The biblical historians were not historians in the modern sense, writing with scientific detachment. They were theologians too, writing from a divine perspective. They were not morally and spiritually neutral; they were deeply committed to God's cause. The Old Testament history books were regarded as prophecy, and the four lives of Jesus are not biographies but gospels written by evangelists, who were bearing witness to Jesus. Consequently, they selected and arranged their material according to their theological purpose. Moreover, their purpose arose naturally - though also in God's providence - from their temperament, their background and their God-given responsibilities to the people of God. Man and message were related to each other. It was no accident that Amos was the prophet of God's justice, Isaiah of his sovereignty and Hosea of his love; or that Paul was the apostle of grace, James of works, John of love and Peter of hope; or that Luke, the only Gentile contributor to the New Testament, stressed the worldwide embrace of the gospel. The Holy Spirit communicated through each a distinctive and appropriate emphasis --- From "Culture and the Bible". Excerpted from "Authentic Christianity" InterVarsity Press. John R. W. Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
3/21/2008

The tactics of the left, in case you hadn't noticed, are simple. Wear down the opposition till they finally roll over and cave in to your demands. Do it with smiles, but if that fails, have the iron fist of conformity ready to strike.

This has been the strategy, almost from the beginning, when Dr. Louie Crew founded the pansexual movement called Integrity. Be nice, at least for the first ten years, then get determined, and then get nasty with bishops like Jack Spong and Walter Righter on your side. Then get out there and arrogantly make your demands, yes demands, known to the whole wide world through the master of gay and liberal agit-prop - Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Work General Conventions like it was the Democratic or Republican Party at faux prayer. Finally, choose an international forum like the upcoming Lambeth Conference when most (but not all) the Anglican Communion's bishops are gathered together.

First of all, plead that you are just like everybody else. When they don't agree with you, yell at them loudly and with greater frequency that we are really one big family. Like most families we are a tad dysfunctional, but we can live together under one tent. If that doesn't work, then intimidate the other side by using words like "homophobia" and "fundamentalist". Then take a swing at the Great Leader himself for prevaricating on the issue of sodomy. Then go all out in a major PR campaign telling the world that it must accept you just the way you are or change the laws of the land to FORCE them to accept you. In short, don't hide your light under a bushel, even if the light bulb is dim and will ultimately go out. Push, push even harder, then scream, then demand full acceptance, and then change the laws. If people still insist that sodomy is immoral behavior and God doesn't approve, have them go to the courts, face a fine, and sexual re-orientation classes. If a judge is dumb enough, get the poor bishop sentenced to jail time.

If a number of homosexuals believe they can or should change their sexual attractions and behaviors, yell to the world that they are self loathing. As a final flourish, suggest therapy for heterosexual people who don't agree with you. Turn the whole discussion on its head and blame the truth-teller. Final note. Always, remain the victim.

The strategy is brilliant and clearly working. A bishop in England was found guilty of homophobia for his hiring practices (he refused to hire a sodomite), faced huge fines, sexual re-orientation classes and opprobrium from his fellow bishops. Meanwhile, in London an Anglican archdeacon was attacked in front of his church by Muslim Asian thugs. The Police are too scared to name it for what it is, lest they offend the Islamic community and face a backlash.

The laugh of the week is that Trinity Wall Street, the richest church in the world, is marketing itself as "a revolutionary organization". Funny thing about revolutions, they usually start among the poor not the rich.

*****

It was a week of total ecclesiastical chaos in The Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion.

The big news of the week is the massive ecclesiastical confusion over whether two orthodox bishops have been legally deposed following a vote by the Episcopal Church's House of Bishops at Camp Allen, Texas. VOL looked at this in considerable detail and consulted four canon lawyers. They all agreed that the deposition of bishops John-David Schofield and William Cox did not conform to church canons. The failed crucifixions of both these bishops warranted solid analysis. You can read the full story here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/2w7u8x

Another analysis piece includes a hard look at what a former Episcopal missionary the Rev. Lauren Stanley had to say about the present condition of The Episcopal Church. It's just a few sad stories about fleeing parishes in the press that are making the whole church look bad, she opined. She wrote a nationally syndicated story saying that TEC isn't dying. This head in the sand approach warranted closer examination.

The actions of the HOB against the Schofield and Duncan have gotten Central Florida Bishop W. Howe so riled up he wrote an open letter to the three most senior bishops in The Episcopal Church complaining mightily.

