Once admit that we are all naturally dead in trespasses and sins, and have no power to turn to God-once admit that all spiritual life in the heart of man must begin with God-once admit that He who created the world by saying, "Let there be light," must shine into man's heart, and create light within him-once admit that God does not enlighten all professing Christians in this manner-but only some, and that He acts in this matter entirely as a Sovereign, giving no account of His matters-once admit all this, and then see where you are. Whether you know it or not, you admit the whole doctrine of Election. --- Bishop J.C. Ryle

Scripture and systems. I do not believe that the Bible provides 'a complete system of theology' or 'a comprehensive guide' to ethics. Systematic theology is certainly a legitimate and even necessary academic discipline, but God did not choose to reveal himself in systematic form, and all systems are exposed to the same temptation, namely to trim God's revelation to fit our system instead of adapting our system to accommodate his revelation. --- From "Essentials", by David L. Edwards and John Stott

"The homosexual movement is careful to advance slowly to avoid pushback. 'Dialogue,' 'tolerance' and 'diversity' are just tools to reach a final stage: sexual anarchy. When you drop a frog into boiling water, it jumps right out. But when you put the same frog in lukewarm water and increase the temperature slowly, the frog cooks to death without reacting. So, we need to speak up in charity and truth before it's too late."--- TFP Student Action director John Ritchie

"Let us remember all the great powers of the history of today -- anonymous capital, terrorist violence, drugs, the tyranny of public opinion that are the modern divinities that enslave man. They must fall. They must be made to fall. The downfall of the gods is the imperative of yesterday, today, and always for believers in the one true God. Today's polytheism is not made up only of dark powers. Its many gods also have friendly faces, and the ability to seduce. It is the "gay science" prophesied by Nietzsche more than a century ago, which offers every single man "the greatest advantage": that of "setting up his own ideal and deriving from it his law, his joys, and his rights." --- Pope Benedict XVI

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
December 17, 2010

Who really killed the dialogue between Rome and Canterbury? According to Francis Campbell, Britain's ambassador to the Vatican, he was the one who warned that the Pope's invitation to Anglicans to convert to Roman Catholicism would push relations between the churches to their lowest point in 150 years as it puts Archbishop Rowan Williams in an "impossible position".

He also feared a backlash against UK Catholics after the offer to those opposed to women bishops. His fears are detailed in the latest US embassy cables released by Wikileaks. The comments were made after Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams met Vatican officials last year.

Not so, says the Rt. Rev. John H. Rodgers, a former TEC priest, seminary president and now a bishop with the Anglican Mission in the Americas.

In an e-mail to Virtueonline, Rodgers wrote, "Actually the damage took place on Rome's part in the 16th Century when Trent codified the theological rejection of the biblical doctrines of grace clearly held by Anglicans and then made theological repentance seemingly impossible in the 19th Century by Rome's declaring itself infallible and by adding the Marian dogmas as binding. Everything subsequent has been attempting to deal with those fateful actions."

You can read the full story in today's digest or here: http://tinyurl.com/2337km2

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Have you ever wondered about the true state of The Episcopal Church's cathedrals? Wonder no more. Mary Ann Mueller, VOL's tireless reporter, has taken a long hard look at the facts and figures of our cathedrals. What she uncovered is not very heartening for the future of the majority of TEC's cathedrals, unless they can get the next generation of young people to come in out of the cold.

What it boils down to is that unless there is a turnaround in numbers in the next five to ten years, fully 50% of all of TEC's cathedrals will probably close. Financially, they are holding their own, but with at least 36 cathedrals having an Average Sunday Attendance (ASA) under 200 with mainly senior citizens, they will be forced to consider their options. Because of the prime location of most inner city cathedrals, they present excellent targets for developers. Stay tuned.

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Ya gotta hand it to the deep thinkers in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. They are nothing if not persistent. Like a foul odor that won't go away despite all their best efforts, the Standing Committee of the diocese is still trying to get rid of Sociopathic Narcissistic Bishop Charles Bennison. This week, eight of them drove to New York City to see the Great One herself at 815 2nd Avenue along with her legal beagle David Booth Beers. In the same room was the national church's hit man for bad boy bishops (the fancy term is Bishop for Pastoral Development), Clayton Matthews. (Listen up. This guy knows more secrets about dirty bishops than I do and I still have a few secrets left up my sleeve). They all sat down with the Presiding Bishop to share their concerns. You have to love the language, "the purpose was to seek the Presiding Bishop's counsel and support." TRANSLATION. For God's sake, can you rid us of this troublesome bishop?

