In his famous essay, The Great Liberal Death Wish, British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge noted that there is a self-annihilating determination about those who believe fervently that they are ushering in a New World Order of freedom and liberation for all. In reality they are actually destroying it.

The 60s offered sexual liberation, ending forty years later in the AIDS holocaust.

The tragedy, of course, is not simply that society offered up this faux panacea for liberation, but that the mainline Protestant churches have joined the bandwagon, thus participating in their own death wish. The worst denominational culprit is The Episcopal Church (TEC), USA.

That a man like V. Gene Robinson would be allowed to plead and then enshrine his homoerotic behavior in a Christian denomination would have horrified any other generation of Christians. The act of consecrating an open, non-celibate homosexual man to the episcopacy would have sent shock waves through earlier generations of Episcopalians. It is still a shock to Roman Catholics, Evangelicals of one stripe or another and the Eastern Orthodox churches. It is now shattering and dividing some 78 million Anglicans worldwide.

The rebellion against the Moral Order is now so deeply enshrined in The Episcopal Church, that it cannot reverse its course without deeply embarrassing itself and forcing itself to say that it was wrong. It will never do that. To talk about praying for healing, as some of the orthodox bishops believe, is nigh on impossible. To do so implies that liberals and revisionists believe they have done something wrong to which a healing balm can be applied. If you believe you have done nothing wrong, then no healing is needed.

The Bishop of Albany, the Rt. Rev. Bill Love, a good and godly man, told me that he wants to see the church healed, but this begs the question that liberals actually want healing or believe they need to be healed.

The recent House of Bishops (HOB) meeting in Texas is a good example. While not all the resolutions got resounding thumbs up, we know the trajectory of the church and it is not towards orthodoxy. To suggest otherwise is to believe that Tony Soprano would give up his 9-millimeter gun for Lent and agree to carry a water pistol.

The HOB has raised the bar so high that either the Archbishop of Canterbury will have to agree to part company with The Episcopal Church, along with its money and join himself with the orthodox primates of the Global South, or bid farewell to them and embrace the TEC and most of the Western post-modern bishops and archbishops. The ball is squarely again in his court. He's been invited to a three-day prayer meeting on U.S. soil to learn that the Holy Ghost has approved such behavior and the TEC's House of Bishops of it. Will he come?

On a somewhat humorous note a group of liberals have posted a listing on e-Bay, which includes the following:
"See American bishops in their native habitat! The bishops of the American Episcopal Church have asked Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to make an unprecedented and long-delayed visit to them in North America to discuss the Current Unpleasantness pre-occupying the Anglican Communion. The Americans assure ++Cantuar that their Christian hospitality will match that of the various fissiparous bishops he has broken bread with on multiple continents. So that the plate and pledge of parishes is not unnecessarily depleted, elements within TEC inclined toward reconciliation or at least a good face-to-face row are offering a business class ticket to any USA destination of the archbishop's choosing, along with lodging in a Courtyard by Marriott (tm) or better accommodation within strolling distance of the agreed-upon meeting place. A team of Th.D. translators will be on hand to couch ++Cantuar's musings in terms accessible to the colonials. Tea and biscuits to be provided by the ECW.All are invited to bid on this communion-saving encounter. " The last bid (#18) was up to about $77.00. e-Bay bid for Dr. Williams. Travel for the Archbishop of Canterbury to the USA Current bid:
US $66.56 (16 bids) Shipping:
Not Specified End date:
Mar-29-07 22:21:04 PDT

As you may recall, Dr. Williams got hammered by the Bishop of Bethlehem, the redoubtable Paul Marshall, for ignoring the U.S. but apparently being willing to go to other countries at the drop of a hat. Now American liberals are being invited to put the hat around via e-Bay and buy a ticket for the ABC.

ROWAN WILLIAMS to take three-month break. The Archbishop of Canterbury is taking 'study leave' in June and July, according to Ruth Gledhill of The London Times. August will be his usual annual holiday. Apart from the Petertide ordinations at Canterbury Cathedral, Dr Rowan Williams will be dedicating June and July to academic study and spiritual reflection. Some of the time will be spent out of the country. "Lambeth Palace went all coy just now when I asked whether he was off to Mount Athos on retreat or anywhere like that, but I wouldn't mind betting. Despite the temptation, however, we shouldn't read too much into this. I don't imagine going off on 'study leave' in the Church of England means the same thing as it does in my materialistic world. Even if the recent stresses of one of the most difficult jobs in Christendom have been getting to him." One wonders if the ABC will spend time prayerfully consider excommunicating TEC from the Lambeth Conference next year.

