On the last day. As at the creation God 'spoke and it came to be', and as at the tomb Jesus called in a loud voice 'Lazarus, come out.', and he came out, so on the last day the dead will hear the creative, commanding voice of God and will obey. --- From "The Message of Thessalonians" John R.W. Stott

Repentance has been given to mankind as a grace beyond grace. Repentance is a second birth from God, of which we have received an earnest in baptism; we receive it as a gift by means of repentance. Repentance is the gateway to mercy which is open to all who seek it. By way of this gate we enter into the divine mercy, and apart from this entrance one cannot find mercy. --- St. Isaac the Syrian

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
April 2, 2010

It was a week in which the focus was again on South Carolina.

At the beginning of the week, the announcement came down that All Saints Pawleys Island had clearly won the legal battle against the Diocese of South Carolina to retain its property. In a gracious act, the Vestry gave $375,000 to those leaving to assist them in their future ministry.

The Episcopal Church News Service called it a "negotiated settlement" but that is spin. The parish won fair and square and was not obliged to give the departees anything. But the Rev. Terrell Glen is a gracious winner and helped them leave with grace and dignity, not something you would ever see from the other side where lawsuits just keep piling up and the anger, bitterness and resentment against orthodox Episcopalians grows by the day.

Glen commented, "In addition, we have offered several items that represent their participation in the heritage of All Saints Church. We also have communicated that those members of their congregation who have historic ties to All Saints will be given the opportunity to use the appropriate buildings in the event of funerals, weddings and other pastoral occasions in accordance with the same guidelines and policies that are followed by our own members." Could he be more gracious?

At the end of the week a letter came from St. Andrew's Church in Mount Pleasant announcing that its members had voted to sever all ties with the Episcopal Church and affiliate canonically with the Anglican Church in North America or another province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The parish held a special meeting in which 703 members, a majority of the 722 who cast ballots, voted to disaffiliate from the Episcopal Church. Those voting also passed two related resolutions by similarly wide margins.

South Carolina Bishop Mark Lawrence said in a March 30 letter to the diocese that he was "saddened" but "not surprised" by the news.

"As bishop of the Diocese of South Carolina, I receive almost daily letters and emails from people across this church suggesting that our stance gives them encouragement to remain and persevere within the Episcopal Church," Lawrence wrote.

"Yet here at home we could not hold one of our strongest congregations. The departure of the Episcopal Church from the way of Christ and the biblically rooted teachings of the church has become too discordant for them to tolerate any longer."

Lawrence said he would be discussing "the arrangements to be made for those within the congregation who wish to remain within the Diocese of South Carolina and the Episcopal Church" with the Rev. Steve Wood and the St. Andrew's and diocesan leadership.

Lawrence is not apparently making any legal moves against the church, an issue that Mrs. Jefferts Schori is undoubtedly viewing with great alarm. Lawrence is clearly treating the 19 departees with his own brand of pastoral care and not that of the litigious Presiding Bishop.

Wood said the affiliation could go into effect as soon as Holy Saturday, April 2. St. Andrew's has close to 2,800 members with an average Sunday attendance of nearly half that. Plate and pledge income is listed at just less than $3.5 million.

*****

St. James Newport Beach is weighing its future in light of a 2 to 1 split decision by the Court of Appeal to grant a petition filed by the Episcopal Church seeking to end its court case in favor of the Episcopal Church. The decision is filled with discussion about what the California Supreme Court meant when it issued its opinion in early 2009, says the Rev. Richard Crocker.

In a strongly worded dissent in today's decision, Justice Fybel wrote, "This result is unprecedented and without any basis in law. . . . judgment for plaintiffs at this procedural stage is revolutionary."

He then invited the California Supreme Court to step in and resolve the dispute. The decision does not become final for 30 days, and further court proceedings would need to unfold before this decision would affect the parish property. In consultation with the legal team, the vestry will prayerfully consider its options.

*****

It's a case of money, or lack of it, following theology or lack of it. General Theological Seminary in New York City is in deep financial trouble. A source told VOL that the problem is a negative cash flow of anywhere from two to four million dollars.