They noted that at the recent Diocesan Convention, 73% of delegates called for Bennison to resign saying that his continued presence stands in the way of attending to the important word of proclaiming the love of God in Christ Jesus and carrying forth the mission of the Church. Of course, Charles thinks he is proclaiming God's love by staying on in the job even though everyone wants him gone.

Since his return, there have been repeated calls for him to resign. The endless list includes the Presiding Bishop, the entire Episcopal House of Bishops, Bonnie Anderson, HOD President, numerous priests (both liberal and conservative) in the Diocese of PA, entire deaneries, a neighboring Bishop Paul Marshall, (Bethlehem), the Diocesan Standing Committee and a number of outraged laity and VOL, all to no avail. Bennison loves the showmanship and power. It's not about money. His wife is worth millions from the Eli Lilly Foundation.

Bennison's own self importance keeps him from resigning. As a back-up, Bishop Rodney Michel is still around to share responsibilities. A diocese that is not exactly flush with dollars is supporting two bishops. Bennison is still closing churches when he is not imposing himself on parishes that don't want him. On one upbeat note, he did sign off on the new rector, an evangelical, for the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli, PA.

For the record, charges of conduct unbecoming a priest or bishop still hang over Bennison. He was found guilty of covering up his brother's sexual abuse of a minor. The verdict against the bishop was overturned because of a narrow interpretation of the "Statute of Limitations".

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As the next round of litigation is heating up in Virginia on the fate of nine church properties, a coalition of prayerful Episcopalians and Anglicans is forming to pray and seek ways to find an amicable settlement between the The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and nine Anglican churches. "Virginia Laity for a Win-Win Settlement" has all ready launched their website called "Seeking Common Ground in Common Prayer". It aims to provide helpful information, encouragement, and insight on how the different sides in the Virginia litigation might approach a "win-win" settlement.

Virginia Laity for a Win-Win Settlement consists of "Virginian lay members of Episcopal and Anglican parishes who believe that the current litigation between the Anglican District of Virginia, the Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Church (TEC) must end," they write at Seeking Common Prayer in Common Prayer. The organizers of the website/blog are Kathryn Peyton, a member of St Francis Episcopal Church in Great Falls, and Dan Van Ness, a member of Truro Church in Fairfax.

What are some of the reasons why a win-win settlement is the best alternative to prolonged and costly litigation? There are lots of reasons for looking for a win-win settlement:

1. Litigation costs money we could be spending on mission.

2. Litigation turns people into enemies. We all have heard of situations where a dispute between neighbors divided the neighborhood when the case went to court, or when families were split apart by a bitter divorce. The same thing can happen in parishes as we have learned in the four places where there are both Episcopal and ADV congregations.

3. Litigation between Christians causes scandal. 1 Cor 6:7 says, "The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already." As former Secretary of State James A Baker has said, "Squabbling over church assets is the wrong way to resolve this impasse. The predictable result of continuing this battle will be public conflict without end in sight, to the utter dismay of most Episcopalians."

4. Win-win settlement allows creative solutions. Courts must apply the law and the result can be unsatisfactory. For example, some of the pieces of property in dispute have multiple deeds. It is possible that a judge or jury would determine that the wording of the deeds means some parcels belong to one side and others belong to the other. Furthermore, in negotiating a win-win settlement it is possible to find solutions to problems created by the separation that aren't even part of the litigation (like figuring out how to deal with the conflicting claims to be part of the Anglican Communion).

5. Win-win settlement is faster. If there is a trial for this second phase of the litigation it is possible there will be no judgment until Summer 2011. The appeal process took an additional 18 months in the first phase, so litigation may not be over until 2013 or later. While we might need the help of a mediator to do it, negotiation could produce a win-win settlement by Spring 2011. [Source Baby Blue Café blog.]

