The only question is how will the Episcopal Church's remnant respond? There are rumors of wholesale departures of priests and parishes after GC2006, the like of which we have never seen before. VirtueOnline believes these rumors to be substantially true, but we have been asked not to reveal details at this time.

Secondly, VirtueOnline said, several weeks ago, that two bishops faced being tossed out of office. The first of these, Charles E. Bennison, Bishop of Pennsylvania, has come true.

The Standing Committee wrote him a letter asking him to resign or retire, and Bennison fired back that he would do neither. Unfortunately there are no canons forcing him out of office, said the Rev. Bill Woods, chairman of the Standing Committee. Bennison's offences do not reach the level of outright malfeasance or immorality. That he has committed endless spiritual adultery is not something the diocese can do much about. "We are not watchdogs on doctrine," said Woods.

But you would think that the public humiliation and shame of being asked to go, with the news hitting the national media and wire services would be enough to see Bennison slink away into a hole, apparently won't eventuate. Bennison is apparently willing to "embrace" (now his favorite word), any and everybody who disagrees with him, including most of his diocesan priests, a good chunk of the laity, this writer and the media!

Bennison is so disconnected from reality, his priests, Scripture and the running of the diocese, that he is not willing to face the obvious - that a climate of fear exists, and he has lost the total trust of the vast majority of the diocese and he must go. How much more divorced from reality can he be when he said at his diocesan convention: "This was the best convention ever" (after they voted down his budget and mandatory assessment) and "The diocese has never been in better shape" (after he was asked to resign)! I have documented at length Bennison's rise and fall in today's digest. His intransigence in staying shows a depth of dysfunction and disconnectedness without parallel in ECUSA's history.

In the DIOCESE OF NEWARK's recent convention, Deputies to the 132nd annual meeting took a stand on the Episcopal Church's financial support of the Anglican Communion. The deputies voted to ask General Convention to put in escrow any increase in the church's payments to the Communion until the Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada deputations to the Anglican Consultative Council are reinstated as full members with seat, voice and vote. They also ask the convention to hold the money in escrow until it is certain that all bishops with jurisdiction in the Episcopal Church are invited as "full and equal participants" in Lambeth Conferences.

Bishop John P. Croneberger also told the convention that he does not support a moratorium on same-gender blessings, calling his stand a personal matter of conscience and belief. "I do not ask others to agree with me about this, but I am personally convinced that any kind of moratorium on this ministry is simply unacceptable, and I will proceed accordingly," he said, adding that he prays that the members of the Anglican Communion will find ways to journey together.

To this writer's knowledge no revisionist diocese has admitted publicly that ECUSA has been suspended from the Anglican Consultative Council, and therefore the Anglican Communion. In its predictably cynical way, the Newark diocese uses money as a weapon of revenge, and in so doing is the first ECUSA diocese to admit to the truth of what has happened. Heretofore, 815's only acknowledgement has been that the ACC created a "listening process," as though they had instigated that; whereas it was Archbishop Orombi of Uganda who insisted upon it.

At the WASHINGTON DIOCESAN CONVENTION delegates took what one person described as "a fatal step" by passing a resolution to bless same sex unions. The convention passed the Gay and Lesbian sponsored resolution, thereby rejecting the moratorium called for in the Windsor Report and the Primates Communique of the Anglican Communion. The diocese is now officially Unitarian, wrote an orthodox priest to VirtueOnline.

The Washington diocese has unofficially allowed same-sex ceremonies for years, and it has had a same-sex rite on the books since June 2004, reports Julia Duin of the Washington Times.

An earlier resolution sponsored by Traditionalists calling for compliance with the Windsor Report, described by Gay activist, the Rev. Julie Murdoch as a "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing," was debated in prime time and postponed indefinitely. A goal to force the diocese to make an up or down vote was accomplished by the Homosexuals themselves in their own resolution. The Lord does work in mysterious ways, for this proved once and for all it is impossible to reconcile our differences. The Gays and Lesbians passion for total acceptance and church blessing of their self destructive lifestyle trumps the "common good" of their church and Christianity itself, said one report.

The DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA passed a resolution in the closing minutes of its annual council promising to "seek the highest degree of communion possible" with Christians with whom it disagrees.

The diocese's 90,000 members, it said, "would make every effort to cooperate as co-laborers within the Anglican Communion," the 70-million-member body to which the Episcopal Church belongs.

But attempts to get the Virginia diocese to take a stand on such issues fell flat. One amendment specifying marriage is "between one man and one woman" failed 169-274' reported Julia Duin of the Times.

In the DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO, the evangelical parish of St. Anne's led by the Rev. Tony Baron, 51, has fled the diocese and ECUSA with 97 percent of the congregation voting to no longer affiliate with ECUSA. They voted last week to come under Bolivian Bishop Frank Lyons.

