"There is evidence for the deity of Jesus -- good, strong, historical, cumulative evidence; evidence to which an honest person can subscribe without committing intellectual suicide." ― John Stott

Vocation is "where our greatest passion meets the world's greatest need." -- Frederick Buechner

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
September 6, 2024

Archbishop Justin Welby has been a huge disappointment to both the Church of England and the global Anglican communion. What started out as promising leadership for the Church of England and global Anglicanism has devolved into a state of permanent dysfunction and dystopian nightmare. It might well be said that Justin Welby stands for nothing and has fallen for everything.

The Archbishop of Canterbury's evangelical credentials, earned through his association with Holy Trinity Brompton and Alpha have completely disappeared in a flurry of woke issues which have decimated the Church of England bringing it to the brink of schism.

Six issues -- evangelicalism, LLF, (luridness and faggotry), Israel, Safeguarding, Reparations, and the Global South have haunted him, costing him and the church dearly, resulting in a near total breakdown of the institution, making it even more irrelevant than it has overwhelmingly become to the British public. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/justin-welby-has-gone-church-england-reservation-little-hope-return

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As further proof that Welby has lost the plot, the Chief Rabbi of South Africa Warren Goldstein blasted the Archbishop of Canterbury (and Pope Francis) over Middle East history and the current war in Gaza.

The Rabbi accused Welby of biblical ignorance and rejecting the Bible's clear teaching on the land of Israel. If Israel falls to Jihadi forces so will Europe. Europe's future hangs in the balance, said the rabbi.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis and the head of the Church of England, Justin Welby have abandoned their most sacred duty to protect and defend the values of the Bible, said Goldstein.

"The world is locked in a civilizational battle of values threatened by terrorism and violent Jihad. Now is the time for religious leaders to come to the defense of society; to speak up for western values and freedom. Instead, Pope Francis and Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby are silent, indifferent to the murder of Christians in Africa and to the threat of terrorism in Europe and outright hostile to Israel's attempt to battle Jihadi forces led by Iran."

The Rabbi said the latest example of Welby coming out in support of the recent ICJ ruling against Israel puts him in direct opposition to the Bible. The International Court of Justice declared Israel to be an illegal occupier of Palestinian land in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Archbishop Welby gave his full backing to the ruling. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/south-africa%E2%80%99s-chief-rabbi-blasts-pope-francis-and-archbishop-canterbury-over-middle-east-history

He has made so many blunders as the head of the Church of England one wonders how he sleeps at night. Certainly, one can understand why he is depressed, despite racking up 40,000 business-class air miles (thereby contributing to climate change) and telling other religious leaders how important net zero is and why homophobia is next to godlessness, and why reparations are a good thing for aging Anglicans who have enslaved nobody and nothing. Groveling before a few ancient sins makes a great photo op, but it bewilders the locals.

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In one of Welby's more egregious acts, he allowed the forcible exit of a godly priest and teacher, one Bernard Randall out of his position as the chaplain at Trent College. Randall was wrongfully blacklisted and barred from all ministry for preaching the Church's own doctrine about marriage in a CofE school chapel service. The Rev. Dr Bernard Randall shares about being 'in limbo' for nearly five years now. Justin Welby was rebuked over his actions in the case of the chaplain who was deemed a terror threat for questioning LGBT ideology. You can see his video story here:
https://christianconcern.com/resource/how-the-cofe-forced-bernard-out-of-ministry-watch/

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For an excellent summary of what evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics could do in the Church of England now that the institution has embraced homosexually active priests in the ministry, you can read this fine article from Anglican Futures: Schismatic, Unnecessary, Unwise and Unfaithful - or Free to Leave? https://virtueonline.org/schismatic-unnecessary-unwise-and-unfaithful-or-free-leave
This is the fifth in a series of personal responses to the Prayers of Love and Faith which seeks to address the issue of why the arguments against leaving the Church of England are not strong enough to bind the consciences of those seeking to leave.

