VirtueOnline Digest, Vol 17, Issue 38

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=================================
VirtueOnline Weekly News Digest
http://www.VirtueOnline.org
=================================

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Today's Topics:

1. Table of Contents (David Virtue)
2. VIEWPOINTS: October 6, 2017 (David Virtue)
3. Communique from the Primates' Meeting (David Virtue)
4. CANTERBURY: Can Two Walk Together Unless They Are Agreed?
(David Virtue)
5. CANTERBURY: We Are Not Walking Together (David Virtue)
6. Anglicans sanction Scottish Episcopal Church over same-sex
marriage (David Virtue)
7. CANTERBURY: GAFCON Primates weigh walking out of Anglican
Summit (David Virtue)
8. Archbishop Welby claims he was "taken aback" by Las Vegas
prayer criticism (David Virtue)
9. CANTERBURY: Primates Pause for Prayer in Wake of Nevada
Massacre (David Virtue)
10. Anglican Communion News Service smears GAFCON and manipulates
Archbishop of Canterbury (David Virtue)
11. Dear Archbishop Justin, please heal my heartbreak (David Virtue)
12. Justin Welby unable to give 'straight answer' on whether gay
sex is sinful (David Virtue)
13. Justin Welby accuses BBC over Jimmy Savile abuse victims
(David Virtue)
14. Four Continuing Anglican Bodies Establish Full Communion
(Communio in sacris) (David Virtue)
15. Four markers reveal why the collapse of the Episcopal Church
is inevitable (David Virtue)
16. San Joaquin bishop writes Nashotah House chairman over
Presiding Bishop Curry's ++Ramsey Award (David Virtue)
17. Pundits politicizing and polarizing instead of praying about
Las Vegas tragedy (David Virtue)
18. Secxit (or why I must leave the Scottish Episcopal Church)
(David Virtue)
19. Yes They ARE Targeting Our Children (David Virtue)
20. You may now kiss the groom! History is made as gay couple
marry in the UK's first same-sex church wedding (David Virtue)
21. 12. TRANSFORMATION: What Does it Mean to be a mature
Christian Disciple? -- 2 Peter 1:1-11 (David Virtue)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:34:37 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Table of Contents
Message-ID:
<1507336477.2796440....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

*************************************
VIEWPOINTS
*************************************

1. Scottish Episcopal Church Sanctioned by Primates * Primates and
GAFCON Clash Over Prayer * Four Continuing Jurisdictions ...
http://www.virtueonline.org/scottish-episcopal-church-sanctioned-primates-primates-and-gafcon-clash-over-prayer-four-continuing


*************************************
GLOBAL ANGLICAN NEWS
*************************************

2.Communique from the Primates' Meeting
http://www.virtueonline.org/communique-primates-meeting

3.CANTERBURY: Can Two Walk Together Unless They Are Agreed?
http://www.virtueonline.org/canterbury-can-two-walk-together-unless-they-are-agreed

4.CANTERBURY: We Are Not Walking Together
http://www.virtueonline.org/canterbury-we-are-not-walking-together

5.Anglicans sanction Scottish Episcopal Church over same-sex marriage
http://www.virtueonline.org/anglicans-sanction-scottish-episcopal-church-over-same-sex-marriage

6.CANTERBURY: GAFCON Primates weigh walking out of Anglican Summit
http://www.virtueonline.org/canterbury-gafcon-primates-weigh-walking-out-anglican-summit

7.Archbishop Welby claims he was "taken aback" by Las Vegas prayer
criticism
http://www.virtueonline.org/archbishop-welby-claims-he-was-taken-aback-las-vegas-prayer-criticism

8.CANTERBURY: Primates Pause for Prayer in Wake of Nevada Massacre
http://www.virtueonline.org/canterbury-primates-pause-prayer-wake-nevada-massacre

9.Response from GAFCON Bishop Andy Lines to the Primates' Communique
http://www.virtueonline.org/response-gafcon-bishop-andy-lines-primates-communique

10.Anglican Communion News Service smears GAFCON and manipulates
Archbishop
of Canterbury
http://www.virtueonline.org/anglican-communion-news-service-smears-gafcon-and-manipulates-archbishop-canterbury


*********************************************
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
*********************************************

11.Dear Archbishop Justin, please heal my heartbreak
http://www.virtueonline.org/dear-archbishop-justin-please-heal-my-heartbreak

12.Justin Welby unable to give 'straight answer' on whether gay sex is
sinful
http://www.virtueonline.org/justin-welby-unable-give-straight-answer-whether-gay-sex-sinful

13.Justin Welby accuses BBC over Jimmy Savile abuse victims
http://www.virtueonline.org/justin-welby-accuses-bbc-over-jimmy-savile-abuse-victims


*********************************************
ANGLICAN NEWS IN NORTH AMERICA
*********************************************

14.Four Continuing Anglican Bodies Establish Full Communion (Communio
in...
http://www.virtueonline.org/four-continuing-anglican-bodies-establish-full-communion-communio-sacris


*********************************************
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
*********************************************

15.Four markers reveal why the collapse of the Episcopal Church is
inevitable
http://www.virtueonline.org/four-markers-reveal-why-collapse-episcopal-church-inevitable

16.Letter to Bishop Daniel Martins from Bishop Eric Menees
http://www.virtueonline.org/letter-bishop-daniel-martins-bishop-eric-menees


************************************
AS EYE SEE IT
************************************

17.Pundits politicizing and polarizing instead of praying about Las
Vegas tragedy
http://www.virtueonline.org/pundits-politicizing-and-polarizing-instead-praying-about-las-vegas-tragedy

18.Secxit (or why I must leave the Scottish Episcopal Church
http://www.virtueonline.org/secxit-or-why-i-must-leave-scottish-episcopal-church


********************************
CULTURE WARS
********************************

19.Yes They ARE Targeting Our Children
http://www.virtueonline.org/yes-they-are-targeting-our-children

20.You may now kiss the groom! History is made as gay couple marry in
the UK's first same sex church wedding
http://www.virtueonline.org/you-may-now-kiss-groom-history-made-gay-couple-marry-uks-first-same-sex-church-wedding


************************************
DEVOTIONAL
************************************

21.TRANSFORMATION: What Does It Mean To Be A Mature Christian Disciple?
--2 Peter 1:1-11
http://www.virtueonline.org/12-transformation-what-does-it-mean-be-mature-christian-disciple-2-peter-11-11


END



------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:35:56 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: VIEWPOINTS: October 6, 2017
Message-ID:
<1507336556.2796525....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

If the archbishop [of Canterbury] wants to create a kinder society he
should do something really revolutionary. He should start robustly
upholding and promoting the values and beliefs on which his church is
based. --- Melanie Phillips

GAFCON primates were 'concerned' about divisions and insisted: 'The
Primates are not walking together. At best, they say, "they are walking
at a distance". At worst, they are walking in different directions.' ---
GAFCON statement on Canterbury Primates

Homosexuals, by their very nature, cannot procreate. So, if they wish to
expand their numbers, they can only do it by recruitment --- Bill
Muehlenberg

I foresaw that the progressive party would not be content with "mutual
flourishing" but would work to remove those who believed different
things from them both from the places of influence within the Church [of
England] and then from the Church itself. --- Bishop Gavin Ashenden