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The Church of England website reports that more than 150,000 people have come back to church since the first Back to Church Sunday in 2004.

Around 3,500 churches from participating denominations welcomed back 51,000 people on Back to Church Sunday 2010 (26th September).

The Bishop of Hertford, the Rt. Rev. Paul Bayes, commented, "For thousands of churches, and tens of thousands of Christians, Back to Church Sunday has become part of what they do each September. It's the shortest step in evangelism - invite someone you know to something you love - 'would you like to come to church with me?' And year after year, people are responding positively."

Statistical returns from participating churches suggest that an average of 18 people returned to each participating Church of England church after having received a personal invitation.

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Most Britons think Christians shouldn't be penalized for following conscience at work according to "The Christian Today". They report that a new poll has found that most Britons think Christians should be able to follow their conscience in the workplace without facing disciplinary action from their employers.

Out of more than 1,000 adults polled by ComRes, 72% said Christians should be able to refuse to act against their conscience without being penalized by their employer. Christian Concern commissioned the poll to coincide with the launch of its Not Ashamed campaign.

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Religious people happier with friends in pews. Close friendships among congregants, rather than theology, seem to be the key to happiness among religious people, according to a new study.

One-third of Americans who attend religious services weekly and have three to five close friends in the congregation said they are "extremely satisfied" with their lives.

In comparison, only one in five Americans who attend services weekly, but have no close friends in the congregation, say they are extremely satisfied.

"In short, 'sitting alone in the pew' does not enhance one's life satisfaction," conclude authors Chaeyoon Lim of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Robert D. Putnam of Harvard University in a December article in the American Sociological Review.

"Only when one forms social networks in a congregation does religious service attendance lead to a higher level of life satisfaction."

Researchers found that 23 percent of people who attend religious services several times a year and have three to five close friends in the congregation are extremely satisfied. About a fifth of people who never attend services say they are extremely satisfied with their lives.

The findings are from the Faith Matters Survey of U.S. adults, which included 3,108 people in 2006 and 1,915 in 2007.

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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA.

The primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Reverend Phillip Aspinall, has officially approved the removal of disgraced South Australian bishop Ross Davies from the Murray diocese. The former bishop's conduct was the subject of a church tribunal hearing in Adelaide in September. It found him guilty of eight of nine church charges brought against him, including protecting another archdeacon who was accused of sexual misconduct.

Aspinall's office said Ross Davies has accepted the tribunal's findings. Davies was one of three bishops who laid hands on Fr. David Moyer of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, PA, and consecrated him a bishop in the Traditional Anglican Communion. Archbishop John Hepworth was also present for the occasion.

The Anglican Bishop of Ballarat, Michael Hough, resigned during a bullying investigation by the episcopal standards committee. The committee investigated 13 complaints of bullying and harassment from past and present clergy and lay people.

Bishop Hough says the battles within the church prompted his resignation.

"You know, all this stuff was getting into the press and I don't think it does the church's image much good to see all this kind of squabbling and fighting. As I was the target, I decided the best way to save the church all the hassle and the trauma, the best thing for me was to move aside."

The Anglican Bishop of Newcastle has been urged to strip two priests of their holy orders, including one who has served in the upper echelons of the church.

The Newcastle Diocese Professional Standards Board is holding hearings focusing on an alleged sex incident in a motel room at Narrandera, in southern New South Wales, in 1984.

The Board found the former Dean of Newcastle, The Very Reverend Graeme Lawrence, was involved in sex acts with a 19-year-old man.

The Board found another priest, Reverend Graeme Leslie Sturt watched, before making advances to a 17-year-old boy.

But the 17-year-old told the Board he has no memory of the incident because he was drunk.

The Board has recommended that the Reverend Sturt and the Very Reverend Graeme Lawrence be deposed from holy orders, saying both have brought disgrace to the church.

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2,000-year-old Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury cut down. Were anti-Christians behind pilgrimage site attack? Legend says it sprang from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who helped Jesus of the Cross. Standing proudly on the side of an English hill, its religious roots go back 2,000 years. But a single night of vandalism has left an ancient site of pilgrimage in splinters.

