The Katrina hurricane that struck New Orleans and three Gulf states has taken a heavy toll not only on the people of the area, but on the psyche of a nation. Over 84 percent of those affected were people of color, doubling the guilt and making the apparent ineptitude of the authorities, who took an inexcusably long time to deal with the crisis, look even worse. It is a nightmare disaster without parallel in U.S. history.

It was both a natural and human disaster. Nature red in tooth and claw ripped into three states and a world-renowned city, causing billions of dollars in damage, taking thousands of lives, and sending tens of thousands more into an unasked-for "exile." It was also a human disaster that could have been prevented if monies had been spent on levees years earlier. There will be enough blame to go around for months to come.

Some Christians, however, are seeing this as the judgment of God on a proverbially wicked city that still managed to put on the 33rd official Southern Decadence parade with two dozen "gays" marching up Bourbon Street in a show of defiance despite the devastation and ongoing suffering by thousands from the hurricane. One is forced to ask, is there no end to the in-your-face vulgarity of sodomites on the march both in church and society? It was a scene like something from a Fellini movie, said one news site. Indeed. New Orleans has also been a center of voodoo worship, with many Haitian immigrants living in the area. Nonetheless, there are very few atheists in these foxholes. People everywhere are praying for relief.

Putting blame and vulgarity aside, the underreported news was that of the churches and multitudinous small non-profit organizations that have stepped in to aid those who are stranded, sick, destitute, and lost.

VirtueOnline was privileged to have a front-row seat in New Orleans in the Diocese of Louisiana, with daily reports sent by the Rev. Jerry Kramer, rector of Church of the Annunciation in downtown New Orleans. He and his wife, Stacy, are former missionaries to Tanzania. Jerry's daily reports, posted in sequence in today's digest, will take you right inside the heart of the devastation and the loss of more than two dozen of his own parishioners. It is hard not to weep when one reads these reports. He is battling on the front line and needs both our prayers and our support.

The Episcopal Church's three frontline dioceses responded with various appeals and statements. The Rt. Rev. D. Bruce MacPherson, BISHOP OF WESTERN LOUISIANA, wrote this: "Permit me to lead off with an expression of deep gratitude for the extended labor that so many are engaged in. As I have traveled about the diocese this past week I have witnessed a never ending ministry in so many places; people giving of themselves so unselfishly; reaching out and touching the lives of strangers; and all in the name of, and with the love of, Christ Jesus. Susan and I have encountered people of all races and faith traditions, and all being ministered to by people of all races and faith traditions. Jesus' prayer in John 17 is being brought to fruition at this time through this tragic natural disaster."

The BISHOP OF MISSISSIPPI, The Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray III, wrote with some very practical suggestions: "Pray constantly; send money to the relief agency of your choice. We will have direct access to the monies sent to the Bishop's Discretionary Fund & to Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi (mail to PO Box 23107, Jackson, MS 39225-3107). Episcopal Relief and Development continues to be very generous in the immediate aftermath and for the long term. Walk, ride bicycles & do anything that will conserve gas. The single most difficult barrier to effective response has been the lack of fuel. Conservation is so 'unsexy,' but it is critical in order to free up supplies necessary to run emergency vehicles, transport equipment and supplies, run chain saws, etc. It is one more reminder of how our lives are so remarkably interwoven and interconnected."

And the BISHOP OF LOUISIANA, Charles Jenkins, wrote this: "My Dear Episcopal Family, Our beloved Diocese of Louisiana has been devastated as never before by Hurricane Katrina but our spirit and our strength will remain strong in the arms of our Lord. We weep with those who have lost loved ones, homes and property to this deadly storm. Let us reach out with compassion to all people in need at this time."

"Be assured that the Diocese of Louisiana is fully operational thanks to the cooperation and facilities of St. James Church in Baton Rouge. My office and support staff will be working from this location until further notice."

Phone calls are pouring in from around the country with offers of supplies, housing, and jobs. Episcopal Relief and Development and several dioceses have already responded with monetary assistance, as has Anglican Relief and Development, coordinating hurricane relief efforts with governmental agencies and church agencies as well.

The national church's Episcopal Relief and Development created a database of people who wanted to volunteer in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. It urged that volunteers should be entirely self-sufficient to avoid placing additional strain on already overstressed dioceses.

A scripture passage that rang with a new familiarity for Bishop McPherson was, "For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." [Mark 12:44] Yes, the bishop wrote, "the story of the widow and mite has been demonstrated over and over this week as many have stretched in order to respond to my appeal for funds to go toward those who are without. The outpouring has moved me in a manner in which I could do nothing other than praise God for each of you and the ministry we share."

