Consider what happened in the DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUT. Bishop Andrew D. Smith spelled it out in no uncertain terms. He took the gloves off at his diocesan convention and ripped into the "Ct. (orthodox) Six" as they have become known and he said this: "Let me be clear: I cannot and will not grant a status - alternative episcopal oversight -- that is not permitted by the canons of our Church. Again, let me be clear: I have never spoken of or offered "settlement" in any conversation, public or private." There you have it.

Then he went on to provide clarity on homosexuality and same-sex unions. He has authorized his priests to give blessings to same-sex unions during religious ceremonies. As a result this move threatens to further alienate his orthodox priests and TEC's bishops and give more credence for the Global South to act decisively against heretical bishops like Smith. We have transparency.

Canon David C. Anderson, president of the American Anglican Council, put it well when he said that Bishop Smith's decision "is proof of his disregard for the larger Anglican Communion and further evidences his militancy with the homosexual gay agenda." Said Anderson, "In the future of the Anglican community there might be no place for people like Bishop Smith."

Said the Rev. Christopher Leighton, rector of St. Paul's, Darien: "The reality of this situation places the perspective on the abuse of episcopal power against six small parishes. It really is about his desire to crush all opposition." Leighton called Smith a "perpetrator of false teaching." Smith's decision was "defiant of Scripture and worldwide Christianity," he said.

But then the liberal bishop of New York Mark S. Sisk weighed in on Smith's actions and criticized his fellow liberal to the north saying, "It is an illusion to believe that any one bishop, Standing Committee, or diocese actually has the power to authorize that which has not been authorized by the governing body from which they derive whatever authority they do exercise. Doubtless there are different pastoral responses to particular parochial situations, however, it is, in my judgment, a mistake, and ultimately not helpful, to confuse matters by suggesting that such blessings have an official sanction which they clearly do not possess." So here you have one liberal bishop wrist slapping another liberal bishop over same-sex blessings! Perhaps Sisk has gotten the message that unless the revisionist bishops are not careful they could get tossed out, or at a minimum ostracized from the Anglican Communion by the Global South Primates, and Rowan Williams might not save them this time.

A VOL reader noted that Smith's ordination record makes for interesting reading. He has apparently ordained 70% women, 30% men and of these combined only 5% are heterosexuals. This is reminiscent of the former Bishop of Washington Ronald Haines who, during his seven-year tenure never ordained one single heterosexual white male, but plenty of women, gays and lesbians. Whatever happened to inclusivity?

AN interesting sidebar to this convention was the appearance of the Rt. Rev. Ian Ernest Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean. Bishop Ernest had spent sabbatical time in the United States. He came at the invitation of Smith so he could spin it that some Global South primates are on the liberal side. "We spent an afternoon in conversation together in Hartford", said Smith. But a globe trotter for Anglican orthodoxy told VOL that Bishop Ian is rock solid. "He can be naive about how corrupt and dishonest American liberal bishops can be. He will talk with liberals but he will not surrender Gospel truth. Griswold tries to paint Ian as sympathetic to ECUSA but he (Ian) totally supported the communique."

REINFORCING the rigidity now emerging in the church, The Via Media, a national Episcopal organization of liberal priests and laity, claiming to represent the broad middle of the church, demonstrated this week that they were in fact little more than shills for the Lesbitransgay crowd, when they came out publicly and told bishops with jurisdiction not to give consent for the new bishop of South Carolina, Canon Mark Lawrence, because it "would represent a threat to the unity of our church and to the cohesion" of the diocese.

This is elevating hypocrisy to a new level in the Episcopal Church. It is totally outrageous.

This is the same crowd who publicly blasted orthodox folk for saying that the homogenital Gene Robinson should not have been elected bishop of New Hampshire because he poses "a threat to the unity of the church" (which is absolutely true), and we were told that because he went through the process and was fairly elected by his diocese no one should interfere with that "sacred process". But Lawrence somehow poses a threat and should be deep-sixed and dumped precisely because he IS orthodox and wants to uphold the faith that the Via Media long ago abandoned. The hypocrisy of this crowd cannot be stressed enough. It smells to high heaven. Furthermore South Carolina is almost 100 percent orthodox and Lawrence was elected on the first ballot!