The Holy Thorn Tree of Glastonbury has been chopped down in what is being seen by some as a deliberately anti-Christian act. A feature of the skyline surrounding the Somerset town, the tree has been visited by thousands retracing the steps said to have been taken by Joseph of Arimathea, who some say was Jesus' great uncle.

According to legend, Saint Joseph travelled to the spot after Christ was crucified, taking with him the Holy Grail of Arthurian folklore.

To add to its sacred status, the tree "miraculously" flowered twice a year - once at Christmas and once at Easter. It survived for hundreds of years before it was chopped down by puritans in the Civil War, but secret cuttings of the original were taken and planted around the town.

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How many more Roman Catholic priests await prison sentences in Ireland? The scandal of Catholic pedophile priests is a story without end or so it would seem. One observer told VOL that it has set the Catholic Church back 100 years or more in that country because of the outrage and pain it has caused so many Catholics. You can read a story about this here: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/church-was-selfcentred-and-arrogant-claims-martin-2458534.html

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In Peter Seewald's collection of conversations with Pope Benedict XVI, he raises the issue of Anglicanorum Coetibus. Here is the question along with the Holy Father's response:

Q: In its ecumenical dialogue with ecclesial communities in the West, the Vatican concentrates on the Anglicans, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the World Methodist Council. The gates of Rome are already open to Anglicans who are willing to swim the Tiber. You have promulgated an apostolic constitution for this purpose, which for the first time provides their own canonical and organizational structure for local churches. Prior to the constitution, the idea of reunion was associated with the image of a return home to the Latin Church. Is this a precedent for other groups that might want to follow in the footsteps of the Anglicans?

A: The initiative did not come from us, but from the Anglican bishops who entered into dialogue with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in order to explore possible forms of reunion. They said that they fully share the faith that is set forth in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that this is exactly what they believe. Eventually, the process resulted in the offer of this framework. We don't want to create new uniate churches, but we do want to offer ways for local church traditions, traditions that have evolved outside of the Roman Church, to be brought into communion with the Pope and thus into Catholic communion.

There is an interesting parallel here with Global South Anglican archbishops who came to the US in response to calls from orthodox TEC parishes and dioceses who were being persecuted by by liberals, revisionists and pansexualists in the Episcopal Church. They did not force their way on to the North American stage they came, sometimes reluctantly, because they saw what was happening and they believed they could not do anything but come to the rescue of the faithful.

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Nominations for membership on seven bodies or positions to be elected at the Episcopal Church's General Convention in 2012 are now being accepted by the Joint Standing Committee on Nominations. Bishops, priests, deacons and lay persons may be nominated, according to a press release from the church's Office of Public Affairs. The nominees are not required to be current or former General Convention deputies. The elections will be held during the 77th meeting of General Convention July 5 - 12, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Disciplinary Board for Bishops is up for election and is comprised of two lay persons and two priests or deacons elected by the House of Deputies; 10 bishops elected by the House of Bishops; six-year terms.

FIRST order of business....get rid of Bishop Charles Bennison

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Bishop Louis Muvunyi was consecrated as the new Anglican Bishop of Kigali Diocese at a colorful event that was attended by the Rwandan Protestant Council and top government officials. Munvunyi was principal of Kigali Anglican Theological College. He replaces the Most Rev. Emmanuel Kolini, who retired at the age of 65, as required by the Canterbury constitution.

"I will emphasize the expansion of the Anglican church in Rwanda through construction of new churches and preaching the gospel of God," Muvunyi said. "We will continue promoting unity and reconciliation among Rwandans, fight against HIV/Aids and poverty as well as promoting education and empowering youth."

The outgoing Kolini attributed much of his success to his wife and children. "Much has been done but we couldn't accomplish everything; whatever is remaining will be accomplished by Muvunyi," he said.

Kolini noted that while he worked in many countries serving God, it has always been his wish to retire to Rwanda. "Kolini took over the Anglican church at a critical time when there were issues within the church, mistrust amongst Christians and between the church and the government," said Musoni. Kolini reunited the church and created better relations between the church and government."

"The Anglican Church of Rwanda is one of the government's partners in development and has played a significant role in this regard," said Musoni.

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The Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) is seeking comments on possible revision of The Hymnal 1982.