"O blessed Lord; you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon all who have been displaced and sent into exile by this tragic natural disaster. Enable them to know your presence, the warmth of your embrace and the fullness of your love. Restore to them assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears, anxiety and loneliness that beset them; strengthen them in spirit, hope and faith; and to those who care and provide for them, give patience, compassion, strength, care and love. Amen." [adapted from the BCP]

There are dozens of untold stories about individual Episcopal parishes doing gargantuan work. There is the story of Fr. Ernie Saik in Baton Rouge, where his St. Luke's church has become custodian of the obstetrics patients at the next-door Women's Hospital. Fr. Saik has 15 patients at the church and told a wonderful story of a new mother who was separated from an older child and the church got them reunited.

A couple of volunteers from St. James, Newport Beach, California, flew into Houston, rented a truck, and filled it with diapers, bottled water, and other useful things and then drove the truck (for five hours) to St. Luke's in Baton Rouge, where everything was quickly put to use. Over $5,000 has been raised by Anglican Communion Network partner churches and sent to St. Luke's.

And in the midst of it all there is the tragic story of a clergyman who was shot and killed at a Lowe's store while picking up much-needed supplies. The Rev. Michael Osborne, a priest of the Reformed Episcopal Church Diocese of Mid-America, was tragically murdered in Hattiesburg, MS. Michael leaves behind a wife and seven children, five of whom are still at home.

Even orthodox Canadians are helping out. The Anglican Communion in Canada, through its sister organization the AMiA http://www.theamia.org, is reaching out to those affected by Hurricane Katrina. They have established a Katrina Relief Fund. If Canadian congregations or individual members of ACiC churches wish to contribute to the Relief efforts, then cheques made payable to ACiC and marked "Katrina Relief" may be sent to The Anglican Communion in Canada, 1655 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6M 1X9.

As well as recommending the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and other more prominent organizations, VirtueOnline also recommends the following Episcopal ministry where money may be sent:

The Anglican Communion Network
Katrina Relief Fund
910 Oliver Bldg.,
535 Smithfield Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

They will match churches and dioceses with specific affected congregations that have needs arising out of the Katrina disaster.

I have posted a sampling of stories from around the country about the Katrina Hurricane tragedy and we hope you will support the efforts of those on the frontline with your checks and prayers. Please be generous.

IN OTHER NEWS, the BISHOP OF NORTHWEST TEXAS, The Rt. Rev. C. Wallis Ohl, Jr., issued an appeal to individual members of his diocese in an August 15 letter saying the diocese was in a precarious financial cash "crunch." He wrote that without help from individual members of the diocese, the situation will continue to deteriorate. The bishop pointed the finger at a fleeing parish for not paying its apportionment, but the facts do not support his claims. You can read the full story in today's digest.

In the DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUT, the outrage continues unabated. A couple, now in their late 60s and life-long Episcopalians worshipping and active till recently at St. Paul's, Darien, wrote VirtueOnline to say that Bishop Smith's wife, Kate, had issued invitations to join a fellowship and support group for clergy spouses and partners. (Marriage is not a prerequisite apparently for such a gathering of clergy.) Their first meeting is scheduled for November 5. One of the afternoon activities is listed as "massage," for which you must pay extra. Wrote the source, "Now you and I know full well that partners are not bridge partners, tennis partners, business partners, golfing partners, etc. -- they are sex partners. I am appalled at the blatant promotion of a sinful life style by the diocese."

The layman said his wife was ordained a deacon in Connecticut in 1991, but as they saw the apostasy growing in the diocese, they spoke up for the authority of Scripture and finally left the Episcopal Church in disgust. "When an AMiA church was established in Fairfield, CT, my wife applied for acceptance as a deacon in AMiA. During her background check, her application became known by the diocese, and she was asked to renounce her ordination vows. She did not. Earlier this year, Drew Smith chose to ignore her request to transfer to another part of the Anglican Communion and threatened to depose her on the basis of 'abandonment' of 'his church.'" To date this threat has not been carried out, and the lady now serves as a deacon in the AMiA church.

EVOLUTION is back on the front pages again. An Open Letter Concerning Religion and Science, with 7,393 signatures, has received the endorsement of a number of Episcopal clergy. The "Clergy Letter Project" includes the following statement: "Within the community of Christian believers there are areas of dispute and disagreement, including the proper way to interpret Holy Scripture. While virtually all Christians take the Bible seriously and hold it to be authoritative in matters of faith and practice, the overwhelming majority do not read the Bible literally, as they would a science textbook. Many of the beloved stories found in the Bible –- the Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and the ark –- convey timeless truths about God, human beings, and the proper relationship between Creator and creation expressed in the only form capable of transmitting these truths from generation to generation. Religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth. Its purpose is not to convey scientific information but to transform hearts.

"We the undersigned, Christian clergy from many different traditions, believe that the timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist. We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests. To reject this truth or to treat it as 'one theory among others' is to deliberately embrace scientific ignorance and transmit such ignorance to our children. We believe that among God's good gifts are human minds capable of critical thought and that the failure to fully employ this gift is a rejection of the will of our Creator. To argue that God's loving plan of salvation for humanity precludes the full employment of the God-given faculty of reason is to attempt to limit God, an act of hubris. We urge school board members to preserve the integrity of the science curriculum by affirming the teaching of the theory of evolution as a core component of human knowledge. We ask that science remain science and that religion remain religion, two very different, but complementary, forms of truth."