IN TODAY'S DIGEST you can read the second of a two-part story on what orthodox bishops in the Episcopal Church have to say about the recent meeting in Texas. You can read that here. I have also written a piece on liberal reaction to the HOB meeting. Basically they argue that the TEC will not reverse itself on full inclusion for practicing homosexuals and lesbians to all positions in the church, and that saving the world for God via Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) is far more important than who sleeps with whom and what organs go into what bodies. The second observation is that The Episcopal Church expects to stay at the Anglican Communion table on their terms and no one else's. They especially won't be dictated to by a bunch of semi-literate, fundamentalist, homophobic Africans who are still living in the sexual Dark Ages. You can read that story here. http://tinyurl.com/yq2cvs

I reserved my biggest gun until last with a story, "When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out." I took Martin Niemöller's words, uttered more than 50 years ago, and have shown how this now applies to the majority revisionist HOB who are bent on destroying the last vestiges of orthodoxy in The Episcopal Church.

Just as Niemoller became one of the founders of the Confessing Church which opposed the nazification of German Protestant churches, we are seeing today in the U.S., with the homosexualization of The Episcopal Church, the rise of confessing churches that stand in opposition to the pansexual (LGBT) agenda that is ripping and tearing at the fabric of a once proud denomination.

The Episcopal Church is on a collision course with history. It has collided with Holy Scripture. It is also on a crash course with the vast majority of the Anglican Communion. For its sins, it is on a Gadarene slide to oblivion. You can read the full story here: http://tinyurl.com/2kbc9e

In The DIOCESE OF COLORADO this week the battle between an orthodox priest and a liberal bishop reached new heights. It was though an episode of the Sopranos was being played out in public, not with guns but with words and actions.

Denied his pulpit for nearly three months, The Rev. Don Armstrong, took matters into his own hands, and with the support of his vestry, defied an inhibition of Bishop Rob O'Neill and re-entered his 2000-strong parish property, Grace and St. Stephens - the largest in the diocese, and one of the largest in the U.S. - and took back the pulpit and his office.

This was a red flag to O'Neill who promptly said he would send his own vestry team and a new rector in on Palm Sunday. When the Rocky Mountain News and VOL went public with the news, he backed down and said he would offer an alternative place of worship for dissidents in the church. Palm Sunday has taken on a whole new meaning for this parish. O'Neill is now threatening heavy legal and civil suits against the Evangelical priest.

The charges by O'Neill that Armstrong rifled church coffers for his own benefit surfaced on Wednesday in a letter from the bishop accompanied with what looks like hard evidence of financial chicanery - "misapplied funds". When I wrote and asked Armstrong for an explanation, he tersely wrote back, "This is a pack of lies...and we will prove it in far less time than they took to create this."

Meantime, the orthodox parish has seceded from the Colorado diocese and The Episcopal Church and joined up with CANA, the newly formed Nigerian church plant on U.S. soil now being run by bishops Martyn Minns and David Bena. To coin a phrase, Armstrong is a priest in full.

"I am sitting in my office for the first time in three months," Armstrong said in a telephone interview. "Now that I'm no longer a priest under Rob O'Neill's authority I can say or do what I want." I'm going to publicly clear my name by refuting his accusations." Furthermore, he said, "The national church and the House of Bishops have made it clear there's no place or tolerance for conservative, orthodox Episcopalians."

Armstrong has called it right. There is no place for the likes of orthodox folk in The Episcopal Church any more. Perhaps they should have a "Listening" Process in London set up for faithful Episcopalians who only want to practice their faith. If Sodomites can have one, why not us!

In the DIOCESE OF PENNSYLVANIA, Bishop Charles E. Bennison may face an ecclesiastical trial for his financial mismanagement of the diocese. Charges were sent up to the Title IV Review Committee this week. You can read the story here: http://tinyurl.com/yqcqt6

From the DIOCESE OF DALLAS...once more with feeling. Following Bishop Stanton's letter to the Diocese, which VOL obtained, comes further clarification by a priest of the diocese. He writes, "This is but the tip of the iceberg. What is not mentioned in Stanton's letter are the numbers, in terms of people and dollars, that have left the diocese. They are significant. The standing committee of the diocese is split 50-50, conservative-liberal. When one more conservative member leaves the standing committee will swing liberal. Also, it's notable that the 'conservative' block is considerably weaker than it was before the 2006 diocesan convention when Frs. David Roseberry (Christ Church Plano) and Dwight Duncan (St. Matthias Dallas) were still on the standing committee. They have long since departed."

