Christ abolished death. One of the most searching tests to apply to any religion concerns its attitude to death. And measured by this test much so-called Christianity is found wanting in its black clothes, its mournful chants and its requiem masses. Of course dying can be very unpleasant, and bereavement can bring bitter sorrow. But death itself has been overthrown, and 'blessed are the dead who die in the Lord' (Rev. 14:13). The proper epitaph to write for a Christian believer is not a dismal and uncertain petition, 'R.I.P.' (*requiescat in pace*, 'may he rest in peace'), but a joyful and certain affirmation 'C.A.D.' ('Christ abolished death'). --From "The Message of 2 Timothy" (The Bible Speaks Today series), p. 39. John R. W. Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
8/24/2007

When the House of Bishops meets, as scheduled in New Orleans Sept. 19-25 just before the deadline specified in the primates' communique, it is expected that the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has accepted an invitation to attend this meeting, will try to persuade the bishops to comply with the communique.

That at least is the expectation, but don't hold your breath. The Episcopal Church's sodomites, in the pansexual organization Integrity, are calling on their bishops to hold the line and to not cave into the ABC. In a press release, they urge liberal and revisionist bishops to hold the line in dealing with the "primates' unreasonable demands. and insist that there be no backsliding on full inclusion of the LGBT faithful. Write, e-mail, or call your bishop today!"

They argue that the primates of the Anglican Communion do not have authority over the Episcopal Church; that the House of Bishops cannot set policy for the entire Episcopal Church; that the Executive Council has already rejected the primates' ultimatum on behalf of the entire Episcopal Church and that the Episcopal Church cannot abandon its LGBT members for the sake of continued membership in the Anglican Communion. We cannot forsake justice to maintain unity. Their strategy: Be respectful, do not make threats, share your personal story and be brief. Under no circumstances are you to cite Scripture and for goodness sake don't publicly whack Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola.

So there you have it. Justice (read sodomy) is more important than unity. Unity should not be held up in the face of the Global South or cries by the ABC that the TEC must be Windsor-compliant.

SO it is no wonder then that Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola said this week that the end is nigh for the Anglican Communion. In an article authored by him, "A MOST AGONIZING JOURNEY" he traces the sad history of The Episcopal Church's ten-year intransigence in the face of repeated pleas for repentance. You can read what he says here or in today's digest: http://tinyurl.com/ystmx6

In Akinola's own words, "it is clear that the TEC has chosen to walk away from the Biblically based path we once all walked together. The unrelenting persecution of the remaining faithful among them shows how they have used these past few years to isolate and destroy any and all opposition. Their intention is clear; the leadership of The Episcopal Church USA (TECUSA) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) seem to have concluded that the Bible is no longer authoritative in many areas of human experience especially in salvation and sexuality. They claim to have 'progressed' beyond the clear teaching of the Scriptures and they have not hidden their intention to lead others to these same conclusions. They have even boasted that they are years ahead of others in fully understanding the truth of the Holy Scriptures and the nature of God's love." You can read my own analysis of the Primates' views here or in today's digest: http://tinyurl.com/2aosyl

"All journeys must end someday," said Akinola. "By October 1 we might just see that prophetic word fulfilled."

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IN THE U.S. a meeting occurred this past week with TEC's Windsor bishops at Camp Allen, Texas. Invited to this event was the Rev. Canon Dr. Gregory Cameron, Deputy Secretary General of the London based Anglican Communion Office. He wrote to me to confirm that he was at the recent meeting at Camp Allen as an invited guest of Bishop Don Wimberley. He said meeting accounts, by an independent Episcopal magazine and his participation in it, were not entirely as reported, however. "I was asked there to advise on Communion perspectives in preparation for the forthcoming meeting of the House of Bishops. That was all."

I have been trying to ferret out who said what to whom at Camp Allen but nobody is talking and no final decisions were made about what they would do come Sept. 30. My suspicion is that either the Windsor bishops will hold the line and demand Windsor-compliance for the entire HOB, or they could side with the Network bishops. I do know they have said, in the past, that they would be willing to be UNINVITED to Lambeth next year in order for TEC to remain as part of the Anglican Communion but I know no more than that.