The list includes 26 retired and 14 active Episcopal clergy who have endorsed the "Open Letter."

AN ADVERTISEMENT in the UK Church Press by the Anglican Communion Office says it is looking for a "Facilitator for the Listening Process on Human Sexuality." It's offering a full salary and benefits. Dear God in heaven, how much more listening do we need to do? We have been listening since 1998 and no one has really changed their mind about sodomy. It was 527 to 69 then and things have not changed. Wrote one outraged VirtueOnline reader; "This is one of the most outrageous perversions of the 'listening to homosexuals' clause that one could ever possibly imagine. Do they intend to beat people over the head with this agenda, thinking that of course with enough propaganda we will all be sure to 'see it their way' and change our minds?" Indeed Ms. Betty they do, but let me assure you the Global South ain't buying it. Those days are long gone. Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola recently said the Church of England should be "suspended" from the Anglican Communion because of its endorsement of civil partnerships, so this one is dead on arrival.

THE FELLOWSHIP OF CONCERNED CHURCHMEN will hold its Fall conference September 30-October 1. The conference will be held at All Saints' Church, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, and will feature such topics as "The Affirmation of St. Louis Revisited: Seeking a Path to Reconciliation and Unity," "Recognizing the Jurisdictional Chaos: the Geographic Challenge," and "Divided We Fall: The Role of Bishops, Clergy, and Laity in the Quest for Unity." Featured speakers include Bishop David L. Moyer, Fr. William Ilgenfritz (FIFNA), Fr. David Ousley (FIFNA), and Fr. Warren Tanghe. Registration can be made by sending a check payable to All Saints Church, Montgomery Ave & Gypsy Lane, Wynnewood, PA 19096. The church office number is 610-642-4098. The cost is $25 for the Friday banquet, $10 for the Saturday breakfast, and $15 for the Saturday lunch.

IN THE PROVINCE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, in the Diocese of Sabah, they elected the Venerable Albert Vun Cheong Fui, 49, as the fifth Anglican bishop of the fast-rising diocese. Albert is archdeacon of the Urban Area of Sabah-cum-Rector of St. Patrick's Church based in Tawau. Albert will move to Kota Kinabalu. His own ministry in Tawau has been fruitful ... from 500 to 600 the congregation has grown to about 3,000. He was elected by the House of Bishops of the Province of the Anglican Church in Southeast Asia.

The Provincial House of Bishops consists of the four diocesan bishops from the Dioceses of Singapore, West Malaysia, Kuching and Sabah. Results from two levels of nomination were forwarded to the House in July this year. The House met here on Aug. 16 and 17 this year to make the selection and appointment. The current bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah, the Most Rev. Datuk Yong Ping Chung, who is also the second archbishop of the Province of the Anglican Church in Southeast Asia, made the announcement at Wisma Anglican, Monday.

The new bishop will be consecrated and installed on St Mark's Day, April 25, 2006, at the All Saints' Cathedral and will move to his official residence at Karamunsing.

"In Sabah, the whole Anglican Church was involved in the nomination of my successor," Archbishop Chung said. "And a lot of prayers were put in all the churches were asked to pray more and talk less over the matter. No campaigning, no speeches were made. We believe that the choice of Archdeacon Vun is the choice not only of the people but also affirmed by God himself."

UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY held its sixth graduation, the largest in its history, reports Dr. Stephen Noll, the university's vice chancellor. "We graduated 876 students, 450 men and 426 women. When you add in about 150 who will graduate from Bishop Barham College Kabale in October, the total will be nearly 1,000." When the Nolls came five years ago, the total enrollment in the University was 850. That's growth for you.

A STORY I wrote last week on an Episcopal high school in Austin, Texas, promoting a gay sex book with parents threatening to withhold $3 million if the book was not pulled garnered a record 8,000 hits at the Web site. The explicit short story about two homosexual male cowboys featured as part of the Senior English program at St. Andrew's Episcopal High School in Austin has caused a furor not only with parents complaining but some students as well. Nearly 700 people have posted a comment about the story at the Web site making it one of the all-time-high record number of hits on any one story. If you missed it, you can read it here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2932

THE ELECTION of a British vicar to be the next bishop of Malawi has prompted an outcry, with a Church of England bishop writing a scathing letter to me about posting this information and speculating on why Archbishop Bernard Malango should not appoint him. Among other things, the Rev. Nick Henderson's sexual proclivities were called in question, as were some of his doctrinal positions. I agreed to say nothing about this at the bishop's request but then the Church Times got wind of our dialogue and plastered the story all over the Internet. You can read that story today.

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