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Welsh Lesbian Archbishop Calls for Unity // TEC AWA Figures Show Decline in Church Attendance   Dear Brothers and Sisters, www.virtueonline.org November 14, 2025   BIBLICAL illiteracy is growing in America. In 2022, a comprehensive survey found that 26 percent of evangelicals think the Bible is more made-up than historical (up 9 percent since 2016); 56 percent think God accepts the worship of every religion (up 8 percent since 2016); and from 2020 to 2022, 13 percent more evangelicals agreed with the statement “Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.” How much these stats have to do with our collective brain rot is unclear, but it’d be naive to think the two are unconnected.   One way to fight biblical illiteracy is to attend a faithful church and invite a friend with you.   I often hear that today’s digital technologies pose no greater threat to the church than the television did back in the 1950s. The church just needs to adapt to the times, and biblical illiteracy will sort itself out. But will that strategy work?   We’re not in an oral culture like that anymore. The problem with Gen Z—and now Gen-Z pastors—is that they are fast approaching the illiteracy of the ancients, hundreds of years after Scripture memorization fell out of fashion. That means a digitally mediated, cloud-based scripturality will never have a serious chance of producing well-rounded disciples of Jesus Christ.   DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHURCH   Many believe that the central challenge to orthodox Christianity in our moment is the question of digital technology and, particularly, what the philosopher Anton Barba-Kay has called “digital formation.”   Sometimes one can hear people speaking of social media and digital technology as if it is a kind of tool we pick up and set down at discrete times.   But this actually misrepresents the problem.   The problem is not that we used to have a shared space where rational actors deliberated together but now due to social media and smartphones we have a shared space where irrational actors shout at one another. Such a scenario would actually be better than the one we truly have. The problem before us is that the shared space itself has evaporated, floating upward into the cloud.   Specifically, Barba-Kay argues that digital formation is defined by the loss of geographic and in-person contexts and their replacement with a kind of everywhere and nowhere context that exists only in digital “space.” The outcome of this is that digital technology makes lofty promises with regards to communication, connection, and community, but it only delivers on those promises on its own terms. In other words, it delivers 'community' but on the condition that we understand community in the decontextualized way of digital technology.   What this means is that digital space, by its very nature, tends to be corrosive of the values that shape us as Christians. Digital space is not governed by shared loci of authority founded on offices and texts. The problem facing us in this moment, then, is whether spaces of Christian formation can endure in a digital moment. We shall see.   *****   The Anglican Church in North America is in free fall. Its Archbishop Steve Wood has stepped back from his three roles as archbishop of the ACNA, as bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas and he has resigned from his parish after 25 years of ministry.   Hanging over his head is a presentment and possible inhibition. He is maintaining his innocence in the face of alleged sexual misconduct, plagiarism, financial chicanery, bullying and abuse charges. It is not a pretty picture. Every day seems brings fresh revelations and commentary from a wide variety of informed persons.   Late yesterday, word came down that South Carolina Bishop Chip Edgar says Archbishop Wood should be inhibited now before his presentment trial. Edgar also apologized for not being more proactive in listening to the cries of those allegedly abused by Wood. Edgar apologized for his lack of support of the Presentment to the complainants. “I assured our clergy, and want to assure our whole diocese, that I support these men and women in their efforts,” he said. He also said the College of Bishops should issue a public apology for disparaging statements they made about the complainants.   Perhaps this is a moment for the Diocese of the Carolinas , which is joined at the hip with the Diocese of South Carolina to merge with the larger diocese. Edgar could hire a suffragan bishop to assist in what would be 89 parishes. It would end the rivalry.   In a piece why I believe the ACNA will survive but change is necessary, I argue that confession and true repentance is needed. Furthermore, ACNA should stop beating up on JAFC Bishop Derek Jones for his alleged abuse, when Archbishop Wood has been charged with the same thing. Pot and kettle come to mind. You can read it here:   https://www.virtueonline.org/post/why-acna-will-survive-but-change-is-necessary-confession-and-repentance-are-needed-at-this-kairos   Dr. Matthew Wilcoxen writing for Mere Orthodoxy blog suggests a structural way forward as a solution for the ACNA. In a piece titled, How to Reform the Anglican Church In North America, he argues that the root of the issue is something he calls Mimetic Rivalry.   “We are caught in ordinary human patterns of imitation and competition, and our structures often make them worse instead of better. Because diocesan and parochial boundaries overlap, the church’s life is shaped by constant comparison. What might have been neighboring fellowship has become overlapping jurisdiction, and rivalry seeps into every level of the system. We built a system designed for rapid church planting in a time of enthusiasm, but we did not build one capable of sustaining peace in a time of consolidation. The result is predictable: factions, suspicion, and chronic institutional anxiety.”   Wilcoxen, an Australian evangelical Anglican theologian, says that if we do not change our form of governance, no number of new statements, goodwill, or charismatic leaders will save us. What is needed is to reform ACNA to remove the structural incentives to rivalry. This reform must not only be a moral or spiritual aspiration but rather a constitutional reality.   He condemns what he calls structural rivalry. “Bishops, rectors, and diocesan councils operate within unclear lines of accountability. Extra-canonical powers such as “godly admonition,” informal investigations, and unappealable episcopal decisions allow strong personalities to substitute for due process. When the law is elastic, every dispute becomes personal, and every personal dispute becomes a test of loyalty.”   Wilcoxen points to fragmented doctrine, dependent safeguarding, property patronage, insecure vocations and weak synodical life as a result. You can read  it here: https://mereorthodoxy.com/how-to-reform-the-anglican-church-in-north-america?utm_campaign=13660601-Mere%20Orthodoxy%20%7C%20Weekly%20Digest&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_yD0FiOoymQyu_6ovsAI2dPNBeo4kQREOIs1QSz4780a0RxhnPqeKQ7s1JtaETbP4MoeFyRzSrLdkPxK7kN_xkzkPQpA&_hsmi=389678021&utm_content=389678021&utm_source=hs_email Yes, the ACNA will survive as a humble denomination, hopefully learning from its lessons of pride and self-sufficiency, but the way forward will be rocky until all the facts are known.   *****   The Episcopal Church has released its 2024 diocesan stats for Average Weekly Attendance figures. However, the complete statistics for all across the board metrics are still missing in action.   Perusing the domestic attendance stats revealed that 57 dioceses registered a drop in weekly attendance from 2023 with the dioceses recording a double digit plunge in attendance. They include: the Navajoland (21%); Georgia (17.2%); Eastern Oregon (16.3%); Western Massachusetts (13%); Mississippi (12.2%); Southwest Florida (11.8%); and Los Angeles (11.6%).   Only one out of 36 dioceses showed a double digit growth in attendance: South Carolina at 13.4%.   Nine dioceses showed a less than one percent increase in weekly attendance including: Arizona (0.7%); California (0.04%); Montana (0.4%); New Jersey (0.4%); Northwest Texas (0.4%); Northwestern Pennsylvania (0.6%); TEC Pittsburgh (0.3%); Utah (0.9%); and West Texas (0.8%).   Ten dioceses showed an increase or decrease in weekly attendance by fewer than ten souls including: Massachusetts (+1); California (+2); Iowa (-2); Montana (+4); Kansas (-4); TEC Pittsburgh (+5); Northwest Texas (+6); Northwestern Pennsylvania (+6); Delaware (-8); and El Camino Real (-8).   