DATE: November 15, 2006 (following General Convention 2006).

And so, dear readers, VirtueOnline can now tell you what has been planned for months -- the extirpation of all orthodox bishops in the Episcopal Church and the total evisceration of biblically faithful Episcopalians in The Episcopal Church.

This past week VirtueOnline received the detailed plans in the form of "committee notes" of the Episcopal organization called Via Media, a liberal, pansexual, orthodox-hating group that bills itself as the Episcopal Church's "middle way," combining progressive and traditional approaches to the Bible, tradition, and human understanding.

It is anything but. Via Media's planned coup just got exposed; its true agenda was revealed when committee notes from one of its meetings fell into the hands of VirtueOnline.

What we learned was a strategy being planned for the "Day After" the next General Convention in 2006, when presumably the momentum already begun by many orthodox parishes and priests to leave the ECUSA will accelerate with the forced departure of the Anglican Communion Network bishops by Via Media foot soldiers with the help of friendly revisionist bishops and the presiding bishop and lots of presentments. As of our going to press, Frank Griswold had not repudiated the Via Media's planned "Day After" attack.

You can read the plans in detail in today's digest. VirtueOnline urges everyone reading these detailed plans, and my own story, "SEX, LIES AND VIA MEDIA," to post the stories to all your Episcopal friends. Make sure every Episcopalian you know reads what these people are up to. Make no mistake about it, we are seeing the end of orthodoxy as we know it in the Episcopal Church. Ignoring it, sticking your head in the sand and saying, "I won't let it bother me and my parish," is no longer acceptable.

IT WILL AFFECT YOU. History is proof of that. The history of the homosexual movement in the Episcopal Church shows that they will attack anyone who does not support them. Mere silence by the orthodox will not protect them.

And every ordinary Episcopalian of Griswold's so-called "diverse center" will wake up and find that those people who upheld the "faith once delivered to the saints" are gone, and their own churches held together by theologically and morally bankrupt priests will themselves be dead, within a decade.

The American Anglican Council condemned Via Media's planned coup of biblically faithful dioceses and issued the following statement in response to the revealed plans:

"If Via Media's plans become a reality, every orthodox bishop and diocese will be ousted, leaving dioceses with rogue bishops and diocesan commissions. The biblically faithful within those dioceses would be held captive and lose their affiliation with the worldwide Anglican Communion.

"Via Media's exposed plot to supplant ACN bishops is outrageous and unconscionable. It is a travesty for a group bent upon abandoning any semblance of Anglican faith and order to call itself 'via media.'

"Since its inception, Via Media has served as a pawn of 815 [the Episcopal Church's national office], Integrity USA, Every Voice Network, and other radical revisionists intent upon transforming the Episcopal Church into a religion devoid of Christian faith, doctrine and practice. While espousing a mantra of tolerance and diversity, the organization has now been exposed as a body committed to dismantling dioceses that uphold Scriptural faith and historic Anglican doctrine. Via Media clearly has no desire to walk together with the Anglican Communion; nor does it respect the mind of the Communion on matters of sexuality. Rather, it has plotted and schemed with unparalleled duplicity to seize control of dioceses, thereby usurping legitimate episcopal and diocesan authority.

"If Frank Griswold, ECUSA chancellor David Booth Beers, and 815 are not complicit in this scandalous plan, they need to publicly repudiate Via Media's strategy and break all contact with Via Media groups."

The ANGLICAN COMMUNION NETWORK headed up by Bishop Bob Duncan (Pittsburgh) issued a statement responding to Via Media's "worst-case scenario."

"Talk of blank presentment forms and consulting with the Presiding Bishop about replacing duly elected bishops, does indeed qualify as anticipating and preparing for the worst. The Network has been the frequent subject of conspiracy theories, and we are content to let our actions speak for themselves."

"To the extent that the Episcopal Church insists on walking apart from the broader Anglican Communion, the Network intends to strengthen Anglican bonds of affection. As we look toward the 2006 General Convention, we recall this warning to the early church: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.' Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin" (James 4:14-17, NRSV), wrote Doug LeBlanc for the Network.

AND TO ROUND OUT the fantasy that all is well in the ECUSA, Frank Griswold told Japan's Anglican leaders while on a visit there for what he euphemistically called a shared "journey of reconciliation" that "though we in the Episcopal Church live with strains and tensions, as do other provinces of the Communion as well, they are not anywhere near as severe as news reports might suggest." Clearly Frank is not up on the latest from Via Media. Someone should clue him in.