Howe wrote, "I need to say how totally disappointed and disgusted I am that not one of you has even acknowledged my post, let alone responded to it. I have no illusions that the outcome of the despicable vote to depose John-David and William will be reversed, but AT LEAST we might want to obey the canons. I have moved my concern to the Bishop-lawyers of our House, and I have a small degree of hope that they might be willing to take on an issue that you are obviously not willing to confront. I recall that another person of influence washed his hands of a difficult matter on this same weekend some years ago." That's telling them for sure.

In another article on Bishop Bob Duncan, I have argued that Duncan has not "abandoned the communion of this church". In fact, all he has done to date is to declare the Episcopal Church apostate, which Bishop Schofield did and for that he is under threat from Mrs. Schori. Those threats will not up in any court. Four canon lawyers also agree.

*****

The DIOCESE OF NORTHWEST TEXAS apparently couldn't find three people interested in running for bishop. When I first posted this story, a priest wrote back with a slightly different take on what I had written and I added it to the story. He said. "As a priest who spent three years serving in Northwest Texas, I can add an unspoken twist to your story on NWT's search/non-search for three candidates for bishop. Here is the twist: The Bishop's Search Committee -- 14 members -- has 13 liberals and 1 conservative. I know for a fact that several orthodox priests were nominated and sent the required questions-and-answers to the committee but were cut IMMEDIATELY from the process because they were not pro-gay in their beliefs. It's not a question of being unable to find qualified applicants; it's a question of not being able to find the right LIBERAL candidates. Sadly, there are no orthodox clergy left in NWT. The last one, Fr. Mark Cannaday at Holy Trinity/Midland, has resigned. The liberals believe this is their moment in the sun to steal another diocese." I have also written a piece of satire on all this you can in today's digest.

So there you have it. The vice like grip of the pro-sodomite agenda of The Episcopal Church is running throughout parishes and dioceses. This is not mere Philistine uninclusive behavior it is pure fascism. If you do not conform to the church's pansexual agenda, you will not even be considered for the job, so don't bother applying. You won't make it to first base if you do.

Conformity took another twist this week and an embarrassing one when the Episcopal Church and the Church Pension Fund really put their collective foot in it when they targeted Zimmer Holdings with a dose of shareholder activism. They accused the board of not being diverse enough in its board of directors "all of whom are white males," they charged. WRONG. One of their board members is an African American whose name happens to be Dr. White (don't you just love the irony). So the church had to withdraw its resolution. You can read the full story here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/2y7gyk

*****

In the DIOCESE OF ARIZONA, Bishop Kirk Stevan sent out an e-mail message to his fellow priests saying that the diocese was in poor financial shape and budget cuts were necessary on a "temporary" basis. "I am sure that people's anxiety about their financial situation may adversely affect their support of their local church, and that in turn, affects the income of the diocese."

Here's the line that is being repeated around the country and which you can take to the bank about the long term health and survival of The Episcopal Church. Wrote Stevan; "When a substantial number of parishioners departed in the fall to align with an African bishop, they took with them a large chunk of pledged income...for the diocese that means a loss of $80,000 for the year."

There you have it. The church can inhibit and depose you, steal your property from you, but in the end, if you leave voluntarily and take your money with you, the liberals ultimately lose.

*****

Then the NATIONAL CHURCH announced this week that its missionary operating budget is being dramatically cut. Compensation to its missionaries being cut, prompted concerns over equity, and budget constraints. According to a letter from the Rev. David Copley, Anglican and Global Relations mission personnel officer, sent to all overseas missionaries, the church will no longer pay them a monthly stipend (about $500, in most cases) or cover their airfare, relocation expenses, language study, vaccinations, and any health expenses not covered by insurance. You can read the full story in today's digest. Do note however that there is plenty of money in the budget for lawsuits and David Booth Beers who demands $600 an hour (with a discount of course) for his legal services. How long do you think the missionary enterprise will last with these cuts? It was woeful to begin with. It will only get worse.

*****

In the DIOCESE OF PENNSYLVANIA, where the ousted Bishop Charles Bennison remains suspended, Holy Thursday celebrations were conducted by his predecessor, Bishop Allen L. Bartlett. At Maundy Thursday service in the cathedral, 60 priests and deacons of the diocese reaffirmed their ordination vows and heard Bartlett say that these were difficult times for the 55,000-member diocese. "Our hearts are heavy," Bartlett said, at the prospect of Bennison's church trial in June, but he assured his listeners that God was "at work in our midst" and urged them to trust the outcome. The Schuylkill River waters would part and Bennison would cross it in a Bentley, if he walks away from both civil and ecclesiastical charges. Bennison ain't felt nuttin' yet.