You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/episcopal-church-continues-decline-in-awa-latest-figures-show Tracking the attendance numbers in new hybrid dioceses of The Great Lakes and Wisconsin and also in Hawaii are problematic.   The Diocese of the Great Lakes came into being as the dioceses of Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan joined forces to form a united Michigan-based diocese.   In 2023 the Diocese of Eastern Michigan had an AWA of 1,170; and the Diocese of Western Michigan had an AWA of 2,408 for a combined total of 3,578.    That 3,578 figure is what the new Diocese of the Great Lakes reported for its 2024 AWA.   So the question is: Was there absolutely no change up or down in the number of Episcopalians who showed up for services in 2024? Or did the Diocese of the Great Lakes just plug in the combined 2023 numbers for its 2024 figure?   Looking at the reconstituted statewide Diocese of Wisconsin the 2024 attendance figure of 4,008 seems to reflect a very small dip of 11 people in the pews from the combined 2023 figures of the dioceses of Eau Claire (411); Fond du Lac (1,243); and Milwaukee (2,354) with a combined 2023 total of 3,997.   Over in Hawaii the Pacific island diocese took in Micronesia with a 2023 AWA of 78. During the same period of time the Diocese of Hawaii had an AWA of 2,079 for a combined total of 2,157.   However, adding in the AWA from Micronesia did not really boost the Diocese of Hawaii’s weekly attendance figures much. Hawaii's 2024 AWA stands at 2,084 only six more from its 2023 figure of 2,079 even with addition of Micronesia.   *****   Meantime The Episcopal Church faces its own dysfunctional Title IV process for the church and its members. It’s time to start over, says Anglican Watch. The blog is calling for the wholesale re-write of Title IV. Problems in the Title IV process and its implementation are everywhere. Here are our top-level concerns:  Judicatories don’t understand the goals of Title IV. In its current iteration, the goals of Title IV including accountability, healing, reconciliation, respect, and care for all involved. But there’s plenty of evidence that church officials at every level still view the Title IV clergy disciplinary process as “going nuclear,” and something to be avoided whenever possible.   “We consistently see intake officers who are either reluctant to pursue a complaint or who minimize the severity of the situation, apparently because they’re unwilling to start the Title IV process.” You can read more here: https://www.anglicanwatch.com/title-iv-its-time-to-start-over/   *****   A judge has granted in part a temporary restraining order request from a chaplains group seeking to cut ties with the Anglican Church in North America. The Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy recently filed a complaint against ACNA over the Anglican denomination’s refusal to allow the ministry to disaffiliate.   U.S. District Judge Bruce Hendricks of the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division issued an order last week partly granting JAFC’s request for a temporary restraining order.   According to Hendricks, while the court “does not intend to entangle itself into an internal canonical dispute over the Anglican Church’s ecclesiastical structure,” some issues raised by JAFC “may be ripe and appropriate for the Court’s consideration, such as Plaintiff’s trademark claims.”   “After hearing arguments from the parties, counsel for Defendant effectively conceded that Defendant would refrain from using Plaintiff’s service mark ‘Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy,’ Plaintiff’s trademark, ‘Anglican Chaplains,’ and Plaintiff’s trademarked logo,” wrote Hendricks.   However Anglican Ink sought to spin it that the JAFC lost Bishops in the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces & Chaplaincy. Bishop Derek Jones publicly accused Anglican Ink blogger George Conger of “publishing numerous untruthful stories about Bishop [Derek] Jones and the JAFC/SJAFC.”    An article on Anglican Ink’s website titled “SC FEDERAL COURT HANDS JONES A LOSS IN HIS BATTLE WITH THE ACNA,” is just the latest. “The reporter, George Conger, misstated facts and proposed conclusions that defy reality,” the communications team at JAFC told VOL.   Anglican Ink claims The Federal District Court for the District of South Carolina rejected the bulk of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy’s claims for an injunction or temporary restraining order against the Anglican Church in North America.   Jones told VOL that JAFC has retained more than two thirds of all 300 chaplains. “The ACNA only got a handful. Most of the chaplains are loyal to us.” You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/anglican-ink-accused-of-misstating-facts-and-conclusions-in-jafc-vs-acna-imbroglio    *****   Donald Trump and the BBC have different views on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The BBC questions the claim made by Trump that Christians in Nigeria are facing a wave of violent persecution. The BBC is not simply misguided: it is a regrettable example of how the Corporation fails to act as a neutral broadcaster in stories that matter to Christians.   Let’s be blunt. Christians in Nigeria are under serious threat. The UK‐based aid group Open Doors UK reports that more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. Its partner resources testify to displaced Christian families living in makeshift camps, traumatized after attacks by militants. A new report has found that ethnic and religious violence in Nigeria has claimed the lives of nearly 56,000 people in the West African country over four years — and the victims were disproportionately Christian.   The charity, Release International, confirms Nigeria is “tipping into a spiral of violence” against Christian communities. And another organization, Barnabas Aid, notes the crisis of displacement, loss of livelihoods and churches destroyed in what it terms part of the “anti‐Christian” wave in the West African country.   Catholics and Anglicans head the most persecuted of Christian groups. They are retaliating with prayer and protests but not weapons. The government has decided to act after Trump has threatened to intervene in that country, and has sent troops to go after Boko Haran and Fulani tribesmen. The government’s argument that this is farmer/herder problem is not been taken seriously by the U.S.   *****   The first female Archbishop of Wales Cherry Vann has called for "unity" and said that the global Anglican Church should not "be divided" by her selection to the role.   In the world of fantasy ecclesiastical politics, calling for unity in a global church that is bitterly divided over homosexuality, is a bit like asking Bibi Netanyahu to surrender his IDF forces to Hamas in the hope that peace would come to Gaza.   Her appointment has attracted criticism from orthodox voices, most notably in the Global South. The lesbian archbishop believes that her appointment was "the right role for me at this time, for the church and for Wales". No mention of whether God approves of the anointing; it’s just good for the folk in Wales who don’t know any better.   Addressing those who had been "less supportive", she said she had taken on the role "because this is what God has called me to do". If God had called her, He would be denying his own written word that expressly forbids those kinds of sexual relationships. Paul writing in Romans (1:25) “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. https://www.virtueonline.org/post/lesbian-archbishop-wants-unity-at-any-price-the-first-female-archbishop-of-wales-has-called-for-un   *****   There’s been a lot of talk about a quiet revival in the Church of England but it is not true. New attendance stats released by the Church of England are in marked contrast to the Bible Society’s report of a quiet revival in the UK.   The Bible Society “Quiet Revival” report claimed that “Church attendance has risen by 50 per cent over the last six years,” according to stats from a You Gov survey in England and Wales conducted for the Bible Society. “In 2018, just 4 per cent of 18–24-year-olds said that they attended church at least monthly. Today, says The Quiet Revival, this has risen to 16 per cent, with a notable rise in the proportion of young men attending.   “Attendance at Church of England churches rises for the fourth year in a row” is the headline on the official Church website. “The overall number of regular worshippers across the Church of England’s congregations rose to 1.009 million in 2024, a rise of 0.6 per cent, according to the annual Statistics for Mission findings,” the Church of England “Statistics for Mission” report says.   