By David W. Virtue The Word of Frank That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Episcopal Church. The life in ECUSA appeared for a season, we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the brief life, all too brief, which was with Frank and appeared to the House of Bishops with much blinding and diverse light. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us and be inclusive and not excluded, for that would be a crying shame and cause many of us to be sad, for we believe in collegiality above all else. And our fellowship is with one another and it is here that we Dance the Circle Dance of Dispossession when the House of Bishops gather, in order to dispossess ourselves of all bad thoughts and rejuvenate our karmas. I write these "gracious" words to make our common joy complete. This is the message we have heard from Sufi Rumi and declare unto you: Sufi is light; and in him there is no darkness at all for he dwelleth on a plain beyond good and evil where we all hope one day to dwell, for truly there is no darkness in that place. If we claim to have fellowship with the beloved Sufi and yet continue to walk in the darkness of absolutism where there is no pluriform thinking, we lie and do not live by the many pluriform truths of which I am a great advocate. But if we walk in the transcendent light of Sufi, as he is in the light, we have collegiality with one another; and the thoughts of Sufi Rumi purifies us from all bad thoughts and raises us up beyond good and evil so we don't have to worry about those narrow-minded orthodox types who still inhabit my church. For truly there is a GREATER truth which inhabiteth Otis of the Charles and Vickie of the Gene pool who embrace many of their own species, much to their delight and ours. If we proclaim to be without error, and I am rarely wrong, we deceive ourselves only if we do not see things my way, and the truth is not in you. If we confess that it is my way or it will be the highway, we will be liberated from the bondage of believing in sin which only causes us unnecessary guilt which I have banished as being bad for your karma and aura. For there are many truths and I know most of them. If you have not embraced pluriform truths and wish to live in the narrow confines of single truths there will ultimately be no place for you among the House of Purple, for you will feel out of place because of your narrow-minded thinking. Therefore you will cry a lot and feel excluded, and I would not wish that. Chapter 2 My dear ECUSANs, I write this to you so that you will not fall into the habit of believing in personal sin, for truly there are only bad thoughts and they can be brushed aside if you perform acts of mercy. Think good thoughts, for I have banished the bad and the attendant guilt. If you do have bad thoughts speak to me and I will absolve you of all psychological guilt feelings, for that is all they are. And I will speak to Sufi in your defense for he is the Righteous One. And there is no need for atonement, for Mel doth have it wrong. Think triumphantly and you will be triumphant. Think good thoughts and goodness will flow from you. For truly if you obey me, you will be right, and things will go smoothly for you. The bishop who says "I know you, Frank" but does not do what I command is a liar and shall receive a private visit from David Booth Beers and he WILL demonstrate that the truth is not in you, and verily he will invoke the Dennis Canon and you shall be very much afraid. I, Frank have spoken and my words will not be gracious unto you. But if everyone obeys my word, my love and that of Sufi Rumi will be made complete with a large and bounteous check from the many and diverse Trust Funds that I have at my disposal, and verily you shall never go without. That is how you know you belong to me. Whoever claims to live in me, must walk as I do, and good things shall flow bounteously from me to you, and you shall want for nothing. Dear friends, none of this is new, for I have been preaching pluriformity for years, it is very old and goes back to Lambeth '98 where I made public my 'pluriform truths' speech at a press conference. This is old news, but let me refresh you just in case you don't get the message and ill befalls you. Yet in a way I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in me and my revisionist pals in the HoB, because the old exclusive, fundamentalist, narrow 'light' of the gospel is slowly being extinguished and the new light of Sufi Rumi shineth, and this light inhabiteth me and it will, if you accept it and come with me to a plain beyond good and evil, find yourself shining as the noonday sun passing over a gay bathhouse in Niagara, New York which was closed down for it was no longer a 'safe place' and many did catch the dreaded disease. Anyone who claims to be in the light, and I hope that is all 100 diocesan bishops, but still loves orthodoxy, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother bishop (and you have your choice of eros, philia, storge or agape, but Frankly I prefer the first), will not cause his fellow bishop to stumble, otherwise he will be forced to stand in a corner at an Oasis meeting in the Diocese of Newark and there have his bottom smacked by Louie of the Earnest. But whoever hates his brother bishop is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness and he will no longer Dance the Circle Dance of Dispossession with us and will find (Sufi forbid), a presentment against him and face the wrath of his fellow bishops, because it is very clear the darkness of narrow-minded orthodoxy has blinded him. I write to you dear children of ECUSA, because I want to banish all bad thoughts on account of the name of my friend Sufi who knoweth all things. I write to you fathers in God, because you have known me from the beginning and I can speak out of many sides of my mouth, and make words mean what I want them to mean and not mean, and when all else fails I can resolve it all in 'mystery' which we can all embrace, even as I am embraced by you. