Mainline Protestant boards and agencies, describe what is at stake: "These church bureaucracies have offered the mainline churches an unsupervised playground for experimentation in political messianism, utopianism, sexual liberation, and anti-market economics." ---Methodist theologian Thomas Oden

The witness of Scripture. Scripture bears an unwavering testimony to the power of ignorance and error to corrupt, and the power of truth to liberate, ennoble and refine. --- From "The Message of Ephesians" (The Bible Speaks Today series) --- Excerpted from "Authentic Christianity"

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
5/16/2008

Two resolutions at two separate General Conventions have affirmed that the sexual abuse of children is unacceptable in The Episcopal Church, some 9 resolutions altogether since 1985. The most pertinent one was in B014, passed in 1985, which directed bishops to establish workshops for clergy on child abuse. At the 68th General Convention, it was passed overwhelmingly. In 2003, at the 74th General Convention of The Episcopal Church, it passed resolution B008 titled "Protect Children and Youth from Abuse."

The abuse of children notwithstanding, VOL learned this week that a former Episcopal priest, one Lynn Bauman, a convicted and defrocked pedophile Episcopal priest, is being allowed to conduct spiritual retreats - two of them in an Episcopal facility with the blessing of Mrs. Katharine Jefferts Schori, TEC's Presiding Bishop.

In an exchange of correspondence with David Clohessy, National Director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), Mrs. Jefferts Schori, through her Pastoral Development Officer Bishop F. Clayton Matthews, said that Baumann could function as a spiritual retreat master with the understanding that "Mr. Baumann's contact (is) to adults only". Baumann is scheduled to lead spiritual retreats at The House of Prayer in the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota, later this month. This story, broken by VOL, has become the talk of radio and television shows. SNAP leaders have been vigorous in their pursuit of child sex abusers over the years. It was their pursuit of the Rev. John Bennison and his sexual abuse of a minor that brought him down, and subsequently brought down Charles E. Bennison, the Bishop of Pennsylvania who was subsequently inhibited and now faces an ecclesiastical and civil court for his sins. You can read the full story in today's digest.

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PROPERTY DISPUTES remain center stage in TEC and seem likely to remain there for some time to come. In the DIOCESE OF COLORADO this week, an El Paso County District Court judge ruled that the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado and officials of Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish in Colorado Springs must resolve their $17 million property dispute at trial. District Judge Larry E. Schwartz concluded, after reviewing six volumes of documents filed in the last year, that he can not make a decision based solely on matters of law because "there is virtually no agreement as to the facts." This means that the Rev. Don Armstrong can remain in his parish at least until 2009 without fear that the bishop will do an end run around him locking the doors and taking the property from the majority of parishioners who want to stay. Jon Wroblewski, senior warden of Grace Church & St. Stephen's, said of the ruling, "We are grateful for the careful and deliberate seriousness with which Judge Swartz has considered our case. Furthermore, we are pleased that the judge recognized the fact that the parish's 1973 corporation has been doing business as a legal entity unchallenged by the Episcopal Church for 35 years, that our corporation is recognized by the Secretary of State, that this property case is very different from previous cases involving church property disputes, and that neutral principles of law prevail over and against sectarian arguments about ecclesiastical hierarchy." Armstrong told VOL that the congregation is thriving and growing in the meantime.

In the DIOCESE OF VIRGINIA, a number of Protestant denominations have filed supplemental briefs in support of the diocese in preparation for the second of three phases of litigation between the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and the CANA churches. The trial on the constitutionality of the 57-9 stature is scheduled for May 28. It seems that whatever the outcome of that trial, a third trial is scheduled for October to decide ownership.

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In a landmark ruling this week, the CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT legalized same-gender marriage causing the Episcopal Church's pansexual organization, Integrity, to hail the decision as "a giant step closer to liberty and justice for all."

"The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage and against bigotry," said the Rev. Susan Russell, Integrity president and an assisting priest at All Saints Church in Pasadena, California. Los Angeles Bishop J. Jon Bruno also hailed it as a "justice" issue declaring the Supreme Court decision on same-gender relationships a reflection of "our baptismal vow to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being" and our commitment to justice and mercy for all people.

