Christianity in America is declining and the country is becoming more secular. While seven out of 10 Americans still identify with a religion, the number professing 'no religion' has grown to 56 million, making the 'nones' group the second largest behind evangelicals. Protestant Christians now comprise only 46.5 per cent of what was once a predominantly Protestant country. ---- Pew Research Center.

Same-sex marriage is a new form of colonialism that the West is trying to impose on Africa. It denies freedom because it denies to Christians their right to proclaim the gospel, which includes the good news of moral and sexual health. --- Prof. Gerald McDermott

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
May 15, 2015

The question that must be asked is this: are we entering a new era of McCarthyism in America with those who once heralded free speech, namely those on the left, now quashing it.

In times past, the Religious Right was excoriated by the left, who feared a theocracy coming to America. That was a myth, of course. Nonetheless, the right was deemed to be intolerant of all other views. America is a "Christian nation" we were told and we should get America back on a Christian track. The founding fathers were deemed Christians and we should look to them for constitutional solace.

Well, all that is changing. It is those on the left who are now quashing free speech and there is plenty of evidence to show that. The rise of the new intolerance is coming from the left, not the right.

When Brendan Eich, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, was named CEO of Mozilla in March 2014, he pledged to ensure that the Internet company, "will remain a place that includes and supports everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, economic status, or religion." There was one problem: Eich had in 2008 donated $1,000 to the "Yes on 8" campaign, which sought to ban same-sex marriage in California. (It seems so long ago.) A week after his appointment, during which online voices decried Mozilla for letting someone with bigoted views helm its operations, Mozilla announced Eich would be stepping down.

Andrew Sullivan, a commentator who is gay and among the first to publicly defend same-sex marriage, summed up the decision poignantly: "When people's lives and careers are subject to litmus tests, and fired if they do not publicly renounce what may well be their sincere conviction, we have crossed a line. This is McCarthyism applied by civil actors. This is the definition of intolerance." His quote appears among many that draw attention to an intolerant tolerance that Kirsten Powers believes is on the rise. The Silencing: How the Left Is Killing Free Speech (Regnery) is the Fox News commentator's new book, a journalistic polemic on the many Americans on the cultural and political Left who have forsaken some of their most cherished values, including free speech.

Of course, orthodox Episcopalians know a lot about this as well. They have watched as they have been vilified, accused of being fundamentalist, homophobic, oppressors, accused of lacking diversity, and failing to be inclusive. Anybody to the right of John Shelby Spong is now deemed intolerant.

A case in point this past week was the brouhaha over the baptism of a baby being raised by two homosexuals in Orlando in the mostly conservative Diocese of Central Florida. Baby "Jack" was about to be baptized, but an issue arose causing a POSTPONEMENT, not a cancellation, but it was enough to go viral. The two gay men made their feelings known on FACEBOOK about the church's lack of inclusion. They backed off somewhat when they were told the Bishop (Greg Brewer) and the Dean (Tony Clark) had no problem with the baptism. However, that did not prevent arch lesbian priestess Susan Russell from accusing the bishop of "institutional homophobia" in the Huffington Post.

To some extent, Brewer brought this on himself. He had promised to take "the right stand" on the gay marriage issue early in his episcopate and again, more recently when, at the urgent request of his clergy on both sides, promised to issue a pastoral letter and then did not follow. No guts, no glory. He is an evangelical and not a bad bishop, but he is viewed as weak and prevaricating - a "disease" that runs through the House of Bishops as they whimper and cower under the metro-political hand of Katharine Jefferts Schori.

He did issue a statement following the massive media interest saying he would allow the baptism to go forward, basically along the lines that we are all sinners and this is no worse than the sin of divorce.

You can watch Matt Kennedy's response to Brewer here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ltIwqgbp4
It's titled Bishop Brewer's Bad Baptism Bargain.

*****

The Episcopal Church never seems to learn. The Diocese of Maryland is in deep trouble consecrating a known drunk to the episcopacy. They then watched while Heather Cook lived out her drinking and pot smoking habits by killing a cyclist and leaving the scene. She is charged with driving under the influence resulting in a homicide, vehicular manslaughter, criminal negligent manslaughter, texting while driving and fleeing the scene of an accident. Okay, so you'd figure that they would replace her with a normal white male perhaps, happily married, who might consider the gospel relevant to the church especially since Maryland has gone through so much. Well, no. In truth it's a dumb selection, given the troubles alcohol gave Cook, which ultimately led to her resignation.