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the narrowness of exclusive thinking. I write to you, dear children, because you are easily indoctrinated by the new thinking much proclaimed in our modern textbooks from Episcopal Publishing Houses and other publishing places of pluriformity. DO NOT LOVE THE ORTHODOX Do not love the orthodox or anything they believe any more. If anyone loves the orthodox, the love of myself and Sufi Rumi is not in him. For everything in orthodox thinking — the cravings for absolute truth, the lust for true spirituality and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from me and Suff, but from the Bible and that is subject to many interpretations, and I have used many in the course of my lifetime. For the church, The Episcopal Church may be passing away, but the Episcopalian who does my will and that of Suff will live forever, or until the money runs out and I have to take out a mortgage on 815 2nd avenue, but that will be long after I am dead and gone to live with Suff on his plain of happiness. WARNINGS AGAINST ORTHODOXY Dear children of ECUSA, many think this is the last hour of our beloved church, but it is not so. We may have a cash flow problem but it is temporary, and if the markets continue to rise we can live off the interest of the Trust Funds for years and the Church Pension Fund floweth like the Hudson River forever and ever. I may no longer travel First Class and be reduced to Business Class in my peregrinations around the globe as I promote my inclusive, affirming, pan-everything notion of mission, but I will suffer the hardship for your sake and my gospel. The orthodox went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us and believed the new religion; but their going showed that none of them REALLY belonged to us because they could not accept pluriform truths, of which I am its foremost advocate. Their very narrowness was their undoing, for they could not see the big picture which now includes Vickie of the Gene pool. But you have been anointed by me when you became bishop. I laid my hands on your head and said you belonged to me and the Dennis Canon, and behold you do….until you die…or you will face the Title IV Review Committee. Who is the liar? It is the bishop who denies my authority and that Suff is the Liberator of our narrowness and exclusivity. Such a man is the antiSuff, he denies me and Suff and that is unforgivable. No one who denies my inclusive thinking has Suff in him; whoever acknowledges me, Frank of the Flexible Wrist, gets a night in my New York City Penthouse, dinner at Club 21…and that's a bargain. Therefore, see that what you have heard from the beginning, or 1998, remains in you. If it does, you will remain my friend forever and ever and I will be a 'safe place' for you and you shall never be attacked by narrow uninclusive bishops like Duncan of the Pitts. I write so you won't be lead astray by Iker of the Fortress mentality, for the anointing you have received from me remains with you, and you do not need anyone else to teach you, for my anointing is real, not counterfeit as some wretched cyber journalist says to you. So remain in me, for I am your liberator and friend. Fondly, Frank

Officials want accused defrocked By Frank E. Lockwood HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER April 20, 2004 The Rev. Chris Platt's finances were in chaos. Divorced, bankrupt, unable to pay his bills, the Episcopal priest was struggling to get by on an annual compensation package of $79,000. The college chaplain and bishop's assistant couldn't pay his taxes without a loan from his employer. Unable to afford counseling, he had to ask the Lexington diocese to pay his psychologist's bills. Despite the help, Platt spiraled out of control, eventually stealing almost $50,000 from church banking accounts, diocesan officials say. Yesterday, a church tribunal began hearing Platt's case, reviewing dozens of suspicious checks signed by Platt, 56. The trial, the first of its kind in Lexington in at least three decades, pits Bishop Stacy Sauls against Platt, his former top assistant. Church attorney Buck Hinkle told the court that Platt's 21-year ministry may have helped people, "but along the way something went wrong, seriously wrong. It cannot be overlooked. It cannot be swept under the rug." Platt's attorney, Lee Van Horn, said his client committed no crimes and did nothing immoral. "If Father Platt had the good-faith belief that it was OK for him to write the checks that he did, that's not theft," Van Horn said. "It's our belief that, if this proceeding is fair and everyone does their job, he will be acquitted of the charges against him." Diocesan officials have asked the ecclesiastical court to defrock Platt for committing a "crime" and for exhibiting "conduct unbecoming of a member of the clergy." The panel, made up of three priests and two rank-and-file Episcopalians, has set aside the entire week to hear the case, although it could finish before Friday. Because it's a religious court, it has no power to fine or imprison the people it judges. But it could permanently remove Platt from the ministry. On the trial's first day, the church made its case against Platt. Diocesan administrator Maggie Hall testified that Platt misused three separate church accounts: the bishop's discretionary fund and two accounts belonging to St. Augustine's Chapel, the Episcopal Church's student ministry at the University of Kentucky. Platt allegedly wrote himself 19 checks worth $13,020. He wrote an additional 53 "for cash," checks totalling $13,930, Hall said. Another church check, for $250, was mailed to American Express, apparently to pay for Platt's private account, Hall said. In addition, Platt apparently used church money to make payments on a personal loan from BankOne, she said. It's unclear what many of the checks were used for since Platt kept poor records and little documentation, Hall said. Some of the expenses that are documented are unusual for an Episcopal priest. Platt paid his National Rifle Association dues and purchased a book called Erotique with church money. Yesterday afternoon, Platt told the Herald-Leader that the purchases were appropriate. Platt said the NRA membership helped him be a better spiritual adviser for UK police officers. The book, Platt said, was for a class at the chapel on art development and stained glass. When confronted last year by Hall and diocesan treasurer Thomas J. Robbins about suspicious withdrawals from the bishop's fund, Platt got agitated, Robbins told the court. "He was visibly upset. He physically was shaking," Robbins said of the March 2003 confrontation. "He did not provide explanations for the transactions." An investigation turned up $48,084.25 in suspicious transactions, Hall testified. Platt paid restitution of $5,200. An insurance company paid the rest, $42,884.25, she said. Yesterday, Platt confirmed that he had sent money to the diocese, but said it was simply a loan repayment. Platt promised the rest of the story will come out once he is allowed to present his side. "I think it'll get a whole lot more interesting," he said. "The truth will be told." END

