Evangelicalism and Catholicism have a lot more in common that Evangelicalism and Affirming Catholicism. --- William Wheatley, Anglican layman, Rosemont, PA

Preaching and election. The doctrine of election does not dispense with the necessity of preaching. On the contrary, it makes it essential. For Paul preaches and suffers for it (literally) 'in order that' they 'may obtain the salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory' (2 Tim. 2:11). The elect obtain salvation in Christ not apart from the preaching of Christ but by means of it. --- From "The Message of 2 Timothy" John R.W.Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
November 5, 2009

It's one diocese down, and one to go. The DIOCESE OF MINNESOTA dodged a bullet and refused to elect a lesbian to be their next bishop. Whew. Sighs of relief could be heard all the way to 815 2nd Avenue New York, NY, where Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori was trying to figure out what sort of a conversation she would have with Dr. Rowan Williams in the eventuality that they had done so.

Jefferts Schori: Rowan, this is merely a descriptive act not a prescriptive act.....

Williams: (interrupting) I heard that line from your General Convention in Anaheim when you passed Resolutions D025 and C056. What's your explanation this time?

Jefferts Schori: (silence). Sounds of Frank Sinatra "I did it my way" can be heard in the background.

Well, The Episcopal Church will have another crack at electing a gay or lesbian. This time it is in the DIOCESE OF LOS ANGELES where Bruno the Bully, a Liar and a real Sweetheart, can't wait to lay hands on some sexually confused person to the screams of sodomite applause from (the Rev.) Susan Russell and her cadre of lesbians and gays.

If the diocese elects either Mary Douglas Glasspool (lesbian) or John L Kirkley (homosexual), the Global South will erupt and it will be another nail in the coffin of any Covenant being cooked up to save the Anglican Communion. The Deep Thinkers will have to put their heads together to come up with a fourth, fifth or sixth draft to figure about how Mrs. Jefferts Schori can stay at the Anglican table of our Lord without embarrassing the Africans whom she and others keep accusing of being polygamists and practitioners of the fine art of female circumcision.

The newly elected Bishop of MINNESOTA, Brian Prior got a response from blogger Kathryn at Anglicat. She wrote, "It was not the best but it was not the worst. By the fifth ballot, Spokane's Brian Prior was able to garner sufficient additional votes to his initial lead in order to cross over into victory as the Ninth Bishop of Minnesota.

"By relegating partnered lesbian Bonnie Perry to last place in the initial balloting as well as on the third ballot, Diocesan delegates clearly pulled back from making an additional 'prophetic statement' to the Anglican Communion. Perry and Doyle Turner both withdrew their names after the third ballot.

"What does Prior's election mean for Minnesota? As the Vice-President for the House of Deputies, Brian Prior is expected to follow Presiding Bishop Schori's leads like the proverbial white on rice. On the other hand, Prior brings a certain integrity to the Diocese in that he personally did not conduct any same-sex blessings, thus honoring the communion-wide moratorium.

"An encouraging sign elsewhere at Convention was rolling back an unfortunate canonical revision of nine years ago that had given Bishop Jelinek sole authority to set the salaries for Diocesan staffers. If more of the draconian canonical revisions can be rolled back in the near future, the Diocese of Minnesota may well be on its way to healthier times. The overriding sentiment seemed to be that any change is likely to be good." One can but hope.
www.anglikin.blogspot.com.

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The UK wing of the TRADITIONAL ANGLICAN COMMUNION - a group of traditionalists who have left official Anglicanism - has voted to accept Pope Benedict XVI's offer of a Personal Ordinariate. The TAC has only a few small communities in Britain, but the Pope will be pleased by this development. Worldwide they are 400,000 with some 38 bishops,

Here are more details, from the Signum blog:

The Traditional Anglican Communion in the UK voted last Thursday (October 29) to request that they form part of the proposed Ordinariate in the UK.

During the Forward in Faith conference Archbishop Hepworth of the TAC had stated that the motion would be placed before the Synod of the Traditional Anglican Church in the UK (and other Synods of the TAC) that the Apostolic Constitution of Benedict XVI be accepted and that its immediate implementation be requested. You can read more in today's digest.

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A NUMBER of dioceses are in deep financial trouble. Many are downsizing, closing parishes and seeing more people fleeing in all directions. You can read the story here or in today's digest. http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=11507

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ACNA, the new North American Anglican province announced that they will be adding five more parishes. They will be welcomed into the diocese of Fort Worth next week. Several of these parishes are former TEC churches, while one is a new church plant. The Church of Christ the Redeemer will be recognized as a mission parish in Fort Worth, under its vicar, Fr. Christopher Culpepper. St. Francis Church in Dallas will be welcomed as a new parish of the diocese, while St Gabriel's Anglican Church in Bentonville, AR, will become a mission station of the diocese. And St. Matthias' Anglican Church in Dallas and the Church of the Holy Spirit in Tulsa, OK, will become parishes of the diocese under a new Parish Affiliation Agreement that has been put into place there.