A press release from The Board of Trustees of the seminary of the Episcopal Church said they met recently and resolved to move forward in finding the financial resources necessary to meet fiscal challenges that have recently surfaced in connection with its search for a new Dean and President.

The board of trustees of the Seminary has suspended its search for a new dean and president and is looking for ways to cover the expense of the 2010-2011 school year. Meanwhile, at the request of the trustees, the Presiding Bishop will convene a small group of advisors outside of General Assembly to address the seminary's financial concerns. Among its "illustrious" students is the former Governor of NJ, Jim McGreevey, a twice divorced and self declared homosexual. If the seminary is open long enough for him to graduate, there will undoubtedly be a purple shirt in his future. You see politics and religion do mix, at least in TEC.

This year alone, three Episcopal Church-affiliated seminaries have made drastic changes in how they operate. On February 20, Evanston, Illinois-based Seabury-Western Theological Seminary announced that the school will stop offering the traditional version of a Master of Divinity degree. In April, trustees told the Seabury faculty that their appointments will end June 30, 2010. The school also eliminated nine staff positions, effective for most of them on May 23 -- a week after graduation and the school's 150th anniversary celebrations.

The moves came after a special board meeting in which the trustees declared that the seminary "is in [a state of] financial crisis that threatens survival of the institution."

Also in February, Bexley Hall decided to close its Rochester, New York, campus and concentrate on its affiliation with Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.

In March, Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts announced that Lesley University, a 12,000-student, multi-site university, would buy seven buildings from EDS for $33.5 million, while EDS will retain ownership of 13 buildings on its eight acre campus.

*****

Two Communion Partner Episcopal bishops, John W. Howe of Central Florida and Mark Lawrence of South Carolina will attend the Fourth Global South to South Encounter in April in Singapore. The Rev. Chuck Alley, a CP Rector of St. Matthew's, Richmond, Virginia, in the Diocese of Virginia, will also attend, but will not accompany the two bishops and will not be part of the Encounter. He will overlap at the end of the time of the two bishops in order to stay through the weekend to preach at the Cathedral and build relationships with some of the clergy. He is doing this at the invitation of Southeast Asian Archbishop John Chew.

Archbishop Robert Duncan, leader of the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), will also be attending the Encounter. VOL was told that a sizeable contingent would also be attending from the Anglican Province of Uganda.

*****

Be wary when visiting African bishops suddenly appear in revisionist Episcopal dioceses. In the Diocese of Atlanta Bishop Mdimi Mhogolo of the Diocese of Central Tanganyika was the guest preacher at a gathering of deacons, priests, bishops and others for the Diocese of Atlanta's annual Renewal of Ordination Vows at the Cathedral of St. Philip, home of the ultra liberal, pro-homosexual dean the Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler.

An American bishop, very familiar with the African scene, wrote VOL to say that Mhogolo knows what orthodoxy is, but sidles up to money without much discrimination. "He is very articulate. At Lambeth '98 I told him he was dancing with the devil and was going to end up smelling like smoke. He does. He was run out of his diocese for months because he was making liberal talk about the same sex TEC agenda. They eventually let him back in but he was humiliated. He is pleasant on the surface but probably trolling for money."

*****

The Anglican District of Virginia (ADV) received notice that the Virginia Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on April 13, 2010, in the church property case brought by The Episcopal Church and Diocese of Virginia. Both the diocese and the Episcopal Church asked the court nearly a year ago to review a Fairfax County Court judge's rulings in a series of church property lawsuits.

The appeal is based on a number of grounds, including a challenge to the constitutionality of Virginia's one-of-a-kind "Division Statute" (Section 57-9(A)), which dates to the Civil War and is triggered when there is a so-called "division" of a church or religious society, as well as the rulings of the circuit court in applying the law.

The county judge's ruling has allowed former Episcopalians to claim Episcopal Church property as their own. The litigation involves nine Episcopal parishes of the diocese where the majority of members and clergy have left to form congregations of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).

The case originally involved members of eleven congregations of the Virginia diocese who left the Episcopal Church to form CANA congregations. The departing members of nine of those congregations then filed claims to parish property under the Division Statute. "Our church members are standing firm for the Gospel and will remain in prayer for the church property case that will be heard in a matter of weeks.

