Knowing what Jesus has done for us is enough; we think it's unnecessary for us to do anything after that. In fact, pastors are often hesitant to preach the plain meaning of the passages denoting our obligations as followers of Christ, for fear of being accused of preaching justification by "works." As a result, many Christians become anemic on biblical teachings about morality and our responsibility. --- Chenyuan Snider

Researchers spent five years analyzing data from workers across the United States and found that people from minority faiths -- such as Hindus, Jews, Buddhists and Muslims -- were far more likely to say they felt pressured to hide their faith at work. --- Molly Jackson

If you're a conservative, and you want to engage in Critical Theory stuff, then you're engaged in a raw power struggle where truth doesn't count. You have chosen the game that you are playing at this point. Circling back to the Christian dimension of this, I don't think that's an option for a Christian. --- Carl Trueman

The Episcopal Church cannot affirm "ethical non-monogamy," including polyamory. If we were to do so, it would violate the teaching of Scripture, especially that of Jesus, the tradition that is grounded upon and flows from the scriptural revelation, and the recent work we have done. Moreover, these nonmarital arrangements are fraught with failure, potentially even more devastating than marriages that die. Those of us who have publicly affirmed that we conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Church must conform to this doctrine as well, in our preaching, teaching, and pastoral practice, as well as in our personal lives. -- Rt. Rev. Pierre Whalon

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
November 1, 2024

What Happens to Churches When Population Falls? This isn't just a hypothetical scenario. Many countries around the world are losing population. Others are projected to. Even in the United States, which will likely keep growing, in two thirds of counties more people are dying than being born. Over 1,200 counties are already losing population. Our falling birth rates mean that at a minimum we will be seeing demographic weakness going forward, observes blogger Aaron M. Renn.

How will this affect the country and churches? One general rule is: decline produces concentration.

As the population declines people and activity pool into a limited number of successful places. When a country starts losing population, it doesn't lose it evenly. Instead, peripheral, or other areas with some sort of challenge are affected first and worst. As their populations age and opportunity declines, young people actively leave and move to places that are still vibrant, typically a big city and often the capital, says Renn.

The same phenomenon is going to hit churches as demographics weaken and adherence to Christianity continues to decline. As churches shrink, get older in average age, and struggle to reinvent themselves, some congregants will stay until the end but many others, especially younger people, will leave for more vibrant congregations.

It has already started. The Episcopal Church is seeing an unprecedented number of diocesan merges from the Midwest to the North East with more undoubtedly on the way.

Young people are not coming in to fill the pews, neither indeed are the much beloved LGBTQ and adored queer community. Hardest hit will be rust belt areas and the Midwest.

But it is not just the US, The Church in Wales, a progressive Anglican province is switching from parishes to ministry and mission areas. People from across Wales will meet Nov. 4-5 to pool their experience of the new form of church structures called Ministry or Mission Areas. The first Diocesan Learning Community took place in 2023.

All parishes have now been amalgamated into larger areas that are served by a team of lay and ordained ministers, offering both traditional and pioneering ministry and sharing resources. The term Mission Areas has been adopted in the Diocese of St. Asaph, covering North-East Wales, with the rest of Wales using the term Ministry Areas.

This is the fate of most Western churches. It is why mega churches are successful, at least for a while. When their leaders fail; more often than not these churches crash and burn.

There is a lesson here for the growing Anglican Church in North America. Go where the pickins' are good; where young people congregate; and make the gospel relevant to the population you are dealing with.

***

THE BIG story of the week is the frightening capitulation of Archbishop Justin Welby to the zeitgeist on human sexuality. His words might well spell his own end hastening his departure, perhaps even bringing about the end the Anglican Communion as we know it.

What he said has shocked the whole Anglican Communion, including his own Church of England.