Testimony to Christ. The words 'witness' and 'testimony' have been much
devalued, and are sometimes employed to describe what is little more
than an essay in religious autobiography. But Christian witness is
witness to Christ. And the Christ to whom we have a responsibility to
witness is not merely the Christ of our personal experience, but the
historic Christ, the Christ of apostolic testimony. There is no other
Christ. So if Scripture leads to witness, witness also depends on
Scripture. --- John R.W. Stott

But what is really worrying is when folks claiming to be Christians come
pushing the same anti-biblical agendas as the secular left does. ---
Bill Muehlenberg

Many conservatives will look to GAFCON while liberals will look to the
Scottish Episcopal Church, which recently recognized same-sex marriage.
How can we look to you when you have nothing to say? Increasingly a
split looks inevitable. --- David Baker

Stephen Paddock said his brother had no political agenda, no terrorist
leanings, and "no religious affiliation." In other words, here was a man
who did not have a cause. He had nothing to live for and everything to
die for. It would seem he had his gambling, his girlfriend and his money
and that was about it. No religion. No faith. No love. No hope. --- Fr.
Dwight Longenecker

Dear Brothers and Sisters
www.virtueonline.org
October 6, 2017

ENGLAND
"Yes," said Justin Welby, "I am dodging question of whether gay sex is a
sin."

The Archbishop of Canterbury says he is not giving a clear answer on
whether homosexual sex is a sin because of 'irreconcilable' differences
in the Anglican church worldwide. He admitted "copping out" on the
question of gay sex in an interview with GQ magazine.

The Archbishop told Campbell, "within myself, the things that seem to me
to be absolutely central are around faithfulness, stability of
relationships and loving relationships".

Asked whether such relationships could be between two people of the same
sex, he said: "I know it could be. I am also aware -- a view deeply held
by tradition since long before Christianity, within the Jewish tradition
-- that marriage is understood invariably as being between a man and a
woman."

"But I know that the Church around the world is deeply divided on this
in some places, including the Anglicans and other Churches, not just us,
and we are -- the vast majority of the Church is -- deeply against gay
sex."

The Archbishop went on to say that the differences in the communion were
"irreconcilable".

British theologian Ian Paul fired back; "I am afraid to say that my
heart absolutely sinks when reading this. If Justin is not himself
convinced of the teaching position not only of the Church of England,
but the church catholic's teaching on sex and sexuality through the
ages, not to mention what scripture says, I don't understand how he can
possibly lead the Church forward in this area."

Now you know why GAFCON exists and why the situation in the Anglican
Communion is intolerable and must, at some point, lead to formal schism.

In Canterbury this week, where 33 Anglican primates met, it was not all
sweetness and light as Archbishop Welby had hoped for.

On day one they wrestled over the actions of the Scottish Episcopal
Church to formally allow same-sex marriage, and they agreed that
sanctions must apply and that the SEC should step away from any decision
making in the Anglican Communion for three years. Now we have heard that
before when the same sanctions were applied to The Episcopal Church and,
of course, nothing happened. Welby lied and deceived the primates and he
will probably do the same again.

At this gabfest, he threw the GAFCON primates under the bus. He had no
intention of listening to anything they had to say and after the SEC
bruhaha,he managed to get the primates on board with such heady topics
as climate change, injustices to Native Americans and reaffirming
commitments made in 2016 regarding the LGBTI community, specifically the
Communion's sorrow for previous failures to support LGBTI people and its
condemnation of homophobic prejudice and violence.

An incident arose over the call to prayer for the victims and families
of the Nevada massacre. Welby asked Curry to lead in prayer over the
horrific event, which brought a reprimand from Canon Andy Gross,
GAFCON's representative in Canterbury.

The ACNS new service, the official voice of the Anglican Communion,
carried an account of that action, entitled: 'Archbishop Welby "taken
aback" by Las Vegas prayer criticism'. It was shocking in its content --
that, basically, conservative Anglican Primates were "put... in a
difficult spot" when Bishop Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the
US Episcopal Church (currently under discipline for permitting same-sex
marriage), had been asked to lead them in a prayer at Evensong following
the Las Vegas shooting atrocity. Speaking at a press conference, the
media spokesman for the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), the
Rev'd Canon Andrew Gross, who also speaks on behalf of the Global
Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), was reported to have said that the
GAFCON Primates were "forced to look like they are walking together when
they are not walking together".

So trustworthy and reliable was this report deemed to be, that it
circled the Worldwide Anglican Twittersphere and Blogosphere in 40
minutes: 'Las Vegas shooting: Anglican Primates complain about having to
pray together'. Tweet after condemnatory tweet after incredulous
Facebook post followed. What petty, narrow-minded, not to say bigoted
and self-righteous pharisees these GAFCON Primates must be. And what a
piece of uncharitable work the Rev'd Canon Andrew Gross must be, totally
devoid of grace, mercy or compassion.

At some point the next day, the Anglican Communion News Service issued a
correction, or, rather, a clarification:

This article was amended on 4 October, to make clear that Canon Gross
was not thought to be speaking on behalf of any Anglican primates and
that his church, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is not part
of the Anglican Communion or involved in the Primates' Meeting.

And this is a church that consistently talks up reconciliation!

Of course, there was no mention of the bullying that went on at the last
calling of Primates, the isolating of orthodox primates and Welby's
refusal to invite ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach back this time, because
technically, he is not an Anglican, even though he was invited last time
because, presumably, he is an Anglican and could not be ignored.

Welby welcomed the news that the Church of England has embarked on a
major study of human sexuality in its cultural, scientific, scriptural
and theological aspects and anticipated considering the results of this
work at a future meeting. Let me tell you how this will go. They will
affirm marriage between a man and a woman, but will allow that in
certain "life-giving, affirming, supportive, committed, devoted, stable,
unwavering, established, permanent, monogamous, loving, tender" way,
that persons in a same-sex (but no sex please) relationship will be
fully embraced by the Church. GAFCON primates will not be amused or
fooled by any of this.

This meeting of Primates did not repair the fabric of the communion nor
did it allay the fears and concerns of orthodox Anglican primates from
Africa and South America that repentance was forthcoming. It was not,
and all the sweet talk of evangelism and discipleship which liberals pay
lip service to, can't or won't make churches grow.

You can read a number of stories in today's digest on this Canterbury
gabfest, their communique and the responses from GAFCON bishops and
archbishops. It will be interesting to see what happens next year in
Jerusalem when GAFCON primates and their followers meet and what they
might just decide to do. Stay tuned.

UNITED STATES

Four Continuing Anglican bodies made history this week, 40 years after
they broke away from The Episcopal Church over the ordination of women.
In Atlanta, The Anglican Catholic Church, The Anglican Church in
America, The Anglican Province of America and The Diocese of the Holy
Cross signed a Communio in sacris establishing full communion with each
other. You can read the full story here: http://tinyurl.com/ycwyza6x

A disciplinary board for the Episcopal Church is maintaining
restrictions on Jon Bruno, Bishop of Los Angeles while he appeals
sanctions stemming from his attempted sale of the shuttered St. James
the Great church property in Newport Beach.

The Disciplinary Board of Bishops ordered that Bishop J. Jon Bruno
refrain from ministry and exercising any authority over property or
affairs within the church while he appeals the finding of a hearing
panel that he had engaged in misconduct when he tried to sell the St.
James site at 3209 Via Lido in 2015. That planned sale to would-be
townhouse developer Legacy Partners fell through.

