The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Anglican Council today announced plans for a "Plano-West" conference scheduled for Thursday and Friday, June 3-4, 2004 at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California. The San Diego Chapter of the AAC will assist AAC-Los Angeles in hosting the gathering. The event, "An Historic Gathering of Anglicans Committed to the Great Commission," is designed as a follow-up to two other meetings of orthodox Episcopalians in the United States. The first Plano conference, "A Place to Stand: Declaring, Preparing" sponsored by AAC, was held in Dallas, Texas in October 2003 and was attended by more than 2,700 individuals. AAC-Virginia hosted "Plano East: A Place to Stand, A call to Action" in Woodbridge, Virginia in January 2004 and drew more than 2,600 participants. Plano West will focus primarily on evangelism and mission, and the keynote speaker is one of the world's leading evangelists, the Rev. Canon Dr. Michael Green, a senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford, England. The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson, president of the American Anglican Council, will also be a featured speaker. Canon Anderson has ably lead AAC through the challenging period of General Convention 2003 and the subsequent crisis facing the Episcopal Church. Additional speakers include the Rev. Canon Dr. Kendall Harmon, one of the church's leading theologians and recognized as a key spokesman for the historic Christian faith; the Rev. Canon Dr. Alison Barfoot, co-rector of Christ Church, Overland Park, Kansas and soon-to-be assistant for international relations to Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda; and the Rev. Chuck Reischman, vicar of New Life Episcopal Church in Littleton, Colorado, just blocks from Columbine High School. Fr. Reischman ministers primarily to young people, their parents and youth leaders. A number of leaders in local Episcopal communities in Los Angeles and San Diego are organizing the conference including the Rev. Dr. Ron Jackson, rector of St. Luke's, La Crescenta, CA; the Rev. Bill Thompson, rector of All Saints, Long Beach and Dean of the Western Convocation of the newly formed Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes; the Rev. Dr. Tony Baron, rector of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Oceanside, CA; and the Rev. Praveen Bunyan, rector of St. James Church in Newport Beach, CA. "It's time to move forward. This conference is about providing a place for faithful, orthodox Episcopalians to minister in the power of Jesus Christ. We're focusing on the Great Commission – Jesus' command that all believers share the Good News with the world," said the Rev. Dr. Ron Jackson, head of the Los Angeles Chapter of the AAC. "It is also another opportunity for orthodox Episcopalians to take a strong and unified stand against the recent grievous actions of the national Episcopal Church. I am convinced this conference will change the lives of those who attend." The Plano-West conference has four goals: To declare our faith and steadfast commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Anglican Communion. To encourage faithful Episcopalians and help us understand and prepare for the emerging realignment of an orthodox and vital Anglicanism in the United States. To prepare and strengthen ourselves and those whom we serve to become a missionary church dedicated to the Great Commission. To inspire the next generations to seek the face of God and to equip them to stand on His Word and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Youth ages 15-21 will be the focus of Thursday evening's plenary session with Fr. Chuck Reischman. Special music will be provided by the Justin Fox band. The conference is $70 for adults, $10 for youth ages 15-21 and for seminarians. Participants may also register to attend only the Thursday and Friday evening plenary sessions for a cost of $30 for the two nights. For more information on the conference or to register, visit the AAC-Los Angeles website at www.aacla.org. Media who wish to attend the Plano-West gathering should contact Cynthia Brust, AAC Director of Communications, to register for the event (202-296-5360, 202-412-8721 or cbrust@american.org). There will be a press availability scheduled for Friday at the conclusion of the afternoon session. EVENT LOCATION: The Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center 300 E. Ocean Front Blvd., Long Beach, CA Phone: 562-436-3636 For directions, visit: http://www.longbeachcc.com/maps.htm SCHEDULE Thursday, June 3, 2004 7:30 - 9:30 am: Registration 9:30 - 10 am: Opening Worship 10 - 11:45 am: Plenary Session 11:45 am - 1:30 pm: Lunch 1:30 - 3:30 pm: Plenary Session 3:45 - 5:30 pm: Workshops 5:30 - 7 pm: Dinner 7 - 9 pm: Plenary Session Evening Prayer Friday, June 4, 2004 8 - 9 am: Worship 9 - 11 am: Plenary Session 11:15 am - 12:30 pm: Workshops 12:30 - 2 pm: Lunch 2 - 3:15 pm: Workshops 3:30 - 5:15 pm: Plenary Session 5:15 - 7 pm: Dinner 7 - 9:30 pm: Festival Eucharist Closing Remarks The American Anglican Council is a network of individuals, parishes, specialized ministries and Episcopal Bishops who affirm Biblical authority and mainstream Anglican orthodoxy within the Episcopal Church. For more information on the AAC, please visit http://www.americananglican.org.