Welby stated in a recent podcast interview that sexual intimacy is morally acceptable in "stable, committed and faithful" relationships, regardless of gender, sparking backlash from Evangelicals within the Church of England who accused him of openly disregarding Church doctrine. In other words, homosexual and heterosexual relationships are now on an equal footing and homosexuals should get the church's blessing. Welby revealed that where he and the other bishops "have come to is to say that all sexual activity should be within a committed relationship." He has now consolidated his earlier views of, "I don't know where I stand," to I know where I stand and it is okay to bless, what was formally unblessable.

He describes his position as having "evolved" and he believes that God might also have evolved on the position though no Scripture supports such an evolution in the Godhead.

An outcry went up immediately with Christians across the United Kingdom calling for the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign following his comments. They argue that his statements represent a fundamental departure from the Church of England's doctrine on marriage and sexual ethics. It is a departure from 2,000 years of sexual ethics and a complete capitulation to the culture at a time when his church is fast sinking into oblivion.

Orthodox Anglican primates meeting in Charleston at the investiture of ACNA Archbishop Steve Woods rebuked Welby saying; "Archbishop Welby's recent explicit repudiation of Christian doctrine in his interview on Britain's podcast, 'The Rest is Politics,' has brought us to repeat our serious call for his personal repentance." You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/gafcon-rebukes-archbishop-welby-and-affirms-orthodox-anglican-england

I have posted a number of stories on this issue which can be found here:
https://virtueonline.org/archbishop-canterbury-breaks-2000-year-teaching-marriage
https://virtueonline.org/christians-demand-justin-welbys-resignation-after-gay-sex-comment
https://virtueonline.org/what-now-after-those-welby-comments

***

A new page was turned Wednesday evening (Oct. 30) in the unfolding history of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) when Bishop Steve Woods (I The Carolinas) was enthroned as the third archbishop of the authentic Anglican expression in the United States and Canada.

The joyous event was held at Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina which has a seating capacity of 2,500. It drew clergy, religious and laity from around the United States and Canada and bishops spanning the globe with a strong representation from GAFCON Anglican provinces.

The various GAFCON provinces which were personally represented included: Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Egypt, Chile, the Indian Ocean, Pakistan, and Europe particularly Germany.

GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Laurent Mbanda pledged to partner with and be supportive of Archbishop Wood as he takes the helm of the ACNA and his rightful place among the GAFCON primates.

Archbishop Wood's sermon focused on a single topic Jesus and how to stay focused on Him. "It's all about Jesus," the new archbishop preached. "Everything we do is about him." He said to maintain a singular missional focus there had to be a holding fast to sound doctrine; committing to a life of prayer and pursuing personal holiness.

Following the enthronement Archbishop Wood was feted at a reception in his honor.

The best inside report on the investiture can be read here: https://virtueonline.org/ancient-anglican-enthronement-unfolds-south-carolina

***

Bishop Chip Edgar has called Bishop David Bryan, who serves as a Suffragan Bishop for the Diocese of the Carolinas, to serve as the Assisting Bishop for the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina (ADOSC), beginning January 1, 2025. Bishop Bryan will continue in his role with the Diocese of the Carolinas, working part-time for the ADOSC.

Bishop Bryan will assist with parish visitations for the 50+ congregations in the diocese.

In the Diocese of the Carolinas, he will work closely with diocesan church planting efforts and the credentialing process, along with leading retreats, ordinations and confirmations. He is Area Bishop for South Carolina and churches in Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

***

To no one's surprise, Canon Phil Ashey was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Western Anglicans. He earned it. The Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Western Anglicans has elected Ashey to be the third bishop of the diocese.

The Diocese of Western Anglicans includes Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming--including all the major metropolitan cities in those Western states that are shaping a post-Christian culture. The election took place on Saturday, October 19, 2024. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/canon-phil-ashey-elected-bishop-diocese-western-anglicans

***

There were several Episcopal bishops who died these past two weeks. They were more notorious than notable.

