches. A full report is in today's digest. DIOCESE OF ALABAMA And from the DIOCESE OF ALABAMA comes this. "I am a member of the Church of the Ascension in Montgomery Alabama. Our Bishop, Henry Parsley, voted against the consecration of [V. Gene Robinson] but since then he has spent most of his energy threatening the few Alabama Priests brave enough to attend Plano (including our own) saying we need to "move on". When Parsley discovered that Ascension was bringing in an orthodox speaker to discuss the Network, he insisted on being on the agenda as well, and at a well attended and feisty forum pledged to block any effort by the church to join the Network. When asked why Integrity is given free use of the Diocesan facilities, he pointed out that he had no more control over what they did in such facilities than other groups, such as "The Daughters of the King". The comparison did not go over well." DIOCESE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND IN THE DIOCESE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE conservatives in that diocese led by the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop have left to form a breakaway parish. About 40 parishioners of the new Anglican Church of the Resurrection are using facilities of the Durham Evangelical Church, spokesman Richard Ellwood said. The new parish does not consider itself part of Robinson's diocese. It has joined the national Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes, formed by conservatives who remain within the Episcopal Church but oppose Robinson's election. Two other New Hampshire parishes have taken steps to affiliate with the conservative network but have not quit the diocese. Said Ellwood, "the issue is far greater than Robinson," calling his election an example of the way the "Episcopal Church has split away from Scripture." CONCERNED EPISCOPALIANS OF RHODE ISLAND CONCERNED EPISCOPALIANS OF RHODE ISLAND has been formed by parishioners in that state who oppose Robinson's election. The group, which expects to become a chapter of the conservative network, drew representatives from more than two dozen of the state's 64 parishes to a meeting last weekend. VIRGINIA IN VIRGINIA, the Robinson election spilled into another denomination. The Baptist General Association of Virginia withheld $350,000 from Averett University in Danville over a professor's pro-Robinson article. The Baptists have now agreed to fund a new independent clergy training program, but not Averett's religion department. ATLANTA IN ATLANTA a new Anglican parish was aborned with Bolivia Bishop Frank Lyons present to kick it off with 330 confirmations! The Rev. Dr. Foley Beach an ex-ECUSAN priest couldn't be happier. You can read that story today. CANADA IN CANADA Bill C250 has passed into law. Within a month or so it will be a criminal offence under the Criminal Code of Canada to speak out against the gay and lesbian lifestyle, against same sex marriage, gender reassignment, and everything connected with that way of life. The Bible will be deemed hate literature, and clergy who stand up and say "thus saith the Lord" will go to jail. I will test that when I cross the Canadian border some time in the future. Virtuosity's website has already been declared homophobic. Writes Brian McGregor-Foxcroft of Canada and a Virtuosity reader, "This issue, and same sex marriage, should have been put to the vote, so that all Canadians could have a say. But the government knew that a vote would have defeated both proposals. But this should not surprise anyone. Even the current prime minister has subverted the democratic process by parachuting his own candidates into various ridings and shutting out the due process whereby riding members elect their own candidates. We see several political parties doing this. All they care about is getting and holding power. This is not democracy. DETROIT AND IN DETROIT the Rev. Richard W. Ingalls, Rector of Mariners Church of Detroit, will be consecrated Bishop today by chief consecrator the Rt. Rev. Melvin Pickering, Bishop Ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of the Good Shepherd (ADGS). You may remember that the ECUSA bishop of the area tried unsuccessfully to take over Mariners after a lengthy battle, and failed. There are a few success stories, but not many. Mariners is one, as is St. Michael's in Broken Arrow, OK. EPISCOPAL MISSIONARY CHURCH The EPISCOPAL MISSIONARY CHURCH continues to grow reports its presiding bishop and former Episcopal priest the Rt. Rev'd William Millsaps. From his Monteagle headquarters in Tennessee he says he has a new parish with its own building in Benton, Kentucky; planting a new church in Chattanooga in Eastertide. A parish in Oregon has quadrupled and St. Andrew's in Gainesville, Florida has grown fivefold over the past few years. "Most of our parishes and missions have had their best Lent since our founding," he writes. CHURCH OF ENGLAND THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND is facing the growing possibility of disintegration as opposition to Canon Jeffrey John's appointment as Dean of St Albans