Even as The Episcopal Church comes unglued with tens of thousands of fleeing Episcopalians, hundreds of parish priests either fighting for or leaving their properties and eight orthodox dioceses seeking spiritual shelter away from the church, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold opines that "we need to get down to basics and be one body across the globe". Quoth Griswold, "I find it fascinating and energizing."

It is hard to account for such spiritual blindness, except that if he and Mrs. Schori were both blind heading towards a cliff it would be a 'fascinating and energizing' moment as they stepped into outer space to see who would be shouting, "we need to get down to basics" as they plunged to their deaths.

The Episcopal Church is on a death watch. In one liberal diocese after another, revisionist bishops are fighting orthodox clergy, expending hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawsuits, and, in winning the property, they are forced to find supply clergy to minister to the dregs of congregations as the vast bulk of orthodox believers flee for their spiritual lives.

It is happening on a massive scale in the DIOCESE OF FLORIDA. Today's story, 'Diocese in Free Fall' by this writer reveals, for the first time, the depth of the losses Bishop Samuel Johnson Howard is experiencing. The losses are so severe that fully 25 percent of his income, some $500,000, is gone forever, and the orthodox departures so great, that they have enough new parishes to start their own diocese. And the deeper truth is that Howard will never recover from these losses, despite owning the buildings. He can sell them and use the money to litigate, but in time, that too will all run out and he, like his revisionist 'pals in purple', will be shown to be ecclesiastical emperors with no clothes, no theology...empty vessels, hollow men sounding the death knell of their own church. Lord have mercy. You can read that story in today's digest or here now: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4786

It is happening too in the DIOCESE OF PENNSYLVANIA where Bishop Charles E. Bennison claims he has a war chest of $250,000. Does he? How much of this will have to go to defending him in Moyer v Bennison and the lawsuit by the insurance company for the diocese. Bennison says he wants to go after the property at Good Shepherd, Rosemont and All Saints', Wynnewood. $250,000 will not begin to cover the costs of that litigation. There is no chancellor. Bennison proposed his lawyer, Mary Kohart in Moyer v Bennison and the Standing Committee refused to consent. The Standing Committee has asked for money to hire its own lawyer. What will happen to Bennison when he has to face a jury in Moyer v Bennison?

Observing the politics in this diocese is a bit like watching a heroin addict looking for the next fix. The latest word is that the diocesan Standing Committee, most of whom have vertebrate resembling jelly fish, have said that they reject the bishop's latest choice of chancellor Mary Kohart. Their reasoning; a possible conflict of interest.

"The standing committee's position is that having the chancellor of the diocese in the same law firm as the one that represents the diocese in court proceedings may be perceived as a conflict of interest even if it is not such," the committee said in a brief statement posted on a website it maintains." In addition, Ms. Kohart is involved in pending legal cases involving the diocese."

In an act of total spinelessness, the standing committee took no action with respect to a proposal to initiate additional legal action against two parishes which during the past four years have continued to hold services using priests who have not been licensed by Bishop Bennison.

There you have it; no theology, no ecclesiology, no doctrinal testosterone and fewer brains. Who needs a doctrine of the atonement, 'ol boy, but by God make sure the medical/health payments have been paid up or we'll never have the latest drugs for early ecclesiastical Alzheimer's when we come to retire.

The current chancellor, Frank Helminski, recently announced his resignation effective October 1, citing time conflicts between the position and his fulltime employment. The Standing Committee has hired the former chancellor of the Diocese of Newark, Michael Rehill, to help in its on-going dispute with Bennison. He knows how to fight. The fireworks will be something to behold when the display lights up.

In the DIOCESE OF LONG ISLAND things go from worse to absolutely worse (if that's possible). The bishop there, one Orris Walker, (whom the New York Times once asked if he had AIDS or not and never got a straight answer) fired the godly Archdeacon of Brooklyn, Peter Golden and put in his man, the Rev. Howard Williams, a sodomite, who was named in the 'Boys from Brazil" Penthouse scandal a decade ago.

A man who knows the situation with Williams, wrote VOL to say that the Jamaican man that Howard Williams now lives with is Mark Anthony. "He got married at the St. John's Anglican Church in Ocho Rios some eight years ago. Anthony was an Entertainment Manager at the Hedonism Hotel in Runaway Bay for several years and worked at Boscobel Hotel Ocho Rios for fifteen years. To date his wedding has been one of the largest ever held in Jamaica."