The current outlook for the diocese departures is:

Christ Church, Plano, TX - Separated with property -
Faith Church, Allen, TX - Separated, leasing existing property -
Holy Trinity Episcopal, Garland, TX - Separated without property - Resurrection, Dallas, TX - Status pending -
St. Francis, Dallas, TX - In place, APO under Diocese of Ft. Worth -
St. Matthias, Dallas, TX - Separated with property -
St. Nicholas, Flower Mound, TX - Separated without property -
Trinity Church, Dallas, TX - Request to separate withdrawn pending primate's council decision

This represents slightly more that 10% of the parishes in the diocese but a higher percentage in terms of parishioners and contributors to the diocesan budget. "What we are witnessing is the disintegration of a once conservative diocese. And since Stanton withdrew his request for a direct primatial relationship with Archbishop Rowan Williams, we here wonder if this diocese will ever leave the Episcopal Church under any circumstances."

EPISCOPALIANS it seems do things better than anyone else - like church desecration. Blustery rocker Sir Elton John, who recently described organized religion as "hateful" and worthy of being banned, whoop it up recently at St. John the Divine cathedral on New York City's Upper West Side to celebrate his 60th birthday. Church officials apparently turned the other cheek to Sir John's disparaging comments, but some worshipers were still a little miffed, reported the New York Post. "It's inappropriate that everyone will be drunk and flamboyant in the cathedral," said one peeved churchgoer. The bacchanal for 400 guests included $18,000 worth of exotic flowers, 1,000 bottles of champagne and a large dessert mound of sticky toffee pudding - Sir Elton's favorite. The pews were removed from the sanctuary and tables were put in their place. According to a CNN report, the altar was removed and a bandstand was put in its place. The following night, Elton John had a second and public birthday celebration at Madison Square Garden. As part of the act, a photo or painting of a church was burned. One wag observed, maybe they will appoint Elton as the next Canadian Anglican Primate. Instead of "Abide With Me," we could sing songs like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." Wouldn't that be too divine! The celebrants could wear sequined vestments and fur topped suede boots. There was no sign of Frank and Phoebe Griswold. Frank holds the title of the Cathedral's Canon for International and Interfaith Ministry.

Episcopalians will also be rejoicing that Rep. John Conyers' (D-MI) is pushing a pro-homosexual/cross-dresser hate crimes bill (H.R. 1592) in an attempt to silence Christians. This bill is based upon two fraudulent premises: 1. There's a nationwide epidemic of hate that only federal action can handle; 2. Homosexuals and cross-dressers are so threatened by hate they are fleeing across state lines to avoid persecution. Traditional Values Coalition's Comic tells the truth about "hate" and the real goal of Conyers' legislation: Persecution of anyone who criticizes homosexual behaviors!

In the DIOCESE OF ALBANY, recently retired Bishop Dan Herzog announced that he was returning to the Roman Catholic Church. This is stunning news. He is the first TEC bishop, in many years, to make such a move. It is even more interesting in light of the fact that the former suffragan of the diocese, David Bena, just announced he was joining CANA! Bishop Love said he learned of Bishop Herzog's decision in a letter dated March 19 which he received upon his return from the spring retreat of the House of Bishops. The recent retirement and subsequent departure of both Bishop Dan [Herzog] and Bishop Dave [Bena] from The Episcopal Church can't help but have a major impact on each of us and our diocese," Bishop Love stated in a letter. You can read Albany Bishop Bill Love's letter here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/2lz3wo

CANA Bishop Martyn Minns will be officially installed as bishop of CANA Time: 12:30 p.m. Date:
Saturday, May 5, 2007:
Location: The Cecil D. Hylton Memorial Chapel
14640 Potomac Mills Road
Woodbridge, VA 22192

Members of CANA parishes nationwide will be traveling to Virginia for this historic celebration. Bishop Dave Bena, retired of Albany will be next in line.

THE PROVINCES 'Listening Process' Reports have now been published online. Most of the Anglican Ccommunion's 38 provinces have filed reports. The 'Listening Process' on homosexuality is not closed in The Episcopal Church's report.

