Reputation and revelation. We need the humility of Mary. She accepted God's purpose, saying, 'May it be to me as you have said' . . . We also need Mary's courage. She was so completely willing for God to fulfill his purpose, that she was ready to risk the stigma of being an unmarried mother, of being thought an adulteress herself and of bearing an illegitimate child. She surrendered her reputation to God's will. I sometimes wonder if the major cause of much theological liberalism is that some scholars care more about their reputation than about God's revelation. Finding it hard to be ridiculed for being naive and credulous enough to believe in miracles, they are tempted to sacrifice God's revelation on the altar of their own respectability. I do not say that they always do so. But I feel it right to make the point because I have myself felt the strength of this temptation. ---- From "Christ the Controversialist" John R. W. Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
4/25/2008

It was another week of turmoil in the Anglican Communion. The Anglican Church of Canada is being torn by conflict over same sex blessings, a lesbian priest obtaining a parish, and yet another fleeing bishop. Eleven orthodox priests were charged with abandoning the doctrine and discipline of the Church of Canada. The priests later relinquished their licenses. An upcoming conference of global orthodox Anglicans threatens the liberal status quo.

The Rt. Rev. Tony Burton, Bishop of Saskatchewan announced that he is resigning as bishop of the diocese to take up an appointment as rector of the Church of the Incarnation, a traditionalist parish in the Diocese of Dallas. He will begin his new duties September 8, 2008.

The announcement that the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) is holding a major conference on the faith in, of all places, the Diocese of New Westminster right under the nose of the ultra-liberal Bishop Michael Ingham. This is like waving a red rag to a bull. The Anglican Archbishop of Canada, Fred Hiltz wrote a snarky letter to Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone telling him to mind his own business and not to attend the conference or ordain or perform eucharistically. The two men drew beads on each other with the Canadian primate posting a letter on the Internet telling Venables to stay out of the country. Venables responsed by criticizing Hiltz's manners and tersely telling him, "My number is there on the Anglican Communion network." Archbishop Venables said he had no intention of staying away. "I am going to meet with people who are no longer members of the Anglican Church in Canada. They left the Anglican Church in Canada. Therefore, my meeting with them is of no concern to the Anglican Church in Canada. I go to attend to friends."

We have not seen this kind of public animosity since Frank Griswold went ballistic over the consecrations of bishops to the foundling Anglican Mission in America and dashed across the Atlantic to confront then Archbishop George Carey demanding that he not acknowledge their legitimacy. Griswold was successful; Hiltz was not. You can read a full account of this here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/5dvuxy

One the eve of this conference, nine priests and two deacons, handed in their licenses to Bishop Michael Ingham. The ultra-liberal bishop said "while it is always sad when anyone leaves the Anglican Church of Canada, I appreciate that they have made their position clear."

The bishop was equally clear that while people may leave parishes in the diocese, they are not free to take the properties with them. The priests who relinquished their licenses are from four parishes, and include the following: The Rev. David Short, the Rev. Dan Gifford , and the Rev. James I. Packer (honorary assistant), formerly licensed to St. John's Shaughnessy, Vancouver; the Rev. Trevor Walters and the Rev. Mike Stewart, formerly of St. Matthew's Abbotsford; the Rev. Simon Chin, formerly of St Matthias and St. Luke, Vancouver; the Rev. Stephen Leung, formerly of Good Shepherd, Vancouver. Also resigning from the bishop's jurisdiction are the Rev. Archie Pell, once the priest at Christ Church, Hope; and the Rev. James Wagner, who once headed a diocesan mission in Abbotsford. Deacons relinquishing their licences are the Rev. Richard Roberts and the Rev. Donald Gardner.

By the time you receive this digest, I will be in Vancouver, British Columbia, to cover this milestone conference of orthodox Anglicans that will see two archbishops and numerous bishops of the Anglican Communion gathered together to proclaim the historic message of Christ risen. As they are reported, stories will be posted to VOL's website.

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On a brief sojourn to England recently, I was able to interview a leading Nigerian and Kenyan bishop and a bishop from the Diocese of Recife, Brazil. They reflect the heart and soul of African and Latin American thinking about the communion, its direction and their hopes and fears for its future. All these stories are in today's digest. Please take a moment to read them. You will not find these kinds of stories on any Blog, conservative or liberal.

