The ACNA parishioners are members of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. Our clergy orders are valid. ++Justin Welby's statement confirms that we are formally separate from Canterbury Anglicanism (other than the historical roots). This is reconciliation for me. Being a member of FCA is a great place to be and it represents my understanding of orthodox Anglicanism. ++Justin Welby thank you for the clarification. --- Fr. Dale Matson, San Joaquin (from SOUNDINGS)

On our walk in Chelsea, [Gene] Robinson, (sporting an ear ring) smoking and drinking another giant diet soda, denied that his role as a gay-movement hero-martyr damaged his marriage or his personal relationships, just as he pushes back on the idea that the pressures of his public role sent him in 2006 into treatment for alcohol abuse. He went into rehab, he told me, simply because he was an alcoholic, not because he was too stressed or too busy. --- Lisa Miller in New York Magazine

The church-growth stakes are high. Episcopal Church membership peaked at 3.6 million in 1966 and is now at 1.9 million, with 650,000 in church on typical Sundays. More than half of U.S. parishes had an average Sunday attendance of 70 or less, according to 2009 statistics, and roughly a third of active Episcopalians are 65 or older. --- Terry Mattingly

On the death of Alan Henning. To ISIS we say: "You no longer have the power to shock us, now you just sicken us. Your brutality, against any who don't share your narrow, perverted worldview, doesn't undermine our determination was a certain, it stiffens our resolve. Your destiny is not to be a force in human history, merely one of its sad footnotes." --- The Rt Revd David Walker, Bishop of Manchester

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
October 10, 2014

In a ceremony rich in Anglican history and symbolism, including scripture readings, hymns, and a high liturgy, 3000 Anglicans filled the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta to usher in a new archbishop, the second, for the Anglican Church in North America.

It was an historic occasion that saw eight archbishops from Anglican provinces representing more than 50 million Anglican Christians, giving their imprimatur and blessing on 57-year old Archbishop Foley Beach as the mantle of leadership was passed on to him from Archbishop Robert Duncan.

I have posted two stories on this historic occasion and was thrilled to witness this in Atlanta at the Church of the Apostles where I am writing these VIEWPOINTS.

*****

Evidently Archbishop Justin Welby stirred up more than he intended with his backhanded comments regarding the ACNA and the Anglican Communion. It's not surprising that some of the provinces at least have taken offense to them. In Australia, the Diocese of Northwest Australia has warmly greeted the ACNA as part of the Anglican Communion.

The whole concept of Northwest Australia upstaging Canterbury is a heartening concept to those of us who like to remind the Brits that their isles are such a wonderful place they filled two continents with the people who wanted or had to leave. The Diocese of Sydney's Mark Thompson also weighed in on why ACNA is part of the Anglican Communion and argues that because the Anglican Communion is confessional in nature, the ACNA confesses the faith (as opposed to some provinces that don't), therefore they are in the Anglican Communion. VOL has posted his views in today's digest.

*****

There's an interesting twist in the brouhaha that has erupted at General Theological Seminary in New York where in eight professors were fired after allegations were made that they had resigned. One noticeable absentee was a certain Professor Robert Bruce Mullin, dubbed the "million dollar prof" who appears in court cases for TEC on property lawsuits. Apparently, he feels it safer not to rock the boat about his immediate boss, Dean Kurt Dunkle. After all, if you are getting a million bucks for cameo appearances, you surely need to retain your job in academia for no other reason than if you're fired, you lose your credibility. You will remember that Mullin testified in the Quincy lawsuit where canon lawyer Allan Haley and Alan Runyan tied him up in knots.

The latest word from the 8 "fired" faculty is: The striking faculty at General Theological Seminary say that the chairman of the GTS Board of Trustees, Bishop Mark Sisk, apparently wishes to give the appearance of offering a conciliatory hand to the eight striking faculty members without actually engaging in a sincere effort at reconciliation. At least that is the implication of an email sent to Dr. Deirdre Good concerning the previously agreed-to October 16 meeting between the faculty members and board Executive Committee.

In responding on October 3 to Bishop Sisk's invitation to meet, the faculty members wrote to the trustees in an entirely conciliatory tone that welcomed the opportunity "with our most sincere hope of working with you to find a way forward.

"Our letter also made two important points: (1) That our original letter to the board on September 17 and follow-up communication to it never were intended as letters of resignation; (2) that a summary Bishop Sisk requested of a phone conversation between him and Dr. Good in which she asked the bishop to work with her to de-escalate the current situation in no way contained what later were characterized as demands.

"It has been our assumption and intention that the purpose of the October 16 meeting was to provide a forum to air what we consider legitimate grievances before a group of fair-minded and curious trustees and to work together to seek genuine solutions.

