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TEC’s attendance percentages range from 8.9% to 44.7%   By Mary Ann Mueller VOL Special Correspondent www.virtueonline.org February 17, 2025   VirtueOnline has crunched the numbers to reveal that the Anglican Church in North America has outpaced The Episcopal Church in post-Covid returning attendance.   An interesting phenomenon has revealed itself in comparing the latest 2023 attendance percentages between The Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), post-Covid. The 2024 figures are not yet available for either church.   Following the COVID dip every ACNA diocese has outpaced all Episcopal Church dioceses in the percentage of parishioners returning to in-church worship. There is no ACNA diocese which dips below 40% worship attendance while only four Episcopal dioceses break the 40% ceiling – Northern Indiana (40.2%); Central Florida (40.3%); with Eau Claire and Nevada both weighing in at 44.7%.   The ACNA Diocese of South Carolina bottoms out at 45.2% followed by ACNA Fort Worth at 49.4%. All other ACNA dioceses have more than half of their membership routinely showing up for church services.   Seven ACNA dioceses stay within the 50-59.9% percent range. Another nine dioceses break the 60 percent ceiling with six dioceses climbing above the 70 percent mark. One diocese tops 80% with three dioceses soaring above 90%. One ACNA jurisdiction, the Armed Forces Chaplaincy, recorded a 102.4% attendance figure.   On the other hand, (other than the four aforementioned Episcopal dioceses with an above 40% attendance,) all Episcopal Church dioceses’ Average Weekly Attendance (AWA) attendance percentages dropped below the 40 percent floor.   Forty-four Episcopal dioceses have attendance percentages in the 30-percentage range followed by forty-seven dioceses hovering in the twenty percent range.   Two Episcopal dioceses dip into the teens: Navajoland at 17.8%, and Alaska at 15.2%; with one diocese dropping into the below 10 percent basement: Olympia at 8.9%   The Episcopal Church churchwide attendance percentages are just barely above the twenty-five percent mark sitting at 26.5% while ACNA’s church wide attendance is close to two thirds at 66.4%.   Complete diocesan attendance percentages are below.   ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 128,114 APSA – Average Principal Service Attendance: 84,794 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 66.4%   THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH (Domestic dioceses) BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,494,769 AWA – Average Weekly Attendance: 396,468 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 26.5%   ~~~Above 100%~~~   ACNA: ARMED FORCES BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 251 APSA: 257 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 102.4%   ~~~90%-99.9%~~~   ACNA: ROCKY MOUNTAINS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 4,690 APSA: 4,351 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 92.7%   ACNA: CHRIST OUR HOPE BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 5,301 APSA: 4,884 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 92.1%   ACNA: CHRIST FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS (C4SO) BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 9,282 APSA: 8,500 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 91.5%   ~~~80%-89.9%~~~   ACNA: UPPER MIDWEST BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,813 APSA: 2,322 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 82.5%   ~~~70%-79.9%~~~   ACNA: ALL NATIONS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,251 APSA: 1,791 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 79.5%   ACNA: WESTERN ANGLICANS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,030 APSA: 2,392 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 78.9%   ACNA: SOUTH BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,399 APSA: 6,329 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 75.3%   ACNA: CANADA (Anglican Network in Canada) BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 5,847 APSA: 4,252 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 72.7%   ACNA: NORTHEAST & MID-ATLANTIC (REC) BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,393 APSA: 1,009 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 72.4%   ACNA: CASCADIA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,534 APSA: 1,107 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 72.1%   ~~~60%-69.9%~~~   ACNA: SOUTHWEST BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,537 APSA: 1,075 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 69.9%   ACNA: CENTRAL STATES (REC) BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,327 APSA: 920 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 69.3%   ACNA: MID-ATLANTIC BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,617 APSA: 5,956 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 69.1%   ACNA: MID-AMERICA (REC) BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,617 APSA: 5,956 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 69.1%   ACNA: LIVING WORD BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,537 APSA: 1,677 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 66.1%   ACNA: GREAT LAKES BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,185 APSA: 2,081 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 65.3%   ACNA: PITTSBURGH BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 5,840 APSA: 3,646 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 62.4%   ACNA: WESTERN GULF COAST BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,505 APSA: 1,503 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 60.0%   ACNA: GULF ATLANTIC BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,472 APSA: 3,859 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 60.0%   ~~~50%-59.9%~~~   ACNA: INTERNATIONAL Final report. The diocese was dissolved in 2024. BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,107 APSA: 1,206 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 58.9%   ACNA: NEW ENGLAND BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,391 APSA: 1,401 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 58.6   ACNA: THE CAROLINAS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 10,049 APSA: 5,823 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 57.9%   ACNA: QUINCY BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,587 APSA: 1,468 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 56.7%   ACNA: ALL SAINTS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 971 APSA: 544 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 56.0%   ACNA: SAN JOAQUIN BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,390 APSA: 1,301 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 54.4%   ACNA: SOUTHEAST (REC) BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,726 APSA: 896 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 51.9%   ~~~40%-49.9%~~~   ACNA: FORT WORTH BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,649 APSA: 4,273 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 49.4%   ACNA: SOUTH CAROLINA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 17,440 APSA: 7,888 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 45.2%   NEVADA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,983 AWA: 1,784 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 44.7%   EAU CLAIRE Final report. In 2024 the diocese united with the dioceses of Milwaukee and Fond du Lac to reconstitute the historic Diocese of Wisconsin. BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 918 AWA: 411 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 44.7%   CENTRAL FLORIDA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 22,131 AWA: 8,918 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 40.3%   NORTHERN INDIANA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,963 AWA: 1,191 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 40.2%   ~~~30%-39.9%~~~   EL CAMINO REAL BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 5,760 AWA: 2,197 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 38.1%   EASTERN OREGON BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,675 AWA: 638 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 38.1%   MILWAUKEE Final report. In 2024 the diocese united with the dioceses of Eau Claire and Fond du Lac to reconstitute the historic Diocese of Wisconsin. BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,226 AWA: 2,354 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 37.8%   INDIANAPOLIS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 7,711 AWA: 2,893 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 37.5%   WESTERN MICHIGAN Final report. In 2024 the diocese united with the Diocese of Eastern Michigan to form the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes. BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,440 AWA: 2,408 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 37.4%   SPOKANE BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,385 AWA: 1,259 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 37.2%   VERMONT BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 4,045 AWA: 1,487 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 36.8%   NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,677 AWA: 981 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 36.6%   FOND DU LAC Final report. In 2024 the diocese united with the dioceses of Milwaukee and Eau Claire to reconstitute the historic Diocese of Wisconsin. BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,391 AWA: 1,243 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 36.6%   WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 13,152 AWA: 4,788 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 36.4%   SPRINGFIELD BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,098 AWA: 1,118 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 36.1%   IDAHO BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,297 AWA: 1,186 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 35.9%   ALBANY BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 9,131 AWA: 3,283 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 35.9%   HAWAII BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 5,783 AWA: 2,079 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 35.9%   SAN DIEGO BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 9,781 AWA: 3,509 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 35.8%   WESTERN KANSAS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,173 AWA: 413 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 35.2%   EASTERN MICHIGAN Final report. In 2024 the diocese united with the Diocese of Western Michigan to form the Episcopal Diocese of the Great Lakes.   BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,362 AWA: 1,170 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 34.8%   WEST TEXAS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 19,251 AWA: 6,636 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 34.5%   SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 24,046 AWA: 8,280 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 34.4%   IOWA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 4,713 AWA: 1,611 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 34.2%   COLORADO BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 19,887 AWA: 6,785 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 34.1%   GEORGIA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 12,038 AWA: 4,105 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 34.1%   WEST TENNESSEE BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,163 AWA: 2,073 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 33.6%   ROCHESTER BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,529 AWA: 2,186 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 33.5%   NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 9,727 AWA: 3,237 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 33.3%   LEXINGTON BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,186 AWA: 2,043 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 33.0%   WEST VIRGINIA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 5,377 AWA: 1,772 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 32.9%   CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,322 AWA: 2,732 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 32.8%   KANSAS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,826 AWA: 2,229 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 32.6%   TEC SAN JOAQUIN BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 1,958 AWA: 633 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 32.3%   NORTHERN MICHIGAN BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 975 AWA: 315 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 32.3%   SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,338 AWA: 2,686 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 32.2%   MAINE BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,400 AWA: 2,695 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 32.1%   OREGON BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 11,600 AWA: 3,713 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 32.0%   ARIZONA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 16,433 AWA: 5,195 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 31.6%    OKLAHOMA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 13,576 AWA: 4,282 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 31.5%   KENTUCKY BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,409 AWA: 2,018 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 31.5%   EAST CAROLINA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 14,133 AWA: 4,432 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 31.3%   SOUTHERN VIRGINIA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 19,534 AWA: 6,071 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 31.1%   EAST TENNESSEE BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 12,969 AWA: 3,997 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 30.8%   NEBRASKA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 5,867 AWA: 1,791 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 30.5%   MICHIGAN BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 13,311 AWA: 4,003 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 30.1%     DALLAS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 27,214 AWA: 8,205 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 30.1%   MONTANA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,367 AWA: 1,011 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 30.0%   ~~~20%-29.9%~~~   DELAWARE BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,913 AWA: 2,068 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 29.9%   SOUTHERN OHIO BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 14,818 AWA: 4367 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 29.5%     TEC in SOUTH CAROLINA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 7,995 AWA: 2,352 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 29.4%   BETHLEHEM BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 7,080 AWA: 2,061 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 29.1%   SOUTHEAST FLORIDA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 25,810 AWA: 7,401 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.6%   TENNESSEE BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 15,460 AWA: 4,410 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.5%   CENTRAL NEW YORK BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,534 AWA: 2,428 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.4%   UTAH BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 3,966 AWA: 1,122 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.3%   ESTERN MASSACHUSETTS  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 10,844 AWA: 2,605 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.1%   NORTHWEST TEXAS BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 4,788 AWA: 1,344 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.1%   NEW HAMPSHIRE BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 9,279 AWA: 2,605 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.1%   WESTERN LOUISIANA BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 7,744 AWA: 2,175 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.1%   WESTERN NEW YORK BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,014 AWA: 1,684 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.0%   CHICAGO BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 25,645 AWA: 7,184 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 28.0%   MISSOURI BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,745 AWA: 2,443 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 27.9%   OHIO BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 13,921 AWA: 3,867 PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 27.8% WASHINGTON, DC  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 30,741  AWA: 8,483  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 27.6%  RIO GRANDE  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 9,764  AWA: 2,656  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 27.2%  MINNESOTA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 14,6 565  AWA: 3,940  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 27.1%  MISSISSIPPI  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 16,981  AWA: 4,591  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 27.0%  WEST MISSOURI  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,624  AWA: 2,323  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 26.9%  EASTON  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,858  AWA: 1,799  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 26.2%  ARKANSAS  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 12,956  AWA: 3,394  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 26.2%  CALIFORNIA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 17,175  AWA: 4,492  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 26.1%  FLORIDA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 22,884  AWA: 5,946  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 25.9%  PENNSYLVANIA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 32,225  AWA: 8,222  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 25.5%  RHODE ISLAND  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 12,781  AWA: 3,241  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 25.3%  TEXAS  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 72,268  AWA: 18,141  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 25.1%  CENTRAL GULF COAST  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 16,803  AWA: 4,180  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 24.8%  WYOMING  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 5,670  AWA: 1,400  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 24.7%  VIRGINIA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 61,591  AWA: 15,229  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 24.7%  ALABAMA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 29,180  AWA: 7,217  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 24.7%  NEW JERSEY  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 30,423  AWA: 7,497  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 24.6%  SOUTH DAKOTA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 6,301  AWA: 1,534  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 24.3%  UPPER SOUTH CAROLINA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 21,422  AWA: 5,098  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 23.8%  NEWARK  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 18,245  AWA: 4,325  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 23.7%  NEW YORK  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 41,888  AWA: 9,866  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 23.5%  MARYLAND  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 25,905  AWA: 6,079  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 23.5%  LOUISIANA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 13,660  AWA: 3,207  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 23.5%  NORTH CAROLINA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 41,835  AWA: 9,708  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 23.2%  MASSACHUSETTS  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 42,510  AWA: 9,745  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 22.9%  ATLANTA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 4,3211  AWA: 9,814  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 22.7%  LONG ISLAND  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 36,343  AWA: 8,148  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 22.4%  CONNECTICUT  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 36,763  AWA: 8,211  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 22.3%  NORTH DAKOTA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 2,148  AWA: 464  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 21.6%  LOS ANGELES  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 39,677  AWA: 8,459  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 21.3%  TEC PITTSBURGH  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 8,538  AWA: 1,746  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 20.4%  ~~~10%-19.9%~~~  NAVAJOLAND  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 800  AWA: 143  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 17.8%  ALASKA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 4,794  AWA: 727  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 15.2%  ~~~Less than 10%~~~  OLYMPIA  BAPTIZED MEMBERSHIP: 18,356  AWA: 1,648  PERCENTAGE ATTENDANCE: 8.9%  ~~~FORMER DIOCESES~~~ ACNA: VIA APOSTOLICA  No report. Jurisdiction was dissolved in 2023.  TEC FORT WORTH  No report. In 2022 the diocese was merged into the Diocese of Texas.  TEC QUINCY  No report. In 2013 the diocese was merged into the Diocese of Chicago.

