Several years ago when Russia removed its ban on Bibles and allowed open worship again, some Navigators went to Moscow to aid in the return of confiscated Bibles. They were taken to this immense warehouse by an atheist government person who laughed at the whole process. The Navigators kept to their mission and did not reply. Going into the warehouse they noticed the atheist going in to jeer them as they worked bringing out the Bibles to trucks. Suddenly, they saw the atheist down on his knees, holding a Bible, praying with tears in his eyes...He had casually picked up a Bible, looked inside and found this it was his Grandmother's Bible. God does move. ---- Navigator's Report

You must ask in prayer, "Give me faith. Give me the love of Jesus. Give me humility." These things are all gifts. Only God can grant them. Pray. Pray. Pray. --- Gerontissa Makrina (+1995)

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
7/31/2009

Rowan Williams, the putative head of the Anglican Communion, has become a Man for All Reasons.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has come up with a fresh piece of doublespeak, this time relating to the gay issue. The Churches of the Anglican Communion now teach that homosexual relations are (a) sinful or (b) not sinful, depending on which province you're in. Yes, if you are in The Episcopal Church, no if you are in the Anglican Province of Nigeria. Pick your province, pick your sexual preferences. TEC will even allow for a variety of sexualities including bi-sexuality and transgendered, but adultery is still a no no. One other new emerging sexuality is polyamory. You can read about that in today's digest or here. http://tinyurl.com/lcqmx4 You can be sure that it will be a resolution at the next General Convention.

The ABC's response to the breakdown in the communion is to propose a 'two-track' model, two ways of witnessing to the Anglican heritage ..." It is nothing if not very ingenious, but it won't hold the Anglican Communion together despite a Covenant that will be signed by those who actually won't follow it. You can read "Archbishop of Canterbury Must Face Facts in Quest for Anglican Unity" in today's digest or here http://tinyurl.com/l99szw Under Rowan Williams' leadership there has been a persistent pattern of appeasement towards TEC, an appeasement unacceptable to the Global South Primates and the emerging orthodox province of North America. It is Williams' communion to lose.

The situation has become so critical in the communion that the Bishop of Durham, N.T. Wright is calling for serious and sustained prayer for the Anglican Communion following the conclusion of his response to the Archbishop of Canterbury's post-GC09 reflection. "I have said many times that the main priority at the moment for all those involved in this whole messy situation is prayer. That remains my conviction and my plea. Prayer for the church; for Archbishop Rowan; for wisdom, courage, clarity and vision; for God's glory, the extension of his kingdom, and the power of the gospel and the Spirit at work in hearts, lives, communities and throughout our world."

Prayer changes things, but can it lift the Law of non-Contradiction wherein opposing views on human sexual behavior can be debated and a middle ground sought? For orthodox Anglicans, that will never happen. There are certain things prayer will NOT change. It will not change the reality that there is a new North American Anglican province, that GAFCON exists and will not go away and that a Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans has taken root in England.

So what does one pray for exactly? Praying for people like Rowan is fair enough. But what do we pray for? That he gets off the fence; that he comes clean about the apostasies of TEC? In fact we do pray for him each Sunday in the Prayers of the People that also includes Jefferts Schori and our local deposed bishop Charles Bennison. If those prayers are designed to change their minds about the faith and moral behavior, it is probably wasted prayers. Perhaps prayers for their timely (or untimely) removal so they cannot go on hurting (read destroying) the church. Whatever it is, please don't ask us to pray generic prayers wherein we ask God to hold the communion together against all odds. To do so is to ask the impossible and to contradict His own Word, which is abundantly clear on most matters with which the communion is grappling. Those prayers will never be answered, not now, not in a thousand years...only "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The answers to these prayers will not include a fourth draft of the Covenant currently called the Schori/Anderson draft, the Cambridge/Ridley draft now laid mercifully to rest.

If you like satire, you can read my own take from the position of Wormwood and The Screwtape Letters here: http://tinyurl.com/lb8ua5

In today's digest you can read a number of fine commentaries on Dr. Williams' response to the resolutions of GC2009. Scholars like Robert Munday, Charles Ravens, John P. Richardson and A.S. Haley, to name but a few, are excellent reads.