All the House of Bishops will be wanting is total clarity from Dr. Williams about what the consequences will be if the House of Bishops fails to give the assurances sought by the primates. Dr. Williams will have to come off the fence.

One bishop, a Windsor Bishop, wants a reconsideration of the Pastoral Scheme vote as they believe that this will give the only possible hope of moving towards restoration of TEC with the Communion. This bishop sees the Chancellor, David Booth Beers, as the real problem. He believes that the situation with the Communion is very fragile and is hoping against hope that TEC bishops will take this step and so give the healing of relationships a chance. He is also very clear that any pastoral scheme MUST involve the dissenting minority and such a scheme must be acceptable to them. Said a source, "I think hell will freeze over before a majority of the HOB as well as the rest of the corrupt leadership of TEC will accept such a plan but he and the other Windsor bishops will try in September."

What is clear is that as The Episcopal Church approaches its moment with history, what happens in the next few weeks will determine what the remnant orthodox in the TEC must do. We shall keep you posted.

Bishop David Bena, former Episcopal bishop now with CANA, wrote in an article "Reading the Signs of the Times", "All the world will be watching. Will the HOB agree to repent and turn back from condoning a very loose systematic theology and an even looser sexual behavior policy? The Primates of the Anglican Communion have given the Episcopal Church HOB until September 30 to turn back. Will they? Recent statements and actions say that they will not. Their statements and actions say that the majority of Episcopal Church bishops are firmly committed to a "multi-truth theology" when studying God and salvation history, and are firmly committed to celebrating gay relationships on a par with marriage and the ordination of those practicing sex outside heterosexual marriage. Unless a miracle happens, the HOB is not going to back down from these positions." You can read his statement in today's digest or click here: http://tinyurl.com/2dallj

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THIS FROM AN ORTHODOX BISHOP. Word on the grapevine has it that 815 (the church's national headquarters in NYC) is now threatening to bring both legal and ecclesiastical charges against any bishop who allows a parish to depart with their property, presumably with the Standing Committee's concurrence. Said the source, "This is an amazing usurpation of the authority of a local bishop and diocese. It does of course make more sense of Virginia Bishop Peter James Lee's actions. The same conversation referred to this as the rule by David Booth Beers, Mrs. Schori's attorney and not the PB's own policy. It was said in the context of her being hijacked and overruled by Beers and Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies so that now Bishops have no authority!"

*****

In Los Angeles, California this week, St. Luke's of the Mountains Anglican Church won a reprieve from the Superior Court in its bitter struggle with the DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES over who owns their property. The parish, formerly in the Diocese of Los Angeles and now with the Province of Uganda, successfully won its right to remain in their church buildings for the duration of their appeal to the Los Angeles Appellate Court for permanent title to the property. In a ruling on August 22, 2007 the Superior Court of Los Angeles, said that St. Luke's and its priest could remain on the property pending the outcome of their appeal. "We see this as a small victory," Debbie Kollgard, senior warden of St. Luke's told VOL. "The diocese is fighting hard to retain the property." You can read the story in today's digest.

*****

In the DIOCESE OF WESTERN NEW YORK, Bishop Michael J. Garrison deposed and removed from the priesthood an orthodox priest, Fr. Simon Howson. The priest's attorney says it is retaliation for sexual harassment charges the priest filed against a homosexual priest who was the bishop's mentor in the diocese in 2004. You can read the full story in today's digest.

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In the DIOCESE OF PENNSYLVANIA, the case of Moyer v. Bennison has been placed on the October jury trial list in Norristown, PA. Bennison will be given the trial he denied to Fr. David L. Moyer. In fact, Moyer's attorney will call him as a witness. What really happened will finally be revealed in a public trial. VirtueOnline will be there to report this trial in detail and will give you a day-by-day, blow-by-blow account of what happens. Stay tuned.