Iran’s leading underground church planter tells of a remarkable turn to Christ from Islam by his people. 3,600 churches formed.   A WORLD EXCLUSIVE   The following is an interview with Reza (not his real name), a Christian leader in Iran’s underground church. He is a convert from Islam; one of millions. Tens of thousands of Iranian Muslims who have come to faith in Christ; more accurately, Christ has come to them in dreams, leading them out of the bondage of Islam into the light of Christ.   VOL was able to obtain this exclusive, unprecedented interview through an Anglican missionary serving in the Middle East. For obvious reasons, we cannot reveal their names. The persecution of Christians is a reality, and many Iranians, converts from Islam, are jailed for becoming Christians. Some die in jail.   By David W. Virtue, DD www.virueonline.org January 10, 2026   VOL: How long have you been doing gospel work?   REZA: I have been doing this Gospel work, church planting and ministry for eight years now. I’m 46 years old.   VOL: Did you grow up in a Muslim family?   REZA:   Yes, my family were serious Muslims, but they didn’t care very much. Now they are all Christians. My home city was strongly Muslim. Some are Sunni but not Shia. I am Kurdish, and we are all Sunni Muslims.   VOL: Tell us about your conversion to Christ, how did you come to faith in Jesus?   REZA: It started a long time ago when I first questioned the Quran on the return of Jesus, known as Prophet Isa. I was told he will return to the world before the Last Day. Muslims believe that Isa will rule for 40 years, then die, and be buried next to Prophet Muhammad. This event is expected to be a sign of the Last Day.  I was not happy with this answer. Then I had a dream. I saw Jesus coming from the sky, and I found out that Jesus is different from what the Quran teaches. When I researched about Jesus, I found out who he really is.  and chose him. On that day, eight years ago, I chose Jesus.   VOL: Would it be fair to say that Jesus chose you?   REZA: Yes. I left Islam, and just parked my faith for four years, doing nothing much; wasting my time in other ways. Then I began to read the Quran. The God of Islam in the Quran would change his words; they were not consistent. It was sometimes yes and sometimes no. In one of the Quranic passages in the Quran God is saying, ‘If people do not believe me, pray for them. But at the end of the Quran, God says, ‘If people do not believe me, kill them.’ And what is written later overrules what was written earlier.   VOL: We are hearing in the United States that something like 2000 Muslims are coming to Jesus every day in Iran. Is that true? Is it a big movement?   REZA : Yes, it is a big movement. A lot of people are having dreams about Jesus.   VOL: What percentage do you think have these dreams that has grown the underground church?   REZA: We are not sure. But we hear a lot about these experiences. They see Jesus as different; they see him as God and Savior. The Quran does not.   VOL: What does Jesus look like to them?  How does he look? Are they scared of him? Or is he nice?   REZA: All the people say they love Jesus because he is so different than what they see in the Quran. They see Transfiguration Jesus. He is bright, He is light and He is love. They see love.   VOL:   What does Jesus tell them? Does he talk to them?   REZA: He talks to them; he shows himself to them.  For me, for example, he showed me that all people are slaves to sin. And that he’s coming to free them; to set them free. I found that Jesus was the only way.   VOL: Is that the same for everyone?   REZA: Many say this is nice, but I need to learn more. Accepting Jesus can happen very quickly when they have a dream encounter, but then they think about it? Dreams make them think about it. Some of them say yes, immediately, I understand it. But for others, they need to go and research it.   VOL: Are there other believers who can help disciple and explain it to them?   REZA: It's not easy in Iran to find a believer. Because it's forbidden in Iran to leave Islam. So it’s more like that you are looking for people who have dreams and you listen to their stories. We are always looking for them.  “Have you had a dream? Do you know someone who has had a dream? Having a Bible in Iran is not easy. We have to be active as disciplers. They don't come to you. You have to go out and find them. VOL: I understand you're leading a network with over 3600 churches now; is that right?   REZA : Yes, around that figure.   VOL : That's awesome. How many years has it taken you to get there?   REZA : Eight years of hard work.   VOL: And how many generations does that represent?   REZA : More than 10 generations now.   VOL: How is a generation defined?   REZA: A disciple who makes a disciple is one generation. When that disciple, the second generation, makes a disciple, then that person is a third-generation believer. The same goes for churches. When a church plants a church, the new church is generation two. Generations are the best way to measure sustained growth and multiplication.   VOL : We've been told that there are 75,000 mosques in Iran, but 50,000 have closed. Is that true?   REZA: It's true. 100% yes. It happened in a short period of time. Islam is collapsing; the younger generations doesn’t don't care about Islam; the younger ones are the new believers.   VOL: The big question is how do you do evangelism and discipleship in Iran?. What's the best way to go about it? REZA : We introduce them by telling them how Jesus is the Christ.   VOL: How do you do that?   REZA : We do it online, and we have people inside Iran. They each have people, whom we call them oikos (family and friends), with whom they are close and they just go and share the gospel with them. You help them write out their oikos list, then you train them how to share the gospel. It's that simple, and then you put them right into a group. From the group we will then form a house church.   VOL: What do you hear about America?   REZA: When we hear things from America, we don’t understand, we don’t trust it right away. We have to check; we have to verify. Americans ask a lot of questions, but they're very supportive. I think they want to help, they want to pray, but they just want to know, really, what's going on. They say they are hearing that something big is going on, but they don't know what it looks like. In Iran we don’t have officials, like pastors, or clergy, or bishops; our believers don't go to Bible college, and they're not ordained, they don't wear a clergy collar shirt. We just experience the power of Christ in our lives. We give it a face, and then we just go and share this face with every day, normal people, not anybody special. We don't have Bible colleges or seminaries but we do have a lot of experience with the miracle power of Christ, and we often do not have Bibles.   VOL: Can you get the Bible on your phone?   REZA: Yes, we can. We can physically move some Bibles around, but it's very risky and complicated.   VOL: What do you see is the role now of Western missionaries?   REZA: The old way of doing mission work was for Westerners to come in. They stayed for a long time, and did everything and they ran everything. But now it is different. Westerners come in but they stay off to the side, saying it's your work, your church. We're just friends. It's not ours. We don't run it. We’re not in charge, you are. Westerners come in and help us along the way, but it's our work. Western missionaries just serve and release the work for us to do. It’s a better way to go and more effective.   