"Imagine our disappointment then when on October 6 Bishop Sisk emailed Dr. Good with a message that clarified his view of the meeting, essentially, as: We will hear your concerns, but you're still fired."

The days ahead should be interesting. Nearly all of TEC's seminaries are in trouble with declining seminarians; the high cost of a seminary education, small parishes that can't afford to hire them with seminary debt and so on. With parishes under 70 members and the age of Episcopalians now in the mid to late 60s, the future is getting grimmer by the day.

*****

If you want to know what happens to a nation when it loses its faith in the living God and bows to whatever the zeitgeist is, then read on. England is fast becoming a pagan nation; only about one million attend a Church of England parish, or any church if it comes to that, in a nation of 60 million people.

Ritual child abuse linked to witchcraft is on the rise in the UK. Drowning and rape are part of "hidden crimes to drive out the devil." Detectives are reporting a massive rise in the number of reported cases of child abuse linked to witchcraft. Scotland Yard has received 27 allegations of ritual child abuse this year alone - a dramatic increase on a decade ago, when just two such cases were reported to police in the whole of 2004.

Examples of the faith-based abuse include a child being dunked in a bath to "wash away evil spirits", children being raped, and a pastor swinging a child around banging its head to "drive out the devil".

Teachers, social workers and doctors are now to be taught to spot the signs of the abuse in a drive to tackle the growing problem across Britain.

Police say witchcraft-based child abuse is on the rise -- a video clip shows an alleged exorcism ceremony in a suburban street in south London last month.

Last month police were called to a leisure center in south London after residents reported a string of dawn "child exorcisms" in which adults surrounded a toddler chanting "Get the demon out".

The number of cases of ritualistic or faith-based abuse of children reported to Scotland Yard has increased year-on-year over the past decade. Detectives believe the number of reports is just the tip of the iceberg, with many more such cases being kept secret among communities.

*****

A Roman Catholic priest is sounding the alarm on the Islamic State. The article in today's digest is an absolute MUST-READ. The priest has taken the time to thoroughly study Islamic doctrine and the history of Islam and has articulated his findings and opinions in very clear terms. You certainly don't have to be Catholic to appreciate the significance of this article. It serves as an excellent analysis for the origins of the Islamic State with which we are now at war.

*****

Saint John's Episcopal Church, a 147-year old Gothic building on Main Street, East Hartford, CT, is up for sale, a result of declining membership and rising costs, the Rev. Mark Santucci says.

"Like many places, we've just had a shrinking base," said Santucci, the priest-in-charge at the church. "We don't have as many people as we once did. The buildings are getting old and expensive."

In addition to the church, there is a separate building where an office is located.

The Episcopal Church statewide is seeing a decline in membership. According to figures provided by the diocese, Connecticut membership in 2012 was about 56,000, down from about 63,000 in 2007.

This story is being repeated across the country as one parish after another closes and properties go on the block.

*****

The Episcopal Church is no stranger to supporting abortion. Now an Episcopal priest in Louisiana is pushing a letter urging Christians to support building a new Planned Parenthood abortion business in New Orleans.

Over the last year, Louisiana Right to Life, the Catholic Church, and local pro-life advocates have worked overtime to do everything possible to stop the construction of a new abortion facility. Construction was stopped at one point recently because of code violations.

Now, the Rev. Walter Baer of the Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, located across the street from the new New Orleans Planned Parenthood location, has released a letter encouraging all Christians to get behind the abortion business. Naturally, he ignores the abortion component of the proposed Planned Parenthood facility.

For the record, this priest presided over the closing of his previous parish and has now taken over this once evangelical parish held by the Rev. Jerry Kramer who was featured in TIME magazine for staying put after Hurricane Katrina hit that city. He brought the church back from the dead, rebuilt it, and made it into a thriving ministry. Now it is on its way down again.

*****

Archbishop Justin Welby is now on record saying that the next Lambeth Conference will be a decision for the primates. He was responding to an inaccurate media report put out by Anglican Ink that the Lambeth Conference had been cancelled. "As it hasn't been called, it can't have been cancelled", he said.

Speaking to the BBC's William Crawley, the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion said the historic meeting of bishops from around the world would take place sometime after the primates had met together.

*****

The Church of England is on its "last chance" and must make some hard decisions about clergy and parishes if it is to have a future, according to a leading academic.

Linda Woodhead, professor in sociology of religion at Lancaster University, commented: "What my and other people's research shows is that people of my age are the last generation who in large numbers care about the Church of England."

Prof Woodhead, 50, told "Christian Today": "I am of the very last generation that has any interest in investing in the Church and to think about its future." She doubted that the Church would die out completely, but warned it was in danger of shrinking into small enclaves dominated by the white middle class.

*****

Utah's predominant religion, Mormonism, which has opposed same-sex marriage for decades, now acknowledges the issue is largely settled. "As far as the civil law is concerned," The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced, "the courts have spoken."