News Analysis By David W. Virtue The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold recently went to see Mel Gibson's film, The Passion, depicting the last twelve hours of Jesus' earthly life. He writes in the April issue of Episcopal Life: "Having heard so much about the film, I was quite curious to see what my own reaction would be. I wondered if I would be moved, or repelled by the violence. I also wondered if I would find myself seeing the film at variance with my own understanding of the Passion. What was clearest to me as I left the theater was how much my understanding of the Cross derives from a sense of its life-givingness rather than the extremity of Jesus' suffering." As one conservative observer, tongue-in-cheek noted on reading these words, "I figured that's where it came from. The scene is Golgotha. At the foot of Christ's Cross circles Frank Griswold as a kind of art instructor, looking the Cross up and down, stroking his chin in faux thoughtfulness and saying "Hmmm," every so often. Finally he looks up at Christ and says, "Interesting approach. And I think I see where you're going with it. But don't you think you could have been a whole lot more, you know...upbeat?" Griswold: This life-givingness is made clear in the film when the centurion who pierces Jesus' side with a spear is bathed in the torrent of water that issues forth. The baptismal imagery at this point is unmistakable. While this took place in the movie, it is ONLY in the movie that you will ever see such a thing. There is nothing in the text of any of the gospel writers that makes reference to such an event occurring. Nowhere. Furthermore not a single commentator on this movie has made any reference to the fact of the water flowing from the spear wound having anything to do with baptism. The baptismal image was not, as far as we know, what Gibson intended either. So it is an incredible reach by Griswold to infer the notion of baptism from the spear going into our Savior's side and blood and water flowing from it. In truth baptism in the Episcopal Church has now become heavily politicized, beyond its original meaning, its intent lost long ago. Griswold: "The image of the crucified Jesus that most draws me is very different from the one presented to us in The Passion of the Christ. It is the cross of San Damiano, most likely painted in the 12th Century by an Umbrian artist influenced by Byzantine icons of the crucified Christ. It was before this cross that Francis of Assisi prayed and from which he heard Christ address him and tell him to rebuild the church." The San Damiano cross is a passionless Christ, almost fey but it is eschatological, writes a Virtuosity reader. "It represents not only Byzantine influences but the theology of Western Europe before 1100. The cross was in a ruined old chapel where Francis lived and prayed before the foundation of the Order of Friars Minor. As Griswold himself noted, "The image itself is devoid of suffering, though Jesus is clearly crucified. His arms are extended in such a way as to suggest an embrace in which he is gathering to himself all that lies before him. Beneath the arms of Christ on both sides of the Cross are panels depicting a variety of people, including the Blessed Virgin Mary, John the Beloved Disciple and Mary Magdalene." And for Griswold this is central to his own mystical view of Christianity. The idea of God's wrath being visited upon His Son (instead of us) to atone for the sins of the world; any idea of substitutionary atonement is not on Griswold's spiritual seismograph. Griswold hates any idea of suffering…for himself, the church, even Christ. He likes the effete Christ of niceness, inclusivity and sexual diversity, a Pinot Grigio Christ, passionless but with a hint of fruitiness. Griswold: "When I pray before the San Damiano cross I am put in mind of the opening words of one of the prayers for mission at the conclusion of Morning Prayer in our Prayer Book. "Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace…" As I pray this, I know that I too am caught up in that saving embrace, as indeed is the whole of humanity." How embrasive of the Presiding Bishop. Christ's "saving embrace" has effectual power only as it is embraced by those who choose to embrace it. One dying thief did, the other did not. Does Griswold want us to believe that the "whole of humanity" is saved by Christ's action without our needing to personally embrace it? If so he has moved way beyond the exclusivity of the cross and redemption. Griswold: "To be enfolded in Christ's embrace is both consoling and challenging, and I am obliged to reflect on my own life and consider my own capacity to embrace others in the power of Christ's embrace. Left to my own devices, my capacity to embrace is partial and incomplete. It is beyond my ability to embrace everyone. But, as Christ's Spirit moves within me, I am enabled to extend my arms and welcome all that stands before me. That is, I am only able to embrace all others when I allow myself to be drawn into Christ's embrace and then ask Christ to embrace the others through me. Griswold uses the word 'embrace' eight times in the preceding paragraph. How much embracing does he have in mind? Noted the conservative wag again, "[Here] Frank gets in touch with his inner Leo Buscaglia." Griswold: Here I think also of Jesus' words to his disciples: "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself." The Cross, therefore, is about God's love embodied in Jesus drawing us like a magnet out of all that is partial, incomplete, disordered and false into the reality of a transforming and deathless love which reorders all things, including our lives, and makes all things new. It is the triumphant Christ drawing the world to himself who most profoundly speaks to my heart. For Griswold the Cross is an embarrassment, what he wants is the "triumphant Christ", but he fails to understand that before He wears the crown, He must first carry His cross. Before glory there must be suffering, and for Griswold that is anathema. Griswold's heart is not touched by the suffering Christ but only by the triumphant Christ. But that does not do justice to the biblical record. Furthermore the "reordering" he envisions for the Episcopal Church has resulted in profound chaos both for himself and the church. His "reordering" has resulted in 18 provinces declaring themselves out of communion with him over sodomy and Gene Robinson's consecration. His "deeper place" has a definite whiff of sulphur. Griswold's "reordering" needs to be re-wired. Griswold: Beyond dispute the Cross was an instrument of torture and death. But Christ, by his death and resurrection, has transformed an instrument of death into a tree of life. And while we