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ON THE HOMEFRONT a Wall of Silence,' podcast about abuse in the ACNA, was silenced. Now, it's back. A spokesperson said no one from ACNA's national office had knowledge of Archbishop Beach or his staff asking for the podcast to stop.
In April, the Rev. Chris Marchand, an Anglican priest in Peoria, Illinois, launched "Wall of Silence," a podcast about church abuse and cover-up in the Anglican Church in North America. Two months later -- at his bishop's request -- the podcast was abruptly suspended. "Yes, the Wall of Silence is being silenced," Marchand wrote on Twitter.
The news came at a busy time for the denomination, which in June elected its next archbishop and voted on changes to its abuse protocols. For years, the young denomination has faced controversy for perceived shortcomings in its protocols on safeguarding for congregations and clergy and lay leader misconduct. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/wall-silence-podcast-about-abuse-acna-was-silenced-now-its-back
The Episcopal Church roils from one crisis to the next trying to dodge its own canons on sexual abuse. The latest is the Diocese of El Camino Real where Bishop Lucinda Ashby and the ECR Director of Communications Carole Bartolini rein. According to Anglican Watch their behavior is so bad they should tender their resignations. The truth matters: A letter received by Anglican Watch, redacted in order to afford privacy for the complainant and others, reveals that the diocese's claims, which attempt to throw shade at the complainant and gaslight church members, are, to be blunt, lies. You can read more here: https://www.anglicanwatch.com/the-truth-matters-letter-disproves-bishop-lucinda-ashbys-claims-about-registered-sex-offender/
And here: https://virtueonline.org/episcopal-bishop-accused-not-enforcing-safe-church-measures-against-pastor
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Just how far down the queer toilet will The Episcopal Church go? The Episcopal News Service reports that the Diocese of Spokane's Camp Cross in Coeur d'Alene, northern Idaho, is hosting its inaugural Queer Camp as an opportunity for LGBTQ+ youth and their families to connect and support each other in a safe and affirming environment.
"This is our committed way of showing what The Episcopal Church is, and camp is a place where people can show up and be seen and witnessed and affirmed," Alex Flannagan, the diocese's canon for camp, youth and family ministries, told Episcopal News Service. The Diocese of Spokane encompasses eastern Washington and northern Idaho.
At Queer Camp, the 20 campers will participate in typical summer camp activities, including games, crafts, campfires and water activities. Flannagan said, however, that worship will include liturgies specifically chosen for LGBTQ+ people and will include "careful use of pronouns." Additionally, campers will be able to swim in swimwear that best suits their gender identities without judgment. Pastoral care will also be available for the families, including parents as they privately share their feelings and experiences with supporting their LGBTQ+ children among each other.
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On a brighter note, IRD Anglican journalist Jeff Walton asked and answered, What are the Largest Anglican Seminaries? He noted that three Anglican seminaries prepare students for ministry in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA): Trinity Anglican Seminary (formerly Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry), Nashotah House, and Reformed Episcopal Seminary. The tables below show them ranked by Headcount (HC) and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment (FTE).
Largest Anglican (ACNA) Seminaries HC FTE
Trinity School for Ministry 143 and 90 respectfully.
Nashotah House 112 and 76 respectfully.
Reformed Episcopal Seminary 12 and 8 respectfully.
To read more click here: https://virtueonline.org/what-are-largest-anglican-seminaries
These are all hopeful signs for North American Anglicanism especially as Episcopal seminaries are nearly all in decline.
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Alarming trends about church attendance in America is not new, but the situation worsens by the week with fewer attendees and drying up coffers. A new report out from CBN News reveals that inflation in America is resulting in churches reporting a decrease in giving.
"From the grocery checkout line to the gas pump and now the church pew, Americans are closely watching what they spend and it's putting some churches in a bind.
"Churches are in some instances struggling," Robert Blair with Ministry Brands told CBN News. "They're not keeping up with inflation. Donations are down. In some instances, attendance is down."
Ministry Brands' latest study shows charitable giving in 2023 failed to keep up with inflation, with 55 percent of churches seeing a decrease in giving. This hit smallest churches the hardest, with only 36 percent reporting an increase. On top of that, cash and check donations dropped for 33 percent of all churches included in the study.
This begs the question about how to "do church" in the future. As Americans age, and the generation of Boomers are the biggest groups of donors to philanthropy, it makes the average donor age 75! They won't be around much longer. Nobody is taking their place. More and more churches will rely on part time priests and pastors and retirees to fill pews. But these are not energetic evangelists and disciplers. Holding down the fort till the last person dies or leaves town is not a recipe for survival or growth. https://www.christianpost.com/news/fewer-churchgoers-giving-more-to-cover-church-expenses-study.html
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JEWS AND CHRISTIANS FACE ANNIHILATION IF ISLAM WINS IN MIDDLE EAST WAR. Palestinian Muslims say they plan to kill all the Christians in the entire Holy Land after they finish the genocide of Jews in Israel. Even as I write the Middle East hangs by a thread at the possibility of an expanded war.