gained momentum this week. Leading evangelicals warned that the appointment would change the relationship of their churches with bishops across the country, raising the possibility of impaired communion across the Church. St Albans clergy met this week to discuss action that they would be taking in protest at Dr John's promotion at a time when the Eames Commission had called for calm and restraint. Many of the churches will be deciding whether to cut payments to the dioceses, and to stop the Bishop of St Albans. They said that the Southwark canon's promotion had "changed everything". The split in the St Albans diocese is expected to widen at the national level, according to one evangelical leader. The Rev John Coles, leader of the New Wine network, which represents the leaders of 600 Anglican churches, said that Dr John was "publicly committed to undermining the historic Christian position." New Wine is now working in connection with the other traditionalist streams in opposing the appointment. The gay dean hit back accusing those who opposed his ministry as being akin to 19th century supporters of slavery. Coles fired back: "The appointment was inflammatory, and his comments are very inflammatory. The house is on fire and we are going to put it out." WELCOME TO VIRTUOSITY WELCOME TO VIRTUOSITY. If you are a first time reader please go to the website www.virtuosityonline.org where all past digests are stored, stories are posted daily on the front page, multiple chat rooms can be found and much more. Check out some of the three seminaries for online education possibilities and if you feel so constrained to support VIRTUOSITY with your tax deductible dollar you may do so by hitting the PAYPAL link. If you would prefer to support this ministry by snail mail you may do so by sending your check to VIRTUOSITY, 1236 Waterford Road, West Chester, PA 19380 All blessings, David W. Virtue DD

ORTHODOX THINK TANK TAKES AIM AT ECUSA Commentary By David W. Virtue COLORADO SPRINGS—That the Episcopal Church is in spiritual free fall, theologically compromised, in moral disarray, perhaps beyond redemption, is not new news. But what to do about it is another matter altogether. It is exercising the best minds across the Episcopal Church and around the Anglican Communion. The CAPA Primates and bishops met in Nairobi recently and issued a sharp warning to the Episcopal Church and Frank Griswold to repent, and put on notice to the whole communion that they would lower the boom, perhaps before the EAMES commission has even finished its work. Every day the American Anglican Council grows stronger and the will of its president David Anderson grows more determined that he will no longer accept the leadership of Frank Griswold and the House of Bishops, and the decisions they make about ECUSA's future. Canon Anderson has drawn the last line in the sand and he will tolerate no further innovations. He has, along with other orthodox leaders, been openly and highly critical of the recent House of Bishops statement on Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight. The recently formed Network (NACDP) is ratcheting up the pain on ECUSA's liberal apparatik as well. They too, have made it clear, through their spokesman Bishop Robert Duncan (Pittsburgh) that a realignment of the ECUSA is under way and it will no longer be business as usual. On the other side of the bank V. Gene Robinson, the new bishop of New Hampshire has said that perhaps it is time for the orthodox to go if they can't remain in the theologically and morally evolving ECUSA. And Frank Griswold, ECUSA's Presiding Bishop expresses surprise that the consecration of an openly homoerotic bishop is causing so much consternation among the faithful, arguing that the church survived women's ordination, a new Prayer Book and will certainly survive this. He has also said that conservative groups have been around ECUSA for as long as he can remember but that won't change the course upon which the ECUSA is set. He just doesn't get it. Money is drying up in nearly all the dioceses; dozens of orthodox priests are weighing their options for the future, and faithful Episcopalians are leaving the Episcopal Church in droves, concerned that the acceptance of pansexual behavior will compromise their children - the ECUSA being no longer a safe place. Many are fleeing to the Anglican Mission in America (AMIA) while a few parishes are now asking for primatial covering either from Africa or more recently from Southern Cone bishops. Almost weekly there are new twists and turns as orthodox parishes take different stances on how they will deal with ECUSA's apostasy. A parish in St Louis is prepared to go to the wall and will fight in the courts for their property as are three parishes in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Some six parishes in Eastern Michigan are weighing their options and their futures, with two rectors having already resigned. If they should all go, it would wipe out some 12 percent of that diocese. At least one congregation has lost 50 percent of its membership. In the Diocese of Central Florida