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By Rt. Rev. Ronald C. Ferris Anglicans in Canada are facing a divisive controversy. The issue has come onto the General Synod 2004 agenda following a decision in the diocese of New Westminster, where the bishop and that diocese have implemented the blessing of same-sex unions. This is being done in opposition to the expressed wishes of much of the Anglican world, including the Lambeth Conference, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the 1997 guidelines of the Canadian house of bishops as well as their October 2002 meeting. The global primates, meeting in October 2003, also disapproved. As we enter a national debate that is potentially divisive, what are the rules? Many Anglicans believe that the blessing of same-sex unions is contrary to Scripture, that it would overturn a 2,000-year moral tradition of the church, and that it would be contrary to the Articles of Religion, the marriage liturgies, and Marriage Canon. How would such a decision be constitutionally possible? Could General Synod authorize implementation of same-sex blessings by local option on the basis of a simple majority vote? Or by canonical change, as a matter of doctrine, worship, and discipline, requiring a two-thirds majority vote at two General Synods? Or only after fundamental constitutional review and re-agreement by constituent dioceses? Anglicans view themselves as a comprehensive Christian community encompassing wide polarities, yet bound together in a single, unified structure, built upon a common commitment to Holy Scripture and our constitution. In the past century, two streams of Anglicanism have co-existed, accommodated to one another, and I believe, enriched one another. These two streams could be characterized as Salvationist and Liberationist. The Salvationist stream emphasizes a unique salvation available only through the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the necessity of conversion to newness of life, and right living as the outflow of receiving the gift of salvation. The Liberationist stream emphasizes the Creator's care for all of humanity, Jesus as a liberator enlightening human progress, and the obligation of all believers to seek justice. These positions are not mutually exclusive, but rather highly compatible. Christ and the Scriptures testify that righteousness and justice are but two sides of the very same thing. "Mercy and truth are met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." (Psalm 85:10). The presenting issue for this unity crisis in the Anglican church is the blessing of same-sex unions. But that is just the first of many issues coming at us. Signals of upcoming issues including bisexuality and the blessing of common-law unions were clearly present in the deliberations of the last General Synod. Inclusion has been one of the principal themes of theological education for the past two decades. Inclusionism taken to the extreme undermines many basic Christian teachings. Ultimately an inclusionist gospel is embarrassed by exclusive claims for Jesus Christ. The bold New Testament proclamations of Jesus as "the way, the truth, the life" become an offence. The overall unity issue cannot be easily avoided. Every diocese and congregation will ultimately have to face questions about what are the outward boundaries of tolerance. With more and more dioceses taking independent actions, albeit for what they see as justice reasons, are we to give up our vision of a single church which is a bridge to ecumenical unity? We know (from observing the United Church of Canada, the Episcopal Church of the United States, and the diocese of New Westminster) that wherever a church proceeds to the implementation of same-gender unions, four kinds of division inevitably result. The four kinds of division are attrition, external splits, internal rifts and distancing between congregations and their governing bodies. Some would argue that these perceived threats to Anglican unity are exaggerated. They argue that we have come through many other changes, and they feel that the talks of disunity are mere posturing. But other changes were largely preceded by widespread consensus and were supportable by some measure of Scriptural warrant. In this instance, division is not simply a risk, but a present reality. Many are calling for local option and alternate episcopal oversight as solutions to insoluble differences. It will take some time to discover whether these will be devices to keep the church together in the midst of transitory controversies, or whether they are, in fact, separation agreements. General Synod will feel tremendous pressure to downplay its own constitution and ground rules. It will no doubt be tempted to give rushed or tacit approval of local option. It may well devise some new process of education in the hopes of finding fresh opportunities for compromise. Some are feeling that dialogue easily turns to persuasion and that middle ground is simply a stopping place towards an unacceptable destination. Though we are Anglicans, our ultimate loyalties are to Christ and his whole church. Our branch is but one vessel of the Holy Catholic Church. We know that our church is coming into a storm that all sides wish we did not have to go through. We do not know what the future holds. Will it be common, or will there be many new expressions of the Anglican church, some flourishing, some floundering? We need to suffer our griefs and losses with charity and good will to all. We need to prepare ourselves to enter unfamiliar terrain. Ronald Ferris is bishop of Algoma, Canada.

Episcopalian rift centers on process, priest says The Rev. Ephraim Radner: 'Over the centuries, it's always been easier to split off than to reconcile.' By MARVIN READ THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN This was supposed to be a straight-on news item, reflecting an interview with the Rev. Ephraim Radner, the rector-pastor of Pueblo's Ascension Episcopal Church. It didn't work out quite that way. By way of background: Radner was a delegate to last August's General Convention of the U.S. Episcopalian Church, at which the selection of V. Gene Robinson as bishop of the New Hampshire diocese was confirmed by delegates. That approval process is standard procedure, but the confirmation was complicated by the fact that Robinson lives openly with his male partner of 13 years. Some warned beforehand that the confirmation would cause great problems for the U.S. Episcopal Church. Although the confirmation was approved by the necessary majority of delegates, the process irked - to put it mildly - many of those who attended and the half year that has passed since has brought turmoil throughout the worldwide Anglican Church, of which the U.S. Episcopal Communion is a part. At the extreme, "schism" is discussed; at the minimum, laity and clergy are involved in the sort of hand-wringing that accompanies the "what are we going to do now?" syndrome. Radner, who has been at Ascension since mid-1997, was one of several delegates - laity, clergy and bishops - who walked out of the Minneapolis convention, protesting the legitimacy and constitutional validity of the approval. He said at that time that the consent of the convention to Robinson's election violated the church's constitution "in that it knowingly contradicts the historic faith and order that defines our identity as part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church." And so, six months later, the interview with Radner was unsatisfactory in the sense that it produced no easy quick-question, quick-answer dialogue. It's not that the veteran of 22 years of the Episcopal priesthood wouldn't answer certain questions, but that he wanted and intended to focus on what for him is the center of the issue: the communion of the church, in its sense of parish, diocese, worldwide faith expression and in its broader, ecumenical sense, too. The interview was satisfactory - even edifying - in the sense that the priest exudes an aura of love for his church and its integrity. He is, by his own calculation, no homophobe, but a priest dedicated to preserving the structural, traditional and communal integrity of the church. Radner, a lively intellect - he has a doctorate in theology from Yale University, where he also taught - is affable and clearly a man with a peacemaking mission. "Communion" is a word used in all Christian churches. It refers to the sacrament or symbolism of the Lord's Supper, and, by extension, to the Body of Christ, the church - the community of believers throughout the ages