But the eagle-eyed Madeleine Davies of the Church Times contradicts the official optimism. “The data, published recently, record that in 2024 attendance rose for the fourth year, but that recovery since the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed. Increases in attendance since 2023 were smaller than in previous years. In 2019, a “middle-sized” church had an all-age average weekly attendance (AWA) of 34.5; in 2024, the equivalent figure was 26. The median church has just one child in attendance, compared with three in 2019.   So where is the quite revival taking place? Mainly Pentecostal and independent Anglican churches. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/the-quiet-revival-passes-the-church-of-england-by   *****   The Living in Love and Faith report has collapsed. The House of Bishops has decided that stand-alone services and clergy same sex marriage can only be pursued through formal synodical processes (a B2 process for standalone services and a Measure / amended Canons for clergy same sex marriage).  They continue to believe that the Prayers of Love and Faith, as commended in December 2023, can still be used at the discretion of clergy.  Currently, they do not believe that any ‘provisions’ are needed for those who in good conscience are not able to use the Prayers of Love and Faith.  They have not indicated what they will bring to General Synod in February 2026, and/or any other actions/initiatives that they might offer.    To read more click here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/efac-calls-on-bishops-to-restore-confidence-in-their-leadership   A number of clergy in the Church of England are resisting a decision by the House of Bishops which put the brakes on moves to allow stand-alone services for same-sex blessings and to allow clergy to be in same-sex marriages. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/cofe-clergy-vow-to-offer-same-sex-blessing-services-despite-bishops-decision   *****   Please consider a tax-deductible donation to VOL’s vital ministry. VOL reaches readers in 55 countries with hundreds visiting our new website daily. I take no salary, but I do employ staff to maintain our online presence on social media. We urgently need to raise $25,000 by the end of the year. Online: A PayPal donation link can be found here: http://www.virtueonline.org/support.html If you are more inclined with checks, you can send your tax-deductible donation to: VIRTUEONLINE                                                             P.O. BOX 111                     Shohola, PA 18458   Thank you for your support, David   My Substack on the Middle East continues to grow. It is drawing a lot of interest and attention from across the globe. You can access it here: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/   I am a strong supporter of the state of Israel’s right to exist and prosper while confronting her enemies both foreign and domestic. My latest report can be seen here: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/publish/posts/detail/178890395?referrer=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fpublished

By Mary Ann Mueller www.virtueonline.org November 14, 2025   The Episcopal Church has released its 2024 diocesan stats for Average Weekly Attendance figures. However, the complete statistics for all across the board metrics are still missing in action.   Perusing the domestic attendance stats revealed that 57 dioceses registered a drop in weekly attendance from 2023 with the dioceses recording a double digit plunge in attendance. They include: the Navajoland (21%); Georgia (17.2%); Eastern Oregon (16.3%); Western Massachusetts (13%); Mississippi (12.2%); Southwest Florida (11.8%); and Los Angeles (11.6%).   Only one out of 36 dioceses showed a double-digit growth in attendance: South Carolina at 13.4%.   Nine dioceses showed a less than one percent increase in weekly attendance including: Arizona (0.7%); California (0.04%); Montana (0.4%); New Jersey (0.4%); Northwest Texas (0.4%); Northwestern Pennsylvania (0.6%); TEC Pittsburgh (0.3%); Utah (0.9%); and West Texas (0.8%).   Ten dioceses showed an increase or decrease in weekly attendance by fewer than ten souls including: Massachusetts (+1); California (+2); Iowa (-2); Montana (+4); Kansas (-4); TEC Pittsburgh (+5); Northwest Texas (+6); Northwestern Pennsylvania (+6); Delaware (-8); and El Camino Real (-8).   You can read more here: Tracking the attendance numbers in new hybrid dioceses of The Great Lakes and Wisconsin and also in Hawaii are problematic.   The Diocese of the Great Lakes came into being as the dioceses of Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan joined forces to form a united Michigan-based diocese.   In 2023 the Diocese of Eastern Michigan had an AWA of 1,170; and the Diocese of Western Michigan had an AWA of 2,408 for a combined total of 3,578.    That 3,578 figure is what the new Diocese of the Great Lakes reported for its 2024 AWA.   So the question is: Was there absolutely no change up or down in the number of Episcopalians who showed up for services in 2024? Or did the Diocese of the Great Lakes just plug in the combined 2023 numbers for its 2024 figure?   Looking at the reconstituted statewide Diocese of Wisconsin the 2024 attendance figure of 4,008 seems to reflect a very small dip of 11 people in the pews from the combined 2023 figures of the dioceses of Eau Claire (411); Fond du Lac (1,243); and Milwaukee (2,354) with a combined 2023 total of 3,997.   Over in Hawaii the Pacific island diocese took in Micronesia with a 2023 AWA of 78. During the same period of time the Diocese of Hawaii had an AWA of 2,079 for a combined total of 2,157.   However, adding in the AWA from Micronesia did not really boost the Diocese of Hawaii’s weekly attendance figures much. Hawaii's 2024 AWA stands at 2,084 only six more from its 2023 figure of 2,079 even with addition of Micronesia.   END

The Anglican Inheritance and the Church Catholic Cheryl H. White, Ph.D. "We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church." We repeat those words every Sunday when we stand together to recite the Nicene Creed. What it means to be a part of the church catholic holds a renewed and special meaning for Anglicans today because of the crisis issues that face us. It is our unique Anglican heritage that allows us to lay claim to the historic faith we profess in that creed. So what does it really mean and why is it important? The early Christian church, by the end of the first century A.D., was called catholic simply because the word means universal. It comes from the Greek, katas holos, which literally means according to the whole. The second bishop of Antioch, St. Ignatius, said at the end of the first century: wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church. Before the end of the fourth century, the church administration became centered in Rome; hence, the term developed Roman Catholic Church. However, when speaking of the historic universal church that has always existed since the time of Christ, the term catholic is correct. By the historic office of bishop that has been preserved through the centuries since the time of the Apostles, we are also able to claim the apostolic church. When the Protestant Reformation emerged during the sixteenth century, scholars like Martin Luther and John Calvin sought to re-claim what early Christianity was like before corrupted during the Middle Ages at the hands of Rome. By the time of the late Middle Ages, the church in Rome was openly selling church offices, selling God's grace through "indulgences," and the legitimacy of the papacy was seriously in question. What reformers sought was a renewed catholicity; a return to the universal apostolic church of the first centuries. The word catholicity simply refers to unity and universality – the common bonds that tie Christians together. The exact meaning of catholicity is something that has been hotly debated among theologians and historians. However, it is clear that during the Protestant Reformation, some believed that the best way to re-claim the early Church was to abolish many practices and doctrines that had been embraced by the Roman church for centuries. In varying degrees, mainstream Protestant churches distanced themselves from the historic catholic faith by abandoning the historic sacraments of the church and the traditional liturgy, eliminating the office of bishop, and even carrying out more symbolic acts like doing away with clerical vestments and removing altars from churches. These reformers saw catholicity as an invisible unity that was not necessarily found in the traditional practices of the Christian church. In the minds of many, the Roman Catholic Church was completely flawed and therefore, anything historically associated with that institution was also flawed. Therefore, some