For just as we go to the doctor only when we admit that we are ill and cannot cure ourselves, so we will go to Christ only when we admit that we are guilty sinners and cannot save ourselves. The same principle applies to all our difficulties. Deny the problem, and nothing can be done about it; admit the problem, and at once there is the possibility of a solution. It is significant that the first of the 'twelve steps' of Alcoholics Anonymous is: 'We admitted we were powerless over alcohol -- that our lives had become unmanageable.' To be sure, some people insist with great bravado that they are neither sinful nor guilty, and that they do not need Christ. It would be quite wrong to seek to induce guilty feelings in them artificially. But if sin and guilt are universal (as they are), we cannot leave people alone in their false paradise of supposed innocence. The most irresponsible action of a doctor would be to acquiesce in a patient's inaccurate self-diagnosis. Our Christian duty is rather, through prayer and teaching, to bring people to accept the true diagnosis of their condition in the sight of God. Otherwise, they will never respond to the gospel. --- From "The Message of Romans" (The Bible Speaks Today) by John R.W. Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
11/2/2008

It was a week that saw an orthodox Anglican priest in Philadelphia lose a civil case of fraud against a deposed revisionist Episcopal bishop and the Anglo-Catholic Bishop of Quincy announce his retirement for health reasons before a vote by that diocese that could see it leave The Episcopal Church and join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.

It was also a week that saw the Canadian house of bishops declare that a "large majority" of its members could affirm a moratorium on the blessing of same-sex unions, but also recognizing that this would pose difficulty for some dioceses "that in conscience have made decisions on these matters."

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, acknowledged that this stance allows dioceses such as Montreal and Ottawa some wiggle room to continue what their bishops have recently described as "incremental" and "experiential" steps toward same-sex blessings. It also reaffirmed the Bishop of New Westminster's stance on same-sex unions. In short, this is all a smokescreen for the inevitable full acceptance of pansexuality in Canada. Now you know why Bishops Donald Harvey and Malcolm Harding formed the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC). It is why a revisionist bishop pulled the license of theologian/scholar Dr. J. I. Packer who wears his rejection proudly even as he is re-ordained into the Province of the Southern Cone.

It is why, over time, the Anglican Church of Canada will continue to wither and die as will its counterpart - The Episcopal Church in the US.

The economy is punishing both churches, which might be a polite way of saying that God is punishing these church's apostasies and heresies. People will not continue to give to an institution just for the sake of the institution. Those days are gone. They won't continue to give to lifeless denominations out of some misplaced loyalty. That generation is getting old and dying. They are not being replaced by a new generation of gospel driven young Anglicans or Episcopalians.

It is no wonder then that the Sunday after the Moyer-Bennison trial, the congregation of the Church of the Good Shepherd gave Fr. Moyer and his attorney John H. Lewis Jr., a standing ovation and congratulated them for their fidelity and steadfastness. Bennison went home to his wife. There was no church to congratulate him. Only the Standing Committee wrote saying the jury made the right decision, which prompted this writer to compose an article that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Bennison will not have to fork out millions, but he is still despised and feared by a diocese that does not want him back, and that apparently, includes the Standing Committee.

It was also a week that saw the Sydney Synod overwhelmingly restate its principled support for lay and diaconal administration of the Lord's Supper. More significantly - in what supporters said is 'a great outcome' for women deacons - the motion also 'accepts' the argument that there is no longer any legal impediment to deacons officiating at Holy Communion, given the wording of The Ordination Service for Deacons Canon 1985 and the repeal of the 1662 Act of Uniformity by a recent General Synod Canon.

However, the motion itself does nothing to change the legal situation. "We don't make law or change law in a motion," said the Bishop of North Sydney, Glenn Davies, in moving the motion "we merely express our view." You can read the full story in today's digest.