VOL: How best can Americans help?   REZA : Right now, you can help by supporting the training of people to make them missionaries inside Iran. And then we can send them to lost places. The best job for me is to have you help with the training of our own Iranian missionaries and then go to unreached areas and send them out. It is also good when you come from the other side of the world to really encourage, help and serve us. We appreciate that.   What is hard for Americans is they are so concerned with being busy, busy, busy, and   wanting results, results, results. In our culture, you first have to be friends. We don’t do business first. You have to have a relationship. Nothing is going to happen until you have a relationship. But Americans generally don't want a relationship, they just want results, spreadsheets, reports and numbers, but that’s not why I'm here. The number one thing is relationships. I think it is biblical.   VOL: A lot of American preachers think we are living in the End Times because things look bad, Jesus is about to return. From where you sit, what do you think?   REZA: That might be how some American preachers see it; the world is going to end soon. But it looks to us like God is just getting started. So we have time. We have millions and millions who haven’t heard about Jesus; they don't know Jesus as their Savior. We need to tell everyone. And presently I would like to say we are in the middle of seeing the biggest move of God in history.   When people know Jesus as God and Savior, they will taste his power in their life, and they will just go out and share this faith with people close to them; family and close friends. Most of them will believe. They also see miracles in their lives. That's why the church is growing. Asking Jesus to come back now is very selfish of Westerners. We now have churches in all 31 states. But our new goal is to have a church in all 483 counties. We call them shahristan. We need time. We start with oikos, and then we find people who have a heart for Jesus and who want to serve Jesus as a missionary. We then deploy them and make a plan to send them to another county.   VOL: Do you think this time of upheaval that people don't care about their lives.   REZA: It is really different this time; people are now willing to die. People are being shot and butchered. They’re willing to pay the cost. But some of the police are also helping the protestors. This is new.   VOL: Are you able to get information out; is it hard to get information from inside Iran?   REZA : They make the Internet so weak it's hard right now, but we still have people there that we can talk to.   VOL: We've heard about the shortage of water. They don't have water in Tehran. Is it very serious?   REZA: Yes, they have a problem with water. It’s been a long time coming. Even though I'm not there, the regime really wants to kill people and destroy all of Iran. The Ayatollahs are the enemy of Iran. Iran is foreign foreign-controlled. Iran is controlled by Russia and others, some of them are Indian, they are not Iranians.   VOL: I’ve never heard that before. Have you ever gotten into trouble personally for following Jesus?   REZA: Yes, I have and so have a lot of people. When they find out we are sharing Jesus with people, they try to take us to jail. I had to leave my city 10 years ago. I skipped away from Iran. I have never gone back.   VOL: Do you and your friends still get into trouble?   REZA: Recently, they took one of my friends inside Iran and put him in jail. They asked him to be a spy to find out who's in the network and who is working with them. Then the regime will take them all to jail. One of my friends needs emergency care. He needs a therapist; he tried to kill himself. I don't know what happened to him in jail. Maybe he has killed himself. The regime is always looking for Christians. They have spies. So, I know some places where we've worked that have many spies in place. It is always dangerous for us. But this doesn’t slow us down. If we meet somebody and they are interested, we don’t share much for the first six months just to make sure that they are okay with us. We watch them for a while. That is why we are slow. We don't open the door for everyone.   VOL: What can Americans do; what would you ask them to pray for? How can they pray for you in your work?   REZA: We want people to know Jesus, for God to touch their hearts. I think this is a prayer that God will answer. A lot of people have a dream about Jesus. When you share Jesus with them, they are interested. So, pray for Jesus to come in dreams and visions.   Western Christians can also help in supporting us, like supporting us to bring some Iranian Believers people who want to serve Jesus. We train them to go back home to make disciples and go on to form house churches.   Now we have lots of people who are forming groups and churches. Over 3,600. They then form small groups. Leaders work full time to support themselves and their families; Many   making time for ministry can be very challenging; they work and they don't have time. Westerners can help to free up local Gospel workers to engage in them for full -time ministry, serving God. And they’re so much less expensive than supporting Western missionaries. Having full full-time local Iranian Gospel workers, gospel workers is our goal. That is the number one thing, along with training.  We bring them across the border, teach them and send them back to evangelize and disciple the next generation.   VOL: What part does the enemy play in all this?   REZA: Sometimes we call out demons and see deliverance. Sometimes it is healing. We grow fast when people see what is happening. We have seen this in 17 states where deliverance has taken place. Our fastest-moving, biggest discipleship stream is heavily involved with deliverance ministry. This is what they are known for.   VOL: Do they have a strong leader?   REZA: We have 25 very strong, big – we call them “apostolic” -- leaders. And more are coming up. But we need to support them. That is our challenge. They don't need anything else, really. The story of Joshua is a favorite theme.   VOL: How do you coach and take care of these churches in Iran?   REZA: Once a month, I call them. I ask, how is everything? How can we help? How can I pray for you? I do all this over the phone. Sometimes we use Google meet.   VOL : Thank you for your time, Reza.   If people want to support Reza and his gospel work, a link is here https://giving.lovefortheleast.org/give/384996/#!/donation/checkout   Or use our mailing address L4L, PO Box 15579, Colorado Springs, CO 80935. Put “Reza” in memo line. Do not put “Iran” anywhere. Homeland Security will intercept.