churches that emerged from the Protestant Reformation developed new models of administration and differing methods of worship. However, some defined catholicity in more visible and tangible terms. When the Reformation came to England, it was much more rooted at the national level than it had been on the continent of Europe and conditions there dictated that church reform be more moderate to ensure a legitimate link to the past. In England in the sixteenth century, it was important that the historic elements of Christian unity be absolutely defined in concrete terms -- the consecrated office of bishop, the sacraments, the authority of Holy Scripture, the Creeds, the orthodoxy of the Church Fathers, the traditional liturgy – all of which were historic ties to the early Church. Therefore, when the Church of England broke away from Rome in 1534, it could still claim to be a part of the church catholic and apostolic by virtue of history. All of the historical elements of catholicity remained intact yet purged of the corrupt errors of Rome. This is the unique Anglican identity – to be truly part of the one holy catholic and apostolic church. When the Episcopal Church of the United States broke away from the authority of Holy Scripture in consecrating Gene Robinson as bishop, it made the statement that our history is unimportant – that somehow, our tie to the rest of the Anglican Communion does not matter. Yet the Anglican Communion is our only tie to the historic past. Through our Anglican forebears of nearly five hundred years ago, we inherited a claim to the historic catholic church of the first century. There has perhaps never been a better time in recent centuries to review and embrace our history and heritage. Our legitimacy is anchored firmly in the past, therefore eliminating the need for any discussions about new theologies for the modern world. Even amid the doctrinal squabbles of the Reformation period, all learned and scholarly men agreed that there was only one true authority – God's Holy Word. Holy Scripture and the Creeds have defined for us the limits of our inclusiveness; they are our signposts, fixed and true. To remain a part of the church catholic means to cling fast to the history we know – the orthodox faith of centuries of Christians who have gone before us. Cheryl H. White, Ph.D. is a professor of history at Louisiana State University in Shreveport and she serves on the vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. She is a frequent guest lecturer on topics related to church history and Reformation studies, and is a member of the Sixteenth Century Studies Conference. Her major fields of study and research are early Anglicanism and historical catholicity. END

AS EYE SEE IT. Tensions and threats abound at West Tennessee Convention by Jeff Marx The Diocese of West Tennessee had its convention this past weekend. Bishop Don E. Johnson, who voted against Robinson, continues to verbalize the theme of unity. In an emotionally powerful image he recounted a rabbinical story about Abraham's call. The point of the story was that Abraham responded to God with one request, "I will go where you send me if I can bring my family with me." Bishop Johnson then asked that he be allowed to bring his family, the diocesan family, with him into the unknown future. The call to unity and focus on togetherness permeated much of our time together. The question for many of us concerns the content of that unity. One major source of contention was the role of Bishop Chilton Knudsen of Maine. She had been invited last fall to be a speaker for the convention. Unfortunately, shortly after that invitation was accepted, she was a co-consecrator at V. Gene Robinson's elevation to the episcopacy. Although Bishop Johnson made it clear that he did not know she would participate in the consecration and it was not his intent to make a political statement through this invitation, several of the West Tennessee clergy told the bishop that we would be unable to attend the Eucharist if she concelebrated and preached. Bishop Johnson had extended the invitation prior to the Robinson consecration and decided not to withdraw it. Four priests met with him (ironically, the day after he issued his Pastoral Letter about the AAC). During a candid, but generally friendly exchange, we made it clear that we would be gathering elsewhere to pray. Bishop Johnson voiced respect for us and our position. We emphasized that we would not make any 'grand exit' which would disrupt the Eucharist. On Friday evening we did not attend the diocesan Eucharist and gathered instead at my parish. Friday at 6:00 PM St. Andrew's Church in Collierville was filled with some 1200 worshippers. We prayed Evening Prayer and a dozen folks prayed aloud for the needs of the church. At the end of the service all the priests present were asked to stand up and extend their hands in blessing. About nine clergy were there and the beauty and power of the moment was lost on no one. Several participants later commented that it was the high point of the convention weekend. The atmosphere at the evening prayer had been affected by the threats uttered just a few hours before. Just prior to the evening prayer, beginning at 3:30, we had gathered for hearings on several resolutions. Three resolutions had been submitted by a traditionalist priest. One called for a renunciation of General Convention resolutions that have caused such an uproar in the church, another affirmed that marriage was between one man and one woman and that sex outside of marriage was a sin. A third asked for diocesan support of the Network as an effort to make a place for those who want to remain in the Episcopal Church but remained committed to the orthodox faith. In the midst of those discussions at the hearings a statement was made by the rector of the host parish that he would bring up on presentment any priest who was associated with the AAC or the Network. A short time after that I asked if I had correctly heard that this priest intended to present me for my membership in AAC. At that point Fr. Joe Davis asked, "And me?" I think that one or two other priests also asked the same question. Both publicly and privately afterward this priest made it clear that he would bring us up on presentment if need be. Although this threat was rather unnerving, later that night and the next day three other priests who are in opposition to our position came to offer support. I do not believe at this point that any charges will be filed. I think many of the opposition here still view us with respect and love and do not want us brought up on charges. Unfortunately, the resolutions committee decided to not bring the three resolutions made by the Traditionalists to the house floor. Instead they claimed to roll them into another "unity" resolution which called for further dialogue.(Several of the Traditionalists had supported this resolution with the understanding that we wanted to remain in the church and work together). We were deeply saddened when this resolution was foisted upon us as a compromise to avoid conflict. The attempt to silence us failed as on the house floor the resolutions were resubmitted as amendments and the very discussion that they had tried to prevent occurred any way. During the closing floor debate Fr. Joe Davis set out a reasoned argument for the orthodox claims. Fr. Colenzo Hubbard pointed out that we had heard only the liberal voice and needed to also hear the Traditionalists, and Fr. Sam son Giteau asked for the delegates to give us some reason for hope. The discussions were neither contentious or highly emotional. They also did not sway the delegates to vote affirmatively for any of the amendments. I addressed the assembly and tried to explain our plight. I called on them to realize that many folks in our parishes were barely hanging on in the church. I explained that they needed some sign of hope. I asked them, "besides Vicky Gene Robinson himself, who could you have possibly placed at this altar to send a clearer message of where we stand than the person who consecrated him?" I turned to Bishop Knudsen and told her that had she spoken at any other time or circumstance we would have listened to her. I told her that I understood we missed out on a fine talk. I also explained that we are committed to the Church universal and the Anglican Communion. Bishop Knudsen had ignored the united voice of the Anglican Primates, had engaged in an act which tore at the fabric of the communion and that she was the schismatic. I also stated that the disregard for Africa and the Southern Hemisphere was an act of racism and that Liberal racism is the most insidious type because they cannot believe they are capable of racism. Our diocese failed to renounce the Robinson ordination. We did not confirm that we believe marriage is between one man and one woman (i.e., we rejected the Prayer Book definition). We did not confirm sex outside of marriage is a sin. We did not allow for parishes in West Tennessee to be part of the Network. We did commit to further discussions and dialogue. Many of the orthodox are not hopeful. They believe dialogue means "talk until you get on board with the new and improved Christianity." The days ahead are uncertain but we remain committed to faithful discipleship. We ask the Primates to hear that we did not attend the Eucharist and do not want to be in broken or impaired communion. We want our ecumenical partners to hear we witnessed to the faith within this convention. We want the readers of this to hold us and our bishop in prayer. Jeff Marx is the rector St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Collierville in the Diocese of West Tennessee