When I called and spoke with Fr. Baron he said they plan to stay on their property as the deed belongs to the rector, the wardens and vestry of St. Anne's. The church is over 100 years old. The parish was incorporated in 1889. Mr. Eric Sohlgren their attorney with Payne and Fears are the same attorneys as St. James, Newport Beach, which handily won against LA Bishop J. Jon Bruno. "We feel like we are in good shape. The chief concern is the very essence of the Gospel. In December we spent time in prayer and fasting. It was unanimous to leave. There was no precipitating event, but only the prompting of the Holy Spirit. When we gathered together it was overwhelming to the people." There is a greater cost of not being a disciple. Our motto is; "Living as Jesus lived and doing as Jesus did. Goal is to make disciple for Christ."

St. Anne's Church in Oceanside is the second orthodox congregation in two months to break away from the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. In December, VirtueOnline reported on the Rev. Keith Acker resigned as rector of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Alpine to start a new church under the Anglican Province of America.

ANGLICAN ALLIANCE MINISTRY EXPANDS IN NORTH FLORIDA
New Leadership and Ministry Initiatives Announced

The Steering Committee of the Anglican Alliance of North Florida met Jan. 29-31 for prayer and planning concerning the next steps for the continually expanding Alliance. Out of this time came a renewed commitment to a unified Anglican presence in North Florida, and to cooperation for shared ministry. The Steering Committee believes that the Alliance is called to lay the groundwork for what an emerging American Anglican Church will look like in North Florida. To this end, the Alliance will continue to draw together churches with various Anglican affiliations, including the Anglican Communion Network, the Anglican Mission in America, overseas Anglican Provinces, and what have been called the "continuing" Anglican Churches.

The ALLIANCE of churches named the Rev. Neil Lebhar of Redeemer Anglican Church in Jacksonville, as the new chairman of the Steering Committee and the Rev. Eric Dudley of St. Peter's Anglican Church in Tallahassee has been named Coordinator for the Alliance. The Rev. Lebhar will continue to serve as the spokesman for the Alliance.

A meeting of ordained and lay leadership from Alliance churches is set for March 4 at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Tallahassee will coordinate areas of ministry, including youth, children, missions, renewal weekends, and parish administration.

The Anglican Alliance of North Florida was formed in the fall of 2005 as a way to begin gathering together Biblically faithful congregations in the Anglican tradition for shared ministry and mission. It currently includes 16 member churches and 42 clergy in the North Florida area.

THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH'S Executive Council has approved the ECUSA's membership in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), AKA a pro abortion group that says abortion can be a "moral, ethical and religious responsible decision."

The vote came at their meeting in Des Moines, Iowa following a recommendation from the Executive Council's Committee on National Concerns. At GC2003, resolution D045 requested that the ECUSA withdraw from the RCRC, but the House of Deputies voted to refer the resolution to the Standing Commission on National Concerns with the HOB deciding not to act. From sodomy to abortion is a slippery slope. From sex that lacks any procreative possibilities to ending life before birth, is there any revisionist stone yet unturned in ECUSA?

The DIOCESE OF EAU CLAIRE, which has financial problems, will not, however merge with another diocese, says the Bishop Keith Whitmore. Speaking to the 77th annual diocesan convention, he said that while concerns were raised over financial worries, three task forces decided "it was not such a good idea." A resolution passed proposed by diocesan council to "structure its life according to the categories" described in Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Church". If this diocese really does go for the content of Warren's book, then there is hope.

In the DIOCESE OF THE RIO GRANDE, their new bishop Dr. Jeffrey Steenson got off to a flying start welcoming two new parishes into the diocese, but then said the Windsor Report would not be well received at GC2006, and pledged to keep his diocese connected with the See of Canterbury whatever comes out of the next General Convention. Steenson, who is orthodox, showed signs of being in control of a diocese which has a strong liberal contingency, an observer reported. He also urged his hearers to "know something" about the Report and to stay tuned to what was going on.

And from the DIOCESE OF SPRINGFIELD comes word that the Episcopal Church could breakup if the ECUSA does not change course. Bishop Peter Beckwith said this could happen at the 2008 Lambeth conference. "We belong in an intensive care unit. All indications are the Episcopal Church is very ill and we are dying," he told delegates to his Diocesan Convention. Said Beckwith: "If the next General Convention declines to heed the repeated warnings from the rest of the Communion, I will stand with the majority, declaring I will serve God in the historic faith once delivered to the saints."

A Statement from the Connecticut Six in the DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUT says that even though formal charges of canonical violations were filed against the Rt. Rev. Andrew Smith, the diocesan bishop, to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Frank Griswold, nothing has been heard back. "Canon law provides 90 days for the Presiding Bishop to seek advice and counsel before forwarding such charges to the Committee of Review. We note that the 90 days were up in late November, and we continue to await the Committee of Review's judgment concerning a trial," said a press release.

