Over 150 people attended the conference with more than a third coming from outside of California. Anglican leaders including Archbishop Tito Zavala (Southern Cone) and our Anglican Church in North America Archbishop Robert Duncan participated in the conference in addition to Bp. Alberto Morales (Diocese of Quincy) and Canon William Beasley of Greenhouse. Rev. Jonathan Kindberg and Rev.

Like the cacti that grow in the distance, Shane is a picture of long perseverance in a difficult climate. Two separate times over the last 20 years this former Marine has worked to get a new church off the ground and both times they did not come to fruition. There was heartache. There was frustration. There was pain. But like the mythical bird for whom the city is named, Shane's vision for Gospel church planting keeps rising to new life from the ashes.

The opening processional was "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken", heralded by the magnificent pipe organ. Indeed, glorious things were spoken. The opening sentences were followed by several wonderful praise songs that truly resonated with the congregation. Our Rector, David Wilson, preached powerfully on Philippians 3:12-14.

These statistics frustrate United Methodist liberals who have dominated the domination for 50 years or more. Homosexuality has been debated at the church's General Conference every four years since 1972. And the church consistently decreed that homosexual practice was "incompatible with Christian teaching." Over the years, the denomination formally prohibited clergy who were actively homosexual (as well as any clergy sexually active outside traditional marriage) and banned same-sex unions.