may be deeply moved and indeed convicted in our sinfulness by contemplating Christ's sufferings, we must never forget that the Cross is the enduring sign of abundant life. What Griswold is saying here is that we can be deeply moved even convicted by the cross, but Griswold paints it as an option, with the implied understanding that there might have been better ways, (certainly if Frank had had his way), of dealing with mankind's sinfulness. On the other hand if you want to stay in the vale of sin and atonement, you can do so, but you won't find Frank there, you can find him on some plain with Sufi Rumi 'beyond good and evil' where the air is cleaner and no messy blood-stained rocks are to be found. No, Frank Griswold's 'Passion' is less than the biblical or Gibson version of the 'Passion'. It is one that is ineffectual at dealing with the radical nature of mankind's sinfulness and estrangement. At the end of the day, Griswold's Christ saves no one and nothing, a passionless 'Passion' devoid of the very redemption the blood-stained cross promises. END

Diocese of Central Florida Redirects Funds to Anglican Communion Network Members of the Diocesan Board of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida voted overwhelmingly yesterday to approve a resolution designating funds to the Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes. The resolution will be applied retroactively, totaling approximately $20,000 for 2004. Central Florida has formally associated with the Anglican Communion Network and is the first diocese to formally redirect funds to the Anglican Communion Network. The Diocese of Central Florida has always had a mechanism for redirecting funds from the national church. Following the national Episcopal Church's General Convention 2003, the Diocese of Central Florida held a special convention to deal with the aftermath of controversial votes regarding human sexuality. "This special convention basically changed the default position for routing funds to the national church," said the Rev. Don Curran, rector of Grace Church, Ocala, FL, Dean of the Northwest Deanery and Diocesan Board member. "Previously, churches had to send resolutions to the diocese to request fund be redirected from the national church. As of November 2003, vestries have been required to submit resolutions designating funds for the national church budget." Of those diocesan monies apportioned to the national church, only fifteen percent is being directed to ECUSA's program budget. The Diocesan Board is responsible for dispersing available funds – 85% of the apportionment, and recipients include Honduras, South American Missionary Society (SAMS), Anglican Frontier Mission and Episcopal World Mission. "I am delighted about the Diocese of Central Florida's decision to redirect funds to the Anglican Communion Network (ACN)," said the Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Moderator of ACN. "Such funding will greatly assist ACN to fulfill domestic needs and its commitment to missions both in the US and abroad, including support for Global Mission Partners. The ACN is most grateful to receive this generous support." Funding for ECUSA's budget is down at least 6%. While spokesmen for ECUSA claim the shortfall is a result of economic conditions, churches and dioceses across the nation report they are experiencing lowered giving and/or redirecting funds as a direct response to decisions at General Convention. In many dioceses, such as Missouri, Colorado, West Tennessee, North Carolina, Western New York and Virginia, giving has dropped by between 10 and 30 percent over the past nine months. Dioceses taking a firm stand against the actions of the 2003 General Convention are generally faring better. The Diocese of Pittsburgh, for instance, recently reported a $130,000 surplus for the 2003 budget year. END

Gay marriage debate deepens in New Hampshire Church leaders give testimony to House By DANIEL BARRICK Monitor staff 8-14-2004 Two of New Hampshire's top religious leaders - one past, one present - added their voices to the statewide debate on gay marriage yesterday. Retired Episcopal Bishop Douglas Theuner denounced a bill that would keep New Hampshire from recognizing same-sex unions performed elsewhere as "discrimination in the extreme." "What is so insidious about (this bill) is that it seeks to deny citizens rights which they have not even been formally granted," he said. Theuner's testimony yesterday before the House Judiciary Committee contrasted starkly with that offered by Bishop John McCormack a few hours earlier. McCormack, the head of New Hampshire's Roman Catholics, rejected gay marriage as undermining "the cornerstone of our society." "Human love is between a man and a woman and results in the creation of children," McCormack said. Current New Hampshire law already forbids gays and lesbians from marrying. But the bill's supporters said a change was needed to close a "loophole" that could force the state to recognize same-sex unions performed out of state. Those supporters pointed to a recent decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court that essentially legalizes same-sex marriage. The Massachusetts legislature is now considering an amendment to the state constitution to forbid gay marriage, but Sen. Russell Prescott, the prime sponsor of New Hampshire's bill, said New Hampshire could not wait for other governments to act. "We need to close a loophole that allows other states to dictate our public policy," said Prescott, a Kingston Republican. The bill was overwhelmingly approved by the state Senate last month. Gov. Craig Benson has said he will sign the bill if it passes in the House. But many of the bill's opponents said it claims to defend against a threat that does not even exist. Marcus Hurn, a law professor at Franklin Pierce Law Center, dismissed talk of a "loophole" as overblown and legally unsound. "If it exists, it is a very tiny and, as a practical matter, inconsequential loophole," Hurn said. "This is a shotgun aimed at a hypothetical fly." The Massachusetts attorney general said last month that his state's law would not allow gays and lesbians from other states to obtain a marriage license there. Other opponents of the bill said the federal Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996, already permits states to refuse to accept same-sex unions performed elsewhere. Yesterday's hearing was in Legislators' Hall, the only room in the State House large enough to accommodate the crowd. Some people quoted Scripture to support their points; some relied on statistics. Some appealed to "enduring moral values" while others railed against "activist judges." Theuner and McCormack, the two bishops, also had contrasting interpretations of how gay marriage related to the decades-long fight to expand civil rights. Theuner referred to a 1997 law that expanded the state's civil rights law to include gays and lesbians. The current bill would undermine the progress achieved in that law, Theuner said. "If the rights of any of us are at risk, so are the rights of all of us," he said. McCormack referenced that same 1997 law, but he said it proved that restrictions on same sex marriage did not subvert civil rights. "We can respect the rights of all and still preserve and uphold marriage as it has always been understood," he said. "In fact, we are compelled to protect individual rights, but I urge you to protect the common good of our society." END

