First they steal a word (gay) to disguise who they are, then they invent a word ("homophobia") to attack anyone who criticizes their lifestyle. The Muslims learned from the homosexuals. They invented "Islamophobia" ---- John H. Lewis Jr.,

Alternative roads? We do not therefore deny that there are elements of truth in non-Christian systems, vestiges of the general revelation of God in nature. What we do vehemently deny is that these are sufficient for salvation and (more vehemently still) that Christian faith and non-Christian faiths are alternative and equally valid roads to God. Although there is an important place for 'dialogue' with men of other faiths ... there is also a need for 'encounter' with them, and even for 'confrontation', in which we seek both to disclose the inadequacies and falsities of non-Christian religion and to demonstrate the adequacy and truth, absoluteness and finality of the Lord Jesus Christ. --- John R.W. Stott

"If you really know what your mission is, then you don't have to be afraid of the future." --- Lyle Schaller

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
April 3, 2015

After the Presbyterian Church USA endorsed gay marriage this past week, 34,000 Black pastors in America told them: don't equate your sin with our skin. They are right. When the state of Indiana said that sodomy is not protected by the Constitution, gay marriage is not a constitutional right, and individuals of conscience have the right not to bake gay marriage cakes because it violates their consciences, big business dumped on the whole state. Gay Apple president Tim Cook publicly excoriated the governor while a number of mega businesses, including Angie's List, threatened to pull out of the state or cut down their operations.

Welcome to the "new" America.

This is all happening during Holy Week. Think about that. Sin is being rapturously endorsed by a rapidly disintegrating culture that is no longer Protestant, let alone Christian. It is happening even as the Savior of the world sets his sights on Calvary to die for a lost humanity. Our Lord will be raised up on a cross with nail pierced hands and a sword will be thrust into his side; he will bow his head and die for the sins of the world. Think about that.

If you don't think your freedoms are being trampled on in America, you are worse than stupid.

Orthodox Episcopalians in The Episcopal Church learned this the hard way.

For over 40 years, they played nice with the liberal and revisionist TEC establishment drawing more lines in the sand than there are rings around Uranus. All the time TEC blew sand in their faces and trampled all over them -- first by rewriting the Prayer Book, then mandating the ordination of women, and finally pushing gay marriage and rites for same, ordaining an avowed homosexual to the episcopacy in the process. It has been a trajectory of death as 1.9 million Episcopalians have tumbled out of the Episcopal Church to safer spiritual climes.

Finally, some of them woke up, "No more, they are stealing our churches!" By then it was too late. 30 years later, we have the ACNA, and tens of millions of dollars being spent on lawsuits for properties, and more and more emptying TEC churches. TEC is preaching a socio-economic political gospel that fails to offer the life-changing message of Jesus.

To hammer home the point, the American Anglican Fellowship, a group of some 5,000 orthodox Episcopalians, issued an Open letter to Episcopalians and church leaders this week appealing to end the unjust lawsuits.

The AAF (www.usanglicanfellowship.com), a group of long-time current and former members of the Episcopal Church, are saying enough is enough. They say spending more than $40 million in 84 lawsuits against member Dioceses and Churches has got to stop. AAF believes that total reconciliation of this conflict is impossible, for we now have two churches under one roof, but conciliation between the two sides in the conflict is definitely achievable. The AAF also believe the Laity had to act through some sort of a formal complaint; several letters to the Presiding Bishop have gone unanswered.

A petition http://tinyurl.com/pqxw3ma signed by more than 5,000 Christians requesting clarity and information of the dispute was abruptly dismissed by two church lawyers citing, "the litigation money was well spent, for the value in property received was far in excess of money spent." A shocking response to say the least; had they considered the big picture outside of the monetary gains, they would have found 1.5 million Episcopalians had either left for another Anglican Church, another denomination, or left the Christian faith altogether; while more than 500 Episcopal Churches had closed their doors.

You can read the full story here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/ng3ns9g

And all this is taking place in Holy Week.

