'We are in a war zone. We are in the battle for the souls of America and Canada. The Rev. Ed Hird's book Battle for the Soul of Canada is very useful on that topic," said Green.

The Bishop of Durham, Dr. Tom Wright, had similar thoughts on The Episcopal Church and what could be expected in Tanzania next week. He weighed in with his thoughts this week: "There are many in America who are trying to have their cake and eat it, who are doing the schismatic thing and then accusing those who object of being schismatic." He told Ruth Gledhill, religion correspondent for the London Times, that the forthcoming Primates' Meeting in Tanzania will be critical. He was quite unequivocal. He said too many in TEC are guilty of "doctrinal indifferentism." The Covenant Design Group in Nassau successfully produced a good document. The Primates have little choice but to follow Windsor at the meeting next week. If Windsor is followed, Gene Robinson and those who consecrated him should voluntarily absent themselves from the councils of the Communion, including the Lambeth Conference, unless they express regret in the terms set out in Windsor. Only a Windsor-rooted response in Tanzania can save the Communion from schism. "Almost everybody involved with this question recognizes that there is no way forward from here without pain. It is painful for everybody. There are not going to be winners and losers. There are going to be losers' category one, two, three, four and five."

In reading his words, it is worth remembering that not only is he the intellectual equal of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the two men are good friends. This might give us a good idea of how events might unfold next week.

For another point of view you can read what the Rt. Rev Michael Scott-Joynt Bishop of Winchester has to say about the upcoming Primates' meeting. Click here or you can read it in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/ytj84b

The 64,000 dollar question is what will Mrs. Schori do and say when she gets to Tanzania? I have written my own analysis based on a recent interview she gave USA TODAY. http://tinyurl.com/yqr24c

Several things are clear.

1. She will offer the Gamaliel option...if it is of God it will stand, if not... 2. She will plead the case for Millennium Development Goals. 3. She will say that our baptismal covenant demands that we save the world for God and the TEC will lead the way. 4. She will down play doctrinal differences as being merely cultural determined.

WITHIN THE U.S. there was continued turmoil as more parishes departed. In Attleboro, Mass., Fr Lance Giuffrida of All Saints Anglican was evicted from his church with some 267 (adults and children) joining him. The DIOCESE OF MASSACHUSETTS made a big hoopla about those who remained. A new temporary priest, Mr. Underhill, was appointed and joined by the draconian retired Bishop Barbara Harris and the Rev. Gregory Jacobs, two prominent leaders of the diocese. All Saints Episcopal now has about 40 individuals, said Fr. Lance to VOL. "Our 81 families will give about $3000/week, so we will be okay. Every ministry came with us: daily lunches to the homeless, weekly meals to families, the only weekly clothing closet in the area. Because of our smaller new space we had to go to three services." The good rector said the past couple of weeks had been particularly painful. Said Lance on the prevailing same-sex issues: "Of course there are those today who protest this teaching because homosexual persons are not granted the right to marry. However my answer is that there are clearly no passages in Holy Scripture that remotely support same sex marriage. Furthermore, same sex relations are clearly contrary to what Holy Scripture says, and the introduction of same sex marriage would change the nature of marriage beyond all recognition."

Interestingly enough, the Rt. Rev. Maurice M. Benitez, the retired BISHOP OF TEXAS, came out with a brilliant article, on "Why there is no support in scripture for same-Sex Marriage" this week, making the case more public than almost any bishop to date on the subject. Such clarity is always welcome. You can read what he says here: http://tinyurl.com/yqr9tc

In the DIOCESE OF TENNESSEE, Episcopalians at Hendersonville's St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church will spend 40 days and 40 nights praying for an answer to an issue confronting Episcopalians everywhere. They must decide if they will remain members of a denomination they believe has strayed from core beliefs based on their reading of the Bible, or break away and join the much larger Anglican Communion. You can read that story here: http://tinyurl.com/yuhfva

In the DIOCESE OF ATLANTA, St. Andrew's-in-the-Pines said they disaffiliate from The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Atlanta this week. A parish press release from Peachtree City, Ga., said the parish voted 145 to 67 (or 68 percent) on Sunday, Feb. 4 to separate. The vestry voted to join the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) - the U.S. missionary branch of the Anglican Church of Nigeria - in order to maintain the parish's ties to the worldwide Anglican Communion. They said the authority of Scripture and the issue of Jesus as THE Savior were important to them. You can read the full story or in todays digest. St. Andrew's Senior Warden David Wardell said the parish - which intends to retain its property - plans to work with the Diocese of Atlanta to achieve an amicable separation. http://tinyurl.com/2xh5v