Special Report By David W. Virtue Orthodox Episcopal clergy across the US can now give input to the Lambeth (Eames) Commission and speak directly to the commissioners with their views and opinions as the report is being shaped. The Letter to the Eames Commission is the brainchild of Canon David Roseberry, rector Christ Church, Plano, one of the largest orthodox parishes in ECUSA. (You can see and sign the petition at www.virtuosityonline.org) “I felt that the voices of thousands of clergy should be heard,” said Roseberry to Virtuosity. “With the advent of the INTERNET that is now possible. We strongly urge all those clergy who grieve over the state of Anglicanism in North America and who oppose the recent actions of General convention to write and tell the commission.” “We are deeply grieved over the state of Anglicanism in North America. It is being torn apart through actions that we thoroughly oppose. We repudiate the decision of the 2003 General Convention's consent to, and the subsequent consecration of, a non-celibate homosexual to be a bishop of the church. We reject the acceptance and promotion of same-sex blessings as part of the common life of our church. These introduced unbiblical and immoral teaching into the church, have jeopardized our common witness, and have brought into question our standing in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” “We want to see a roll back of the pansexual agenda in ECUSA. WeUnderstood. I’ll now: Remove all HTML tags Extract and clean the plain text Identify headlines (article titles) Convert headlines to ALL CAPS Make headlines bold using ** syntax Here is the edited result:

Memorandum to: The Clergy and People of the Diocese of Central Florida From: Bishop John W. Howe Regarding: The Church of the New Covenant Dear Brothers and Sisters, As you know, on February 5, 2004 the Rector and representatives of the Vestry of the Church of the New Covenant in Winter Springs informed the Chancellor and the Bishop of the Diocese that they had unanimously passed two resolutions the previous month. The first claimed that the Episcopal Church, USA, had abandoned its authority over the Church of the New Covenant, and the second set forth a process to transfer title of the property to a separate corporation not part of the Episcopal Church. They claimed to speak for "95 to 100 percent" of the present congregation in wishing to "come out from under the authority of the Episcopal Church." Our response was that those who wish to leave the Episcopal Church are free to do so, but clergy or members of a Vestry of an Episcopal church cannot make such resolutions while they are still in office. Accession to the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church is a prerequisite to holding such an office in a local congregation. I instructed them that if they wished to leave the Episcopal Church they would have to resign their respective positions at the Church of the New Covenant. Further, we advised them that transferring the title to the property without the prior approval of the Bishop, the Diocesan Board, and the Standing Committee would be illegal under the laws of both the Episcopal Church and (therefore) the State of Florida. I asked them to rescind these two resolutions or resign "immediately." When over a week had passed without a response, the Chancellor filed a lawsuit with the Circuit Court of Seminole County to prevent the transfer of title. That same day the Vestry informed us they had, in fact, rescinded the second resolution regarding transferring title. However, they then filed a countersuit arguing that the actions of last summer’s General Convention constituted such a departure from Anglican orthodoxy that the Episcopal Church has no further legitimate authority over the Church of the New Covenant. They asserted not only the "right" to separate themselves -- as the Church of the New Covenant -- but to take the property with them at a fraction of its current value, since CNC is essentially a one-generation church, and the present membership has paid nearly all of the costs of construction. Both "sides" asked the Court for non-binding mediation (which the Court would have ordered, anyway). That mediation took place on April 12, 2004, and it resulted in a comprehensive agreement that was approved by the Diocesan Board, the Standing Committee, and the Vestry of the Church of the New Covenant on April 15, 2004. This agreement was arrived at after nearly 14 hours of mediation where many factors were under consideration. The agreement includes the following particulars: The Vestry of the Church of the New Covenant will rescind the resolution disavowing the authority of the Episcopal Church. Both "sides" will dismiss the lawsuits without prejudice. On or before June 1, 2004 the Rector and the members of the Vestry will resign, in order to form a new church entity. I have agreed to write letters dimissory for the Rev. Carl Buffington to whatever Anglican Province or diocese he wishes to affiliate with. Between now and June 1, 2004, I will contact the present members of the Church of the New Covenant (as will Fr. Buffington), to ascertain, on a confidential basis, their desire to remain members of the Church of the New Covenant, the Diocese of Central Florida, and the Episcopal Church USA, OR to leave to become part of the new church entity. I will assure those who wish to remain that the Bishop and the Diocese of Central Florida will continue to provide pastoral care for them. The new church entity will lease the property from the Church of the New Covenant (via the Diocese of Central Florida) for one year, while providing space for the continuing congregation of the Church of the New Covenant to hold separate services of worship as it rebuilds itself under the leadership of new clergy who will be appointed by the Bishop. Prior to the end of the one-year lease the Diocese of Central Florida will determine whether or not to utilize the property for a mission congregation or parish of the Diocese. a. If the Diocese does determine to utilize the property for a mission or parish, the new church entity may extend the lease for one year while the new entity prepares to relocate elsewhere. b. If the Diocese determines it will not utilize the property for a mission or parish of the Diocese it will agree to sell the property to the new church entity at Fair Market Value (as established by a mutually agreed appraisal), with an interest-free 30-year payout. If the new entity purchases the property, the lease payments will be credited toward this payout. I am deeply saddened that we have arrived at this juncture, but I am grateful for the good will of all concerned, and the prayers of so many throughout the Diocese. It is my commitment to provide continuing pastoral care for those who wish to stay, and to say to those who wish to leave, "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." Warmest regards in him, +John W. Howe Episcopal Bishop of Central Florida 1017 East Robinson Street Orlando, Florida 32801 407-423-3567