The U.S. Supreme Court said it would not take up Utah and other states' appeals to reinstate their bans on gay marriage. Some denominations, most notably the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, are not so sure the legal battle is over, while others, supportive of gay marriage, are hoping it is.

The justices' decision doesn't do anything, Bishop John C. Wester said in an interview. "It is just keeping us in the same relative position. We don't know what is going to happen in the future."

Wester, leader of the state's 300,000 Catholics, is "not a legal expert," he noted, "but I don't see this as a permanent solution."

To Catholics, marriage is "a sacred, sacramental covenant, permanent and open to procreation," he added. "There is no other relationship like it -- it's unique. The state seeking to change that definition is not a good thing for society at large. We respect others' right to disagree, but we feel we have a right and responsibility to say what we believe marriage is."

The Rev. Jim Harris, pastor of Calvary Chapel in Murray, also wished the high court would have heard the case.

"I would like to have a decision one way or the other," Harris stated. "Our church opposes gay marriage. For us, marriage is between a man and a woman. We believe that is a Bible stance. Gays have plenty of benefits through civil unions."

Whether permanent or temporary, the "succession of federal court decisions in recent months, culminating in the Supreme Court's announcement, will have no effect on the doctrinal position or practices of [the LDS Church], which is that only marriage between a man and a woman is acceptable to God," the Salt Lake City-based faith wrote on its website. "In prizing freedom of conscience and constitutional guarantees of the free exercise of religion, we will continue to teach that standard and uphold it in our religious practices."

The Rev. Patty Willis, pastor of the South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society in Cottonwood Heights, cheered the decision as "a modern-day miracle."

The "universe is moving towards justice," opined Willis, whose congregation is home to many gay couples. "We are all amazed and thrilled by the news today."

The Rev. Jean Schwien, pastor of Salt Lake City's Christ United Methodist Church, praised Monday's events as affirming the "dignity and rights of all human beings equally, and, in that light, we celebrate this decision."

Utah Episcopal Bishop Scott B. Hayashi has been a "supporter of my gay and lesbian friends and church members in this," he asserted, and is "very happy for them and for all of us who have been hoping and praying that they would be able to have their loving relationships legally recognized."

Hayashi, though, recognizes that others have been praying for a different outcome.

"I consider them to be friends; I am sad for them," the bishop continued. "I understand their unhappiness, frustration and loss. When my friends hurt, I hurt, too."

Referring to Oaks' comments, Hayashi said, he, too, plans to "practice not only civility but also compassion."

*****

Like many ANiC congregations in Canada, St Aidan's carefully and prayerfully considered its decision to seek justice in the courts. The congregation was believed to have a particularly strong case as they held a letter from the Anglican Church of Canada's Diocese of Huron from 2001, which clearly stated that the congregation owned the property.

However, as a result of surprising court decisions, which revolved around the meaning of the term "parish", ANiC's St Aidan's Community Church not only lost their long-time property to the Anglican Church of Canada's Diocese of Huron, they also are required to pay a portion of the Diocese of Huron's legal costs, amounting to approximately $142,000. This, together with their own legal costs, means the people of St Aidan's now have to raise $371,000. The Diocese of Huron is relentless in its demand for immediate payment.

Please pray for God's provision. And, if God is leading you to be part of that provision, please send your check made out to "St Aidan's Community Church", with "Legal defence fund" on the memo line, to: St Aidan's Community Church
3033 Rivard Avenue
Windsor, ON N8T 2J1

Pledges of monthly donations or significant lump sum two-year loans would also be most appreciated. Contact the rector Canon Tom Carman, or the wardens Alan Purves or Cathy Knight, via the church by email or by phoning (519) 962-5931. Thank you!

*****

A Latvian Archbishop has claimed that homosexuality is destroying human identity -- but denies being anti-gay.

Catholic Archbishop Zbigņevs Stankevičs made the comments in an interview with American Christian news website "LifeSiteNews".

He claimed, "Homosexual relationships are destroying our identity. Not only our Christian identity, but also our human identity, the identity of man and the identity of woman.

"We are not against homosexuals, we are for these persons. We are invited to disarm a lie and let in the truth in such ways."

Last year, Latvia was condemned by Amnesty International for lacking protection against homophobic and transphobic crime.

The Catholic Church is currently holding a meeting of over 200 Catholic bishops, which is expected to reaffirm the church's teachings on homosexuality.

The "extraordinary synod" follows up on a worldwide consultation earlier last year, which found the Church was out of touch with ordinary Catholics on issues involving sex and sexuality.

However, bishops are expected to focus on small-scale reforms pertaining to contraception and divorce, rather than risk changing the Church's policies on homosexuality.

*****

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In Christ,

David