The cause of the conflict may vary, but historians tell us that in every conflict there is one battle that turns the tide of combat and gives the advantage to the side that will ultimately be victorious. Historians also tell us that within this one battle there is one particular skirmish that will define the outcome, not only for the battle, but also for the entire war, and shape history for years to come.

The tide turns when a small group of well-disciplined soldiers are given the task of holding a position. The command is simple; if the enemy breaks through, they will overtake us from behind and secure the advantage, and the battle, and perhaps the war, will be lost. The task that our commanding officer gives is to hold our position at all cost. There are incredible stories of how the few have held off the mighty. Not only through the first or second charge but fourth, fifth, and sixth until victory was assured.

For the most part, those who stood in the breach and held their lines have not been immortalized in history; they don't have songs written about their bravery, and as time goes on their heroic deeds may be all but forgotten. But if it had not been for the few that were willing to pay the price and stand in the breach, history might look very different.

At General Convention 2003 a group of dedicated orthodox Episcopalians stood in the breach and said, "We will not be overrun." Through 2004, 2005 and 2006, the American Anglican Council, along with thousands of the faithful, has stood firm in the face of overwhelming odds and held fast knowing that the battle would turn and victory would be forthcoming. In June of this year, the tide turned, and The Episcopal Church (TEC) fell victim to its own distorted views of the Christian faith.

In July I wrote to you and stated that the war is over; and in some ways it is, and yet in other ways it is not. The burden of proof has been moved from our shoulders, and our case has been made by TEC herself.

The task of proving TEC guilty is over; now is the time to prove we can do better. Now is the time to build churches, to do the work of ministry, and to see people brought to Jesus and lives transformed. I firmly believe that although we face future skirmishes, the war is over!

After each conflict there must be a time of reconstruction. What will this reconstruction phase look like for faithful Anglicans? First, we have churches remaining in TEC, churches leaving TEC, and churches fully out of TEC; and all are struggling with issues unique to their situation.

The immediate work of the AAC is to assist Episcopalians still in TEC who intend, for at least the time being, to stay in TEC, to be strong and protective of their people and property in both doctrine and practice. Those Episcopalians who are seeking to leave TEC, with or without their property, have different needs, and the AAC, often working under the radar, is providing counsel, guidance, materials and legal referrals to help those on a spiritual Underground Railroad.

Those churches which have left TEC, or are newly started as church plants outside TEC, and are presently connected with an overseas Anglican Province, have still different needs.

In order to strengthen the global connection, the AAC has been working to provide Primates with inside information about the state of The Episcopal Church, its words, actions and outrages, and through various venues putting the needs of our TEC-free churches before them.

The mid-term goals of the AAC recognize that the present status of many overseas primatial connections have complications attached to their blessings.

The blessings are immediate and obvious: Our churches feel they are united with orthodox Anglican Christians and are under the safe pastorate of a believing bishop; and additionally, the missional relationships that result serve to strengthen both sides.

The complications are that the distances are very great between both the overseas dioceses and the U.S. churches, and the distance and communication difficulties result in requests for our overseas bishops to be with us more frequently than is often possible.

Finally, the U.S. orthodox are divided many different ways even though sometimes they may live only miles from one another. In Atlanta, within miles of one another, there are orthodox Bolivian, Anglican Mission in America (Rwandan), and Convocation of Anglicans in North America (Nigerian) congregations. What is needed is a solution that addresses these difficulties. Finding the solutions to these situations is an area where we are working and will continue to work, along with others.

The long-term goal, looking further into the future, is to see a unification of all the Anglican churches that wish to join together in a new provincial structure-a structure that would serve as a coherent, unified, orthodox, mission-driven Anglican Church as a full province of the global Communion, and nothing less.

As a member of the Common Cause Partners, the AAC wishes to work alongside other partners to secure much-needed additions to our life together. Putting together retirement provision that would be interchangeable among the churches, thus making life simpler for clergy, and implementing a common buying group for clergy family and employee health insurance would improve benefits and lower the cost.

Also, building a church search engine that would include all the Common Cause Partner churches in a searchable online database that is easy to use, along with other issues, need to be worked on collaboratively among orthodox Anglicans as we look to the larger future ahead. The AAC wants to assist in making the solutions reality.

As these goals are progressively reached, and as circumstances inevitably change, the specifics of the AAC's work will need to be adjusted and fine-tuned.

In every situation, the AAC is committed to facilitating orthodox mission and ministry, assisting the Primates as they help us, and seeing a restoration of the church here in America - not with the old leaven, but with a new infilling of the Holy Spirit, seeking to recover the zeal of the early church.

This is a three-stage vision taking us at least five years into the future, a vision of reforming and renewing Anglicanism domestically and globally, a vision that I hope engages you and causes you to want to sign on with us for the hard work ahead. As you pray, please remember our work.

In order to accomplish our mission, we need your support. To those of you who are supporting us now, we thank you and ask that you continue to do so. To those who have supported us in the past, we ask that you once again support us as we continue to stand in the breach for all who faithfully follow our Anglican heritage.

To those of you who have, for whatever reason, not joined us in the fight, we ask you to do so at this present time. The stronger we are, the better we can overcome the opposition, and the shorter the time needed until the final victory.

As you consider your year-end tax-deductible gifts, please remember that without you, the AAC could not have accomplished all that it has. To continue our work, we are seeking to raise $112,500 by the end of December. This amount will allow us to act on your behalf with diplomatic efforts, such as working with bishops and Primates of the Anglican Communion to further provide the primatial recognition and establishment of additional orthodox options.

Please make a gift to help us reach this goal by the end of December. You may contribute online, or call the AAC office (800-914-2000) and we can process your credit card contribution quickly and securely over the telephone. There is a new day for Anglicanism in North America - let's build it together!

May the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, bless you and your family through this season of hope. The AAC staff and Board of Directors send our Advent and Christmas Greetings to you and your loved ones. In Christ,

---The Rev. Canon David C. Anderson is CEO and President of the American Anglican Council

The American Anglican Council www.americananglican.org http://aacblog.classicalanglican.net/ info@americananglican.org
2296 Henderson Mill Rd. NE,
Suite 406
Atlanta, GA 30345-2739
Phone: 800-914-2000 or 770-414-1515
Fax: 770-414-1518