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Anglican Bishop Defects to Rome * Global South Bishops Affirm Faith; Repudiate Homosexuality & Revisionism * Church of England Closures * Church of England Poll -- No change on Sexuality Issues * TEC Diocese of Albany to vote on Canon Amendment * More

Anglican Bishop Defects to Rome * Global South Bishops Affirm Faith; Repudiate Homosexuality & Revisionism * Church of England Closures * Church of England Poll -- No change on Sexuality Issues * TEC Diocese of Albany to vote on Canon Amendment to allow B012 * Episcopal Parish in Ft. Worth Declares Bankruptcy * FiFNA Blasts Kenya over Woman Bishop

Reformation Anglicans see that salvation is wholly of God from beginning to the end - a free gift of sovereign mercy for people who don't deserve it, who haven't done enough to earn it, and who would never have eternal life had God not supplied what is needed in the life and death of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. -- Chuck Collins

"The Catholic Church has had its share of problems, but the faith and values are those that I also hold and which I feel are being eroded in the Church of England." --- Michael Nazir Ali

A number of large, well-designed research studies have found that religious service attendance is associated with greater longevity, less depression, less suicide, less smoking, less substance abuse, better cancer and cardiovascular- disease survival, less divorce, greater social support, greater meaning in life, greater life satisfaction, more volunteering, and greater civic engagement. ---Christianity today

Self-love is the biblical understanding of sin. --- John R.W. Stott

The Pharisaic spirit still haunts every child of Adam today. It is easy to be critical of Christ's contemporaries and miss the repetition of their vainglory in ourselves. Yet deeply ingrained in our fallen nature is this thirst for the praise of men. It seems to be a devilish perversion of our basic psychological need to be wanted and to be loved. We hunger for applause, fish for compliments, thrive on flattery. It is the plaudits of men we want; we are not content with God's approval now or with his 'Well done, good and faithful servant' on the last day. Yet, as Calvin put it: 'What is more foolish, nay, what is more brutish, than to prefer the paltry approval of men to the judgment of God?' --- John R. W. Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
October 22, 2021

It has been a tumultuous two weeks in the life of the Anglican Communion.

The big news of course, was the defection of evangelical Church of England Bishop Michael Nazi-Ali to Rome via the Ordinariate. He was on the short list for Archbishop of Canterbury, hence the importance of this man and his story. I sent out a special digest this week covering that event. If you have not seen it, you can visit it here:
https://virtueonline.org/church-england-bishop-defects-rome-rocking-global-anglicanism

I am adding two more stories today. One by VOL correspondent Mary Ann Mueller catalogues the fallout of Dr. Nazir Ali's historic move and the feathers he ruffled, and how he has become fair game for internet trolls. You can read it here:
https://virtueonline.org/michael-nazir-alis-journey-roman-church-ruffles-feathers-both-shores

The other is a YouTube of Nigerian Primate Henry Ndukuba's response to Nazir Ali's conversion to Rome. He wishes him well, but he and his province remains committed to Anglicanism and to Scripture. You can see it here:
https://youtu.be/NaK5l_fRWb0

*****

This week I was privileged to be an observer and the only reporter to the 8th trumpet Global South Conference gathering of primates, archbishops, bishops and clergy, for a 4-day Zoom conference. It was a call to spiritual arms. Delegates affirmed the 'faith once for all delivered to the saints'; recognized the Windsor Report ecclesial deficit, and said orthodoxy, not geography now defined Anglicanism.

More than 90 delegates from 16 provinces sent a resounding message to the Anglican world -- they would not tolerate any departure from 'the faith once for all delivered to the saints.' They also told Archbishop Justin Welby that provinces were free to make up their own mind if they would attend the next Lambeth Conference.