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On the home front, the bishop of the DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, the Rt. Rev. John W. Howe has managed to find a way for a cardinal parish, Trinity Church, Vero Beach, to leave the diocese and TEC without litigation. Howe, an evangelical, has found a way forward in this Battle of the Buildings without leaving too much blood on the ground and without interference from national attorney, David Booth Beers.

The Rev. Lorne Coyle, parish rector will move out with a large portion of the congregation, the bishop informed VOL. When asked why Mrs. Katherine Jefferts Schori, US Presiding Bishop, doesn't see his actions as a model of reconciliation in property disputes, Howe replied, "Because she wants to win".

"No litigation, no transfer of real estate (with the exception of a school property in Ocala), no depositions, no rancor. I think Jesus is smiling," said Howe.

A VOL reader wrote to say that he attended the first Holy Eucharist, Rite II, of ST. TIMOTHY'S ANGLICAN CHURCH in the cafeteria of Tomball Jr. High School in Texas. The celebrants were Fr's Stan Gerber and Craig Heenan. This parish split when it was the Church of the Good Shepherd in Tomball. The parish had increased its membership under the spiritual leadership of Fr. Stan Gerber who took the congregation from 100 to 1,000. Before the church could have an actual parish vote, the parish voted with its feet. This made it clear enough that Bishop Don Wimberly told Fr. Gerber "there was no need for a vote." Their departure is the latest casualty in the ongoing crisis in the Episcopal Church over doctrine, homosexuality and biblical interpretation. On this their first Sunday as St. Timothy's 555 people were counted present. Said the observer; "Behind the altar was a seven foot Ionic Cross with facsimiles of Gothic Church windows on either side. The backdrop was a contribution from HopePointe Church, an AMIA congregation in nearby Woodlands, Texas. There were two homilies, focused upon Jesus. To the right, facing the sanctuary, a large screen displayed hymns. Fr. Gerber lifted his hand with a small space between two fingers, saying that that was how far St. Timothy's was from becoming a part of the Anglican Mission in the Americas. The Anglican Mission bishop had given a temporary "license" for the services. At the beginning of the service there was delegation of HopePointe Church present. As the service began, their pastor, Fr. Clark Lowenfield, offered words of congratulation and encouragement."

Mrs. Jefferts Schori continues to argue that only a miniscule number of churches (1%) are leaving The Episcopal Church. This belies the fact that this one single church of 555 members is the equivalent of 8 to 10 mid-size parishes, in terms of overall attendance, leaving at one time! She may continue to believe her own propaganda, but with the departure rate of Episcopalians rising to well over 1,000 a week - all dues paying members one should hastily add - there is little doubt that the national church's budget is being affected by the loss of income from these fleeing orthodox Episcopalians!

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Also from a VOL reader, "I was recently told of a conversation with one member of my former parish, who was recounting her discomfort over what has happened with TEC. She said she had considered other church options, including swimming the Tiber, but in the end felt too strongly the life-long pull of the comforting Anglican liturgy and has chosen to stay in the TEC church. She did say, however, if there was a viable local Anglican alternative, she would not hesitate to leave the TEC parish. I cannot help but wonder how many thousands of others like her are out there, waiting, hoping, for some way out of the mess TEC has created?" Indeed.

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COMMON CAUSE PARTNERS of North Texas had a very successful second meeting recently. A VOL reader wrote the following report: "We met for Evensong; had an address by Bishop Bill Atwood of Kenya followed by Q&A with Bishops Ray Sutton, (REC) Jack Iker, (Ft. Worth) Bill Atwood (Kenya) and AMiA representatives, ending with a reception in the parish hall. The event was hosted by Holy Communion Reformed Episcopal Church in Dallas. Bishop Sutton led the Evensong service using the 1928/1940 form. The joy and the dignity in the worship was palpable. The place was packed with laypeople and clergy from the TEC Diocese of Ft. Worth and Dallas, the REC, CANA, Southern Cone, Uganda and Kenya. Some notable visitors were there from Good Shepherd, Tomball. There were a handful of good solid clergy from the Diocese of Dallas. We hope to have another NTCCP meeting sometime in the Fall."