"I celebrate and give thanks for this decision of the court and look forward with joy and excitement to a future of justice and mercy for all people in the State of California and the Episcopal Church." The truth is this is another sexual milestone for TEC and another nail in the coffin of the church as it watches tens of thousands leave the church.

ProtectMartriage.com, a coalition dedicated to defending the sanctity of marriage, has already submitted 1.1 million signatures to the California Supreme Court in support of an initiative that should power the proposed amendment to the ballot, which if passed, would see marriage defined, once again, as the union of one man and one woman.

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At TRINITY SCHOOL FOR MINISTRY in Ambridge, this year's graduating class included the sons of Archbishops Peter Akinola and Mouneer Anis. Akinola is Archbishop of Nigeria and Anis is the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican province of Jerusalem and the Middle East. Akinola will preach at the graduation service.

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The FEDERATION OF ANGLICAN CHURCHES IN THE AMERICAS, (FACA) at its semi-annual meeting in Summerville, S.C., voted to accept the Articles of the Common Cause Partnership (CCP) and the Theological Statement of the Common Cause Partners. At its previous meeting in October 2007, FACA voted to become full partners of the Common Cause Partnership. The approval of the CCP documents is latest vote makes full partnership a reality. Also at this meeting, the Rt. Rev. Paul Hewett, Diocese of the Holy Cross, was elected as Moderator of FACA.

The addition of FACA to CCP brings an additional 232* congregations under the CCP umbrella. The FACA members are the Anglican Church in America, the Anglican Mission in the Americas, the Anglican Province of America, the Diocese of the Holy Cross, the Episcopal Missionary Church, and the Reformed Episcopal Church. The Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Archbishop of the Southern Cone, Anglican Communion, is the primatial patron of FACA.

*This number does not include the congregations of AMiA and REC, which are already full partners in CCP.

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SEWANEE. If you are wondering what they are teaching about relationships to future generations of seminarians at the University of the South at Sewanee, read this:

LTCM 540. Ritualizing Relationships. This course considers ways in which the church ritualizes relationships between persons, looking principally at the marriage liturgies and their cognates, official and unofficial. Students examine foundational issues in gender and sexuality, the historical evolution of the marriage rites and ancillary marriage practices, and EMERGING FRONTIERS in the ritualizing of relationships, such as ritualizing divorce and same-gender unions. For more click here: http://theology.sewanee.edu/academics/courses.

A VOL reader wrote with this comment, "What we see here is not a 'failure to communicate,' but rather a victory for Atlanta Bishop Neil Alexander's vision of how great Sewanee can be as the Holy Ghost does this new thing through him and TEC. With Bishop John Howard (Florida) on the Regents with him, helping to spend the money on new professors, new programs, new people, new agendas, new honorary degrees, nobody can stop the torrent of new goodness descending down from the Episcopal Mountain of anti-racist social justice. Sewanee University is set to wash us clean of our traditionalist sins, for which we can never really be forgiven or be debt free, and for which we must continually repent and atone - once dirty, always dirty, no matter what Jesus says."

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PITTSBURGH BISHOP ROBERT DUNCAN will address the SE Wisconsin Chapter of the American Anglican Council (SEWAAC) on Wednesday May 21st, 2008, at 7:30PM. Bishop Duncan has sacrificed so much on behalf of the Orthodox Anglican movement in our country and indeed around the world. Now is the time for all of us to support him, writes William B. Chapin SEWAAC president. For more details you can write Chapin at 414-352-4586 or bchapin2@wi.rr.com

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The ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY put out a letter this week acknowledging that it could be a "painful" time at the Lambeth conference this summer when some 600 of the world's Anglican bishops meet. "At the heart of this will be the indaba groups. Indaba is a Zulu word describing a meeting for purposeful discussion among equals. Its aim is not to negotiate a formula that will keep everyone happy, but to go to the heart of an issue and find what the true challenges are before seeking God's way forward," wrote Dr. Williams. "The hope is that over the two weeks we spend together, these groups will build a level of trust that will help us break down the walls we have so often built against each other in the Communion. And in combination with the intensive prayer and fellowship of the smaller Bible study groups, all this will result, by God's grace, in clearer vision and discernment of what needs to be done. As you may have gathered, in circumstances where there has been divisive or controversial action, I have been discussing privately with some bishops the need to be wholeheartedly part of a shared vision and process in our time together."