On Aug. 1, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry removed Bruno from any
jurisdiction over St. James and transferred pastoral and property
oversight to Bishop John Taylor, who has been named Bruno's successor
upon Bruno's planned retirement at the end of the year. The board's
restrictions will be effective Jan. 1 through the length of the appeal.

The diocese announced in August that it planned to proceed with selling
the church property for an undisclosed sum to Newport Beach-based
developer Burnham Ward Properties, citing a legal obligation created by
Bruno. The St. James congregation currently worships at the Newport
Beach Civic Center.

The two dioceses in South Carolina, in legal loggerhead over more than
half a billion dollars' worth of properties announced that they would
seek mediation. The Rev. Canon Jim Lewis of the Diocese of South
Carolina wrote that pre-mediation meetings took place this week with
Judge Joseph Anderson, and it was determined that mediation would be
conducted November 6-8 in Columbia, South Carolina. Both State and
Federal cases will be addressed by the mediation. Confidentiality will
be expected from all parties concerning these discussions.

In an analysis of the state of The Episcopal Church, I examined four
markers that reveal why the collapse of the Episcopal Church is
inevitable.

Recent statistics (2016) on the state of The Episcopal Church offer
insights not normally tapped by the media, but looked at more closely,
reveal a Church in faster decline than initially thought.

There are four distinct demographic markers and they include: Aging
parishioners and clergy, smaller parishes and no new clergy to fill
pulpits; lower baptisms and confirmations; higher death rates and lower
Average Sunday Attendance. You can read the full story in today's digest
or here: http://tinyurl.com/yb6ehyff

Nashotah House found itself once again center stage over its philosophy
over who it owes its allegiance too. Is it TEC or to some other orthodox
Anglican bodies?

A decision to award Presiding Bishop Curry the Archbishop Ramsey award
for excellence in the areas of Ecclesiology, Ecumenism and Liturgy, was
met with a furious response by The Rt. Rev. Eric Menees, Bishop of The
Diocese of San Joaquin, Anglican Church in North America, and he wrote a
letter to the chairman of the seminary, the Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins, TEC
Bishop of Springfield, expressing his disgust at that action.

Here is what he said; "Regarding ecclesiology Bishop Curry has chosen to
disregard the will of the primates of the Anglican Communion and
continues to act willfully as one not under authority. Regarding
ecumenism relations between TEC and the vast majority of Catholic,
Orthodox and Evangelical churches are at an all-time low. Regarding
liturgy, Bishop Curry is presiding over the creation of new rites that
defy scripture, tradition and reason. In the last few years Seabury,
General and EDS have all but folded. Recently, with the abrupt
transitions of the dean and several faculty members I suspect that
Nashotah House will not be far behind.

"Lastly, while Bishop Curry preaches reconciliation at every turn he
fails to practice what he preaches with his continued support for the
ongoing lawsuits in Quincy, Fort Worth and South Carolina. Given this
reality, Bp. Martins, can [you] give me a reason to send my men to
Nashotah House? San Joaquin has had a long and positive past with
Nashotah but at this point I am really shaking my head and wondering
what in the world has happened?"
VOL wrote to Martins for his response and he said he would not go public
with a response, as he resented the "leaked letter" and would reply to
Menees privately. You can read the full letter here or in today's
digest. http://tinyurl.com/y8tabc63

ENGLAND

A growing number of educational authorities in England are ditching the
use of the traditional calendar terms BC and AD in favor of the more
bland and neutral BCE and CE. Their anxiety is that the older terms
might upset "non-Christians".

BC stands for Before Christ and AD for Anno Domini -- Latin for 'In The
Year Of Our Lord'. The new terms stand for Before the Common Era and
Common Era.

You can spot immediately what a silly and bogus move this is by the
country's educational apparatchiks. Only the letters are being changed,
as if to disguise something shameful. The date -- 2017 -- will still
mean 2017 years after the birth of Christ, as calculated by the Church.

So, the new terms really alter nothing. What they do indicate are some
quite absurd preconceptions and delusions on the part of those decreeing
the changes.

This throws up any number of questions, the first of which is: What
about those who are Christians? What about their sensitivities, and
perhaps their preference for terms which reflect their own faith in a
supposedly Christian country? Why should their sensitivities be
secondary to those of other religions?

And what members of other religions are actually offended anyway?

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

In Christ,

David



------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:36:32 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Communique from the Primates' Meeting
Message-ID:
<1507336592.2796536....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Communique from the Primates' Meeting
Canterbury Cathedral, England, 2-6 October 2017

God's Church for God's World

The meeting of Anglican Primates, the senior bishops of the Anglican
Provinces, took place in Canterbury between Monday 2 October and Friday
6 October at the invitation of the Most Reverend and Right Honourable
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury.

We affirm that we believe our time together to have been a gift from
God, through which we experienced many signs of God's presence amongst
us. The sense of common purpose underpinned by God's love in Christ and
expressed through mutual fellowship was profound. Primates from 33
Provinces attended the meeting.

Three Primates were absent because of a combination of personal
circumstances and difficulties within their Provinces. Primates from
Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda declined to attend citing what they believed
to be a lack of good order within the Communion.

We were saddened by their absence and expressed our hope and prayer that
all will join us at future meetings. We welcomed sixteen new Primates
attending for the first time, including the Primate from the new
Province of The Sudan. They received a briefing on the role of the
meeting, within the Instruments of Communion, on the day before the main
meeting.

The first morning was spent in prayer.

The agreed agenda focussed on the Five Marks of Mission of the
Communion, in particular the challenge of sharing the love, compassion
and reconciliation of Jesus with those in need around the world. This
followed initial consideration of the internal affairs of the Communion
Internal Affairs of the Communion We welcomed the progress being made
towards the 2020 Lambeth Conference (#LC2020) and encouraged all
Provinces to seek to find ways to contribute towards the cost of their
Bishops and spouses attending.

It was agreed that the Archbishop of Canterbury be invited to regional
meetings of Primates and others during 2018 and 2019 so that the vision
for the 2020 Lambeth Conference can be shared. The Archbishop of
Canterbury will consider whether another full Primates' Meeting will be
held before the Lambeth Conference.

We welcomed progress in implementing resolutions agreed by the Anglican
Consultative Council in Lusaka in 2016; in particular the responsibility
of all Provinces to ensure comprehensive safeguarding measures to
protect children and vulnerable adults. The creation of the Anglican
Safe Church Commission was welcomed and endorsed. In our last meeting in
January 2016 we made a clear decision to walk together while
acknowledging the distance that exists in our relationships due to deep
differences in understanding on same sex marriage. We endorsed this
approach, which we will continue with renewed commitment.

The Archbishops' Task Group, established in 2016, gave an interim report
on its work. This was warmly welcomed, particularly the recommendations
around development of common liturgy, the principle and practice of
pilgrimage and a season of prayer of repentance and reconciliation.

We listened carefully to the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church
(SEC) and with sadness accepted that the consequences for our
relationships agreed in January 2016 would also apply to SEC after its
decision on same sex marriage.

This means that for three years, members of SEC would no longer
represent the Communion on ecumenical and interfaith bodies; should not
be appointed or elected to internal standing committees and that, while
participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they
would not take part in decision making on any issues of doctrine or
polity.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will take steps within his authority to
implement this agreement. We agreed the importance of all Provinces
contributing to the operational costs of supporting the communion, but
according to each Province's capacity and potential to contribute.