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In the DIOCESE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, to no one's surprise, the Very Rev. Mark Lawrence, 56, was re-elected as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina on August 4 at a special electing convention held at St. James Church on St. James Island, South Carolina. Lawrence was the only candidate in the election since no petitions to add other names to the slate were received by the July 11 deadline. A majority of bishops exercising jurisdiction and diocesan Standing Committees must now consent to Lawrence's ordination as bishop within 120 days of receiving notice of the election.

The DIOCESE OF SAN JOAQUIN has moved its special diocesan meeting into December beyond the 120-day time frame for Lawrence to obtain consents from the bishops and Standing Committees. Apparently Lawrence has sold his house in preparation for the move. On March 15, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori declared the first election "null and void," saying that a number of the consent responses did not adhere to canonical requirements since Lawrence's election did not receive the consent of the majority of diocesan standing committees.

Episcopal Church canons, which govern the procedures for the election of bishops, call for consents to Episcopal ordinations from standing committees to be "signed by a majority of all the members of the Committee. (III.11.4 (b))"

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In the DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO, Bishop James P. Mathes spins Episcopal unity while deposing orthodox priests. In a letter to his diocese he says that the Episcopal Church will stay in Communion after Sept. 30 while orthodox Episcopalians will be sidelined. He states all this while deposing some 20 percent of his priests and initiating multiple lawsuits against priests, parishes and their vestries. You can read the full story here or in today's digest: http://tinyurl.com/ypelts

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THE ANGLICAN RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT FUND is helping earthquake victims in Peru. There has been much damage according to Bishop Godfrey. In Pisco alone, the death toll has risen to 450 with nearly 2,000 injured. Parishes or individuals that would like to assist the earthquake victims can send donations to: Anglican Relief and Development Fund with "Peru" in the memo line.
ARDF
P.O. Box 3830
Pittsburgh, PA 15230

The full amount (100%) of your donation will be sent to Peru for the relief and development of earthquake victims and their families.

*****

BROOKE ASTOR, socialite and philanthropist, died this past week in New York. Fifteen years ago, at the age of 90, Brooke Astor issued a letter to her executors in which she laid out instructions for her funeral. She expressed her wishes for a regular Episcopal service at St. Thomas Church, on Fifth Avenue and 53rd Street, and went on, in the letter, to make specific requests for hymns, prayers, readings, ushers and her burial. The letter included Mrs. Astor's preference that her funeral follows not the new Book of Common Prayer, but a real Episcopal service from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. She requested four hymns to be sung, beginning with "O God, Our Help in Ages Past."

*****

EVENTS are moving forward in the new Anglican District of Virginia (ADV). They announced that The Rev. Phil Ashey, Rector of South Riding Anglican, has been appointed to the ADV Board of Directors. South Riding Anglican is an ecclesiastical member of ADV. "We are excited that Phil will be partnering in ministry with us. His appointment confirms our desire to build a community of Anglicans who are passionately committed to spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in Virginia and throughout the world. Phil brings a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm to further the mission of ADV," said Jim Oakes, vice-chairman of ADV. ADV members are in full communion with constituent members of the Anglican Communion through its affiliation with CANA, a missionary branch of the Church of Nigeria. ADV members are a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a community of 77 million people.

IN OTHER NEWS Hurricane Katrina Aid remains a Focal Point for ADV parishes. Many ADV parishes have continued to aid in the rebuilding effort of the communities devastated by the hurricane. Some have contributed by offering financial assistance, gathering clothing items, or traveling to the area to build homes. One ADV church even has a full-time clergy member living in Mississippi to work on the rebuilding effort. ADV parishes including the Potomac Falls Church, Church of the Messiah, Church of Our Saviour, Christ Our Lord Anglican, Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican, Truro Church, The Falls Church, All Saints and Church of the Epiphany have contributed by offering financial assistance, gathering clothing items or traveling to the area to help restore the Gulf Coast. A team of 26 that included 19 junior and senior high youth traveled to the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans for a mission and service trip. The youth mission team partnered with the Free Church of the Annunciation located in downtown New Orleans.