BBC News Gay Church of England cleric Jeffrey John is coming under pressure to step down from his new position of Dean of St Albans. A group of around 40 evangelical clergy and laity in the St Albans diocese met on Tuesday to express their "dismay" at his appointment. It comes less than a year after he was forced to withdraw his acceptance of the post of Bishop of Reading. His appointment had sparked a storm of protest from Anglican conservatives. Since then, the first openly gay bishop has been consecrated in New Hampshire in the US. And the Anglican Communion has set up a commission to examine how to handle the issue of gay priests. In the meantime, the government and church authorities were urged to hold off making controversial appointments until the commission's findings were known. This drives a coach and horses through what we had considered to be a time for reflection and deep prayer Canon Nicholas Bell Downing Street's announcement last week of Dr John's appointment as Dean of St Albans has provoked further anger among some sections of the Anglican community. In a statement, the St Albans Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship said the move was a "serious error" of judgement. The group said it was "aggrieved" that the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Rev Christopher Herbert, had agreed to the appointment. Its "disquiet and concern" was further compounded by statements made at a news conference last week by Dr John and Bishop Herbert. "We regard their views, as reported, as wholly erroneous and contrary to scripture," the statement said. 'Serious error' "We respectfully request that the appointment be withdrawn," it added. Canon Nicholas Bell, of St Mary's Church, Luton, said the appointment had been "sprung" on the diocese. And he said he was considering resigning his post as a member of the college of canons at St Alban's Cathedral. "This drives a coach and horses through what we had considered to be a time for reflection and deep prayer," he said. A statement from the diocese said Bishop Herbert was out of the country leading a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. But he would be "pleased" to meet diocesan clergy and official representatives of parishes concerned about Dr John's appointment after his return to the UK on 7 May, it said. END

Dear Archbishop Eames: Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are clergy of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. We are very grateful for your faithfulness and willingness to serve the Communion during these very trying times. These days have been very difficult and demanding for all of us and we make our appeal to you based on our love for the Lord Jesus, our fellowship in the Gospel, and our devotion to the unity of the Anglican Communion. We are deeply grieved over the state of Anglicanism in North America. It is being torn apart through actions that we thoroughly oppose. We repudiate the decision of the 2003 General Convention's consent to, and the subsequent consecration of, a non-celibate homosexual to be a bishop of the church. We reject the acceptance and promotion of same-sex blessings as part of the common life of our church. These innovations have introduced unbiblical and immoral teaching into the church, have jeopardized our common witness, and have brought into question our standing in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We have called upon the leadership of the church to repent of and reverse these unbiblical and schismatic actions, but to no avail. These actions are harming the pastoral and evangelistic ministry that we lead and will prove fatal to the unity of the church. The most recent plan proposed by the Episcopal House of Bishops to provide delegated Episcopal oversight is inadequate because all of the power remains with the revisionist bishops. It does not acknowledge the depth of the crisis facing our Church, it deals insufficiently with Episcopal pastoral care of faithful congregations and clergy, and it fails entirely to address such issues as ordination, the calling of clergy, church planting, finances or property. We appeal to you and your commission for your urgent assistance in the restoration of biblical orthodoxy and unity. Without the imposition of discipline, the situation will only continue to deteriorate. We ask you to declare the need for immediate intervention to establish discipline, order, and accountability for the Episcopal Church. We are greatly heartened to know that so many of our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion are standing with us at this time. While the situation here is painful, it is encouraging to know that the things we believe are the norm in most of the communion. The prayers and support of faithful people around the world strengthen us and their fellowship is a joy and witness to us. We appeal to you to protect these relationships in your final report to the Primates of the Anglican Communion. Yours in Christ and for His Gospel, To Add your signature to this letter please visit the following address: (CLERGY ONLY). http://69.56.194.122/creatives/episcopalchurch/Sign%20Letter.htm Press submit only once. You will receive an email right after you hit "Submit", asking you to confirm your signature. Please check your email once you are done submitting your signature. Your signature cannot be added until you confirm it via email. Thank you

The Rev. Julian Rush watched the headlines as 13 United Methodist pastors in the Pacific Northwest judged the fate of one of their colleagues. Few, if any, facts were in dispute. The Rev. Karen Dammann was living openly in a lesbian relationship and leveled with her superiors. And everyone knew, after a generation of bitter strife, that their Book of Discipline banned "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from ministry, because gay sex is "incompatible with Christian teachings." Rush wasn't surprised by the trial and he wasn't surprised by the verdict -- not guilty. After all, he survived a similar ecclesiastical minefield two decades ago in Colorado. "What surprised me was the way the news reports brought it all back," said Rush, 67, who rocked the whole United Methodist Church when he left the closet in 1981. "It was spooky, like a flashback. ... I remembered that whole feeling of powerlessness and total vulnerability. "I think that's probably a good thing. No matter how much progress we've made, we need to be reminded that things aren't settled yet." Rush eventually retired with his clergy credentials intact. In the mid-1980s, his peers in the Rocky