A new Suffragan Bishop is in the works for the DIOCESE OF CONNECTICUT, and an election will be held on March 10th. The nominating committee's slate will be revealed on February 9th. Wrote a VOL reader: "I am heading to Hartford for the vote. I'm working towards finding a quality orthodox bishop to counterbalance the far-left policies of Bishop Drew Smith and Bishop Curry. I have been utterly appalled by the goings-on in Connecticut, and feel strongly that Bishop Smith has not only lost his way but has also created irreparable harm to the Diocese. I am personally appealing to Bishop Smith, as I am now a Trustee on the Bishop's Fund for children and a member of Diocesan Convention."

IN OTHER news from that diocese, VOL has learned that all of the Connecticut Six (actually, 5.5 as part of St. John's is now back with the diocese) recently voted on a resolution to remain in the Anglican Communion regardless of whether TEC does or not. The Ct. 6 are not saying much due to the pending lawsuits against Bishop Drew Smith. With St. John's Bristol having been taken over by Bishop Smith and his minions, the orthodox have joined with Trinity Bristol. What's left in the building at St. John's is not orthodox by any stretch of the imagination, said the source.

The new bishop of the DIOCESE OF ALBANY, the Rt. Rev. Bill Love, was enthroned this past week in the cathedral of All Saints in Albany. His predecessor, Bishop Dan Herzog wrote VOL to say "he will be a strong and godly bishop." Truly, one should not mistake Bishop Love's very obvious humility for weakness. He has a tough spine on the issues and will not tolerate revisionism. He demonstrated his ability to hold his own under withering fire at GC2006 when he was being examined by the HOB.

PROGRESSIVE EPISCOPALIANS OF PITTSBURGH, the ultra liberal group out to unseat Bishop Bob Duncan or, at the very least, lay claim to the properties, claim that Duncan is clearly attempting an ecclesiastical coup against both The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion. They base that claim on Bishop Duncan's request for APO (along with seven other dioceses) an interim strategy before a "separate ecclesiastical structure"-that is, a new church-for "biblically orthodox Anglicans in this country."

They say a document they have not only assumes that this new entity will take the place of The Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion, but it assumes that the Diocese of Pittsburgh will then not be a part of The Episcopal Church. It also encourages the primates of the Anglican Communion to exceed their powers and to ignore the understandings and agreements that created the Anglican Communion. The primates have no authority beyond the bounds of their own provinces; however' their only role in the Anglican Communion is advisory, say PEP leaders.

Duncan has repeatedly said he is going nowhere, arguing it is the liberals and revisionists who have left the TEC because of their moral and theological positions. The liberals are going back to court to make their case for the properties, and Duncan's lawyers are mounting a vigorous legal campaign to toss out the various charges by diocesan liberals.

After inhibiting 21 clergy on January 22, 2007, in the DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA, Bishop Peter James Lee immediately notified affected clergy that he was not required to extend COBRA health coverage and that he was specifically denying it for these men and women. This, despite the 6-month inhibition to consider retracting their actions. The Diocese gave all of seven DAYS for the clergy to find alternate health insurance. A copy of the January 24 letter is on VOL's website.

Also in the diocese, in Fairfax City, the Police arrested a 51-year-old man accused of spray-painting satanic symbols on the doors of Truro Church. According to an article in the Examiner newspaper, Dwight Lawrence Chase was reportedly spotted by a parishioner scrawling graffiti on front doors of the church on January 13. Police found three outer doors and one inner door with markings that included "666," which is widely recognized as symbolizing Satanism. A police investigation included analyzing letters Chase allegedly sent to local officials in which he claimed the right to take possession of church property, according to a police department news release. He was arrested at his home January 26 and faces a felony trespassing charge that carries a jail term of at least six months.