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The other remnant diocese of Ft. Worth is set to elect another provisional bishop and will consider retired Bishop C. Wallis Ohl to succeed the Rt. Rev. Edwin F. (Ted) Gulick Jr. Ohl is the retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas. He was selected by the diocesan Standing Committee in consultation with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. Convention business will also include consideration of changes to diocesan constitution and canons, various resolutions, budget approval as well as election of leadership to diocesan offices.

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The Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh, formerly known as the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, will gather for its 144th Diocesan Convention at St. Stephen's Church in Sewickley, PA, on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7. Two-hundred and ninety deputies and additional observers will represent the fifty-five congregations of the diocese gathered to celebrate their ministry, to pray and engage in hope-filled work for the year ahead.

Beginning at 6 p.m., the Friday evening portion of the celebration and banquet, featuring Archbishop Robert Duncan's address, will be broadcast live on http://www.anglicantv.org. The Saturday business portion of the meeting, beginning with prayer at 8 a.m., will feature discussion and voting on the full admission of four new parishes: Harvest Anglican Church in Homer City, PA; Church of the Transfiguration in Cleveland, OH; Saint James Church in San Jose, CA; and Holy Trinity Church in Raleigh, NC. The Convention deputies will also vote on ratifying the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh's status as a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America which was constituted this past summer as an emerging Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

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PITTSBURGH...more. The remnant group that calls itself the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh which withdrew from The Episcopal Church over concerns relating to gay clergy, informed 135 members that they are being released from their vows.

Provisional Bishop Kenneth L. Price Jr. wrote to each of the affected clergy, which a diocesan news release said was its way of "making good on its offer to release the individuals from their licensed ministry in the Episcopal Church in a way that does not involve disciplinary action."

That offer came and concerns priests and deacons whom the diocese said have accepted letters of transfer to the Argentina-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.

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CHRIST CHURCH PLANO will delay ordaining women, VOL has learned. The Rev. David Roseberry has decided that the issue of ordaining women is too divisive of an issue to be decided by individual churches, so he will put a hold on ordaining women until the AMiA "community" (it was unclear which community this is,) decides on a community-wide basis. In practice, this amounts to an indefinite hold on ordaining women at Christ Church. A source told VOL that although this is not the outcome many had hoped for, it at least buys some time.

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NASHOTAH HOUSE conferred honorary doctorates on four notable persons recently. They were:
The Rt. Rev. D. Bruce MacPherson, Bishop of Western Louisiana.
The Rt. Rev. Donald Frederick Harvey, Bishop of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Rev. Canon Doctor John H. Heidt, Canon theologian of the Diocese of Ft. Worth (Bishop Iker's Diocese). He died 10/23/2009. Nashotah House said that Canon Heidt's Award was personally presented posthumously in a ceremony in Texas to his family by Bishop Keith Ackerman the Vice Chair of Board of Trustees of Nashotah.
The Rev. Dr. Jeremy Patrick Sheehy is Guardian of the Shrine and the former Principal of St. Stephen's House, Oxford, UK.

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NEW YORK. Eight New York Episcopal bishops sent a letter to the state's Governor David Patterson recently protesting proposed budget cuts to education. In the letter, the bishops, representing the state's six Episcopal dioceses, gave four reasons among their concerns for opposing the cuts:

* "We believe that it is immoral to work out the consequences of adult behavior on the backs of children. Ideally we should give more resources to better prepare this generation to inherit the world we are leaving them.

* "The proposed cuts disproportionately affect poor and minority children, further entrenching institutional racism in our society.

* "The lack of resources will reinforce the school to prison pipeline. Such cuts are a false economy, as keeping a child in school is a fraction of the cost of keeping him in prison.

* "These cuts will reverse the hard-won progress made in recent years."

Patterson proposed $686 million in education cuts this school year on Oct. 15 in an attempt to close state's $3 billion projected budget deficit this fiscal year. The eight bishops are: New York Mark S. Sisk and Bishop Catherine S. Roskam, bishop suffragan of New York, signed the letter on behalf of the Council of Episcopal Bishops of New York State, which also includes the Bishop of Central New York Gladstone B. Adams III, retired Bishop of Albany David Ball, Bishop of Western New York Michael Garrison, Bishop of Albany William Love, Bishop of Rochester Prince Singh and Bishop Coadjutor of Long Island Lawrence Provenzano.