The source also said that there were a number of very notable absences including Bishop James Stanton of Dallas as well as the newly elected Bishop Suffragan Paul E. Lambert. Recently, Mrs. Jefferts -Schori came to the diocese to dedicate a garden at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Dallas, a well-known bastion of the homosexual Community. "Bishop Stanton has several self-avowed and non-celibate homosexual clergy in his diocese. Stanton is on record saying "nothing connects us to New York." In essence, he believes that if you pretend you don't see something, it isn't there. But the spiritual fact remains that if you are in a legal relationship to an entity, you are in a spiritual relationship and contract with it as well."

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Rumors that the DIOCESE OF EAU CLAIRE would not seek a new bishop and that boundaries would be redrawn with the dioceses' of Milwaukee and Fond du Lac to share the spoils are not true. An orthodox bishop wrote to VOL saying that he got a letter from the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Eau Claire stating that talk about Eau Claire being joined with Fond du Lac was just that, talk. "It is not currently being planned, and they are looking toward the election of a new bishop." He did say they ARE negotiating with the Bishop of Fond du Lac to do any ordinations and confirmations in Eau Claire during this interim.

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FACTOID. Of the 23 parishes in the Bronx, in the DIOCESE OF NEW YORK, only 3 have rectors. The rest have priests-in-charge, Bishop's Vicars or just plain Vicars. Two have interims, one is St. Simeon's which has been closed for over 15 years, but the Diocese doesn't have enough money to tear it down. These statistics mean that -- in the Bronx alone -- 20 parishes can no longer support themselves. Like a sponge, the bishop sucks up so much of the money that there's very little left to sustain priests!

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The DIOCESE OF OHIO has asked the Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County for assistance in its efforts to resolve the property issues stemming from the disassociation of members of five congregations from The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Ohio. After extensive negotiations with departing members, the diocese remains at an impasse. The diocese is seeking clarification from the court regarding the responsibility of ownership in these deliberations. However, it should be noted that there was a deal in the works before all this blew up, again. CANA leader, Bishop David Bena, wrote VOL to say that Bishop Mark Hollingsworth had been trying to work out a dignified negotiation with the parishes that voted to leave, but then the Presiding Bishop told him he could not negotiate with the parishes, and that litigation was the only option. Thereafter, he pursued litigation with them. "I think that is the strategy all over The Episcopal Church - 815 tells bishops not to negotiate with parishes that wish to leave, and if they leave, they are sued for the property. I have heard that the overall strategy is for 815 to push the diocese into suing the parishes, hoping to either win early or to run the parish out of money for legal fees."

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On the eve of his inhibition Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison pledged $150,000 out of his own pocket for the diocese would keep Camp Wapiti up and running. Because the diocese is so strapped for cash there are rumors circulating that the camp might be sold. For now, the Maryland-based camp is staying open but the $150,000 was never forthcoming from Bennison. Now the operating expenses are kicking in but there is no money to pay for the upkeep of the buildings and grounds. The Standing Committee is in a bind. A lay woman in the diocese was commissioned by "Concerned Pennsylvania Episcopalians", a group that opposes such fiscal irresponsibility to find a less expensive alternative for the kids summer program but she was not permitted to present her evidence at the recent Diocesan Council meeting. The reason? Diocesan Council still wants the camp to still happen even though there is no money to pay for it.

In other news the diocese declared a moratorium on clergy ordinations and those who might want to transfer into the diocese. Why anyone would want to come is beyond me. VOL has learned that the finances of the diocese are in chaos, nobody is really minding the store and there is still denial about the financial, moral and theological state of the diocese. Bishop Charles E. Bennison faces a civil trial for fraud next month followed by an ecclesiastical trial on or about the same time. This shameless sociopath won't go gently into that dark night, but then that is why we call them revisionist bishops.

One priest observed that even though Bennison has gone not much has changed, the diocese is still in free fall financially, and the diocesan leadership in charge will not face how dysfunctional the entire diocesan system actually is. Even though Bennison is gone, everything else remains the same. Said the priest, "the diocese is under the judgment of God.

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Bishop Robert Duncan, moderator of the ANGLICAN COMMUNION NETWORK, has released a short statement at the conclusion of the meeting of Network diocesan bishops in Chicago on April 24.