Allegations made after the publication of the Makin report, Church House says   By FRANCIS MARTIN THE TIMES February 2025   ALLEGATIONS of sexual abuse and coercive behaviour were made against the Revd David Fletcher, a former Rector of St Ebbe’s, Oxford, after the publication of the Makin report, it was revealed on Thursday morning.   A statement from Church House said that the National Safeguarding Team and the diocese of Oxford had received “information of sexual abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour” concerning the late Mr Fletcher, who was Rector of St Ebbe’s from 1986 to 1998. He died three years ago (News, 11 February 2022).   The allegations concern women and girls, the statement says, and had been reported to the police.   The Rector, Parish Safeguarding Officer, and churchwardens of St Ebbe’s issued their own statement on Thursday, stating that “since 2017” two women had previously alleged that Mr Fletcher had been “inappropriately tactile with them”. By the time these reports were made, Mr Fletcher was “very unwell and had ceased doing any ministry”, the statement said, and the reports were referred to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.   The Church Times understands that these allegations are separate to those made following the publication of the Makin report.   On Thursday evening, Channel 4 News is due to broadcast interviews with three women who have made complaints against Mr Fletcher, the journalist Cathy Newman said on social media.   Mr Fletcher was a leader at the Iwerne camps alongside John Smyth, who is known to have abused at least 30 young men and boys in the UK. Mr Fletcher was identified in the Makin review as being at the heart of the cover-up of Smyth’s abuse from 1981 until 2013, when a disclosure to the diocese of Ely led to Smyth’s being reported to the police.   Before he died, Mr Fletcher told the review: “I thought it would do the work of God immense damage if this were public” (News, 7 November 2024).   Thursday’s statement thanked those who had “bravely come forward” with allegations against Mr Fletcher, and said that support had been offered to them.   “Revd Fletcher’s family have been informed and support has been offered,” the statement said.   Mr Fletcher’s brother, the Revd Jonathan Fletcher, is a former Minister of Emmanuel Proprietary Chapel, Ridgway, Wimbledon, in the diocese of Southwark, who is currently awaiting trial on charges of indecent assault and grievous bodily harm.   *****   ST EBBE’S STATEMENT ON DAVID FLETCHER   By Vaughan Roberts February 6, 2025   We were very shocked to hear of allegations concerning David Fletcher of sexual abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour towards women and girls (see the Oxford Diocese statement here). We hold all victims and survivors of abuse in our prayers, hoping profoundly for their healing and recovery, and are praying very much for those who have come forward and for all those who are most affected by this announcement.   David Fletcher was Rector of St Ebbe’s from 1986-1998 and remained a congregation member until he died three years ago. His death means we cannot ask him the questions we all seek answers to. We do not know the details of the allegations ourselves and are therefore unable to answer questions in relation to them.   Since 2017, by which time David Fletcher was very unwell and had ceased doing any ministry, St Ebbe’s received reports from two women about him having been inappropriately tactile with them. These were referred to the Diocesan Safeguarding Team. No other concerns have been reported to St Ebbe’s in relation to him.   In the light of the 31:8 review into the abuses of Jonathan Fletcher, the PCC conducted a review into our governance, including safeguarding procedures, and a culture review. This has led to an ongoing process of cultural reflection; we are also in the process of considering the lessons and recommendations of the Makin Review. We are committed to doing all we can to make St Ebbe’s a safe and healthy community.   If you have any questions or concerns in relation to safeguarding, or wish to make a disclosure, please contact one of our Safeguarding Team, the Diocese of Oxford Safeguarding Team, or, if you wish to remain anonymous, Safe Spaces.   Please send any questions or concerns in relation to governance or culture to the Churchwardens ( churchwardens@stebbes.org ).   We continue to depend on the Lord Jesus, who knows all things and is only ever good, faithful and loving, pleading for him to bring truth, justice and healing.   Vaughan Roberts, Rector Niki Ridgway, Parish Safeguarding Officer Greg Brisk, Churchwarden Suzanne Wilson-Higgins, Churchwarden

COMMENTARY  By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org February 17, 2025   The Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. Sean Rowe and a leading U.S. rabbi believe the U.S. government is overstepping its authority using ICE to find illegal immigrants and deport them.   “The Christian and Jewish faiths demand we welcome the stranger. DHS is not allowing us to do that, so we sued.”   They have filed a lawsuit against the Dept. of Homeland Security arguing that the government is subjecting places of worship to Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions without a judicial warrant which presents an intolerable burden on the free exercise of religion in violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.   The argument they present goes like this. We are all made in the image of God, we deserve respect and because this is so, state and federal authorities should not be permitted to enter “sacred spaces”, and arrest persons illegally here.   Being made in the image of God is not a sound argument. Mao, Adolph and Joe were also made in the image of God, and if they were hiding out in a church would anyone deny ICE the right to enter and arrest them?   Closer to home, if the illegals were criminals with records should not ICE be permitted to enter a church and take them out? How sacred is a space when it is occupied by criminals with records. Are they a special class needing protection?   The statement about the image of God being found in everyone is disingenuous and flatly denied by Rowe and the church’s stand on abortion. As a matter of law, the Episcopal Church has unambiguously supported a woman’s right to choose an abortion since before anyone had ever heard the term “Roe v. Wade.” The Episcopal Church allows for abortion right up to the time of birth. The image of God is found even in utero I am told.   Furthermore, TEC’s attitude towards people of orthodox persuasion hardly reflects the image of God the church so loudly proclaims. TEC made homosexual marriage the litmus test for staying in the church, forcing tens of thousands out. The bishops made their lives so miserable and unwelcoming that they fled and formed a new Anglican denomination.   It is an apples and oranges situation to say that America allowed Jews into the country, a people persecuted, killed, and hounded out of countries where they lived and then forced to settle here; a peaceful intelligent people who only wanted jobs, an opportunity to worship their God, and who desired better lives for their children.    Jews vs illegals, often violent immigrants from countries like Venezuela and Mexico is hardly moral equivalence. It’s not the same thing.   Trump has made it clear that it is criminals and illegals he wants gone, not those legally here. There are systems in place to apply for legal immigration. To go from undocumented to documented is a process, but it is possible.   Allow me to make this personal. I was living in western Canada. The newspaper I was writing for had gone on strike, and my wife and our son needed to find work. I was offered a job in New York City. I took it.   For me to get a green card I had to get police clearance from New Zealand, the country of my birth; the UK where I had lived and studied for a number of years and from Canada where I was now resident. They were concerned that I had no criminal record. It seemed fair though it was a lot of paperwork and waiting. In time I became a U.S. citizen.   Welcoming the stranger and sojourner is indeed the obligation of a nation, and America has welcomed millions of immigrants, including myself who have come here legally, to prove the point. The president and vice president have both married immigrants. There is no reason for that to change. FOOTNOTE. Episcopal Diocese of Washington Bishop Mariann Budde's Episcopal Migration Ministry (EMM) received $53 million in 2023 for its migrant resettlement program, much of it from USAID. The Trump administration has temporarily paused these programs for evaluation. According to records, EMM received the U.S. taxpayer funds from various government programs to resettle 3,600 individuals in 2023.

COMMENTARY   By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org February 10, 2025   The Anglican Church in North America started its journey in 2009, forming and separating itself from The Episcopal Church over its drift from historic and biblical teachings on theology and marriage.   Set within the Anglican tradition in the U.S. and Canada, ACNA also includes congregations in Mexico, and a missionary diocese in Cuba. It can therefore claim to be an international body, aligned with other global Anglican churches though not officially recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion Office. The ACNA is a constituent member of GAFCON whose identity is based on the Jerusalem Declaration.   But the central issue facing the ACNA is ecclesiastical: what kind of “Anglican” will this body be? It seems that our Constitution and Canons (with reliance on the Jerusalem Declaration) states that we will be confessional, while the heart cry of our leaders seems to be for a conciliar definition (“let’s get as many in the boat as we can for maximum chance of success”).   Following a brief dip in congregations and attendance during COVID, ACNA has fully recovered and is moving forward albeit slowly into a new century.   Its first archbishop was the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan; its second archbishop was the Rt. Rev. Foley Beach. Recently the orthodox denomination ordained its third archbishop in the person of the Rt. Rev. Steve Wood. He promises a reinvigorated church, post COVID, to reach the 130 million people across North America who do not recognize Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A tall order indeed when one considers that 40 million Americans have stopped attending a place of worship over the past 25 years. However, it should be noted that fifty-one percent of people who have dechurched are willing to go back to church.   By contrast, The Episcopal Church has been sharply declining in attendance. Over 55% of Episcopal parishes are now in a state of long-term decline, dropping 10% or more across the past five reporting years. The church recorded an even sharper drop in average Sunday attendance in the past decade, down 43% to 373,000 in 2022, though that one-year total was up by 19% from the pandemic-driven low of 313,000 in 2021. With the average age at 69 and few young people filling pews, along with the decline in the number of ordained clergy, the long term looks bleak.   “The overall picture is dire. [It is] not one of decline as much as demise within the next generation unless trends change significantly. There will be no one in worship by around 2050 in the entire denomination,” said the Rev. Dwight Zscheile, an Episcopal priest and professor.   ACNA RISE, DECLINE AND RISE   Pre-COVID in 2019 ACNA had 972 congregations. In 2020, during COVID in 2020 ACNA maintained its 972 congregations, but in 2021 during COVID it jumped up adding two congregations to 974. By 2022 ACNA saw a rise to 977, but by 2023, post-COVID, ACNA saw a dramatic increase adding 36 new congregations to cross the 1,000-threshold landing at 1,013.   MEMBERSHIP was a different story. Pre-COVID 2019 membership stood at 127,624. During COVID 2020 the figure dropped slightly to 126,760 and during COVID 2021 it plunged to122,450. Post-COVID 2022 saw a rise to124,999 and post-COVID 2023 the figure rose to 128,114.   Unlike The Episcopal Church which is rapidly declining, ACNA seems destined to grow and maintain an Anglican presence in North America in the foreseeable future. At some point around 2040 there is every reason to believe that the two churches will cross each other if the present rate of TEC decline and ACNA growth continues.   The one issue that both churches face is birth dearth.  A study released by the prestigious McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), “Dependency and depopulation? Confronting the consequences of a new demographic reality” revealed that falling fertility and increasing longevity is reshaping global populations. Fertility rates have fallen below the replacement rate required to maintain a stable population. Humanity is drifting into uncharted waters. We’ve endured population decline from war and disease but have never encountered a prolonged birth dearth. Merely a generation ago, the notion of population collapse was unfathomable to most. Now demographers deem it inevitable.   Unless churches get youth on board most churches will wither and die within a generation regardless of their beliefs. The study is a wake-up call for churches sleepwalking into unprecedented social upheaval. It is too late for the seven mainline denominations, they will all be gone by 2050 at the very latest. The issue will be if independent evangelical churches, including denominational ones with historic ties like ACNA and PCA can reach and convert generations X, Y and Z with the gospel and form them into a new generation of evangelists and disciplers.   What drives the ACNA? It has rejected the revisionism and progressivism of the Episcopal Church, but still the question remains, what defines ACNA? Although in the ACNA there is general agreement on the authority of Scripture, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the means to salvation, and traditional views of gender and marriage, there continues to be a lot of disunity over core Anglican identity: will the traditional Anglican formularies be acknowledged as is stated in the Jerusalem Declaration, or will something else provide our confessional grounding as a church.   Early on Archbishop Robert Duncan promoted the idea of “three streams” which became something of a motto for the new Anglican movement in North America. This idea that the streams of catholic, protestant (evangelical), and charismatic are equally important to our modern understanding of Anglican identity is not found in Anglicanism before modern times, and nowhere is it hinted at in our traditional formularies. Even though three-streams constitutes a sharp departure from historic Anglican’s insistence on Scripture as the supreme God-inspired authority, many Anglicans glommed on to it for hope of justifying their own personal preferences in worship and practice.   The Anglo-Catholic stream from bishops like Keith Ackerman and William Wantland articulated high church theology and worship promulgated by Forward in Faith, an organization that is committed to promoting a new Oxford movement. The 1830s Oxford Movement attempted to bend the church away from traditional Anglican values and formularies towards understandings taught by Archbishop William Laud and the Caroline Divines. Like the original Oxford Movement, modern-day Anglo-Catholics tend to favor the altar over the pulpit, ecclesiastical titles and ceremonial over servant leadership, and Arminianism over the moderate Lutheranism and Calvinism of Anglican’s formularies.   A third movement in the ACNA is Reformation Anglicanism, or (as defined by Bishop FitzSimons Allison) “mere Anglicanism.” This group affirms the Bible as its supreme authority, the norm for all other authorities, including tradition, reason and experience. They see the Edwardian and Elizabethan settlement as a settlement, based on the authority of Holy Scripture as it is upheld and understood by Anglican’s formularies: the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the Thirty-nine Articles, and the two books of homilies. They understand the Bible to be perspicuous: clear for everyone to understand in all essential matters as Scripture interprets Scripture, with the more obscure passages understood by plainer passages. Reformation Anglicans view the power of the preached word as always encompassing the good news of God in Christ for our full salvation.   