Mountain region twice ruled that there was "insufficient evidence" to bring the AIDS activist and former youth pastor to trial. After all, church law focused on "self-avowed practicing" homosexuals and Rush simply declined to answer questions about his sex life. "I remember my lawyer saying, 'Make them prove it,'" said Rush, whose easy-going manner still betrays his Mississippi roots. "What were they going to do, hire a private investigator? No one wanted to do such an unseemly thing." The Dammann jury found a similar technicality. While the Discipline says "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings," the jury ruled that it never formally, legally, makes a "declaration" of this. But the jury did find this declarative statement: "Inclusiveness means openness, acceptance, and support that enables all persons to participate in the life of the Church, the community and the world. Thus, inclusiveness denies every semblance of discrimination." Based on decades of experience, Rush knows what will happen next. Furious conservatives will, on April 27, arrive at the two-week national United Methodist General Conference "with their nostrils flared and breathing fire," he said. At the same time, the confidence of the church's progressive establishment will "move up a notch or two" after a much-publicized victory. Both sides will go to Pittsburgh "with their guns loaded," he said. The Internet is buzzing with drafts of resolutions to fix the Discipline and to force the bishops to get their flocks under control. Leaders on both sides acknowledge that the evangelical, growing churches of the heartland and Bible Belt hold a clear majority. Some of their leaders will call for repentance and reform in the Pacific Northwest. "Fact is ... we don't need anything more in the Book of Discipline. We just need folks who are willing to abide by it or enforce it," said the Rev. James V. Heidinger II, president of the Good News renewal movement. "We could tweak and tighten, but unless folks are willing to abide by the will of General Conference, they will always find some words to parse or interpret differently." Strangely enough, Rush basically agrees with this legal opinion. Laws cannot hide the fact that the United Methodist Church contains two radically different approaches to the faith, he said. Traditionalists believe there is an "established," "infallible" and "permanent core of doctrine that people have to believe if they are going to be Christians," said Rush. But the "liberal side of the church sees itself as open and expansive and its doctrine, quite frankly, is not as well defined. It sees faith as a kind of process and it is constantly changing. ... "One side knows how to lay down the law and the other side knows how to emote." But the infighting will continue, said Rush, because everyone is afraid to push the scary button labeled "schism." That would be financially devastating. "Everyone dances around that button," he said. "They really aren't trying to be clear and specific. They have to keep the Discipline vague enough to keep everyone in the tent. You end up with a kind of spiritual schizophrenia, but it holds things together."

St Alban's Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship reacts to Jeffrey John appointment 27th April 2004 Reflecting the widespread concern over the appointment of Canon Jeffrey John to be Dean of St. Albans, a meeting of the Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship committee, together with a large number of clergy and laity from across the St Albans Diocese, expressed dismay at this appointment and the consequences that will flow from it. We recognise that the ministry of the Dean is confined primarily to the Cathedral but in view of the role such a person takes in the Diocese as a whole and also the importance of the Cathedral as one of the larger churches in the Diocese we regret this appointment. We note that this particular appointment has been made despite the request of the Lambeth Commission that perceived controversial appointments should be avoided during their 12 months consultation period. We consequently regard this step as a serious error of judgement. Furthermore, we are aggrieved that the Diocesan Bishop, who has also called on people not to take precipitate action, should have agreed to the appointment, thus creating division within the Diocese and the wider Anglican Communion. Such disquiet and concern has been compounded by the statements made at the Press Conference, both by Canon Jeffrey John and the Bishop of St. Albans. We regard their views as reported as wholly erroneous and contrary to Scripture, tradition and reason, as well as the statements of the House of Bishops (‘Issues in Human Sexuality’) and the Anglican Communion. We respectfully request that the appointment be withdrawn. We recognise that individual clergy, congregations and lay members have taken, or will wish to take, further action. We will continue to consult, work and pray together for the advancement of the gospel of Christ and the upholding of biblical standards in the Diocese. For further information, please contact: Revd Canon Nick Bell, Vicar of St Mary’s Parish Church, Luton Tel: 01582 721867, Email: nickbell@stmarysluton.org Canon Mr Philip Lovegrove, OBE, Chairman of the St Albans Diocesan Board of Finance Tel: 0207 448 4754, Home: 01462 481880, Email: philip.lovegrove@fiskeplc.com

Ethics & Religion Support for Federal Marriage Amendment Grows 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

Church of Apostles no longer funds diocese, national church By Frank E. Lockwood HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER PRESTONSBURG - Leaders of a Lexington Episcopal congregation, objecting to the consecration of openly gay bishop Gene Robinson, are no longer sharing communion with Lexington Bishop Stacy Sauls. Church of the Apostles, a 7-year-old evangelical parish, has stopped giving money to the Lexington diocese and the Episcopal Church USA. The congregation, with an average attendance of about 110 people, has contemporary worship services -- no pews, prayer books or pipe organs. But it adheres to traditional scriptural interpretations, and is in "impaired communion" with the diocese, said its minister, the Rev. Martin Gornik. The Lexington parish is the second parish to publicly challenge Sauls. Saint John's Church in Versailles split in January after diocesan leaders dismissed that church's governing board. Earlier this month, the church's governing board voted unanimously to join the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes -- a national group which claims the Episcopal Church has abandoned "the historic faith of the Bible." Yesterday, at the diocese's annual convention, Gornik and four members of his congregation declined to take bread and wine which Sauls