*****

IN OTHER NEWS Hurricane Katrina Aid Remains a Focal Point for ADV parishes. Many ADV parishes have continued to aid in the rebuilding effort of the communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Some have contributed by offering financial assistance, gathering clothing items, or traveling to the area to build homes. A few of those stories are highlighted below. One ADV church even has a full-time clergy member living in Mississippi to work on the rebuilding effort. ADV parishes, including the Potomac Falls Church, Church of the Messiah, Church of Our Saviour, Christ Our Lord Anglican, Church of the Holy Spirit Anglican, Truro Church, The Falls Church, All Saints and Church of the Epiphany, have contributed by offering financial assistance, gathering clothing items or traveling to the area to help restore the Gulf Coast. A team of 26, that included 19 junior and senior high youth, traveled to the Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans for a mission and service trip. The youth mission team partnered with the Free Church of the Annunciation located in downtown New Orleans.

*****

God's book sales flourish on the web. RELIGIOUS BOOKS are a salvation to the book trade, even when they set out to disprove the existence of God, says the online bookseller, Amazon. Statistics, published by the company, suggest that the number of people buying books from them about religion or spirituality has soared in three years by 50 per cent. The increase has outshone all other categories, including history, which has grown by 38 per cent, and politics, which has grown by 30 per cent. Pope Benedict XVI's work "Jesus of Nazareth" (Bloomsbury, 2007; Books, 6 June) comes in third place among the bestsellers in the category. The anti-religious polemicist Richard Dawkins is at the top with "The God Delusion" (Bantam, 2006; Comment, 26 October 2006). He is followed by another anti-religious title, Christopher Hitchens's "God is Not Great" (Atlantic, 20.

*****

A BARNA POLL says that the real issue in the upcoming election is about America's children. No one is talking about it, writes Marriage Saver Mike McManus. "With the 2008 presidential election campaign well underway, a new survey suggests that the biggest issue of them all may well be one that leaders do not seem to be focused upon: the well-being of America's children. When asked to indicate which of eleven changes were absolutely necessary' for the US to address in the next ten years, the issues that emerged as the front runners were 'the overall care and resources devoted to children" registered by 82% of the adult population."

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From CENTRAL AFRICA comes word that retiring Malawi Archbishop Bernard Malango leaves a divided church with the real possibility that the fey pro-gay London cleric, Nickie Henderson, is still in line to become the next bishop of the Diocese of Lake Malawi. If he wins, it will be a major set back for orthodoxy in Africa over the 2005 election of a bishop who supports gay clergy. The diocese continues to be roiled by bitter divisions over the 2005 decision of the Ecclesiastical Court of Central Africa to block the consecration of Henderson, who has poured tens of thousands of pounds into the diocese to obtain the bishopric. He hopes to replace the late Bishop of Malawi, Peter Nyanja. Henderson was preparing to leave his west London parish for Malawi when he learned the Court of Confirmation had vetoed his appointment. At the time, Malango, a leading evangelical who is opposed to gay priests, said Henderson, "has actively demonstrated that he was not of good faith." Malango put the retired Bishop of Zambia, Leonard Mwenda, in temporary charge of the Malawi diocese.

Since then, violent clashes between supporters and opponents of Henderson led to the poisoning and death of British missionary Canon Rodney Hunter, 73, an opponent of Henderson. Police arrested Hunter's cook and charged him with murder amid reports and allegations that supporters of Henderson had arranged the murder.

Aiding and abetting Henderson for the job is Bishop Trevor Mwamba who wants to replace Archbishop Malango. Mwamba made a shameless address to the Ecclesiastical Law Society in which he claimed that homosexuality was not an issue in Africa, and blamed Akinola for all the controversy. If he gets Malango's job, he will ensure that Henderson gets Lake Malawi. The rot in Africa will have just begun.