"The overwhelming reality of the Episcopal Church is what I call the 'diverse center,' men and women of differing points of view, including bishops, who see the mission of the church, and its ministry of reconciliation, as their primary focus," Griswold said.

Citing the example of Christ's dual humanity and divinity, Griswold said that Anglican orthodoxy has historically been "able to contain the paradox of two apparently contradictory things being true at once."

In the DIOCESE OF FLORIDA, Bishop John Howard thought it was time for a little talk with the Rev. Neil Lebhar about the situation with the Florida Six. Clearly rattled by the departure of 1,000-plus Episcopalians from St. John's in Jacksonville, with the Rev. Eric Dudley, Lebhar, rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Jacksonville, met to discuss the process of negotiating with Howard for a graceful exit from the Episcopal Church. The conversation was gracious, productive and extensive, with both sides committed to negotiation rather than litigation for the sake of the gospel, Lebhar said.

Howard said he sees no signs of repentance by the Episcopal bishops that will be satisfactory to the Florida Six or too many Anglican archbishops for the actions taken at the last Episcopal Church General Convention, said Lebhar.

Departure by many parishes will be inevitable. Lebhar said he had created a transition team within his parish that is preparing for an exit from the ECUSA. Such teams are in various stages of formation in other congregations around the diocese that are not as far along as the Florida Six in their exit preparations. You can read the full story in today's digest.

In the DIOCESE OF SOUTH CAROLINA Two lawsuits have been filed (10-04-05) against Bishop Edward Salmon and the Episcopal Diocese of SC as well as the national Church for harboring an alleged sexual predator in the person of Mack Swafford who allegedly pled "guilty" to charges as well as for other tort actions. The lawsuits were filed by Beverly Moore and Peter Rowe. More on this story as the news emerges.

In the DIOCESE OF TEXAS a senior warden of a parish told VirtueOnline that at a recent clergy conference for the diocese, Bishop Don Wimberly finally "got off the fence" and said that the time may come when the Diocese of Texas will have to leave ECUSA and join a more orthodox group. One hopes, and while the news sounds encouraging, we won't know what he will do until he actually does it.

In the DIOCESE OF THE RIO GRANDE at its annual Diocesan Convocation, the diocese overwhelmingly passed the following resolution:

"Resolved, that this 2005 Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande memorializes the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church to reaffirm its constitutional obligation to be a constituent member of the Anglican Communion, in communion with the See of Canterbury, and to respond positively to the findings and recommendation of the 2004 Windsor Report."

The resolution was written and recommended by the new orthodox bishop, the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Steenson. There was some rather specious and intellectually dishonest opposition by Via Media, mainly on the grounds that since a substantial minority of the members of the convocation had not actually read and studied the Windsor Report cover to cover, they should indefinitely postpone voting on the resolution, but this went nowhere, said a source.

And in the DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUT, members of the 221st annual convention passed a resolution on Saturday urging Bishop Andrew Smith to allow priests in Connecticut to preside at civil union ceremonies. The resolution passed overwhelmingly.

A law allowing same-sex civil unions in Connecticut took effect Oct. 1, but Bishop Andrew Smith reminded clergy in a recent memo that they are not authorized to officiate at blessings of same-sex unions. He said that won't change at least until the House of Bishops meets in 2006.

The resolution, while not binding, gives the diocese "a sense of this convention at this time," Smith said. There will be other occasions to discuss whether priests should preside over civil unions or not, he said.

TRANSLATION: "Wait up, sodomites, you don't have to leave, give me time and you can have all the blessings I can pour out unto you. In time I will hang the few remaining orthodox priests and their parishes." Signed, with deepest affection, A.S. (S).

Also at the convention The Rev. Michelle Hansen, STM a transgendered priest submitted a resolution supporting "the rights, liberty and equality of all individuals based on gender identity or expression as well as sexual orientation, so that all members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community will be protected from discrimination in our parishes and have access to all sacraments and privileges afforded to members of the Diocese." It failed by a narrow margin of 198 to 172.