However Forward in Faith UK reacted to the news from Sydney
and said it regrets the recent decision of the Synod of the diocese of Sydney with regard to lay and diaconal presidency at the Eucharist, both of which are clearly contrary to the foundational documents of Anglicanism. It trusts that the Archbishop of Sydney will use those powers available to him to ensure that such innovations are not set forth, in order that further division is not thereby introduced into the life of the Communion.

It was also a week that saw a new bishop elected in Australia. The Rev. Stuart Robinson, an evangelical was elected the new Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. He is presently National Mission Facilitator for the Anglican Church of Australia and Rector of Chatswood in the diocese of Sydney. The announcement was made by the Very Reverend Phillip Saunders, President of the Electoral Synod and Dean of St Saviour's Cathedral. This is sweet music to the ears of Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen and no doubt strengthens the overall evangelical witness in Australia.

And in the Diocese of British Columbia, the synod voted at a September meeting to close St. Alban in Victoria, and for six mergers, involving eight small congregations, in the 56-parish diocese. Liberalism is clearly taking its toll in this diocese.

The Diocese of Recife faced fresh attacks from the liberal Brazilian Province this week. The Diocese of Recife Standing Committee said that in light of a systematic campaign of misinformation by the Brazilian Province (IEAB) at the international level, as well as civil lawsuits posing a direct threat to its mission and property, it approved a document concerning its identity, dignity and rights. You can read the full story in today's digest.

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The EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH still wants to dialogue with members of Common Cause Partnership, it was reported at the conclusion of the council's four-day meeting in Helena, Montana, recently. The council approved a resolution from its Committee for National Concerns, said Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies. Mrs. Anderson said the resolution is based on the council's belief that talk of irreconcilable differences is a contradiction of the Christian gospel, Doug LeBlanc reported in The Living Church.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said she was expressing nothing new when she said earlier in the week that she would "strongly discourage" General Convention from voting on a final form of the proposed Anglican Covenant in July 2009, if it is released in May 2009. She said she has made the same remark for several weeks in various locations, and that she has not encountered any resistance to her plans.

Under the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop and the president of the House of Deputies can exert significant influence to delay or expedite legislation, but neither possesses veto power. Individual deputies and bishops, diocesan leadership, as well as committees, commissions, agencies and organizations affiliated with the church may submit resolutions to General Convention. All legislation submitted to General Convention is assigned to a committee and vetted before being sent to Dispatch of Business, the committee responsible for setting the daily convention agenda.

Among other resolutions approved during the Executive Council meeting was one offering support to Episcopalians in the reorganizing dioceses of San Joaquin and Pittsburgh. Mrs. Anderson said she was impressed by how much progress Episcopalians have made in the Diocese of San Joaquin.

Now what are the odds of anything transpiring from a dialogue about reconciliation between TEC and CCP? Well, I'd say there is about as much chance of that happening as Bishops Robert Duncan and John-David Schofield reversing themselves on leaving The Episcopal Church. It won't happen. This is a fantasy (or stalling tactic) by TEC while they contemplate their next legal moves when the Dioceses of Quincy and Ft. Worth move to leave the denomination in the next two weeks. The day of reconciliation talk has long gone.

The next BIG move will be the establishment of a North American Anglican Province to which Bishop Duncan will be consecrated its archbishop, a move that will have Mrs. Jefferts Schori doing a Frank Griswold routine when the Anglican Mission in America first announced its intrusion on American soil. In 2000, Griswold dashed across the pond and confronted Archbishop George Carey and pled with him not to recognize the new Anglican Mission. Carey obliged him. Now we could see a repeat performance with Jefferts Schori pleading with Archbishop Rowan Williams not to recognize this new province on North American soil. Will she be successful? Time will tell.

VOL has learned that the birth of the new province will take place in Wheaton, Illinois, in December with Bishop Duncan consecrated its new archbishop. He will also sign the GAFCON statement, VOL was told.

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A senior warden (over 26 years) at the (formerly) 4th largest Episcopal parish in Dover, N.H says attendance (and giving) is way down. Are we seeing the effect of GENE ROBINSON'S consecration coming home to roost in his own diocese?