Despite a lot of hype by Durham Bishop Tom Wright and picked up by several conservative Episcopal bloggers, Williams has not uninvited anybody to Lambeth. There was the belief that he would do so, but that has turned out to be a fiction. Archbishop Williams wants as many at the table as possible. Even with at least two orthodox Episcopal bishops and one orthodox archbishop now saying they will attend Lambeth, (if only to keep an eye on whether the liberals plan any resolution coups of their own), the bulk of the Anglican Communion will not be represented at Lambeth.

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The Anglican Archbishop of UGANDA, Henry Luke Orombi fired off a missive to Mrs. Jefferts Schori this week after she posted a letter telling him to stay out of the DIOCESE OF GEORGIA and a parish the African Primate visited.

Among the things he said was, "I am not visiting a church in the Diocese of Georgia. I am visiting a congregation that is part of the Church of Uganda. Were I to visit a congregation within TEC, I would certainly observe the courtesy of contacting the local bishop. Since, however, I am visiting a congregation that is part of the Church of Uganda, I feel very free to visit them and encourage them through the Word of God. The reason this congregation separated from TEC and is now part of the Church of Uganda is that the actions of TEC's General Convention and statements of duly elected TEC leaders and representatives indicate that TEC has abandoned the historic Christian faith. Furthermore, as predicted by the Primates of the Anglican Communion in October 2003, TEC's actions have, in fact, torn the fabric of the Communion at its deepest level."

Hard hitting words indeed. His parting shot included this line, "Your selective quoting of the Windsor Report is stunning in its arrogance and condescension." You can read the full story in today's digest.

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On the plus side of the ledger this week, Christ Church Anglican in Phoenix, Arizona installed their new rector, the Rev. Christopher M. Schutte, in an elaborate service attended by The Rt. Rev. Daniel Gimadu, Church of Uganda, Diocese of North Mbale along with The Rt. Rev. John Guernsey, Church of Uganda, Bishop for Congregations in America. The Rt. Rev. Alexander "Sandy" Greene, Missionary Bishop from the Episcopal Province of Rwanda for the Anglican Mission in the Americas also attended along with 14 visiting clergy from the Western United States.

Fr. Schutte was ordained a Deacon and Priest at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Prescott, AZ, where he served until April, 2005. At that time, he and his growing family moved to Phoenix to serve at Christ Church of the Ascension, Paradise Valley, AZ. Fr. Schutte was called to Christ Church Anglican, a new church plant under the jurisdiction oversight of the Anglican Church of Uganda, and was received and licensed by Bishop Guernsey and Bishop Gimadu.

According to a news release, Christ Church Anglican claims 265 faithful,; 209 adults and 56 children. This is a 65% increase over numbers evidenced when the church was planted seven months ago, making Fr. Schutte rector at one of the fastest growing Anglican parishes in North America. For more information, visit their web site: www.christchurchanglicanaz.org

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In Kansas City, Missouri, it was another story altogether with a major fight erupting among CONTINUING ANGLICAN jurisdictions when members of St. James congregation found themselves locked out of their church by two bishops of the Holy Catholic Church-Anglican Rite in order to prevent a vote by the congregation to leave their jurisdiction. Diocesan Bishop James McNeley and Bishop Leo Michael, Suffragan Bishop of the Holy Catholic Church, seized the building, bank accounts, and personal property of St. James Church, Kansas City, under a court order they obtained without prior notice to the congregation, its Rector, Senior Warden, or Vestry.

The two bishops cried foul when this story appeared at VOL's website pleading that the story was "totally one sided and erroneous and unfortunately caused disservice to the body of Christ." The context of St. James KCMO, is not one of property ownership, but of church governance, they said. "We have the responsibility to protect our flock against the devious plan of the rector who wanted to take it to Rome. The property of St. James contrary is with the faithful people of St. James, who have been long term members," they argued. You can read both sides in today's digest.