And this man replaces Golden because, in the words of Bishop Walker, he wanted to put someone else in "with fresh ideas and new energy." You can read that story in today's digest or here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4793 On a brighter note the bishop of the DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA Peter Lee has reached an agreement with the Rev. Martyn Minns with how long Minns (now a Nigerian bishop) can stay on in Truro Church. The answer: He has been licensed by Lee to serve as priest-in-charge of Truro Church through January 1, 2007. You can read the full story in today's digest.

But in the DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, the evangelical bishop there, John W. Howe, got blindsided by his assistant Bishop John Said, who made remarks on human sexuality that run counter to the orthodox mind of Bishop Howe. Said (pronounced Sed) gave a talk to St. Peter's in New Smyrna Beach, Florida saying he would bless same-sex unions in his backyard, not a church, because he didn't want to upset his bishop. Someone recorded the words of Bishop Said and sent them to VOL. Naturally we published it. You can read the full account of his words in today's digest or click here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4789

ON a truly upbeat note, a number of former Episcopalians want to start an orthodox Anglican parish in Reno, Nevada and have written to VOL asking who to get in touch with. Nevada, you will recall is the ecclesiastical home of Mrs. Schori, so this will be quite an insult to her if it succeeds. You can drop a note to this e-mail address: Larry A. Morris

From the DIOCESE OF SAN JOAQUIN comes word that they are contemplating leaving The Episcopal Church. You will recall that Bishop John-David Schofield was recently exonerated of charges that he 'abandoned the communion' by four of his fellow California bishops, well now delegates to the annual convention of the Diocese of San Joaquin, which meets Dec. 1-2 in Fresno, Calif., will consider amendments to the diocesan constitution which "transfer all relationships and communion from ECUSA to an Anglican Province to be determined at a special convention called by the Bishop." Now that will truly put the cat among the pigeons. Perhaps another set of bishops will bring a bunch more charges against the bishop. When VOL spoke with Bishop John-David he was immensely upbeat and ready for any eventuality. He is truly part of a godly remnant of orthodox bishops in the church and especially in California. This diocese is one of eight that is seeking Alternative Primatial Oversight.

"The Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) has taken a number of actions which have resulted in a majority of the Provinces of the worldwide Anglican Communion declaring that ECUSA is no longer a member in good standing of that Communion," reads an explanation to the proposed changes at the website. "After ample time for reflection and repentance, ECUSA refuses to reverse these actions and refuses to commit not to engage in such actions in the future, jeopardizing its standing as a member of the Anglican Communion."

The question remaining is whether San Joaquin will transfer into a province which already exists or one which is in the making right now.

As for the Schofield decision, this is more bad news for Bennison in the Moyer case. It shows you can't use "abandonment of communion" against clergy who have not left the church.

FROM THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND comes news that a recently published 2005 English Church Census reveals that the CofE continues to decline at a rate of 2.3 per cent a year. But there is good news, too, reports the Church Times. The rate of decline has slowed from that of the 1990s, when numbers fell by 2.7 per cent a year. The article is headlined "Faint signs of hope." Faint indeed.

But not to worry Queen Elizabeth II announced this week that she was converting a room at Windsor Castle into a Mosque. She took the historic step so Muslim staff have a quiet place to pray during Ramadan, Islam's holiest month. Now I wonder why Saudi sheiks don't do that for their Philippine Christian workers. Of course, Christianity is banned in Saudi Arabia.

Also on the Royal Soap Opera front, a 'Multi-Faith' Coronation is being planned for Charles. The Sunday Telegraph reports that the coronation of the Prince of Wales could be a multi-faith event with prayers and readings from other denominations and religions, including Muslim, Sikh and Jewish faiths. Canon John Hall, the Dean-elect of Westminster Abbey, said that the traditional Church of England coronation service must be revised to reflect society's changes since the Queen's coronation in 1953. As dean, he will be on the committee responsible for drawing up the service.

THE BIG CofE news we learned this week is that revisionist bishops in the CofE can be just as nasty and vicious as American ones. Nick Howard, a brilliant young Evangelical graduate and the son of Michael Howard, the former Conservative Party leader, got turned down for ordination because he believed too much and said sodomy was a sin. Not liberal enough sniffed his board of examiners, so they denied him ordination. Of course this is going on big time in the Episcopal Church where graduates from such illustrious institutions as Trinity School for Ministry can't get its orthodox graduates into liberal dioceses. 'Not wanted' signs are posted on diocesan doors. Definitely a bad case of non inclusion or does that mean more diversity training is needed?