News Analysis By Uwe Siemon-Netto UPI Religious Affairs Editor WASHINGTON, April 15 (UPI) -- In the face of the contemporary challenge by radical Islamists, Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism are bidding farewell to the hatred caused by the Fourth Crusade exactly 800 years ago. The spiritual leader of the Orthodox faithful formally accepted an apology Pope John Paul II offered in 2001 for the three-day sacking of Constantinople in April 1204. The city, until then the wealthiest in Christendom, never recovered from this event, which permanently weakened the Greek Empire, a bulwark that had protected Europe for centuries against Muslim incursions. "The spirit of reconciliation is stronger than hatred," said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople during a liturgy attended by Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, archbishop of Lyon, France, considered to be a potential successor to the present pope. "We receive with gratitude and respect your cordial gesture for the tragic events of the Fourth Crusade," said Bartholomew, the titular head of Orthodoxy. Referring to the Easter season, Bartholomew added, "The spirit of reconciliation of the resurrection incites us toward reconciliation in Christ." Two years ago, the pope had asked for God's forgiveness for the "sins of action and omission" Catholics had committed against the Orthodox, including the destruction of Constantinople, an event whose cruelties ended all attempts to overcome the great schism between the Western and the Eastern Church 150 years earlier. Much of the Vatican's contrition over this butchery has to do with the appalling comportment of Catholic clergymen during the siege of the center of Eastern Christianity. The Crusaders were reluctant to attack fellow Christians, but the clergy convinced them that the Orthodox Byzantines were almost as bad as the Muslims. They had allied with Saladin against the Third Crusade, and had done nothing to aid the Second Crusade; they should be punished for their lack of support. During the rampage, in which even the Crusaders' cooks participated wearing their pots as helmets, ancient works of art were annihilated. The Crusaders returned to Europe brimming with plunder, including a novelty for the West -- wallpaper, a Chinese invention that until then had made its way to Constantinople, but no further. "Between the plunder and the fire ... Constantinople was ravaged so badly that it never recovered," writes Ellis "Skip" Knox, who teaches history at Boise State University in Idaho. "It would not return to anything like its former glory until the Ottomans had conquered it and turned it into a great Muslim city." "Maybe recent events (meaning terrorist acts by Muslim extremists) have leant urgency to recent attempts at healing the rift between the Eastern and the West Church, including the pope's apology and now its acceptance by Bartholomew I," Knox suggested in a telephone interview. The Rev. Emmanuel Clapsis, dean of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology at Brookline, Mass., was even more outspoken. "We have to see to it that the Christian Church reconciles and recovers its broken unity," he told United Press International Thursday. "That's the will of Christ. Christianity's division is a scandal." "The Church must breathe again with both lungs," said Clapsis, using a term John Paul II had coined during his pilgrimage to Greece in 2001. The pontiff's encounter with Greek prelates went surprisingly well, as did his subsequent meetings with Orthodox prelates in Syria, the Ukraine and other countries. However, the intransigence of the Russian Church has so far proved to be a seemingly insuperable hurdle in the pope's quest for Christian unity. A recent visit by Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Vatican's chief ecumenical officer, with the Russian hierarchy "accomplished nothing," according to Claus-Peter Clausen, publisher of a Catholic newsletter in Germany and a specialist on the tensions between Rome and Russian Orthodoxy. The main obstacle is the existence of Catholic "uniate" churches, which are loyal to Rome but have maintained rites are identical to those of the Orthodox denominations. The uniate have been around since the 16th century. "But with the liberation of Eastern Europe, their existence created unexpected difficulties," said Clapsis, one of Orthodoxy's foremost ecumenists. "However, I am very optimistic that by God's grace and our determination we will overcome these temporary obstacles," he added. "If we allow God's grace overcome our human reservations, we can resolve problems even with Russia." "After all," he went on, "both the Holy Father and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew are committed to the unity of the Christian Church." Could this happen during this pope's lifetime, which may not be very long anymore? "This is an active and real possibility," the Greek Orthodox scholar replied. "Unexpected things may occur -- since we are in the speed of the resurrection." END