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WESTERN NEW YORK. The Diocese of Western New York has opened the application process for its 11th bishop, according to a Nov. 3 news release. The profile and nomination and application forms are available at: http://www.wnybishopsearch.org/. The deadline for completed applications is Dec. 31, 2009.

The profile identifies a sense of balance as key to the character of the next bishop of Western New York: balance between being an administrator and pastor, a person of prayer and a community leader, a good listener and a bold speaker.

"While we are looking for a person whose leadership is grounded in a deep relationship with God in Christ, we are also looking for someone who will laugh with us, who will find joy in our presence, who will be so awed by the mysteriously surprising work of God in and among us that s/he will remind us not to take ourselves too seriously, and who is so passionately committed to building up the Body of Christ in this place that s/he will take risks with grace and faith," the profile states.

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MAINE "Gay marriage" goes down to defeat. Despite a massive effort by outside homosexual activist groups to influence the vote, a homosexual "marriage" bill went down to defeat in Maine through a "People's Veto" - whereby voters can reject a law by plebiscite. The YES vote was inching up in the late hours Tuesday and early morning. At 2:00 AM EST, with 87% of the precincts tallied, the "Bangor Daily News" reported that the "YES" vote to repeal Maine's new "gay marriage" law was ahead by about 52.75 to 47.25%.

Americans For Truth and Mass Resistance worked with Maine pro-family stalwart Paul Madore of the Maine Grassroots Coalition to educate citizens on the role of outside radical homosexual groups in the "NO" campaign. A massive effort initiated by out-of-state homosexuals working with liberals was compromised by a brilliant campaign by Maine's conservative citizens.

The Bishop of Maine Stephen Lane lamented the vote saying, "Many faithful Episcopalians are deeply grieved at this decision. They had hoped that they and their families might enjoy the recognition and protections afforded heterosexual couples. The rejection of the law also feels like rejection of them as persons. I join in their grief that the right of same gender couples to enter into a lifelong, monogamous marriage has been denied. At the same time I know there are other faithful Episcopalians who are thankful about the election results. I understand that this matter has been a matter of conscience for them."

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In the DIOCESE OF DALLAS, Canon Neal Michel reports that the diocese is healthy and growing. In a recent address to the diocese, he reported:

* "We have continued to plant churches. We have planted five churches and several new communities of faith, targeting Latinos, young adults, Koreans, and African Immigrants. Approximately ten percent of our average Sunday attendance is traceable to these new communities of faith.
* We have increased the number of people going on short-term mission trips.
* We have been more intentionally involved in more and more local outreach. We are leaders in the City of Dallas Justice Revival.
* We are revising the way we do communications.
* All Saints Camp continues to be a place where leaders are developed and people deepened in their relationship with Christ.

Have we accomplished the goals we set for ourselves? No. Are more passionate about the gospel as a diocese? Yes. Have we made great strides? Yes. We are a remarkably different diocese than we were nearly nine years ago when we first embarked on our Strategic Plan. We are more mission oriented, more evangelistic, more strategic at every level."

And how diversified and improved is their discernment process?

* "We currently have 21 people in the discernment process.
* Nine are scheduled to graduate this coming spring.
* Five are under the age of thirty * Seven are under the age of forty
* Four are pursuing the Diaconate
* 19 the priesthood
* 7 are women; 14 are men
* In addition, we have four candidates in the Titus Project for rural areas."

It's a pity liberal dioceses like Maine, Newark and Pennsylvania can't or won't imbibe the same message.

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ACKERMAN AND JEFFERTS SCHORI....THE LETTERS. The following is from Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori posted on Curmudgeon blog from the office of the Presiding Bishop.

Dear Mr. Johnson,

I am unable to accede to your request, as Keith Ackerman has asked that I not publish his letters to me. I would encourage you to speak to your own diocesan bishop if you have concerns about this matter.

I remain

Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori

Background. In his "deposition" Bishop Ackerman wrote two hand written letters to Jefferts Schori and got no response. At a phone-in press conference several reporters asked to see the letters. Sometime later Bishop Ackerman wrote and said he felt it was not appropriate to release them and the Presiding Bishop has concurred with that request.