Bishop Eugene Sutton, under pressure no doubt from 815 and PB Jefferts Schori, elected to invite Episcopal Bishop Chilton Knudsen of Maine as the new assistant bishop of the Diocese of Maryland, replacing Cook, who was deposed for her actions. Now it turns out that Knudsen is herself a "recovering alcoholic and expert in addiction recovery". Say what! The diocese has replaced one woman drunk with another dry drunk! This is a step forward?

Knudsen is on record as saying she sympathized with her church's first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, who announced he was being treated for alcoholism. Knudsen herself needed alcohol treatment 21 years ago after becoming the first woman to lead an Episcopal congregation in Illinois.

This is picking from the bottom of the barrel in the hopes that the barrel might have a false bottom and there is further to sink.

Gail Gleason Milgram, education director at Rutgers University's Center of Alcohol Studies, says that all executives, including bishops, have a special problem because "the higher up one becomes in an organization, the more difficult to confront the behavior" and tell the boss that help is needed. On that basis, every U.S. president would be an alcoholic. The church might want to revisit I Tim 3:3 on the qualifications for a bishop. It's very revealing.

You can read the full story in today's digest.

*****

On April 27, 2015, the Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop (JNCPB) announced its process for nominating bishops from the floor to the office of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church at General Convention in June 2015. There were no additional candidates. The Presiding Bishop slate remains at 4.

*****

The Anglican Archbishop of Jos, Nigeria was in Wayne, Pennsylvania recently addressing the third annual Synod of CANA/ACNA in Wayne, PA where he exhorted new ordinands to hold fast the faith even as America faces a growing disinterest in the Christian Faith and Millennials are leaving the faith of their forbears.

In a rousing sermon, he called for the ordinands and his listeners to seriously count the cost in a growing secular age. He cited Acts 6:1, "God is calling you to the most serious business in the oversight of the souls of men and women and to preach the Word of God against its cultured despisers." He exhorted his audience to preach the Word and if necessary caste out demons. "Teach them the Word and build their faith according to the Bible not according to the [prevailing] culture."

In a VOL exclusive interview with the Most Rev. Ben Kwashi, he said the realignment of the Anglican Communion does have an end point, but only when the realignment becomes a genuine reformation movement as the church ought to be. If it does continue, we are going to have to rethink our theology and put it under the eye of the scriptures, he added.

He also said the North American Culture Wars have come to Nigeria and the church is actively resisting them. "With the breakdown in our society, it has compelled the gospel to be real. Families are looking after grandmothers; mothers are taking care of orphans. Persecution compels us to live and die together and this is happening across denominations.

"The effect of the breakdown has been for people to go back to the Bible. People are seeing the God of history at work. Out of persecution and secularism we are responding and every bishop is asking how do we make the Bible work? It is not just a belief system; it's got to work."

I asked him about the recent appointment of Kaduna Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon to be the new Secretary General of the Anglican Communion office in London. "Is this a game changer for the Anglican Communion?" Kwashi said Fearon had lost credibility in Nigeria 10 years ago and holds no weight in Nigeria. He said Archbishop Nicholas Okoh had a "wait and see" policy on his new job and the ACC.

You can read the full interview in today's digest.

*****

Christianity in America is declining and the country is becoming more secular, according to a new report from the respected Pew Research Center.

While seven out of 10 Americans still identify with a religion, the number professing "no religion" has grown to 56 million, making the "nones" group the second largest behind evangelicals. Protestant Christians now comprise only 46.5 per cent of what was once a predominantly Protestant country.

The findings are based on the 2014 Religious Landscape Study of 35,000 people. A previous survey was conducted in 2007; the 2014 study was designed to be comparable.

It showed that the decline in Christian affiliation was particularly pronounced among young adults, but was noticeable across all ages, all races, and people with different levels of education. It represents a fall of nearly eight percentage points in the number describing themselves as Christians, from 78.4 per cent to 70.6 per cent. Over the same period, the percentage of Americans who describe themselves as atheist, agnostic, or "nothing in particular" has jumped more than six points, from 16.1 per cent to 22.8 per cent. Those identifying with non-Christian faiths have also increased, from 4.7 per cent in 2007 to 5.9 per cent in 2014.

The drop in the Christian share of the population has been driven mainly by declines among mainline Protestants and Catholics, the research shows. You can read a full report on the Pew findings by Ed Stetzer who is a world authority on church growth and who has analyzed the figures at length in today's digest. Mike McManus also weighs in on the latest figures. Overall nominal Christianity is in decline with millions of nominal Christians no longer declaring they hold the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Real, authentic, orthodox Christians may be a minority, but at least we will know who they are; perhaps we need to go down before we go up. While we are on a secular binge in America, orthodox Christianity is surging in Africa and Asia where the Holy Spirit is truly at work.