*****

LANGUAGE GAMES. The Episcopal Church is playing language games. San Joaquin Episcopalians (those who have decided to stay in TEC) now call themselves "Continuing Episcopalians." That's precious. For years, we have called those Episcopalians who have left the Episcopal Church for one of the Anglo-Catholic jurisdictions, Continuing Anglicans or simply the "Continuers". Now, The Episcopal Church has stolen the word to describe those who are staying IN the Episcopal Church. Now, we have to distinguish between Continuing Anglicans and Continuing Episcopalians, wrote a VOL reader.

And to keep the pressure on Bishop John-David Schofield, the Episcopal Church has announced that retired Northern California Bishop Jerry Lamb will be the provisional bishop of the diocese with a budget of $500,000 to kick off with a new headquarters and staff.

*****

If you thought that Gene Robinson, the homogenital Bishop of New Hampshire, was going to be ignored in Canterbury at the Lambeth Conference, you would be wrong. VOL got word this week that a number of bishops, led by Bishop Andrew Smith of the DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUT, will stage manage a time for him to meet with bishops for what is being called a "high profile" event (yet to be determined) on July 31st (Listening Process day) with a major media interviewer from England. The "puff the sodomite bishop" event will give Robinson a national platform to whine about the Lambeth Conference's lack of inclusion. He'll have a golden opportunity to publicly bash the Archbishop of Canterbury for being homophobic.

This is in part, what the bishops passed in Camp Allen recently,. "Even though we did not all support the consecration of the Bishop of New Hampshire, we acknowledge that he is a canonically elected and consecrated bishop in this church. We regret that he alone among bishops ministering within the territorial boundaries of their dioceses and provinces, did not receive an invitation to attend the Lambeth Conference. We appeal to the faithful of the Episcopal Church and the faithful in the wider, global Anglican family, to focus and celebrate our unity in the comprehensiveness of diversity. In union with Christian tradition through the centuries, we are willing to face challenges that precipitate struggle as a means towards reconciliation." Sorry guys, the days of talk about reconciliation are long gone. If you don't believe me, think GAFCON.

*****

Heard on the grapevine. A source inside ST. JOHN'S CATHEDRAL, DENVER, says that the Dean of the Cathedral, Peter Eaton was offered the Bishopric of Maryland, but turned it down after discussions with his wife. There are now a number of St. John's parishioners who "no longer believe in the power of prayer." (tongue in cheek).

*****

In the DIOCESE OF WEST TEXAS, St. John's Church in New Braunfels, TX, is leaving the diocese for an as yet unnamed overseas province. This is the first parish in the diocese that has asked to leave. The priest of the parish, Fr. Chuck Thebeau, is in conversation with Bishop Gary Lillibridge, a moderately conservative Windsor bishop. I spoke with Thebeau who says his conversation with the bishop has been very amicable to date and peaceable. He is hoping for a good outcome that demonstrates a spirit of reconciliation. "Things are very positive," he told VOL. Lillibridge is the leader of the Windsor Continuation Group who apparently recognizes that to some degree the Windsor Process has been hijacked. The church has 400 members and is in the top 15 out of 90, in terms of size, in the diocese.

*****

It's not official yet, but VOL has been told that the CAPA bishops are seriously considering boycotting Lambeth in July. According to one news report out of Nairobi, some Anglican bishops in Kenya are planning a boycott of Lambeth. The issue is no longer whether Robinson gets an official invitation (he won't), but the fact that the US Episcopal Church has not repented for the blessing of same-sex unions. There is also the little matter of those who consecrated Robinson and are still on the invite list. If all the African bishops decide they won't go, it will be a major body blow for Archbishop Rowan Williams. Will the Lambeth Conference be worth attending at this point?

*****

IN CANADA, in the DIOCESE OF OTTAWA, the Rev. George Sinclair, after relinquishing his license for ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC), was issued a Notice of Presumption of Abandonment of the Exercise of the Ministry according to ACoC Canon XIX by the Bishop of Ottawa. He joins good company with Dr J. I. Packer and the rest of the Vancouver-area ANiC clergy who received the same notice earlier from the Diocese of New Westminster.

Wrote one irate Anglican: "Fr. George is not the first priest in Ottawa to relinquish his license; he is, however, the first priest in Ottawa to bring his parish with him into the Southern Cone. Is it a coincidence that he is the only priest in Ottawa being charged under Canon XIX? I doubt it very much. I didn't realize before I read the Network newsletter that Canon XIX charges were in effect an attempt to defrock a priest. This attempt is being made against a godly man whose only 'offence' is to want to be faithful to Jesus and to his ordination vows."