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The British Parliament will host the first "'gay wedding"' in equalities victory for supporters. The hallowed halls of Westminster will take a major step into the 21st century next spring when the Palace defies convention to host its first ever civil partnership ceremony, The "Independent" newspaper revealed. Chris Bryant, the Europe minister, will become the first gay MP to have a civil partnership within the parliamentary estate in what will be seen as a symbolic victory for gay rights. Despite his role in the historic event, the former Church of England chaplain said he was "just happy to be getting married" after becoming engaged to his partner, Jared Cranney. "Jared and I are engaged and we hope to have a civil partnership - or a marriage is what it feels like - in March of next year," he said. "We'd like to do it in Parliament, if possible."

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IN AUSTRALIA the Catholic and Anglican Churches are praising a decision that overturned a finding favoring a gay couple's bid to become foster parents., with Sydney's Cardinal George Pell calling called it a "helpful" step "in the right direction", according to "The Daily Telegraph". The couple, who were refused access to the Wesley Mission's foster care agency because they are homosexual, had successfully pleaded their case to the Administrative Decisions Tribunal., they They were awarded $10,000 and the Wesley Mission told to change its practices so it didn't discriminate. A highly critical appeal panel has however quashed that decision and ordered the original tribunal to hear the case again.

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The Financial Times reported that Anglican clergy are facing the prospect of receiving smaller pensions when they retire after the Church of England's pension scheme succumbed to the "cult of equity" and sank 100 per cent of its investments into stocks towards the end of the 1990s bull market. According to the FT, the Church of England's current pension scheme for the clergy is now considering sharply curtailing the rate at which they accrue benefits. For a young clergyman, aged 30, these benefits could turn out to be less than half of what recent retirees are receiving.

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ENGLAND: The Church of England has published a book of prayers and reflections to help frazzled commuters prepare for the winter ahead -- and then unwind on the way home. To mark the launch, the bishop who prepared the book has recorded an extract for a special podcast, downloadable from the Church of England website, to help commuters get into the habit through their iPods. The podcast is available at http://cofe.anglican.org/podcast.

The Rt. Rev. Christopher Herbert, recently retired bishop of St. Albans, wrote the book after reflecting on the "turbulence" of the modern working day, beginning with the search for a space to park. "It might have been dark, wet and miserable," suggests the bishop, "and then, once on the train, the carriage was packed. It's not exactly a stress-free or easy way to begin the day, is it?"

In Pocket Prayers for Commuters, published Nov. 4 by Church House Publishing, the bishop sets out a month-long set of brief reflections and prayers for the morning rush and evening exodus, drawing on the idea that in spite of all the hassle and stress of commuting, "real peace is waiting to be found." The full address can be found here. http://lowly.blogspot.com/2009/11/bishop-nominee-neal-michell-address-to.html

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When the Pope goes to England, he has been invited to visit North East UK and preach in Durham Cathedral at the invitation of its bishop Tom Wright. The invitation, from a partnership of Anglicans and Catholics, follows a visit by a Vatican representative to Durham University in March. It was made by Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, and is supported by Bishop Seamus Cunningham of the Catholic diocese of Hexham and Newcastle. Bishop Wright said,: "Durham has in recent years become a major global centre for ecumenical work and the close interlinking of cathedral and university means that Durham is well placed to host an event which is simultaneously academic and ecumenically spiritual."

This confirms my suspicion that the Pope has more respect for the neo-evangelical Tom Wright than the Affirming Catholic Rowan Williams. What a message to send out to the world. If he accepts, it would be the first Papal visit to north-east England.

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The 2009 report on International Religious Freedom can be seen here: http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/index.htm

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Christians persecuted in England. Watch this chilling report: http://tinyurl.com/yjbrhsh

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ERD SUES CHURCH OF SOUTH INDIA. Malaika Kamunanwire, Senior Director, Marketing & Communications for Episcopal Relief & Development (ERD), wrote VOL to say that funds to benefit the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami have gone missing and are unaccounted for forcing Episcopal Relief & Development to file a civil case against the Church of South India (CSI) and its former leadership in Chennai, India.

Two years ago, ERD approached the local Church authorities with concerns when CSI failed to complete the financial reporting and required audits outlined in their agreement for 2005 and 2006. "As a result, we suspended work with CSI and implemented an in-depth effort to account for the missing funds. After a lengthy process, we deeply regret that we have been forced to take legal action. While this situation is highly unusual, we strive to honor our commitment to the people we serve around the world and the generosity of our faithful donors. By and large, our global partners are extremely meticulous in providing required reports and conducting audits as required by the terms of our partnership agreements. Our partnership with CSI was only a portion of our tsunami response work. As per standard plans and procedures, clean audits were completed with our church partners in both North India and Sri Lanka.

"The sole objective of our ongoing efforts to recover the tsunami relief funds is to fulfill our original intent to faithfully administer the funds that are received on behalf of vulnerable people."

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States.

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