In a Communique to the Anglican Communion, they said this:

"The Global South Fellowship will continue to be a 'voice' (Isa. 40:3) calling the Anglican Communion to be faithful to the authority of Scripture and the historic faith handed down to us by our Anglican heritage. In the power of the Spirit, we will remain steadfast against compromise and pressures from the surrounding culture. In God's grace, the Global South Fellowship will support and nurture Anglican provinces, dioceses and networks of churches that hold on to the orthodox teaching of holy Scripture across our worldwide Communion."

"At last, the possibility exists for a communion that is fully confessional and fully conciliar led by those who are determined to be a voice for biblical faithfulness within the larger Anglican Communion! For biblically faithful congregations and dioceses in heterodox Provinces, this is another beacon of hope," wrote Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/global-south-conference-2021-8th-trumpet-call-spiritual-arms

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CHURCH OF ENGLAND NEWS. THE Church of England's closing-down sale is proving a terrific success, and so it is to be extended indefinitely. They have even officially appointed someone to be in charge of it and given her a title: Wendy Matthews, Head of Pastoral and Closed Churches. You think I'm making this up, don't you? Well, I'm not -- unfortunately. Check for yourself in the Church Commissioners' own very weighty report Church of England Mission in Revision.

Peter Mullen of Conservative Woman, says the Commissioners manage the Church's investments, and they have indicated that as many as 368 church buildings might be closed in the next two to five years. This information comes from a diocesan survey which asked for estimates on the number of closures a diocese might bring forward. It found that 12 dioceses were considering up to five closures, nine were planning between six and 12 closures, and five expected up to 40 within five years.

According to the Commissioners: 'There are concerns that increasing financial and demographic pressures might make it likely that more closures will be necessary.'

Why? The Commissioners blame a decline in church attendance, a shortage of clergy and the impact of the pandemic.

There are 16,000 Anglican churches in the UK. Even before the coronavirus crisis, an average of 20-25 were being shut down every year. You can read more here:
https://virtueonline.org/biggest-church-demolition-job-henry-viii

A new Poll signaled little change on sexuality in Church of England. Results of the General Synod (national church parliament) election in the Church of England indicate that conservative evangelicals will have the numbers to block changes such as authorizing same-sex blessings or wedding ceremonies.

Using the labels "orthodox" and "revisionist" to describe the synod members position on same-sex blessings he comes up with these results.

House of Clergy

Orthodox -- 79 (40%)
Revisionist -- 83 (42%)
Unknown -- 34 (17%)

House of Laity

Orthodox -- 73 (37%)
Revisionist -- 69 (35%)
Unknown -- 55 (28%)

You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/poll-results-signal-little-change-sexuality-church-england

NOT SO FAST. Anglican Futures predicts that the Church of England will allow the "blessing" of same-sex marriages by February 2023 -- no matter whatever the final results of the General Synod elections.

The Living in Love and Faith resources were published in November 2020. At the moment parishes, deaneries and dioceses, throughout the Church of England, are being encouraged to engage with the resources and feedback their responses to the bishops, who themselves are about to begin a series of 'focused conversations' to help them discern a way forward.

After all this talking and listening we are promised "a clear sense of direction about a way forward by November 2022," That is only 13 months away.

If the experience of the Church in Wales teaches us nothing else, it is that we need to prepare for the possibility that the way forward is not one that faithful Anglicans will warm to. Of course, there could be a miracle. God may act in an extraordinary way - and we should certainly pray for such an outcome. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/living-love-and-faith-predicted-outcome-oct-2021

Some good news in the UK. The Assisted suicide Bill failed to go to vote. The Second Reading debate of Baroness Meacher's assisted suicide Bill has ended. Following mass opposition from over 60 Peers who spoke against the Bill in the debate, Baroness Meacher has not taken her assisted suicide Bill to a vote!

The assisted suicide lobby would likely have pushed for a vote at the Second Reading if they felt they had the numbers to win. However, it looks like they realized that they would be unlikely to have sufficient support to win a vote today.

The Bill is now unlikely to be given time in Parliament to be debated in the House of Commons and become law, given that it is not supported by the Government.