Events move forward as the realignment gets underway in Canada. More clergy were granted "Southern Cone" licenses recently. Bishop Donald Harvey issued licenses under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone to more clergy members. This brings to 13 the number of priests licensed. The latest are: * the Rev Andrew Hewlett * the Venerable Sharon Hayton * the Rev Brian Kirby * the Rev David Fuller * the Rev George Sinclair

IN HAMILTON, Ontario, a decision on who has the right to use the property of three Anglican breakaway churches was put on hold this week by a judge after hearing arguments that lasted all day. Justice Jane Milanetti, of the Superior Court of Justice, in Hamilton, Ont., did not say when she would hand down her ruling. You can read full coverage in a story by Sue Careless of Anglican Planet in today's digest.

*****

IN NEW ZEALAND, Christchurch's next Anglican bishop will be a controversial Canadian woman who has signaled her support for gay unions, - but is reluctant to break with Church tradition on the matter. The Right Reverend Victoria Matthews, who is bishop-in-residence at Wycliffe College in Toronto, will become the eighth Bishop of Christchurch at an official ceremony in August, the NZPA reports. In 2004, Bishop Matthews chaired the Task Force on Alternate Episcopal Oversight, which looked at the issue of same sex-marriage in Canada.

At the 2007 General Synod of the Canadian church, Bishop Matthews voted in favor of a resolution stating "the blessing of same-sex unions is not in conflict with the core doctrine of the Anglican Church", but voted against permitting those blessings. Truth is, there is very little orthodox opposition left in New Zealand; most of their voices have long since been stilled.

*****

EPISCOPALIAN HOMOSEXUALS BEWARE. Syphilis is making a comeback in developed countries, spurred by illicit drug use and high-risk sexual behaviors, and many doctors are unprepared to recognize and treat it, US researchers said. They said syphilis has been on the rise since the beginning of the 21st century in high-income countries, but because the disease had been well controlled in the 1990s, doctors may not be screening for it. "The key message here is that syphilis is again on the rise in several developing countries. In many of these countries we are seeing very high rates in men who have sex with men," said Kevin Fenton of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose study appears in the journal Lancet. Will TEC take note of this? Perhaps at the next General Convention, a resolution will be passed banning sexually transmitted diseases.

*****

And this from a former Episcopalian in KENTUCKY....

They Came First... for faithful parish priests,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a parish priest.
Then They Came for... faithful Bishops,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Bishop.
Then they came for... faithful Senior Wardens,
and I didn't speak up because I was not Senior Warden.
Then they came for... faithful Vestry members,
and I didn't speak up because I was not a Vestry member.
Then they came for... parish properties
and I didn't speak up because I didn't personally hold title.
Then they came for me,
by that time no one was left to speak up.

Curtis Nordan Jr. (with apologies to Martin Niemoeller)

If you doubt the truth of these words then you might want to consider a report in "The Living Church" about flaws in the Misconduct Canons. Steve Waring writes: "Barring a tidal wave of negative letters being sent to the task force charged with rewriting The Episcopal Church's "misconduct canons," clergy and lay leaders may have to stop and ask themselves whether anyone might be offended before publishing a critical opinion piece or posting an edgy blog entry on the internet. That's because among the changes being proposed by the "Title IV Task Force II" are those that would expand the definition of conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy to include virtually any public criticism of the church and its policies, and others permitting misconduct complaints to be filed "in any manner and in any form."

The task force recently released a draft of its work. Public comment on the 40-page document concludes June 30. The task force's final report will be submitted for consideration to the 76th General Convention in 2009. You can read the full story in today's digest.

*****

VIRTUEONLINE wishes all its readers around the world a very BLESSED AND HAPPY EASTER. We acknowledge those VOL readers who face persecution or who must worship in strained and troubling circumstances for their faith this Easter, particularly in the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Croatia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Serbia & Montenegro. We hope VOL's website offers you both hope and joy in the midst of your suffering and for all those who daily suffer for the faith.

*****

Many of you will have received an online request for funds for a team of VOL reporters to attend both the GAFCON Conference in the Middle East and the LAMBETH Conference in Canterbury.

We do not SPAM VOL's readers. We send out letters to a small group of supporters, but we felt it was necessary that everyone who has ever checked into the website or written something at the website should have an opportunity to make a tax- deductible contribution to support this once in a decade gathering. The GAFCON is the first of its kind.

We hope you will make a contribution. If you can do so please send a tax-deductible check by snail mail to:

VIRTUEONLINE
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Thank you for your support.

Have a Blessed Easter,

Warmly in our Lord,

David W. Virtue DD