had consecrated. They sat in silence while others went forward. "Clearly, this is an unusual thing," Sauls said afterward. The impaired communion capped a day that featured diocesan elections, a worship service and a brief debate about marriage for gays. Asked whether he thinks Apostles will leave the Episcopal Church, Sauls said he doubts that will happen, but added, "It certainly is a possibility that can't be ruled out." Gornik said the congregation is committed to the Anglican tradition. But locally, Apostles will continue to dissent "until there is a change in direction by the leadership of the diocese." Relations have been strained since Sauls voted to approve the election of Robinson, a Lexington native, as bishop of New Hampshire. "It is serious and grievous that our diocese cannot affirm what we understand to be basic and central teachings of the faith," Gornik said. Sauls said he respects Gornik and hopes the relationship will be restored. "I do not consider myself in impaired communion with them in any way," he said. "But I respect the fact that they see the relationship as impaired from their perspective." In recent weeks, Episcopal leaders have downplayed the importance of correctly interpreting scripture. The Episcopal bishop of Virginia, Peter James Lee, recently told his diocese's annual convention: "If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy." Sauls put it differently. Saying that "Scripture is full of logical inconsistencies," he told his annual convention Friday that "when it comes to family, how I love matters more than how I think." Loving each other, Sauls told the convention, "matters more than how many other commandments, laws or rules I can quote or how many specks I can see in the eyes of others while ignoring the log in my own." Gornik said he can't support efforts "to revise and change what has been understood as traditional and historic teachings of the church, based on scripture." Since founding Church of the Apostles in 1996, "We have taught, preached, discipled and formed people in the orthodox traditions of the church. That's who we are." In other convention business: • A resolution opposing marriages for gay couples in the church, tabled by the convention's resolutions committee, remained off the agenda -- despite protests from some deputies. Lay deputies voted 54-46 not to debate the issue now, siding with a resolutions committee which Sauls had appointed. Clergy voted 19-7 to delay the discussion. • The convention voted to oppose the death penalty for juvenile offenders and to increase assistance to Haiti. • Deputies approved a resolution praising Sauls' "perseverance, wisdom and visionary leadership." END

News Analysis By Uwe Siemon-Netto UPI Religion Editor WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) -- As soon as Sheikh Mohammed Mohammed Ali leaves his house in Baghdad for a drive around town, he takes off his white turban that marks him as a Shiite Muslim scholar, and places it on the seat next to him in his Toyota. "Many Shiite clerics are doing this. It's safer that way," he told United Press International Monday in a telephone interview from his London home where he had just returned after an extended stay in Iraq. "My turban would make me a target of Wahhabi assassins, who have already killed so many Shiite scholars. That's why I wear the turban only indoors -- and always in the mosque." The Shiite clerics' turbans, which are distinct from the headgear of Sunni imams, come either in black or in white, depending on whether the bearer is a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed -- in which case black is the proper color -- or not. Mohammed Mohammed Ali wears white. Wahhabis, a puritanical sect that originated in present-day Saudi Arabia in the 18th century, have traditionally not been part of the religious scene in Iraq. "They have begun infiltrating the country already in the last 10 years of Saddam Hussein's regime," said Ali, who before the outbreak of the war was a leader of the London-based Iraqi National Council. "The Sunni sects in Iraq used to be non-violent. But then the Wahhabis came and bribed Iraqi Muslims to join them. This way they took control of mosques even in Najaf and Karbala (the Shiites' holy cities), and in Basra in the South." Complaints by Shiites that Wahhabi infiltrators target them for assassination have been common almost since the beginning of the current war more than a year ago. They also claim that adherents of this sect are intent on provoking a war between the Shiite majority and the Sunni minority. But the sect's spokesmen angrily contest reports in some of the most respectable Western media, including London's Daily Telegraph and the Christian Science Monitor, that its agents are fanning the Iraqi insurgency. A book titled "The Wahhabi Myth" authored by Maneef James Oliver and authenticated by Sheikh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee, a top religious leader in Saudi Arabia, attributes the extremism of Osama bin Laden and his fellow terrorist to a different source. "They are adherents of a newly risen sect called Qutbism, whose origins come from Egypt, not Saudi Arabia," he wrote. This movement is named after Sayyid Qutb who founded Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood. As the London newspaper, The Independent, observed two years ago, this is not an Islamic tradition but very much a Western-based ideology. In an article titled, "How Marx turned Muslim," the Independent's correspondent John Gray explained, "The inspiration for Qutb's thought is not so much the Koran but the current Western philosophy embodied in thinkers such as Nietzsche, Kierkegaard and Heidegger." But Mohammed Mohammed Ali, a moderate Shiite scholar propagating interfaith harmony as the only possible means to bring peace to Iraq, does not see things that way. "In the last 10 years there have been huge transfers of funds to Iraq to make Muslims convert from their own sect to extreme Wahhabism," he said. "This happened with the support from politicians in the Gulf states and many other Arab countries." While a prominent Wahhabi cleric, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Saalih al-'Uthatmeen, condemned terrorist outrages such as suicide bombings, saying their perpetrators would go to hell, the tradition of Wahhabi violence has a history of almost a quarter of a millennium. In "The Wahhabi Movement," historian Ted Thornton reminded his readers that in their zeal Wahhabis even once declared holy war on fellow Muslims, an act expressly forbidden by the Koran. They destroyed other believers' minarets and grave markers and, in 1802, the tomb of the Shiites' Imam Husayn in Karbala, their holy city in Iraq, an event that has remained unforgotten to this very day. Copyright © 2001-2004 United Press International