with Christ as its head. Radner clearly grieves about the threat to institutional communion that the Robinson affair and the national and worldwide reactions afterward have brought. Individuals, parishes and even dioceses are threatening to quit the national body. Anglican institutions worldwide are seeking to distance themselves from the U.S. Episcopals. The fiscal problems that would ensue over personnel, property and finances are dismayingly complex. The Rev. Ephraim Radner: There are virtues that ought to predominate in the Body of Christ. Radner, however, focuses not on separation, but on unity, both that which prevailed before and that which yet remains a goal. "There are virtues that ought to predominate in the Body of Christ," Radner said, enumerating peace, self-control, mutual subjection, love and forgiveness as a few of them. Submission to conciliar process ought to be stereotypical of how Anglicans and Episcopalians operate as a sign of that communion, Radner said. The conciliar process, the priest said, "involves the Lambeth Conference of Anglicans, the Anglican Consultative Council, the Meeting of Primates (archbishops) and the Archbishop of Canterbury." "It has been the practice of the church that we reflect and respond to the calling of communion within this framework, but the Minneapolis general convention failed to give itself over to the process and the Word, even though it had been decided by Lambeth, the council, the primates and the Archbishop of Canterbury that we would not at this time in history go this route. "The issue is not gays and sexuality in the first place, but how we interpret the Scriptures about sexuality and other matters within the process of communion. Many of us feel that the convention in August betrayed the process, the communion itself and, as a result, the integrity of the Scriptures," Radner said. "There was a commitment by the American church not to do this without patiently going through the process. But cultural imperialism won the day." The pastor's articulate love for his church is clear as he talks about his involvement on both national and international levels - he is a participating member of the Anglican Communion Institute, an influential think tank of Episcopalians - to maintain the solidarity of the church, as well as working at the level of his own Downtown Pueblo parish. Concern for the people of Ascension is why "I really don't want to say anything publicly that might promote divisiveness. Sure, I have my own views and judgments, but what's immediately important to me is the vitality and unity of this congregation," he said. "We're a strong, healthy and growing parish," he said, explaining that Ascension has grown by 20 percent in the last two years, half of that in the last six months. Radner admits that, when he returned from Minneapolis, "I was frightened what I might find, and I was worried about division in our parish. "But it hasn't happened. While there are people on both sides of the issue, our parish is articulate, informed and is making a conscientious approach to continually discovering what it means to be church. "I think I can say that, as a parish, we are committed to living the virtues of communion, among ourselves, with the diocese and the worldwide church with all its ecumenical considerations and dimensions," he said Radner's bishop at the time of the general convention, the Right Rev. Jerry Winterrowd, supported the confirmation of Robinson, as does the bishop who succeeded Winterrowd in January, the Right Rev. Robert O'Neill. On a larger scale, Radner is aware that American Episcopalians, like Americans in general, are too often seen by African, Asian and Third World churches "as doing whatever we want because we think we have the money and the power. We need to step back, to evaluate the communion and realize that we can't simply strike out on our own. The result of that refusal to step back has been enormous, and has brought disintegration and division to the American church and to the whole Anglican communion. "We have to hear the Scriptures with the larger church. That's my bottom line about all this," he said. The priest refuses to give credence to the expression, "God renews the church through division." "That encourages separatism and schism," he said, "and that's not what communion is about. "Renewal is accomplished by communion, not division," he said. Reflecting his concern for his church - "there are some who warn this could be an apocalyptic division, a dark unknown" - Radner said that the "history of the Christian church does not bode well for our future. Over the centuries, it's always been easier to split off than to reconcile." The pastor laments what he has seen happen in the half-year since the Minneapolis convention: "It's been personally stressful to me to see people I admire, people with whom I've worked, now estranged from each other, and to realize the damaged ecumenical implications for a genuine catholic or universal church, as well. In some ways, much of what I've worked for and toward for more than 20 years has crumbled." Radner, last June, was among five candidates being considered to become the Episcopal Diocese's 10th bishop. Delegates to an election convention in Denver chose O'Neill, a Massachusetts priest, instead. There's no faulting that choice, but had the Colorado Episcopalians chosen Radner, they would have found an articulate priest who clearly loves his church, grieves the threat that hovers over it and works with dedication to avoid breach and heal wounds. These days, Episcopalians need that sort of priest. END

"These difficulties are not all of a merely disciplinary nature, some extend to essential matters of faith and morals." Pope John Paul II to Archbishop Rowan Williams Dear Brothers and Sisters, Three important events transpired this week. THE FIRST was that the Archbishop of Canterbury said at the Church of England Synod meeting in Windsor that he supports the new network of orthodox dioceses, clergy and parishes set up in the US that oppose the homosexual consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson. This is in direct contradiction to what Frank Griswold said in an interview with Beliefnet. Dr. Williams, addressing the General Synod of the Church of England said that he had been following "sympathetically" the discussions about setting up a network to operate within the Episcopal Church of the United States. THE SECOND EVENT was the meeting of the Episcopal Church's Executive Council in Tampa which reported a shortfall of $3 million in the 2004 budget, a drop of over 6 percent of the $48 million expected revenue. The cause: parishes and dioceses withholding funds to protest the Robinson ordination. The revised budget was dropped to $45.1 million. Julia Duin at the Washington TIMES observed that if 107 dioceses followed the lead of the Diocese of Virginia, the country's largest, which recently shaved $257,428 off its annual contribution to the New York-based denomination, the losses could be in the millions. The national church headquarters alone has about $300 million in assets, its finance officer said. Denominational assets run into the billions when added to assets from 7,305 parishes: everything from the stained glass to the pews, altars and carpets. Kurt Barnes, the national church's treasurer, called the lower contributions "almost not material" in the effect on church operations. "The reduction is well below what nay-sayers and doomsdayers were predicting last August," Barnes said. Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold said the church intends to keep some vacant jobs open and trim other expenses, but added that its religious and charity missions will not be affected. He said church operations would be "slightly curtailed." The national church has pledges of $16 million from 51 dioceses, along with pledges of future support from another 33 dioceses totaling $8.1 million. Two dioceses, Pittsburgh and Dallas, have refused to send any money to the national church in protest. Bruce Mason, spokesman for the American Anglican Council, a conservative group of Episcopalians, said the reduction in financial support for the national church might be slight this year but that doesn't mean it will remain so. Mason said some dioceses have tapped endowments to make up for parishioners' cutbacks. The more than 7,000 congregations of the Episcopal Church receive $2.14 billion in offerings a year, and forward a portion to the national church. Individual dioceses are asked to send 21 percent of their income, but about half of the dioceses who have already made their financial pledges to the national church fall below that threshold. And while the budget shortfall is small and will not effect much of anything, you can be sure that this is only just the beginning. Virtuosity is receiving reports from across the country of parish and cathedral budgets experiencing dramatic drops in income. And it can only get worse. Every time a parish splits and the majority of its member leaves, that is a direct income loss to the parish, the diocese and ultimately to the national church. There is no escaping it. Oftentimes it will cost more. In the end The Episcopal Church will operate more and more on Dead Men's Money, spent by a generation of Spiritually Dead Men and Women. THE THIRD EVENT occurred at the Church of England Synod in Windsor where a report by four bishops called for "interpretive charity" between reformers and conservatives and a balancing of biblical teaching with social reality. "Christian tradition is dynamic and not static," said revisionist Oxford Bishop Richard Harries. It was Harries, you will recall, that tried to broker in Jeffrey John as the next Bishop of Reading and got destroyed by Oxford's Evangelicals. The report he and three other bishops compiled says the debate on sexuality will not go away and he urges Christians to remember that "real people really do have homosexual and bisexual desires." The bishop is right of course, and occasionally this writer has a real desire to be a millionaire, but fantasy must give way to reality, and it ain't gonna happen. Funnily enough, Richard Kirker, general secretary of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said the report was "very deficient". "No self-respecting gay or lesbian person has put their name to it. It talks to, rather than with or about, gay people, in any meaningful sense," he said. So Harries report is being shot at from both sides. One sincerely hopes retirement is just around the corner for this bishop. He has done enough damage as Bishop of Oxford. IN A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY again reiterated that he would not license New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson to officiate in England even though he was duly elected by ECUSA, but has said he will license Fr. David Moyer to officiate even though he was fraudulently "deposed" by Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison - a double rebuke of ECUSA. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CHURCH SPLITS there is some oddly good news. In almost every instance a parish that has left the Episcopal Church and gone to the AMIA or come under the authority of another Anglican jurisdiction they have started out in good financial shape. I am posting two stories of churches that are doing very well thank you very much. Local communities and other churches kick in organs, chairs, hymn books, prayer books, start up money and a place to worship and much more. The Prince of Peace parish that split from St. John's in Melbourne, Florida met last week for the first time and when they had finished passing the hat around they had taken in $100,000! The new parish in Morehead City, North Carolina has been dubbed the "miracle church" for the abundance of riches bestowed upon them, and in Atlanta the new Light of Christ Church had pledges of $270,000 from 100 people. And a parish split in Jackson Tennessee already has a new group looking for a church to buy. There is clearly something galvanic about starting over free from the clutches of ECUSA that has people reaching deep into their pockets. ON THE ECUSA SIDE OF THE FENCE comes this news from a Virtuosity reader. It is typical of most dioceses. A report from the Diocesan Council of the Diocese of Mississippi shows giving to the National Church will decline about $150,000 in 2004. The bishop is balancing his budget (as Virtuosity predicted) with trust funds. AND THEN THERE'S THIS FROM A VIRTUOSITY READER in Williamsburg, VA. "There is lots of talk about money, but no one is really talking about the decline in volunteerism. One symptom in our church is that there are not enough volunteers to serve a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper - the people just don't have the heart to involve themselves with church business. The minister has responded by scrapping the pancake supper and substituting a bring your own meal dinner. There is no question that the church is hurting more than just financially. The 2003 convention has ripped the very heart out of most congregations and substituted suspicion and angst in its place. As far as I can tell, the revisionist inclusiveness doctrine would accept incest, bestiality and polygamy if modern society said it was OK - really sick." FINALLY THERE'S A REPORT OUT OF THE ENGLISH SYNOD that the three wise men who visited Jesus might not have been men. The Magi could refer to three women, queens perhaps? I suppose we should be grateful that in the slightly crazed world of professional theologizing that the Magi's historic genealogy does not reach ECUSA's very own Quean Lutibelle. AND IN A DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO SPIN THE LIBERAL LINE in the Anglican Communion, something called the Anglican Telecommunications Commission, dreamed up by John Peterson and the Anglican Consultative Council, as "an instrument of community" will attempt to use the Internet to push its "gospel", that is, " find meaning and significance in community with one another." They use the term “telecommunications” in a broad sense to mean office and wider area networks, multimedia, online collaboration tools and other Internet and web-based services. A whole range of liberal Anglican illuminati can be found on this board. One insider said the real motivator for the emergence of this group is the rapid growth of orthodoxy on the Internet that is seriously damaging the liberal agenda. They recently met in Canterbury where representatives from across the communion came to the inaugural meeting. The idea is that linking ECUSA's website with Nigeria will create Anglican clubiness! I can assure you that linking these two provinces is like connecting a spider web with a black widow in the middle. The imbalance, often called the “Digital Divide” is being addressed in dramatic ways by the Trinity Grants Program, of Trinity Church in NY, the richest church in the world, who will pour a ton of money into this project to see if they can undo the likes of Virtuosity. It's off to war we go. And UPI Religious Affairs Editor Uwe Siemon-Netto reports that more than 50 million Americans, perhaps even twice as many, including a substantial segment of Catholics, consider themselves evangelicals, according to the Rev. Gerald R. McDermott, an Episcopal scholar. You can that story today. I AM POSTING A NUMBER OF STORIES on churches dissolving, new ones forming and much more. From Puerto Rico comes fresh word that the Bishop there one David A. Alvarez is stepping up his campaign against two orthodox priests who did not approve of last year's General Convention votes on sexuality issues. He started this campaign once before but stopped when Virtuosity got wind of the story. Now he is trying for a second run at the Rev. Professor Dennis Paris, author and priest. Whoever said the revisionists believe in inclusion clearly is not reading from the same script as the rest of us. Inclusion means stamping out the opposition by any means possible or whipping them into line so they pay for the church's revisionist agenda. I have also done a lengthy interview (in two parts) with the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner, orthodox Episcopal theologian. He makes the case for staying in the ECUSA torn as it is 'by heresies distressed.' And in LATE-BREAKING NEWS nine clergy in Western Canada have obtained Alternative Episcopal Oversight from four Anglican Primates. You can read all these stories and more in today's digest. CORRECTIONS: From Bishop William J. Cox (ret.) Oklahoma. "I need to correct an article published on line by VIRTUOSITY VIEWPOINTS 1-31-2004. It is not true that Bishop Moody of Oklahoma "has stripped me of my Episcopal functions" The Bishop does not have that authority, although he could prohibit my ministry in congregations in his diocese. If he were to do that, I would respect his decision since he is the Bishop of Oklahoma and he has jurisdiction. Yet, he has not done that. I celebrate the Holy Eucharist almost every Sunday at St. John's Church in Tulsa. It is no secret that the Bishop and I are in disagreement on the issue