It remains to be seen in which direction Archbishop Steve Wood will lead the ACNA. Even though this church was formed by bishops and people on both sides of the women’s ordination debate, this single issue has interrupted the adolescent development of mission and ministry, and may even derail this church from its relevance along with other mainline churches.   The following statistics and figures reveal the true state of each diocese in ACNA.   THE ANGLICAN CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA Founded: 2009 PRESENT PRIMATE: Archbishop Steve Wood ACNA III — Since 2024 Principal location: Non geographical See City: Ambridge, Pennsylvania Percent of Congregations reporting: 93%  ACNA 2019-2023 STATISTICS CONGREGATIONS Pre-COVID 2019: 972 COVID 2020:  972 COVID 2021:  974 Post-COVID 2022:      977 Post-COVID 2023:  1,013 Pre-COVID/COVID increase: 2019-2021: +2 (+0.2%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023: +3 (+0.3%) Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:  +36 (+4.2%)  Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021: -5,174   (-4.1%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023: +2,459 (+2.1%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:   +490 (+0.3%)    ACNA APSA: (Average Principal Service Attendance) is the true bellwether of church health. Attendance not membership defines a church. Pre-COVID 2019: 84,310 COVID 2020: 83,119 COVID 2021: 58,225 Post-COVID 2022:   75,583 Post-COVID 2023:   84,794 Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021: -26,185 (-30.9%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:   +17,328 (+29.8%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:  +484 (+0.5%)  PERCENTAGE OF WORSHIP ATTENDANCE    Pre-COVID 2019:  66.1%  COVID 2020:  65.6%  COVID 2021:  47.5%  Post-COVID 2022:   60.5%  Post-COVID 2023:   66.4%  Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021: -18.6%  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:  +13%  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:     +0.3%    The following is a breakdown of diocesan attendance:   DIOCESE:  All Nations   BISHOP: Felix Orji All Nations I — Since 2013 Founded: 2011 (CANA West) Joined ACNA: 2023* Principal location: West Central United States See City: El Paso, Texas Percent of Congregations reporting: 97%  *No earlier All Nations diocesan stats available CONGREGATIONS 2023: 32 MEMBERSHIP 2023: 2,251 APSA (Average Principal Service Attendance) 2023: 1,791 PERCENT WORSHIP ATTENDANCE  2023: 79.5%    DIOCESE: ALL SAINTS   BISHOP: Richard Lipka II All Saints — Since 2021  Founded: 2011 Principal location: Non geographical See City: Berlin, Maryland Percent of Congregations reporting: 100%  CONGREGATIONS   Pre-COVID 2019: 31 COVID 2020: 26 COVID 2021: 27 Post-COVID 2022:  25 Post-COVID 2023:  25 Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021:  -4  (-12.9%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2019-2023:  -2  (-7.4%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:   -6  (-19.4%)  MEMBERSHIP   Pre-COVID 2019: 1,290 COVID 2020:  988 COVID 2021:  929 Post-COVID 2022:   983 Post-COVID 2023:   971 Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021: -361 (-27.9%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2019-2023:   +54 (+5.8%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:  -319  (-24.7%)  APSA (Average Principal Service Attendance) Pre-COVID 2019: 778 COVID 2020: 581 COVID 2021: 499 Post-COVID 2022:   561 Post-COVID 2023:   544 Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021:  -279 (-35.8%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:  +62 (+12.4%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:   -234 (-30.1%)  PERCENT WORSHIP ATTENDANCE  Pre-COVID 2019:  60.3%  COVID 2020:  58.8%  COVID 2021:  53.7%  Post-COVID 2022:  57.1%  Post-COVID 2023:  56.0%  Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021:    -6.6%  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:    +3.4%  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:     -4.3%    DIOCESE:  ANGLICAN NETWORK IN CANADA (ANIC)   BISHOP: Dan Gifford ANiC III — Since 2022 Founded: 2007 Joined ACNA: 2009 Principal location: Canada See City: Burlington, Ontario, Canada Percent of Congregations reporting: 97%  CONGREGATIONS Pre-COVID 2019: 76 COVID 2020: 71 COVID 2021: 73 Post-COVID 2022:  72 Post-COVID 2023:  76 Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021:  -5 (-6.6%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:  +5 (+7.1%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:  ±0 (0%)  MEMBERSHIP Pre-COVID 2019: 7,563 COVID 2020: 7,030 COVID 2021: 5,543 Post-COVID 2022:  6,492 Post-COVID 2023:  5,847 Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021: -2,020 (-26.7%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:  +949 (+17.1%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:  -2,316 (-22.6%)  APSA: (Average Principal Service Attendance) Pre-COVID 2019: 4,640 COVID 2020:  4,001 COVID 2021:  2,415 Post-COVID 2022:   3,433 Post-COVID 2023:   4,252 Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021:  -2,225   (47.9-%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:  +1,018 (+42.2%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:  -388 (-8.3%)  PERCENT WORSHIP ATTENDANCE Pre-COVID 2019:  61.3%  COVID 2020:  56.9%  COVID 2021:  43.5%  Post-COVID 2022:   52.8%  Post-COVID 2023:   72.7%  Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021:   -17.6%  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:    +9.3%  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:    +11.4%    JURISDICTION:  Armed Forces Chaplaincy   BISHOP: Derek Jones Armed Forces I — Since 2007 Founded: 2007 CANA Joined ACNA: 2014 Principal location: Non geographical See City: Montevallo, Alabama Percent of Congregations reporting: 100%  CONGREGATIONS Pre-COVID 2019: 8 COVID 2020:  17 COVID 2021:  15 Post-COVID 2022: 10 Post-COVID 2023:   9 Pre-COVID/COVID increase: 2019-2021:   +7  (+87.5%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:  -5  (-33.3%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:  +2   (+25%)  MEMBERSHIP Pre-COVID 2019:  No Report COVID 2020: 456 COVID 2021: 420 Post-COVID 2022:  222 Post-COVID 2023:  251  COVID drop: 2020-2021:   -36 (-7.9%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:   -198 (-47.1%)  Three-year COVID/post COVID difference: 2020-2022:  -234 (-51.3%)  APSA (Average Principal Service Attendance) Pre-COVID 2019: 338 COVID 2020: 231 COVID 2021: 388 Post-COVID 2022: 231 Post-COVID 2023: 257   Pre-COVID/COVID increase: 2019-2021:  +50 (+14.8%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:  -157 (-40.4%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:   -107 (-31.6%)  PERCENT WORSHIP ATTENDANCE:      Pre-COVID 2019: No Report COVID 2020: 50.6%  COVID 2021: 92.3%  Post-COVID 2022:    96.1%  Post-COVID 2023:  102.4%  COVID increase: 2020-2021:   +40.7%  Post-COVID Recovery:  2021-2023:    +3.8%  Three-year COVID/post COVID difference: 2020-2022:     +51.8%    DIOCESE:  Carolinas   BISHOP: ++Steve Wood Carolinas I — Since 2012 Founded: 2012 Principal location: North & South Carolina See City: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Percent of Congregations reporting: 100%  CONGREGATIONS  Pre-COVID 2019: 29 COVID 2020: 30 COVID 2021: 32 Post-COVID 2022:  34 Post-COVID 2023:  37  Pre-COVID/COVID increase: 2019-2021: +3 (+10.3%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023: +2 (+6.2%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:   +5 (+17.2%)  MEMBERSHIP Pre-COVID 2019: 8,207 COVID 2020: 8,275 COVID 2021: 8,639 Post-COVID 2022:     9,769 Post-COVID 2023:   10,049 Pre-COVID/COVID increase: 2019-2021: +432 (+5.2%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:  +1,130 (+13.1%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:  +1,562   (+19%)  APSA (Average Principal Service Attendance) Pre-COVID 2019: 5,150 COVID 2020: 5,285 COVID 2021: 3,982 Post-COVID 2022:   4,872 Post-COVID 2023:   5,823 Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021:   -1,278 (-22.6%)  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023: +890 (+22.4%)  Five-year pre/post COVID difference: 2019-2023:   -278 (-5.4%)  PERCENT WORSHIP ATTENDANCE       Pre-COVID 2019: 62.7%  COVID 2020: 63.8%  COVID 2021: 46.1%  Post-COVID 2022:  49.8%  Post-COVID 2023:  57.9%  Pre-COVID/COVID drop: 2019-2021: -16.6%  Post-COVID Recovery: 2021-2023:    +3.7%  Five-year pre/post COVID difference:   ACNA’S HOUSE OF BISHOPS   There are 86 living bishops in ACNA's College of Bishops – 49 are active with 37 retired. Another 4 Bishops-elect are slated to join them.    Another 15 ACNA bishops are deceased.    There are 7 former bishops who left ACNA -- 5 are living and 2 are deceased.    Working ACNA bishops by all 28 dioceses    LEGEND JURISDICTIONS  ACNA – Anglican Church in North America  GAFCON – Global Anglican Future Conference  JAFC – Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces &  Chaplaincy (ACNA)  OSB: Order of St. Benedict  REC – Reformed Episcopal Church    DIOCESE: ALL NATIONS    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Felix Orji, OSB  (I All Nations)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Scott Seely  NOTES: Bishop Orij is Bishop Protector of the Order of Saint Benedict for the Diocese of Westminster in the Anglican Church of Canada.    DIOCESE: ALL SAINTS    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Richard Lipka  (II All Saints)  COADJUTOR: Darryl Fitzwater    DIOCESE: ARMED FORCES  JURISDICTION: JAFC    BISHOP ORDINARY: Darek Jones  (I Armed Forces)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Michael Williams  (Bishop for Education, Training & Formation)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Mark Nordstrom  (Bishop of Pastoral Care for Clergy and Families)  SUFFRAGAN BISHOP-ELECT: Jay Cayangyang  SUFFRAGAN BISHOP-ELECT: Marshall MacClellan    DIOCESE: CANADA  JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Dan Gifford  (III Canada & Area Bishop for the East)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Mike Stewart  (Area Bishop for the West)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Stephen Leung  (Bishop for Asian and Multicultural Ministries)    DIOCESE: THE CAROLINAS    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Archbishop Steve Wood  (I The Carolinas)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: David Bryan  (Area Bishop for South Carolina)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Terrell Glenn  (Area Bishop for North Carolina)  ASSISTING BISHOP: Thad Barnum  NOTES: Archbishop Wood is the current III ACNA.    DIOCESE: CASCADIA    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Jacob Worley  (II Cascadia)    DIOCESE: CENTRAL STATES    JURISDICTION: REC  BISHOP ORDINARY: Peter Manto  BISHOP-ELECT: Jason Grote  BISHOP EMERITUS: Daniel Morse  NOTE: Jason Grote is son to former REC Presiding Bishop Royal Grote. His consecration date is June 2025.    DIOCESE: CHRIST OUR HOPE    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Alan Hawkins  (II Christ Our Hope)  COADJUTOR:  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Quigg Lawrence  ASSISTING BISHOP: Paul Donison  BISHOP EMERITUS: Steve Breedlove  NOTES: Bishop Donison is also Assistant Bishop for the Diocese of Gasobo, Rwanda.    DIOCESE: C4SO  (Church for the Sake of Others)    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Todd Hunter  (I C4SO)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Brian Wallace    DIOCESE: Fort Worth    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Ryan Reed  (IV Fort Worth)  ASSISTING BISHOP: Keith Ackerman    DIOCESE: Great Lakes    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Mark Engel  (III Great Lakes)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Allen Kannapell    DIOCESE: GULF ATLANTIC    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Alex Farmer  (II Gulf Atlantic)    DIOCESE: Living Word    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Julian Dobbs  (I Living Word)  ASSISTING BISHOP: Willian Love  ASSISTING BISHOP: David Bena    DIOCESE: MID-AMERICA    JURISDICTION: REC  BISHOP ORDINARY: Ray Sutton  (VI Mid-America)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Walter Banek  NOTES: Bishop Sutton is also REC's current Presiding Bishop. The REC diocese also encompasses west and western Canada.    DIOCESE: MID-ATLANTIC    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Christopher Warner  (II Mid-Atlantic)    DIOCESE: NEW ENGLAND    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Andrew Williams  (II New England)  DIOCESE: NORTHEAST & MID-ATLANTIC    JURISDICTION: REC  BISHOP ORDINARY: William Jenkins  (XIII Northeast & Mid-Atlantic)  NOTES: The REC diocese also encompasses central and eastern Canada.    DIOCESE: PITTSBURGH    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Alex Cameron  (IX Pittsburgh)    DIOCESE: QUINCY    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Alberto Morales, OSB  (IX Quincy)  BISHOP EMERITUS: Keith Ackerman    DIOCESE: ROCKY MOUNTAINS    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Ken Ross  (I Rocky Mountains)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Ben Fisher  ASSISTING BISHOP: Thad Barnum  (Assisting Bishop for Clergy Care)    DIOCESE: SAN JOAQUIN    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Eric Meneese  (V San Joaquin)    DIOCESE: SOUTH CAROLINA    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Chip Edgar  (XV South Carolina)    DIOCESE: SOUTH    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Archbishop Foley Beach  (I South)  ASSISTING BISHOP: Frank Lyons  (Assisting Bishop for Episcopal Pastoral Care and Leadership)  NOTES: Archbishop Beach was II ACNA (2014-2024) and III GAFCON Chairman (2018-2023).    DIOCESE: SOUTHEAST    JURISDICTION: REC  BISHOP ORDINARY: Willie Hill  (IX Southeast)    DIOCESE: SOUTHWEST    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Steven Tighe  (II Southwest)    DIOCESE: UPPER MIDWEST    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Stewart Ruch  (I Upper Midwest)  NOTES: Bishop Ruch had been on a leave of absence since July 2021 for mishandling a clerical sex abuse case. He has not resigned his bishopric. In November 2024 the ACNA Board of Inquiry signed a Presentment against Bishop Ruch to bring him to Ecclesiastical Court for the Trial of a Bishop for violating ACNA Canons IV.2.4 & IV.2.10. A July 14, 2025 trial date has been sent. Bishop Ruch is still considered the sitting Bishop of the Upper Midwest although diocesan administrative duties are being handled by the Standing Committee.    DIOCESE: WESTERN ANGLICANS    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Keith Andrews  (I Western Anglicans)  BISHOP SUFFRAGAN: Mark Zimmerman  (Special Mission bishop)  BISHOP-ELECT: Phil Ashey  NOTES: Bishop-elect Ashey's consecration date is in March.    DIOCESE: WEST GULF COAST    JURISDICTION: ACNA  BISHOP ORDINARY: Clark Lowenfield  (I West Gulf Coast)