Bishop John W. Howe has taken a more irenic approach to one departing parish, showing a different model of how a parish and its bishop could amicably split without too much pain. Revisionist bishops, on the other hand, are showing their colors by coming down hard on fleeing orthodox priests invoking one canon or another, inhibiting and deposing fleeing rectors, in their efforts to maintain control of their dioceses. But one group, the Anglican Communion Institute - ECUSA's unofficial orthodox think tank, met recently in Colorado Springs and came up with what could be the ultimate solution. Meeting under the banner, Anglicanism, History and Hope: The Future of Anglicanism in North America, they declared that the only honest thing to do is for Frank Griswold and some 62 revisionist bishops who have departed from the faith, order and discipline of the church to separate themselves from ECUSA and form their own autonomous, independent national church. The idea has been germinating for some time by this group of brilliant orthodox theologians and churchmen, and came to a head with the blessing of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord George Carey. Their argument is simply this. By insisting on going through with the Robinson consecration, the majority of ECUSA's bishops showed their lack of respect for the Communion's integrity and common mind, therefore they should do the honorable thing, and with the courage of their convictions willingly disengage themselves from the Communion and from the structures of ecclesial life tied to the Communion that the Episcopal Church has enshrined in its Constitution. The framers acknowledge that while no one has heeded this call, they maintain it is the only honest course of action, and that further talk of "conversation" and "dialogue" – the much beloved theobabble of revisionists end, and a parting of the ways takes place. All talk of engaging one another in holy conversation with such words as honesty, charity, clarity and harmony within the American church and within the larger Communion, be recognized for what it is; a total fiction. It has yielded nothing. Said the leaders of ACI, "The leadership of ECUSA has resolutely pursued a course of response to evangelical outrage over Robinson's consecration (and other related matters) that has furthered obscurantist denial, malicious accusation, ecclesial confusion, and discord — something we might have been spared had disengagement from the Communion by these leaders been pursued vigorously and openly from the start." They rightly observe that the House of Bishops plan for dealing with "disagreement" in the Episcopal Church, avoids any mention of the Communion's real concerns, and demeans and reduces disagreement by the minority to the category of "dissent" as being divisive. So faithful, orthodox Episcopalians are now being called "ideologically motivated" by Griswold who accuses small "groups within ECUSA of single-handedly perverting the consciousness of bishops around the world" by fabricating their opposition to his own unilaterally-promoted agenda, and thereby derailing the "spreading of the Gospel and the living of the Good News of Jesus Christ". According to Frank Griswold certain unnamed INTERNET journalists are also guilty of spreading malicious gossip and fomenting dissent, compounding ECUSA's problems even more. They and he get mad when they are exposed. Dr. George Sumner, the Canadian theological principal observed in his lecture, that "we are one of the few places you can move to the right just be standing still". "This is how I feel: standing still, and watching the church tumble to the side irretrievably," said the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner, theologian and an Episcopal rector in the Diocese of Colorado. "The silence from Griswold and the ECUSA establishment is absolutely deafening in the face of each new theological talk or Communion-related statement or provincial decision from abroad regarding the plummeting demise of ECUSA's place in world Christianity and the Anglican Communion," he said. "ACI conferences are but one element studiously avoided by ECUSA's strange Doukhobor desires. Are they not listening? If they are not, they are woefully derelict in their responsibilities. If they are, and simply refuse to take what is said seriously, they are deluded. If they take it seriously, but refuse to do anything constructive in response, they are willful destroyers of the church. I fear that it is the last; even more distressing, it may be that a mixture of all these reasons, are at work here." As things now stand, it is the blind leading the blind in The Episcopal Church. And if in this kingdom the one-eyed man is King, Frank Tracy Griswold is fast losing what little sight he has left as the darkness descends over the ECUSA with each passing day. END