*****

Not to be outdone, the TEC Episcopal Bishop of South Carolina, Charles von Rosenberg has elected to continue litigating for some $800 million worth of properties (certainly more than 30 pieces of silver).

In a published decision this week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed an earlier decision of Senior District Judge C. Weston Houck to abstain from exercising jurisdiction over a case alleging infringement of trademarks under the Lanham Act. The case had been filed by Provisional Bishop Charles vonRosenberg of the Episcopal Church in South Carolina against Bishop Mark Lawrence of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. The validity of its allegations turns upon the question of whether a diocese is free to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church (USA), wrote Canon lawyer Allan Haley.

The protracted legal fight, often described as "litigate till they capitulate," is based on the hope that people will tire of an expensive and continued legal fight and return to the national church. It is a strategy that is not without merit. When mounting costs exceed hopeful expectations, people become more willing to accept the inevitable. The great problem with this strategy is that it no longer appears to be working having fallen victim to the "Law of Unintended Consequences," wrote VOL correspondent Ladson F. Mills III. You can read the full story including Canon lawyer Allan Haley's analysis of the decision in today's digest.

*****

You have to wonder if the collective IQ (let's not talk about EQ) is actually getting lower in the Episcopal House of Bishops.

This week the Episcopal Bishop of Upper North Carolina, C. Andrew Waldo, wrote in a FACEBOOK post (March 26) that people who support Religious Freedom Legislation are like the Nazis who forced gay/lesbian persons to wear pink triangles and Jews [to] wear yellow stars of David as a "reminder" of how violently this kind of law can get and how utterly and deeply immoral, un-Christian, cynical and un-American it is.

"No. No. No. And no. We will not stand for this," he wrote.

A blogger in his diocese noted that the bishop's rant has implications for his own clergy.

"Bishop Waldo's Nazi reference should bother traditional Christians in his diocese. How long will he tolerate priests and/or parishes in his diocese who 'discriminate' against gays by refusing to participate in the same sex-blessing rite? Aren't those priests and parishes forcing gays to wear pink triangles? And he condones that?

"Was he not aware that South Carolina has similar legislation, and was he at the State house when an amendment to that legislation was introduced this year?" Ah no.

You can read the full story here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/pnjt3pq

*****

GAFCON Chairman and Kenyan Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala blasted the "cultural captivity" of the established Anglican Churches in North America in an address at the launching of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans in Melbourne, Australia.

Things have become so bad that a fundamental realignment of the Anglican Communion was necessary, the evangelical African Primate told several hundred orthodox Australian Anglicans gathered at the launching.

"Now we are seeing the same struggle developing in the Church of England, the Mother Church of the Communion itself, and the most recent sign of this is the crisis developing after a parish church in central London was made available for a Muslim prayer service earlier this month. The vicar not only joined in, but also covered up the cross and other Christian symbols in the church. Here we have a warning that controversies about gender and sexuality reflect a deeper problem. Now we are seeing the core Christian commitment to the uniqueness of Jesus as Lord and Savior is being called into question," opined the GAFCON leader.

He described the FCA as an instrument of renewal. It is freeing churches involved in contending for the gospel, even challenging ungodly leadership where necessary, added the African Primate.

You can read the full story here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/o246atb

*****

The Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Australia was launched this week in Melbourne. At a packed event, Archbishop Glenn Davies of Sydney, Archbishop Wabukala of Kenya, and FCA-Aus chair Richard Condie set out the rationale for this new organization. Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, Primate of Uganda, was also in attendance.

Archbishop Wabukala spoke of a "strategic moment for church and society.

"Faithful, persevering and gospel-centred Anglicanism has been foundational to the identity of Australia and I believe that the initiative we are taking today, the launch of this Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, will be seen by future generations as a strategic moment for church and society. I even pray that it will be remembered alongside the pioneering work of the Rev Richard Johnson, the Naval Chaplain who after a long and dangerous voyage from England conducted what is believed to be the first act of Christian worship on Australian soil on Sunday 3rd February 1788.