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Come Celebrate the 80th Anniversary of 1928 BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER.

On Saturday, November 15, at 4 p.m., Episcopalians and friends from around the New York Metropolitan area are invited to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer at Evensong in The General Theological Seminary's Chapel of the Good Shepherd. A reception will follow the service. Evensong, or Evening Prayer, a Church of England tradition for 500 years, has been part of religion in America for two centuries and is included in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, established 80 years ago as the official Episcopal Church liturgy. The service is sponsored by Episcopalians for Traditional Faith (ETF), a dynamic, grass-roots organization dedicated to use of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer within the Episcopal Church. (www.etf1928.org) General, the oldest Episcopal seminary in the United States, is at 175 Ninth Avenue. The entrance is in the middle of the block on the south side of 21st Street. For directions, go to www.gts.edu/comm_directionsonly.asp.

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ORTHODOX ANGLICAN GROUP CONTINUES TO GAIN MOMENTUM. The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) and the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV) held an ordination ceremony for seven candidates ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons and two deacons ordained to the Sacred Priesthood on Saturday. The new clergy members, representing six different congregations, were ordained by the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, Missionary Bishop of CANA and The Rt. Rev. David Bena, CANA Suffragan Bishop and ADV Contact Bishop.

The ceremony took place Saturday at Truro Church in Fairfax, Va. The guest preacher was The Rt. Rev. Dr. Alpha Mohamed, Retired Bishop of the Rift Valley in Tanzania The Ordinands included Deacons Douglas K. Mussey of Good Shepherd Church in Harrisburg, Pa., and Harry K. Zeiders of Church of the Apostles in Fairfax, Va., In addition, the ordinations of candidates for the Transitional Diaconate who have been called to ministry and are in transition to the Sacred Priesthood included: Gerald Almond of South Riding Church in South Riding, Va., Wayne Buchanan of Tremont Church in Tremont, Me., and James Swnyford and Wright Wall both of The Falls Church in Falls Church, Va. David Case of Truro Church in Fairfax, Va., as well as Julie Cate Kelly and George Eddins II, both of The Falls Church, will be ordained to the Vocational (i.e., permanent) Diaconate.

On Sunday CANA confirmed, reaffirmed and received 47 parishioners at St. Luke's Anglican Church in Akron, Ohio. CANA Suffragan Bishop Roger Ames, Rector of St. Luke's, officiated at the service in which the candidates publicly affirmed their Christian faith and committed themselves to the responsibilities of their baptism.

According to Bishop Minns, "This confirmation service is more evidence of the spiritual growth that is occurring within CANA churches. There is no question that the orthodox Anglican movement is inspiring believers all over the country."

"The diverse group of people who participated in the All Saints' Day confirmation service included numerous teens as well as adults from various backgrounds. "It's encouraging to be surrounded by so many faithful believers who are excited about CANA 's scriptural foundation and focus on evangelism," said CANA Suffragan Bishop Roger Ames.

St. Luke's is part of the Anglican District of the Great Lakes, a newly formed regional group of 13 CANA congregations.

The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (www.canaconvocation.org) currently consists of more than 70 congregations and 150 clergy in 21 states. CANA was established in 2005 to provide a means by which Anglicans living in the USA who were alienated by the actions and decisions of The Episcopal Church could continue to live out their faith without compromising their core convictions. Created as a missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria, about a dozen of the congregations are primarily expatriate Nigerians. CANA is part of the Common Cause Partnership that includes representatives of more than 250 Anglican congregations. The Convocation of Anglicans in North America ( www.canaconvocation.org ) currently consists of more than 70 congregations and 150 clergy in 21 states.

