Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
January 14, 2022

If you had any hesitation why the Anglican Church in North America and GAFCON was needed, then what took place this week should remove any doubt or uncertainty in your mind.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby met with half a dozen North American homosexual and lesbian bishops online and, according to the homosexual bishop of Missouri, Deon Johnson it was "a very Christ-centered
meeting."

Never mind what the apostle Paul said, that "fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;" NKJV Eph. 5:3). Paul be damned. We are far more "enlightened" in the 21st Century and such "clobber verses" are thimply unacceptable.

So, what exactly was said, none of the bishops would say, according to an ENS report, but there was no push back from Welby, that we do know. So how much more in your face can you be, when the Church of England has yet to ratify homosexual marriage but is clearly on the road to spiritual perdition.

Welby has always he said he is conflicted over the issue even though scripture is abundantly clear on the subject. Jesus was very clear, "male and female made He them," now why is that lost on Welby. One thing is for sure, you won't get an apology to orthodox Anglicans for his stand.

Now you know why ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach and Nigerian Archbishop Henry Ndukuba will have nothing to do with Welby and his morally bankrupt Lambeth Conference.

Any hope that Welby and South African Archbishop Thabo Makgoba might have in persuading everyone to come to the Lambeth table is gone for good. It's done. The only thing left is will Welby attend the pre-Lambeth opening Queer Eucharist. We shall see.

You can read it all here: https://virtueonline.org/episcopal-homosexual-bishops-meet-welby-online-ahead-lambeth-conference-no-push-back-abc

An insider familiar with Archbishop Justin Welby's evangelistic strategy told VOL this. While he is gospel driven who believes that if people are changed by Christ, then their behavior will follow. So rather than declaring homosexuality wrong, he hopes for changed lives first. But his denial about the depth of the problem and his willingness to bow down to the status quo, undermines his strategy. The problem with his strategy is that pansexualists have made it an idol of the age, demanding full acceptance on a par with heterosexuality. Anything less, and cries of hate and homophobia go up, thus making his mission strategy vulnerable.

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Now if you want further proof of the direction of the Church of England, the appointment of a married homosexual to become Archbishops' Appointment Secretary will be Welby's gatekeeper for future ecclesiastical appointments.

The man in question is Stephen Knott, who married Major General Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, Governor of Edinburgh Castle, in St John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh, with the Bishop of Edinburgh officiating.

Slubgob, a devil and the director of the tempters' training college in Lewis's famous Screwtape Letters, would be exultant at the choice.

On hearing the news, an Anglican sociologist and social critic wrote that it is yet another example of perversity competing with insanity to produce wickedness! Kyrie eleison!

Can you imagine a straight white male who said he abhorred homosexual behavior because it was unbiblical, getting an appointment today in the Church of England? In your dreams. And now you know why Melvin Tinker, Gavin Ashenden and Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali left the Church of England. They saw it coming. They were prescient. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/lambeth-deputy-become-archbishops-appointment-secretary-married-homosexual

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But the news is not all bad. There is Good News for Anglicans in 2022. Here are three trends. The ANGLICAN COMMUNION added two new provinces -- one in Mozambique and the other in Alexandria, Egypt. Both provinces are orthodox and may well challenge Archbishop Justin Welby's leadership as they are closer in spirit to the Global South and GAFCON than the Lambeth Conference. Both were formed to meet the growth of Christianity in Africa, even as Anglicanism continues to decline in the west.

GAFCON. Dioceses formed in New Zealand and Australia offer hope for faithful Anglicans down under. They will grow and thrive in the coming years and are growing against all the odds. There are slivers of hope for Ireland, Wales, Scotland and, in time, England even as their national churches decline. Other GAFCON initiatives include Caminemos Juntos (Let's Walk Together), an Anglican Latino network and church planting movement in South, Central, and North America, begun in 2010. The GAFCON Lawyers Network, led by Dr Robert Tong, has developed valuable skills and expertise in establishing legal structures to help faithful Anglicans remain within our global Anglican fellowship.