News Analysis By David W. Virtue This is a tale of two churches. By any standard they would be considered successful. Both churches are large with significant ministries. Both are wealthy and both are powerful forces in their communities. One is old money, one is new. They are landmark churches in their dioceses and at least one rector is the apple of his bishop's eye. Their rectors are known nationally and each is respected for their work and ministry in the circles they travel. But now all that is all changing. Recent events in the Episcopal Church — the consecration of an openly homoerotic bishop - is profoundly affecting the unity of the church and the polity of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It has also affected both these churches, but in vastly different ways. Here are their stories. The Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler is the Dean of the Cathedral of St. Philip in downtown Atlanta. The cathedral is an historic landmark erected in 1848 and it was consecrated the first Episcopal Church in Atlanta. It is much respected for its place in the community. The cathedral is also the epicenter of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta's pansexual community. Furthermore Dean Candler is an extremely vocal advocate of the church's doctrine of inclusion of homosexuals and has done yeoman's work in the diocese and in Cathedral publications justifying his views. He has traveled extensively around the Southeast speaking his mind on the issues and has the ear of Bishop J. Neil "Heresy is better than schism" Alexander. This bishop voted last fall in favor of Robinson's ordination and consecration. But the effect of Dean Candler's push for homosexual acceptance has come with a large price tag. His cathedral is in financial free fall. As one observer noted, "Candler's gas allowance is about to go down, as the downtown homosexual community hasn't been able to make up for the financial losses from the few remaining orthodox members at the cathedral." In the cathedral newsletter Candler whines about the church's declining finances and asks the question: Is the Cathedral a Rich Church? He asks, "Will our parish be able to make ends meet in 2004?" The answer it would appear is no. Pledges, he says, are down 3.5% from last year. "This is more than disappointing to me." As a result there will be no general staff raises, a reduction in requested diocesan pledging and no replacement of vacant staff positions that he says "are desperately needed." Furthermore several staff positions will remain vacant including an administrative assistant, registrar, and information technology, "our staff will continue to work with the discouraging squeeze of more demands and less support." Candler then went on to cite increased expenses including increased property insurance of $54,000 (and more to come), utility increases of $36,730 (and more to come). Then he drops the big news. He says that the cathedral has lost more than $200,000 in reduced pledges from folks upset with the Episcopal Church General Convention's actions on sexuality. "Some of those folks have told me that they want to make a financial protest." Candler then says, "but that statement does not directly affect places like New Hampshire, it directly affects the spirit and the life of our parish." There you have it. The sins of New Hampshire are visited upon Atlanta, and Candler is feeling the pain. And to add fuel to an already blazing fire, Candler announced that he needs another $70,000 in pledged income to meet new interest costs on new construction. He whines that the church has no "sugar daddies" and says that the problem might be that the church is perceived as rich in "both material and spiritual resources" but it is only a perception with the result that people are spiritually lazy, he says. In 2003 the budget was $3,647,000 with expenditures and costs $3,515,000. The year ended with a surplus of $132,000. Average Sunday attendance for 2003 was 1262. But now all that is crashing and burning. The church has built a whole new wing that has cost $17 million. So far the church has raised $10 million and needs $7 million to complete it. A source said that it is very unlikely that he will ever get that kind of money again. It is believed that Candler's family money is Coca Cola. The interest alone is causing a headache for the church. But what Candler won't admit is that it is not just demographics and an aging Episcopal Atlanta population that is doing him in, but his theology on human sexuality. He just doesn't get it. Blessing sodomy is not a draw card for white or black middle class, upwardly mobile Atlantans. They like their sexuality straight up, and, er… straight. Now consider another church in another part of the country. This church is growing and thriving because it has a different theology and a different understanding of sexuality and mission. This one is in Plano, Texas and it is called Christ Church, and its rector is Canon David Roseberry. Roseberry is making a name for himself having sponsored the Plano gathering earlier this year that drew several thousand orthodox Episcopalians following General Convention's affirmation of Robinson's unbiblical lifestyle and his elevation to the episcopacy. But unlike the Cathedral of St. Philip's in Atlanta, the Robinson consecration has not affected Christ Church, Plano, because Canon Roseberry has a different gospel, with an age-old message that he won't change to suit the passing fashions of our times. "The Robinson consecration has galvanized the church to take a biblical stand for orthodoxy," said Roseberry to Virtuosity. "If there is one thing I have learned about ministering in a large church, it is that large churches thrive on clarity and Christology. We have to be clear about who Jesus is and the effect he has on personal life transformation. That is what the Good News is." People come to church to find out what God has to say about pressing social issues, said the canon, one of Bishop James Stanton's outstanding priests. "The bible is very clear on what the most important subjects are. People can find out what the world believes from magazines and a newspaper rack; but what God believes in, what Holy Scripture declares is a wholly different matter. The church has a theology and a moral responsibility to share that Good News with its people." And as a result his church is growing nicely and his budget is up. "Attendance figures are up. Week by week we see 2,200 people coming to four services. Our projected giving for the whole year will be $4.2 million." According to figures released by the church, in 2003 the total pledged budget was $2,950,000. In 2004 pledges will reach $3,362,000, said Roseberry. Total giving will be over $4 million, making it one of the most prestigious and powerful parishes in the Episcopal Church. The parish income alone is bigger than some whole dioceses. "The average donation in 2003 was $4,545.00, in 2004 it will be $4,865.00, and that is in a down economy," said Roseberry. So why is one church successful and the other failing? "To the extent that we are faithful people will come. God will always send His people where they can be cared for," said Roseberry. That might be a lesson Dean Candler could learn as he watches pansexuality ravage his cathedral. NOTE: If you are not receiving this from Virtuosity, the Anglican Communion's largest orthodox Anglican Online News Service, then you may subscribe for FREE by going to www.virtuosityonline.org. Virtuosity's website has been accessed more than 1.4 million times. When you sign up a weekly digest of stories will come directly into your E-mail. END