of the Consecration of Vicky Gene Robinson in New Hampshire. I can never accept that decision of the General Convention for many reasons. Guatemala is a diocese in the province of IARCA (IGLESIA ANGLICANA DE LA REGION CENTRAL DE AMERICA), it is not a province on its own. Virtuosity wrote: "A NUMBER OF ANGLICAN PROVINCES including Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Kenya and the Sudan all expressed themselves in profound disagreement with the actions of the Episcopal Church this week. We are happy to correct the record. In the story on Women and the cost to the C of E, the figures were wrong. Jonathan Petre's story said A326m which is $ 48.3m. The number 3 was in fact a pound sign. My error. WELCOME TO VIRTUOSITY. If you are a first time reader and like what you read please pass the good word around and invite others to sign up. You can do so by pointing them to the website: www.virtuosityonline.org . PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING VIRTUOSITY. Without your donations Virtuosity would not exist. Please give generously. You can support this ministry in one of two ways. Through PAYPAL at the website www.virtuosityonline.org or by sending your tax-deductible check to: VIRTUOSITY, 1236 Waterford Rd., West Chester, PA 19380. Thank you for your support, All blessings, David W. Virtue DD

COMMENTARY By Uwe Siemon-Netto UPI Religious Affairs Editor WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- There is no doubt that the cloning of the first mature human embryos in South Korea is a triumph of sorts. But from the Christian point of view, it is a scary triumph indeed -- the triumph of man's hubris. As Margot Kaessmann, bishop of the territorial church of Hanover, Germany, said last year, "Cloning humans is an attack upon God's creative power." In the eyes of the Rev. Gerald E. Murray, a Catholic canon lawyer and pastor of the Church of St. Vincent de Paul in New York, this is a diabolical act "violating the laws of God and nature for the sake of human pride." "This stunning news from Korea means that we are manufacturing human beings in order to dismember them to use their body parts or their cells to benefit other people," Murray told United Press International Thursday. "This is a new form of slavery. Not only could one own another person but also kill him or her for personal use." In a similar vain, the leaders of the Eastern Orthodox Churches have condemned stem cell research as "an un-Christian form of human sacrifice." In 1997, Gilbert Meilaender, the eminent theological ethicist of Valparaiso University, told the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, "I am aware that we can all imagine circumstances in which we ourselves might -- were the technology available -- be tempted to turn to cloning." Meilaender listed some examples: "Parents who lose a child in an accident and want to 'replace' her; a seriously ill person in need of embryonic stem cells to repair damaged tissue; a person in need of organs for transplant; a person who is infertile and wants, in some sense, to reproduce." "Once the child becomes a project or product, such temptations become almost irresistible," Meilaender went on. "There is no end of good causes in the world, and they would sorely tempt us even if we did not live in a society in which the pursuit of health has become a god, justifying almost anything." Then Meilaender went on the attack: "Even Protestants, those stout defenders of freedom," have not had in mind freedom without ... the limit that is God." He reminded his audience of the true meaning of a child -- "offspring of a man and a woman, but a replication of neither." According to Meilaender -- and all good Christian theology -- children are not products whose meaning and destiny their parents can determine. And this constitutes "a limit to our freedom to make and remake ourselves." Trying to copy oneself -- either to provide spare parts in case of hitherto incurable illness, or to narcissistically create another human being in one's own image -- is, of course, the very antithesis of the Judeo-Christian faith. Jews and Christians believe that God has created humans in his own image for the distinct purpose of being partners in the ongoing process of creation. Cloning, on the other hand, is an act of human self-glorification. "Man is playing God, out to create the uebermensch," warned Gabriel Jay Rochelle, an Eastern Orthodox theologian, referring to Nietzsche's vision of the superhuman, a vision frighteningly caricatured by the Nazis' attempt to develop a master race. If the cloned man ever becomes reality, what's he or she going to be? "Conceived in an unnatural way with an unnatural genetic makeup, not the product of love between a man and a woman," Murray said. "Can you imagine human beings incapable of saying, 'I have a father and a mother?" asked the Rev. Johannes Richter, a retired bishop in Germany. "Cloning would deprive humans of their true human origin," warned Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne. Ultimately, it seems, though, that those who clone -- rather than the sad product of their cloning -- are the principal problem, according to Richter. "If man consciously or unconsciously assumes the place of the Creator, man inevitably becomes a threat to himself," said Richter, warning that then there is nothing left to put reins on human hubris. As for the clone, he or she may look like the original but would still be a separate human being. For all of man's arrogance, Christians hold, it is God who creates human souls and ultimately determines man's destiny. END

Nine Canadian Clergy Obtain Spiritual Shelter From Revisionist Bishop Special Report By David W. Virtue VANCOUVER, BC--Nine clergy from six biblically orthodox parishes and a disciple-making ministry from Calgary, Alberta, have been granted adequate episcopal oversight, albeit temporary, from four Anglican Primates of the worldwide Anglican Communion. They are: The Revd Charles Alexander, Timothy Institute of Ministry, Calgary, Alberta; Dr David Bowler, Comox, Vancouver Island, a Church Plant; Revd Paul Carter, Immanuel Church, Westside; Revd Ron Gibbs, St Simon’s, Deep Cove; Revd Ed Hird, St Simon’s, Deep Cove; Revd David Hollebone, Living Waters Church, Victoria, Vancouver Island; Revd John Lombard, St Simon’s, Deep Cove; Revd Barclay Mayo, St Andrews, Pender Harbour; Revd Silas Ng, Emmanuel Church, Richmond. The clergy, churches and ministry are in two dioceses - New Westminster, BC and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The offer of pastoral help to these parishes and clergy comes at a time when eight of the clergy are under siege from New Westminster Bishop Michael Ingham because they refuse to support the Diocese of New Westminster in its decision to bless same-sex unions. They say it is in violation of, and contrary to, Holy Scripture. "This alliance of Anglican Primates has heard the plight of those who have been in a state of 'impaired communion' with their own diocese since the decision to bless same-sex unions was handed down in June of 2002-a divisive and unprecedented move that was vigorously denounced throughout the Anglican Communion," said the Rev. Paul Carter, a spokesman for the group. The Primates include the Most Rev. Bernard Malango of Central Africa, the Most Rev. Fidele Dirokpa of Congo, the Most Rev. Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda, and the Most Rev. Datuk Yong Ping Chung of South East Asia., who will serve as Chair. The Archbishops have asked the Rt. Rev. Thomas W. Johnston, bishop in the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA) from Little Rock, Arkansas, USA to provide oversight and be the representative for the four Primates on practical matters. The Canadian clergy sought oversight out of religious conscience and this was extended to them on a temporary basis until a more satisfactory solution is found for those who dissent from the Anglican Church of Canada's growing acceptance of pansexuality. "The offer effectively allows those congregations and clergy to remain connected to the global Anglican Communion," said Carter by phone from Vancouver. This temporary and emergency offer of assistance by four international Anglican leaders insulates these churches and clergy in Canada from the often abusive power structures that have worked against them for the last 20 months, said Carter. "Bishop Michael Ingham of the Diocese of New Westminster has already closed one church and brought significant pressure against the others because of their stand for the orthodox Christian faith and their desire for oversight from an alternative bishop and renewed structures," he said. When the synod made its novel decision in June of 2002, representatives of eight churches walked out of the meeting, declaring that by its action the diocese had strayed from its Christian roots and was in 'impaired communion' with them and the rest of the Anglican Communion, said Carter. The eight churches formed the Anglican Communion in New Westminster (ACiNW) and began to seek alternative Episcopal oversight-an arrangement whereby a bishop from outside the diocese would provide spiritual covering and oversight with full jurisdiction for their ministries. This type of alternative oversight has been consistently opposed by Bishop Ingham and the Canadian House of Bishops. Because of the disregard by Ingham of the pleas of leadership from around the Anglican Communion, several internal attempts to find a Canadian solution have failed. The situation in Canada and the Diocese of New Westminster, in particular, has created tension throughout the world-wide Anglican Communion. At 1998's Lambeth Conference of all Anglican bishops gathered from around the world, it was overwhelmingly declared that homosexual practice was incompatible with Scripture, and that the church was not free to bless such unions. The move by the Diocese of New Westminster to flaunt this directive has been denounced at the highest levels of the Anglican Communion, including two successive Archbishops of Canterbury. Last fall in a global meeting of the Primates, the New Westminster crisis was once again on the agenda, and a statement issued at the conclusion of that meeting declared that the actions of the diocese were divisive and contrary to the mind of the Communion. "We're extremely grateful to the Primates for this gracious and long-needed offer," said Carter, whose parish, Immanuel Church, Westside, (Vancouver) is not officially recognized by Ingham. The Rev. Carter's license was not renewed by Ingham. "We have been without a bishop for almost 20 months. Our people and clergy are in great need of Episcopal oversight. People of deep religious conscience are tired and disillusioned with the system that many are leaving Anglicanism altogether. When our internal efforts failed, we were on the verge of having to leave Anglicanism completely. This will now enable us to have relief and move forward in mission while the wider Anglican Communion works out how to deal with false teaching in its midst, and the impending re-alignment." END

The "Miracle Church" of Morehead City By David W. Virtue MOREHEAD CITY, NC--All Saints' Episcopal Church is a "miracle church" according to its leaders and laity. By any human standard it should not exist. Its birth grew out of a former Episcopal parish - St. Andrew's - which split from the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of East Carolina. After a bitter legal dispute over property ownership, Bishop Clifton Daniel III got possession of the church property, and a treasury of over half a million dollars. But at the end of the day he kept only 25 parishioners, had to put in a new parish priest, and has been forced to reduce the parish to mission status. In time it will die. In the meantime the Bishop is stuck with the bills. The new All Saints' parish, which is a member of the Anglican Mission in America has over 300 members and goes from strength to strength, according to its rector and parishioners. Mary Lena Anderegg, whose husband David is on the vestry tells the story. "When we left, our brethren and sisters in Christ in Morehead City reached across denominational and congregational lines to encourage and support us. Seven churches offered to share their facilities with us to worship, even offering to adjust their own worship schedules," she told Virtuosity. "The first week we were out of St. Andrew's building we had Sunday night praise and worship at a Baptist Church; a Wednesday prayer and communion was held at a medical facility; an interdenominational men's prayer group met at Catholic church, a 10am Sunday service was held at a Methodist church and other Sunday morning services were held in an elementary school gymnasium. One pastor even took a day of his vacation to worship with us the first Sunday we were out of the building." "We didn’t lose the church we gave up the building and kept Jesus," said Anderegg. Then they were offered a rental warehouse property at Westridge Center on Highway 70. It has three bays of a warehouse, an office complex, sanctuary, and it has been set up permanently for us. "We have adjoining offices for Sunday school rooms, and it's ours till we find land to buy and build." Things immediately kicked into high gear, said the Rev. H. G. Miller who took over as the rector following the retirement of the evangelical Rev. C. King Cole. No one could still the excitement or stop the growth. "People came from all over. We were offered four church organs, and people who only worshipped with us occasionally ponied up another $135,000 in interest charges on the treasury (money held in escrow for legal fees) which the court required. It looked like Bishop Daniels had won. "The usurious interest payment of $135,000 was money that was taken from us. St. Andrew's Church Treasury had $400,000 which we had to turn over plus the interest of $135,000. It was paid off in10 days. They got the money but we kept Jesus." "But one bank loaned us money for 'start-up expenses' even though we had no physical assets for collateral. Another bank gave us office furniture. A private school gave us classroom equipment and furnishings for our Sunday School and generic office supplies and equipment. "A lady called and offered us two bishop's chairs from an old church, a lectern as well as donations of fabric for banners, chairs, lumber and foam. We began to collect silver pieces and jewelry to melt to replace the chalices and patina we had to leave with the building. Three Catholic brothers in Christ gave us an ingot each for the chalices because 'we want to be a apart of what you are doing'." City planners worked with the new church and towage was provided to move the granite rock on which is engraved the church's mission statement. A 'paint day' drew 70 people with non-members and summer folk coming out to help. "What was sown in tears (receipt of the Appellate Court's decision) has been reaped with songs of joy with a coming together of God's people for his glory. We have finally come home." Anderegg said she has seen other church splits over a 40-year period, but it was never like this. God has done and is doing a miracle each day. The church holds three services on Sunday plus a praise and worship on Sunday night with a youth group of over 200 attending. The church now has 320 members, more than it did before the split. The new pastor, the Rev H. G. Miller (he took over from the retired C. King Cole) came from Phoenix Valley Cathedral. He was leading a Pentecostal Church which became an AMIA church when the leaders decided they wanted oversight of a bishop. Of those who remained in the old church, Anderegg had only this to say, "they are lovely people who just don’t get it." NOTE: If you are not receiving this from VIRTUOSITY, the Anglican Communion's largest biblically orthodox Episcopal/Anglican Online News Service, then you may subscribe FREE by going to: www.virtuosityonline.org . Virtuosity's website has been accessed by more than 900,000 readers in 45 countries on six continents. This story is copyrighted but may be forwarded electronically with reference to VIRTUOSITY and the author. No changes are permitted in the text. END