In his essay "Whimpers from across the ocean" Munday writes: "A number of literary sayings crossed my mind when I saw that the Archbishop of Canterbury has (finally,) issued a statement in response to the actions of the Episcopal Church's General Convention, which ended ten days ago. The first thought that came to me was a paraphrase of T.S. Eliot's line, "This is the way the Communion dies, not with a bang but a whimper." Because, although I pray that I am wrong, there isn't nearly enough in Rowan Williams' statement to reassure me that this isn't the Anglican Communion's fate. Indeed, the very weakness (and studied ambiguity) of Dr. Williams' statement may be a factor in pushing the Communion toward that end."

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From the Rt. Rev. Bethlehem Nopece, Anglican BISHOP OF PORT ELIZABETH, SOUTH AFRICA, comes this word about GC2009: "The Episcopal Church General Convention adoption of resolutions D025 and C056 is a deliberate defiance of the wider Body of the Anglican Communion. We believe this is the choice they make to be politically correct with circular popular opinion which seeks continually to destroy the moral fiber of people in general as we see the decay all around us. The blessings of the same-sex unions and the ordination of practicing gay clergy is inconsistence with the Word of God written; it is theologically uninformed, incoherent with the wider church, endorsing schism in the Anglican Communion and threatens ecumenical fellowship and relations.

"The statement of their presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori on salvation of individual seems to strip the gospel of its transforming power of each one of repentant persons when in Christ to be '"a new creation'" (2 Cor. 5:17). The Episcopal Church has made its choice to journey alone. We as the Anglican Church we still uplift the Biblical standard of guidance in moral behavior. We do not seek any political correctness, but call upon all people to repentance and change of life and patterns of behavior for a new character in line with the demands of the Word of God. Our program is of pastoral care that transforms lives, eradicate poverty, heal the sick e.g. HIV and Aids, remove crime from our streets and build a sound family life in conformity to God's demands as revealed in the scriptures (Mt. 5:48).

"On the issues of homosexuality, we continue to journey on until all people come to the obedience of faith (Rom.15:18). The nation of South Africa must not be deceived God will bless us only when we seek after righteousness."

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The Standing Committee of the Synod of the Province of the ANGLICAN CHURCH IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, meeting in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia on 29 and 30 July 2009 noted the passing of resolutions DO25 and CO56 by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church ("TEC") in the United States of America.

"We are of the view that the passing of these two resolutions, when on a plain and ordinary reading, constitutes an abrogation by TEC of the agreed-to moratorium on the consecration of practising homosexual clergy as bishops and rites of blessing for same-sex unions. This effectively moves TEC irretrievably away from the orthodox position of the rest of the Anglican Communion as a whole on these issues. This is a negative development. It is also a repudiation of the listening and consultation processes put in place in an attempt to resolve these issues.

"We reiterate that the basis of the common heritage shared through membership of the worldwide Anglican Communion is best reflected by the proposed Anglican Covenant, which we wholly support. The proposed Anglican Covenant encompasses our basic shared beliefs and traditions. It represents the most basic statement of what we consider to be acceptable for resolving the present predicament facing the Anglican Communion and moving forward. We hope that the Anglican Covenant will be endorsed by the provinces in the Anglican Communion within the next 12 months.

"We also wish to re-affirm those orthodox parishes and dioceses within TEC who have chosen to remain within the existing structures. We believe that the Anglican Covenant is appropriately inclusive so as to allow for their continued membership within the Anglican Communion. We would like to assure them of our continued support and prayers."

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The Rev. John Spencer, Media Officer for the Standing Committee of The DIOCESE OF QUINCY, Peoria, IL, issued a statement on the recent Episcopal Church General Convention saying it held few surprises. "As we expected, actions taken by the bishops and representatives of the remaining Episcopal dioceses continue to support teaching and morality that is contrary to Christian Scriptures and practice. The convention's actions place them further outside the norms and fellowship of the Anglican Communion. We had hoped The Episcopal Church would listen to other Anglicans, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, and turn back. They have not.