Sources told VOL it is unlikely that Lawrence will be denied consent bearing in mind that the Very Rev. Bill Love, an orthodox priest in the DIOCESE OF ALBANY got hammered at GC2006 by liberals for his orthodox stand on sexuality and more, but still got the nod to be the next bishop and was duly given consent.

In the DIOCESE OF NEVADA, Presiding Bishop-elect Katharine Schori in her farewell speech to the diocese of Nevada before assuming the mantle of PB had this to say at the 36th annual convention, meeting in Fallon, Nevada: "The implanted word that says, 'go and love the people around you' has trumped parochialism and fear. And God is glorified in the midst of it all." That is not the 'implanted word' of Jesus or the gospel. It is at best a half truth. The words of the Great Commission are to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom, calling people to repentance and faith, making disciples, and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Mrs. Schori's social gospel is appallingly feather weight; it will not stand up in life's storms.

On the other side of the polarization divide, we learned this week that the DIOCESE OF DALLAS (a Network diocese looking for APO) held their convention and heeded a plea from their bishop James Stanton not to immediately leave the denomination over disagreements about what the Bible says concerning same-sex marriage and ordination of gay priests. But the two-day annual convention did approve a process that could create a split as soon as next year. Many of the delegates hope that a year's delay will allow the international Anglican Communion to create a new home for conservative American Episcopalians.

A surprise move came 10/25/2006 when VOL learned that the bishop had withdrawn his request for Alternative Primatial Oversight (APO) from the Archbishop of Canterbury. This reduces to seven the number of dioceses looking for ecclesiastical cover as they search for ways to sever ties with the Episcopal Church, USA.

The announcement first appeared on the Diocese of Pittsburgh website and stunned orthodox Episcopal observers. The message simply read, "since July, Dallas has withdrawn its request, but Quincy has joined the other appellants." You can read the full story here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4904

And from the DIOCESE OF THE RIO GRANDE, traditionalist bishop, the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Steenson told delegates to his annual convocation that he will not be attending the investiture of Presiding Bishop elect Katharine Jefferts Schori on Nov. 4 at Washington National Cathedral, citing what he called "sound Biblical reasons." Steenson said a significant portion of his diocese was deeply concerned about her apparent views on some crucial points of doctrine, especially about the uniqueness and universality of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

And in the DIOCESE OF FLORIDA, St. John's Cathedral in Jacksonville plans to host a "BAHA'I, BUDDHIST, CHRISTIAN, HINDU, JEWISH, MUSLIM, NATIVE AMERICAN INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING SERVICE with others on Tuesday, Nov. 14 to explore the many ways different faith traditions in our community...and give thanks."Gather with us in the spirit of Thanksgiving to honor spiritual traditions from across the world that are practiced right here in our community," cried Bishop John Howard: "Rejoice in being Different Together!"

Someone needs to remind Bishop Howard of the First Commandment, I think it has something to do with having "no other gods before me." And you wonder why some 16 plus orthodox parishes, mostly from Jacksonville, have fled the diocese and its pluriform truths bishop!

You can read all these stories and more in today's digest.

IN OTHER DIOCESAN NEWS, the bishop of the DIOCESE OF NORTH DAKOTA Michael Smith told delegates to their convention that he was wrong when he said just after the end of the 75th General Convention that the Episcopal Church had given the Primates "enough of the 'spirit,' if not the 'letter,' of what the Windsor Report requested to enable them to declare our compliance." He said he based his assessment on Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan William's letter to the primates of the Anglican Communion issued September 14. Williams wrote in part that "the resolutions of General Convention still represent what can only be called a mixed response." Smith said that he expects the 2009 General Convention will be asked to consent to a yet-to-be proposed Anglican Covenant and so he said that the diocese's 2008 convention will need to state its mind on such a document. Calling himself a "Windsor Bishop," Smith said: "As a bishop holding a 'moderate' position in the Episcopal Church I am trying to hold out for the middle course between the extremes of working to replace the Episcopal Church with a new Anglican province and 'walking apart' from the rest of the Anglican Communion as an independent denomination." Source: ENS.