"There continues to be a spectrum of opinions within the church," the report states. "Listening has no preconceived outcome other than to hear the voice of God in the present context. It is built on the common ground of commitment to God's mission and our baptismal covenant. It requires safe ground for people to express themselves in their vulnerability in order for the discontinuity between what we proclaim and how we are heard and experienced to be clear. It requires serious engagement with the Bible."

I was in touch with the Rev. Phil Groves who is the "facilitator" for this commission in London. He assures me that the process is not a fait accompli for sodomy being accepted in the Anglican Communion. The 1998 resolution, 1:10 at the Lambeth Conference of Bishops, called for member churches of the Anglican Communion to listen to the experience of homosexual persons. The mandate for listening was reaffirmed in 2005 during the ACC meeting in Nottingham, England. Representatives to that meeting approved Resolution 12, which called for the ACC secretary general to collect and make available statements and study material on homosexuality, which have been developed by member provinces. Some 32 of the 38 provinces have submitted official reports which have been published on the ACC website. The provinces which have not filed reports to date are: Bangladesh, North India, South India, Rwanda, Southeast Asia and Tanzania.

In contrast to the submission by The Episcopal Church, the report submitted by The Church of Nigeria views homosexuality as an "abominable deed." The report notes that the House of Bishops in The Church of Nigeria has supported a proposed state law, which if approved by the Nigerian legislature, would, among other provisions, ban same-sex unions, the formation of homosexual advocacy groups and "prevent wholesale importation of currently damaging Western values."

While recognizing the sinfulness, from the biblical perspective of homosexuality, "we must continue to keep open the door of restoration for homosexuals through repentance on the one hand, and sensitive pastoral care on the other," the Nigerian Church submission states. "The Church is clear that all people are sinners and need to repent. What it will not do is bless sinful lifestyles."

The problem with this "listening" process is that we are being asked to listen to the cries of active homosexuals and lesbians, from which no basis can be found in Scritpure. Jesus said we are to be HEARERS and DOERS of the word, not listeners to people engaging in sexual sin. VOL believes this is a vast waste of money, provided of course by The Episcopal Church, to keep the "conversation" about sodomy going forever and ever, amen.

A LEADING ANGLICAN source has told me how many Church of England (CofE) bishops are easily identifiable as gay. The answer is 20, he says, out of 114 diocesan and suffragan bishops. Certainly that is a lot more than the American Episcopal Church, but it might account for the fact that the spiritual life has gone out of the English Anglican tea party and that revival is desperately needed if the CofE is going to survive in any meaningful way. Perhaps disestablishment might be a good start. Most European denominations that are still tied to the apron strings of the state are in decline. Another reason why the American church scene is a lot healthier and more vibrant than Europe these days.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND bishops ignore their own guidelines on civil partnerships says Christopher Morgan, a London newspaper columnist and a close personal fried of Rowan Williams. An article appeared in a recent issue of the Church of England Newspaper claiming - quite correctly - that the C of E is the gay-friendlyest Church in the world, easily outstripping any other province of the Anglican Communion. That is because its bishops routinely ignore their own official guidelines on homosexuality - and especially civil partnerships, says Morgan. This will come as a shock to some of the Church of England Newspaper's evangelical readers.

Christianity's growth is reshaping China, says a religion expert. An ENI report says there is an increasing interest in Christianity among Chinese intellectuals and is is transforming the country's religious landscape. Edmond Tang, an academic and consultant on China for British and Irish churches, said this: "Today it is an open secret that Christian fellowships, a new kind of 'house church', run by Chinese professors and students, are active in most Chinese universities," he said in comments marking the relaunch of the China Study Journal, a publication analyzing religious policy in China. More than 30 academic faculties and research centers in China are now dedicated to the study of a "once maligned religion", whereas a few years ago there were only three.