Starting December 15, an online survey is available to engage the entire church in this discussion, noted the Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers, chair of the SCLM. The survey is available at http://www.cpg.org/hymnalstudy2

This survey is part of The Episcopal Church's ongoing work with liturgical materials and in compliance to Resolution B004 as approved at General Convention 2009.

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The Executive Committee of the Church of South India (CSI) Synod has declined to take disciplinary action against the Bishop in Coimbatore for theft and fraud.

At their Nov 29-30 meeting in Madras, the committee voted to take no action after one of the three members of the fact finding committee appointed to investigate Bishop Manickam Dorai offered a dissenting opinion to the report that found the bishop had abused his office for personal financial gain. However, Bishop Dorai remains suspended from office and remains free on bail as he awaits criminal trial on multiple counts of theft and fraud.

The decision not to act against Bishop Dorai has provoked strong criticism from anti-corruption activists in the CSI. The CCC (Christ Centered Campaign), whose representatives met with Dr Rowan Williams during his trip to India to share their concerns about church corruption, accused the Moderator of the CSI, Bishop S. Vasanthakumar of "burying" the report and putting the investigative committee in "cold storage."

If they had been allowed to continue its investigations of Bishop Dorai, the CCC alleged, it would have "opened a Pandora's box of similar demands for action against other corrupt CSI bishops." [Source CEN]

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The European Commission has come under fire for producing more than three million copies of an EU diary for secondary schools which contains no reference to Christmas, but does include Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Muslim festivities. More than 330,000 copies of the diaries, accompanied by 51 pages of glossy information about the EU, have been delivered to British schools as a "sought after" Christmas gift to pupils from the commission.

Christians have been angered because the diary section for December 25 is blank and the bottom of the page with Christmas Day is marked only with the secular message: "A true friend is someone who shares your concerns and will double your joy".

While the euro calendar marks Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish and Chinese festivities as well as Europe Day and other key EU anniversaries, there are no Christian festivals marked, despite the fact Christianity is Europe's majority religion.

Roman Catholic lobby groups and Christian Democrat MEPs have already complained to the commission about its Christmas card for this year which bears the words "Season's Greetings" with no reference to Christianity. Johanna Touzel, the spokesman for the Catholic Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community, said the absence of Christian festivals is "just astonishing".

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VOL now has two new links at its website. CONTINUUM and ORDINARIATE links will now have stories posted directly to them for those concerned with issues about what is happening in the multifarious world of the Continuum and the ongoing struggle of Anglo-Catholics as many make their way to Rome. VOL neither endorses nor rejects what is taking place. We believe there are few sources available where the news can be sorted and sifted carefully by its readers. We endeavor to give unbiased news on what is taking place in these two Anglican areas and welcome stories from readers familiar with these movements.

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To watch a debate on Religious Freedom and Islam featuring Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali watch this. You will find it most enlightening. http://christianconcern.com/media/bbc-newsnight-debates-on-religious-freedom-and-islam-featuring-bishop-michael-nazir-ali

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Episcopal News Monthly, a newspaper printed in conjunction with diocesan partners, and Episcopal News Quarterly, a supplement to certain diocesan quarterly news magazines, will cease publication with the January 2011 issues.

The final issues of both publications, which will be produced before Christmas, mark the end of the Episcopal Church's 50 years as a newspaper publisher. Episcopal News Service will continue to operate online, offering a mix of news stories, commentary, photos and video reports. The ENS website is due for a major redesign in 2011.

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There are barely two weeks left in the 2010 calendar and VOL needs your support. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to keep this vital news service alive. When you read that the Episcopal Church's print media is going out of business, it is all the more important that a response to their online news service be available through VOL.

You can send your tax-deductible donation to:

VIRTUEONLINE
1236 Waterford Rd.,
West Chester, PA 19380

Or you can also make a donation at VOL's website www.virtueonline.org through PAYPAL. Thank you for your support.

Advent Blessings,

David W. Virtue, DD

BREAKING NEWS...The Reverend Daniel H. Martins, Bishop-elect in the Diocese of Springfield has received 51 of 56 consents needed to be the next bishop. There are 111 Standing Committees of the Dioceses in the Episcopal Church. There have been 11 non-consents. No word from the HOB.