It was another turbulent week in the life of the Anglican Communion.
Read moreHe first visits the Episcopal Church, the former mainstay of the mainline denominations that has declined significantly in recent years. He learned how they reasoned away tradition and Scripture, how "contemporary virtues [like] tolerance have won out over biblical admonition," and how "admonitions to holy living suddenly become hate speech." They have followed all the popular trends, yet they have become unpopular, he writes.
Read moreIt is Bishop John Howard's worst nightmare come true. The Rev. Jim McCaslin, rector of All Souls in Jacksonville, told VirtueOnline that the bishop has said he is convinced that this is one of the strongest -- potentially THE strongest -- dioceses in our church and in our communion. "The impression that he would create is that the 'Florida Six' are simply a small dissident minority in an otherwise healthy and unified diocese," Fr. McCaslin said.
Read moreThe civil suit follows months of theological dispute and hostile actions by Bishop Smith, who stands in "opposition to traditional Christianity and Anglican teaching," according to the rectors of these churches.
Read more2. In doing so, the Church of Nigeria has not pre-empted Canterbury's seat of honor in the Communion, but it has made "communion with the see of Canterbury" a second-order matter -- as it always should have been. Combined with Abp. Akinola's other statements about the Church of England, it seems clear that the Church of Nigeria is prepared to break communion with a mother church that has compromised the substance of the classic Reformation faith.
Read moreWhat is happening is this: The recent birth of the Council of Anglican Provinces of the Americas and Caribbean (CAPAC), inspired by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), lead to the creation of a body that will "enable coordination, cooperation, collaboration, and communication, and to encourage mission as well as resource theological education and ministry of the Gospel in the Caribbean and the Americas." Lofty ideals, but certainly attainable.
Read moreThe Katrina hurricane that struck New Orleans and three Gulf states has taken a heavy toll not only on the people of the area, but on the psyche of a nation. Over 84 percent of those affected were people of color, doubling the guilt and making the apparent ineptitude of the authorities, who took an inexcusably long time to deal with the crisis, look even worse. It is a nightmare disaster without parallel in U.S. history.
Read moreVIEWPOINTS
By David W. Virtue
http://www.virtueonline.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As the Episcopal Church slowly crumbles with fleeing orthodox priests and parishes and with churches closing in revisionist dioceses (see today's Diocese of Iowa story), so the temptation to raid the coffers, as the ship slowly sinks, grows greater with each passing day.
Read moreBut the plain truth is, if we choose to ignore Scripture at one point in history there is no stopping what we might want to ignore or change in Scripture if, at any other period in history, the cultural mood so suits us. It is a devilish argument, and it is being played out in one Episcopal diocese after another as bishops waver on sexuality and the finality of Scripture's being authoritative and choose the cultural mandate because a majority of ECUSA's House of Bishops says so.
Read moreThe second event was the opening salvo in what looks to be a protracted battle between Bishop John Howard in the DIOCESE OF FLORIDA and seven faithful, orthodox parishes; and the third was the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's vote Friday to reject non-celibate gay clergy from being ordained to the priesthood, demanding that homosexual clergy must remain celibate.
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