IN OTHER DIOCESAN news, the ousted vestry of St. John's Bristol has written a letter to Bishop Smith condemning the rogue vestry installed by the Rev. Susan McCone demanding that they still be recognized as the lawful vestry and retain the right to call a new priest following the resignation of their rector the Rev. Dr. Mark Hansen.

In their letter they say, "We do not acknowledge this demand for resignation, first, because Susan McCone has no authority to request it. The canons of the Episcopal Church are quite clear about the conditions under which a Bishop may appoint a Priest-in-Charge: "After consultation with the Vestry, the Bishop may appoint a Priest to serve as Priest-in-Charge of any congregation in which there is no Rector." (Canon III.9.3.b).

You can read the full letter in today's digest.

And the word is out that the EPISCOPAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF THE SOUTHWEST is looking for a new dean to replace Titus Pressler. Among the wonderful things the seminary has to say about itself is that its mission "is to prepare lay and ordained leaders who will equip the church to carry out God's mission in a culturally diverse world, both perceptively and courageously, in the name of Jesus Christ." This "mission" statement does not include mention of the Great Commission, nor does it preclude shacking up with whomever while you get your degree at the seminary to proclaim whatever the "mission" statement means.

FROM AGAPE PRESS comes this. While reports have noted that Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers is a member of an evangelical, pro-life church in Texas, some conservatives are upset that she has chosen to attend a pro-homosexual Episcopal church while living in the nation's capital. Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council says he is disturbed by the fact that Miss Miers attends St. John's Episcopal Church. "It's very much a part of the sort of mainstream Washington Diocese Episcopal Church," he says. St. John's is known as a support of homosexual rights. "The diocese, of course, approves of same-sex marriages," Schenck continues. "The bishop of the diocese, Bishop John Chane, not only voted for but participated in the consecration of an openly homosexual bishop." Schenck says the extent of homosexual advocacy at St. John's is well known, and attendees must have a comfort level with that fact. Schenck says it is likely that attending that parish has had "some kind of negative, deleterious effect on Miss Miers' spiritual life." Meanwhile, the White House continues to promote the fact that Miers regularly attends a pro-life church in Texas.

GUILBORD PROMOTED. Bishop C. Christopher Epting, the presiding bishop's deputy for ecumenical and interfaith relations, recently announced the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord as the new interfaith consultant for his office. You should know that Guibord currently serves as the officer of ecumenical and interreligious concerns for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, is the Province VIII coordinator for ecumenical and interreligious concerns, is also a refugee from the clerical ranks of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) and a well-known lesbian, and is a psychotherapist by profession (as is her partner, Lo Sprague). Bishop Jon Bruno ordained her to the priesthood on January 23, 2005 at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul. She was the first openly homosexual person to become president of a state ecumenical council in the USA. Upon her election, Guibord said, "I think that people are beginning to recognize that gays and lesbians are faithful people." Right. And you wonder why three parishes have fled that diocese and more will follow.

The DIOCESE OF ALBANY will be looking for a new bishop but not yet. Word that he would announce his departure in March 2006 is not true. Suffragan Bishop David Bena reports that new Episcopal Church Canons say that the diocesan must retire within three years of the ordination of the new coadjutor in which case that would be the fall of 2006. Bishop Herzog then has until Fall of '09 to retire. "He has not stated any intentions as to when he will retire - he is 64 now; and if he stays till '09, he will be 68," said Bena.

The Rt. Rev. Dan Herzog recently announced his retirement, and the diocese will be looking for a new bishop coadjutor. The date set for the election is March 25, 2006, just 90 days before GC2006. Herzog is 64 and has been bishop since 1998. He is a thoroughly orthodox bishop, and one hopes his replacement will be the same. You can be sure that the Via Media in his diocese will be pulling out all the strings to make sure a "moderate" replaces him.

And in the DIOCESE OF EASTON, Reese S. Rickards, the archdeacon and communications officer, got into a first-class snit and wrote a letter to the Star Democrat complaining that St. Andrew's Anglican Church (which had recently purchased Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church in Easton) was misleading its readers by calling itself Anglican.

Sniffed the archdeacon, "The name this group has chosen for itself -- Anglican -- implies it is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion. In fact, this group has no relationship whatsoever to the Archbishop of Canterbury or any of the other agencies that define Anglicanism. The only denomination in this country that is part of the Anglican Communion is The Episcopal Church in the United States of America, of which the Episcopal Diocese of Easton is the regional representative. We trust that in any future articles you will note that St. Andrew Church, regardless of its name, is not a member of the Anglican Communion." Really.