By Bruce Atkinson Special To Virtueonline www.virtueonline.org February 17, 2025    "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." - 2 Corinthians 12:9   Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone; the arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own. -        George Duffield, Jr.   “Our weakness is a fundamental characteristic of our creature-hood. We delude ourselves, as did Peter, if we think that we have any strength of our own.  Even without reckoning with sin, the human constitution is frail by divine design.  We were always meant to be reliant on God and should have been content to remain so. ” – Roger Salter   “As we grow spiritually, our sense of unworthiness grows, not our sense of entitlement.  In other words, the closer we get to perfection, the more aware we become regarding how far away we are yet from that standard which is Christ.  Perfection, after all, requires the utmost in humility .” -        Bruce Atkinson     Preface:   I have just listened to an old video of the venerable J.I. Packer speak briefly on the value of weakness.  Packer was always inspiring.  In this case, his words inspired me to finish a teaching essay on this topic that I started many years ago.   It almost goes without saying that all kinds of weakness are found in Christians, no less than in any other person.  Being a Christian does not make us immune to weaknesses, illnesses, or to normal life difficulties.   In terms of our culture’s way of defining strength, it seems that our faith does not often yield benefits in this world.  We fail at tasks, we get sick, we have accidents, and we suffer in all the ways that human beings suffer.  In delving more deeply into this issue, beginning with Paul in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1, have discovered many spiritual positives embedded (and often hidden) in our weaknesses and difficulties.  In this teaching essay, I have outlined some of these spiritual benefits.   Principles :    I.   AWARENESS OF OUR OWN WEAKNESS ALLOWS US TO PERCEIVE  GOD’S POWER MORE CLEARLY.   "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." - 2 Corinthians 4:7   God is sovereign and He is so great, powerful, wonderful, and loving that it cannot be otherwise that His choices and actions will result in His further glorification.   “For from Him, and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be glory forever.”   (Romans 11:36)   Therefore, an important purpose of human existence is to provide evidence of this truth, that is, evidence of God's glory.   “Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)   Before Jesus healed one particular blind man, He was asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him.”   (John 9:2-3)   When we succeed at any good work through our trusting in God , in spite of, or even because of our weaknesses and difficulties, God gets greater glory.   Our success-in-weakness reflects God's choosing and God's power.  If we succeeded on our own merits, because of our own strengths and abilities, then God would not be adequately credited— even though He created us and gave us our abilities in the first place ( "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven." - John 3:27).   But when we are in any way successful, we egotistical humans certainly do like to take the credit— far more than is appropriate.  And that is spiritual theft.   “ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.   He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things — and the things that are not — to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him .  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written:  "Let him who boasts … boast only in the Lord." ( 1 Cor 1:27-29, Jer 9:24)   God has frequently used weak instruments to accomplish great results:  the jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:15), five barley loaves and two fishes (John 6:9), a man who thought of himself as useless and no speaker (Moses), an impetuous man who denied Christ three times (Simon Peter), a self-righteous man who vigorously persecuted the early church (Saul of Tarsus, later to be named Paul).   God seems to prefer “lost causes.”  He also prefers to make great and wondrous things happen from small, apparently insignificant beginnings.   Remember the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32 and Jesus’ own humble birth in a stable.   In the famous Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 ( "Blessed are the…, for they shall …" ), notice that the meek inherit the earth and the poor-in-spirit receive the kingdom of heaven.  These are strange but powerful messages that do not fit the ways of this world.  Jesus seems to be saying this:  the strong of this world try to take the earth by force, but their power is nothing compared to God's omnipotence, and in God’s time He will take it from them and give it to whom He chooses, to those who trust in God rather than in themselves.   God's ultimate justice will be a great surprise to many.  Those in "high places" in this life will exchange position with those in "low places" (see Matthew 18:4, 19:30, 20:16, 25-28; Mark 10:42-45; Luke 14:10, 18:14, 22:26; James 4:10).   Compared to the masters of this world, the faithful servants will receive the greater glory—eternally.   This world, seemingly based on "the survival of the fittest," will be turned upside-down.   The eternal value of humility can be expected to affect all the people who are intellectually and physically "challenged."  I expect that women, ethnic minorities, the poor, the homeless, the depressed, the addicted, the ugly, the rejected, and all the "have-nots" of this world are especially advantaged in the spiritual area.   These are the people who are more likely to perceive the truth of their sin, their powerlessness, and their need for God, and they are ones more likely to open the door wide when our Lord knocks!   Those who more aware of their inadequacies and sins are also more likely to appreciate forgiveness when they get it.  For whomever is forgiven much, loves much (Luke 7:36-50).   If you are on the bottom now, do not despair, it is an advantage in the Kingdom!   However, if you are proud of your abilities and if you insist on being successful according this world's standards, if you are self-promoting and seek to be a “big shot,” then you are forfeiting eternal treasures.   II.    AWARENESS OF OUR OWN WEAKNESS ALLOWS US TO ACCESS GOD’S POWER MORE EASILY.   “Without divine assistance, I cannot succeed.  With it, I cannot fail."  – attributed to Abraham Lincoln   Are you “with it”?  If you see yourself as weak, then you have made a good beginning!  Our frailty reminds us of our complete dependence on God.  We are most likely to look up when we have hit bottom.  When we see this truth (our total dependence on God), then it turns our hearts and minds toward Him.  And since anything that brings us closer to Him is to our ultimate and immediate benefit, then it follows that our frailty is a very good thing.  If each of us were strong and self-sufficient, who would turn to God at all?   There is a song by folk singer Jesse Winchester that I like (especially his duet with Claire Lynch on her 2009 album Whatcha Gonna Do ).   Here are the lyrics:    That's What Makes You Strong   If you love somebodyThen that means you need somebodyAnd if you need somebodyThat's what makes you weakBut if you know you're weakAnd you know you need someoneO it's a funny thingThat's what makes you strong   And to trust somebodyIs to be disappointedIt's never what you wantedAnd it happens every timeBut if you're the trusting kindThis don't even cross your mindO it's a funny thingThat's what makes you strong   Chorus: That's what makes you strongThat's what gives you powerThat's what lets the meek come sit beside the kingThat's what lets us smileIn our final hourThat's what moves our soulsAnd that's what makes us sing   © Jesse Winchester , 1977   There is a huge difference between self-reliance and trust in another.  And only God is truly trustworthy.  In 2nd Chronicles 14, king Asa of Judah was under attack from a huge Ethiopian army.  But instead of relying on military strategy or running and hiding, he turned to the Lord instead.  He confessed his weakness and dependence on God, and asked Him to protect His own good name (2 Chron 14:11): “ Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty.  Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army.  Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”   And of course, the Lord responded to Asa’s prayer and God’s people easily prevailed.  Likewise, each of us at times face problems too great for us to handle, perhaps by divine design.  It tests our faith; do we trust our own resources, do we panic, or do we pray?   Often it is only when we are aware of the danger that faces us that we consciously seek the help we need.  And there is no other refuge from the danger than the Lord.  The One who loves us is omnipotent.  It is only His strength that gives us safety and that inner peace that worldly security cannot provide.   The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, He saved me. (Psalm 116:5-6)   “ Peace I leave with you:  MY peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14:27)   Religious legalists and extreme Arminians tend to believe too much in their own power and their own ability to do right.  Such persons need to accept more fully the realities of human limitation and susceptibility to sin.  Humans only have power and freedom of choice to the extent that God allows it.  But we must admit, to this point, He seems to have chosen to give us quite a bit of "rope."   We do have choices.  God will not coerce anyone into heaven.  But are we strong enough to choose right?  Not necessarily: what a dilemma.  “ O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!”   (Romans 7:24)     The good news is that there is a wonderful way out of our own powerlessness, and that is through Christ's forgiveness and His power to cause us to overcome our own sinful tendencies.  As we accept the truth of our own weakness, we are far more likely to look to God for His strength and salvation from whatever evil or difficult circumstances come against us.   “Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.”   I do not know who first said this, but history has shown this saying to be true.  God is most obviously present and active in my life when I can no longer handle it all by myself.   The following was written by David C. McCasland (in Our Daily Bread ):       Douglas Burton-Christie decided to walk the last few miles to his spiritual retreat at an Egyptian monastery.  He stepped off the bus in a small village and confidently set out across the desert.  A few hours later, he realized that he was lost.   Instead of arriving at the monastery self-assured and proud, he eventually found his way there humbled and grateful to be alive.   He said, “I gradually came to understand one of the most important things the desert had to teach me:  to enter the desert is to relinquish the illusion of control. ”      Being in charge of our own destiny is a fantasy we cling to.  But when God takes us through a “desert experience,” we are reminded that our only hope rests in Him.      After 40 years in the wilderness, with the Promised Land finally in sight, Moses challenged God’s people to remember a lesson from those years:  “ He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna…,  that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone;  but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3).   Again, the Apostle Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians makes it clear that we should value our weaknesses:             But [Christ] said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak; then I am strong.    (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)   Although God is truly omnipotent, it amazes me that the Lord would say that His power is manifested more perfectly in weakness than in strength — not only despite weakness, but when it is embedded in weakness.   I think that part of our difficulty with this concept is associated with the human tendency to define power in terms of physical force (or political power backed by physical enforcement).   I recall the prophetic declaration of the Lord through Zechariah (4:6 ): “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:  ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”     It is a much greater thing when God’s power is manifested invisibly or in a totally different way than how human beings like to manifest power.  We like overwhelming force, but God operates with subtlety and wisdom.  He uses overwhelming force when He so desires, but it is not His normal modus operandi.   III.  “SON OF MAN”:   CHRIST’S HUMANITY, GOD’S ‘WEAKNESS’   The prime example of God’s deep wisdom is to be found in the simplicity of “Christ crucified.”  In Christ, God chose to experience human weakness, injustice, rejection, shame, pain and death, none of which He deserved.   “Where is the wise man?  Where is the scholar?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe .  Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified : a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.”    (1 Corinthians 1:20-25)   Even Jesus was tempted, even Jesus sweated blood while struggling with inner conflicts, even Jesus was rejected and betrayed by those he loved, and even Jesus could be killed, and was.  Yet He was perfect;  He was God in completely human manifestation;  He did not have to suffer and die,  but He allowed Himself to be weak like us so that He could represent us and thereby save all those who would follow Him.   By choosing to be made temporarily weak, fully identifying with us, He made it possible for humans to realize that our own weakness can be made likewise temporary, through our belief in Christ and our identification with Him.   “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.”   (Hebrews 2:10)   “ We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses... and because He himself has suffered and been tempted, He is able to help those who are likewise afflicted.”   (Hebrews 4:15, 2:18)     While the storm was fiercely blowing, While the sea was wildly flowing, Angry wind and angry billow Only rocked the Savior’s pillow; Jesus slept.   But when sudden grief was rending Human hearts in sorrow bending; When He saw the sisters weeping Where the brother’s form was sleeping, Jesus wept.   -author unknown (perhaps C. H. Fowler)   “… Christ Jesus:    Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!      Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”   ( Philippians 2:6-11)   IV.  “SON OF GOD”:  CHRIST’S DIVINITY, HUMANITY’S ‘STRENGTH’   Of course, along with his humanity , which allows him to fully identify with us, we also recognize and need Christ's divinity — His complete unity with God.   Together, the combined human and divine natures give Him the right to both judge and save us.  His divine nature— the sovereignty, holiness, omnipotence, authority, perfect righteousness, and ultimate wisdom— make it possible for us to rest in Him, to cease to worry and fret about our own weakness.  I CAN do all things required of me— through Christ, who is my strength (Phil 4:13).  And, surely, if Christ is the one who is really doing it, then all things will work for my ultimate good (Romans 8:28).   To the extent that we choose Christ in every aspect our lives, it enables Him to empower us— to provide inner peace and to allow us to do good deeds in His Name.   Then it becomes clear that the goodness and power is not really from us.   “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us [note the past tense] with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do . ”  (Ephesians 2:6-10)   Indeed, no one can boast!  The only real self-power we have is the negative power to slow down our own progress.  That is why self/flesh must be "reckoned dead," as Paul wrote, in order to minimize this negative power.   But we can choose to let God be in our lives daily, hourly, and moment-by-moment.  We can “pray without ceasing” and "take every thought captive to Christ ," checking to see if it is true or false (“ testing the spirits ”).  We must resist the old thinking that does not square with the truth, and resist all discouraging thoughts ( “resist the devil and he will flee from you”).    Then, increasingly, God’s strength will reign in us… rather than our weakness.          Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves:  Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul;   through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.    Amen.      (Collect from the Book of Common Prayer)     REQUEST AND RESPONSE   I asked God for strength, that I might achieve, I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.   I asked for health, that I might do greater things, I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.   I asked for riches, that I might be happy, I was given poverty, that I might be wise.   I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men, I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.   I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life, I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.   I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for, Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered, And I am among men, most richly blessed.      This is also known as The Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier and A Creed for the Disabled .  It is exhibited on a bronze plaque found in the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine.   Bruce Atkinson is a practicing psychologist and Christian counselor in the Atlanta area.  He earned a PhD in clinical psychology and MA in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary; he also received an MS in research psychology from Illinois State University and a BA from Beloit College, WI.  He is a USAF Veteran (medic) who served in Vietnam.  He is also a member of the Anglican Church in North America and is Moderator and a contributor to virtueonline.org .