Women could become 'second class' bishops By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent THE TELEGRAPH 2/24/2004) Women could be barred from becoming Archbishops, and may not even be allowed to run dioceses, under official plans to consecrate them as bishops. An unpublished Church of England report will suggest the reform may be acceptable to conservatives only if women are merely allowed to climb on to the first rung of the ladder by becoming "junior" bishops. The proposal will spark fury among campaigners for women clergy, who will regard it as a fresh example of the "stained glass ceiling" they face in the male-dominated Church. Hard-line traditionalists will also be unimpressed with the compromise, though many in the Church's powerful evangelical wing may find it attractive. With a General Synod debate likely in the autumn, the row threatens to engulf the Church 10 years after the ordination of women provoked one of the greatest crises in its 450-year history. Though it is not expected to be as bitter as that over women priests, it comes as the worldwide Church tears itself apart over the issue of homosexuality. The confidential draft report, drawn up by a working party chaired by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, will set out the options if the Church decides to consecrate women. As the Telegraph disclosed last month, one possibility is to split the Church, one half with female clergy and one without. At the other extreme, all posts could be opened to women without the conservatives receiving any protection, risking another damaging exodus of traditionalist clergy. But the draft report also proposes a number of options designed to placate those who are not fundamentally opposed to the reform but who nevertheless have serious qualms. Under one, women could be given one of the 43 diocesan bishoprics but not that of the Archbishop of Canterbury or York. This might be enough to persuade moderate pro-women campaigners that they have got almost all they want. It might also satisfy conservative evangelicals worried about "headship", the belief that the Bible, particularly St Paul, bars women from roles in which they are in authority over men. The issue is expected to be debated by the Synod next November or February, after the report, which has taken three years to complete, has been finally approved by the House of Bishops. If approved, legislation will be drawn up to allow women bishops, and the first consecrations could take place within five years. END

Homosexuality Is Divinely Ordered, Says New Anglican Catechism It declares homosexuality 'may well not be a condition to be regretted but to have divinely ordered and positive qualities.' By Victoria Combe Religion Correspondent The Telegraph A radical rethink of Church teaching on homosexuality that declares it to be "divinely ordered" is revealed this week in a catechism commissioned by the Archbishop of York. The second most senior churchman in the Church of England, the Most Rev David Hope, has given the new catechism his imprimatur and describes it in his foreword as "a celebration of Christian living." Written by Canon Edward Norman, canon and treasurer of York Minster, the catechism seeks to define Anglicanism for the first time since Thomas Cranmer wrote The Book of Common Prayer in 1662. The Prayer Book version was a brief inquisitorial text intended for use in a pre-literate age. Canon Norman's is the first attempt fully to define Anglican teaching. In the section on sexuality, he contradicts official teaching and the views of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey. "Homosexuality," says the catechism, "may well not be a condition to be regretted but to have divinely ordered and positive qualities." "Homosexual Christian believers," it continues, "should be encouraged to find in their sexual preferences such elements of moral beauty as may enhance their general understanding of Christ's calling." The Anglican Church is deeply divided over its teaching on homosexuality and at the last Lambeth Conference bishops rowed openly about the issue. In the end, Dr Carey, supported by African and Asian bishops, passed a resolution saying homosexual acts were "incompatible with Scripture." The resolution said "abstinence is right for those who are not called to marriage." A discussion document by the House of Bishops called Issues in Human Sexuality, published in 1991, forbade clergy from entering into homosexual relationships. Canon Norman, a highly respected theologian who writes "meditations" in The Daily Telegraph, was asked to write the catechism by Dr Hope to provide a tool in training for ministry. An "official" catechism is being written and published by Church House but the project will take several years. Called An Anglican Catechism, the text is praised by Dr Hope for managing to "explore the relevant issues for today" in the context of "an unchanging doctrinal basis of faith." Dr Hope was targeted by the homosexual rights group, Outrage!. After a night of prayer in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, he said his sexuality was "a grey area" and that he was celibate. Canon Norman addresses the contradictions in what the Church teaches and practises, saying: "The Church continues to classify homosexuality as an intrinsically disordered condition, yet significant numbers of Christians are and always have been homosexual." The catechism declares that homosexuality "is not in general chosen: it is an expression of sexuality which derives from conditions of inherited impulsions or of early infant experience." Richard Kirker, general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, welcomed the text as a "refreshing statement which the Church is crying out for." END

Upset Episcopalians start their own church By John J. Shaughnessy The IndyStar February 21, 2004 Distressed by the ordination of an openly gay bishop, nearly 60 parishioners have left the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis and will hold services in their new church today. The move represents the first break from the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis since Bishop Catherine Waynick voted in August to confirm the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. Members of the newly formed Faithful Anglicans in the Heartland also object to Waynick allowing gay couples in the Indianapolis diocese, which includes the lower two-thirds of the state, to have same-sex blessing ceremonies -- another issue that has caused division within the Episcopal Church. "They are a group of very faithful people who feel that, in good conscience, they could not worship (as part of the diocese), given Bishop Waynick's position on the confirmation of Bishop Robinson," said the Rev. Robert Giffin, the priest leading the new congregation in Evansville. "A number of us felt that if we sat in the pews, we were giving tacit approval to the way the Episcopal Church is going," said member Andy Ward. "My wife and I felt we couldn't do that to our children." Instead of criticizing the move, Waynick offered a conciliatory gesture and comments Friday toward the members of the new church, who still consider themselves Episcopalians. "We have some extraordinary circumstances where we have people who are terribly unhappy and terribly hurt," said Waynick, who leads about 12,000 members in the diocese. "We're trying to find ways to make a pastoral response that keeps our diocesan structure intact." Waynick licensed Giffin to serve weekly Eucharist at the new church, whose members left churches in Evansville, New Harmony and Mount Vernon. Giffin is a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Springfield, Ill. -- a neighboring diocese led by Bishop Peter Beckwith, who voted against Robinson's confirmation as bishop. "It