Are you surprised at this declaration? I'm not. The Christian population in the ME has gone from approximately 5% of the Middle Eastern population, down from 13% in the early 20th century.

The percentage of Christians in the Middle East has been declining in recent history. However, some say that the decline is not in Christianity itself, but rather in the number of Christians living in the region due to emigration. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/south-africa%E2%80%99s-chief-rabbi-blasts-pope-francis-and-archbishop-canterbury-over-middle-east-history

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Power Struggle at Barnabas Aid Leads to Charges and Counter Charges. It is with profound sadness that I wrote this story as I have known the leaders for more than half a century, and know them to be good and godly people.
A power struggle within one of Britain's biggest Christian charities supporting persecuted believers around the world, saw its founder and leadership summarily stood down and a new leadership put in place without the united consent of the trustees.
The founder of Barnabas Aid Patrick Sookhdeo was ousted, with new leaders seeking outside accountability for monies spent, with an alleged toxic work environment, and gates at the national headquarters in Pewsey locked.
The drama began when Barnabas Aid founder Patrick Sookhdeo, his wife Rosemary and two trustees, Caroline Kerslake and Dr. Prasad Phillips were suspended after complaints were made by whistleblowers. A power struggle for the organization began. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/power-struggle-barnabas-aid-leads-charges-and-counter-charges
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Increasingly I find myself angry at the growing scandals by allegedly evangelical and mega church pastors passing themselves off as God's gift to the world, when in fact they are little more then conmen for the Lord.
My anger overflowed this week and I wrote CONMEN FOR THE LORD which you can read here: https://virtueonline.org/conmen-lord
The church has always suffered from a few bad apples. The apostle Paul faced down conmen in his time, and throughout history the Church has had to face and expel men who claimed the name of Christ, but were Christians in name only.
History is replete with them. Phygelus and Hermogenes betrayed Paul and followed untrue doctrines. The Ebionites rejected Paul as an apostate from the law, using only a version of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, known as the Gospel of the Ebionites. Alexander the coppersmith did significant harm to Paul's ministry.
Today it is no different, except perhaps the shamelessness with which preachers operate and the tens of millions of dollars they con from their followers. It is not just bad doctrine that is being preached by the likes of Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons, or the heresies of a John Shelby Spong or Katharine Jefferts Schori; it is so called evangelical preachers masquerading as teachers of the word. https://virtueonline.org/conmen-lord
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Mariology and the New Testament: A Factual List. Mary the mother of Jesus is largely a silent figure for Protestants. You rarely, if ever hear her preached about except as a passing reminder that she is the mother of Jesus. Joseph, her husband, is even more elusive. By entrusting Mary to the "beloved disciple" (commonly understood to be John), at the foot of the cross, Jesus was showing love and concern for his mother, ensuring that she would be safe and cared for after his death. The Roman Catholic Church has always seen this as a defining moment in the role of Mary in the Church. But are they right to do so? This sterling piece by Dr. Robert Gagnon on Mary puts her in biblical perspective. Here is an excerpt:
3 The numbers of times that Mary is depicted in the NT as not grasping Jesus' mission after Jesus' infancy (Mark 3:21; Luke 2:48-50 [but note v. 51]; John 2:3-4 [but note v. 5])
2 The number of independent Jesus' sayings in the NT discouraging his followers from giving special significance to his mother qua mother (Mark 3:31-35, with parallels in Matthew and Luke; Luke 11:27-28)
2 The number of times in the NT that Jesus addresses Mary as "woman," as though she had no more significance to his identify as the Man from Heaven than any other woman (John 2:4; 19:26)
1 The number of times Jesus rebukes his mother directly in the NT (John 2:4; but indirectly twice more: Luke 2:49; Mark 3:33-34)
The Apostle Paul never talks about Mary, never names Mary in person, but he does mention her as mother on one occasion, that Jesus "was born of a woman."
To read more click here: https://virtueonline.org/mariology-and-new-testament-factual-list

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Well, what does it mean to be Protestant? Truth Points Toward Protestantism.
Review: 'What It Means to Be Protestant' by Gavin Ortlund is a good start.