By Madeleine Davies in London CHRISTIANITY TODAY February 13, 2025   The General Synod voted to transfer national staff overseeing abuse response to an external body but not parish and diocese officials.   At its General Synod this week, the Church of England faced what one member of Parliament had called “a watershed moment for the church to change its culture and its approach to safeguarding.”   Gathered in Westminster, a few minutes’ walk from the Houses of Parliament, the church’s governing body was given the option to outsource abuse response by dioceses and cathedrals to a new independent body.   Abuse survivors and several bishops supported the proposal and argued that new systems were necessary to restore trust in the wake of an onslaught of abuse revelations in the church.   Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.   “We need to send a very clear signal to … Parliament and to the public that we are serious about change,” said Robert Thompson, a London priest.   In the end, though, members voted to delay the move, calling for more work to be done on the legal and practical requirements of shifting operations outside the church.   “Survivors are devastated,” Jane Chevous, the cofounder of advocacy organization Survivors Voices, wrote online. “We feel betrayed by the church, who again have not listened to us. Trust is not restored but further broken.”   Wednesday’s vote came as the Church of England has been engulfed in scandal and suspicion over its handling of abuse.   A bombshell November 2024 report detailed abuse perpetrated by an evangelical lay preacher, John Smyth, and cover-up dating back decades. It ultimately resulted in the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.   Members of Parliament were outraged; church leaders warned that the church was losing trust and confidence.   Other high-profile cases compounded the concerns: a BBC investigation into Blackburn Cathedral, where the church paid a six-figure sum to remove a member of the clergy assessed as a risk to children and young people, and reports of a vicar who continued to minister despite getting banned in the 1980s for sexual misconduct.   Channel 4, one of the UK’s main TV stations, has been broadcasting a series of exposés; last month, the Bishop of Liverpool stepped down after being the subject of sexual-assault and harassment allegations, which he strenuously denies.   In the UK, safeguarding has become an established term in the public, charitable, and faith sectors, legally defined as the protection and support of children and vulnerable adults who have been abused or are at risk of abuse.   The Church of England also uses safeguarding to refer to “acting in ways that mitigate any risk of harm” and has expanded its resources devoted to preventing abuse and responding to allegations.   The church expects each parish to have a safeguarding officer and every diocese to employ professional safeguarding staff, and the Church of England also has a National Safeguarding Team based in London. Safeguarding training is required not only for clergy but also for laypeople with certain roles in the church.   The proposal up for vote on Wednesday would have transferred the safeguarding staff from each cathedral and diocese—currently functioning as 85 separate charities—to be employed by a new independent safeguarding body.   This proposal followed a review of the Church of England’s safeguarding by professor Alexis Jay, the chair of the UK’s national Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.   Jay concluded that the church’s provision, with patchy practice across the country, fell below the standards found in secular organization. Moving oversight of abuse response to an external body was also expected to address real or perceived conflicts of interest since those reporting abuse may worry that the response from the church will be compromised by loyalty to the institution.   The vote failed, but members did agree to transfer the National Safeguarding Team to an external body. This team, employed at the church’s national headquarters, handles complex abuse cases or those involving senior leaders, including bishops. The national team also develops safeguarding policy and supports operations at the local level in dioceses and cathedrals.   Lesley-Anne Ryder, a leader from the health and charity sectors who cochaired the group that proposed the new model, told the church that it had “created structures which confuse people and cause suspicion.” She urged church leaders to draw on the expertise of those outside their walls.   Some fear that the decision to delay full independence for safeguarding officials will only deepen suspicion. Others believe that the structural changes of outsourcing—something believed to be untested in any other charitable organization—could hurt morale and processes.     Ahead of the vote, more than 100 safeguarding officers based in dioceses wrote a letter arguing that the model could be “inherently less safe” by creating “additional barriers to communication and cooperation.”   Legal advice published by the Diocese of Gloucester warned that outsourcing safeguarding raised difficult questions about where liability for failures would lie: What would happen if the new independent body failed to deliver?   During the debate this week, some of those speaking against outsourcing shared cautionary tales about outsourcing from their work in secular organizations.   The Church of England continues to work on further reform around safeguarding structures, policies, and practice—a complex undertaking likely to attract less media attention.   As the Church of England prepares to identify its next Archbishop of Canterbury, safeguarding remains at the center of the church’s deliberations, with many braced for further allegations of abuse to emerge. Speaking during another debate this week, one evangelical member of the synod, Ros Clarke, suggested that those who had “failed to uphold safeguarding protocols previously or are unable to articulate an appropriate response to questions on safeguarding matters” were “utterly unsuitable for senior appointments within our church.”   ***   For more on this read Dr. Ian Paul’s perspective here:   WHAT DID GENERAL SYNOD DECIDE ABOUT SAFEGUARDING?   Unless you have been living under a rock, you will be aware that safeguarding has been a deeply contentious issue in the Church of England for several years, and has come to a head over the last few months and weeks. Justin Welby resigned as Archbishop of Canterbury because of his failure to take action in relation to the past abuse of John Smyth, and Stephen Cottrell continues to face criticism in relation to his handling of David Tudor, who was banned from ministry because of past abuse.   This has created an atmosphere of intense pressure and scrutiny for any discussion about safeguarding, with different parties making strong and often conflicting demands, and that in turn has created a challenging context for fruitful discussion about the way forward for the Church. Nevertheless, much work has been done, and this week in Synod we have had several major discussions about safeguarding leading to key decisions—though I believe the main one has been badly misreported in the press and on social media.   On Monday afternoon, we had a debate about the response to the Makin report, which had documented the abuse of John Smyth mostly in the 1980s, and the failure of church leaders to deal with and prevent it. The complexity around Makin was that it was commissioned (by the Archbishops' Council) five years ago, and should have report after nine months. I think a major failure of us on the Council was not to ask more questions about progress—and the final report, whilst leading to action, also contained errors of fact. In the debate, we heard testimony from Smyth victims, read by Julie Conalty, the deputy lead bishop for safeguarding, and in this and other debates we also heard from abuse survivors who are members of Synod. There was little to decide, and the debate finished early.   The post What did General Synod decide about safeguarding? first appeared on Psephizo here: https://www.psephizo.com/

If the Church of England is to see real change, it needs leaders to be accountable for when things go wrong, says Rev Dr Ian Paul in an open letter to Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York   By Rev. Dr. Ian Paul 13 February 2025   Dear Stephen,   In our working relationship, I have always sought to be open and honest with you. I have also always sought to follow Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18: if you have an issue with a brother, go to him first privately, and only if he will not listen should you then go to others, and make it public.   That is why I wrote to you and spoke with you about why I could not share Communion with you in 2023. In February 2023, you stated on Radio 4 that ‘we’ now believed that sexual intimacy could take place in any relationship that was permanent, faithful, and stable, which is a clear contradiction of the doctrine of the Church of England, that ‘according to the teaching of our Lord’ marriage is between one man and one woman, and that (in repeated statements from the House of Bishops and other bodies over many years) sexual intimacy outside that was sinful.   After a number of conversations, and repeated requests by email, you finally replied, but simply to insist that these two contradictory things were in fact not contradictory—that you did both believe your statement made on Radio 4, and that you also believed the doctrine of the Church.   It felt very much as though you had to say these two things to keep happy two different groups. It would not be acceptable to orthodox Anglicans to have an archbishop who did not believe the doctrine of the Church—but it would not be acceptable to those who want to see change in doctrine for you to withdraw your previous comment. I am not sure either group thinks this is an honest position to hold.   But I am writing this open letter in response to your interview in the Church Times last Friday, since this practice of saying contradictory things was very evident there, and it sets the backdrop against which we meet this week at General Synod. I found it curious that you quite quickly raised the question of David Tudor. You mention him as an example of the pain of living with a challenging safeguarding situations but being prevented from taking action because of inadequate processes and systems. You have said in public, and said to me in person, that you found the situation ‘intolerable’, and that ‘I did all that I could’.   But both of those are clearly not true. You say that you have ‘no recollection’ of calling him a ‘Rolls Royce priest’, but others recall this clearly. You say that you ‘did not hold him up an exemplar’, but you renewed him as Area Dean not once but twice. Diocesan documentation makes it clear that this was your own decision as bishop, and not something that was delegated. You claim that he was made a canon ‘because of a policy in the diocese’. But that was a policy you yourself introduced (and which your successor in the diocese reversed), and it would not be hard to understand the consequences of it.   Your claims that you ‘beat myself up’ and ‘deeply regret that’ are wholly unconvincing; the facts of what happened are incompatible with the claims you now make, which seem designed to protect your own reputation.   To now claim that this experience means you ‘know better than anyone’ that change is needed is quite incredible—and I suspect many would find it offensive. The idea that your failure to act in relation to David Tudor makes you uniquely qualified to lead change in the Church is extraordinary.   In relation to the bishop of Warrington, Bev Mason, you stated:   “Nobody asked or required the Bishop of Warrington, [and] ­certainly not me … to take some extended sabbatical leave”, adding that she said “what she needed was space”.   However, Bev herself has now made a public comment contradicting this:   I persistently sought due process to bring this matter to a conclusion. Extended study leave was suggested by the archbishop of York’s office on three occasions as a pastoral response to my formal safeguarding disclosure against the Bishop of Liverpool. At the third suggestion by the Archbishop of York, in mid August 2023, I agreed and commenced the study leave on 7th September 2023.   I understand that you have claimed that these two statements are not contradictory—which I don’t think any normal reader would accept. It seems as though one of you is not telling the truth.   In relation to the CNC process, your Times interview states:   Cottrell said he was “very aware of the power dynamics” of being an archbishop on the committee but said his role as its chairman was “to enable other voices to be heard”.   Yet three different members of that CNC have privately raised concerns that the dynamic was very different, that you used your position as chair and archbishop to push through the appointment of someone whom you had known for many years, whom you had sponsored in ministry, and whom you had appointed both as archdeacon and then as area bishop. One of them felt so strongly about it, that this person decided to share the concerns anonymously in public, believing (with the support of legal advice) that the confidentiality of the process should take second place to the very serious issues involved.   I felt I should come forward with my memories of Liverpool CNC, which has deeply disturbed me. I believe there was an abuse of process…I believe there was bullying of the elected members…[One female committee member] told us she had changed her mind during the rounds of voting. She had laid aside her concerns over safeguarding based on the guidance provided by Stephen Cottrell, and supported by Steven Croft. This appeared to me as evidence of coercion by Stephen Cottrell and Steven Croft…   It was suggested that the safeguarding issue identified regarding John Perumbalath was a basis to reject the candidate. But Stephen Cottrell urged members to keep him in the process. Steven Croft agreed … I was shocked by this attitude to safeguarding, effectively that a candidate identified as a safeguarding risk is acceptable because Stephen Cottrell says so.   Once again, your own account and the account of this whistleblower cannot both be true. One of you is not telling the truth. Actually, more than that—if what you say is true, than all three of the concerned members must, independently, not be telling the truth, despite the fact that each of them is a respected figure both within and beyond the Church. Others on other CNCs have made similar comments to me in private. Are they all lying?   I am glad that you mention the importance of transparency and accountability. But as archbishop, you have been instrumental in avoiding making the discussions of the House of Bishops over the last two years either transparent or accountable. The minutes of the last year’s meetings have just been made available—but only after repeated requests and huge pressure. And where, still, is the publication of the legal advice which you and others have claimed allows your proposals? ( I have been told that you did help the process of having minutes published—but why now, not two years ago? And why not the legal advice and other papers?)   I am glad, too, that you talk of all the good things that are happening on the ground. What you don’t mention is the extent to which local clergy and laity are discouraged, demoralised, and sometimes even in despair, at the headlines which have repeatedly mentioned both you and Justin.   