"So it is my prayer that FCA Australia will be powerfully used by God as an instrument of renewal and reform in the Anglican Church here. I long to see all orthodox Anglicans united in a common commitment to pioneering a new wave of evangelism which will have a deep and lasting impact on this nation. I also want to encourage you to look beyond Australia."

You can read the full report here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/nubypbh

*****

Anglican bishops, living down to expectations, hijack Holy Week to denounce global warming, this week, wrote Canadian blogger David.

"We, a group of Anglican Bishops from dioceses across our global Communion greet our sisters and brothers in Christ throughout the Anglican Communion on this most Holy Day, Good Friday. On this day, when our Saviour poured out his very life for the world, we share the following statement in a spirit of sacrificial and reconciling love.

"The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own, Father, forgive. The greed, which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth, Father, forgive.

"At this time of unprecedented climate crisis, we call all our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Communion to join us in prayer and in pastoral, priestly and prophetic action."

David: This bit is interesting.

"We believe that the problem is spiritual as well as economic, scientific and political, because the roadblock to effective action relates to basic existential issues of how human life is framed and valued: including the competing moral claims of present and future generations, human versus non-human interests, and how the lifestyle of wealthy countries is to be balanced against the basic needs of the developing world."

David wrote: "Setting non-human interests above or equal to human interests is typical of the green movement. Animal life, plant life, and the earth itself are valued above mankind. Since the villain is fossil fuels and since fossil fuels are largely responsible for most of the benefits of civilization enjoyed by those, including the bishops, in developed and developing countries, I am convinced that, at its root, this is a death-wish neurosis, a lemming-like suicide impulse, the ultimate sacrifice to a Gaia god. In other words, Western Anglicanism at its worst.

"Canada was represented at these neo-druid deliberation by Earth Mother Jane Alexander and Smudging Mark MacDonald."

*****

CANA East Missionary Bishop Julian Dobbs gave an upbeat assessment of his diocese at their recent Synod meeting in northern Virginia.

"CANA was missionary then and she is missionary now. As a Convocation we exist not only as a jurisdiction for the 120 congregations and 450 clergy and chaplains who serve as members of our Convocation, we exist as a missionary movement called by Almighty God to replant biblical missionary Anglican Christianity across North America. This is the mission to which we in CANA have all been called by Almighty God."

Dobbs described 2015 as a very significant year for the Convocation.

"On August 2nd, 2005 CANA was legally incorporated in the State of Texas. This year marks the tenth anniversary of our official incorporation as an Anglican missionary jurisdiction in North America. CANA began with a handful of faithful and courageous ex-patriot Nigerian congregations who were desirous of maintaining a direct relationship with the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) amidst the turbulent theological revisionism that was reshaping the Anglican Church in the United States and Canada. Very soon after our founding it became clear that CANA was considered a very desirable jurisdiction not only for ex-patriot Nigeria clergy and congregations but many North American clergy and congregations who upheld historic biblical Anglican Christianity."

Dobbs noted the response of the established hierarchy in New York and London was that "our actions were 'unhelpful' and violate historic Anglican polity. As recently as last month, when I was visiting the United Kingdom, I was asked if a jurisdiction of the Church of Nigeria within the boundaries of another Province in North America could be considered as Anglican?

"The answer is yes. CANA is now a vital diocese in the ACNA."

*****

Western New York Episcopal Bishop William Franklin made a bet that his UB team would beat West Virginia Episcopal Bishop Mike Klusmeyer's WVU team. The bet? A box of chicken wings.

Now that the Bulls are defeated, Franklin said he's going to be making good on his gift.

"I will send Bishop Mike a box of chicken wings because as we all know, there is no point to getting wings anywhere else in the world," Franklin said.

The Bulls loss was hard to swallow for many western New Yorkers; many said their NCAA brackets took a hit at the loss.

*****

The Anglican Communion delegation to a recent U.N. meeting has lifted up the full inclusion of women at all levels of decision-making and leadership in the church as an issue for action.