Richard Grein, the 14th Bishop of New York was 92, but his legacy was not good. I wrote about him back in 2013 when he dumped his wife Joan and ran off with Ann Richards. He finagled a position for Richards in Grace Church, after levering Broderick Kraft, sister to the actor Matthew Broderick, from that parish. She sued and won significant monetary damages against the bishop. Some 39 charges were brought against Grein, but then Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold made them disappear in a puff of ecclesiastical smoke. Richards was cited as "the other woman" in Grein's divorce proceedings. He later married her. It was her third marriage and his second. Grein managed to walk away from all the charges through the efforts of an attorney brought in by Griswold. Grein also walked away from a presentment against him.

Paul Marshall, the retired Bishop of Bethlehem died. A priest who suffered at his hands told me the story of how he got rid of priests he didn't like. He would send them to a psychiatrist, and then tell the priest that he was not up for the job and fire or disallow him from functioning in the diocese. They never saw the psychiatrist's report. He was retired from ministry. He was replaced by Sean Rowe, the new Presiding Bishop. Marshall was 77.

A third bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dabney Smith, fifth bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, died suddenly on Oct. 26, after a brief hospitalization. He was 70. In 2010, Dabney swooped in evicting Fr. Ed Sellers, other clergy, and parishioners at St. Dunstan's in Largo, FL for not going along with TEC's pansexual agenda.

"It came as a shock and surprise. We had been talking with the Diocese through ours and their attorneys and we kept asking 'will you negotiate'? The diocese said it would. But they reneged on a promise to let us stay even if they took over the offices. They promised to give us a key so we could worship in the sanctuary but they reneged on that promise. We've been effectively locked out and removed the 'Anglican Church' signs," Fr. Seller said at that time.

***

The situation in the Anglican Church of Rwanda has reached a point of crisis that compromises the integrity of the GAFCON movement under the continued chairmanship of Archbishop Laurent Mbanda. Over 90% of the churches in Rwanda are now closed -- including Anglican churches. It has hardly raised a ripple in the news, which certifies the success of its architects.

Beginning in the last weekend of July, the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) issued an order late Saturday July 27 to begin closing churches that failed to meet a list of requirements. These ranged from the reasonable -- having oversight by educated clergy, no dirt floors, plastered and painted walls -- to the ridiculous and sometimes impossible -- parking areas, sinks, and security systems even in areas where the government has provided no roads, water supply, or electricity.

For the sake of GAFCON, Archbishop Mbanda needs to resign as GAFCON Chair. You can read the full story here: https://virtueonline.org/rwanda-archbishop-laurent-mbanda-needs-resign-gafcon-chair

***

There is a reawakening of the gospel in the Anglican Diocese in New England (ADNE). The Rev. Ian Montgomery shared his story of 200 plus energetic, young, multiethnic Anglicans who shared a deep commitment to Jesus Christ. The ADNE witness has included the Kenyan Anglican community since its inception. "They brought with them an intensity and fervor of devotion that is a beautiful contrast to some of our more sedate, if not stodgy, traditional Western ways. It was a conference filled with young people whose choice to follow Jesus was a perfect challenge to those whose faith is more inherited than the result of a decision to follow Jesus. It was life-giving." You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/reawakening-2024-anglican-diocese-new-england-adne

**

SCOTLAND: Four bishops in the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC) have asked the Rt. Rev. Anne Dyer not to return to her role as the Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney.

The Church's Procurator, Paul Reid KC, decided to drop a number of bullying charges against her, despite finding that there was enough evidence to provide a "realistic prospect" of conviction under church law. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/scotland-bishop-accused-bullying-urged-not-return-role

***

The United Methodist Church's highest court has ruled that congregations seeking to leave the denomination over theological differences cannot do so via a church closure provision.

Recently, many congregations have left the UMC via a Book of Discipline measure known as Paragraph 2549, which is centered on how to officially close down a church property.

The United Methodist Judicial Council released a ruling last Saturday, known as Decision Number 1512, which stated that congregations cannot use Paragraph 2549 to exit the UMC.