was gracious of her," Ward said. Similar to many faiths, the issue of homosexuality has been a controversial and divisive one for the Episcopal Church in the United States, which accounts for 2.3 million members of the 77 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion. "I believe it's inappropriate that Gene Robinson be a bishop, a priest or a deacon," Beckwith said. "The largest majority of Anglicans say they dissent from a decision that is incompatible with Scripture. The choice is, 'Are we going to accept Christ's values or are we going to co-opt the values of the world?'" Waynick said she is grateful to the vast majority of people in the diocese of Indianapolis who have stayed together during this difficult time. "While it is clear there is a wide variety of response to Bishop Robinson's confirmation, there's also a firm determination to stay together and to go about serving the world in God's name," Waynick said. Dissent has spread across the country. Several thousand members of the church met in Virginia in January to protest Robinson's ordination. Members in Mississippi have debated repudiating the bishops' actions to confirm Robinson. And leaders in southwest Florida told members upset over the ordination that they could protest by withholding funds from the national church. Beckwith and Waynick agree that the issue won't be resolved soon. "I don't think this will go away," Beckwith said. "It needs to be resolved. For me, it's a salvation issue." "It's very clear a number of bishops and several dioceses weren't very happy," Waynick said. "How all this will develop and find resolution, we're still not clear." END

Ash Wednesday, 2004 Learning to Live with an Audience of One Rev. R. William Dickson St. John the Divine, Houston, TX Introduction: There's a quip about public speaking which I have always found quite startling and provocative. It goes this way – "The first thing an inexperienced novice speaker does upon being invited to speak somewhere is to inquire about the topic – 'What is it I am to talk about?'; but the first thing a really expert speaker asks is 'Who is my audience?" It is simply impossible to communicate effectively without giving some serious consideration to the matter of your audience. You dare not address a group of fourth graders as you would a group of mature adults. It would be quite wrong-headed to address a gathering of scholars the same way you would speak to a group of blue-collar workers. You cannot communicate effectively without considering your audience. I doubt that anyone who has ever spoken publicly or anyone who has ever thought carefully about the task would dispute it. It is certainly true. But I wonder if we have given adequate consideration to the critical importance of the audience of our lives. Before whom are we really living our lives? Who is the true audience before whom our time on the stage of life is performed? In our gospel text for today Jesus suggests there are but two options, and only one is acceptable to those who would be his disciples. But before we consider Jesus' teaching about the true audience of the life of a disciple, we must consider the apparent contradiction between our gospel text and a few verses which occurred just moments earlier in this very same sermon of Jesus – his famous sermon on the Mount. Doesn't it just drive you nuts when you're listening closely to your preacher and he or she says one thing at one point in the sermon and then at another point in the same sermon seems to directly contradict the earlier point? Which is it? Is it this or that? Is it yes or no? Has Jesus truly contradicted Himself? Moments earlier, those listening to this remarkable exploration of life in the kingdom heard Jesus say this, 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. So one question we must ask and answer immediately is this – Is it good or is it bad for our good works to be seen by men? And from the verses in chapter 5, verse 16 in particular – "16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." we simply have to conclude that it is good for our good works to be seen by men. In fact, rendering our good works entirely invisible before the world is about as misdirected as lighting a lamp and then immediately placing it under a bushel. We cannot conclude that Jesus' meaning is that a truly Christian piety is an invisible piety, completely hidden away from the sight of others. And yet, we want to take his other language seriously too. So what could it mean when he states, 1 "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. If we have ruled out the possibility that Jesus is commending an entirely invisible piety, then we are left with no other possibility than to see a problem in the intended result of a certain self-consciously, deliberately public piety, a piety we might call "theatrical piety." The problem is not in our piety being seen by men, rather the problem is in intentionally doing those pious things in order to be seen by men. Are we speaking in riddles, or does this in fact make sense? It seems to me Jesus is telling those of us who wish to follow as his disciples and live within the power and values of the kingdom of God even now, even right here, right now -- that we need to think of our lives as lived before an audience of one – God alone. But lives lived with that kind of intentionality, that kind of sharply focused vision, will be lives which cannot help but shine out brightly in a dark and godless culture desperate for some light. To whom are we answerable? To whom must we ultimately give an account? Who is it that we truly serve? There is but one answer if we would be followers of Jesus – "It is the Lord and the Lord alone whom we serve." And to live otherwise is to invite a certain spiritual vertigo into our souls. Elab. Some of you know, many of you don't that my wife, Ginger, has been sick recently. She has had a viral infection of the throat, sinuses and ears which has made it hard for her to stand up. She has been profoundly debilitated now for several days with a horrible sense of the world teetering and tottering unpredictably this way and that. She has been experiencing intense vertigo. She did the only reasonable thing, she went to the doctor. She paid Dick Stassney a visit. Dr. Stassney of course treated Ginger very thoroughly, very carefully and as she was leaving gave her a little booklet entitled "Dizziness or Vertigo? Understanding Balance Problems." Right here on the front you see a picture of a man experiencing dizziness or vertigo, and interestingly there is a picture of a little gyro-scope within his head. Apparently his inner ear, our biological gyro-scope is malfunctioning. Well we have a spiritual gyro-scope too. And we can make it malfunction if we forget before whom we are really living our lives. Os Guinness, in his wonderful book The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life, in the chapter entitled "The Audience of One" says this about our spiritual gyro-scope, "The Puritans lived as if they had swallowed gyroscopes; we modern Christians live as if we have swallowed Gallup polls. Or as Martin Luther King wrote in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, "in those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society." Leaders or panderers? Gyroscope or Gallup poll? Thermostat or thermometer? Only those who practice the presence of the Audience of One can hope to attain the former and escape the latter." Conclusion: In moments, most of you will come forward to receive the imposition of ashes. A few of you will opt out, and that is perfectly fine, a perfectly proper thing to do if for any reason that is your preference. But for those receiving ashes upon the head, in fact, even those remaining seated and observing others receiving the mark of the cross upon the head, I wish to present before your imagination a challenge, a vision, an image of what we should be doing. Perhaps you and I must confess that we have not been entirely single-hearted in our view of our lives and the proper audience of our lives. Perhaps we have allowed from time to time the clamoring voices of the world and its countless special interest lobby groups to confuse us about our real audience. Our spiritual gyroscope has quit functioning rightly. As that cross is being marked upon our heads, let us pray to God that our spiritual gyroscopes planted deep within our hearts might be set right again. We would be God-pleasers, rather than men-pleasers. We would be those who acknowledge but One God, but one audience of our lives. We would be those so enthralled with a vision of our Lord and God that "Before others we have nothing to prove, nothing to gain, nothing whatsoever to lose." God, let it be so! Amen.

Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace. Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjack's wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices. Grace is represented as the Church's inexhaustible treasury, from which she showers blessings with generous hands, without asking questions or fixing limits. Grace without price; grace without cost! Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the Cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate. Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods… Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it costs God the life of His Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon His Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered Him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God. Costly grace is the sanctuary of God; it has to be protected from the world, and not thrown to the dogs… Dietrich Bonhoeffer (February 4, 1906-April 9, 1945)

By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org November 13, 2025   The ACNA Bishop of South Carolina Chip Edgar has called for the inhibition of ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood, following revelations that include sexual misconduct, abuse of power and plagiarism.   In a letter to his diocese Edgar said, “I want to clarify my support for the Complainants in the matter concerning Archbishop Wood and I have urged the senior bishops to call for Archbishop Wood’s inhibition.”   Bishop Edgar said that it was not true that complainants had gone to the press before they initiated the disciplinary process.   “I’ve written to the College of Bishops explaining to them that, for over six months the complainants sought a way forward, following the canonical structures of the Anglican Church in North America. I and several other bishops were involved at this preliminary stage. Throughout their efforts, they were stymied by a system that appeared unable to do what it is designed to do. I’ve asked the College for a unified, public apology for these disparaging statements.”   Edgar apologized for his lack of support of the Presentment to the complainants. “I assured our clergy, and want to assure our whole diocese, that I support these men and women in their efforts. I acknowledge it didn’t always seem like I did—I’ve apologized to them and sought their forgiveness, which they have generously given—but I do. Those who brought these charges forward are credible and trustworthy, and the charges they bring are serious. They must be investigated fully, until a trial court can determine guilt or innocence.”   Edgar said that calling for an inhibition of the archbishop makes no judgment as to the guilt or innocence in the face of charges, rather it is an acknowledgement that continued ministry in the face of serious charges further damages the reputation of the Church.   END

COMMENTARY   By David W. Virtue DD November 13, 2025   An insider told Virtueonline that the situation in ACNA is worse than we all know. I suspect he is right.   This week ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood stepped back from his job as archbishop, his bishopric and his pastoral charge. It was needed and necessary.   Two women have stepped forward alleging inappropriate sexual contact. One we know by name, the other we do not. The optics are horrible even if Wood beats the charges as he thinks he will. The other charges are equally brutal...abuse of power and plagiarism. Boasting about a possible sexual conquest only adds to the power dynamic. The brutal Washington Post stories will forever be archived as a reminder that ACNA was not only not perfect, but riddled with pride, power and imperfection.   Wood’s alleged behaviors have shattered the myth of righteous moral superiority that ACNA claimed ere it departed from The Episcopal Church over that church’s acceptance of homosexuality. That day is done.   The canonical cover ups that have followed with bishops covering for each other and Wood are indefensible. Whipping JAFC Bishop Derek Jones over abuse of power issues rings hollow when similar charges are laid at the feet of Archbishop Wood. If Jones’ hands are not clean, neither are Archbishop Wood’s. Pot and kettle come to mind.   And then there are the charges by women and some ten priests who took their concerns to the church before the Post story broke and got nowhere. Why did the bishops not act when all this started to bubble up? Head in the sand comes to mind, or worse, ‘how dare you tell us what to do, you laity just don’t know what we know, how dare you tell us our jobs.’   But as one missionary priest told VOL: “The bishops need to hear loud and clear, No. We don’t trust you. Make changes or you will lose us. Final warning.”   Well apparently, now we do know and it ain’t pretty. It is clericalism writ large. It is a group of men who love to dress up and put on a good show...in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.   “My lord, Archbishop” is overblown BS and ecclesiastical grand standing. Anglican leaders like John Stott, J.I. Packer and others would have none of it.   In all the years I watched John Stott, only occasionally did I see a dog collar on him. He led an untarnished life even as he trotted around the world with young men educating them for the next pulpit generation. He was probably the greatest preacher of the 20th century yet he remained humble and self-effacing, influencing preachers like Rick Warren, who became America’s pastor.   ACNA bishops are popinjays. Second rate minds dressed up in first rate robes. To date more than 20 percent have been caught indeflagratio and fired from the church. That’s huge. Bishop Stewart Ruch III should have gone right after the first allegations surfaced. He is still holding on nearly six years later hoping a court will exonerate him. Well good luck with that.   Should the councils of the church be in the hands of bishops alone? Why are there no lay representatives; do they think we are dull of learning because we don’t have access to a miter. Dean Chuck Collins an ardent reform theologian and historian said he tried hard to believe them. “I was naive about what Bishop Chip Edgar (SC) calls ‘a troublesome spirit of pride’ which I have come to see as clericalism. The Anglo-Catholic (or three-streams) father-knows-best mindset has opened us to blatant abuses and a sick culture of secrecy.”   “Those who had their hearts set on becoming primate were not elected. Congregants in every ACNA church who were promised integrity that was sorely lacking in the church we left.”   Collins believes that our bishops need to hire outside independent church trauma experts to openly assess the cases in front of us and advise us on our disciplinary canons, “there might be hope for our future.”   “Bishops disciplining bishops behind closed doors is a silly unworkable solution. And the next time we elect a primate, we must call it an assembly, not a conclave. We are electing a leader, not a pope.”   Dr. Kendall Harmon, a canon theologian bemoans the situation and says it means that a group of people who love ACNA had such a profound mistrust of the existing process that they felt they had a better chance of beginning to get the truth into the light in a secular newspaper as opposed to the process provided by the church. “What we are looking at here, brother and sisters, is a colossal mess which has so many things out of kilter one hardly knows where to start.”   ARE TWO DIOCESES NECESSARY?   One of the presenting issues is why South Carolina has two dioceses virtually joined at the hip. Is there a need for the Diocese of South Carolina and the Diocese of the Carolinas comprising 42 parishes in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky. The Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC) covers an area of 24 counties in the eastern part of the state of South Carolina. It has 47 parishes under Bishop Charles Francis “Chip” Edgar.   With Wood gone now might be the time to unite the two dioceses under Bishop Chip Edgar and engage a Suffragan bishop to assist him, with input from laity.   HOW TO REFORM THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA Matthew Wilcoxen writing for Mere Orthodoxy suggests a structural way forward as a solution for the ACNA.   He believes that the root of the Issue is something he calls Mimetic Rivalry.   “We are caught in ordinary human patterns of imitation and competition, and our structures often make them worse instead of better. Because diocesan and parochial boundaries overlap, the church’s life is shaped by constant comparison. What might have been neighboring fellowship has become overlapping jurisdiction, and rivalry seeps into every level of the system. We built a system designed for rapid church planting in a time of enthusiasm, but we did not build one capable of sustaining peace in a time of consolidation. The result is predictable: factions, suspicion, and chronic institutional anxiety.”   