ACNA. The birth and steady growth of the ACNA over a decade of denominational decline and upheaval cannot be anything but an achievement. While recent numbers have levelled off, the ACNA has been a marvelous spiritual hospital for the spiritually wounded and a more permanent spiritual home for tens of thousands of former Episcopalians, clergy and bishops who have been marginalized by a woke denomination bent on destroying the last vestiges of orthodoxy. A new generation of North American Anglicans unshackled from TEC will be ACNA's future. You can read it all here: https://virtueonline.org/anglicanism-good-news-2022

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British theologian Theo Hobson believes the Church of England's future can be saved if it can recover its liberal Anglo-Catholicism.

He writes, "It is liberal in the sense that it affirms the liberal state and rejects a reactionary response to modern culture. It is Anglo-Catholic in the sense that it has confidence in ritual tradition and is wary of simplistic emotional piety and bossy legalism. It prefers mystery, difficulty, open-mindedness. This is, in my humble opinion, the best Christian tradition, and in fact the best tradition in all of human culture. So why does it have all the self-confidence of a pimply teenager?"

Hobson has no use for evangelicals who he says should be treated "with a bit less respect." He accuses evangelicals, who for decades have "unbalanced the Church by drawing relatively big (and affluent) crowds with a style that grates on most Anglican sensibilities. Its simplistic idea of mission has dominated all recent attempts at innovation, which have been heavily backed by the archbishops, leading to discontent in the parishes." John Stott would profoundly disagree with that assessment. You can read my take on Hobson's choice here: https://virtueonline.org/theo-hobsons-fictional-church-england-future

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ON THE HOME FRONT, the ACNA scored a coup of sorts recently when former Southern Baptist preacher Beth Moore joined the Anglican Church in North America. During a Twitter thread, Moore shared that through her whole life she believed that only her Southern Baptist denomination loved scripture, and therefore was stunned when she found another denomination that did likewise.

This amazing discovery brought her to the Anglican Church in North America, a group of Anglicans who had broken away from The Episcopal Church because of its growing list of heresies, finally resulting in its attempt to legitimize homosexual marriage by General Convention fiat.

She built a reputation over three decades as a Bible teacher and preacher...and a $15 million empire. You can read more of my take here: https://virtueonline.org/former-southern-baptist-preacher-beth-moore-joins-anglican-church-north-america

Less savory is the ongoing situation in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest. Hundreds of Anglicans have signed a petition asking ACNA for a 'survivor-centric' abuse investigation. The petition, published Thursday (Jan. 6) by the abuse prevention advocacy group #ACNAtoo, asks that ACNA hire an investigative firm that will "search for and publish all the truth, even if it shows the province in an unflattering light, following the best practices of a survivor-centric investigation."

Several individuals who reported being sexually abused by Mark Rivera, a former lay minister in ACNA's Upper Midwest Diocese, have said leaders in the diocese repeatedly mishandled their allegations [on mishandling see our four earlier posts]. On Aug. 28, ACNA announced an eight-member Provincial Response Team to oversee an investigation into the Upper Midwest Diocese's handling of the abuse allegations.

On Wednesday, the response team emailed some of the accusers, inviting them to vote between two possible investigative firms. The email said the eight members of the response team would also vote. However, 10 of the alleged survivors have signed or initialed the petition stating that they will not participate in the investigation process due to several concerns. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/hundreds-sign-petition-asking-acna-survivor-centric-abuse-investigation

Late Friday, the ACNA issued a statement that they had hired a firm to investigate the allegations of misconduct in the Upper Midwest. You can read it here: https://virtueonline.org/acna-firm-hired-investigate-allegations-misconduct-upper-midwest

***

On the better news front, South Carolina and ANiC (Canada) bishop elections were consented to by the ACNA College of Bishops this week.

Consent was given to the Venerable Dan Gifford and the Very Rev. Chip Edgar as bishops for the Anglican Network in Canada and the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, respectively.