Press Release 12 February 2004 As the members of the Council of Forward in Faith North America we offer greetings in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Mindful of the sacrificial labors of many of our members over several decades; the vision cast in 1989 (in the structure of the formation of the Episcopal Synod of America); sharpened in 1997 (in the Rosemont Statement); we rejoice that vision is now being recast in the cooperative efforts of the emerging clarity provided in our partnership in the Network of ACDP. The circumstances at Good Shepherd, Rosemont in September 2002 provided an opportunity for new cooperation between Forward in Faith, the American Anglican Council, Ekklesia, many Primates and the former and present Archbishops of Canterbury and offered a providential foreshadowing of our emerging common life. In response to the specific call from the Archbishop of Canterbury, visionary leaders of the Household of Faith are collaborating in the Network, which is drawing counsel from the deepening relationships among the international Primates. Just as they have faithfully and charitably modeled common life recognizing differing theological perspectives we are encouraged by the maturity of their relationships and seek to manifest the same steadfast commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the Church. This charity is "the very bond of peace and of all virtues without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before Him." The Network's commitment to the ongoing integrity of Forward in Faith's succession in Holy Orders reinforces our confidence in our common future for orthodox, unified, and missionary endeavor as longstanding divisions are healed to the Glory of God. We commend the Network and our common life to the prayers of all faithful people. The structure and purpose of the Network is virtually identical to that framed by the ESA in 1989. The Rosemont Statement: "We continue to 'be the church. We are not going anywhere.'" Efforts by the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Bennison, Jr. to remove The Revd David L. Moyer as Rector of Good Shepherd by attempting to depose him were thwarted by cooperation and collaboration among agencies and international leaders. Varying theological perspectives include evangelical, catholic, and charismatic, as well as differences concerning the ordination of women. END

By David W. Virtue JACKSON, TN -- St. Luke's, an Evangelical Episcopal parish that was ripped apart by a tornado last May, has suffered another tornado, this time a human one. Sixty-five of its most active members and 22 young people, including half the vestry, have upped and left to form All Saints Anglican Church in Jackson because of General Convention's twin decisions to approve a homosexual to the episcopacy and same-sex blessings. St. Luke's became another casualty in the doctrinal and moral wars in The Episcopal Church. "It's painful", the Rev. Chuck Filiatreau told Virtuosity. "Bishop Don Johnson's pastoral letter was the straw that broke the camel's back. An inclusive church has no place for these orthodox people, and now they have gone." The double tragedy is that the Rev. Filiatreau is thoroughly orthodox himself, making it all the more painful. "When I try to tell him [the bishop] he listens but never says anything", said the Evangelical rector. "The greatest feeling I have is sadness. The tornado that destroyed us was a piece of cake compared to what General Convention did to our church." Bob Hudson, a leader in the breakaway movement said that a gathering of eight-five adults and children had left and had begun meeting in a member's home in late November. "Word spread and we increased in size by 75 percent. The moment of truth for many came in mid-November when the Vestry of St. Luke's Episcopal Church voted down the following resolution: "The Episcopal Church has grievously erred in consecrating a non-celibate homosexual as Bishop and has thereby wounded the Body of Christ." "People could no longer standby and watch their witness go up in smoke. The choices were limited: go to another denomination, or drive 160-miles round-trip to church each week, or form our own Anglican Church. So that is what we did," he told Virtuosity. The founding members are in the process of establishing their Anglican affiliation, obtaining a worship space, conducting time, talent and treasure surveys, establishing teams to deploy the gifts and talents of the parishioners within the community and all those other necessities of being a church. "We are actively looking to buy a church." "We have looked at the Anglican Mission in America but we are also considering coming under a bishop in Bolivia or Kenya," Hudson told Virtuosity. "The National Church (ECUSA) has continued its path toward irrelevance by turning its back on the faith, order practice and discipline of the catholic faith. As a result there are families and individuals that can no longer "wait and see", they are called to action, to step out in faith. I just couldn't stand by anymore and let the church destroy my witness and what I believe," he said. The ECUSA spiral of tragedy gained speed last summer when the national church chose to depart from 4,500 years of Judeo-Christian teachings by elevating sin to being "good" and "acceptable"; as opposed to that Christian doctrine which has been believed "everywhere, always, and by all" to be against God's Holy Law and desire for his children. ECUSA further held itself above the pleadings and wishes of the world's Primates when it proceeded with the consecration of V.G. Robinson in November, said Hudson. "Symptoms of the national church malaise are now seen more broadly in West Tennessee in the January 16 Pastoral Letter of Rt. Rev. Don Johnson, and his invitation to the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, Bishop of Maine and one of the Co-consecrators of V.G. Robinson, to be the keynote celebrant and homilist at the 23rd Annual Diocesan Convention on February 20." This was unacceptable, he told Virtuosity. The founding members of All Saints Anglican Church were all members in good standing of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Jackson, some for as long as 72 years. "The energy and calling of these individuals in the service of the Lord has been phenomenal. The gifts and the talents include outreach (both local and international), pastoral care, Christian education, Sunday School teachers, bible study leaders, choir and choirmaster and organist, vestry service, senior and junior warden, chalice bearers, lectors, lay readers, acolytes, altar guild, youth advisors, as well as Alpha course team leaders and intercessory prayer leaders." The parish of All Saints looks forward to sharing the transforming word of God in Jackson and beyond to all of God's people. "Our movement forward is not about us. It is about God." When someone asks, "Will you all be okay? Will you be able to make it?" We believe our mission statement answers that nicely: Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we will be disciples for Christ, said Hudson. Fr. Filiatreau noted that the Diocese of West Tennessee had seven of the finest orthodox priests still active in the diocese, four of them rectors, "and they have their heads on the line because they are standing up for the gospel." The rector said the toll in income will be substantial. We have not rebuilt following the tornado that struck us, and our average attendance is about 200 with some 504 on the roles. "Our budget will be affected. Because of General Convention we were already down $30,000, now we expect a deficit of $70,000. Overall the budget has gone from $500,000 to $250,000. I expect my salary will be affected. We were looking for an associate but now we can't fund it." END

Special Report By David W. Virtue EVANSVILLE, IN - In what might be the first test case of Adequate Episcopal Oversight in the Episcopal Church, a fellowship has been formed in the Diocese of Indianapolis, under the oversight of the Diocese of Springfield that is drawing parishioners from four parishes primarily in the Dioceses of Indianapolis and some from the Diocese of Kentucky. "It is the first of its kind," said the Rev. Robert Todd Giffin, 33, an orthodox priest who will lead the 60 plus parishioners under the banner of Faithful Anglicans in the Heartland (FAITH) Inc. They are meeting at Evansville's West Side Fairfield Inn, but its future location will be the former St. Andrews Presbyterian Church on Stringtown Road. Faithful Anglicans in the Heartland confirmed it had successfully bid $150,000 on the church. The newly formed fellowship, which has the blessing of the orthodox Bishop of Springfield, the Rt. Rev. Peter Beckwith is drawing people from liberal parishes in St. Paul's Henderson, Ky, St. Paul's Evansville, In; St. Stephen's, New Harmony, Ind. and St. John's Mt. Vernon, Ind. The decisive issue for these Episcopalians who left their Tri-State churches was the confirmation of an openly homosexual bishop to the ECUSA episcopacy as well as the promotion of same-sex blessings by General Convention. The two dioceses of Indianapolis and Kentucky have revisionist bishops unacceptable to this new group of parishioners who are crossing diocesan lines to attend the FAITH parish. The Rev. Robert Todd Giffin is the new Episcopal priest for the 60 orthodox Episcopalians. They will now worship under the banner of Faithful Anglicans in the Heartland (FAITH) Inc. Giffin said he expects the number