There were many speeches from Bishops against the bill: Welby, Sentamu, Harries, Durham, Carlisle, Chichester and from Christian Peers, Lords Patten, Dannat, Farmer, Curry, said a source.

"The main arguments they deployed were the balance of individual will and the common good, the vulnerability of people and the slippery slope."

*****

The Church of Pakistan bishops have condemned the rejection of a draft bill against forced conversions. "The Church of Pakistan condemns in the strongest terms the government's volte-face on the crucial legislation for protecting the girl child belonging to minority communities. "The draft bill, in no means, is an attempt to discourage people from changing their faith. The Church does not restrain its adult members from their willful conversion to the faith of their choice but the manner in which minor girls are being abducted, forcibly converted, and married to their abductors under the guise of religion is condemnable," the resolution stated.

It called on the Pakistani government to adhere to its international obligations and constitutional provisions regarding the rights of minorities and of the girl child and reconsider its decision of rejecting the draft bill. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/church-pakistan-bishops-condemn-rejection-draft-bill-against-forced-conversions

HOMOSEXUALITY IN AFRICA: The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in Ghana has endorsed the passage of a proposed law that would subject anyone who self-identifies as LGBTQ to a prison term of up to five years, according to reports in the Ghanaian news media.

"Advocating for LGBQ+ rights would also be illegal under the bill, with activists facing [between] five and 10 years of jail sentences," the reports said. The penalties for self-identification and advocacy are as strong or stronger than the five years prescribed for consensual same-sex physical acts.

The Ghana News Agency reported that a statement advocating for the bill was signed by the Most Rev. Dr. Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, metropolitan archbishop of the Internal Province of Ghana, which is part of the Anglican Province of West Africa.

The Anglican Church of Ghana, denounced homosexuality as a "perversion".
"We don't accept murderers, why should we accept somebody who is doing sex in a sinful way?" Archbishop Philip Naameh, president of the bishops' conference, told The Associated Press. "If you take a stance which is against producing more children, it is a choice which is injurious to the existence of the Ghanaian state."

"Homosexuality is not a human right and we reject it in all uncertain terms," he declared earlier this year.

*****

Has Covid done the church a favor? Is Covid the winnowing hand of God? Is Covid the great church emptier? Will we find that far from millions of men and women who called themselves evangelicals, the vast majority attend church only sporadically. They are J. D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy evangelicals -- evangelicals in name only -- a million miles from the kind of evangelicalism evinced by people like John R.W. Stott, J.I. Packer or C.S. Lewis.

Sadly, the most vacuous, empty-headed "Christians" in America today are evangelicals, say poll takers; they are mindless, thoughtless (but politically motivated) with many putting the Bible on a par with the constitution.

God will have none of it. Jesus, His Son, has no equal. He is the utterly and completely unique God-man, and He demands repentance. Unless we see that being proclaimed from the pulpits of America, the churches will continue to empty and close, with many seeing this as the winnowing hand of God.

For more read here: https://virtueonline.org/has-covid-done-church-favor
For more reflections on this follow this link:
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/study.attendance.hemorrhaging.at.small.and.midsize.us.congregations/137586.htm

*****

ON THE HOMEFRONT the news is mixed.

All Saints Episcopal-Fort Worth is trying to derail a court ruling through bankruptcy action. But the corporation and the congregation are not the same legal entity, writes Mary Ann Mueller. This past Wednesday, the parish filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection against its major creditor -- the ACNA Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. Refusing to accept the fact that they lost the property, they are now trying to keep the contents. This did not have to happen. This action, and all court litigation, was totally preventable. All Saints, and its rector Fr. Christopher Jambor have thumbed their noses at the latest court ruling aiming for a winner-take-all, scorched earth method using litigation. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/all-saints-episcopal-fort-worth-tries-derail-court-ruling-through-bankruptcy-action

In the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, the last remaining holdout in The Episcopal Church prohibiting homosexual marriage, will vote on whether to amend its canons to comply with the church's mandate to give LGBTQ+ people full access to the rites of marriage and ordination. The two resolutions that will be put to a vote at the Oct. 23 diocesan convention would repeal the diocese's canons that prohibit clergy from officiating same-sex weddings (and the use of diocesan property for such weddings) and restrict ordination to people who are in heterosexual marriages or celibate. Does anybody think this won't go through?