***

A small Episcopal parish in Ft. Worth has become the focus of a nasty legal battle with the Episcopal Diocese of Ft. Worth led by Bishop Ryan Read over which congregation owns a $2m bequest.

Dr. Hendley McDonald, a former member of St. Mary's Episcopal Church of Hillsboro who passed away in 2017, had left $1.3 million to the congregation in his will. The amount was placed in an interest-bearing bank account and, as a result, has grown to $2 million.

However, two congregations, both of which worshipped at the church property and have fewer than 30 regular attendees, have staked claim to the McDonald bequest.

In May 2020, the Texas Supreme Court partially reversed an earlier ruling against the breakaway leadership, concluding that the diocese owned the property, not the national Episcopal Church. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/episcopal-church-anglican-diocese-spar-over-which-congregation-gets-2m-bequest

***

After leading the world's richest Episcopal church for two years as priest-in-charge, the Rev. Phillip A. Jackson has been called as the 19th rector of Trinity Church Wall Street in New York City.

"With its resources, Trinity has the unique opportunity -- and responsibility -- to respond to the needs of our times by feeding the hungry, working to end homelessness, and promoting racial justice, while supporting others who do the same," Jackson said in the announcement. The long press release made no mention of gospel proclamation in the church. Jackson, a Black man, succeeds William Lupfer, who said he had accomplished his primary goal, which was to change the business model of Trinity "from an owner-operator to an asset manager," and that the church was on strong financial footing. Zip about the gospel.

Lower Manhattan real estate has been sold over the years, but the church's most recent financial report shows $9 billion in net assets, of which $6 billion is real estate. That includes $2.3 billion in real estate held by joint ventures in which Trinity is the majority owner.

***

The Church of England's Living in Love and Faith (LLF) 'consultations' on marriage, sexuality and gender is causing consternation among evangelicals.

That question comes into sharp focus after an unnamed traditionalist parishioner in Hereford Diocese launched a devastating critique of the LFF process to the Bishop of Hereford, Richard Jackson. You can read it here: https://virtueonline.org/anonymous-letter-bishop-criticises-c-e-sexuality-discussion-process

Having engaged with the LFF materials and finding the experience 'discouraging', the parishioner told Bishop Jackson:

'Although cleverly disguised, I felt the whole tenor of the LLF process was to try and persuade those of "traditional" beliefs on morality to "listen" to LGBTI+ views and change their stance. This seemed to be the dominant message coming through rather than a truly impartial look at the topic.'

***

Meantime, Britain's PM, Boris Johnson got a basting over a booze party at No.10 Downing Street while CofE clergy lamented that they have not been able to attend funerals, be with their loved ones. Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, took a major swipe at Boris saying, "we were very tempted to break the rules for strong pastoral reason and didn't, and now are faced with this?"

The 'this' is the revelation that on 20th May 2020, Boris Johnson was partying in the garden of #10 Downing Street. He held a "bring your own booze" gathering for 100 or so staff because the weather was lovely. Meantime, ordinary citizens suffered. Wives couldn't hold their dying husbands and sons couldn't see their dying fathers. Mourning wives and sons could only get Zoom compassion from their priests and were allowed only half-a-dozen mourners on the conveyor-belt of cremations.

***

The Anglican Church of Canada could run out of members by 2040, new research reveals. The ACoC statistics and research officer Neil Elliot talks about the projection that Anglicanism could run out of members completely by 2040.
You can watch it here:
https://globalnews.ca/video/8485993/anglican-church-could-run-out-members-by-2040-researcher/amp/

The Episcopal Church is on the same trajectory. All the markers in terms of ASA, membership, baptisms, deaths and funerals would indicate that TEC is not far behind. PB Michael Curry has said he has no answers that will lead to church growth, but TEC will keep on pushing woke issues of climate change, gender issues and pansexuality nevertheless.

***

While eighty-one percent of American adults say they donated money to a charitable cause in 2021 -- a major rebound from a poll in 2020 that found a record-low 73 percent answering that way, that was not the case with religious organizations. Only 44 percent of Americans say they donated to a faith-based organization. It's the lowest percentage in the history of Gallup, which began asking the question in 2001. Back then, 62 percent of Americans said they donated to religious organizations. In 2005, it was 64 percent before falling to 56 percent in 2009 and 52 percent in 2017.