It was confirmed that the Anglican Church of North America is not a
Province of the Anglican Communion. We recognised that those in ACNA
should be treated with love as fellow Christians. We discussed
difficulties arising from cross-border interventions, agreeing that the
principles were clearly stated from the Council of Nicaea onwards and in
the 1998 Lambeth Conference.

We recognised that there were opportunities for joint initiatives and
mission partnerships for the benefit of the Gospel where these are
agreed between Provinces. However consent was critical to any
inter-provincial collaboration and it was essential that courtesy and
love should be extended to Provinces at all times. Attempts to deal with
breaches of consent and courtesy should be made in regional Primates'
Meetings and only referred to the Secretary General and the Archbishop
of Canterbury as a last resort.

We recognised that persistent and deliberate non-consensual cross-border
activity breaks trust and weakens our communion.

We recognised that there is a need for a season of repentance and
renewal including where interventions may have happened without prior
permission having being sought. We reaffirmed commitments made in 2016
regarding the LGBTI community, specifically the Communion's sorrow for
previous failures to support LGBTI people and its condemnation of
homophobic prejudice and violence. We welcomed the news that the Church
of England has embarked on a major study of human sexuality in its
cultural, scientific, scriptural and theological aspects and anticipated
considering the results of this work at a future meeting.

External Issues For most of the meeting we focussed on external issues
including evangelism and discipleship, reconciliation and peace
building, climate change, food security, refugees, human trafficking and
freedom of religion. On the final day the Anglican Inter Faith
Commission was launched. The world has never felt the need of a Saviour
more keenly. We have shared stories of pain and loss, of natural
disasters and tragedy, of violence and threat. However in this world we
have joy, courage and hope because of the light of the Saviour of all,
Jesus Christ. God has poured his love upon his whole Church by his Holy
Spirit.

The Church lives to proclaim this gospel in word and deed. We therefore
commit ourselves afresh to lead those we serve in the joyful
announcement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pledge to pray for the
empowering of the Holy Spirit, that we may witness effectively to the
good news. To this end between Ascension day and Pentecost in 2018 we
call all those who are able, to join us in praying 'Thy Kingdom Come' --
that the Holy Spirit may empower the announcement of the Gospel so that
many may believe.

We recognised that at least half of the Provinces in the Communion had
areas with food security issues. Whilst developing nations suffered
more, there were pockets of food insecurity elsewhere, for example,
reliance on food banks for many in the British Isles. As at previous
meetings, we were deeply concerned to hear accounts of the severe impact
of climate change, including the threat of rising seas to many islands
and low lying lands.

We understood the importance of giving moral leadership because the
effects of climate change are not evenly distributed. Drought and
flooding most affect the poorest of the poor, with the least resources
to rebuild a home, replant a field or seek medical care for flood-borne
illnesses. We recommitted ourselves to advocate for improved stewardship
of God's creation. We heard powerful testimonies of the church's
engagement in reconciliation in a number of places, particularly by
those torn apart by apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and civil wars,
historic and on-going: in places such as South Sudan, Burundi and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.

We pledged solidarity with each other in this sacrificial and often
costly ministry. We are committed to mediating in situations of violent
conflict; ministering to the victims of war, including refugees;
upholding indigenous rights; supporting the victims of sexual and
domestic violence; and maintaining a faithful presence in situations of
extreme persecution and terror.

We discussed the role of reconciliation at every level, from personal
relationships, to communal, societal and with the rest of creation,
including care for the environment. Reconciliation is at the heart of
the Gospel -- it is because we are reconciled to God in Christ that all
are given the message and ministry of reconciliation.

We recognised the vital role of all spouses in supporting bishops and
archbishops, and particularly the importance of women placed in front
line roles because of the offices held by their husbands. We appreciated
the leadership and initiative of Mrs Caroline Welby and others in
supporting women in such situations. We heard of the plight of
Indigenous Peoples, resulting from government policies of forced
assimilation associated with colonial expansion.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that addressed this history in
Canada grounded its report and calls to action on the United Nations
Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We reaffirmed our
commitment to encourage all governments to support the UN Declaration.

We recognised God's call for justice and dignity for all humanity and
raised with profound concern the desperate plight of millions of people
facing hunger. We are committed to support actions which end hunger,
promote sustainable agriculture and address the root causes of food
insecurity. We grieved for the 65 million refugees and internally
displaced people forcibly uprooted by conflict, persecution and
violence; the nearly 20 million displaced by natural disasters; and the
millions of vulnerable migrants.

We committed ourselves to respond with others to ensure protection, meet
immediate need, and address underlying causes. We heard about the
suffering of 40 million victims of modern slavery and human trafficking
-- a crime against humanity which profits from the exploitation and
abuse of vulnerable individuals. We committed ourselves to address this
issue in our countries and across the globe.

We discussed freedom of religion and belief and heard about particular
challenges faced in some Provinces. We endorsed the need to ensure that
provisions relating to the freedom of religion are included and upheld
in national constitutions, working with ecumenical and interfaith
partners, where appropriate. We heard of issues arising from living
alongside those of other faiths; a painful daily reality in many
Provinces.

We commit to seeking ways to develop better understanding on the path to
peaceful co-existence. We are excited at the prospect of the Anglican
Inter Faith Commission working in this area. We were deeply grateful to
the staff of the Anglican Communion Office, and especially the Secretary
General, to the staff at Lambeth Palace and at Church House,
Westminster.

We are especially grateful for the warm welcome, generous hospitality
and kindness offered by the Dean of Canterbury and all at the Cathedral:
their contribution was very important in setting the mood of the meeting
in prayer and mutual listening.

We also thank the Community of St Anselm for their prayer, help and
support. We leave enriched by the communion we share and strengthened by
the faithful witness of Anglicans everywhere. We deeply appreciate the
prayers of many throughout the world over our time together.

Canterbury
6 October 2017



------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:36:50 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: CANTERBURY: Can Two Walk Together Unless They Are Agreed?
Message-ID:
<1507336610.2797106....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

CANTERBURY: Can Two Walk Together Unless They Are Agreed?
GAFCON's Initial Response to the Primates' Meeting 2017 Communique

October 6, 2017

Today's Communique from the Primates' Meeting 2017, in Canterbury,
England, is very disappointing, but it is not surprising. As we have
consistently said, the current "Instruments of Unity" are broken, and as
Archbishop Ntagali, Primate of Uganda, has said, "every attempt to
repair the torn fabric and heal the betrayal has made the situation
worse."[1] This has again proved true.

When the leaders of Gafcon and the Global South, representing the
majority of the world's Anglicans, met in Cairo last month it was their
prayer that "the outcome of the upcoming [Primates] meeting would be
decisive and lead to coherent and responsible action regarding the
issues which continue to tear apart the fabric of the Communion, issues
that have eternal consequences."[2] Judging by the Communique, their
hopes for the meeting have been disappointed.

