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Bishops' talks fail...Quincy quits TEC...Plano punts...CNY diocese in free fall

Word, Worship and Sacrament. Form and power: "True religion combines form and power. It is not external form without power. Nor, on the other hand, does it emphasize moral power in such a way as to despise or dispense with proper external forms. It combines them. It fosters a worship which is essentially 'spiritual', arising from the heart, but which expresses itself through public, corporate services, and which also issues in moral behaviour. Otherwise, it is not only valueless; it is actually an abomination to the Lord." By John R.W. Stott--From "The Message of 2 Timothy"

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
9/18/2006

NEW YORK CITY: So what happened in New York City where a number of orthodox and heterodox bishops met to confer on the Episcopal Church's future? A bishop with inside knowledge said the meeting started out with hopes that some sort of deal could be cut to allow the APO bishops to leave the Episcopal Church. They were talking about APO, and Schori was open to it, and something was in the works by Tuesday evening. By Wednesday morning it all fell apart. The bishops were exhausted and several got testy with one another with some bitter exchanges taking place. PB Frank Griswold did most of the talking, taking the initiative away from PB-elect Katherine Schori. He was unusually candid, said the source. What Griswold wanted was for the Executive Council and House of Bishops to approve a deal, and that was the sticking point. At the end nothing was achieved. Another person told VOL, "At least great clarity was realized this week."

Overheard from a bishop's wife about the New York meeting was this comment, "the discussions were frank and honest. Griswold was frank and Duncan was honest."

What the Archbishop of Canterbury wanted to hear from GC2006 was sorry, instead he got Schori.

THE foremost international news this week is the meeting of the Global South Primates in Kigali, Rwanda. Some 20 Provinces will be represented starting today and going on to Friday. They will be expected to address current Communion concerns like the proposed Anglican Covenant and its adoption process, a response to GC2006, an agenda for Lambeth 2008 and so on.

However, top in the list of priority this time round is to follow-through with the concerns raised in last October's historic Red Sea Encounter in Egypt, including tackling poverty through economic empowerment, strengthening mission co-partnership and cooperating in Communion theological formation and education development. Apart from the Primates, other Province representatives will also be present to discuss and strategize for these areas.

A second meeting will be held at Camp Allen near Navasota, Texas hosted by Don Wimberly, the Bishop of Texas. He is bringing Windsor-Affirming bishops together Sept. 19-22 for what is called a "consultation that can produce a way forward that both prevents some in our Church from 'walking apart', and others from seeking irregular means of preserving their Anglican identity."

Appearing on this occasion will be two Church of England bishops the Rt. Rev. N.T. Wright, Bishop of Durham, and the Rt. Rev. Michael Scott-Joynt, Bishop of Winchester. They are coming with the blessing of the Archbishop of Canterbury, to discuss future relations with the See of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion.

VOL will post the news as it becomes available to its website: www.virtueonline.org

THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY came out with a letter to leaders of the world's Anglican churches last week saying there would be no quick response to plans by seven (now eight) dioceses of the US Episcopal Church to seek leadership outside that church because of their opposition to the appointment of gay clergy. We are not surprised at this news. PB Frank Griswold has said very pointedly that Dr. Williams could not interfere with the internal workings of the TEC and Williams is clearly obliging him. You can read what the archbishop says here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4714

But that did not stop David Phillips, president of the evangelical group Church Society taking a good swing at Williams. Here is what he said: "Surely the best way to serve these 'ordinary people' is to stop the uncertainty, to stop producing statements which never quite say what they mean, and to act decisively to drive out error." You can read his statement here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4719

ON THE DOMESTIC front there was considerable movement across The Episcopal Church.

QUINCY QUITS. As expected, the Bishop of Quincy, the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, his Standing Committee and diocese unanimously agreed to seek Alternative Provincial Oversight (APO) and to disassociate themselves from Province V at a special Synod called last week. Bishop Ackerman phoned VOL following the Synod with the news. He joins seven other dioceses who want out from under The Episcopal Church. You can read the full story here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4709

The DIOCESE OF ALBANY CONSECRATED a new orthodox bishop this past week. The Rev. Bill Love (he lives up to his name) is the new bishop there. He's a graduate of Nashotah House. Bishop Dan Herzog still has a year or more to go before Bishop Love takes over the reins. The new bishop will have his work cut out for him. A news report (in today's digest) suggests that many in the diocese will be watching to see what Love's legacy will be. Among them is the Rev. James Brooks-McDonald, rector of St. Stephen's in Schenectady. "He made it clear he knows there are divisions in the diocese," Brooks-McDonald said. "Even though I disagree with the conservative agenda, I am hopeful the diocese will turn a new page and there will be a much better feeling."