to swell to over 150 in the next few months. The new members of the group have decided to change their memberships from liberal dioceses and parishes to the Diocese of Springfield and to worship as a satellite fellowship of the adjoining, more traditional diocese. Fr. Giffin said that one parish priest, Fr. Phil Lewis, formally of the Diocese of Albany at St. John's, Mt. Vernon in the Diocese of Indianapolis is orthodox, but the revisionist Bishop of Indianapolis, Catherine Waynick was forcing these people to look elsewhere for spiritual leadership. The Rev. Giffin is presently in charge of two missions in eastern Illinois - St. Mary's in Robinson, Ill and St. Alban's, in Olney, both under Bishop Beckwith. "This new group is meeting on a Saturday, so it won't conflict with my other duties," he told Virtuosity. Giffin will continue his two-hour commute to his church, operating the Evansville center as a satellite of his parish. "I am functioning with the full authority and blessing of the Bishop of Springfield, The Rt. Rev. Peter H. Beckwith. We are offering pastoral care to those in southern Indiana and the Tri-State area that feel estranged from their church since General Convention. This is a temporary provision being offered to faithful Anglicans in this region until adequate Episcopal oversight is accomplished through the Network of Communion Dioceses and Parishes," he told Virtuosity. "Up till now diocesan boundaries were defined by state lines," now that is changing. "We're excited to get Fr. Giffin," said John Lippert, a member of the new fellowship's steering committee. Lippert is listed as the sole incorporator of Faithful Anglicans in the Heartland, according to the nonprofit domestic corporation application through the Indiana secretary of state. Giffin, originally of Indianapolis and now a Newburgh resident, said he was unaware of the traditional Episcopalians until he read about them in the newspaper. "The intent was to remain who they were and what they believe and worship the way they did last year," said Giffin, whose diocese has rebuked the confirmation of openly gay New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson. Members of the new fellowship - they are careful not to call themselves a church, which could bring opposition from both diocesan leaderships in Kentucky and Indianapolis - said they represent the true worldwide Anglican Communion. "This is not a group of splintered Anglicans or a breakaway group. This is the mainstream," Giffin said. "This is not a reactionary movement or an aggressive movement. ... No one has broken away from anything." "Not everyone in FAITH Inc. will transfer," Ward said. "These people will move, though. If they don't, they still will be welcome." He said patience will be key to the group's success. "God called the Israelites to walk in the desert a long while," Ward said. "This is hardly a challenge. There's a lot of work that needs to be done and now we can do it." Bishop Beckwith was unavailable for comment. END

By David W. Virtue The Bishop of the Diocese of Puerto Rico of the Episcopal Church, David A. Alvarez, has escalated his persecution of two orthodox priests, by submitting formal accusations against them to the Standing Committee. The Rev. Dr. Dennis Paris told Virtuosity that the Rev. Dr. Manuel A. Rivera and he had received letters from the president of the Standing Committee summoning them to appear before the committee on February 19, to defend themselves against the bishop's accusations. Dr. Paris wrote a book against the arguments given to favor the consent for Gene Robinson and presented it at the University of Puerto Rico, where he is a full time graduate professor, teaching Counseling and Human Sexuality courses. A day before the local Diocesan Convention, which was held last October 25, Bishop Alvarez sent Dr. Paris a letter inhibiting him in the diocese, for writing and presenting the book. The Rev. Dr. Rivera and another priest, the Rev. Pedro Balleste, were also inhibited on the same day, for participating in a panel discussion of the book, at the University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Paris shared with us that "the Rev. Balleste, a senior cleric, submitted his resignation a few months ago and now Bishop Alvarez is looking to depose Dr. Rivera and me, to use us as examples to intimidate any other dissenters amongst the priests in the diocese," he told Virtuosity. At this point in time, deposing the two priests is a strategy used by the Bishop to send a message to other dissenters and serves no other purpose, since Dr. Paris and Dr. Rivera are not participating in any way with the Diocese of Puerto Rico. Bishop Alvarez waited three months to submit the charges, so the new Standing Committee would deal with the accusations. Most of the new members on the committee are more favorable to his views than previous members. This is just another example of the "killing time strategy" used by ECUSA revisionists, to wait for a favorable tide. Dr. Paris is currently translating his book from Spanish into English and hopes to make it available this year. He has also made arrangements with a local Evangelical Church, to use their facilities to start the Anglican Mission of the Resurrection, in San Juan, under the oversight of the Anglican Mission in America. Dr. Paris sent a letter to the Standing Committee with the following reply: LETTER TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE February 9, 2004 To The Standing Committee Diocese of Puerto Rico Episcopal Church of the United States of America Dear members of the Standing Committee: I have received a letter from your president, the Rev. Fernández-Pola, summoning me to appear before the committee on the 19th of February, to defend myself against the charges brought upon me by your bishop, David A. Alvarez. I have read the account given by Mr. Alvarez, in support of the charges, with great sadness. The inclination to meet with you and offer proof of how the truth has been distorted, is one that, I must confess, has made me think considerably. Even so, I have come to the conclusion that our encounter would be of little use, considering our respective situations. In your case, the committee, by itself, is perfectly capable of establishing the lack of truthfulness in the arguments presented by Mr. Alvarez to fabricate his case. The accusations against the Rev. Dr. Manuel A. Rivera and me rest on the violation of a supposed agreement to limit the discussion of the consent for Gene Robinson, to internal meetings, where the matters discussed would be kept secret. Members of the Standing Committee who were not present at that meeting, where Mr. Alvarez claims such an agreement took place, can consult any of the more than two dozen clergy that were present. Unless they subscribe to the notion that truth is relative, they will have to admit that the oath to secrecy never took place. Mr. Alvarez himself was the first to speak to the press, on the radio and to write in the Church magazine, defending his position. He also distributed, free of charge, a pamphlet justifying his position, which was published with funds from the diocese. Most of these things happened after the imaginary agreement to have closed doors discussions on the matter. On the other hand, it seems to me that the committee will definitely have a hard time believing that the Rev. Rivera agreed to the secret conversations in that first meeting, since he was not present, despite Mr. Alvarez' claims to the contrary. How can a person agree to something at a meeting where he was not present? I am sure the Standing Committee can answer that, without my help. To determine what is true and what is false in Mr. Alvarez' arguments, you do not need my help either; and if, by any chance, you do not want to arrive at the truth, then you definitely do not need my help. As to my current situation, I will be clear and honest. I will not belong to a Church that has abandoned the faith. This is what your bishop did, abandon the Christian faith, when he disregarded the witness of Scripture, twenty centuries of Christian tradition, the consensus of present day Christendom and the clear and direct teaching of the vast majority of the Bishops at the Lambeth Conference of 1998 and the Primates of the Anglican Communion. By commission or omission you have all followed your pastoral leader on this road to schism and apostasy. Some of you believed the situation would end with Gene Robinson's consecration. It has not; three months after, there are, already, more than 38 million Anglicans in