The Primates' Meeting has been portrayed as "good disagreement" over
issues of sexuality, and that the irreconcilable theological convictions
underlying the different positions can be set aside for the sake of
institutional unity. But this does not reflect the reality. We are not
"walking together."[3]

Of most significance is the fact that several primates, including the
Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Gafcon Primates' Council have refused
to attend the meeting. In the words of Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Primate
of the Church of Nigeria,"Attendance at Canterbury would be to give
credibility to a pattern of behaviour which is allowing great damage to
be done to global Anglican witness and unity."[4]

The consciences of others led them to attend, to make a robust defence
of the Gospel. They bore faithful witness to the authority of
Scripture's unchanging teaching on marriage and human relationships.
Unfortunately, the primates' call to repentance was not heeded by those
who have sought to redefine marriage. Without repentance there can be no
reconciliation.

Again we have seen the "inability of existing Communion instruments to
discern truth and error and take binding ecclesiastical action. The
instruments have again been found wanting in their ability to discipline
those leaders who have abandoned the biblical and historic faith."[5]

The rejection of Scripture and the changes in pastoral practice which
have been initiated by The Episcopal Church, Anglican Church of Canada,
and the Scottish Episcopal Church have torn the fabric of the Communion.
For this reason we are grateful for those primates who have consecrated
a missionary bishop to care for the faithful in Scotland. There is no
moral equivalence between border crossing, which arises, "from a deep
concern for the welfare of Anglicans in the face of innovation", and the
innovations themselves (Dar es Salaam Communique 2007)

As was said earlier this week, it would be tragic if meetings such as
this, or the Lambeth Conference were our only, or primary, form of
global Anglican relationship. Fortunately, the Gafcon movement gives us
the ability to share in authentic Christian fellowship, that in turn
builds us up for ministry. Gafcon remains committed to modelling truly
global orthodox Anglicanism, where the unity is based on the biblical
foundation of the unchanging Gospel.

Our attention turns now to Jerusalem 2018 where we will gather together
to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Gafcon and share in worship,
teaching, and fellowship.

[1]
https://americananglican.org/current-news/reflection-primates-meetings/
[2]
http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/blog/comments/gsp_comm_cairo_sept2017
[3] https://www.gafcon.org/news/we-are-not-walking-together
[4] https://www.gafcon.org/news/chairmans-september-2017-letter
[5]
http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/blog/comments/communique_sixthGSC



------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:37:13 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: CANTERBURY: We Are Not Walking Together
Message-ID:
<1507336633.2797126....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

CANTERBURY: We Are Not Walking Together

GAFCON press release
October 5, 2017

The persistent assertions that the Primates of the Anglican Communion
are 'walking together', do not reflect the reality.

Three of the leading Primates of the Communion are absent on firmly
stated principle.

Archbishop Okoh, Primate of Nigeria, and Gafcon Chairman, has said, 'I
have concluded that attendance at Canterbury would be to give
credibility to a pattern of behaviour which is allowing great damage to
be done to global Anglican witness and unity'.

Archbishop Ntagali, the Primate of Uganda and Vice-Chairman of Gafcon
has said, 'if we are not walking in the same direction, how can we walk
together?'

In no way can these leaders, with the Archbishop of Rwanda, be said to
be 'walking together.' They have chosen to witness to the truth by their
absence.

The presence of the Primates from Canada and the United States and the
absence of Archbishop Foley Beach whose Church is recognised by
Anglicans around the world, is a further testimony to a Communion in
which the leaders are not walking together.

Several of the other primates who are attending the meeting are equally
concerned about the divisions over the authority of scripture within the
communion, but intend to remain in defence of the Gospel. The Primates
are not walking together. At best, they say, "they are walking at a
distance." At worst, they are walking in different directions.

Surely public statements need to reflect reality rather than mere
wishfulness.


END



------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:37:30 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Anglicans sanction Scottish Episcopal Church over same-sex
marriage
Message-ID:
<1507336650.2797167....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Anglicans sanction Scottish Episcopal Church over same-sex marriage
Alistair Dinnie and Peter Matthews were married in the UK's first
same-sex Anglican church wedding
The Most Rev Justin Welby announced sanctions against the Scottish
Episcopal Church at a news conference in Canterbury

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-41491989
Oct. 3, 2017

The Scottish Episcopal Church is to be excluded from ecumenical and
leadership roles in the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury
has said.

The decision follows the SEC's vote to begin marrying same-sex couples.

The Most Rev Justin Welby set out the decision in a news conference
mid-way through a week-long meeting of Anglican primates in Canterbury.

He said: "There were a lot of expressions of disappointment, strong
feelings from many of the provinces."

The archbishop said the consequences were agreed unanimously. He said he
felt "very sad" about the decision.

"People were disappointed, they were angry but it was a very different
mood to previous primates' meetings," he added.

"It was more like a family having to face the fact that something's
happened that is causing grief, than a club that doesn't like one of its
members."

'Love means love'

In June, the SEC voted to amend canon law and allow same-sex couples to
be married in church during its General Synod in Edinburgh.

The first same-sex Anglican church wedding in the UK took place in
Edinburgh last month.

Other same-sex weddings have been held in churches in Glasgow and Moray
since.

The Scottish Episcopal Church expected to be sanctioned by the Anglican
Communion.

SEC members voted to remove the doctrinal clause which stated that
marriage is a "union of one man and one woman", replacing it with a
clause which asserts that clergy who do not wish to preside over
same-sex weddings will not be compelled to do so "against their
conscience".

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion had previously said the
SEC's decision puts it "at odds with the majority stance that marriage
is the lifelong union of a man and a woman".

Responding to news of the sanctions, the Primus of the Scottish
Episcopal Church, the Rt Rev Mark Strange, said: "We will continue to
play our part in the Anglican Communion we helped to establish, and I
will do all I can to rebuild relationships, but that will be done from
the position our Church has now reached in accordance with its synodical
processes and in the belief that love means love."



------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:37:49 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: CANTERBURY: GAFCON Primates weigh walking out of Anglican
Summit
Message-ID:
<1507336669.2797249....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

CANTERBURY: GAFCON Primates weigh walking out of Anglican Summit

By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
October 3, 2017

A group of orthodox Anglican Archbishops hinted they might walk out of
an Anglican summit being held by the Archbishop of Canterbury over the
issue of same-sex marriage, but stopped short of saying they would
formally break with the Anglican Communion.

At a press conference today, a spokesman for the orthodox Anglican
GAFCON primates said the Scottish Episcopal Church would have to repent
over its decision last June to let clergy perform same sex weddings.

The Rev. Andrew Gross said if there's no repentance, "I'm not sure if
they can remain in the room", but he said it's up to the conscience of
the individual Primate on what his reaction would be.

Recounting the long history of same sex violations in both the US
Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, Gross said
reconciliation was little more than compromise and that was unacceptable
to the GAFCON primates.

Failure to repent meant that they "could not share in fellowship
together," he said. He likened it to walking through a minefield.

The sanctioning of the Episcopal Church for its violation by changing
its canons to accept same sex marriage was supposed to have resulted in
keeping TEC from participating in formal decisions of the communion and
on issues of doctrine. While the primates demanded and obtained a
three-year sanction on TEC's participation in the communion at the last
Primates' meeting, they were never applied or acted upon, further
tearing the fabric of the communion.

Late today, the Scottish Episcopal Church was sanctioned by the primates
over its decision to allow same-sex marriage. It will be excluded from
ecumenical and leadership roles in the Anglican Communion, the
Archbishop of Canterbury said.

Welby announced the decision in a news conference mid-way through a
week-long meeting of Anglican primates.

The Archbishops of Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda have refused to attend
this week's Anglican Primates' Meeting. Together, they represent more
than a third of all practicing Anglicans in the communion.