"What most concerns us are our friends in local churches who decided to stay in the Episcopal Church after our diocese realigned last fall. We know many of them object to the actions taken by their General Convention. We are saddened that those who tried to stand against the tide are now pushed further to the fringes of their own church. Our hope is that all faithful Anglicans in central Illinois will feel welcome in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) which our diocese helped found, and move forward together with us in local and world mission in the ACNA."

*****

In another not surprising move, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori wrote a letter informing Linda Piper, president of the Standing Committee of the DIOCESE OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN, that Fr. Thew Forrester had failed to obtain sufficient consents and, as a result, he would not be the next bishop of that diocese. He's toast. The letter did not address consents among the bishops. "My understanding is that he did not receive sufficient consents among the bishops either," said Neva Rae Fox, the church's public affairs officer. Ms. Fox said the Presiding Bishop's office will not release specific consent tallies among either standing committees or bishops.

Mary Ann Mueller, VOL special correspondent, has bird dogged this story from the beginning when we broke the news, along with Frank Lockwood of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A tally compiled by VOL revealed that 54 Bishops said "no" and 66 Standing Committees also did not give their consent.

Forrester's election attracted criticism on several grounds, including his being the sole nominee in the election; his lay ordination by a local Buddhist group; his rejection of Atonement theology in favor of what he calls "at-one-ment" theology; and his revision of liturgical texts, including the Baptismal Covenant, to reflect that theology.

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Prayer Vigil for Christ Church: August 13-14, 2009

SAVANNAH, GA -- As Christ Church enters into a momentous season of our history, we will engage in a vigil of prayer beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening, August 13th - the evening before our court hearing.

It has been the discipline of God's people to fast and pray prior to significant events in their lives, both personal and corporate. Certainly we see this in the life of our Lord, whose public ministry is defined by two "bookends" of prayer: His fasting 40 days and nights in the wilderness before the beginning of His public ministry, and His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to His death on the Cross. The early church understood this discipline as well. We see the first Christians praying before the selection of Matthias as Judas' replacement (Acts 1:24), after their first persecution and arrest (Acts 4:24ff), and when faced with the martyrdom of James and the imprisonment of Peter (Acts 12:5).

We have invited the Rev. Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council to join us as our "chaplain" for this Vigil. Phil is a deeply faithful man, an excellent expositor of God's Word, and a loyal ally of our parish. Phil will offer biblical instruction for us during the first portion of our Vigil.

Plans are underway to invite other congregations who wish to stand with us. We also expect several clergy from Savannah to offer us words of encouragement. Worship, intercession, and teaching will take place from 6-9:30 p.m. Afterward, the building will be occupied through the night by those wishing to "watch and pray" for our congregation and its witness.Sign ups for the Vigil are available on the porch of Christ Church and in the undercroft immediately after worship. You may also call the front office and offer yourself as an intercessor. We encourage all of our parishioners to come for any or all of this special time of seeking God in prayer.

"Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored..." (2 Thessalonians 3:1)

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SWITCHING CHURCHES. If you believe The Episcopal Church is no longer for you following actions at the recent GC2009 and you want to find a new spiritual home, call the Rev. Darryl Fenton at ACNA. His number is 1- 412- 325- 8901. People and clergy are writing VOL asking who they might contact about leaving their dioceses and the TEC. Fenton is handling calls for people who want to switch churches.

*****

If you want to see what Jefferts Schori really believes about the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, that is, is Jesus the only way to God, then watch this. She claims that personal salvation is a "work" and denies the possibility of grace. For Jefferts Schori, Jesus is a spiritual teacher -- a kind of Jewish Mahatma Gandhi. Watch this and weep. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IxG96wpx60

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A Methodist minister and an Anglican archbishop are among 16 people who will receive a MEDAL OF FREEDOM from President Barack Obama. They are the Rev. Joseph Lowery and the Most Rev. Desmond Tutu. The 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Desmond Tutu is an Anglican Archbishop emeritus who was a leading anti-apartheid activist in South Africa. Widely regarded as "South Africa's moral conscience," he served as the General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) from 1978 - 1985, where he led a formidable crusade in support of justice and racial reconciliation in South Africa. He received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work through SACC in 1984. Tutu was elected Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986, and the Chair of the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995. He retired as Archbishop in 1996 and is currently Chair of the Elders.