It's unfortunate that this matter, which we tried so hard to resolve amicably out of court, has now reached the level of the state Supreme Court. While we remain confident in our legal footing, it's regretful that we had to defend ourselves in the first place," said Jim Oakes, Chairman of the Anglican District of Virginia.

"Protecting our religious freedom and our right to stay true to the Gospel has been costly, and we pray for a quick end to the litigation so that we can completely focus our time, money and energy on bringing new believers to Christ and helping those in need. Our doors remain open wide to all who wish to worship with us," said Oakes.

If the ADV wins, it will be huge news, indeed. With 30 congregations, ADV is already bigger than the dioceses of Eau Claire, Northern Michigan, Quincy, Western Kansas, Idaho, Navajo Missions, North Dakota, West Tennessee and only trails the Diocese of Kentucky by nine parishes, and the dioceses of Northwest PA and Lexington by six.

*****

The Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) offered congratulations to the outgoing Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, on the completion of his ten-year term. During his tenure, the Church of Nigeria grew from 76 dioceses to 161, and doubled active membership from 10 million to 20 million - unprecedented growth for any province of the Anglican Communion. Archbishop Akinola founded CANA in 2005.

"Through courage and pastoral leadership, Archbishop Akinola has set a path forward for CANA and the worldwide Anglican Communion to stand firm in the good news of Jesus the Christ," said CANA Missionary Bishop Martyn Minns.

"Locally and globally our church is able to champion the cause of orthodoxy, uphold and proclaim the unfettered gospel of salvation insisting uncompromisingly on the adequacy and supremacy of the word of God, written. We have contended for the faith. But I must admit that the battle is not over. Not yet."

CANA then welcomed Archbishop Nicholas Okoh as the new Primate of the Church of Nigeria. He was installed as the fourth primate of the Church of Nigeria on March 25 in Abuja, the capital of the most populous nation in Africa. The Church of Nigeria with 20 million active members accounts for at least 25% of the active membership of the Anglican Communion.

"Archbishop Okoh is a good friend; a wise and godly leader who is committed to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in Nigeria and throughout the world and we congratulate him on his new ministry," said Minns.

"His vision includes continuing to give orthodox Anglicans in the U.S. a way to remain connected to the worldwide Anglican Communion through CANA. We welcome his leadership, his pastoral concern, and his passion for the gospel. Archbishop Okoh has a servant's heart and we know that he is the right leader at this critical moment in the history of the Anglican Communion."

Several thousand people attended the three-and-a-half-hour long installation service at the Abuja cathedral. The acting-president of the nation of Nigeria, who is an active Anglican, led the prayers in the service and offered words of greeting. In his inaugural primatial sermon, Archbishop Okoh stressed the lordship of Jesus Christ in every aspect of human life.

Among the guests from the U.S. were Bishop and Mrs. Minns and their daughter Rachel; Archbishop Bob Duncan of the Anglican Church in North America; Bishop Bill Atwood, suffragan for International Affairs of the All Saints Cathedral Diocese (Nairobi); CANA Suffragan Bishops Amos Fagbamiye, David Bena, David Anderson, and Roger Ames; as well as other CANA delegates. Archbishop Okoh, a retired Army Lt. Col., was ordained priest in 1979, appointed bishop of Asaba in 2001, and elected archbishop of the regional province of Bendel in 2005.

Upon his election as the fourth primate of the Church of Nigeria in September 2009, Archbishop Peter Jensen (Sydney, Australia), welcomed the election saying, "Nicholas Okoh was present at the foundation of GAFCON and has played a leading part in the movement.

Archbishop Okoh has made a significant contribution as the Chairman of the Theological Resource group. He is an able and committed Christian leader and we warmly welcome his appointment."