The Standing Committee still claims to be orthodox in morals, but you can be sure this is a done deal. Nobody can stop the LGBTQ steam roller. Bishop William Love was right to rid himself of this apostate diocese.

The Diocese of Springfield announced three finalists for bishop. George Conger from the evangelical diocese of Central Florida, who fancied he had a shot in an Anglo Catholic diocese was quickly disposed of. It is ironic, as one of the three candidates is the Rev. Scott Allen Seefeldt, a onetime campus staff of InterVarsity Christian, an evangelical campus ministry. He is now an Anglo-Catholic. If he wins, what will he do if called on to implement Resolution B012?

NEW TEC BISHOPS are seeing more women than men of late, but no queers, which must surely rattle cages at 815. The new bishop of South Carolina is a woman. Ruth Morse Woodliff-Stanley will lead 31 churches in the Eastern half of South Carolina as bishop. She will now butt heads with the new Anglican Bishop of South Carolina, the Very Rev. Chip Edgar, who was recently elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina to succeed Bishop Mark Lawrence. If the legal issues are not resolved over who owns what, it will be interesting to see how these two interact when the legal stuff heats up again. Other women bishops include Glenda Curry (XII Alabama); Diana Akiyama (XI Oregon); Paula Clark (XIII Chicago); Chicago has an assisting bishop (Chilton Knudsen) in the meantime; Betsey Monnot (X Iowa) and Elizabeth Gardner (XV Nevada).

*****

The Anglican Church of Canada keeps announcing more closures as it slowly fades into the sunset.

St. Paul's Anglican Church a 130-year-old church in Grassmere, Ontario, will be torn done in the Township of Lake of Bays. It will be deconsecrated by the Archdiocese of Algoma, the northern Ontario organizational body of the Anglican Church.

After 109 years in South Porcupine, St. Paul's Anglican Church is closing. The Very Reverend Valerie Isaac -- who is St. Paul's rector and dean of St. Matthew's Cathedral and the Diocese of Moosonee -- says COVID-19 has done a "big number" on finances. That makes it hard for the congregation of mostly elderly people to pay the expenses.

All Saints Church, London, Ontario, has been sold to Impact Church, a born-again evangelical Pentecostal church.

Trinity Anglican Church in the Diocese of Huron is on the chopping block. A buyer has made a conditional offer that may continue the historic building as a place of worship...or not.

The historic St. Thomas Church, closed and deconsecrated with its landmark purple steeple on Southwick St. at Wellington, in the diocese of Huron is listed for sale for $389,900.

Another Anglican church in St. Thomas, Ontario, has been turned into an Islamic Mosque as have two churches in nearby Chatham, Ontario. Previously, a Presbyterian Church and a Ukrainian Catholic Church both closed and went to the Muslims.

To demonstrate the homosexual madness that is in the ACoC, I wrote a satirical essay on a news announcement that the Rev. Jody Balint had the honour and privilege of blessing Port Colborne's new rainbow crosswalk, a symbol of diversity and inclusiveness for the area. The painting of the crosswalk was an initiative of the Downtown Port Colborne Business Improvement Association and was supported by several partners, including St. James and St. Brendan's Anglican Church. You can't make this stuff up.
https://virtueonline.org/canadian-anglican-bishop-blesses-gay-rainbow-crosswalk