"The diocesan bishop of every Network diocese, as well as a dean representing all the Network convocations, met together in Chicago on April 24. It was an extraordinarily productive meeting. As has happened so many times before in the Network's five year history, deepened understanding and deeper unity, despite remarkably different contexts and strategies regarding the Episcopal Church, were the fruit of the meeting. The Network's vision of a biblical, missionary and united Anglicanism was again affirmed and embraced," stated Bishop Duncan.

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HISTORY is not all about the Church of England. The Cathedral Church of St. George of the Anglican Church of Nigeria in the Missionary Diocese of Zaria will celebrate 100 years as a diocese in the province. The church will put on a seminar on the theme "Who is St. George by Bishop George Bako?" A foundation stone will be laid at the B.B. Ayam Memorial Multipurpose Hall. The church will also host a Christian family night service with the theme "Stability of the Christian Home" as well as a thanksgiving service with the theme Christianity in Northern Nigeria. Special guest of honor, the Most Rev. Dr. Peter Jasper Akinola will launch a history book on the church in Nigeria.

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Anglican Women will publish a Prayer Book On Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Anglican women and girls are uniting to make their voices heard on issues of poverty and empowerment by contributing to a new book of women's prayers. They also want to express the power and depth of their faith and to reveal their connections across cultural and economic differences.

The book will have a new collection of prayers, with a multicultural global reach, and will be organized according to themes of the (MDGs). The prayers will also show the connections between the global concerns of women and girls and their personal lives. Rev. Margaret Rose, director of the Episcopal Church's Center for Mission Leadership and one of the new book's editors said, "With this new book, we will intentionally seek the voice of women and girls worldwide as they pray their experiences of global concerns."

"At a time when a small cabal of male leaders are insisting on dividing the Anglican Communion over issues of human sexuality, Anglican women are offering a way forward," said New Zealand theologian Dr. Jenny Te Paa, one of the editors.

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The Vatican has approved the beatification of CARDINAL JOHN HENRY NEWMAN, the English convert and theologian who has had immense influence upon English-speaking Catholicism, reports the Birmingham Mail. Newman was born in 1801. As an Anglican priest, he led the Oxford Movement that sought to return the Church of England to its Catholic roots. His conversion to Catholicism in 1845 rocked Victorian England. After becoming an Oratorian priest, he was involved in the establishment of the Birmingham Oratory. He died in 1890 and is buried at the oratory country house Rednall Hill. The Catholic Church has accepted as miraculous the cure of an American deacon's crippling spinal disorder. The deacon, Jack Sullivan of Marshfield, Massachusetts, prayed for John Henry Newman's intercession. At his beatification ceremony later this year, John Henry Newman will receive the title "Blessed." He will need one more recognized miracle to be canonized. The case of a 17-year-old New Hampshire boy who survived serious head injuries from a car crash is being investigated as a possible second miracle.

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If you would like to read the speeches and sermons of Pope Benedict XVI on his recent trip to the United States you can do so by clicking here: http://benedictinamerica.blogspot.com/2008/04/addresses-of-pope-benedict-xvi.html

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The Chancellor of the DIOCESE OF HARARE has issued a desperate cry saying the hearts of Zimbabweans scream for justice. The nation is in dire distress teetering on the brink of human disaster. He is calling on all Christians of every denomination, in every nation, to focus their prayers, in churches, halls, homes or elsewhere on Sunday 27th April 2008, as a Day of Prayer for the critical situation in Zimbabwe. "We call on all the churches and Christian organizations anxious to rescue Zimbabwe from violence, the concealing and juggli ng of election results, deceit, oppression and corruption and to bring about a haven of righteousness, peace, honesty, justice, democracy and freedom from fear and want."

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A new course in CONFLICT MANAGEMENT, which aims to train church leaders to resolve internal disputes without triggering schisms or rifts is being launched by the University of Cambridge. The University's Psychology and Religion Research Group (PRRG) is writing to senior leaders from six denominations, inviting them to take part in sessions on "conflict transformation". The course will aim to equip participants with the preparatory training they need to interact on issues of "deep disagreement" in a positive and constructive manner. Research has shown that without such training, dialogue reinforces and perpetuates the conflict. The training is designed to apply at all levels, whether the dispute is a question of Church-wide importance, a parish concern, or an inter-personal disagreement. To read the full story click here: http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/article/default.aspx?objid=41237