Accepting public humiliation is becoming a way of life for Charles Bennison, Bishop of the DIOCESE OF PENNSYLVANIA. He was publicly blasted for concealing his brother's sexual sins at his recent diocesan convention. He now faces civil lawsuits with a public trial in the offing. A presentment is also pending with the national church, with another one in the works. Last week VOL learned that Bennison was privately snubbed by the Prince of Wales when His Royal Highness came a calling to Philadelphia, with the Prince both refusing to worship at an Episcopal Church or to see Bennison! An Anglo-Catholic layman gave VOL the scoop on this. You can read my world exclusive article here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/33nzpw

In the DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO a Superior Court judge denied a request from the diocese to raise new legal claims in a lawsuit against a Fallbrook church that already had been decided in the church's favor, an attorney for the church said. Judge Jacqueline Stern's ruling means St. John's Anglican Church, which split from the diocese in July, continues to own the property at which the church meets, continues to meet at that location, and remains governed by the board of directors in place at the time of the split, attorney Eric Sohlgren said. You can read the full story here: http://tinyurl.com/2atd3f

Also in the Diocese of San Diego a ninth congregation broke away this past week. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, St. Paul's, Yuma, voted to split. An Anglican priest in San Diego told VOL that about 40% of the Congregation has left to form Christ the Redeemer Anglican under Bishop Frank Lyons of Bolivia.

In the DIOCESE OF GEORGIA, at their annual meeting recently, Bishop Henry Louttit, in an effort to put a spin on fleeing parishes, said in his address that he had known, since coming to the diocese, clergy who had differing theological views. "Some people want to believe that in the past everyone in our church agreed on theology and that all orthodox people would use exactly the same language all the time," Louttit said. "The truth is Elizabeth the Great, Queen of England, allowed the development of a church in which the test of membership was worshiping together, not agreeing to theological unanimity" Calling the Anglican tradition a "roomy denomination," he said he has "every confidence that Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit and in the Father is leading our church. Mistakes of theology or morality will be corrected in the life of the church, though other errors will arise through the sin and partial vision of our human leaders," Louttit said. Bishop Louttit might learn very soon how limited the space is in the "roomy" denomination when the Primates meet in Tanzania. If the TEC cannot be obedient to the Windsor Report, the room might just shrink quite noticeably.

In the DIOCESE OF SOUTH CAROLINA Bishop Suffragan William Skilton resigned, and, in a letter posted on the diocese's website January 25, Skilton said that the decision was "freely made by me" and came at the request of the Standing Committee of the diocese "and with the concurrence of the Bishop-elect, Mark Lawrence." An ENS report said Skilton, 66, had negotiated a benefit package with the Standing Committee in order to enable Lawrence the opportunity "to create a diocesan staff that will more effectively respond to his developing vision and gifts that he brings to the Diocese." Skilton wrote that his decision came "after much prayer, counsel, consideration, and recognition of the canonical safeguards respecting suffragan bishops." In an accompanying statement, the Standing Committee thanked Skilton for his 11 years of ministry in the diocese.

In the DIOCESE OF OLYMPIA, Blogger Joel Connelly reports that a new bishop for a troubled diocese is being sought. Three male priests and two clergywomen have been picked as nominees to become the next Episcopal Bishop of the diocese. One of the candidates, The Rt. Rev. Bavi Edna (Nedi) Rivera, first Hispanic woman bishop and Suffragan Bishop of Olympia, is on record as saying that she would never sign a marriage license until she can sign it for gays and lesbians. Ironically, her father was an Anglo-Catholic Bishop of San Joaquin for 20 years who did not approve of women's ordination. If elected, she and Mrs. Schori will get along just fine. Mrs. Schori approved of Gene Robinson's consecration. The new bishop is elected in May, consecrated in September, and will inherit a multitude of problems in a divided church. You can read the full post at: http://tinyurl.com/yvpmdc

The CHURCH OF UGANDA now has an orthodox voice in the United Nations. Mrs. Hellen Wangusa was recently installed as the Anglican Observer to the United Nations. "We are honored to know that the wider church is recognizing and receiving the capable, committed, and competent Christian leaders the Church of Uganda is producing, such as Hellen, who can serve the wider church, and, indeed, the international community" said Provincial Secretary Rev. Canon Aaron Mwesigye. "We know and believe that Hellen will leave a strong legacy of faith-based and Biblically grounded advocacy within the scope of the UN's work." Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, who visited Wangusa last week during a brief trip to New York, offered his congratulations, saying, "Hellen is a product of the East African Revival Movement. We are confident that God will use her ministry at the United Nations to witness to the unchanging gospel in a changing world and to offer the hope of transformation through the gospel of Jesus Christ."