In the DIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA, the nominating committee has extended the nominating period to look for a new bishop. The reason: they couldn't get enough names of people they could deal with and put forward as responsible candidates, said a retired bishop to VOL. Nobody with a brain wants the job apparently. Robert Moody has been a disaster there as bishop, promoting to the church's ranks its first transgendered deacon. Furthermore four parishes have left the diocese and where there were once 85 parishes that number has dropped considerably. Most parishes cannot support a full time rector and they are looking at serious financial problems. The diocese is living in denial, said the source. One parish, Holy Spirit, left the parish plant with a $1.2 million mortgage that the diocese is going to have to pay. The church is now down to 25 people.

In the DIOCESE OF BETHLEHEM, the bishop Paul Marshall painted a rosy picture of things happening in his diocese. The recently held diocesan convention celebrated growth, and looks forward to 'New Hope' a capital campaign whose aim is to help the Sudanese Diocese of Kajo-Keji. "Numbers are up and significant things are happening. Rural parishes and urban centers increasingly recognize that the choice is between slow extinction and intensive mission, and many are making the life-giving choice," he said. His diocese said they supported the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and supported the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The bishop told delegates that the diocese had donated nearly $800,000 over the last five years for tsunami and hurricane relief. However it flowed through ERD which means that most of it did nothing for parishes and dioceses on the ground in Louisiana and Mississippi.

A case in point is what Bishop Charles Jenkins Bishop of the DIOCESE OF LOUISIANA had to say in a letter he wrote to his people, titled A Lack of Confidence: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4872. Here is a portion of the letter: "A group of Church leaders from a parish in the northeastern part of the country traveled to New Orleans earlier in the year. After listening to us and looking around, they decided we were not viable and invested their generosity elsewhere." Jenkins did not state who the leaders were, but perhaps Bishop Marshall should send the checks directly to Bishop Jenkins and skip the middle man (ERD). It is sad and tragic when a church like the Episcopal Church which is so wealthy, spent $9 million on General Convention, promotes Millennium Development goals and does not want to bring those goals to a context in the United States where the neediest are trapped by natural disasters, poor government and a sense of hopelessness from the rest of the country. I have been to this diocese; I have seen the good work being done by this bishop and one of his parishes. The abandonment of this diocese is an outrage to high heaven.

In the DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES, a brief was filed by the Presbyterian Church (U.S. A.) in support of Bishop Jon J. Bruno's appeal re St. James, Newport Beach. The brief claims that the Episcopal Church is a hierarchical church and that therefore the diocese's determination as to who controls and manages the church is final and cannot be set aside by the civil courts. The Presbyterian Church is going through the same contortions over churches wanting to leave the denomination over the same issue of homosexuality. St. James is a defendant in the case.

In the DIOCESE OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN Delegates to the 111th convention of the Diocese of Northern Michigan affirmed a declaration made by the diocesan Standing Committee and Bishop James Kelsey opposing the General Convention's call for restraint to not consenting to the episcopal election of anyone "whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church." The "statement of conscience," signed August 12, said that Kelsey and the Standing Committee had decided that they "fully intend to keep in mind relationships with our sisters and brothers throughout the Anglican Communion as we deliberate requests for consent to the consecration of candidates to the episcopate as they are sent to us for consideration and we further acknowledge our canonical responsibility to avoid discrimination as we do so." Source ENS.

In the DIOCESE OF TENNESSEE Two nominees withdrew their names from the bishop slate to succeed Bishop Bertram Herlong. A VOL reader gave a first hand account of what took place at Sewanee. He said the three remaining candidates; The Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt from The Diocese of Louisiana, The Rev. James L. Burns from The Diocese of New York and The Rev. Carter N. Paden from The Diocese of East Tennessee were all acceptable but with one being somewhat better than the other two. When asked a question about the Windsor Report, all supported it unequivocally, though there was some difference in their understanding of it as a process. "In various ways, they all spoke of TEC's actions in 2003 by not consulting with the Instruments of Unity as was done before the ordination of women was regularized. They all said they would be Windsor Bishops. Bauerschmidt, mentioned the recent Camp Allen meeting as an excellent chance to sort out who was. All expressed loyalty to the Anglican Communion, with relatively little said about TEC, with one exception. Burns went on at some length and passion about being and remaining part of TEC. Only B033 was clearly the result of expedience. None of the candidate's answers touched on the rightness of GC2003 and GC2006 actions, only the way it was handled.