Wilcoxen, an Australian evangelical Anglican theologian, says that if we do not change our form of governance, no number of new statements, goodwill, or charismatic leaders will save us. What is needed is to reform ACNA to remove the structural incentives to rivalry. This reform must not only be a moral or spiritual aspiration but rather a constitutional reality.   He condemns what he calls structural rivalry. “The founding compromise between ‘geographical’ and ‘affinity’ dioceses was meant to preserve freedom; in practice it has bred competition. Multiple bishops may claim overlapping flocks, and clergy are encouraged to compare jurisdictions rather than inhabit a stable home. Without fixed boundaries, there can be no neighborly charity, only marketplace dynamics clothed in ecclesial language.”   “Bishops, rectors, and diocesan councils operate within unclear lines of accountability. Extra-canonical powers such as “godly admonition,” informal investigations, and unappealable episcopal decisions allow strong personalities to substitute for due process. When the law is elastic, every dispute becomes personal, and every personal dispute becomes a test of loyalty.”   Wilcoxen points to fragmented doctrine, dependent safeguarding, property patronage, insecure vocations and weak synodical life as a result.   Our public tolerance of divergent practice on women’s ordination has hardened into parallel theologies of holy orders. This lack of settlement keeps the church in a permanent state of negotiation; each diocese is tempted to justify itself by contrast with another. Until we resolve this, unity will remain procedural and not sacramental. You can read his full statement here: https://mereorthodoxy.com/how-to-reform-the-anglican-church-in-north-america?utm_campaign=13660601-Mere%20Orthodoxy%20%7C%20Weekly%20Digest&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_yD0FiOoymQyu_6ovsAI2dPNBeo4kQREOIs1QSz4780a0RxhnPqeKQ7s1JtaETbP4MoeFyRzSrLdkPxK7kN_xkzkPQpA&_hsmi=389678021&utm_content=389678021&utm_source=hs_email   This is not a call for schism but for repentance in the matter of our ecclesial form. We ask our bishops, clergy, and laity to risk their present securities so that our children might inherit a peaceful and fruitful church. If we take these steps together, ACNA can still become what it was meant to be: a faithful Anglican presence in North America for the next century and beyond.   Yes, the ACNA will survive a humbler denomination, hopefully learning from its lessons of pride and self-sufficiency, but the way forward will be rocky until all the facts are known.   END

By The Rt Rev. Dr. Marshall MacClellan www.virtueonline.org November 13, 2025   Growing up helping my grandfather on his cattle ranch I remember his old adage, “It’s useless to beat a dead horse.” This phrase comes to mind as I look at the woes of the ACNA TITLE IV discipline process and the train of litigation running. In the upcoming 2026 ACNA Provincial assembly, delegates will debate adjustments to the current disciplinary process.   In this author’s view, the judicial framework of an “ecclesiastical trial” and process should be thrown out as a deceased equine. While I am not an expert in civil jurisprudence, I have been a police officer in Florida and have continued to serve as a law enforcement chaplain in three different agencies in Texas and Florida over the last 42 years. I have worked with criminal and civil trial processes. In my view, the discipline process for priests, bishops and even archbishops should be modeled on a professional ethics board rather than a jury trial framework. While the upcoming proposed adjustments to TITLE IV give more “off ramps,” the entire framework of presentment and trial remain the same horse.   The current ACNA TITLE IV discipline process is based on a judicial model of civil and criminal jurisprudence, judge, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, and jury. While this works for our civic life, it is absolutely dysfunctional for Christ’s Church.    In U.S. jurisprudence, the judge, prosecutor and defense attorneys are professionals, vetted, trained, experienced (and well paid) for this purpose. They have volumes of case law that provide legal, enforceable guardrails for impartiality, rules of evidence and enforcing true testimony by witnesses, experts and alleged victims.   In ACNA ‘ecclesiastical trials,’ rules of evidence and procedures may or may not be followed and are not enforceable. Lying under oath is not enforceable as it is in a criminal trial. One need only to glance at the Bishop Stewart Ruch “trial” for the point to be made. How many years has the investigation and trial gone on? How many millions of dollars has the ACNA (from local parish tithes) and Bishop Ruch (personally) poured into the proceedings?   How many prosecutors have resigned in frustration and protest over the dumpster fire? Four prosecutors have thrown up their hands in exasperation. Church tithes have been poured through the sieve of the ‘trial.’ Five years and still counting that Bishop Ruch, his wife and six children, “innocent” or “guilty” have been dragged through the mud.   No “real” justice system would take that long. “Justice delayed is justice denied” said British Prime Minister William Gladstone and echoed by Dr. Martin Luther King. Now that the ACNA Archbishop is up next in this judicial model, one can only imagine the disaster that will ensue and the years and money wasted. Could this be why Bishop Jones, seeing the train wreck of the ‘ruched-up’ trial, the violations of TITLE III process and TITLE IV quagmire, and given no avenue for honest conversation, decided to opt out, disaffiliate and turn to the professionals in Federal Court? According to Bp Jones, when the Archbishop attempted the ‘godly admonition’, Archbishop Wood admitted that he had already been investigating Jones for a year on “complaints” and had impaneled three like-minded bishops for a presentment without ever seeking from Jones his side of any of the complaints (violating TITLE III, Canon 8, sect. 8.2) or even consulted the JAFC Standing Committee in the process, violating TITLE III, Canon 8, sect 7.1.   Seeing the train wreck of Bishop Ruch’s ‘trial,’ and the violations of the Canons from the outset would be enough for anyone to decide to decouple from the doomed locomotive and take his case to the professionals in Federal Court.   These are the inevitable woes of the ACNA using a “Trial” framework. What if, instead, the ACNA Province used, for TITLE IV the model of an ethics board? Our fellow professional doctors and lawyers use this framework to ensure, enforce, and correct moral and ethical issues regarding licensure or board certification.   This process more favorably fits within Christ’s model for examining and confronting alleged ‘sin’ and invites remorseful restoration (see Matthew 18:15-22). It also fits the range of outcomes, as per TITLE IV, Canon 8, sect. 3.  A ‘real’ judicial framework calls for a binary outcome, “innocent” or “guilty.” An ethics board is more nuanced in options.   What if an archbishop or bishop intends good, but lacks a level of self-awareness or relationship management (EQ) in particular situations? An alleged ‘victim’ perceives something not intended. “Sin” has occurred but not intended. The conclusions and outcomes in an ethics board allow for a wider range of rehabilitation, repentance, and restoration.   The possible ‘punishment,’ in ACNA Canons is, at most, loss of credentials (Holy Orders). The loss of career is significant, but from a law enforcement officer’s perspective, it is not a prison sentence or hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. The worst outcome is exactly the worst outcome of an ethics board, not a criminal or civil trial. An ethics board of peers also fits the calling of bishops as “defenders of the Faith.”   Are ACNA bishops not qualified and trustworthy enough to make these kinds of ecclesiastical determinations? Rather than a presentment using a judge, prosecutor, defense attorney and jury, when complaints are raised against a priest, bishop or archbishop, convene an ethics board of at least three (impartial) clergy peers with the bishop or archbishop as overseer. If the accused is an archbishop, as in the current situation, bring in a primate from another province to oversee. Guardrails and qualifications such as impartiality would need to be detailed.   If a clergy has been accused of actions that go beyond ethical or moral violations into criminality, call law enforcement. If civil law has been violated, then it is proper to take them to the professionals in civil court. Additionally, clergy, even archbishops, are out of their depth running “trials.” In trials expensive attorneys are required and only one trial can be done at a time. The Bishop Ruch trial demonstrates that, in the current framework, this takes years. Imagine if we had several “trials” lined up in a row. Actually, there are. Please consider doing more than changing the saddle on the expired equine or getting a new riding crop. Dismount.   The Rt Rev. Dr. Marshall MacClellan is Bishop Suffragan of the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy section...fotot