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I commend to you the humorous, thoughtful new movie 'Expelled' by Ben Stein. You can find out more about at http://www.expelledthemovie.com/. "Expelled" adroitly addresses the dogmaticism of Darwinian theory in the scientific world. Stein retains his characteristic deadpan affect, but this time he's playing himself - a deceptively erudite and well-educated interviewer, who is passionately skeptical of evolutionary biology and its leading proponents. The film's endeavor is to respond to one simple question: "Were we designed, or are we simply the end result of an ancient mud puddle struck by lightning?" To watch the Expelled trailer on UTube, just click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh35qLYM424 (short trailer) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGCxbhGaVfE (super trailer)

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THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY would like to see better bishops for a better church when they come to Lambeth in Canterbury in July. In a message to the Anglican Communion, the ABC set out his hopes for this year's Lambeth Conference in a video message addressed to Bishops and Dioceses across the worldwide communion. "What I would really most like to see in this year's Lambeth Conference is the sense that this is essentially a spiritual encounter. A time when people are encountering God as they encounter one another, a time when people will feel that their life of prayer and witness is being deepened and their resources are being stretched. Not a time when we are being besieged by problems that need to be solved and statements that need to be finalised, but a time when people feel that they are growing in their ministry.'

Ironically, no mention was made about the side show Bishop Gene Robinson will put on pronouncing himself the victim of the ABC's homophobia for not inviting him, nor was any mention made of uninviting those bishops who were not conforming to the Windsor Report or who had participated in the consecration of Gene. The blogsphere has been wild with speculation since the Bishop of Durham, Tom Wright, announced that the ABC would be sending out letters disinviting a number of American bishops including San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield. You can read the ABC's full speech in today's digest.

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MUST READS. In today's digest, the retired Bishop of South Carolina, the Rt. Rev. Dr. C. FitzSimons Allison has accused the Presiding Bishop of ignoring 4,000 years of biblical teaching to advance TEC's homosexual agenda. In this brilliantly written, powerful letter to the church, Allison says, "The attempt to substitute canons for faith as the principal of unity is an embittering, bankrupt and failing policy. These actions on top of the failure to respond adequately to the Windsor Report make it increasingly difficult for TEC's future reconciliation within the Anglican Communion. It shows the growing need for a recognized orthodox entity in North America."

The Rev. Dr. Robert J. Sanders writes that the Anglican Formularies are not enough to meet the crisis that now afflicts the Anglican Communion. "The nature of the problem that faces us is theological... a powerful false teaching that undermines the church. There is nothing new about this. The church has always been assaulted by heresy. When false doctrine became powerful, as it is at the present moment, the response of the church has been to counter heresy with orthodox truth. That truth was a double-edged sword, both sides equally important -- to affirm true doctrine and to deny the false doctrines of the heretics. This is the tradition, starting in the New Testament and continuing throughout the history of the church. The present crisis is as severe as the crisis that rocked the Christian world in the sixteenth century, leading to a reformed Anglicanism and the adoption of the Thirty-nine Articles. We can do no less. We must not only affirm classical Anglican teaching, but also, lest anyone be led astray, set forth and deny the corruptions of faith and morals that now afflict the Anglican Communion. I recommend that the orthodox gather in some forum such as GAFCON and expose the false teaching of the revisionists." Read it all in today's digest.

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CORRECTION: In my last VIEWPOINTS, I said the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt. Rev Michael Nazir Ali, made a high level, hush hush trip to the Vatican to plead the case of the Traditional Anglican Communion. Incorrect. The bishop was on an official visit to the Vatican a few weeks ago on behalf of Lambeth Palace and accompanied by a Lambeth Palace official to discuss inter-religious dialogue and nothing else.

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Spring and summer travel to various Anglican venues is keeping this writer busy. From England to Canada recently, the next trip will be to Amman, Jordan, then on to Jerusalem concluding with twenty days in Canterbury at the Lambeth Conference. All this comes at a price. VOL gives away the information free of charge and allows it to be distributed to the world on numerous websites and Blogs at no charge. It is the policy of VOL never to charge for the truth to be circulated to the four corners of the earth. VOL is read in more than 166 countries by over 180,000 persons who regularly come to the website or who receive this weekly digest. This more than doubles the number of readers.

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All Blessings,

David W. Virtue DD