Another question asked was rather revealing. A couple asked whether as bishop they would give consent to a non-celibate homosexual bishop, ordain a non-celibate homosexual priest, or approve or allow SSU services. Bauerschmidt's answer was short. "No, no, and no." No hedging or equivocation. Paden's answer, while slightly longer, was equally forceful. Burns gave the same answers with considerably greater verbiage, but hedged with the remark on the last two parts that he could not imagine it every being an issue in this diocese. He then went on to say that he did not see it happening in his lifetime, but he hoped that a day would come when individuals who desired to live faithfully together would be able to do so in recognition.

VOL's correspondent said that while Paden had an excellent record, is personable, and has grown his parish in turbulent times, he was not the right person to lead at the diocesan level. "Burns is clearly the most polished, articulate of the three, though Bauerschmidt is a close second. In comparison with the first slate of candidates, he strikes me as having the personal theology of Charles combined with the institutional loyalty of Magness. In short, the progressives and timorous would love him, even if he is good to his word to function as a Windsor Bishop. Bauerschmidt comes across as a more focused, less "academic" version of Canon Michell, without the "taint" of any ACN connection. He is more likely to lead rather than merely manage." QED. The convention will be the fourth time that the diocese convened to elect a successor to Herlong.

And if you want to know how a typical liberal/revisionist diocese is doing in terms of numbers then consider the latest facts and figures from the DIOCESE OF OHIO. These were sent by a VOL reader. The Ohio 2005 report showed that "members" in 2000 totaled 25,835; by 2005 that figure had dropped to 20,634 - a 20% drop. Average Sunday Attendance in 2000 was 11,481; in 2005 it was 8,864, a drop of 23%. Orthodox dioceses like Pittsburgh and Dallas are actually growing because they have a gospel to proclaim despite the crisis in The Episcopal Church.

At SEWANEE, University of the South, an anonymous donor has issued a $1.25 million challenge for gifts that support faculty achievement and faculty salaries. The donor will match each gift 1:1 up to the challenge limit. A VOL reader reflecting on this said it looks like somebody feels sorry for the harm done to the 90% of Sewanee's faculty who didn't sign on with the gang of 18 to remove Christ from the University Purpose statement. Supposedly the gang of 18 has hurt fundraising, and so now the powers are calling in the big guns to make it all seem nice.

THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, spoke of his shock at the murder of the former Prime Bishop (Primate) of the Philippine Independent Church, a church in full communion with churches in the Anglican Communion. The Most Revd Alberto Ramento of Tarlac was found stabbed to death in his rectory on October 3. 'I learned with great shock and sadness of the murder of Bishop Alberto Ramento. His family and friends and the church that he served with great faithfulness and courage are very much in my thoughts and prayers.' Dr Williams sent his condolences.

In BEIJING, CHINA, Chinese Christians said they felt let down by the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent visit. London Times writer Jane Macartney writing from Beijing, said the ABC was criticized by Christians and human rights campaigners for failing to lobby China's leaders hard on religious freedoms.

Dr. Williams ended a two-week visit to China saying that he was encouraged about the future of Christianity in the world's largest Communist, and officially atheist, state and said the Anglican church will expand efforts to help China's state-sanctioned Protestant church train clergy as communist leaders look to religion to stabilize Chinese society amid wrenching change.

Two things. First of all there are now some 100 million mostly evangelical Christians in China today, who have little to do with the state-sanctioned Protestant church. There are only 70 million card-carrying communists in the country. Already Christianity has shot past the Communist Party. Is this yet another example of the ABC not quite getting it?

At the same time Dr. Williams was in China, Archbishop Peter Jasper Akinola, the Primate of All Nigeria, met Michael Fu Tieshan, chairman of the Catholic Patriotic Association of China, and Fu Tieshan, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress. He briefed the guests on China's religious policies and the development of different religions in the country. Fu spoke highly of the friendship between China and African countries and their current cooperation in promoting a new type of strategic partnership.