The Most Rev. Benjamin M. Nzimbi, Archbishop of the ANGLICAN CHURCH OF KENYA and Bishop of the Diocese of All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi, Kenya, ordained Beverly Yvette Scipio to the Diaconate on Saturday, January 27, 2007. The service of Ordination and Holy Eucharist was held at Antioch Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, where The Rev. Dr. Marvin McMickle is the Senior Pastor at Antioch and a former professor of Ms. Scipio. Scipio is a graduate of Ashland Seminary, a long time member of Daughters of the King, and a former delegate to the Episcopal General Convention. She was presented by Transfiguration Anglican Church of Cleveland under the spiritual leadership of the Rev. Abraham Fiodembo of Kenya.

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord George Carey, spoke at Duke Divinity School this past week and made five points about the sexuality crisis in the Anglican Communion:

1. It is a departure from the Ordinal and theology of Ministry. 2. It is a departure from orthodox interpretation and the teaching of the Bible. 3.It is a departure from our understanding of the sacramentality of marriage. 4. It is departure from Anglican understanding of Unity. 5. It is a departure from our understanding of Authority.

You can read the full text here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/2ee7cn Noted an observer, "Carey was a lot bolder than when in office." Sitting in the audience was the ultra liberal bishop of North Carolina Michael Curry. He must have been squirming in his seat hearing Carey's words.

The ANGLICAN COMMUNION NETWORK affiliates are supporting relief efforts in Darfur, Sudan. St. Bartholomew's, an ACN parish located in Nashville, Tennessee, is coordinating a nationwide appeal to "Save Darfur" along with Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail, the Bishop of the Kadugli/Nuba Mountains Diocese, Episcopal Church of Sudan. The goal is to provide emergency relief aid to the Darfurians in this region. As many as 400,000 people have died and millions have been forcibly displaced due to the continuing attacks on the Darfur province in western Sudan by the government of Sudan's ruling Islamist regime and their proxy militias, "Janjaweed." Over 2,000 Darfurian men, women, and children have fled for their lives, walking more than 1,000 miles to find refuge in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. There they sleep on the bare ground in tents the U.N provides. Nuba Christians and Muslims, alike, who themselves know what it is like to be the victims of genocide and ethnic cleansing, are sharing what little they have with these most recent victims of Khartoum's jihad. The Darfurian refugees are traumatized; many have witnessed the slaughter of their families. They are also in great need of food and blankets, as well as eating and cooking utensils.For more information on mission partnerships and how you can help through the Anglican Communion Network, contact the Rev. John Cruikshank at jcruikshank@acn-us.org.

In the DIOCESE OF SYDNEY, there is a new face in the ministry. Since 1995, Margaret Powell has served on the staff at St Paul's, Castle Hill. Now, after more than 12 years of full-time ministry, she been ordained a deacon in the Anglican Church. Margaret is one of 46 new deacons in the Diocese of Sydney. Almost half of that near-record number will continue in ministry positions they have filled for years, or even decades.

This trend is a part of ongoing changes to the structures of ministry in the Sydney Diocese. In keeping with the diocesan Mission, a new role of 'permanent Diaconate' has been introduced, allowing the Diocese to recognize and support people in full-time ministry who don't plan to become senior ministers of parishes. The Rev Rob Smith, who oversees and coordinates ordination processes for the Diocese, says that previously the assumption had been that the Diaconate was simply a 'stepping stone' to being ordained as presbyter - a role normally associated with leading a parish. "There are all kinds of people doing all kinds of ministry in the Diocese, and those people should be recognized, even though they may not plan on going into the presbyterate," he said. Mr. Smith says the permanent Diaconate will aid the spread of the gospel. "In order for the church to grow and the Mission to move forward, we need all kinds of ministry going on - not just more rectors of parishes."

IN ENGLAND, Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced that there will be no exemption for Catholic adoption agencies under the new Sexual Orientation Regulations. Instead, there will be a delay until the end of next year before they come into force, and, during that time, Catholic agencies will have to refer gay couples to other agencies.

According to a forecast by the British-based group Christian Research, practicing Muslims will outnumber practicing Christians in England within a few decades. More than 1,600 churches - about 10 percent of the country's total - have been formally declared redundant by the Church of England. The English have recognized this new reality: if church buildings are to survive, new uses must be found. While a handful serve as mosques or Sikh temples, many more have found roles as cafés, concert halls, warehouses or chic apartments. The pious may fret but pragmatism will often prevail.