According to newspaper reports Howard, who completed a theology degree this summer, was not ordained because of his "unwillingness to listen" to other viewpoints. He told The Daily Mail that his strongly held evangelical beliefs on homosexuality and multifaith worship marked him out as a "troublemaker" even though they reflect official Anglican doctrine. VOL is committed to getting this young man ordained in America.

IN other news the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is backing a Church of England report that claims viewing God in masculine terms can validate "overbearing and ultimately violent patterns of behavior" in intimate relationships and "contributes to domestic abuse," the London Daily Mail reports.

The document, entitled "Responding to Domestic Abuse, Guidelines for Pastoral Responsibility," is a response to a motion passed by the church's General Synod in July 2004 for guidelines to assist dioceses in working with other agencies and "speak[ing] out against the evil of domestic violence."

IN another wake up call for the ABC, Jonathan Petre reports in the Telegraph that Williams has been told to crack down on gay clergy in England or risk a boycott of the 2008 Lambeth Conference. The archbishops, mainly from Africa and Asia, have expressed privately to Dr Rowan Williams their fears that the Church of England is fast becoming as liberal as its American counterpart. You can rea that story in today's digest.

AND from Anglican Mainstream in Southern Africa comes word that, despite a liberal archbishop, this group of Anglican evangelicals has a different perspective and welcomes the Kigali Communiqué in which the African Provinces of the Anglican Communion who have spoken so clearly and bravely, and they note that many of them have made their stand over the past couple of years at great financial cost to themselves. We applaud their witness to the truth. "We as Anglican Mainstream Southern Africa affirm the statement in its entirety and want to especially commend the initiative aimed at finding ways of providing alternative primatial oversight for those North American dioceses which are committed to the Anglican faith and doctrine as historically received, and who in conscience cannot accept the oversight of a newly elected Presiding Bishop - a bishop whose stated position on human sexuality is in defiance of holy scripture and the official position of the Anglican Communion, and who has abandoned a Christian epistemology. We also have received and reflected on "The Road to Lambeth" report. Secondly we would endorse the clear and uncompromising call of CAPA to the rest of the communion: We in CAPA want to say clearly and unequivocally to the rest of the Communion: the time has come for the North American churches to repent or depart. We in the Global South have always made repentance the starting point for any reconciliation and resumption of fellowship in the Communion. We shall not accept cleverly worded excuses but rather a clear acknowledgement by these churches that they have erred and "intend to lead a new life" in the Communion (2 Corinthians 4:2). Along with this open statement of repentance must come "fruits befitting repentance" (Luke 3:8). They must reverse their policies and prune their personnel. Thirdly we wish to state that there are many Anglicans in Southern Africa who are a facing a crisis of conscience over the stand of their leadership who persist in building closer ties with those North American bishops who have declined to submit to the Windsor Report and whom we frankly regard as apostate. For more information you can go to St Saviour's website: http://www.anglicandiocesepe.org.za/stsaviours/

In the DIOCESE OF LAKE MALAWI, the theologically confused, sexually conflicted English cleric Nick Henderson is still making a nuisance of himself. He thinks that for all the money he has poured into that diocese that he can buy the bishopric. Here is the latest word from Archbishop Bernard Malango's office: "Some time ago the Archbishop ruled out the consecration of Fr. Henderson as bishop. However, Bishop Tengatenga has now spoken of a Provincial Court to review his case. Donald Arden, quoted in the Church Times, has mentioned the Panel of Reference. The activities of the Task Force show that Fr. Henderson is still operating through his agents in the diocese. It is unlikely that Fr. Mkoweka could declare himself Priest in Charge of the cathedral parish without the knowledge of Fr. Henderson. If, as the Archbishop wished, the 6am service in the cathedral had been discontinued, the parish would be wholly under the authority of Fr. Henderson. There can be no meaningful discussion within the diocese until it is known for certain whether or not Fr. Henderson is still a possible candidate."

So the question must be asked, why isn't that interfering little cleric not disciplined by Bishop Pete Broadbent, his own bishop in London for his wretched political tactics in wanting the job this badly? Africa no more needs fey British clerics running their vast dioceses, than ECUSA needs V. Gene Robinson.