CANADA: Bishops delay oversight decision - Will revisit report in fall By Solange De Santis, Staff Writer, ANGLICAN JOURNAL REGINA--Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada, at their regular spring meeting, shelved the concept of alternate episcopal oversight (AEO), deferring further discussion until their fall meeting. In several divided votes, the bishops demonstrated deep unease with the concept, which would allow individual parishes unhappy with church decisions to seek an alternative to their diocesan bishops. One of the authors of the report expressed disappointment with the decision. "Two things happened. (One,) we have chosen not to have a safety net in place as we go into the debate (on blessing same-sex relationships) and voting at General Synod. Two, everyone (among the bishops) was so concerned about their own needs, there was an inability to look at the larger picture," said Bishop Victoria Matthews of Edmonton, chair of the task force that produced the report. The report was released last March at the meeting of the Council of General Synod. Bishop Michael Ingham, of the troubled diocese of New Westminster which permits same-sex blessings, spoke against AEO. "If the jurisdiction of bishops can be divided up along theological lines, we are no longer shepherds of the flock but leaders of theological parties," said Bishop Ingham, who said there was a feeling in his diocese that the task force listened only to conservative parishes in New Westminster and ignored the majority who were not calling for change. Bishop Ingham also suggested that a decision on AEO now could be premature before General Synod debates same-sex blessings. The bishops could reconsider the report in the fall. A second member of the task force, Bishop Donald Young of the diocese of Central Newfoundland, said he felt "sadly let down" by the inaction of the house of bishops. "This church is going to be in real peril and I think we need to do something about it," said Bishop Young. Meanwhile, in an interview prior to the bishops' decision, New Westminster Chancellor George Cadman said that while he respected the work of the task force, he had questions about the issue of ceding authority. "The General Synod canons on episcopal jurisdiction are clear and certainly, the traditions of the church have been to respect the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop," he said. "I don't believe firmly that any diocesan bishop would have the ability to cede jurisdiction." The Anglican Communion in New Westminster (ACiNW), a coalition of dissenting parishes and clergy seeking AEO said the coalition was grateful that the task force took the time to listen to the ACiNW. "That's a first in the Canadian church," said ACiNW spokesperson Chris Hawley. "Clearly the bishops have taken seriously the issues here and the depth of division. We were grateful for the call for a generosity of spirit on the part of bishops, as this is something we've been appealing for all along." With files from Marites N. Sison

NASSAU: Meeting of orthodox leaders reaffirms struggle for future of Anglican Communion By Todd Wetzel 3/30/2004 The meeting in Nassau was atypical from most meetings we have attended within the last five years. It was an unusual collection of folks, who generally do not meet together. No papers were published, statements released or strategies produced. Therefore, you will be as surprised as we were that the purpose of the Ekklesia Mission Conference in Nassau March 30- April 2, was to minister to those who are bearing the weight of reform and renewal in the US, both on the Missions front and on the Political front. The Most Rev. Drexel Gomez, Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands opened the meeting on Tuesday [March 30] morning by declaring: "We are in the struggle for the future of the Anglican Communion. What kind of Communion are we going to have? ONE THAT IS FAITHFUL TO THE GOSPEL. . . . In the next 5 months, (The Lambeth Commission Report is due on September 30, 2004) we must work for clarity. We must act with perseverance, stout-heartedness, courage and a toughness of spirit. We must put our total dependence on the Lord and His Grace. As we open to that Amazing Grace, we will be strengthened and reformed. It is His mission, not ours." "We have come together to be encouraged. We are on His course and He is with us. In His strength alone, we can prevail." Archbishop Greg Venables, Primate of the Southern Cone (South America) spoke next. When he discovered that all but one participant was from the US, he spoke with great clarity, telling us that others around the world "are praying for us now. They weep for you. They weep with you. It is true that they do not understand how the US has arrived at this impasse." Many Anglican Christians in the countries he serves spend much of their energy on the basics of life: food, water and shelter and whatever jobs are available. These folks find it impossible to understand how the Gospel can be so distorted that people actually believe that men should be allowed - and blessed - to marry another man. "But, we must not loose heart. There is no way to know what our Communion will look like in two years, but we can be assured of the steadfast purpose and presence of God and Christ," he reassured us again and again. Taking full advantage of the opportunity he taught for six hours over the next three days, taking his text from Acts 26. The presentations were Biblical, Christ centered, and refreshing like the spring rains. I can't tell you how compassionately and eloquently he spoke. It was - in the midst of the feelings of distress and despair that we brought with us - soul food of the highest order. Manna. The Rt. Rev. Royal Grote, Bishop of MidAmerica, Reformed Episcopal Church, led us in Bible study on Tuesday, talking about 2 Corinthians 2:14-3:3: "The only point of preaching the Gospel is to see transformed lives. Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 3:1-3: 'You are our letter, (of certification) written on our hearts, written by Christ not with ink but by the Holy Spirit.' Paul explained that the proof of his work was in the transformed lives of the Corinthians, to whom he preached for over two years. Plato was a good teacher but he wrote with ink. That will fade. "Only that written on the heart by the Holy Spirit will survive. Therefore, as a priest, your letter of certification is the lives of your parishioners. That certification is written by the Holy Spirit." Referring to preaching in Nassau the prior Sunday [March 28], Bishop Grote said, "With our own eyes, we saw the certification of Archbishop Drexel Gomez, who has preached and labored in Nassau for 30 years. It was quite a thrill to see all of those transformed lives." All of the Reformed Episcopal Church and Anglican Province of America bishops who preached in Nassau had memorable experiences. The churches were full and the congregations were warm and open to the message of the Gospel. Prayer times were intense and the singing was so joyous. Each reflected on how much we have lost in the States - and we don't even know it. Archbishop Venables concluded that the most redeeming purpose of the whole mess with ECUSA was that it would drive us to God. If we let it do any other thing, the enemy and the liberals win. "Nobody ever trusts God unless they have no other option. In America right now, you have no other option," he said. On Wednesday [March 32], The Most Rev. Leonard Riches, Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church, led us in a Bible study about character. "Whose character do your works demonstrate? 'By your fruitfulness, you demonstrate that you are Mine. Your works bear My character.' (Philippians 1:9) The suffering of the present time should draw us to Christ and draw us together, not further separate us. This is the time that the faithful must stand together and contend as one person for the Gospel; because this fight is not about sex. It is all about the Gospel; the authority of Scripture to dictate how we are to live our lives." "So, my prayer for us is the same as Paul's: 'May your love abound. May your knowledge be firm, especially your knowledge of the truth of Christ. May you have a sure and certain discernment, especially about Christ. May you be blameless and pure; may you be found righteous, so that your life and ministry will have God's impact and shine into this present darkness.'" And that is the gist of it. This time was designed so that the truth and character of God's impact on our lives can shine forth into the present darkness. Many may feel that you can't do much to affect the current situation; but I would respond that you have spent your entire lives preparing for this fight at this time. Your decades of worship have equipped you for just such a time as this. The Truth has been written on your hearts and you must not be silent. What must we do from today on? We must continue to stand, shoulder to shoulder, and repeat quietly and constantly that the Bible cannot be compromised; cannot be rewritten to appease the culture. We must continue to call those who have done so to repentance and renewal of life. We must continue to pray without ceasing. And we must give whatever is available so that the Archbishops, who, unlike Frank Griswold, don't have abundant travel budgets, can get to the two get to critical meetings. So many of these good, Godly men KNOW how the Anglican Communion must be restructured. They are certain that the heresy that Frank Griswold has promoted must not be allowed to be pre-eminent. They are willing to strive to exhaustion for this goal. But, they need our help. Anglicans United needs to raise $40,000 above office expenses in the next 10 weeks so that we, in partnership with Ekklesia and the Rev. Canon Dr. Bill Atwood, can provide travel money for the bishops and archbishops who are in agreement with the Gospel. Trust me, all of those who are not in agreement with the primacy of the Bible have an abundance of resources provided by Griswold. The truth about the redirection of missions monies to support the few bishops and archbishops who are in agreement, is very sobering. And infuriating. We need your help to meet the critical goal of $40,000.00 so that every faithful archbishop can attend all the forthcoming meetings in various parts of the Communion. Please Help! The meetings are critical, the need is real. And your prayers and most faithful financial contributions are needed. Note: For further information and to make a contribution write to: Anglicans United PO Box 763217 Dallas, TX 75376-3217 1-800-553-3645 or Ekklesia PO Box 118526 Carrollton, TX 75011-8526 1-800-303-6267 Online donations: www.ekk.org The Rev. Todd H. Wetzel is Executive Director Anglicans United & Latimer Press