Akinola, praising China's religious development and domestic construction, said he is willing to strengthen mutual understanding between the religious circles of the two countries, and further develop the friendly relations. Source: Xinhua

IN OTHER NEWS: The DIOCESE OF NELSON in New Zealand has elected a new evangelical bishop replacing the Rt. Rev Derek Eaton who is heading back to the Middle East. The new Bishop of Nelson is Richard Ellena, the Archdeacon of Blenheim. Richard, 55, has been Bishop Derek Eaton's Vicar General, or deputy, since 2002 - and he has pledged to continue to "hold high the flag of evangelical orthodoxy" during his term as the Diocese of Nelson's 10th Bishop. "Nelson," he says, "is unique. It is, very strongly, an evangelical diocese. We believe in Biblical orthodoxy. I want to honor and affirm that. I also want to do that in a way that doesn't isolate us. I want to be in warm communion with the other Anglican Bishops of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia - while saying, at the same time: 'This is the truth that we hold to in this diocese.' Bishop Derek has done this with so much grace, and I hope I can do the same."

The Brazilian DIOCESE OF RECIFE installed an illegitimate bishop, the Rt. Rev. Sebastiao Armando Gameleira Soares on September 14, in the face of Bishop Robinson Cavilcanti the legitimate bishop. This installation apparently had the blessing of the ABC which raises questions about why the POR is not dealing with this case. It also raises questions about Archbishop Greg Venables (Southern Cone) who has taken this diocese under his ecclesiastical wing! Crossing diocesan lines is getting to be truly a muddy business.

The Church of Brazil is an ECUSA plant which accounts for its strong liberal bias, but Recife and its Bishop Cavilcanti is a strong evangelical. So no one should be surprised that who should show up at the investiture of Soares was New York Bishop Mark Sisk, a member of the Bilateral Committee for the IEAB, who also brought greetings from Frank Griswold.

The Diocese of Recife was founded 30 years ago as an outreach effort of the Diocese of Rio de Janeiro, and grew rapidly, gaining a reputation for having a number of megachurches with charismatic, evangelistic leadership. In 2003, after the election and consecration of the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire, Cavalcanti asked the House of Bishops in Brazil to express its opposition to the Episcopal Church's actions. The House of Bishops refused, and Cavalcanti pulled away from the IEAB. In June 2005, Cavalcanti was deposed on the grounds that he broke communion with the IEAB paving the way for the election of a new liberal bishop. However, Cavalcanti has retained 32 clergy and their congregations most of the church properties.

NUMBERS: Parishes leaving the TEC in Virginia, Long Island and Dallas are maintaining the weekly average of more than 1,000 fleeing Episcopalians. There is no sign of a let up. In fact all the evidence shows that this will only increase over time.

FACTOID: In The Decline of Eastern Christianity Under Islam (1997) Bat Ye'Or wrote that 13 percent of the Middle East was Christian a century ago. Today that figure may be as low as 2 percent.

THE BBC IS BIASED. A report in the Daily Mail says that its executives and star presenters admitted what critics have been telling them for years: the BBC is dominated by trendy, Left-leaning liberals who are biased against Christianity and in favor of multiculturalism.

A leaked account reveals that executives would let the Bible be thrown into a dustbin on a TV comedy show, but not the Koran, and that they would broadcast an interview with Osama Bin Laden if given the opportunity. At the secret meeting in London last month, which was hosted by veteran broadcaster Sue Lawley, BBC executives admitted the corporation is dominated by homosexuals and people from ethnic minorities, deliberately promotes multiculturalism, is anti-American, anti-countryside and more sensitive to the feelings of Muslims than Christians. One veteran BBC executive said: 'There was widespread acknowledgement that we may have gone too far in the direction of political correctness.

Among the stories in today's digest you will read a number of breaking stories from down under. The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Peter Jensen is making waves for orthodoxy in that part of the world. Watch for his expanding role in the Anglican Communion as the West comes unraveled over pansexuality.

THE FINAL WORD comes from the October issue of New Directions, the British magazine serving Evangelicals and Catholics seeking to renew the Church in the historic faith. "It looks as though the Catholic Church is destined for some time to come to be the punch-bag both of doctrinaire Western liberals and Muslim extremists. That is the price she must pay for keeping Christian humanism alive and well in a world which, for opposing reasons, appears to have rejected it."

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