END



------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:38:08 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Archbishop Welby claims he was "taken aback" by Las Vegas
prayer criticism
Message-ID:
<1507336688.2797184....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Archbishop Welby claims he was "taken aback" by Las Vegas prayer
criticism
Anglican Canon comes under fire for comments over Curry and Nevada
Massacre
Can two walk together, unless they be agreed? (Amos 3:3)

NEWS ANALYSIS

By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
October 4, 2017

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he was "taken aback" by
criticism of the decision to ask the Presiding Bishop of the US
Episcopal Church to pray for the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
Bishop Michael Curry prayed for the victims at the start of Evensong in
Canterbury Cathedral, England, Monday night on the first day of the
Primates' Meeting, according to an ACNS press release.

On Tuesday afternoon the Rev. Canon Andrew Gross, Canon for
Communications and Media Relations for the Anglican Church in North
America (ACNA), speaking on behalf of GAFCON, said that the decision to
invite Michael Curry to lead the congregation in prayer at the Evensong
service, "put the GAFCON primates in a difficult spot." He said that
they were "forced to look like they are walking together when they are
not walking together."

Later, when asked to respond to the comment during a press briefing at
Canterbury Cathedral, Archbishop Welby said that he was "slightly taken
aback."

Welby went on to say; "Michael Curry, who is a citizen of the United
States, was asked by us -- after we had talked with anguish about the
events in Las Vegas -- we said: 'Could you lead a prayer as we begin our
prayers together at Evensong?'"

"People all over the world are praying for Las Vegas," he said. "I don't
think we ought to bring church politics into Las Vegas. I mean, it is
the most dreadful, horrendous, appalling event. I suppose that I would
be surprised and disappointed by that comment."

How ironic. Would Athanasius have said prayers with Arius? Liberal
bloggers have gone on the attack accusing Canon Gross of Donatism, a
belief that a pure church without spot or wrinkle is possible and that
anyone in communion with a spiritually dead man is an accomplice in
their fraud. The problem with Donatism is that no person is morally
pure. Later, Donatism was declared a heresy.

In point of fact, Canon Gross never said that. He said it put the GAFCON
primates in a "difficult spot", and it does. GAFCON primates are out of
communion with bishops like Michael Curry and Fred Hiltz, in fact so
much so that three of them from Nigeria, Uganda and Rwanda are not
present at this summit because either their provinces said they cannot
attend (Uganda) or they have chosen personally not to attend.

Furthermore, it is Archbishop Welby who has broken faith with the
primates when sanctions were ordered against Curry and the Episcopal
Church at the last primates' meeting, and Welby deliberately flouted
those "consequences" at Lusaka later in the year when TEC bishops were
present at all decision-making opportunities.

Just yesterday, the Scottish Episcopal church was informed that they had
violated the theological norms of Scripture by allowing same-sex
marriages and were sanctioned by Welby. So, will they get the same wink
wink, nod nod that Curry got from Welby after the primates did the same
thing to TEC?

The SEC has been told that they are henceforth excluded from ecumenical
and leadership roles in the Anglican Communion. Well, let's see how long
that lasts. Does this mean that the Primus of Scotland, who claims "love
means love" and said, "synodical processes" were kept, but clearly
violate Scripture, is really going to get the bum's rush from Welby?

There is absolutely no reason to believe Welby will act any differently
towards the SEC than he has against TEC. None.

He despises GAFCON (as did his predecessor Rowan Williams) because they
refuse to fall in line with all his theobabble speak of reconciliation
when reconciliation talk only means compromise, which the GAFCON
primates have steadfastly said they will not do. They are never in a
thousand years going to contradict or violate Scripture by saying that
sodomy and same-sex marriage is good and right in the eyes of God.
Never.

Welby steadfastly refuses to believe that, and accepts that he can't be
persuaded it is wrong, thus living in a world of total self-delusion.

His oil company managerial style is not working. His evangelical,
ALPHA-lite theology is not working. It never really did. Like his
predecessor, the Hegelian Rowan Williams, Welby is over his head and out
of his depth. It is fully apparent now that he cannot hold the Anglican
Communion together.

Prayer, of this kind is a public symbol of theological unity, it is an
expression of corporate humility and common worship and Curry violated
that, even as his denomination has torn the fabric of the Anglican
Communion.

In Acts 2 41,42 it is recorded that they continued in the apostles'
doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayers. Curry has not
continued in proclaiming apostolic doctrine. He and his predecessors had
long ago abandoned 'sound teaching', preferring new-fangled "doctrines"
of inclusion and diversity.

As one blogger noted, "The fellowship of believers is a fellowship of
spiritual commonalities. Prayer is an example of these. When you pray
say, 'Our father...'. There are many cases where I may pray and preach
among unbelievers. When however, my joining in prayer is understood as
an act of fellowship in the gospel, a tacit approval of the spirituality
of those with whom we pray, I think praying together sends wrong
signals. What fellowship has light with darkness. I cannot imply that I
have commonality with unbelievers and I view liberals as unbelievers.
Praying for unbelievers is one thing, praying with them as if they were
believers is another. It is in danger of being syncretic."

The blogger is correct. Canon Gross has outraged liberals, only anodyne
prayers will not offend.

Can you imagine Elijah holding a chummy prayer time with the prophets of
Baal? His praying with them was precisely the opposite; it was an
explicit challenge to Baal.

Worship is an aspect of prayer. The Lord's Prayer makes this clear.
Christians can say 'Our Father' together. My point is Christians and
non-Christians cannot. The issue is what credence we are prepared to
give to the confessed Christian faith of those who deny the gospel.

If we pray the Lord's Prayer with liberals, at many points we mean
different things. How many accept trinitarian exclusivity. How many
understand God's kingdom in terms of gospel faith and the return of
Christ to destroy all his enemies, that is people who do not trust him.
Do we agree at a fundamental level what his will is? Can we agree what
sin is and therefore what our debts are and what temptation to sin
includes?

Canon Gross was exactly correct in reflecting the will and concerns of
the GAFCON primates. Let's hope that at some point they take the next
logical step and bid Welby and the Church of England adieu.

END



------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:38:25 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: CANTERBURY: Primates Pause for Prayer in Wake of Nevada
Massacre
Message-ID:
<1507336705.2797294....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

CANTERBURY: Primates Pause for Prayer in Wake of Nevada Massacre
Primates have gathered at Canterbury Cathedral for their meeting October
2-6

David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
October 2, 2017

The Primates of the Anglican Communion prayed to honor the victims of
the shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, today.

More than 50 people were killed and more than 500 were injured in a
shooting on the Las Vegas Strip on Sunday evening, marking the worst
mass shooting on American soil.

The following statement was sent from the Primates of the Anglican
Communion to Bishop Dan Edwards of the Diocese of Nevada.

"We were greatly distressed to learn of the dreadful events in Las Vegas
last night. The scale of the loss of life and the numbers of injured is
truly shocking. We are sending our deepest condolences to you and to the
people of your diocese -- in particular, the people of Las Vegas.

"We are praying for the families and friends of those who have died and
for the many people who have been wounded. We remember, too, everyone
else caught up in this tragedy -- including the emergency services
(first responders). We pray that the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ will
be with the people of Las Vegas as they endure this trauma."