*****

The May 9 consecration of the Rt. Rev. Peter Eaton as Bishop Coadjutor of Southeast Florida included bishops from the Old Catholic Union of Utrecht, the Mar Toma Syrian Church of Malabar, the Moravian Church, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Living Church magazine reports.

"We believe that this is the first time in history that bishops of these four full-communion partner churches have joined together in the ordination of an Episcopal bishop," Bishop Eaton told TLC. "The presence of an Old Catholic bishop and a Mar Thoma bishop especially brings together these two historic successions, one Western and one Eastern."

An estimated 1,400 people gathered at Miami's Trinity Cathedral and a nearby Hilton Hotel.

Prelates representing the Orthodox Metropolitan of Constantinople and the Archbishop of Jerusalem, who were vested in black, joined in the procession and spoke briefly. Other guests represented Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and evangelical Protestant Christians, Jews, and Mormons.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said that Eaton would be the 1,087th in the Episcopal Church's line of succession. The Rt. Rev. David Richards, 94, consecrated in 1951 as the 508th bishop, attended the service. Bishop Peter Eaton will become the IV Bishop of Southeast Florida when Bishop Leo Frade retires in 2016.

*****

Greed lies at the heart of former NYC's Trinity Wall Street townhouse after its ex-rector, the Rev. Dr. James H. Cooper demanded the building as his home after being accused of extravagant spending when he was its priest.

The church, seen as one of the world's richest Anglican parishes, has put the home on the market for $12 million, the New York Post reports.

The church bought it for $5.5 million, claiming the building would be used as a permanent rectory for future leaders of the church, but is now selling it after Cooper retired in February.

Cooper's replacement, the Rev. William Lupfer, has been given a 2,300-square-foot Battery Park City apartment with three terraces and riverfront views, according to the Post. The rent was advertised at $15,000 a month. He can suffer for Jesus there.

Copper was accused of subversion of the institution's mission and extravagant spending in 2012. 10 of the 22 members of Trinity Church's board of directors were allegedly either forced out or quit.

Accusations against him include misreporting of numbers of worshippers on Sunday services; demands for the Soho townhouse, an allowance for his Florida condo and a fat salary; trips around the world at church's expense, wasting more than $1 million on development plans for a luxury condo tower; and spending $5 million on a publicity campaign.

Cooper, 70, was retired by the vestry. He and his wife, Octavia, have now moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida.

*****

When in doubt merge. Three congregations in Michigan united to form the Lutheran-Episcopal church in West Bloomfield, MI this week. Sylvan Lake Lutheran Church officially joined with Advent Episcopal Church and the Lutheran Church of the Ascension to form Spirit of God Church.

This looks a shade better than death by a thousand cuts. Advent lost its building due to unforeseen circumstances and was searching for a new home for its remaining congregation. "Unforeseen circumstances" -- now that's a new one! How about no one is interested in listening to a lot of rot from the pulpit and the church died? When they heard about it, Sylvan Lake, just one and a half miles away, they invited Advent to share their building. For a year, both churches shared a sanctuary with separate services and joined together for fellowship between services. In the summer of 2013, the two slightly different services were combined into one. It continues that way today.

Then in September 2014, the Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Waterford sold its building and its congregation began attending services at Sylvan Lake. On April 19, 2015 both the Lutheran and Episcopal congregations voted unanimously to federate and become one church that holds full membership in two denominations.

I suppose one should be glad they didn't call themselves Holy Trinity Lutheran Episcopal Church.

*****

Cuban President Raul Castro paid a call Sunday on Pope Francis at the Vatican to thank him for working for Cuban-U.S. detente. He was so impressed by the pontiff that he is considering a return to the Catholic church's fold.

Welcoming Castro to his studio near the Vatican public audience hall, the Cuban president, bowed his head, gripped Francis' hand with both of his, and the two men began private talks. The meeting lasted nearly an hour, as the Argentine-born Francis and Castro spoke in Spanish.

After leaving the Vatican, Castro, the brother of Fidel, the revolutionary leader who brought the Communists to power in Cuba, gushed with praise for Francis. The pontiff "is a Jesuit, and I, in some way, am too," Castro said at a news conference. "I always studied at Jesuit schools.

"When the Pope goes to Cuba in September, I promise to go to all his Masses, and with satisfaction," Castro said at a news conference. Francis will visit Cuba in September en route to the United States.

We at VOL do not think that Katharine Jefferts Schori's religion is strong enough to entice Fidel or his brother back to the faith in the Episcopal Church of Cuba.

*****

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has welcomed a new training resource designed to help local churches "play a vital role" in signposting people to free and professional debt advice services.

Guiding people to free debt advice: a debt awareness and signposting workshop is a two-hour video-based workshop developed by the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, in partnership with the Archbishop of Canterbury's Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings. It is available as a free online download or to order with a DVD.