President Obama will present the awards at a ceremony on Wednesday, August 12.

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A Church of England cathedral now offers a choice of wafers consecrated by a man or a woman. Do you believe Jesus is present in a Communion wafer consecrated by a woman? Then have one of these. You don't? Then you'll want one of those over there. Blackburn Cathedral is offering worshippers a choice of wafers consecrated by its new residentiary canon, Dr. Sue Penfold, or by one of its male clergy. That way, traditionalists who can't accept women priests don't have to consume a host that is (in their view) just a piece of bread because many believe Dr. Penfold's orders are invalid. Cathedral Canon Andrew Hindley defends the arrangement. "It was agreed by all the clergy and cathedral chapter that this was the best way to handle what we call a mixed economy," he said.

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CANA. The third annual CANA Council 2009 is meeting in Herndon, VA. The Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns says his branch of the ACNA is growing, thank you very much. "I continue to be astonished by the remarkable growth that we have experienced under some of the most difficult circumstances. We now number 85 congregations and 179 clergy in 25 states with several more applications in the pipeline for both congregations and clergy. During this past year we received 15 congregations, 30 clergy and conducted 17 ordinations including one at which I ordained my own son Jon a deacon. We anticipate an additional three ordinations at this Council. We are also growing new congregations because we are committed to church planting as one of the most effective forms of evangelism and have several new groups that are new congregations in development. Clearly God is on the move."

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An orthodox campus ministry organization at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA, about 40 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, is working to bring the next generation to Christ. Jacob Liefer is working with The Rev. Paul Cooper, former assistant to Bishop Duncan, on a church plant located two blocks from Geneva College. He writes,: "Recognizing the need for reaching students at this critical time, the diocese awarded me a chaplaincy grant to fund part of my salary last fall. However, due to the split and freezing of funds, the distribution of $12,000 of the grant is frozen. Unfortunately, a resolution to this issue does not seem likely and much of my salary has run out, leaving it difficult and almost impossible to continue doing ministry. While I would like to continue with my work, the lack of funds makes it extremely difficult." If you would like to help this brother, go to his organization's webpage at www.ccojubilee.org and contact him via email at jakeliefer@gmail.com or phone at 412-567-3757.

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The CHURCH OF UGANDA seeks $60,000 for food aid for famine-relief.

Canon Alison Barfoot, the Archbishop of Uganda's secretary for International Relations writes, : "Uganda is experiencing serious drought and famine in northeastern, northern, and northwestern Uganda. People have now started to die. The government says it can handle the situation, but that's what the government is supposed to say. And, if they could handle the situation, people should not have already started to die. We are seeking for funds for emergency relief for famine victims in Uganda. The hardest hit area is the Teso sub-region (Soroti, Kumi areas, if you're looking at a map) in eastern Uganda. The Rev. Canon George Bagamuhunda, Coordinator of Planning, Development, and Rehabilitation, has written the attached proposal. We would request, something....anything that could help save lives in the immediate situation. When the crisis is over, we can begin to think about other development proposals that would help prevent such a serious crisis, even if drought comes again. There are micro-irrigation schemes, drought-resistant crops, etc. - all of these things can be explored. But, at the moment, what is needed immediately is food."

Donations can be made through Paypal http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/?p=13468 on the top right hand side of the website - or to: AID, 21 High Street, Eynsham, OX29 4HE. CAF and Gift Aid cheques to "Anglican Mainstream (for AID)"

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The summer doldrums are setting in, but we at VOL never quit for a moment. You will continue to receive weekly digests. To make it happen we do need your support. Please consider a tax deductible donation to keep the website running and weekly digests coming to you.

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In Christ,

David