*****

From a source in the DIOCESE OF WASHINGTON comes word that St. Monica and St. James Episcopal parishes on Capitol Hill are in serious financial trouble, have small congregations, and to top it off, both of their rectors are close to retirement. They are pondering a merger of congregations. St. Monica is a predominately black parish, and was Anglo-Catholic some 50-60 years ago. St. James is an Affirming Catholic parish establishment. If the merger happens, they will combine the names of the two parishes, meet at the current St. James' church and sell off the St. Monica building. "I'm reasonably confident that the Episcopal diocese will approve the merger."

*****

SEWANEE AGAIN. The Sewanee Annual Fund drive raised its highest total in the university's history, according to a press release from the university. They raised just over $3.3 million. The Annual Fund makes up about 5 percent of the annual budget of the University. But an alumnus close to the situation said that only 38% of the alumnus gave all the money. The 62% vote of no confidence was worse than anyone thought. Almost one-quarter of donors to the campaign were first-time participants, and a total of 38 percent of University alumni gave to the campaign, making up about two-thirds of the donors. They made a mistake in reminding those 38% who did give that their money is helping to pay faculty salaries - faculty that wants to remove Christianity from Sewanee - and they reminded the 62% why it was a good decision to send their money somewhere else - such as their local Anglican church where Jesus still reigns and the Bible hasn't been reinterpreted to do this new thing in celebration of the penis. That 5 percent is critical because it is unrestricted, which means it supports areas at Sewanee with the greatest need. Gifts go directly into the budget to fund not only new programs and cutting-edge teaching, but also day-to-day University operations as well as faculty salaries."

*****

From KENYA comes news that Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, head of the Anglican Church in Kenya, the largest Christian denomination after the Catholics, was voted third in the top 100 Religious leaders in the country. Other leaders include Sheikh Hamadi Kassim, the most prominent figure in the Islamic faith in the country who also heads the Islamic courts, and Raphael Ndingi Mwana, a Nzeki. The Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi heads the largest faith in Kenya with four million Catholics.

*****

BISHOP DESMOND TUTU weighed in on the Anglican Communion this week and gave us his "why can't we all just get along" pitch, which as one of the demolishers of apartheid carries some weight. No one should compare sodomy with apartheid, as there is no connection between the two. Apartheid was and is a justice issue; sex outside of marriage is a moral issue that St. Paul says can imperil your soul if you exploit it outside of marriage between a man and a woman. The two should not be confused. You can read that story in today's digest. Bishop Tutu's words did prompt the Rt. Rev. Charles Dorrington of the Reformed Episcopal Church in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada to say, quoting Tutu: "Our Lord is weeping to see our Communion tearing itself apart on the issue of human sexuality when the world for which he died is ravaged by poverty, disease, war and corruption. I beg you all in our Lord's name agree to disagree, argue, debate, disagree, but do all this as members of one family." In his response Dorrington wrote: "In my reading of Scripture. Jesus did not cry for the reasons that Tutu states, but for the sin in which the world was involved. He is still crying to-day over the sin that presently runs rampant in what was at one time His Church but is now the world's church."

*****

Apparently MOTHER TERESA had major doubts about her faith, reports "Time"magazine. The Rev. Joseph Neuner, whom she met in the late 1950s and confided in somewhat later, was already a well-known theologian when she turned to him with her "darkness". He seems to have told her the three things she needed to hear: that there was no human remedy for it (that is, she should not feel responsible for affecting it); that feeling Jesus is not the only proof of his being there, and her very craving for God was a "sure sign" of his "hidden presence" in her life; and that the absence was in fact part of the "spiritual side" of her work for Jesus.

*****

A multimedia assessment of the state of spirituality in the United States is being produced this year by News21 (www.newsinitiative.org) Five of the nation's top schools, including Columbia, Berkley, Northwestern, Harvard and USC, are participating. The project, entitled "Faces of Faith in America," includes in-depth reporting, video, audio, applications and database analysis. Already, material from this summer's fellows has been picked up by public broadcasting outlets, "The New York Times," the "Los Angeles Times" and "LA Weekly".

*****

I will be in San Diego next week with my wife. I welcome the opportunity to meet with VOL readers in the area. If you would like to drop me a line at david@virtueonline.org and tell me who you are, perhaps we can meet for coffee.

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David W. Virtue DD

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