The problem here is the issue of trust. We had a long, important, and challenging paper at July Synod, which seems to have disappeared from the radar, on the lack of trust there is in the Church—and in particular the lack of trust in senior leadership in the Church. The contradictions in your own statements, the lack of plausibility of your own claims, and the conflict between the claims you make and the claims of others who seem truthful all undermine that trust. How can someone whom people do not trust lead us through change?   This is most evident in your comments about the LLF process. You describe this process as if the outcome is pre-determined—that we will, in time have ‘what we now call a “bespoke service” in church, or a priest getting married to a same-sex partner’. In stating this, you are driving a coach and horses through due process; you are ignoring past legal assessments that either of these things would be ‘indicative of a departure from the doctrine of the Church’; and you are setting aside the statement made only last month from the episcopal reference group of the Faith and Order Commission (FAOC) that marriage is between one man and one woman, and that both context and content of services must be considered to ensure there is no departure from doctrine.   You say that you are committed to listening. Well, those of us who do actually believe the doctrine of the Church ‘according to the teaching of our Lord’ would like you to listen to this: we find your approach here both autocratic and patronising. Autocratic because you state you are committed to this goal regardless, and patronising because you pat us on the head with language of ‘provision for conscience’ (though I note you don’t make that allowance for future episcopal appointments). It is not our conscience that is the problem; it is yours. You seem determined to continue the splits in the Anglican Communion, and our movement away from the consensus view of the church catholic, whilst all the time talking of unity.   To push through divisive change in a dishonest way and then blame those who point this out as responsible for division is, I think, called ‘gaslighting’ (though the term is bandied about too much). But claiming that the ‘Church of Jesus Christ’ is a place where we ‘live together with conscientious disagreement’ is quite disingenuous. You assume that this issue must be a ‘thing indifferent’ (something rejected by the Bishop in Europe as chair of FAOC)—as long as you get your way. This is all about power.   In amongst all this, the comment I found most staggering was this one:   What does accountability look like? “I don’t think any of us quite know.”   Actually, quite a few people think they do know—but they can see that you do not. Every time there is an issue raised where responsibility sits with you, and with other senior bishops, you deflect it, and say it is the ‘responsibility of the whole church’. No, it isn’t. When bishops misuse power, and hide in secret meetings, and deflect responsibility, then those responsible need to be held accountable.   Clergy stipends and pension dropped by 28% in real terms over the last ten years, contributing to rock-bottom morale as well as practical hardship. Are you responsible? You sat in meeting after meeting where this reduction was approved, and never once opposed it. When my PMM was passed on this issue was passed a year ago, you came up to me and said ‘You have persuaded me.’ Why did you need persuading when you are supposed to be a shepherd to the shepherds?   Confidence in ministry has plummeted, as shown by the catastrophic fall in vocations. Are you responsible? Should you be accountable for this? A large part of the reason for this is the LLF process which you have driven through despite the uncertainty this has created.   The recent survey of attitudes has shown that confidence in the Church of England as an institution has also collapsed.   The CoE’s favorability rating dropped to 25% in a Feb. 2–3 YouGov survey of adults in England, Scotland and Wales, compared to 32% in November last year. Unfavorable views rose from 39% in November to now 49%.   This has been driven by scandals in which you are often named. Are you responsible? Will you be held accountable? Of course, we will all face judgement before God one day. But isn’t this only made real when we are accountable to one another before God?   All through the interview, you appear to be claiming that you are committed to solving the problems that the Church faces. But all through, you miss two key facts.   The first is that we don’t actually need a particular archbishop to rescue us. The changes in safeguarding, financial restructuring, youth ministry, and so on are all being led by other people. I am sure they would be glad to have the support of an archbishop, but they don’t need it. We will actually manage fine.   The second thing you miss is that, far from solving the problems, you are the problem—at least when you speak and act the way you are doing. You have been at the heart of the secrecy of the House of Bishops. You have been central in pushing through the divisive and damaging proposals to change our understanding of marriage. You have featured at the centre of the recent scandals about safeguarding, clergy conduct, and the exercise of power. How can the one who has caused these problems be the one to solve them?   What we need as a Church is a fresh honesty, openness, and integrity. We need leaders who will not hold on to power, but will step aside when trust is lost, and when they are the centre of the stories that are causing so much offence.   In your Christmas sermon, you said that   God’s Church itself needs to come again to the manger and strip off her finery and kneel in penitence and adoration. And be changed.   Yes, God’s Church does need to do this. And as part of that, we need leaders who do this themselves. Don’t just talk about humility, show us.   Ian Paul blogs at Psephizo

By Chuck Collins www.virtueonline.org February 15, 2025   I'm ok with the third use of the law, but I am not thrilled with it. Those who emphasize the third too often fall into the pit of seeing it as the primary use. And doesn’t this make Christians boastful, rigid and judgmental? The idea of "uses" was Martin Luther's, but the third use of the law was slipped in by Philip Melanchthon (terius usus legis, 1535). The third use appears as the law's main use by John Calvin who saw it as a whip to the believer's backside to urge our fleshly selves towards godliness.   Luther started with the law's primary use: the command to do the humanly impossible (Be ye holy as I am holy!) which, by God's providence, drives us to the only solution to the law's demands: God's gracious love for sinners. The law commands, but it doesn’t have power to accomplish what it calls for. The law is the voice at the top of the ladder yelling for us to “just climb!” but the more we climb the higher the ladder gets until we realize that we can never do it - that all fall short - that we need a righteousness outside of ourselves - that we need God. The law shows us our true sinful condition; the gospel promises and brings rest and assurance in the One who answers the law's demands. The third use applies only to already-Christians, but it sometimes suggests that once we are saved by grace alone, then we rush to put ourselves back under the law's demand that never worked in the first place to bring us to holiness - that justification is by grace, but sanctification is by grace and works.   Is holy living the fruit of love or the way to God’s love? Won't the human will obey what the heart loves? Is my problem a love problem or an obedience problem? The third use suggests that sanctification is required to prove or complete our salvation (lordship salvation). Over-focusing on the third use sometimes demeans the power of God's grace to save and sanctify the believer. Doesn't it contradict St. Paul: "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (Gal 3:3)?   Luther knew that the law is always God's plan for our lives, and the description of what our lives will look like when we are in a right relationship with God. He never softened the hammer of the law (Jer 23:29). But it's "knowing God" that matters to Luther, so that the law is written on our hearts (Jer 31:31). He is completely convinced that what the heart loves, the human will obeys - in that order! The law changes from "do this" for the unbeliever to "it is done" for the believer. And knowing God has done it all for us becomes the motivation to live pleasing to him. Luther assumes a third use of the law, but he doesn't mention it because he wants our focus on the accusatory function of the law that always brings us to our need for God, for the unbeliever and for the believer.   Our need for God never becomes less. The unbeliever hears the law, is crushed for the impossibility of its demand, and is sent running for the arms of a God who can and did fulfill the law for us. The believer hears and remembers that God’s Son came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it as our substitute because we couldn’t and can’t. The third use is great, but isn’t it really a restatement of the first use that is meant to help us to the gospel? The gospel is what justifies, sanctifies and glorifies.   Dean Chuck Collins is a reform theologian and historian. He resides in Texas.

Three Archbishops Go Down over failed Safeguarding Revelations * York Archbishop head is on Chopping Block * Anglican Communion’s Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith, and Order (IASCUFO) Tries to Breach Road Block * Two Notable Anglicans Died this Year * Syrian Christians Face an Uncertain future. Dear Brothers and Sisters, www.virtueonline.org December 27, 2024   THE BATTLE is over for the Western provinces of the Anglican Communion, and for the Church of England in particular. As an Established Church, all the levers of power are tightly controlled by the two Archbishops and the House of Bishops. All the property and assets of the Church are vested in the Church of England as established by law by Henry VIII. No matter how many leave, they will not take any of those assets with them, and all will remain in the hands of the House of Bishops.   The House of Bishops has chosen to defy the Canon Law of the Church of England to impose prayers for the blessing of homosexual unions. No attempt appears to have been made to challenge this in the courts, the only redress available to the Church of England Evangelical Council (CEEC). They will walk away with nothing.   The CEEC, an association of mainly conservative evangelical Anglican members of the Church of England describes itself as the collective voice of the "vast majority" of evangelicals within the Church of England, aiming "to promote and maintain orthodox evangelical theology and ethics at the heart of the Church of England". It was founded in 1960 by the evangelical Anglican clergyman John Stott, whose theological legacy continues to this day. The CEEC Alliance has declared a “parallel province” supported by more than 2,000 clergy, and they have cautioned the bishops against a departure from the Church of England’s historic and biblical doctrine of sex and marriage. But it has no teeth when it comes to property, purses and pensions.   This is exactly what happened in The Episcopal Church, except the courts did not favor the Episcopal Church in every property case. In some cases deals were cut that allowed the continuance of the newly formed Anglican Church in North America to stay in their properties. There were big wins for the ACNA in Ft. Worth, South Carolina, and Quincy   No orthodox province should continue any longer to maintain any relations with the See of Canterbury. It is firmly set on the trajectory imposed by Justin Welby of embracing the full agenda of The Episcopal Church. It will not change whoever is appointed as ABC in 2025, since there are 41 other diocesan bishops who have committed themselves to this.   The future for orthodox Anglicanism lies beyond English shores. VOL believes the time has come for a new international leader based elsewhere, perhaps in Alexandria and the See of St. Mark or a new bishop of North Africa!   Speaking of which, all bets are on the Iranian-born Bishop of Chelmsford Gulnar "Guli" Francis-Dehqani to replace Justin Welby, the first woman archbishop in the Church of England and the third global archbishop following in the footsteps of TEC Archbishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Linda Nicholls of the Anglican Church of Canada. There have been several women Metropolitan bishops or archbishops in charge of an internal ecclesiastical province but not primates.   But as the Guardian newspaper observed, “The Church of England is beset by financial troubles, heresy, and, worst of all, no particular sense of what the Church is for or why it exists at all.”  The charge is a terrible indictment of a state church by a leading newspaper. If she wins can Francis-Dehqani turn it around? Sadly the House of Bishops looks more like an elder care facility.     The final nail in the Welby coffin ere he leaves, came when a children's charity rejected a Christmas donation from the departing archbishop, saying that accepting it would not be consistent with its work in supporting victims of child sexual abuse. That must have been a real slap in the face as his wife had endorsed the idea.   ***   BUT THE NEWS that captured the headlines was the departure not only of Archbishop Justin Welby but former Archbishop George Carey as well with John Sentamu, former Archbishop of York already out the door, and Stephen Cottrell the present Archbishop of York waiting for the axe to fall. One can only imagine what William Shakespeare would have made of all this.   Welby’s departure may seem shocking, but on several occasions when he found himself in hot water he had asked “should I resign.” His self-answer was no.   This time with conservatives riding his case and liberals finally having had enough of his failure to deliver on the promise of full homosexual marriage recognition, Welby tossed in the towel and said he would go.   It was an ignominious end from a hopeful beginning.   Following the end of the reign of the Hegelian-driven Rowan Williams whose thoughts and pronouncements had the primates of the Global South shaking their heads in bewilderment, Welby seemed like a breath of fresh evangelical air coming out of Lambeth Palace. Sadly it was not to be.   He was brought down by a layman barrister whose sadistic behavior with young men went ignored for four decades, finally caught up with him and he was gone.   Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey also quit the Church of England after it emerged he 'let a child abuser return to priesthood'. Lord Carey penned a letter announcing his resignation earlier this month amid mounting pressure over a sexual abuse case in relation to ex-priest David Tudor.                       Tudor was banned from the ministry for life this year as he admitted what the church described as serious sexual abuse involving two girls aged 15 and 16.   Now the Archbishop of York faces even more charges, but steadfastly refuses to resign (at this time of publishing). Tudor, who was banned from ministry for life this year, was reinstated during the Archbishop of York's time as Bishop of Chelmsford and remained in post after Stephen Cottrell was first told of concerns about him, the BBC reported.   Cottrell admitted that things 'could have been handled differently' as he faced calls to resign over his handling of the case.   Earlier, The Daily Mail reported that the CofE’s second most senior figure, ‘ignored’ 11 separate complaints, some involving leading figures in the Church, including bishops.   Cottrell opined that the church must “kneel in penitence and adoration” this Christmas and “be changed”, adding that the needs of others, including victims of abuse and exploitation must be put first in a Christmas sermon he delivered.   Victims of the priest branded Cottrell’s response to the case “insulting and upsetting” and suggested his resignation or him being forced out of his leading role in the Church was “inevitable”.   