IN WESTERN CANADA, the Anglican Church in Canada announced that they had planted a flag for Anglican orthodoxy in a church building crossing the Sea to Pender Harbour on the Sunshine Coast, of British Columbia. Eighteen months ago, the Rev. Barclay Mayo hit the front page of many newspapers as his Christ the Redeemer congregation was evicted from their church building over their stand for the traditional definition of marriage. Today they will be welcoming a new church building crossing the Georgia Straight to Pender Harbour from Campbell River, BC. While their older 2,400 square building only seated ninety people, their new 4,800 square facility will seat 140 people. Rev Mayo says the floating in of a new church building is a sign that God is faithful and He will restore. Many biblically faithful Anglicans are understandably reluctant to risk losing their church buildings in which they have invested much of their time, energy, and identity. However, in the gospels, Jesus promises that no one who has the courage to sacrifice home or brother or sister or mother or father or fields for him or the gospel will fail to receive 100 times as much in the present age. The congregation of Christ the Redeemer are living in the midst of this promise being fulfilled. Amen

FROM TORONTO comes word that a retired Anglican archbishop was formally reprimanded and got his license yanked, after he admitted that he had taken part in the same-sex marriage of a lesbian couple. Archbishop Terence Finlay officiated in the ceremony during the summer, as the Anglican Communion struggled to resolve the issue of homosexuality. In a touch of irony, the former senior bishop in Ontario had dismissed a priest in the 1990s for his homosexual relationship. Archbishop Terence Finlay's acknowledgement that he participated in the marriage service comes as a shock to the Anglican Church, not least because such a senior figure took the action as the fate of the Anglican Communion hung in the balance over the issue of homosexuality.

A VOL reader wrote to say that Archbishop Findlay's same-sex "marriage" debacle was not at all surprising for nothing in his "regnum" was ever original. The presider and preacher at the marriage of the two lesbian deacons in a Toronto church a couple of years ago was none other than his recently-deceased predecessor as primate, Archbishop Edward "Ted" Scott. Inasmuch as that previous travesty was reported in the media at the time, why was that primate not likewise dealt with? Obviously as the icon of the loon-lefties in Canada and the originator of much of the present rot in the Canadian Church, he was not about to be excoriated by the contemporary primate who supports all the same "relevant" issues! The same hermeneutic of rights/justice will carry the day for clergy and pre-selected lay people of a Church that knows no Gospel or theology."

But as one orthodox Canadian clergyman observed there have been three ACC clergy who have done this so far with little lasting repercussions.

IT'S CONFERENCE SEASON. The Anglican Mission in America Winter Conference 2007 will be held on January 17-20, 2007 in Jacksonville, Florida and will feature such luminaries as Dr. J.I. Packer, theologian, Canon Dr. Michael Green, evangelism expert, Rebecca Pippert and Andy Piercy, fresh from 20 years as worship pastor at Holy Trinity Church Brompton in England (home of the Alpha Course) will lead the worship. There will be the usual array of Global South leaders that grows each year. VOL will be there.

Winter Conference '07 will be held at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in Jacksonville, Florida. Hotel rooms can be booked at the AMIA website, www.theamia.org/register or call 904.588.1234 and ask for the special Anglican Mission rate until December 15th.

There are reports of a vibrant AAC Chapter Growing in Southeastern Wisconsin. A General Meeting of the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of the American Anglican Council (SEWAAC) will take place Wed., Oct. 18, 2006 between 7-9 p.m. The Location: Nashotah House Seminary (2777 Mission Road; Nashotah, WI); the meeting will be held in the Refectory. Speaker will be The Rt. Rev. William Wantland. To Attend: RSVP as soon as possible to Bill Chapin (SEWAAC Chapter President) at (414) 352-4586 or email bchapin@execpc.com. The Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter of the American Anglican Council (SEWAAC) was born on a kitchen table in July 2005. SEWAAC's focus has rapidly grown to include hosting knowledgeable, dynamic speakers who bring new information and new perspectives to chapter members.

MERE ANGLICANISM conference sets second event for January 25-27, 2007 in Charleston, SC. Mere Anglicanism is an event-oriented organization that provides the tools and resources to disciple, train, and educate lay and clergy leaders; they bring in thinkers and teachers who help people become informed, equipped leaders, who "take theology home with them." Mere Anglicanism's vision is for a reformed, renewed orthodox Anglicanism within North America. The group's inaugural event was held in January 2006 and featured Os Guinness and Stephen Noll as speakers.

Next year's speakers include Michael Nazir-Ali (Bishop of Rochester, UK); Theologian Edith Humphrey and Cranmer scholar Ashley Null. The location is St. Philip's Episcopal Church (142 Church St.; Charleston, SC 29401). Cost: $75/person. Registration: Online registration here: http://www.mereanglicanism.com/

THERE are a number of fine articles in today's digest. I urge you to read, "The Dissolution of the Episcopal Church" - by Carl F. Brenner and "The IRS vs. the Church - by John W. Whitehead" among others. My own take on the Presiding Bishop's recent spin on the Camp Allen and Kigali statements is posted as well.

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