The same inexorable trend is at work across Europe, where church attendance is dropping precipitously even in the Roman Catholic countries. In France, less than 5 percent of Catholics regularly attend church on Sunday; in the Czech Republic it's just 3 percent. Official policy on how to treat redundant churches varies widely, not only between Catholic and Protestant leaders but also from country to country. In the most clear-cut cases, such as France and Germany, the law protects architecturally significant churches and cathedrals. But in a growing number of dioceses, dwindling congregations are forcing church authorities to choose whether to pay for the costly upkeep of an unused structure, demolish it, or find an alternate purpose. In the Catholic diocese of Essen, Germany, some 100 churches are now destined for closure and reuse.

THE latest figures for church attendance in the CofE do not bode well either. The Church of England website reports a continued decline in church attendance for 2005. According to the results: Average Sunday attendance fell by two per cent to 988,000. (2004: 1,010,000; 2003: 1,017,000). Average weekly attendance fell by one per cent to 1,169,000, following no change last year. (2004: 1,186,000; 2003: 1,187,000). Average monthly attendance fell by one per cent to 1,694,000, following no change last year. (2004: 1,707,000; 2003: 1,704,000). The average number of children and young people at weekly services fell by one per cent to 231,000, reversing some of the two per cent rise last year. (2004: 235,000; 2003: 230,000). The number attending monthly, however, increased by one per cent to 441,000.

THE BIBLE SOCIETY OF EGYPT reports that in 2005/6, the Society embarked on a large-scale project to provide 215,000 students with a Children's Bible of their very own! Most of these families are poor and cannot afford to buy Scriptures, let alone an expensive, quality Children's Bible. With an average household of 5-6, these Scriptures have impacted well over a million people. God's Word, made available to destitute nominal Christians across the country, has made an enormous impact in homes and lives across the nation. At the 2007 Cairo International Book Fair, Ramez Atallah the Bible Society's General Secretary says that the New Testament with Study Notes was a hot selling item. "This is the first time the Arabic Bible which is used by most Arabic speaking people has explanatory notes. This large size New Testament with many appendices and lot of notes will help many in the Arab world to understand God's Word in way that they have not been able to do so in the past."

In the DIOCESE OF JERUSALEM, Bishop Riah Abu El-Assal announced this week that he is suing the Jerusalem Post saying that there were different attempts to character assassinate him and his family. The Bishop says he is taking legal action "against all involved in this dirty conspiracy." The bishop has been accused of nepotism, said Rania Riah, Bishop Riah's assistant and daughter. Wrote Riah, in a highly charged emotional response from Nazareth his headquarters; "The Good Samaritan of today is being accused of nepotism and once again, Cain is rising up against his brother intending to kill him: The Jerusalem Post has brutally tried to stick a knife of enmity in publishing an article on the basis of what they described as Nepotism." Riah said that not one Arabic or one Hebrew paper covered the story! Bishop Riah has said he will not step down. Riah says he has dedicated 42 years of his life to the Church of God and won't quit now.

IN ENGLAND, Oak Hill College appointed a new principal, the Rev. Dr Michael Ovey. He will take over from the current Principal, David Peterson, when he returns to Australia this summer. Mike is highly regarded by colleagues, students and friends of the College, as a theologian and pastor-teacher. He has been a tutor at Oak Hill since 1998, teaching Christian Doctrine and Apologetics. As College Dean, he has been involved in pastoring students and non-teaching staff, and has been a member of the College's Management Team, where he has worked closely with David Peterson in shaping the future vision for the College. Mike is married to Heather and they have three school-age children. Oak Hill is a solidly evangelical Anglican college.

IN SMALL but significant ways the Word goes forth. Holy Trinity Church, Jackson, Mississippi, where the Rev. Tim Smith is rector, he and the Rev. David Rich will lead a team of nine people to North Vancouver, BC, Canada for their 20th Annual Renewal Mission, March 2nd-4th 2007. Permission from Vancouver-based Bishop Michael Ingham is not being sought.

VIRTUEONLINE is pleased to announce that Sherry Shinogle is the new Copy Editor for all VOL stories and digests. Sherry is based in Colorado. She has already done sterling work and has proved herself remarkably capable at fixing my many grammatical and other errors. VOL is delighted to have her on board.

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PS. The next time I write to you all it will be from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. I ask your prayers for the Archbishops who will meet there and for safety for all who attend, both archbishops and media alike. Thank you for your prayers. I will post stories as the news appears directly to the website, www.virtueonline.org