*****

SEWANEE might recognizably be called TEC's flagship gay university and is visibly earning its reputation as such. Check this link where you will see Sewanee's new vice chancellor marching in front of gay flag, wearing a purple tie. The Director of multicultural affairs sports a gay EQB button on his lapel. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sewanee/4478765849/sizes/o/in/photostream/ See also Sewanee Unity March. http://www.picturestoryblog.com/2010/03/sewanee-unity-march.html

Note the prominence of the gay flag. Parents who send their children to Sewanee can one day look on the Internet and see dear child marching arm in arm with an Episcopal priest alongside the banner Sodom, and all for just $40,000 per year.

http://mountainlambda.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/the-unity-march-sewanee-at-its-finest/

*****

PERU has a new bishop. He is Fr. Mike Chapman who is currently serving in the Diocese of Albany, New York. He was formally elected to be a missionary bishop in the area of ICA and Ayacucho, Peru, at an extraordinary synod. He and his wife, Linda, are being sent by SAMS-USA. This area is about four hours south of Lima by car. The Anglican ministry in this area began with relief ministry following the 2007 earthquake in Ica. It has now developed into house churches, two pieces of property and a newly resident husband and wife team with Fr. Misael and Claudia Varillas who have moved from Lima. Fr. Mike is a gifted evangelist and his wife is a gifted intercessor. Both are greatly involved in the ministry of healing, writes Fr. Ian Montgomery, a former TEC rector now serving as a missionary in Peru.

*****

At the other end of the ecclesiastical spectrum, the reinvigorating of dying Episcopal churches is not doing too well, especially in the inner cities of America. A case in point is the sad decline of St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Center City, Philadelphia, where 10 people meet on a Sunday. A VOL reader writes that it is yet another Diocese of PA parish "on the dole", but too historically prominent to close officially. Ironically, the church was once the family church of the Barrymore acting clan. One can't but believe that the closing of these parishes is but the continuing judgment of God on churches that have no gospel to proclaim.

*****

The Synod of the Diocese of British Columbia passed a resolution this week allowing for the blessing of same-sex unions. Ironically the resolution got missed in the press release. The motion that was passed with 75 percent in favor by the Synod and received Bishop James Cowan's consent. The text itself can be found at http://www.anglicanessentials.ca/wordpress/index.php/2010/03/31/diocese-of-montreal-liturgy-for-same-sex-blessings-in-formative-drafting-stage/#comments

*****

In a move designed to ruffle orthodox Christians in the U.S., President Barack Obama appointed lesbian activist Chai Feldblum to the five-member board of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the government office responsible for handling workplace discrimination complaints.

Obama bypassed the need for a Senate vote, where the appointment had garnered bipartisan opposition, by appointing Feldblum while the chamber was on recess Saturday.

The Senate had stalled Feldblum's appointment, along with that of fourteen other nominees, according to the New York Times. Feldblum, a Georgetown law professor who has worked for the American Civil Liberties Union and the radically pro-homosexual Human Rights Campaign, is known for her outspoken preference for pro-homosexual values over religious values.

Mario Diaz of Concerned Women for America has said that Feldblum "represents one of the most serious threats to religious freedom we have seen in a long time."

"Feldblum's reputation among the liberal elites and her extremely radical views are a lethal combination," wrote Diaz.

*****

African religious leaders meeting in the Rwandan capital of Kigali recently called on their governments to support calls for a strong and comprehensive treaty against arms trading so that funds can be redirected into development.

After their March 23-25 meeting, Christian, Hindu and Muslim leaders said such an agreement would reduce the human cost associated with the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and control illegal dealing. "When you manufacture guns, you have to find a market. When you find a market, you cause trouble, you cause conflict, so it becomes an endless cycle.

We shall never stop it until we say enough is enough of killing ourselves," Anglican Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda told Ecumenical News International in Kigali on March 24. "But now that has to stop, so that we can build a peaceful Africa."

The leaders from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo were attending an African Council of Religious Leaders Religions for Peace meeting. The gathering's theme was, "Advancing shared security: strengthening multi-religious collaboration for peace building, reconciliation and sustainable development."

At the opening of the meeting, the religious leaders launched the ArmsDown. campaign in Africa, which calls on religious young people to work together towards a safer world.

"We are trying to help our young people to stop violence. They are citizens of today, not tomorrow, so we have to begin right now," said Kolini. He urged African youth to stop being used by groups seeking to make money through the illegal arms trade.