In a statement from the 59th Session of the UN Commission for the Status of Women (CSW59), the all-woman delegation urged Anglicans and Episcopalians to take bold, giant steps towards gender equality.

Gender-based violence, climate change, human trafficking and modern slavery, statelessness, and birth registration are highlighted in the statement signed by the 19 Anglican Communion delegates, each officially representing her province.

The statement calls on church leaders to lobby their governments for the implementation of policies improving women's access to healthcare, limiting carbon dioxide emissions, and promoting the use of "green" technologies.

The Anglican women delegates also agreed on the importance of grassroots action where local churches use their connections, create awareness and educate communities on such critical issues as ending child marriages, rape, and domestic violence. In addition, they encouraged local churches to use ministry opportunities such as baptism to raise awareness of the importance of registering the birth of children.

According to U.N. data, one in three women is a victim of gender-based violence. The statement highlights the importance of men and women working together. "Many women feel unable to speak out about their experiences, or feel unheard, because of legal and cultural constraints. We welcome men and boys who recognize the equal humanity of women and girls and encourage them to join us in eradicating gender-based violence."

The statement also invites provinces of the Anglican Communion to support the Global Freedom Network, a faith-based joint initiative of the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking by 2020.

"Gender equality applies to all human beings and should be a discussion for all women and men, girls and boys," concludes the statement.

The Anglican Communion comprised delegates from Australia; Hong Kong; Jordan; Malawi; Myanmar; Papua New Guinea; Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia; Brazil; Japan; Sri Lanka; Swaziland and South Africa; USA; Canada; Ghana and England.

*****

The Bishop of Christchurch, the Rt. Rev. Victoria Matthews, has resigned from the "Way Forward" study group created by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, to implement a resolution regularizing same-sex blessings. In a 20 March 2015 email to her diocesan clergy, Bishop Matthews wrote she had informed the chairmen of the commission, Bruce Gray QC and Archbishop Philip Richardson, "I am aware that this matter in the Diocese of Christchurch is causing a high level of angst on all sides. I decided I would be unable to minister effectively in this Diocese and also have membership on the Way Forward Working Group as time progressed. My resignation was a matter of maintaining my integrity and is in no way a judgment on the work that the Way Forward Working Group is attempting to achieve for the next General Synod."

Motion 30, adopted by the 2014 meeting of General Synod, asked the Way Forward group to formulate a way to change the church's doctrinal and ecclesial understanding of marriage to allow same-sex marriages -- while also protecting the conscience of clergy who believe same-sex marriage to be contrary to Scripture, natural law, and church teaching. The motion seeks to change the dynamic within the church by changing the default position to endorsement of gay marriage while tolerating dissent, from its current toleration of those who dissent to the traditional view of church marriage.

*****

TEC SCUTTLEBUTT. I've just learned, on excellent authority, that 815 is bitterly disappointed that there aren't more females being elected bishops in TEC. Accordingly, a motion will probably be offered at the Convention in June to have all TEC bishops appointed by 815! Make of this what you will.

*****

As America's religious landscape grows more diverse, we see Christianity's cultural dominance fading. While a vast majority of the country and our leaders still identify as Christian, many conservative Protestants sense a growing animosity toward themselves and their beliefs.

For the Christian Right, recent conflicts around homosexuality, church-state separation, abortion, and other hot-button issues are viewed as threats, indicators that their values are no longer embraced or even tolerated, but under attack.

When Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran was fired earlier this year over a self-published book that briefly critiqued homosexuality, conservative Christians saw the incident as further evidence that they are losing their religious freedom.

Anti-Christian hostility is certainly real, captured by the American National Election Studies, which included questions about animosity toward various social groups. About one third of respondents rated conservative Christians significantly lower (by at least one standard deviation) than other religious and racial groups.

That is why VOL, an orthodox Anglican Online News Service exists, to give voice to the tens of thousands of Anglicans worldwide whose voice would not otherwise be heard.

Please take a moment to make a tax deductible donation to VOL. In the next week we will be making our official VOL Easter Appeal. This is vital if we are to stay in business.

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In Christ,

David