Well, Bishop Love told VOL at GC2006 that he will not tolerate the homosexual agenda in his diocese, so if you are a gay or lesbian priest looking for a job you won't get a parish there. However, Love believes that he can work with the liberal Via Media crowd. He argues that all they want is to be listened too. We at VOL hope and pray that he can hold it together. This diocese has a wonderful group of praying sisters in this diocese. The diocese is in the Network and we shall see if Love seeks APO. We shall know more in time. You can read the full story here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4717

SAN DIEGO. If you want the latest word on fleeing parishes in this diocese you can click here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4720. To date some six parishes have left The Episcopal Church but more are expected to follow. VOL was told more than a year ago (and told its readers) that Bishop Mathes would feel some pain, and he is. He is fighting back with such "weighty" articles, accusing those who leave of being "chicken littles". The tragedy of this diocese is that its former bishop, Gethan B. Hughes was a moderately conservative bishop but because he wouldn't take a public stand against the revisionists coming into his diocese and because he never believed the TEC would reach the crisis it has, he paved the way for a revisionist like Mathes and now the orthodox parishes are at war with Mathes. Most of the orthodox priests and parishioners are walking away from their properties because the cost of a fight isn't worth it. At the end of the day Mathes will have a ton of empty properties to sell just like Pennsylvania Bishop Charles Bennison and Central New York Bishop "Skip" Adams. Mathes cannot revive them without a clear understanding of the gospel.

PLANO PUNTS. Christ Church, Plano, the most widely attended parish in The Episcopal Church has agreed to pay the Diocese of Dallas and its Bishop James Stanton a lump sum of $1.2 million as part of an arrangement governing its departure from the diocese. Bishop Stanton issued a statement saying he had taken formal action to let the church leave the denomination and retain its property. They will come under a bishop in Peru. You can read the full story in today's digest. Question. Why are orthodox bishops like Stanton so gracious in allowing departing parishes to go in peace to love and serve the Lord, while revisionist bishops like Bennison, Mathes et al behave like total bastards?

In the DIOCESE OF CENTRAL NEW YORK there is more mayhem going on. Two key diocesan leaders have resign from the board of the diocese and there is further news that some 60 of 95 parishes are either behind in paying their assessments to the diocese, or are completely withholding assessment payments because of wider theological and moral issues facing the national church. The Rt. Rev. Gladstone "Skip" Adams the bishop announced the resignations of two financial leaders from the Diocesan Board at its August 1, 2006 meeting. Bishop Adams also faces a $1.2 million lawsuit from Fr. David Bollinger the former rector of St. Paul's Church in Owego, for intentional infliction of emotional distress and loss of services. This will further deplete the diocese's meager financial resources. You can read the full story here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4703

In the DIOCESE OF ROCHESTER this past week, Bishop Jack McKelvey won a summary judgment to force the parish of All Saints in Irondequoit to vacate the premises after 9/17. Sunday was the last day of worship for them, and the bishop will now install his own vestry to be leaders of a parish which now has no communicants because of him. "He is vicious in his attitude toward anyone who objected to the election of [gay bishop] Gene Robinson and takes delight in destroying those of the orthodox faith," wrote one irate parishioner to VOL. There is a tentative plan to accommodate the current parishioners at Good Shepherd in Webster, NY.

In the DIOCESE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, they elected The Very Rev. Mark J. Lawrence to be the next bishop in that diocese to succeed Bishop Ed Salmon whose rein was marked by his failure to adequately resolve the issue of All Saints in Pawleys Island. Hopefully Lawrence will do a better job. Lawrence, 56, was elected out of a field of three nominees on the first ballot. He is presently the rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Parish, in Bakersfield, California, in the Anglo-Catholic Diocese of San Joaquin. There are 47 parishes in the diocese and 46 were present. There are 26 missions; 20 were present. This is a Network parish and one that is seeking APO.

THE POPE'S statement about Islam has provoked a storm of international Islamic protest. But the Archbishop of Canterbury has come to his defense. In a statement from Lambeth Palace today, the Archbishop of Canterbury defended the Pope as he continues to face anger from some Islamic groups over comments he made on Islam in a speech last Tuesday. Dr Rowan Williams welcomed Pope Benedict XVI's apology for the offence his comments had caused, but added that his comments should be taken in context. There is no word from PB Frank Griswold.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND continues to roll towards extinction. The latest figures reveal a church in free fall.

In the mid 1960s there were just over 15,400 ordained full-time clergy in the Church of England. By 2002 this figure had fallen to 8,764. However, this does not take into account the ordination of women, figures for which were first recorded in 1995. The number of ordained full-time men in 2005 had fallen by over half to 7,298, a 53% decline. The decline since 1991 has been nearly 1/3rd amongst the men.

In 1992 the Church of England took the decision to ordain women as presbyters (priests) and the first such were ordained in 1994. The number of women in ministry has subsequently grown to the point where just under 1 in every 6 stipendiary clergy are women. The number of men has continued to decline, and although the influx of women initially led to a slight increase in the total this only lasted one year since which the total has also declined year on year by just over 1% - or around 100 clergy places. In practical terms this means that in every Diocese between 2 and 3 clergy posts are lost each year.