BBC News Most African Church leaders have condemned Robinson's appointment. Africa's Anglican bishops have resolved to stop receiving donations from western congregations which support the ordination of gay bishops. The bishops also made clear that they would continue to accept funding from what they termed people of good faith. Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola said they would not sacrifice their faith and conscience on the altar of money. Although two-thirds of Anglicans are in the developing world, the wealth of the church still resides in the West. "We will not, on the altar of money, mortgage our conscience, mortgage our faith, mortgage our salvation", said Archbishop Peter Akinola. The work of African churches is, to a large extent, funded by donations from rich Western congregations. Archbishop Akinola said that if the Anglican Church in America offered money to help the poor in his province he would turn it down. "Money can't buy us. There is no price tag on our heads. Money is not everything" he said after a meeting of African, Asian, Caribbean and Latin American bishops in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. African churches had to break their dependency on donations from the West, he added. "To gain our independence and our freedom, we have to suffer for a while," the archbishop said. "We will not, on the altar of money, mortgage our conscience, mortgage our faith, mortgage our salvation." VITAL SERVICES The BBC's Ishbel Matheson in Nairobi says Anglican church leaders in Africa find themselves in a tricky position - most have condemned the ordination of the gay bishop Gene Robinson in America but they would find it hard to completely cut themselves off. In Africa's slums and in impoverished rural areas, religious organisations provide vital medical and social services. The bishops made it plain that money from like-minded Americans, that is those who oppose the ordination of homosexuals, would not be turned away. They said they were now conducting a review of how many programmes would be affected by a ban on official donations from the American church. Archbishop Akinola also said they would take "action they deem necessary" if the US Church failed to "repent" over the ordination of homosexuals within the next three months. "We shall cross that bridge when we get there," he said. "We represent more than half of the entire Anglican world. I don't think anybody would simply want to wish away our opinion. END

Thursday, April 15, 2004 NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Africa's Anglican archbishops decided Thursday to reject donations from any diocese that recognizes gay clergy and refuse cooperation with any missionary that supports the idea. Their decision at a meeting with their counterparts from Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America was the latest attack by church conservatives against the consecration of an openly gay bishop in the United States. The African archbishops also recommended that the Episcopal Church USA, the American branch of the Anglican church, be disciplined and be given three months "to repent" for the consecration in August of Bishop V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, in New Hampshire. If the Episcopal church is not disciplined, African Anglicans will be free to take whatever action they see fit, but breaking away from the worldwide Anglican Communion "is not an option", Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria told journalists. The election of an openly gay bishop has created deep divisions within the worldwide Anglican Communion, a confederation of national Anglican churches. The communion established a commission to look into the issue and its report is due in October. The archbishops from Asia, Latin American and the Caribbean at Thursday's meeting were to issue a statement Friday, but Akinola said that "by and large we are together on most issues." Akinola acknowledged that rejecting funds raised in wealthy nations, particularly the United States, will hurt the African churches in the short term. "If we suffer for a while to gain our independence and our freedom and to build ourselves up, I think it will be a good thing for the church in Africa," said Akinola, who also is chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, which represents 12 national and regional churches plus the diocese of Egypt. "We will not, on the altar of money, mortgage our conscience, mortgage our faith, mortgage our salvation," he said. Akinola urged African dioceses to become more self-reliant, giving the example of the Anglican Church of Kenya, which uses rent from buildings it owns in the capital Nairobi and elsewhere in the country to pay for some of its work. After the New Hampshire diocese consecrated Robinson, several African Anglican churches severed ties with it. All African churches -- except those in South Africa -- have opposed the ordination of homosexuals. Akinola said the South African leader, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of Cape Town, told him in a telephone conversation Thursday that he supported the stand taken by the other African archbishops. He added that Archbishop Drexel Gomez of the Bahamas, who listened in on the conversation, "is firmly in support of the views which we are espousing. He made that quite clear." The worldwide Anglican Communion, a group of 37 independent national churches that trace their roots to the Church of England, has 76.5 million members, of whom 36.8 million are African. The African churches are the fastest growing in the world. "We are not against every church in the America. We are not against every in the West," Akinola said, explaining that in the American Anglican church there were individual churches which did not support what happened in U.S. Diocese of New Hampshire. END