According to the decision, the UMC's Trust Clause, which holds that all church properties are held for the benefit of the whole denomination, cannot be disregarded as it would be by using Paragraph 2549 to disaffiliate.

The UMC will go down the same rocky road TEC did. The only winners will be lawyers.

***

An Evangelical advocacy group has reached out to a record number of voters ahead of the presidential election as its leader remains confident that faith-based voters will turn out in "historic numbers" this year.

The Faith & Freedom Coalition (FFC) announced Monday that it had knocked on a record 8 million doors in the battleground states expected to determine the outcome of the upcoming election. The advocacy organization added that it expects to interact with 17 million to 18 million voters across the seven swing states by Election Day.

**

Anglican Missionary Congregations become the Third Diocese of the Anglican Network in Europe.

Archbishop Laurent Mbanda, Chair of the Gafcon Primates' Council, inaugurated the diocese and then consecrated Dr Gideon Illechukwu before Presiding Bishop Andy Lines installed him as their first bishop. In a service with a vibrant Nigerian flavor, people from all over the Network celebrated their unity in the global Anglican family of Gafcon for gospel mission under the clear authority of scripture. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/presiding-bishops-statement-accession-anglican-missionary-congregations-europe-anglican-network

The CEEC might want to think seriously about joining this growing movement as they watch the CofE go down the drain over theological and moral apostasy.

***

Archbishop of Perth Approves Changes to Faithfulness in Service. The Archbishop of Perth, Kay Goldsworthy, has written to members of the diocesan synod to confirm that she has assented to the motion passed earlier this month to approve changes Faithfulness in Service that effectively approve of extra-marital sexual activity.

In her letter, she sets out her argument which is essentially;
Other dioceses have made similar changes
The majority of synod voted for the change
Therefore, I will. H/T David Ould

***

After a crackdown on sexuality, two dozen Christian Reformed churches of the CRC North America headed for the exits. At its 2024 synod the Christian Reformed Church instructed LGBTQ-affirming congregations to repent and comply with the denomination's beliefs on sexuality. Some are now choosing to leave, the RNS reports.

Four Michigan churches have already sent resolutions of disaffiliation to a regional geographic body called the Classis Grand Rapids East, stating that they intend to leave. Leaders of an additional five Michigan churches, also in the regional body, said they were drafting their letters, which should be received by the classis's next business meeting. Outside of Michigan, 15 more churches are also planning to exit the denomination, which comprises some 1,000 churches in the U.S. and Canada.

**

The Rev. Chris Pooniah, an evangelical Anglican minister who has served in pastoral roles across Singapore, New Zealand, and Hong Kong, attended Lausanne 4 in Seoul, South Korea recently and wrote a compelling account of his time there.

"My experience at Lausanne was incredibly positive, allowing me to witness the beauty of the global body of Christ as we worshipped, and engaged with one another despite our differences and imperfections. What united us was our shared desire to declare and display Christ together."

Two pivotal documents emerged from Lausanne 4 - The State of the Great Commission Report and the Seoul Statement. The State of the Great Commission Report posed ten critical questions for the global Church to consider as it looks toward 2050.

Lausanne 4 reignited a fresh passion within him to play his part in the fulfilment of the Great Commission and see the Body of Christ actively proclaiming and displaying Christ to the world. "Two key aspects stood out to me and have inspired me to keep the mission fire alive within me: the power of collaboration in fulfilling the Great Commission and the complexities of the global Church." You can read his full take here: https://virtueonline.org/my-experience-lausanne-4-seoul-22nd-28th-september-2024

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS

"Anglicans are not Arminian" -- Jacobus Arminius by Chuck Collins. https://virtueonline.org/anglicans-are-not-arminian-jacobus-arminius

A Christian Response to Polygamy, Incest, and Pedophilia: https://virtueonline.org/christian-response-polygamy-incest-and-pedophilia

REFORMATION SUNDAY: https://virtueonline.org/reformation-sunday-0

***

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Warmly in Christ,

David