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This week the Rt. Rev. Keith L. Ackerman, SSC retired from The Episcopal Church and the DIOCESE OF QUINCY. He is doing so because of his and his wife's health. He will preside over the fate of his diocese's future in The Episcopal Church, but he will not vote. A standing Committee statement said that while Bishop Ackerman is retiring from his administrative duties as executive officer of the Diocese, he plans to remain in the area of the Diocese for some time and will make himself available, under arrangement with the Standing Committee, to perform Episcopal acts and provide spiritual counsel to members of the Diocese, as have Bishop Donald Parsons and Bishop Edward MacBurney, the VIth and VIIth Bishops of Quincy.

Under diocesan canons, the Standing Committee will continue to act as the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese, as they have since the Bishop's sabbatical began in late August. Day to day operations of the diocese will continue to be handled by the various officers and department heads. They will move to Texas. Mrs. Jefferts Schori, TEC's Presiding Bishop wrote wishing the retiring bishop and his wife well. The full story can be seen in today's digest.

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In the DIOCESE OF LONG ISLAND, the parish of St. James Elmhurst, NY has returned to the TEC fold, according to Fr. Keith Charles Edwards of Brooklyn, NY. No further news at this time.

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In the Vatican this week, MUSLIM CONVERT to Catholicism, Magdi Allam asked the Pope not to consider Islam as an intrinsically good religion. Said Magdi Allam,: "Islamic extremism and terrorism are the mature fruit" of following "the sayings of the Quran and the thought and action of Mohammed." The Muslim-born journalist baptized by Pope Benedict XVI at Easter asked the pope to tell his top aide for relations with Muslims that Islam is not an intrinsically good religion and that Islamic terrorism is not the result of a minority gone astray. As the Vatican was preparing to host the first meeting of the Catholic-Muslim Forum Nov. 4-6, Magdi Allam, a longtime critic of the Muslim faith of his parents, issued an open letter to Pope Benedict that included criticism of Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter religious Dialogue. In the letter, posted on his Web site Oct. 20, Allam said he wanted to tell the pope of his concern for "the serious religious and ethical straying that has infiltrated and spread within the heart of the church."

One only has to gaze in the direction of Norway to see just how far that infiltration has crept into the Lutheran Cchurch , where in the name of 'tolerance' priests are committing sacrilege and receiving applause's, when they actually should be cast out on their ears.

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According to an Associated Press report from Manchester, NH, homogenital EPISCOPAL BISHOP GENE ROBINSON said he led a confidential retreat a few years ago for gay Roman Catholic priests. Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church and the Worldwide Anglican Communion, said the Catholic priest group that organized the meeting invited him to attend. About 75 Catholic clergy from around the U.S. participated without notifying their bishops or provincial leaders, Robinson said.

In 2005, the Vatican issued a document affirming the church's stance that men with "deep-seated" attraction to other men should not be ordained. The retreat was held outside of New England, but Robinson would not say where. Robinson briefly discussed the retreat during a question-and-answer session after a viewing Saturday of a documentary featuring his life story called, "For The Bible Tells Me So," according to The Laconia Daily Sun. The film features Robinson's parents and other Christian parents discussing their faith and having a child come out as gay or lesbian. The documentary was shown at Gilford's First United Methodist Church as part of the Open Doors Fellowship, which aims to make the church welcoming for gays and lesbians. The film makes a link between sexism and anti-gay prejudice, contending that, "at its root, the hatred of gays is driven by a hatred and second-class status of women," Robinson said. Robinson said he made a similar point in the priests' retreat. "I had said to them, 'It's too dangerous for you to come out as gay to your superiors, but I believe that if you work for the ordination of women in your church, you will go a long way toward opening the door for the acceptance of gay priests," Robinson said.

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Church names first rector. In Portsmouth, NH members and friends of the CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION (ANGLICAN) announcing that the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Andrew Reid has accepted a call to be their first rector. Reid was born and raised in New Zealand and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1993. He received the Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Mass., and the Ph.D., degree in philosophy from Edinburgh University in Scotland. Last year he retired from his position as professor of philosophy and chairman of the Humanities Division at Gordon College, Wenham, Mass. In May of this year he was ordained a priest in the Anglican Communion by Bishop William Murdoch, rector of All Saints Church and Ministry Center in Amesbury, Mass.