OBSERVATION noted. In the ROWAN WILLIAMS INTERVIEW by Simon Mayo of BBC Radio 5 Live, an important part of the transcript was left out. A reader noted it and sent it to VOL. Quote civil partnerships: and Christian Marriage:

Rowan: My message, I think, would be: 'They have a right to be listened to, to be respected as human beings, as in any culture.' Simon: Do you think they're going to get that respect? Do you think they are going to get that right? Rowan: We'll have to wait and see. Simon: But they should have it, in your opinion? Rowan: Yes.

The original interview can be accessed here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=3414

VOL received word this past week that the Rev. John Stott, the Anglican Communion's most prominent Evangelical preacher and teacher took a serious fall in London and has had to cancel portions of his preaching schedule in the U.S.

Here is the news from John Stott Ministries: Three weeks ago, John Stott suffered a nasty fall at his flat in London and broke his leg. He had hip replacement surgery the next day and was later admitted into a Christian convalescence center south of London last week. He is doing well, but will likely require another couple weeks there before being able to return to London. Unfortunately, JSM staff had to cancel many of the planned John Stott events in Arizona, Texas, and Georgia for the end of September and early October. Supporters and those churches he planned to visit need to go to www.johnstott.org for weekly updates and scheduled event updates. In lieu of sending cards, we would ask that you simply plan to pray for him each day throughout the next month. Thanks for both your understanding and for your prayers!

The CHARISMATIC EPISCOPAL CHURCH is imploding. This story has been unfolding for some weeks and VOL will report on it at length in a later digest, but the immediate news is that its leader, Archbishop Randy Sly of the Diocese of the Eastern Province of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church has resigned his post and announced to his cathedral that is converting to the Roman Catholic Church. A number of families in the parish are reportedly joining Bishop Sly in this move.

AMIA BISHOP JOHN RODGERS son Paul Rodgers was installed as rector at St. Peter's Church in South Dartmouth, MA recently. The parish has been alive since they began the Alpha program a few years ago. No word on whether revisionist Massachusetts Bishop Tom Shaw allowed Bishop Rodgers to participate in the affair.

A very troubling situation has arisen at ALL SAINTS' PASADENA, California where that parish has been summoned by the IRS to turn over all its records on the '04 Political Races . Antiwar remarks at All Saints in Pasadena were made two days before the 2004 election. The Rev. Ed Bacon responded; "We would argue that this entire case has been an intrusion, in fact an attack upon this Church's first amendment rights to the exercise of freedom of religion and freedom of speech."

VOL takes the position that while this parish is as morally bankrupt as the politicians he condemns, the fact remains he has the right to speak out about policies that he views as unbiblical or not conforming to what he thinks a Christian should follow. "We stand in the prophetic tradition where movingly beautiful worship is valuable only to the degree that it heals the human heart and then empowers the people to daring action on behalf of the oppressed," writes Bacon. Prophetic or not, a church should be allowed to pronounce on political issues but may not endorse a political party or candidate. There is no evidence that it did. We view the actions of the IRS with concern and alarm. The issue of free speech is one that VOL holds sacred as a purveyor of news itself.

I have posted a number of very fine articles by trusted writers in today's digest. I strongly urge you to read a DIVIDED CHURCH - by C. FitzSimons Allison; Where Do You Stand? A theological and biblical rationale for leaving the TEC by the Rev. Dr. Robert Sanders; Continuers, Covenant and Co-operation - by Peter Toon & Auburn Traycik and TEC: "I Do Not See How We Can Be A Part Of This Anymore" by Dr. Paul Zahl.

For a contra position on the recent petition by Bishop John Rodgers and John Rucyahana from Rwanda, on what The Anglican Communion must do or face being divided, a number of theologians from the Anglican Communion Institute have responded to SPREAD's Petition. You can read that here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4708

OVERHEARD from a bishop's wife; Griswold has always wanted the Episcopal Church to go to a "deeper place." PB-elect Schori is the first person professionally who can now fulfill that.

And if you want to hear the latest crazy tactic by the Episcopal Church to boost attendance, listen to this ipod broadcast: http://www.bradbrad.com/mt.mp3

MANY OF YOU will have received a letter from Bishop C. FitzSimons Allison (SC ret.) this week, extolling the place of VOL in the life of the church and in bringing you the news you won't read from official Episcopal sources. I hope you will take a moment to read it and make a tax deductible contribution to VOL. If you have not received it please drop me a line: david@virtueonline.org and I will send it to you. Coming as it does from one of the finest minds of his generation in The Episcopal Church, I can only add that I am deeply honored that such a monumental theological and historical figure has added his weight to this vital ministry. Please be generous.

You can send a tax deductible donation to:

VIRTUEONLINE
1236 Waterford Rd.,
West Chester, PA 19380

Or you can make a donation through PAYPAL at www.virtueonline.org

Thank you for your support.

All blessings,

David W. Virtue DD

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