The workshop is designed to help staff and volunteers in churches and church-linked community groups, identify and respond appropriately to someone who may be struggling financially. It also looks at the types of debt advice available, how these can be accessed, and how to help prepare someone for debt advice.

Archbishop Justin Welby said: "Helping people to get out of debt, and freeing them from the anxiety and exploitation that often goes with being in debt, is part of the Church's commitment to human flourishing. I welcome this new training resource to help local churches play a vital role in encouraging people to seek assistance earlier and to make use of the many free debt advice services that are available."

*****

When you hear the cry from liberal Anglicans about where do African Anglican evangelicals get their money and who is manipulating who in the Global South, consider these new figures recently released about Africa.

The truth is, Africa isn't poor. Six of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are African and 1 in 3 Africans are part of the middle-class.

When Global Citizen globalcitizen@globalpovertyproject.com first published this story, it took on a life of its own. The conversations it started and the it ideas generated blew them away. For many of us, it's easy to remember Africa as that place in well-meaning commercials from our childhood, asking people to sponsor a child. This raised lots of money, but it also made out that Africa is one place, that is bleak, helpless, and hopeless.

The problem is, that's simply not true. China is deeply involved in economic projects and development in Africa, and, closer to home, the Anglican Province of Nigeria funded GAFCON I raising over $1 million in three weeks.

*****

Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church in Wilmington, DE was added to the First State National Historical Park as a national historic landmark this week for being "an invaluable piece of Delaware and American history" and the oldest Christian congregation in Delaware dating to 1640.

"It's incredible history," said Sen. Tom Carper, who championed the cause in Washington, D.C., to get Delaware a national park, ending its longtime status as the only state without one.

The park's superintendent, Ethan McKinley, called the church site "an invaluable piece of Delaware and American history," as well as "an imperative addition" to the park.

"Old Swedes links Delaware to the earliest days of its existence as a colonial settlement," he said, "and Delaware's history echoes from every stone, grave marker and pew."

The church, built by Swedish colonists in 1698-99, already was a National Historic Landmark and long recognized as the nation's oldest continuously operating house of worship as originally built and having the oldest continuously used pulpit. Its cemetery, covered in the easement document signed Monday, predates the church as the burial ground used by Swedes who founded Delaware's first permanent European settlement after landing nearby aboard the Kalmar Nyckel in 1638.

*****

It must gall the faux Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina when the Anglican primate of a major Anglican province comes a calling to the other Episcopal Diocese of SC.

The Most Rev. Hector "Tito" Zavala, Bishop of Chile and Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Province of South America, comprising the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, who serves as the Diocese of South Carolina's liaison to the Global South Primates Steering Committee, will hold two meetings with the Bishop (Mark Lawrence), clergy, and parishioners in the Diocese of South Carolina May 20, 2015. One will be held at St. Matthias in Summerton from 10 a.m. -- 11:30 a.m. and the other will be at the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul, Charleston from 5:30 p.m. -- 6:30 p.m.

As one of 40 primates of the 80 million member worldwide Anglican Communion, Bishop Zavala will be in South Carolina specifically to encourage and support fellow Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Mark J. Lawrence, XIV Bishop of South Carolina, and the clergy and lay people of the Diocese of South Carolina.

"We're grateful for the strong support we've received from Anglicans around the world and are especially thankful for this time we'll have with Bishop Zavala," said Bishop Lawrence. "The Global South Primates have assured us of their prayers and their stand with us."

*****

The School of Theology of the University of the South at Sewanee gave out honorary doctorates to two more compatible types than the last time round. You'll recall they gave doctorates to Dr. N.T. Wright and Eric Metaxus, both orthodox Anglicans. Wright got an earful from a professor of theology at the seminary who ripped the university's choice of Wright to receive the doctorate. Having learned their lesson, the School of Theology is now conferring a doctorate on Africa's most liberal Anglican archbishop, Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town, and the liberal Bishop of the Diocese of East Carolina, Robert Skirving. All is forgiven.

*****

When a book such as Matthew Vines' God and the Gay Christian becomes a smash hit, it might lead you to think that there is a large contingent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered Christians out there clamoring for acceptance.

A new report from the Pew Research Center suggests that this is not the case.

As it turns out, Vines' book (and others that seek to reconcile LGBT lives with fundamentalist Christian teaching) is only a big deal to insiders--or to a voyeuristic public that doesn't have any real skin in the game.

As for the LGBT community, Pew researchers found that at least 41% could give a rip if the evangelical church welcomes them in their pews, because they've given up on religion anyway--at least that type of religion.

*****

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