impaired or broken communion with you. Ecumenical dialogues between you (ECUSA) and the Russian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox Churches have been suspended. The ecumenical dialogue between Anglicans and Roman Catholics has been postponed. Many have left ECUSA and a good number of those who have stayed are torn by the doctrinal deviations of a denomination that has decided to follow the world, instead of the Lord. All this has occurred because of the position taken by men like your bishop. Even so, I am afraid that the worse is yet to come. In your case, people in Puerto Rico are now waiting to see when your diocese will officially bless same sex unions. Impossible? I'm afraid not. In conclusion, I will not stay or follow the way you have chosen. As of January 22, 2004, I have been licensed by the Anglican Mission in America, to work as an Anglican missionary in Puerto Rico. I am soon to be received in the Province of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda, of the Anglican Communion, which is under the leadership of Archbishop Emmanuel Mbona Kolini. The Province of Rwanda has broken communion with the Episcopal Church of the United States of America. With all respect and charity, I must inform your Standing Committee that I am no longer under the authority of your bishop or of any other organism of your Church. I will not attend your meeting on the 19th of February. Know that you are all in my prayers. Sincerely in Christ, The Rev. Dr. Dennis Paris Anglican Priest Cc The Right Rev. Alexander Greene The Bishops of the Anglican Mission in America The Rev. Dr. Manuel A. Rivera All interested parties

Cover photo of the September 1996 issue of the Christian Challenge. (NOTE: Gary Gloster announced in a letter on the eve of the 188th NC Convention, that he planned to resign, and thus begin retirement, as Bishop Suffragan as of the 31st of August 2004. The cover of the Challenge had a photo of the bishops wearing a big red clown nose.) Is Your Church Run By These Guys!? Send in the Clowns? It had to be the ultimate in liturgical changes. The solemn rites for the consecration of the Rev James Gary Glosser as suffragan bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina began normally enough in Duke University's chapel July 27, with nine splendidly vested bishops taking part, including Episcopal Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning, Michigan Bishop Stewart Wood, Southern Virginia Bishop Frank Vest, and North Carolina Bishop Robert Johnson. But soon there began to be some indications that the 'fix' was in - apparently with the new suffragan's full cooperation - for an unusual service. Finally, following the presentation of traditional elements of a bishop's garb - pectoral cross, crozier, mitre, and so forth - a group of clowns and children, 'symbolizing the importance of laughter and play and faith,' came forward to present their gifts. At this point, reports The (Durham) Herald-Sun, a clown put a red nose on the new suffragan, and Gloster, 'who enjoys humor and clowning...turned to the bishops standing behind him and stuck big red noses on many of them, including Browning, who smiled broadly through the unexpected turn of events and seemed to be having as much fun as Gloster, the children and the clowns. "Applause broke out. The laughing bishops began to congratulate Gloster and clown around ever so slightly. The congregation greeted each other in the passing of the peace." It was Bishop Johnson who finally recalled the gathering to the sacramental context. "There's never enough peace," he was quoted as saying, "but that's enough." The report said Gloster had also clowned around, so to speak, when elected suffragan for the 45,000 member diocese in March. In his speech to the diocesan convention, "he started with references to God's grace and the need to share. But by the end, he was talking about humor and the importance of not taking yourself too seriously." He urged his listeners to 'join together, being fools for Christ.' Then he put on a clown nose. Presiding Bishop Browning also has taken part in at least one other bit of intra-ritual 'comic relief.' A recent college graduate who attended an Episcopal Youth Event in Missoula, Montana several years ago told TCC that after Browning appeared in full episcopal regalia to celebrate Holy Communion for the gathering, he pulled a 'super-soaker' out from under his cope and squirted the now excited congregation of young people, later reassuring them that they had been 'blessed': reportedly, the super-soaker contained holy water. ++++ The Christian Challenge Auburn Traycik, Editor Christian.Challenge@ecunet.org http://www.orthodoxAnglican.org/TCC END

By David Phillips With an afternoon devoted to sex it was intriguing that in many respects the most contentious part of the business at today's General Synod was the first item on the future use of the Church Commissioners' funds. This was an unusual exercise. The Commissioners are formally answerable to Parliament and therefore this debate was part of the consultation exercise by the Commissioners regarding its proposals. The Commissioners are proposing to fund directly some of the mission initiatives outlined in Mission-shaped Church. To achieve this they are wanting to transfer some of their current responsibilities to do with Bishops and Cathedrals to Dioceses. This will have the knock-on effect of making the Bishops and Cathedrals more accountable to. There is a lot of hostility to the proposals from many of the vested interests. The Church Commissioners provide a total of £160m per year to the Dioceses although only a small fraction of this is under consideration in this review. Following a lot of passion regarding the possible removal of funding to Cathedrals and Bishops the Synod voted to adjourn the debate on the Commissioners' Funds. The idea appearing to be that there will be opportunity for vested interests to twist arms. Next in the day was the Doctrine Commission report 'Being Human'. This is a helpful resource looking at a range of issues to do with being human today but as with the later report on sexuality its handling of scripture is incompatible with the Anglican formularies and therefore the reports opens the way to erroneous conclusions. Synod took note of 'Being Human' but there was no substantive motion. In the afternoon with a fairly full house and gallery the Synod began debate on 'Some Issues in Human Sexuality'. This report from a sub-group of the House of Bishops aims to give a guide to the debate on homosexuality. This appears to be part of the strategy to keep discussion of this issue until the church changes its position. An analysis of the report is available from the Church Society website. The Bishop of Oxford gave a good summary of the report and stated that it attempts to set out all the different views within the church and to critique it. The take note motion went through without opposition and three amendments that would have skewed this in a pro-homosexual conduct direction were rejected. The substantive motion making the report available as a resource for debate was passed. There was a brief foray into some wide ranging changes to the Synod's own standing orders but they are otherwise unworthy of note. In the late afternoon the Synod voted on a York Diocesan Synod motion on 'cohabitation'. Whether deliberately or not this motion is badly worded and if it goes through will be understood by people at large as an acceptance of sex outside marriage. On behalf of the Mission and Public Affairs Committee the Bishop of Southwark moved an amendment which spelt out what the motion was trying to achieve whilst affirming marriage. There is a good amendment from the Bishop of Southwark (on behalf of the Mission and Public Affairs Committee) that raises the concern behind the motion whilst affirming marriage and not appearing to endorse immorality. Two further amendments that would have made strong statements about the importance and centrality of marriage were rejected ostensibly on the basis that this distracted from the original focus of the York motion, that is social justice. However, it is clear that there are many on the Synod who do not want to do anything to support the exclusivity of marriage. The Synod voted to accept the motion from the MPAC which affirms marriage but recognises that there are issues of hardship and vulnerability for people whose relationships are not based on marriage. David Phillips is General Secretary, Church Society General and Synod Representative for St. Albans Diocese