END



------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:38:45 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Anglican Communion News Service smears GAFCON and manipulates
Archbishop of Canterbury
Message-ID:
<1507336725.2797318....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Anglican Communion News Service smears GAFCON and manipulates Archbishop
of Canterbury

Archbishop Cranmer
http://archbishopcranmer.com/
October 6, 2017

You'd think, wouldn't you, that you could trust the news reports which
emanate from the official Office of the Worldwide Anglican Communion.
You'd hope, wouldn't you, that the Anglican Communion News Service
(ACNS) might issue factual statements of reliable and verifiable truth,
as all good reporting should be, instead of tinted opinion with a
tainted political agenda, as all journalism so often is.

A few days ago, the ACNS carried an account of the Primates' Meeting in
Canterbury Cathedral, entitled: 'Archbishop Welby "taken aback" by Las
Vegas prayer criticism'. It was shocking in its content -- that,
basically, conservative Anglican Primates were "put.. in a difficult
spot" when Bishop Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the US
Episcopal Church (currently under discipline for permitting same-sex
marriage), had been asked to lead them in a prayer at Evensong following
the Las Vegas shooting atrocity. Speaking at a press conference, the
media spokesman for the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), the
Rev'd Canon Andrew Gross, who also speaks on behalf of the Global
Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), was reported to have said that the
GAFCON Primates were "forced to look like they are walking together when
they are not walking together".

So trustworthy and reliable was this report deemed to be that it circled
the Worldwide Anglican Twittersphere and Blogosphere in 40 minutes: 'Las
Vegas shooting: Anglican Primates complain about having to pray
together'. Tweet after condemnatory tweet after incredulous Facebook
post followed. What petty, narrow-minded, not to say bigoted and
self-righteous pharisees these GAFCON Primates must be. And what a piece
of uncharitable work the Rev'd Canon Andrew Gross must be, totally
devoid of grace, mercy or compassion.

At some point the next day (and certainly after this blog had published
its comments on the matter) the Anglican Communion News Service issued a
correction, or, rather, a clarification:

This article was amended on 4 October, to make clear that Canon Gross
was not thought to be speaking on behalf of any Anglican primates and
that his church, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is not part
of the Anglican Communion or involved in the Primates' Meeting.

Not thought to be...?

Didn't they bother checking?

Setting aside the status of the ACNA, how can the official Press Officer
@Gafconference & Director of Communications @The_ACNA speaking at an
official press conference not be speaking on behalf GAFCON Primates, on
whose behalf he speaks?

It is interesting, is it not, that while the ACNS was eager to correct
the impression (which they certainly gave) that GAFCON Primates had
objected to being ambushed by Bishop Michael Curry's prayer, they were
content to leave the Rev'd Canon Andrew Gross hanging out for the crows
and vultures to peck and pick at his Christian sincerity and character
integrity. And so they did: "What a marvellous model of mission he must
have. What a vision of visible unity he must possess. What an
inspirational witness to the world his purity must be..."

For which comment this post is an unequivocal apology to the Rev'd Canon
Andrew Gross, and a sincere attempt to set the record straight.

And doing so must begin with the observation that the Anglican Communion
News Service is not merely an Anglican news service, but a journalistic
enterprise with a theo-political bent and a distinctly smeary mission to
defame Anglicans whose moral worldview it doesn't particularly like.

In fact, it is not beyond the wit of the ACNS to propagate Anglican Fake
News to tarnish ACNA/GAFCON Primates (and other members) for holding
their divisive orthodox Anglican views. The article 'Archbishop Welby
"taken aback" by Las Vegas prayer criticism' is a misleading story which
has propagated a number of falsehoods. It appears that the Rev'd Canon
Andrew Gross was, in fact, set-up and has been unjustly accused.

Long before this Primates' Meeting, the leaders of GAFCON recognised the
difficulty (but necessity) of keeping church politics out of worship at
such gatherings. For them, divisions in the Anglican Communion are
perceived to be very serious indeed, and they are of the view that the
Communion's entire future demands honesty about this lack of unity. For
others, the issues are secondary theological matters which do not affect
the fundamental Anglican koinonia. At a Primates' Meeting,
notwithstanding some notable absentees, there is a temptation to convey
a unity -- "walking together" -- which not all feel is remotely near the
truth.

The agreement that was put in place at the 2016 Primates' Meetings was
that no act of worship would be publicised, precisely because such
publicity could be improperly used (or at least be perceived to be used)
for political gain. GAFCON Primates assumed that the same agreement
would obtain in 2017, by which their members might come to Canterbury
and worship without distraction (or fear of being 'used').

Unfortunately, pictures and reports about Bishop Michael Curry's leading
prayer dominated the front page of the ACNS website, publicising what
should have remained a private moment among the Primates. This was
perceived as a breach of trust. GAFCON Primates had no problem with his
prayer, or any objection to praying with him: what they found difficult
was the politicisation of the praying.

On Tuesday, GAFCON held one of their regularly scheduled press briefings
which covered a range of topics. An ACNS representative, Gavin Drake,
arrived at this press conference without accreditation, and without
agreement. There was some discussion about whether he ought to be asked
to follow agreed procedures and withdraw, but generosity of spirit was
considered the nobler course of action, so he was permitted to stay.
After all, neither the ACNA nor GAFCON have anything to hide.

Although they were not happy with the ACNS publicising the worship in
Canterbury Cathedral, the GAFCON comms team had no intention of bringing
the matter up. But the Rev'd Canon Andrew Gross was asked directly by a
Times journalist whether it was difficult for GAFCON to have the
Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church preside over worship at
Evensong. Canon Gross, hearing that key word 'preside', said that it
puts those Primates in a difficult spot because it can portray a false
sense of unity. It was a straightforward answer to a direct question
which simply reiterated the 2016 agreement. It was certainly not said
with any animus, but was merely the re-stating of a fact. The
conversation swiftly moved on.

Gavin Drake, who is also staffing the official Primates' Meeting
communications team, used their official press conference later that
afternoon to ask the Archbishop of Canterbury about Canon Gross's
answer, giving Justin Welby an impression which was some distance from
Canon Gross's intention and meaning: the context was transported from
the Primates' 2016 agreement and the question of TEC's bishop presiding
at Evensong to an issue about the TEC's bishop praying at Evensong about
the Las Vegas atrocity. Mr Drake then turned the Archbishop's "taken
aback" reply into the next front-page story on the ACNS website. It was
not accurate: it was a smear. It was fake news at its Anglican worst.

The Times journalist was perfectly free to ask a leading question: the
task of the Christian press officer (and certainly of a Christian
director of communications) is to respond factually and truthfully,
mindful of the questioner's motive. It appears that Gavin Drake took
Canon Gross's response, manipulated it, and planted it at another press
conference for the Archbishop of Canterbury to condemn.

Indeed, the Archbishop could do nothing but condemn it.

If all he had to respond to was a terse oral extract from the ACNS
report, he would be wholly justified in castigating Canon Gross for his
grossly insensitive remarks.

But the purpose of putting the question to Justin Welby (presumably
without warning) was to slander the ACNA and the GAFCON coalition of
Primates. And to that end, it appears to have been successful. They have
been universally scorned and derided (including on this blog).

It helps to know some of the relational history.