Some of the decline could be attributed to the pandemic and the lack of in-person services or church attendance. Gallup's Jeffrey Jones, though, noted that the decline also mirrors the decline in church membership.

***

Yet another denomination announced it was splitting this week. 43 congregations of the Reformed Church in America split from the national denomination, one of the oldest Protestant bodies in the United States, in part over theological differences regarding same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy.

The departure of the theologically conservative congregations to the new group, the Alliance of Reformed Churches, leaves some who remain in the RCA concerned for the denomination's survival. Before the split, the nearly 400-year-old denomination had fewer than 200,000 members and 1,000 churches. At least 125 churches from various denominations are in conversation with ARC leaders about joining.

Other conservative-leaning churches in the RCA, as well as those in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, Christian Reformed Church in North America and Presbyterian Church in America, are also discerning whether to join the ARC.

The launch of ARC is part of a larger realignment within North American Protestantism. The last two decades have seen conservative Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Lutherans form their own denominations over LGBTQ inclusion and sexuality, and the United Methodists are scheduled to consider a denominational split in the fall.

***

If you think the US is tough about the whole issue of vaccinations, then consider the Anglican Church in Rwanda has mandated unvaccinated Anglicans will not be allowed into churches.

In an effort to stop the spread of COVID19 in Rwanda, unvaccinated people have been stopped from being in public places, including churches. Only the fully vaccinated can attend church. This follows a directive by the government last week indicating that church services held at places of worship should not exceed 50 percent maximum occupancy after the country recorded six cases of Omicron COVID-19 variant.

***

CULTURE WAR STORIES OF INTEREST

'Gay conversion therapy does not work' - Really? Conventional wisdom claims this therapy is neither beneficent nor effective. Examples include 'corrective' rape; 'ice baths'; heterosexual pornography; being exorcised and offered simplistic solutions to complex psychosexual problems. Lisa Nolland takes this apart here: https://virtueonline.org/gay-conversion-therapy-does-not-work-really

The real harm of transgender ideology. It is important to say, definitively, that radical transgender ideology is destructive, harmful, and disconnected from reality. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/real-harm-transgender-ideology

No, Religious Freedom Doesn't Send People to Hell. Why Christians should support our government staying out of religious affairs by Russell Moore:
https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/january-web-only/john-macarthur-russell-moore-religious-freedom-hell.html?utm_source=CT+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=15333&utm_content=8100&utm_campaign=email

The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism by Aaron M. Renn, is an excellent read which can be found here:
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2022/02/the-three-worlds-of-evangelicalism

Leadership requires a range of modes. The secular world has moved away from autocratic styles. Bishops would do well to take note, says Eve Poole. You can read more here: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/14-january/comment/opinion/leadership-requires-a-range-of-modes

Every church region in the country signs up to become an Eco Diocese ahead of 2030 net zero carbon target. All 42 dioceses in the Church of England have signed up to become an "eco diocese" as part of their commitment to reach carbon net zero by 2030. https://www.churchofengland.org/media-and-news/press-releases/every-church-region-country-signs-become-eco-diocese-ahead-2030-net

How has 'end times' expectation shaped Christian history and theology? By Ian Paul. You can read it here: https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/how-has-end-times-expectation-shaped-christian-history-and-theology/?fbclid=IwAR2HCjdpSTju8R8U96NXJrWDDBQIweh3TmOq0H3_-RFj59lNSRSCnTcLpWk

The Failure of Evangelical Elites by Carl Trueman in First Things: https://www.firstthings.com/article/2021/11/the-failure-of-evangelical-elites

January 6: A Biblical perspective by Anglican theologian Dr. Stephen Noll takes a hard look at what happened and who is to blame. Be prepared for shock and awe.
https://virtueonline.org/january-6-biblical-perspective-dr-stephen-noll

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