For a number of years, Reid has served the wider Anglican Communion in a variety of ways as a lay preacher, lecturer and consultant on Christian higher education. He continues to serve on the board of Uganda Christian University Partners (USA) and currently chairs the Library Campaign Steering Committee charged with raising $1.5 million in the next two years for a new $5 million library to be built at Uganda Christian University (Anglican) located in Mukono, Uganda. (info@ugandapartners.org).

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Beginning on November 15th, SEWAAC, the local WI chapter of the American Anglican Council, is offering to the public an eight part series of classes entitled, "Christianity 101 from an Anglican Perspective." The course will be taught by Nashotah House's distinguished faculty at the Seminary in Nashotah. In addition to the November 15th session, other dates include December 13, January 10, 2009, February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9 and June 13. Each Saturday class will meet from 5 to 6 p.m., preceded by a worship service (optional) in the Chapel at 4 p.m. The first session on November 15th is called The Authority of Scripture and will be taught by the Dean of Nashotah House, Rev. Robert Munday. Among the other class titles are, Who is God? and, Jesus Christ: "Liar, Lunatic or Lord". "SEWAAC is blessed to be able to offer such a remarkable, spiritually-based opportunity for learning," commented Bill Chapin, SEWAAC President. "We are truly indebted to Nashotah House for this valuable partnership." To receive information on the course and to reserve a space for the Nov. 15th session, please contact Bill Chapin at (414) 352-4586 or e mail him at bchapin2@wi.rr.com.

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More bad news from among MEN WHO SLEEP WITH MEN. HIV hits young blacks the hardest. Young black gay men suffer the heaviest burden of new HIV infections among gay and bisexual men nationwide, according to a government report out today. Those men lead a list of hard-hit groups that also includes white gay men in their 30's and 40's, Hispanic gays and black women. The report, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides the most detailed snapshot ever of the U.S. populations hardest hit by the epidemic, says Richard Wolitski, director of the agency's division of HIV/AIDS prevention.

The data were drawn from a CDC analysis released last month showing that the U.S. AIDS epidemic is - and has been - worse than previously recognized. It showed that approximately 56,000 people were newly infected with HIV in 2006, much higher than the agency's previous estimate of 40,000. This is further proof that faithfulness and commitment among homosexually active men is largely a fiction.

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Some KENYAN CHURCH LEADERS have called for the implementation of a report which recommends special criminal trials for those who stoked violence that was triggered after national elections late in 2007. "We think it [the report] is well researched. We call on the president and prime minister to enable its implementation," Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi told Ecumenical News International recently, in Nairobi.

He was commenting on the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Post-Election Violence, headed by Judge Philip Waki. "It is good for reconciliation," said Nzimbi. "If it is implemented well, it will create a chance for forgiveness."

The report recommends that people who planned the violence should face a special tribunal locally or through the International Criminal Court at The Hague. It did not make public the names of perpetrators.

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Today's lead story is my interview with the Bishop of the North Eastern Caribbean and Aruba. the Rt. Rev. Errol Brooks, conducted on the Island of Anguilla recently. He is the heir apparent to Archbishop Drexel Gomez, Primate of the West Indies. An election will take place early next year to confirm that.

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There are a number of fine columns in today's digest. Among them I urge you to read those written by Canon Gary L'Hommedieu, Roland Morant, Robin Jordan, Robert J. Sanders and an article by Robert Duncan on An Emerging North American Province. These are among the best writers in the Anglican Communion today and I recommend them to you for your reading consideration.

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VirtueOnline welcomes website visitors this week from Turkey, Libya, Algeria and Kazkakhstan. We hope the website is both informative and inspirational.

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