May 2, 2004 The Rev. Henry Pease, President, Standing Committee The Rev. W. Nicholas Knisley, Vice-Chair, Diocesan Council The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem Diocesan House 333 Wyandotte Street Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015 Gentlemen: This letter is offered in response to your letter dated April 23, 2004 and received by a number of our parishioners. The Rector has distributed copies to other parishioners who were omitted from your mailing. In addition, our Rector and Curate have shared Bishop Marshall's letters to them together with their responses. We are aware that our Vestry has informed Diocesan Council of their decision to redirect funding from the diocese to orthodox, local, national, and international organizations and ministries. We note that this action took place only after the decisions of the 74th General Convention supported by the leadership of the Diocese of Bethlehem. Your comments regarding our movement away from participation in the Diocese of Bethlehem and the Episcopal Church USA are interesting in light of the fact that it is you who have imperiled our relationship with the worldwide Anglican Communion. The 74th General Convention has rejected the declaration of the bishops at the 1998 Lambeth Conference, the counsel of the Primates of the Anglican Communion, and the appeal of the Archbishop of Canterbury. You ask if our parish leadership is, "willing to live within the traditional understanding of what makes a church "Episcopal." Please be reminded that our leadership never said we were leaving the Episcopal Church. Yet, we wonder if the diocesan leadership is willing to live within the traditional understanding of what makes the Episcopal Church USA a member of the Anglican Communion? Indeed, does the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem consider itself to be part of the Anglican Communion? If so, we would ask why you have chosen to persecute our parish before the publication of the Eames Report? You write, "Suggestions by the leadership of your parish that the current problem is about homosexuality or the ordination of a gay bishop seem little more than attempts to distract from the matter at hand, etc." Herein lies the major reason our leadership is reluctant to enter into conversation with diocesan representatives. Please don't tell us we are lying to you about what we believe the problem to be. On August 19, 2003 the overwhelming majority of our parishioners signed and forwarded to diocesan leadership A Statement of Repudiation and Disassociation From the Actions of the 74th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. Trust us when we tell you that we reaffirm our belief that sexuality is inherent in God's creation of every human being in His image as male and female. All Christians are called to chastity: husbands and wives by exclusive sexual fidelity to one another and single persons by abstinence from sexual relations. God intends and enables all people to live within these boundaries, with the help and in the fellowship of the Church. When there arise within the Church at any level tendencies, pronouncements, and practices contrary to biblical, classical Anglican doctrinal and moral standards, we must not and will not support them. The Church has no authority to ordain anything contrary to God's Word written. If there is to be communication between us in the future you must accept our definition of the problem. You go on to say, "The Episcopal Church does not focus on beliefs held by individual members." Our experience of Christian Community here at St. Stephen's is contrary to your statement. The leadership of our parish actively encourages members to make their beliefs known as together we seek to make decisions consistent with the mind of Christ. As an example we cite that on this day a special parish meeting was called by our Rector and Vestry to obtain the viewpoints of all relative to the questions asked of our Vestry in your letter. Our question to you is, why aren't the beliefs of individual members important to you? Weren't they important to the Apostles? The Parishioners of St. Stephen's, Whitehall affirm the Faith of the Church as it is set forth in the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds and in the classical Prayer Book tradition. We believe that the Holy Scripture is superior to the canons. We join you in prayer for unity which as our Rector wrote to Bishop Marshall, "must be grounded in the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles." Sincerely yours, The Parishioners of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Whitehall, Pennsylvania CC: The Rt. Rev. Paul V. Marshall