*****

The Episcopal Church keeps trying to reinvent itself in the hopes it will survive as it heads slowly downhill. One man keeps trying and trying to save it. Ted Mollegen, a Connecticut layman keeps producing manifestos to reinvigorate a Church that has drunk the Kool-Aid. He produced a similar report in 2004, when TEC voted to double the Church by 2020, an exercise in futility, and he's trying to do it again. It's the classic definition of insanity - doing the same thing over and over, hoping for a different outcome. This time he has produced a 46-page manifesto (the last one was 66 pages) in the hope that there will be a different outcome. You can read my take here:
https://virtueonline.org/mollegens-mythical-midrash-attempts-church-growth

CANCEL CULTURE AND THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH. The minions of cancel culture have had a field day in The Episcopal Church. If in doubt, cancel it out. Former Albany Bishop Bill Love was canceled. He refused to accept resolution B012 demanding that homosexual marriage be accepted and received in his diocese. He refused. He was canceled, episcopal style. Of course, it's done with polite language, faux pain, and do come back when you are enlightened; but we all know that is not going to happen. There is no right of return, and why would Bishop Love possibly want to return? You can read more of my take here: https://virtueonline.org/cancel-culture-and-episcopal-church

Forward in Faith, the catholic voice of Anglicanism in North America blasted a decision by the Anglican Province of Kenya to consecrate a woman bishop. They wrote to Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit saying that his action directly harms Christ's Church by failing to uphold the "doctrine, sacraments and discipline of Christ."

"We, the bishops and members of Forward in Faith North America, write to express our profound sadness at the decision of the Anglican Church of Kenya to break two thousand years of episcopal principle and practice, the great tradition in Anglicanism since the English Reformation, as well as GAFCON protocol, and consecrate a female bishop.

"Your decision to act unilaterally in opposition to the expressed concerns and agreements of the GAFCON Primates Council is a break in the fraternal love and respect that has been a hallmark of GAFCON and witness to orthodox Anglicans worldwide."

"Sadly, the actions of your province directly harm Christ's Church by failing to uphold the "doctrine, sacraments and discipline of Christ, as the Lord has commanded and as this Church has received them." Specifically, this innovation directly harms the maintenance of the historic episcopate, challenges our missional and ecumenical relationships throughout the world, and opens the door for Satan to divide Christ's One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church." You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/forward-faith-blasts-kenyan-archbishop-over-consecration-woman-bishop

Anglicans For Life announced the launch of the Anglican Adoption Fund, formerly known as the Anglican Chaplains Adoption Fund. It was originally developed under and implemented by the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy (ACNA) in 2015. In August 2021, the jurisdictional authority of the fund was passed to AFL. The fund aims to assist Anglican families during the adoption process by reimbursing adoption expenses, such as home studies or placement fees. The goal of the fund encompasses more than just monetary benefits. The fund provides prayer support and partnership, as well as information and counsel concerning other adoption resources. AAF seeks to advocate for adoption and connect adoptive families and potential adoptive parents in different parishes and dioceses. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/anglicans-life-afl-announces-launch-anglican-adoption-fund-aaf

CULTURE WARS

Birth defect? BULLCORN!! Mary Ann Mueller explores the latest in the culture wars regarding children, young boys, who are dealing with so-called "gender dysphoria" and are being told that they have a "birth defect," which can be "corrected" or "removed" once they get older. https://virtueonline.org/birth-defect-bullcorn

Carl Trueman and the Evangelical Mind. A Christian thinker and author of books including the extraordinary The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, Trueman is proposing a third way for traditionalist Christians between the current American extremes of woke accommodationism and crass Trumpism. I might call that third way "faithful realism": we should be rigorously orthodox in our theological and cultural commitments, and while we should be civil in doing so, we should hardly expect the watching secular world to applaud us for those orthodox commitments. https://virtueonline.org/carl-trueman-and-evangelical-mind

Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey bewails his accusers over the Bishop Bell Affair. He also ripped Bishop Ball's miscarriage of justice charges. https://virtueonline.org/lord-carey-bewails-his-accusers-over-bishop-ball-affair

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