He writes: "I read such Christian apologetics as C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity (which was intriguing), Tim Keller's The Reason for God (more powerful), and N. T. Wright's majestic The Resurrection of the Son of God (most powerful of all). Ultimately, my conversion moment came overnight--literally, as I was stuck in the Amsterdam airport, with a copy of the Gospels to keep me company, on my way home from an academic conference. That moment also didn't feel intellectual at all; it felt like an out-of-body experience--which, I suppose, it was.

Considering in retrospect how thoroughly Protestant my approach was, I was surprised to read in Gavin Ortlund's book What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church that "on the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox side (especially Catholic), there is a huge body of literature, social media presence, and apologetics ministries that are unmatched on the Protestant side" (xv). In this book, he sets out to balance out the field.

To read more click here: https://virtueonline.org/truth-points-toward-protestantism

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One of the saddest betrayals of the faith over homosexuality was revealed recently when a father and son team Christopher and Richard Hays thinks God has changed His mind about same-sex sex. Is He Right?

For decades, Christians seeking to uphold the Bible's "no" to same-sex sexual relationships have quoted Richard Hays's treatment of this topic in his Moral Vision of the New Testament. But Hays (emeritus professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School) has coauthored a new book, The Widening of God's Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story, arguing for "the full inclusion of LGBT+ people in Christian communities."

Readers might expect to find that Hays has changed his mind about the meaning of the verses that apparently prohibit same-sex sex. But he hasn't. Instead, he and his son, Christopher (an Old Testament professor at Fuller Theological Seminary), suggest God has changed his mind. If we read the Bible carefully, they argue, we'll find that "God repeatedly changes his mind in ways that expand the sphere of his love" (2). In light of this, the Hayses "conclude that many religious conservatives, however well-intentioned, are wrong about the most essential point of theology: the character of God" (2).

What's at stake is our understanding of who God is and how we can discern his will. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/richard-hays-thinks-god-changed-his-mind-about-same-sex-sex-he-right

Dr. Robert Gagnon, a world authority on homosexuality had this to say: "Sadly, Richard Hays has backslid into heresy, reneging on his decades-old published rejection of homosexual practice as immoral. He used to be the main go-to person on the issue until his work was eclipsed by my own more extensive work in 2001."

The two Hays argue that God, who is ever "changing his mind" to "broaden," "widen," and "expand" his "grace" and "mercy" in order to "include more and more people," "has already gone on ahead of our debates and expanded his grace" to embrace "full inclusion of LGBTQ people in Christian communities."

They contend that the arguments about the so-called "handful of specific passages" dealing with homosexual practice and transgenderism (it is really the entire matrix of biblical texts dealing with human sexuality) "have reached an impasse" and are "missing the forest for the trees."

This is a nonsense claim. There is no exegetical (or hermeneutical) impasse. The texts that speak directly to the issue of homosexual practice and transgenderism, understood in their ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman contexts and taking into consideration the flaws of "new knowledge" arguments, decisively demonstrate a strong biblical witness against these behaviors from ancient Israel through early Christianity.

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Terry Mattingly is one of the sanest writers on religion and culture in North America today. He has been at it for four decades. He is thoroughly orthodox in faith and morals and his writings draw readers from across the religious spectrum.

Mattingly is a journalist, author, and professor of note. He is currently syndicated by Universal, also called the Andrews McMeel Syndicate. Mattingly has written "On Religion", a nationally syndicated column, since the summer of 1988. Mattingly also ran a well-known religious journalism blog, GetReligion. He recently closed it down and started a Substack newsletter on faith and mass media that he calls Rational Sheep.

Raised a Southern Baptist who then spent a decade as an evangelical Anglican before swimming the Bosphorus. He "graduated" to becoming a convert and practicing Orthodox Christian as a member of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America.

He is also Senior Fellow on Communications and Culture at Saint Constantine College in Houston. I can't speak too highly of Terry's skills as a writer, his analysis of faith and culture. You might not agree with him on everything, but his insights are worth reading and I urge VOL readers to check out his new Substack.

His new Substack Rational Faith can be viewed here: https://tmattingly.substack.com/

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David