On April 23, 2004, the President of the Standing Committee and the Vice-Chair of Diocesan Council in the ECUSA Diocese of Bethlehem wrote to each parishioner of St. Stephen's, Church, Whitehall, Pennsylvania. On May 2, 2004, the rector and vestry of St. Stephen's convened a special parish meeting to discuss the letter and to offer a response. The letter from the diocese and the response of the parishioners of St. Stephen's are as follows. The letter of response was adopted by unanimous vote of the parishioners. April 23, 2004 The Parishioners of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Whitehall, Pennsylvania Dear brothers and sisters, We want you to know about letters that have been sent to the lay and clergy leadership of St. Stephen's Church. Your senior warden received a letter signed jointly by the Rev. Henry Pease, president of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Bethlehem, the Rev. W. Nicholas Knisley, vice-chair of Diocesan Council, and Bishop Paul V. Marshall. That letter is enclosed. Diocesan Council and the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Bethlehem consist of representatives elected by your sisters and brothers in some 66 other churches of the Diocese of Bethlehem. Bishop Paul sent a separate letter to your clergy. We have asked the following questions in our letter. Does the Parish of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Whitehall, consider itself still to be part of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem? Does the Parish of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church consider itself still to be in communion with the Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem and under his canonical jurisdiction? The leadership of your congregation has significantly decreased the parish's participation in the mission and ministry of our wider community, even to the extent of informing Diocesan Council that your parish would not meet its constitutionally mandated financial assessment. Your leadership has also ignored several attempts by elected representatives of our diocesan community to enter into conversation about what they intend and how they understand the relationship of St. Stephen's Church and the Diocese of Bethlehem. We will be interested in how your lay and clergy leadership responds to these questions. We have decided to keep you informed because we suspect you, too, will be interested. We have resorted with some regret to formal communication by letter only after attempts to invite direct conversation with the vestry and parishioners of St. Stephen's about the leadership's apparent movement of the parish away from the diocesan community were rebuffed by the rector and senior warden. For the sake of your sisters and brothers throughout the 14 counties of the Diocese of Bethlehem and for your own sake as parishioners of St. Stephen's, we seek clarity about, whether the leadership of St. Stephen's considers the parish to be part of the diocesan family, I.e., whether they are willing to live within the traditional understanding of what makes a church "Episcopal." In the Episcopal church, congregations exist as such only in relationship with a duly elected bishop, specifically the bishop of the diocese where the congregation is located. The relationship of congregations among themselves and with the wider church community is defined by a diocesan constitution and canons developed and approved at one time or another by representatives of those congregations. Suggestions by the leadership of your parish that the current problem is about homosexuality or the ordination of a gay bishops seem little more than attempts to distract from the matter at hand: governance and relationships within the Episcopal Church. Any congregation and its leaders are free to disagree on issues without risking their position in the diocesan community. The Episcopal Church in the United States does not focus on beliefs held by individual members. We are bound together not by our imperfect understanding and expression of our beliefs but by our worship of God in Christ. "It is part of the reality of the Episcopal Church," our presiding bishop said recently, "that we live with divergent points of view regarding the interpretation of scripture and understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church…There is no neutral reading of scripture. We interpret various passages differently while seeking to be faithful to the mind of Christ. It is therefore important to recognize that people of genuine faith can and do differ in their understandings of what we agree is the Word of God." May no one distract us from our unity in Christ expressed by our coming together in diversity as a faith community -- the community of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem and the Episcopal Church USA -- worshipping God and allowing God's work to be done by the body of Christ we are. We have asked your parish leadership to respond to these concerns by May 5. Sincerely yours, The Rev. Henry Pease, President, Standing Committee The Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely, Vice-Chair, Diocesan Council