IN CANADA things just go from bad to worse. The BISHOP OF BRANDON, The Left Rev. Bishop Jim Njegovan has threatened his clergy with expulsion if they join Anglican Essentials or Canada Network. No real surprise there. In the DIOCESE OF NEW WESTMINSTER, Michael Ingham is now jumping off the deep end with his miter on. He is earning the title of the "green" bishop for his newfound concern for the environment. He is also getting nervous about other Anglican jurisdictions that are invading his ecclesiastical territory. About a year ago, a former priest in his diocese joined the Reformed Episcopal Church (REC) and looked to start an REC work in Vancouver. Ingham went around the diocese preaching against the REC in some of his sermons (no doubt warning people against joining it). Interestingly enough, Bishop Charles Dorrington, REC Bishop of Western Canada and Alaska, is actively working towards starting an REC work in the Vancouver area. Ingham now has to live permanently with the ACiC in his backyard and these guys know how to make churches grow. They regularly receive overseas bishops and archbishops in Vancouver, which has Ingham grinding his teeth, especially when they make the local newspapers.

In the DIOCESE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA on Vancouver Island, the diocese is falling apart. The Left Rev. James A. J. Cowan is closing parishes according to a report in The Times Colonist. 'CLOSURE WRACKS ISLAND ANGLICANS', screamed a recent headline. According to the newspaper report, five parishes are earmarked for closure with some parishes being forced to ask the question, "Why are we here". Now that is an odd question for a church to be asking. Perhaps they should invite a number of African priests with a real fix on the gospel to answer that question for them. Apparently, that bishop will also not allow any of his clergy to belong to the Anglican Network. Any priest discovered flirting with Network people or meetings will be dismissed, VOL was told. The left will brook no opposition.

NEW WINESKINS. If you haven't registered for the New Wineskins for Global Mission 2007 conference April 11-15, 2007 at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Western North Carolina, I urge you strongly to do so. This tri-annual event is a winner with top-flight speakers and mission stimulators, who will excite you to get off your seats and do something. There will be something for everyone including college & and high school Anglican Communion members. Speakers and Anglican missionaries from around the world are coming to New Wineskins 2007 to inspire and equip Anglicans in North America. Over 1000 participants are expected. It is big, encouraging, eye opening, and life changing! New Wineskins Missionary Network is a member of the Anglican Communion Network and Anglican Global Mission Pa. To register click here: http://www.newwineskins.org/index.php?section=1

IN the GOD IS FAITHFUL DEPARTMENT...the folk at what was once All Saints, Attleboro, recently experienced a painful split from the liberal Diocese of Massachusetts over hot button issues like Robinson and more. Episcopal Bishop Tom Shaw evicted them from their property. Undeterred, Fr. Lance Giuffrida set about finding a new place and has been successful. An old Methodist church became available. The congregation will have an open house this Saturday, 2-4PM. The Church is the Hebronville Church, located 3.5 miles from the center of Attleboro on 152 South. The address is 1188 S. Main Street, Attleboro. The congregation will vote on the purchase of the church following each of the services on Sunday, said Fr. Lance.

THE DIOCESE OF WESTERN MICHIGAN story about the sale of the cathedral, which VOL has reported on, continues to provoke much Internet discussion. Wrote one observer, "Being an imperious bishop (Charles Bennison) spent outlandish amounts of money on a cathedral that no one attended. This is apparently a Bennison family tradition. The dean of the soon to be closed cathedral in Kalamazoo is reportedly a lesbian (see the comments at http://descant.classicalanglican.net/?p=1396) who was ordained to the priesthood by John Shelby Spong. She has been head of the Episcopal Women's Caucus, served on the Episcopal Church's Executive Council until 2006, serves on the board of Claiming the Blessing http://www.claimingtheblessing.org/whoweare.html, and was given a DD by Church Divinity School of the Pacific. The kind of liberal, homosexual-friendly congregation that the diocese tried to plant at the cathedral (and that is typical of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan generally) has not gone over very well in the conservative, predominantly Dutch Reformed areas of western Michigan. "There are all kinds of lessons to be learned from this disaster, but it won't happen. The dean will go on to a more important position (maybe even a national Church position), and the diocese will continue its liberal ways until it dies," said the VOL reader.

I AM POSTING a number of very fine columns for your reading enjoyment including: 86-year-old on trial for ministering to faithful by White House correspondent Les Kinsolving; The Episcopal Declaration of Independence by Jordan Hylden; THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH'S DEPARTURE FROM THE FAITH - C. FitzSimons Allison (must read); TWO PLUS TWO IS FIVE: The New Orthodoxy of TEC by J Gary L'Hommedieu also a must read, and The other side of slave trade by Akinpelu Johnson.

WE CLOSE with this word. There is no perfect society. The followers of Jesus are optimists, but not utopians. It is possible to improve society, but a perfect society awaits the return of Jesus Christ.

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