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PROPOSED revisions to the Canons, specifically to Title I revision (Canon I.17.8), by the Episcopal Church's Task Force is meeting with objections from clergy and laity alike. One layman, a retired attorney, wrote to VOL saying the changes, which will allow the diocesan bishop to remove from office any parish elected or appointed official for any reason he/she choses. "This is an outrageous intrusion on the purely internal affairs of the parish," he wrote VOL. "The 40-page revision to Title IV (Ecclesiastical Discipline) of the Canons would deny to all subordinate clerics their US Constitutional rights in any dispute with their superiors including their right of appeal to the civil courts."

Rufus W. Peckham, Jr., went on to say, "I wish to register my strongest objections to certain provisions of the proposed revision of Sec. 8 of Canon I.17.8. Both Subsections (a) [lines 9 & 10] and (b) [lines 13 and 14] contain the phrase '". . . by the Ecclesiastical Authority of the diocese in which the office is being exercised, with the advise and consent of the Standing Committee; . . .'" These phrases constitute nothing less than an unwarranted, insulting and intolerable intrusion by the diocese into the purely internal affairs of its constituent parishes. Unpaid appointed and elected laity currently fill innumerable critical positions of parish trust and responsibility; e.g. wardens, vestry members, choristers, committee chairs and members, etc., etc. These volunteers perform their duties under the overall supervision of the parish rector and it goes without saying that they may be removed at any time by whatever authority appointed or elected them in the first place. To make them also subject to the whims, preferences and caprices of the '"Ecclesiastical Authority'" (presumably the diocesan bishop) would undoubtedly result in the immediate resignation of considerable numbers of those dedicated laity who presently serve their parishes and our Lord so nobly and so well in these positions. I base that conclusion on personal observations and discussions with persons likely to be affected who find these provisions as objectionable and unacceptable as I do. For the foregoing reasons I urge the Task Force to reject those unwise portions of the proposed revision to Canon I.17.8 as aforesaid. With their rejection Subsection (c) [lines 15 through 18] is meaningless and therefore should also be rejected."

Rufus W. Peckham, Jr. is a communicant member of Christ Church, Georgetown Episcopal Diocese of Washington (DC). The deadline for filing comments is June 30.

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Anglican Mainstream reports that a demonstration against the BISHOP OF ROCHESTER (UK) the Rt. Rev. Michael Nazir-Ali will be held outside Rochester Cathedral, Medway, Kent, from 1200-1300 hrs May 17th. The Bishop of Rochester has regularly spoken out against special right for homosexuals. Late last year, he spoke against civil partnerships and child adoption by gay couples. He has since decided not to attend the forthcoming Lambeth Conference, due to be held in Canterbury (University site) in July/August 2008. Mainly, it appears, due to the gay issue and the position of Bishop Gene Robinson. Bishop Robinson is coming to the conference. The group is challenging the Bishop of Rochester to stay in the UK to meet and talk with and Gene in Canterbury.

The following is a statement from the Bishop of Rochester about the demonstration planned against him on May 17. "I acknowledge and respect the equal dignity of all - regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. There is no place for the harassment or persecution of anyone for whatever reason. We are thankful that in this country there is freedom of meeting and expression for all. The Bible and the Church teach that the proper expression of our sexuality is in the context of marriage. This has to do with God's purposes in creating us, respect for persons and the importance of the family as a basic unit of society."

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/category/news/

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In Killeen, TEXAS, a Grand Jury this week indicted Paula Cecil of Fort Hood in connection with the theft of more than $80,000 from St Christopher's Episcopal Church in Killeen. Local police have been investigating the theft since Jan. 9, when church officials reported a discrepancy in financial records. Police were called after Extraco Bank advised the church that a number of checks had been paid to the same church employee over a period of about five months. "Through the investigation and audits, it was discovered that the church's administrative assistant had misapplied funds for her own personal use; this had been occurring since August of 2007."

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The New York Times reports that Zimbabwe soldiers stormed the Anglican cathedral in Harare held by a pro-Mugabe bishop and started to wade into them with billy clubs. You can read the full story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/world/africa/16zimbabwe.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin You can also read VOL's story on the situation in Harare here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8231

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Among today's stories, is one I have written titled ANGLICANISM: Orthodox or Progressive. It is an attempt to put into perspective the current situation in the Anglican Communion and to help us all to face the polarities that now exist.

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