*****

Pope to be Archbishop of Canterbury for a day. In a move that has caught all commentators by great surprise, the pope announced at his general audience in The Paul VI Audience Hall (April 1) that during his forthcoming visit to England he has accepted the invitation to "be Archbishop of Canterbury for a day". In the tradition of "President/CEO/Prime Minister for a day", Pope Benedict XVI will trade places with Archbishop Rowan Williams on the last day of his visit to England.

The pontiff will visit the country from 16 to 19 September this year. September 19 is celebrated by both Catholics and Anglicans as the feast of Theodore of Tarsus [and incidentally, also on that date by Eastern Orthodox]. Pope Vitalian appointed and consecrated Theodore of Tarsus, a monk living in Rome, to be the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury.

[The anniversary of the consecration, 26 March 668, was the date chosen for the joint signing of the until-now-secret Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury "trading places" concept.]

*****

The Chinese government's new head of religious affairs has downplayed the role of house churches during his first official visit to Hong Kong, but a dissenting Chinese Christian has disputed his comments. Wang Zuo'an, the head of China's State Administration for Religious Affairs, met Hong Kong Protestant leaders at a Lutheran church. He said that church communities must be registered in China for their own protection. House churches do not register because some people want to take the church's money to earn a living under the name of a church. Others set up house churches after they leave an original church community with conflicts. In other cases, he said, a house church can spring up due to a theological disagreement. Wang said sometimes people are influenced by groups overseas and believe that house churches are the true Church, Hong Kong's Christian Times online news reported.

*****

Global leaders in Islamic finance met recently in Toronto to probe the growing but still under-explored world of financial products and services that comply with Shariah, or Islamic law. The Usury-Free Association of North America conference will bring together more than 150 experts from a dozen countries to explore a wide range of services that abide by Islam's prohibition on interest. Conference organizers say the potential of the global Islamic financial market is an estimated US$500 billion, Religion News Service Reports. Islamic scholars, lawyers and financial experts from the United States, Canada, Britain and several Middle East countries are looking at Shariah-compliant stocks and investment products, banking, equity funds, mortgages, and credit.

*****

The Disappearing Gospel. If you have two minutes watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f61ZN60Miqs&feature=related

*****

VOL closes today's VIEWPOINTS with this Easter message from a reader.

Easter is a conundrum. It comes at the beginning of spring when we enjoy the signs of new life after winter; it brings a message of resurrection and new hope to a despairing world.

But at the heart of its message there are the sobering themes of human failure, injustice and death. The Roman centurion in charge of Jesus' crucifixion said, "This man was innocent."

The dark side of Easter is not at all attractive. Consider Jesus: He was the best of doctors, healing people at a word of command. He was the most perceptive speaker, exposing the raw reality of our darkest selves. He was the wisest teacher, showing us God and teaching us how to live.

Yet this same Jesus felt the pain, the struggles and the temptations of life. He tasted betrayal, injustice and the bitter loneliness of a godless death: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Even as he prayed, he knew the ending of the Psalm he was quoting-victory would be his. On that first Easter morning, his tomb was empty, not because the body had been stolen, nor because the disciples had removed it-they were too frightened to pull tricks like that. Nor had the coolness of the tomb brought Jesus out of a coma-Roman soldiers were professional killers.

Jesus was dead. But now he was alive. Jesus' resurrection points to the fact that the real God broke into real history at a particular place and at a particular time. God had done the one thing we can't do. He'd beaten death to death. These events don't fit our model of the way the world works, but they're true nevertheless.

Let me encourage you to set aside time this Easter to consider afresh the meaning of the cross and the amnesty God now holds out to us. Make it also a time to rejoice in the hope we now have because Jesus was raised from the dead.

Virtueonline wishes all its readers a very blessed Eastertide, remembering that following the cross comes resurrection morn. The spiritual darkness TEC lives in will not always be so. God is slowly but surely liberating the faithful from the bondage of heresies and personal distress, bringing about a spiritual revival and renewal of His people that will not be stopped. God always gets the last word.

In His resurrection,

David