News Analysis By David W. Virtue Episcopal Church leaders have repeatedly said that giving to the ECUSA is down because of the economy and not because of the consecration of V. Gene Robinson an openly homoerotic bishop to the episcopacy. The Episcopal Church is being financially hit hard but the people at 815 insist it is the economy not the decisions to promote sodomy and approve Robinson's consecration that is the problem. According to Episcopal Church treasurer Kurt Barnes charitable and nonprofit organizations have suffered income restrictions this year due to a poorly performing economy, citing declines of up to 20 percent. "Layoffs affect churches too," he pointed out. Nationally, donations to the Episcopal Church are down about $3 million, or 6 percent, since the confirmation of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, officials said. Virtuosity reported that this figure was considerably larger based on a business consultant's analysis of ECUSA's figures. But in one diocese after another giving is down to the National Church, attributable they say, to current economic conditions. The continuing loss to the national church will run into the tens of millions of dollars. But all this, is "not material" says deputy director Jan Nunley. "With 9 million unemployed Americans, 4.7 million who have given up looking for work altogether and 80,000 unemployed who exhaust their benefits every week, I have a question: How many of those folks are Episcopalians?" No one knows of course, but as Episcopalians are generally among the richest groups in the U.S. it is unlikely that that is a contributing factor. But according to a Barna report released this week, giving to churches rose substantially in 2003. The California-based organization said that one sure-fire indicator that the national economy is on the path to recovery is found in that Americans donated significantly more money to non-profit organizations in 2003 than they did in 2002. The new report from The Barna Group shows that giving to churches and to non-profit organizations of all types jumped in the past twelve months, with the average dollars donated to churches hitting the highest level since 2000. The study also found that the percentage of adults who tithed to a church remained unchanged, but there are sizeable differences in the proportion of people who tithe according to various demographic and theolographic characteristics. Churches continue to be the dominant recipients of people's generosity. Close to two out of every three households (63%) donated some money to a church, synagogue or other place of religious worship during 2003. That percentage has remained constant since 2001, but is somewhat lower than the number of church donors identified in 2000 and in 1999 (66%). The mean amount of money donated to churches and other worship centers in 2003 was $824. That is the highest mean since 2000, and is 14% higher than the giving level measured in 2002. Once again, the current level is somewhat below the donation level, calculated in constant dollars, of 2000. In total, about three out of every four dollars donated by individuals in 2003 went to churches, synagogues and other religious worship centers. When contributions are examined as a percentage of household income, giving to religious centers represents about 2.2% of gross income. When the survey examined the behavior of born again adults — those who have made a significant personal commitment to Jesus Christ and who believe they will experience eternal life because of their confession of sins and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their savior — the outcome showed just 7% had tithed to their church. The Barna Group survey also identified segments of the population that are the most and the least likely to tithe their money to churches and other worship centers. The segments that were most likely to give at least ten percent to their house of worship included evangelicals (14% did so); adults with an active faith (12% of those who had attended church, prayed and read the Bible during the previous week); African-Americans, born agains, charismatic or Pentecostal Christians, and people from households with a gross income of $60,000 or more (7% among each of those segments). The segments that were least likely to tithe included Catholics (1%) as well as non-born again individuals, adults under 35, and those from households with a gross income of $40,000 to $59,999 (2% of the people in each of those segments tithed). George Barna, whose company conducted the tracking survey, commented that church giving will likely remain flat until church leaders address people's motivations for giving. "Once a church establishes itself as being trustworthy in people's minds, it will raise a minimal amount of money from attenders. However, to significantly increase people's willingness to give generously, a church must speak to the issues that get people excited. The leader, first and foremost, must present a compelling vision for the ministry — not simply keeping the doors open and the programs running, but a clear and energizing goal that describes how lives will be transformed by the church if people contribute their time, money and skills. Related to that vision," Barna continued, "the church must then impress potential donors with its ability to minister in ways that are efficient, effective, satisfying urgent needs, providing personal benefits, and incorporating donors into the heart of the effort to bring about serious life-change. Most donors give a modest sum of money out of habit, guilt or hope, but are not moved to share or sacrifice in a bigger way because they do not sense that the church is revolutionizing the community." The Barna Group, Ltd., and its research division (The Barna Research Group), is an independent cultural analysis and strategic consulting firm located in Ventura, California. Since 1984, it has been studying cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. END

By TOM MALITI The Associated Press 4/15/2004 NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Anglican archbishops from Africa resolved Thursday to reject donations from any diocese that recognizes gay clergy and recommended giving the Episcopal Church in the United States three months to repent for ordaining an openly gay bishop. The archbishops also said they will refuse cooperation with any missionary who supports ordaining gay priests. They said the Episcopalians — the American branch of Anglicanism — should be disciplined for the election last year of V. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. Robinson has lived openly with his male partner for years. "If we suffer for a while to gain our independence and our freedom and to build ourselves up, I think it will be a good thing for the church in Africa," Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria told journalists. "And we will not, on the altar of money, mortgage our conscience, mortgage our faith, mortgage our salvation." He spoke at a meeting of African Anglican archbishops and their counterparts from Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America. The other regions planned to issue a statement Friday. Akinola is also chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, which represents 12 national and regional churches plus the diocese of Egypt. Robinson's election has created deep divisions within the worldwide Anglican Communion, a confederation of provinces that each govern themselves. All Anglican provinces in Africa — except for Southern Africa — have opposed ordaining homosexuals, and several have severed ties with the U.S. Diocese of New Hampshire. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the world's 77 million Anglicans, has appointed a commission to explore ways of holding the communion together, or perhaps managing a split. The financial impact of the African bishops' stance is unclear. American church officials have said that overseas Anglican leaders who had publicly denounced the U.S. denomination over Robinson's election last year have continued taking aid money from them. Also, a significant amount of those grants come from Episcopal foundations that are independent of American dioceses and national church headquarters. "It's hard to parse this statement and to figure out are there any loopholes here or what," said Jim Naughton, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Washington. But Canon Bill Atwood, director of Ekklesia Society, an international aid agency created by U.S. Episcopal conservatives, said the African bishops have shown that they will break ties with the U.S. church no matter the cost. "Western leaders, especially in the Episcopal Church, have miscalculated," said Atwood, who was in Nairobi. A spokesman for the national U.S. church did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Africans comprise about half of the members of the global Anglican communion. The African churches are the fastest-growing in the world. END

By Aine Fox, Press Association Social Affairs Correspondent January 8, 2026   A complaint against the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury over her handling of an abuse allegation has been dismissed.   Dame Sarah Mullally should face no further action on the issue, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell decided.   The complainant, a man known as Survivor N, has a right to ask for the decision to be reviewed.   A diocese of London spokesperson said N’s allegations against a priest were originally received and investigated in 2014 and 2015, and no safeguarding concerns were found.   The spokesperson added that a restraining order had later been sought by the Metropolitan Police in relation to N’s contact with the priest concerned and was issued in 2017 and remains in place.   On Thursday, the Church confirmed no further action against Dame Sarah but said the 2020 complaint against the priest had been revisited and was being looked at again.   A spokesperson from the office of the Archbishop of York said: “On 7 January the Archbishop of York issued his determination not to take any further action in relation to a CDM (clergy discipline measure) complaint originally filed against Bishop Sarah Mullally in 2020.   “The complainant can under Section 13(3) of the measure request this decision is independently reviewed by the President of Tribunals.”   In a statement last year, Dame Sarah said it was “clear” that a complaint made against her in 2020 “was not properly dealt with”.   She added that she was “seeking assurance that processes have been strengthened to ensure any complaint that comes into Lambeth Palace is responded to in a timely and satisfactory manner”.   The Church said the 2020 complaint against a priest had been revisited and is now being “considered and determined” by the Bishop of Fulham, the Right Reverend Jonathan Baker.   Under the church’s internal disciplinary process, known as CDM, outcomes can range from a conditional discharge where no penalty is imposed, to removal from office, resignation by consent and a lifetime ban from ministry.   Andrew Graystone, who speaks on behalf of some survivors of Church abuse, described the current complaints procedure as “incestuous”, adding that victims are therefore unlikely to have much confidence in it.   He told the Press Association: “No-one will be surprised that the Archbishop of York has dismissed the complaint against his friend and colleague the incoming Archbishop of Canterbury, given that in three weeks time it will be her job to pass judgment on disciplinary complaints against him.   “Survivors of abuse in the Church of England aren’t likely to have any confidence that they will be treated justly, given the incestuous complaints processes of the Church of England.”

Archbishop Mbanda Corrects Anglican Ink Report on Trial Outcome By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org January 8, 2026 The Archbishop of Rwanda, the Most Rev. Laurent Mbanda, has clarified that a bishop previously reported as acquitted of corruption charges remains incarcerated and is serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence. The archbishop's statement corrects a report by Anglican Ink claiming that the Rt. Rev. Samuel Mugiraneza Mugisha had been found not guilty of corruption charges by a Rwandan court and released from prison. "Based on information available through appropriate channels, the former Bishop of Shyira, Rt. Rev. Samuel Mugiraneza Mugisha, has not been acquitted and has not been released from custody," Archbishop Mbanda stated. "He remains incarcerated and is currently serving a sentence of three and a half years following determinations made by the competent courts." The archbishop further clarified that the Anglican Church of Rwanda is not a party to the criminal proceedings referenced in the article. "Any diocesan-related matters identified through the forensic audit are being addressed by the appropriate leadership structures in accordance with established accountability processes," he said. Archbishop Mbanda cautioned against "reliance on partial narratives promoted by interested individuals, which may not fully or accurately reflect the legal or ecclesiastical realities of the matter." He requested that the Anglican Ink article be corrected or clarified accordingly. Pattern of Disputed Reports This is not the first time Anglican Ink reporter George Conger has faced accusations of inaccurate reporting. Bishops in the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces & Chaplaincy (JAFC) previously accused the blogger of "publishing numerous untruthful stories about Bishop [Derek] Jones and the JAFC/SJAFC." The JAFC communications team disputed an Anglican Ink article titled "SC FEDERAL COURT HANDS JONES A LOSS IN HIS BATTLE WITH THE ACNA," stating that "the reporter, George Conger, misstated facts and proposed conclusions that defy reality." Anglican Ink had claimed that the Federal District Court for the District of South Carolina rejected the bulk of JAFC's claims for an injunction or temporary restraining order against the Anglican Church in North America. However, according to JAFC, this characterization was inaccurate. Further details are available at: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/anglican-ink-accused-of-misstating-facts-and-conclusions-in-jafc-vs-acna-imbroglio