Bishop of Newcastle Helen-Ann Hartley questioned how Cottrell could have any credibility, and Bishop of Gloucester Rachel Treweek declined to publicly back him.   Lord Sentamu, the former Archbishop of York, was forced to step down from his Church of England role in May 2023 after a review into how he handled a child sex abuse allegation found that he failed to act on the claim and should have sought advice. The review also found that Sentamu's response to the findings was unacceptable. Smyth's Sadistic Behavior could claim 30 percent of the evangelical leadership in the CofE.   More and more it appears that Welby has become the fall guy for the presenting situation.   ***   Meanwhile the Church of England squirms as its role as leader of the Communion faces condemnation for its failure to adequately address the concerns of the communion especially over matters of human sexuality.   The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith, and Order (IASCUFO) a permanent commission that advises the Anglican Communion on matters of doctrine, liturgy, canon law, and ecumenical relations, recently issued a communique following weeklong pro forma meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, earlier in December.   The key phrase in the communique reads: “As we wrestled with our divisions, we sensed that the Communion may be moving from a season of raw and antagonistic division to one of reckoning with what will likely be a long process of resolution. We may now be able to face our theological differences and associated fractures more productively, as we seek responsible and creative ways to remain together, albeit to varying degrees. This will involve recognition of the hurt that has been caused, as well as concerted attempts to find healing for past and present wounds, and to rebuild trust.”   The IASCUFO praised the recent Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) new direction for the Anglican Communion, but will GAFCON Bishops buy it?   The proposals, which were endorsed by the Communion’s Standing Committee, call for a new description of the Anglican Communion that strikes  the phrase “communion with the See of Canterbury”. These proposals also call to elevate a senior primate to serve along with the ABC with responsibility for chairing the other Instruments of Communion."   But will GAFCON primates buy it? No mention was made of the Jerusalem Declaration which states that GAFCON bishops are out of communion with Western liberal Anglicans in the communion who preach and practice another ‘gospel’ that is no gospel at all.   One thing is clear; both GAFCON and the GSFA have demanded that repentance and repudiation of homosexuality and its attendant lifestyle must take place before any rapprochement can take place.  And that, it seems, it still a long way off. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/the-city-of-man-against-the-city-of-go   ***   10 notable Christian ministry leaders , influencers who died in 2024 included two Anglicans . Bishop Jack Iker , 75, Anglican Bishop of Ft. Worth. He saw the diocese through its tumultuous transition from Episcopal to Anglican and managed to keep the properties for future generations of Anglicans. Iker is credited with helping to found the ACNA, that became the home for many congregations that left The Episcopal Church over its theologically liberal direction.   The second notable Anglican was Timothy Dudley-Smith , a former bishop in the Church of England and the prolific hymn writer behind such songs as "Lord, Through the Years" and "Tell all, my Soul," died at age 97.   A native of Manchester, England, Dudley-Smith served as bishop of Thetford from 1981-1991, general secretary of the Church Pastoral Aid Society from 1965-1973, and director of the Evangelical Alliance from 1987-1992. He was a close associate of the late John R. W. Stott.   ***   We could not end today’s digest without a mention of the Christians in Syria who now find themselves in a perilous position, having gotten rid of Basha al-Assad now find they must contend with rebel groups who hate them even more. “Better Assad than ISIS” ran the old theme. Now they don’t know where they stand or fall. You can read Giles Fraser, an Anglican priest’s A fearful Christmas in Syria Christianity is threatened by Islamism here: https://unherd.com/2024/12/a-fearful-christmas-in-syria/   ***   We have begun the transition to a new website . It will take a while to place over 35,000 stories in the archives and reconfigure the front page. Please bear with us. A transition like this is time consuming and costly and we could use some financial assistance to make it happen. We need specialists and consultants who can help make the change and transition possible; meanwhile the writing goes on.       Please consider a tax-deductible donation. A PayPal donation link can be found here: http://www.virtueonline.org/support.html   If you are more inclined with old fashioned checks, (as I am), you can send your donation to:   VIRTUEONLINE P.O. Box 111 Shohola, PA 18458   Warmly in Christ,   David   President, VIRTUEONLINE   VOL WISHES ALL ITS READERS A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

https://www.jmeca.org.uk/latest/news/new-bishop-north-africa February 5, 2025   The Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of North Africa is delighted to announce that The Revd Canon Dr Ashley Null has been elected as the next bishop of North Africa.  The Electoral Synod met on 4 February in N'Djamena, Chad, in the context of a Diocesan Synod that will continue until 6 February.    Dr Ashley NullIf the Synod of the Province of Alexandria confirms this election Dr Null will become the second, and first elected, bishop of the Diocese of North Africa, covering five countries (Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia) and including the territory of the see of St Augustine of Hippo.   Dr Null holds research degrees from Yale and the University of Cambridge. He has received numerous awards for his work, including Fulbright, National Endowment for the Humanities and Guggenheim fellowships as well as being elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries in London. He currently holds a research post funded by the German Research Council at Humboldt University of Berlin and is a visiting fellow at the Divinity Faculty of Cambridge University and St. John’s College, Durham University. His project is editing the private theological notebooks of Thomas Cranmer,   Commenting on the election the current bishop, the Rt Revd Anthony Ball, said "I am delighted that Canon Ashley offered, and has been chosen to share, his varied experience and renowned gifts as a pastor and theologian in the service of this wonderful diocese.  As the Chair of the Board of The Alexandria School of Theology he is already familiar with the Diocese.  He will now have the chance to broaden and enhance the work he has done for many years to promote and encourage Christian witness in this cradle of Christianity. I look forward to working with him and wish him every blessing as he prepares to assume his new role."

Archbishop Welby is out, but who will replace him? 2024 was a bad year for religious news Nth. Africa to get new Bishop TEC embraces trans insanity but confronts US parental reality Nearly 50 Churches affected by California Fires The price of abuse My new substack on the Middle East   Placing the term “progressive” in front of “Christian” makes it seem like a “new and improved” version of Christianity. It acts as though it belongs in the same camp as biblical Christianity, but it does not embrace any of its fundamental beliefs. The truth is, progressive Christians not only sharply oppose biblical Christianity, but do not consider themselves to be biblical Christians.  Let me put it bluntly: Progressive Christians are “doctrine deniers.” – Jason Jimenez   The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve. -- John Stott   The mainstream denominations have reduced the once omnipotent and compassionate Lord God Almighty of the Bible to the level of a political activist, moralising self-help guru, or doddering grandfather existing only to approve of whatever his grandchildren get up to. Is it any wonder that people refuse to listen to such churches. – Campbell Campbell-Jack   “Where there is grace, there will be conflict. The believer is a soldier. There is no holiness without a warfare.”  -- J.C. Ryle   The Enlightenment and its commitment to bare rationality which did so much to undermine Christianity is now being undermined by the deconstruction of post-modernism and its successors. As a consequence, the West is adrift without a coherent guiding principle. – Campbell Campbell-Jack   Christianity in the U.S. remains vastly diverse. However, as regular churchgoers’ numbers shrink, so does some of that diversity. And it is shrinking in a decided direction, toward conservative Protestantism.  – Michael Emerson   Dear Brothers and Sisters, www.virtueonline.org January 17, 2025   THE departure of Justin Welby from his role as Archbishop of Canterbury and as titular head of the Anglican Communion brought sighs of relief from across the Anglican world; but none more so than from within the Church of England which has lived under his gross incompetence and tyranny for twelve years.   That a dozen or more global, mainly African archbishops who represent nearly 80 percent of the communion no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as primus inter pares, or even as their spiritual leader, speaks volumes.   As former Anglican devotee Dr. Gavin Ashenden noted, Welby failed the parishes by demoralizing them, he failed the Anglican Communion by being unable to restrain his progressive partisanship, he failed the organization by 'doing management' badly, and he failed the country by offering it socialism instead of Christianity. He is probably the worst Archbishop of Canterbury in living memory. Only historians are equipped to judge whether he was the worst Archbishop of all time.   I have lived and worked under five archbishops beginning with Donald Coggan. I have spoken and interviewed most of them. I was a theological student in London in the 60s when Geoffrey Fisher was archbishop, but the ministry of John Stott was far more engaging than that of the Archbishop of Canterbury.   The question now is who will replace Welby; but the deeper question is does it really matter?  Whoever it is, you can’t put the evangelical genie back in the bottle. That day is done. No Anglo-Catholic would even be considered. It will either be an Affirming Catholic or an out and out progressive.   Here are a few names, but the one to watch for is the Iranian-born Bishop of Chelmsford, Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, the most likely candidate with her background. Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London; Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich, Martyn Snow, Bishop of Leicester; Rose Hudson-Wilkin, and Bishop of Dover, Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle are among others to watch.   For the moment the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell is in charge, a man whom many believe should also step down for his safeguarding failures, but steadfastly refuses to do so. He believes that Welby took one for the team therefore he doesn’t need too. I wrote about why Archbishop Cottrell must go here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/why-the-archbishop-of-york-must-go   This week there were more calls for heads to roll following the Makin Report revelations of John Smyth’s sadistic sexual activities with young men.   One scholar, Christopher Brittain, dean of divinity and professor of Anglican studies at the University of Toronto’s Trinity College, says members of the Anglican Communion frustrated with the Church of England may feel emboldened in calling for change, and this may sway to some extent the Crown Nominations Commission (CNC), which is responsible for appointing the Archbishop of Canterbury.   “What could be part of the conversation is, ‘Yes, we can see the importance of signalling to the Communion and maybe even to the Church of England that we’re open to change,’” Brittain says. He says this could mean the nomination of someone with ethnic origins outside the U.K. or from outside the U.K. altogether!   Whoever wins will preside over a dying institution that is now almost impossible to revive.   ***   To no one’s surprise there was virtually no good religious news stories this past year. 2024 was mostly bad, even repellent.   Highlighting the year’s top Anglican news was the resignation of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby over the cover-up and concealment of an evangelical layman’s sadistic behavior with more than 100 young men across two continents. Welby took responsibility and exited himself from Lambeth Palace.   A former archbishop, George Carey also got caught in the safeguarding net and tossed in his Permission to Officiate (PTO) and exited the pulpit. Another archbishop, John Sentamu of York had already resigned over similar charges and the push is now on for Stephen Cottrell, the present Archbishop of York to step down over failed safeguarding issues.   As the Mother Church fades into the sunset, the good news is that the Global South continues to rise, and its leadership strengthens by the day, inevitably pushing the Church of England to the margins. The CofE is facing death by a thousand cuts, more spiritually devastating than a layman’s cane.   The worldwide persecution of Christians continues apace with no sign of it letting up any time soon. Islam remains the single most persecuting religion in the world, happy to kill Christians while screaming Islamophobia at anyone who dares accuse them of murder. Nigeria remains at the top of the nation's most Christians are murdered. It is also the largest Anglican province in the communion. *** The sun is setting on Western Anglicanism, with the Anglican Church of Canada , by its own admission, roiling in its death throes. The Episcopal Church is watching as dioceses are forced to merge just to stay afloat as congregations shrink, with aging Episcopalians and their checkbooks close as they head to columbariums. https://www.virtueonline.org/post/2024-top-religious-stories-contained-little-good-news   ***   THE DIOCESE OF NORTH AFRICA is seeking a new bishop. There are five candidates in the offing. They are; Emad Basillos, (Egypt) Frank Bernardi, (US) Yasir Kuku, (South Sudan), Ashley Null, (US) and Medhat Sabry (Egypt). The see of North Africa might not be large, but it has historic value and precedent. It also won’t go woke. Who after all could write in their memoir that they stood in the line of St. Augustine and embraced gay marriage!   *** WILDFIRES in southern California have captured national attention. The following is a breakdown of churches that have gone, damaged, threatened or been evacuated.   GONE!   St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Altadena — GONE! Altadena Community Church in Altadena — GONE! Altadena United Methodist Church in Altadena — GONE! Community United Methodist Church in Pacific Palisades — Gone! Pasadena Jewish Temple in Pasadena — GONE! Pacific Crossroads Church in Santa Monica — GONE! Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Pacific Palisades — GONE! Kinneloa Church of Christ in Pasadena — GONE! Altadena Baptist Church in Altadena — GONE! Masjid Al Taqwa Mosque in Altadena — GONE! St. Matthew’s Episcopal School in Pacific Palisades — GONE! Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian School in Altadena — GONE! Lifeline Fellowship in Altadena — GONE! Altadena Church of the Nazarene in Altadena — GONE! Pasadena Church of Christ — GONE! Fountain of Life Church in Altadena — GONE! Mater Dolorosa Hermitage in Sierra Madre — GONE! St. Mark's Episcopal School in Altadena — GONE! Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church in Pacific Palisades — GONE! Jewish Chabad Center in Palisades Village — GONE! St. Elizabeth Catholic School in Altadena — Gone! St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church twin rectories in Pacific Palisades — GONE! Theosophical Society Library in Altadena — GONE! Altadena Baptist Church in Altadena — GONE! Scripps Home Gloria Cottage at the MonteCedro Episcopal Retirement Community in Altadena — GONE!   DAMAGED! St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Pacific Palisades — Damaged! Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre — Damaged! Calvary Chapel in Pacific Palisades — Damaged! Hillside Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Altadena — Damaged! Corpus Christi Catholic School in Pacific Palisades — Damaged!   THREATENED! Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church in  Hollywood — Threatened! St. Stephen’s Episcopal  Church in Hollywood — Threatened! St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Pasadena — Threatened! Ascension Episcopal Church in Sierra Madre — Threatened!  St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Studio City — Threatened! Palisades Lutheran Church in Pacific Palisades — Threatened! Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Altadena — Threatened! St. Linus Catholic Church in Norwalk — Threatened! Ascension Catholic Church in Pasadena — Threatened! St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Pasadena — Threatened! First Baptist Church in Pasadena — Threatened! Calvary School in Pacific Palisades — Threatened! First Christian Science Church in Altadena — Threatened! St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica — Threatened!   EVACUATED!   MonteCedro Episcopal Retirement Community in Altadena — Evacuated!   EVACUATION CENTERS!   All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena — Evacuation Center! St. Paul’s Commons Episcopal Retreat Center in Echo Park — Evacuation Center! The Covington Episcopal Retirement Community in Aliso Viejo — Evacuation Center!   No ACNA churches are in the fire zones that has seen 6,528 wildfires burning 1,001,993 acres in California. At least 24 people are believed to be dead in the California fires, with more than a dozen others remaining unaccounted for.   VOL’s own researcher Mary Ann Mueller has written an excellent story which you can read here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/gone-gone-gone-california-wildfires-reduce-churches-to-smoldering-ashes   Niall McCrae believes the devastation symbolizes something much bigger: the fall of Western civilization. California would be a fitting site for such a human tragedy: it is home to the most affluent people in the world, from Hollywood celebrities to Big Tech innovators, who have emphatically supported the Democrat party. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/civilisation-collapses-as-la-burns   *** Three in four people in Britain polled support a national inquiry into the prolific and harrowing rape of the nation’s children by insatiate “grooming gangs.” Yet, contrary to public will, the UK Labour Government last week voted against commissioning an investigation into this enduring horror.   Public consciousness of child sexual exploitation in the United Kingdom reached an inflection point this winter after victims shared account after gut-churning account of sexual savagery and careless murder being perpetrated against underage white girls by Pakistani-Muslim men up and down the country. These brave survivors recount how police and social workers were complicit in their abuse, losing evidence, asserting that children could consent, and failing to investigate rapes for fear of being called racist. In one instance, a girl had a morning-after pill forced into her mouth by a police officer.   A senior Church of England official told VOL that he is not aware of any comment by anyone representing the Church of England, not even local clergy. Nobody wants to be seen as “Islamophobic”. These are the dark ages, he said.   ***   While antisemitism rages around the globe, one Anglican archbishop has stepped up to the plate and condemned it in his own backyard.   Sydney Archbishop Kanishka Raffel wrote saying, “I am taking the step of expressing the dismay of many Sydney Anglcians at grotesque acts of antisemites in our city. Syndey Anglican welcome and affirm the presence and contributions of Jewish Australians for whom Sydney is the home we share and whose peace, prosperity and harmony is our common commitment.   Nearly half of all people worldwide hold elevated levels of antisemitic attitudes, according to the latest Global 100 survey conducted by ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) and coordinated with Ipsos and other research partners. The survey found that 46 percent of the world’s adult population – an estimated 2.2 billion people – harbor deeply entrenched antisemitic attitudes, more than double compared to ADL’s first worldwide survey a decade ago and the highest level on record since ADL started tracking these trends globally.   ***   Episcopalians are the most highly educated Protestant denomination, followed by the PCUSA and the ELCA. The only trope that the mainline is filled with the ‘well to do’ is empirically true. Of course, being intellectually smarter than everybody else doesn’t mean such churches make good decisions. If they did, they would not be sinking numerically.   Here is the decline in membership of the Seven Sisters of Mainline Protestant Christianity; American Baptist: -24% Disciples of Christ: -74% Evangelical Lutheran: -45% Presbyterian Church USA: -62% Episcopal: -36% United Church of Christ: - 57% United Methodist: -40%   ***   To reinforce the point that The Episcopal Church has gone out of its mind on sexuality issues, TransEpiscopal, a group that advocates for more inclusive church policies toward transgender people , joined The Episcopal Church’s Department of Gender Justice and Department of Racial Reconciliation, Justice and Creation Care in hosting a Jan. 13 webinar titled “Defending the Dignity of Trans and Non-Binary People in 2025 and Beyond.” Nearly 700 people registered for the Zoom event.   Aaron Scott, the church’s gender justice officer and a trans man, stresses the need for Episcopalians to collectively advocate for transgender and nonbinary rights, not individually.   But a new poll reveals the American public is pushing back on transgender and nonbinary positions. A new survey shows that a vast majority of US parents oppose this wokeism from infecting public schools.   The poll, sponsored by the parental rights advocacy group Parents Defending Education and conducted by CRC Research, is based on responses collected from 1,000 American parents of children 18 years old or younger from Dec. 12-18, 2024.   You would think that ordinary Episcopalians reading this should put trans insanity behind them and join the world of normal and insist on a male-female foundation for sexual ethics. But apparently that is not going to happen.   "Hate speech" nowadays is usually nothing more than speech that the Left hates, particularly any questioning of the "trans" or "gay" agenda. The Left is also great at using hateful speech against faithful Christians, says Robert A. J. Gagnon a sexual ethics theologian.   The Episcopal Church is out of step with the vast majority of Americans and 80 million Anglicans globally. Not even the Church of England has openly embraced transgenderism, though give it time and it probably will.   The church still has a role to play in terms of being salt and light for the culture at large in matters of sexual ethics. Now is the time to speak out if this insanity is to be reversed. TO READ MORE CLICK HERE: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/episcopal-church-swings-with-the-culture-on-transgender-issues   *** One scholar who has single-handedly stripped homosexuality of its hold on the church and society is Robert Gagnon’s 2002 opus magnum The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics . It has been the answer to many who struggled with the issue. The meticulously researched and rigorously argued 500-page tome refutes every possible argument progressive scholars have raised in the last three decades. Its use of the Bible’s original languages and insight into the ancient world is unparalleled, writes Jules Gomes, himself a scholar and journalist.   Gagnon is an evangelical Presbyterian scholar who has devoted his life to almost single-handedly dissecting and debunking every avant-garde argument that raises its hydra-head against the biblical teaching on homosexuality. Unlike most scholars, he does this through his online lectures, website, debates, articles, and Facebook and X accounts. You can read more here: https://www.virtueonline.org/post/refuting-woke-evangelicals-who-believe-god-has-belatedly-repented-of-homophobia-1 *** THE PRICE OF ABUSE. Over two decades, Catholic dioceses, eparchies and men’s religious communities spent more than $5 billion on allegations of sexual abuse of minors, according to a new report released by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.   Between 2004 and 2023, three-fourths of the $5.025 billion reported was paid to abuse victims. Seventeen percent went to pay attorneys’ fees, 6% was in support for alleged abusers and 2% went toward other costs. On average, only 16% of the costs related to the allegations was borne by insurance companies.   ***   We have begun the transition to a new website. It will take a while to place over 35,000 stories in the archives and reconfigure the front page. Please bear with us. A transition like this is time consuming and costly and we could use some financial assistance to make it happen. We need specialists and consultants who can help make the change and transition possible; meanwhile the writing goes on.      Please consider a tax-deductible donation. A PayPal donation link can be found here: http://www.virtueonline.org/support.html   If you are more inclined with old fashioned checks, (as I am), you can send your donation to: VIRTUEONLINE P.O. Box 111 Shohola, PA 18458   Warmly in Christ, David   I have begun a substack on the Middle East. In light of so much written on Israel, prophecy and the Bible, I felt constrained, with the help of some scholars, to look at events there and how they are playing out in today’s world in the light of Scripture. You can access my substack here: https://davidvirtue2.substack.com/ IN my latest piece I argue that the deal being cut with Gaza and Hamas is no deal at all. Some 33 Israeli hostages are being bartered for an unknown number of jailed Palestinians. Hamas still stays in power; that apparently is part of the deal, but  non-starter for Netanyahu. This is not what Bibi Netanyahu agreed to, nor has he fought for this for all these months.   He has said repeatedly, no Hamas left in power and all the hostages must be returned. On this he is 100 percent clear. The Prime Minister has nowhere argued that half a loaf is better than none.   What do the negotiators not understand about that? You can read more here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-154948235

by David G. Duggan © Special to Virtueonline www.virtueonline.org January 27, 2025   At the risk of offending some, I'm wading into the controversy surrounding the “sermon on the mount” [St Alban’s-the highest point in the District] which the Episcopal bishop of Washington “preached” at the National Cathedral the day after Trump’s inauguration.   Held since 1933 after FDR’s first inaugural, the liturgy is billed as a “Service of Prayer for the Nation.” Interfaith leaders, rabbis, a Vedanta teacher, an imam, a Muslim cantor, a Native American chief, a Buddhist reverend and a Sikh president joined with Christian ministers to offer prayers and scripture readings. Curiously, no Roman Catholic cleric was robed for the ceremony: a not perhaps well-understood ban prohibits Catholic clergy vesting at any religious facility other than one consecrated to the Roman Catholic faith. Two Roman Catholic clerics gave the book-end prayers at the inauguration: New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and retired Brooklyn pastor Fr. Frank Mann. Eastern Orthodox priests and bishops seem to have been zilched out of both ceremonies.   But the media have been focusing on the Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde’s “sermon” midway through last Tuesday’s service. I put “sermon” in quotes because it was not in any meaningful sense a sermon, a word which comes from Latin and Greek words meaning “conversation.” Typically, a sermon (or its shorter version, homily) explicates a text of scripture, tries to reconcile different accounts of the same event, exhorts the congregation to examine their own lives. They are neither indictment nor accusation, neither moralizing nor pontificating. By this measure, Budde’s message was a lamentation verging on a diatribe. It was a claim of a moral superiority over the man sworn to uphold the law, nothing more but nothing less. It started out well enough: a paean to “unity that fosters community across diversity,” “[t]hat enables ... communities... to genuinely care for each other.” It alludes to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount where He “exhorts us to love, not only our neighbors but our enemies... [t]o forgive others as God forgives us.” No argument there, but she failed when she proposed three “foundations of unity”: 1) “honoring the inherent dignity of every human being”; “honesty in both private conversation and public discourse”; and 3) “humility.” With a passing reference to Solzhenitsyn’s prison-inspired conclusion that the line between good and evil crosses every human heart, she contended that humility ties the other two into unity: because we are all fallible, we need to see the beam in our own eyes before picking the speck out of our neighbors’. Except she wasn’t that eloquent.   The problem is that you will search scripture in vain for any requirement that we “honor the dignity of every human being.” Whole tribes are slain, Goliath and Holofernes beheaded, Pharaoh’s charioteers drowned in the Red Sea. And while honesty is desirable, scripture is replete with deceptions which accomplish God’s purpose (Jacob and Esau over Isaac’s birthright, Lot’s daughters, Abraham’s passing off Sarah as his sister). And humility: if everyone humbled himself, who would lead? But the message went off the rails when she told the president to “have mercy upon the people in our country. And we’re scared now.” She gave the laundry list of outliers and disadvantaged: “gay, lesbian and transgendered children,” and the office-cleaners, crop-pickers and meat packers as those who fear. With references to “our God” (is there another one?) she begged for mercy for the “stranger for we were all once strangers in this land.” If this was a reference to Deut. 26: 5-11, the prayer of consecration of the first fruits of the earth, then it is devoid of context. But she didn’t tie that plea into an ancient Hebrew message of compassion and welcome.   Some of Ms. Budde’s defenders (and there are many) have described her “sermon” as “telling truth to power” in the mode of John the Baptist’s condemning Herod for marrying his brother’s wife (Mark 6:18). We all know how that turned out. But Ms. Budde is not the “scolder in chief” and her message was scarcely unifying, nor humble: it was defiant. And for a Biblical example of effectively telling truth to power see Nathan’s rebuke of David for stealing Uriah’s wife Bathsheeba at 2 Samuel 12:1-14.   “Be not afraid,” Jesus said (Luke 12:32). Fear is not a Christian virtue; in fact it is its opposite. Ms. Budde forgot this fundamental lesson and for that reason, she rightly deserves the opprobrium which she has received from all quarters for her intemperate remarks.