In an open letter to the diocese, The Right Reverend Joel Marcus Johnson, rector of Little St. Andrew's and bishop of the Diocese of The Chesapeake, fired back. He blasted the archdeacon, saying that he was "treading upon black ice in his livid letter to the editor."

"That Saint Andrew's is not part of the Episcopal Church has always been among its most desirable and distinctive characteristics," Johnson wrote. "Saint Andrew's has no ardor to be part of it, but to offer safe haven for those who, by conscience and the desire to remain within the classic Christian, Anglican tradition, have left the Episcopal Church or have been forced from it.

"Certainly, we grieve that we must walk apart from the Archbishop of Canterbury, his various contradictory opinions having so badly compromised his position, his unsteady hand at the helm of the Anglican Communion in the wild seas created by the Episcopal Church."

Johnson blasted the ECUSA for promoting as a new bishop (Robinson) "a man who had abandoned his wife and children to live in an open and adulterous relationship with another man, further distancing the denomination from the mainstream of the Anglican Communion."

Wrote Johnson, "I counsel Reese S. Rickards, in the friendliest way, to refrain from his arch-pharisaic persecution of the little, struggling St. Andrew's. He should pick on somebody his own size. With the crisis in the Episcopal Church, he should have enough to do, already, explaining things to the faithful communicants of the Easton Diocese who have been kept in the dark on the fate looming over the Episcopal Church."

Someone should remind the archdeacon that the Episcopal Church has been suspended from the worldwide body till the next Lambeth Conference in 2008. So who is he to talk?

And from ENGLAND comes word that the Rev. Sandy Millar will be consecrated by the Ugandan Church for missionary work in England. Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi of Uganda got consent from his House of Bishops and appointed Millar a priest of the Church of England, in London. Bishop-elect Millar will be licensed to act as a bishop in mission in the London Diocese, using his wide experience as a church planter and growth practitioner. Bishop Orombi will consecrate the ALPHA-driven priest in Uganda on November 27.

Interestingly enough, this was first raised and mentioned as a possibility by VirtueOnline in 2004. Apparently it has the full support and encouragement of the archbishop of Uganda; the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams; and the bishop of London, Richard Chartres.

There's a touch of irony about all this. Liberals have been screaming about the irregularity of bishops crossing diocesan lines, and African bishops have come in for a real basting for coming into the United States (at the request of biblically orthodox parishes), but apparently it is okay if Dr. Rowan Williams gives the green light for an evangelical London priest to be consecrated by an evangelical African primate to return to London and serve in a diocese that is run by an Anglo-Catholic bishop!

From IRELAND comes word that Irish Archbishop Robins Eames is in a new row over accusations he made that African bishops are being bought off with Western money. He lashed out at Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola, accusing him and others of accepting financial aid from those who agree with him on the issue of homosexuality.

Akinola issued a strongly-worded open letter to Archbishop Eames on the Anglican Web site, saying that if Eames had evidence of such financial inducements he should reveal them or "make a public apology to your brother primates."

In his statement, Eames underlined that the current debate was "theological" and that he found himself "very disturbed by any speculation around the role that money may play in determining outcomes".

"I feel that when money or assistance is raised in any part of the Anglican Communion and offered for use where it might extend Christ's kingdom, it should be offered and accepted in those terms alone," he said.

Clearly caught out, and what looked like a replay of the "chicken dinner" accusations by revisionist bishops at Lambeth 1998, Eames promptly backed down, saying, "I categorically state I have never believed that any financial offer was accepted by any of those who represent the Global South on any other than terms of Christian outreach. I have communicated this to Archbishop Akinola this morning."

STORIES in today's digest will take you around the Anglican Communion, and there are some fine AS EYE SEE IT writings by priests and laity alike.

Events are unraveling so fast in the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion that it now takes this writer working seven days a week to keep the Web site up to the mark with breaking stories around the world. We may have to go back and put out digests twice weekly, though I am reluctant to overload you with too much information. Please go to the Web site, www.virtueonline.org, daily and invite friends to go there as well to read the latest as the news breaks. Sign up friends to receive the digest. There is no charge to anyone; it all comes free.

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