He told a national Latimer Fellowship conference in Christchurch that the real reason this is a make or break issue has to do with the teachings of the Bible. "The biblical ideal of sexual relationships specifically excludes same-sex relationships. The biblical teaching makes this a matter of spiritual life and death. That is crystal clear from both the Old and New Testaments," he said.

When VOL first learned of the story in 2001 (after Andrus had left Redeemer,) I phoned the bishop in Alabama to ask about the charges. At the time Andrus broke down and said this was a horrible time in his life and please spare me this embarrassment. VOL did not pursue the story.

"We, A.B. and C.D., desiring to receive the blessing of Holy Matrimony in the Church, do solemnly declare that we hold marriage to be a lifelong union of (husband and wife deleted) two persons as it is set forth in the Book of Common Prayer.

She said: "So, the next time you see a Sunday school teacher, thank them for spending their time with your sons and daughters. As teachers, we are planting seeds of knowledge without knowing how they will grow. We hope the lessons they are exposed to and learn will aid in their spiritual growth as they blossom into adulthood. To help insure that will happen, we need to tend to them regularly in our parish setting and nurture them as seedlings while cutting back on the fertilizer."