"Can the Episcopal Church find the will to hold one of its own accountable for behavior that involves both blatant misrepresentation of canon law and disregard for impartial justice and common decency? Will the sufferings of the dispossessed people of St. John's, Bristol, be swept under an institutional rug? On January 13, 2006, Bishop Smith announced deposition of the Rev. Mark Hansen. The un-canonical inhibition of Father Hansen was addressed in the charges we filed, and we deeply regret that the Presiding Bishop's failure to intervene has resulted in additional pain for Father Hansen. We note with interest that deadlines are rigorously applied when revisionist bishops take punitive action against biblically faithful clergy but appear to have little meaning when orthodox clergy and laity seek redress for abuse of power. In their September 27, 2005 letter to the Presiding Bishop, 13 bishops of the Episcopal Church, representing nearly 10 percent of all Episcopal diocesans, supported our charges unequivocally, and then went significantly beyond those charges in asserting that Bishop Smith has acted with "deceitfulness ... injustice ... bullying ... arrogance ... [and] oppression." They too posed a question: "Can such conduct be anything other than conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy?" We trust that answers will be forthcoming without further delay. We pray that when they come, they will be a sign to the world of the commitment of our Church to fairness, due process and accountability. ON THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT, assassins killed the assistant Bishop of the Anglican Church in Bida, Niger State, in Nigeria. The Ven. Elijah Yisa was assassinated when he was shot in the head by two people in his residence in the church premises. He died on the spot. A close relation of the deceased, who pleaded anonymity, said the assailants had asked the cleric's house-girl about his whereabouts. The Bishop of the Bida Diocese of the church, the Rt. Rev. Jonah Kolo, declined to comment on the incident, saying: "We are holding a meeting now. The Area Commander of the police force in Bida, Mr. Stephen Audu, confirmed the incident, saying two security men at the church premises had been arrested for interrogation.

IN THE PROVINCE OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, they will install a new Archbishop, the Most Rev. John Chew. He is orthodox like his predecessors Dr. Moses Tay and Apb. Yong Ping Chung.

THE Anglican church must declare homosexuality a sin, Sydney Archbishop Peter Jensen says. Dr Jensen said accepting homosexual practice "would be to call holy what God calls sin to be repented on", and the church was on a "slippery slope" were it to weaken on the definitions of sin. "Human sexuality is so constitutive of who we are and so central to culture that we are dealing with a major issue," Dr Jensen said. "Our culture is obsessed by sex so we should not be embarrassed with engaging with this issue. If we did not engage we would be divorced from our culture. Scripture declares this to be a matter of life and death," he said. Dr Jensen said liberal theology was endangering the gospel enterprise of the church.

Also in the DIOCESE OF SYDNEY, the largest ordination service ever held in the Diocese will take place today when 47 deacons will be ordained for ministry. The service, to be led by the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. Peter Jensen, will be held in St. Andrew's Anglican Cathedral, George Street, Sydney. Since Sydney is the largest Anglican diocese in Australia it is expected that this is also the largest ordination service ever held in Australia's Anglican Church.

VIRTUEONLINE reported recently that a newspaper would not publish an Ad unless the phrases "Jesus-loving" and "Pray about it" were removed. Well, the Richmond Times-Dispatch Publisher apologized for its action. The Rev. Crisp sent an e-mail, describing the incident, to about 150 people in his address book with an invitation to forward the message along. Within 48 hours, he says, he'd received responses from as far away as Hong Kong, India and the Netherlands. Christian radio stations and the Christian Broadcasting Network took notice too. Six days later, Times-Dispatch publisher Tom Silvestri called Crisp to apologize for the paper's initial decision. Silvestri said the classified staff and the attorney had interpreted company policy too narrowly, Crisp relates. Apparently, T-D lawyers thought the ad violated the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. The newspaper offered to run the ad at no cost.

IN IRELAND they clearly have higher standards on divorce than the Episcopal Church USA. The Rt Revd Peter Barrett, Bishop of the United Dioceses of Cashel, Ossory, Waterford, Lismore, Ferns and Leighlin resigned after the breakup of his marriage. The Archbishop of Dublin, and Primate of Ireland and Metropolitan, the Most Revd Dr John Neill accepted his resignation and asked for prayers, saying Barrett "had provided caring pastoral oversight and a faithful ministry of Word and Sacrament. He had led the United Dioceses with both ability and humility." He still had to go. Wrote Barrett: "I am unable in all conscience to serve you as Bishop with integrity and his Grace, the Archbishop of Dublin has accepted my resignation."

In the DIOCESE OF MASSACHUSETTS, when Bishop Gayle Harris recently announced she was splitting from hubby, nobody said a word, not even Tom Shaw the bishop. She got prayers and hugs and went right on in the job.

CORRECTION. In my last digest I mentioned the editor of the Presbyterian Layman and got his name wrong. It is Parker Williamson, Editor of the Presbyterian Layman in Lenoir, N.C.. He is the author of Standing Firm: Reclaiming Christian Faith in Times of Controversy. PLC Publishing, P. O. Box 2210, Lenoir, N. C. An excellent book, not to be missed, says the retired Bishop of South Carolina, the Rt. Rev. Dr. C. FitzSimons Allison.

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