At the 2003 Primates' Meeting, the Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola,
and two others, refused to participate in a service of Holy Communion
with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev'd Frank
Griswold. The Very Rev'd George Conger broke that story for the Church
of England Newspaper (which the ACNS said was a lie, but he had the
account first-hand from Archbishop Akinola himself). That fissure in
communion has evolved over the years so that the Primates as a collegial
body have not worshipped together at the Eucharist since.

When Canon Gross was asked by a journalist to comment on the matter of
Bishop Michael Curry presiding at Evensong, the context was not linked
to the Las Vegas shooting. Only later, in fact, was it learned that the
Primates had asked Bishop Curry to lead them in prayer for Las Vegas,
but he had not presided over anything, as Canon Gross had been led to
believe.

When Gavin Drake (who, you must remember, is editor of the Anglican
Communion News Service) put his question to the Archbishop of Canterbury
(his ultimate boss), it was not a casual query to elicit grace and
enlightenment, but a pointed attempt to score a hit against GAFCON. It
was not only premeditated slander wholly lacking in Christian virtue and
professional journalistic integrity, but an egregious manipulation to
elicit outrage from the Archbishop of Canterbury who was asked to
respond to a false accusation that GAFCON had said it was wrong for
Bishop Curry to lead prayers in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting.

They had said no such thing.

The Rev'd Canon Andrew Gross had never said any such thing.

Apologies to him, once again, for simply trusting the ACNS story, which
was, in fact, nothing but Anglican fake news.

END



------------------------------

Message: 11
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:39:01 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Dear Archbishop Justin, please heal my heartbreak
Message-ID:
<1507336741.2797324....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Dear Archbishop Justin, please heal my heartbreak

By David Baker
https://www.christiantoday.com/
October 3, 2017

Dear Archbishop Justin,

You and I met once -- though I appreciate you probably won't recall the
event. It was the consecration of the Bishop of Lewes at Westminster
Abbey, and we shook hands. I looked you straight in the eyes and said,
'I pray for you ever such a lot.' And you were, I think, pleasantly
startled, and laughed and said something like: 'I definitely need it.'

Of course you will not remember. But I still pray for you. And indeed
just yesterday your name came up on my PrayerMate phone app and so I did
mention you in my prayers. But I must admit I did so feeling
heart-broken.

In my mind was your latest interview, with former spin-doctor Alastair
Campbell, for GQ magazine. You were asked a direct question, which was:
'Is gay sex sinful?' And your reply was: 'You know very well that is a
question I can't give a straight answer to. Sorry, badly phrased there.
I should have thought that one through.' At this point the interview
transcript then states: '[Pause, mildly embarrassed.]' It makes me wince
just writing it.

Pressed on why you couldn't give an answer you then said: 'Because I
don't do blanket condemnation and I haven't got a good answer to the
question. I'll be really honest about that. I know I haven't got a good
answer to the question.'

In some ways I feel sympathy. I was once interviewed by a radio reporter
on why I was leaving journalism to get ordained in the Church of
England. The first question was, 'Aren't you a rat joining a sinking
ship?' My response was so incoherent and flustered that I don't think
the interview was ever broadcast.

But the crucial difference, of course, is that whereas I didn't see that
question coming, I think we could agree, with the best will in the
world, that in your situation being quizzed on the church's view about
sexuality was really rather predictable. And again I find myself wincing
in writing this. It's embarrassing for all of us.

Of course, honesty is a commendable virtue. And wrestling with difficult
issues is to be admired. But most of us in parish ministry would tend to
think the best place to do this is privately, perhaps with a few trusted
friends, rather than aloud, in an interview, while speaking as de facto
leader of the 85-million strong worldwide Anglican Communion.

What shall we local church ministers -- not to mention our flocks -- now
do? What shall we tell our gay friends who want their physical
relationship to be celebrated? What shall we tell our same-sex attracted
celibate friends who have sacrificed a very great deal in personal terms
to be faithful to the call of Christ as traditionally understood? Shall
we say gay sex is sinful on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays -- but fine
on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays? In practice, what will happen is
that we will all look to other church leaders now. Many conservatives
will look to GAFCON while liberals will look to the Scottish Episcopal
Church, which recently recognised same-sex marriage. How can we look to
you when you have nothing to say? Increasingly a split looks inevitable.

Archbishop, in some ways I admired the approach of your predecessor
Rowan Williams on this issue. He had his own views, it was apparent --
but he recognised the discipline of the church and subordinated his own
thoughts to that teaching. And we all have to do that: in a way, that's
the heart of discipleship. 'When Christ calls someone,' as Dietrich
Bonhoeffer wrote, 'He calls them to come and die'. We are to put our
entire lives at the feet of Christ and die to self -- which
paradoxically is the way to life. Part of that involves submitting our
own views and ideas to His teaching as the church has discerned it.
Whatever our own thoughts, the Church of England -- and Anglican
Communion -- does still have a clear view.

And perhaps we need to learn to tell 'a better story' too. Indeed, 'A
Better Story' is the title of an interesting new book by Professor Glyn
Harrison, a university lecturer, psychiatrist and academic -- and an
Anglican lay preacher. The cover says: 'What if we faced up honestly to
our sub-Christian culture of shame? What if we re-imagined what it means
to made sexual in the image of God? What if we remembered that we
flourish when we live in harmony with God's design? And what if we left
behind the broken promises of the sexual revolution to tell a better
story of our own?'

A better story. I like the sound of that. And wouldn't it have made a
better story -- for everyone -- if you had been able to tell just such a
story when you were asked that question? I will continue to pray for
you.

David Baker is a former daily newspaper journalist now working as an
Anglican minister in Sussex, England. Find him on Twitter @Baker_David_A



------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:39:24 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Justin Welby unable to give 'straight answer' on whether gay
sex is sinful
Message-ID:
<1507336764.2797326....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Justin Welby unable to give 'straight answer' on whether gay sex is
sinful
Archbishop admits he is struggling with issue, in interview where he
also expresses hope of not having to oversee Queen's funeral

Justin Welby said the division within the global Anglican communion on
gay sex was irreconcilable. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

By Harriet Sherwood Religion correspondent
https://www.theguardian.com/
October 2, 2017

Justin Welby has said he struggles with the question of whether gay sex
is a sin and acknowledged that the gulf between conservative and liberal
Anglicans on the issue is "irreconcilable".

In an interview by Alastair Campbell for GQ magazine, the archbishop of
Canterbury also said the Queen was "one of the most extraordinary people
I have ever met" and that he hoped he would not have to preside over her
funeral.

Welby, who came under fire at the weekend by survivors of sexual abuse
for his suggestion that the Church of England had acted with integrity,
is likely to disappoint LGBTI campaigners within the church over his
"cop-out" on gay sex.

Asked by Campbell if gay sex was sinful, Welby said: "You know very well
that is a question I can't give a straight answer to. Sorry, badly
phrased there. I should have thought that one through."

Pressed on why he could not answer, the archbishop said: "Because I
don't do blanket condemnation and I haven't got a good answer to the
question. I'll be really honest about that. I know I haven't got a good
answer to the question. Inherently, within myself, the things that seem
to me to be absolutely central are around faithfulness, stability of
relationships and loving relationships."

In response to Campbell's assertion that those could be characteristics
of same-sex relationships, Welby said: "I know it could be. I am also
aware -- a view deeply held by tradition since long before Christianity,
within the Jewish tradition -- that marriage is understood invariably as
being between a man and a woman. Or, in various times, a man and several
women, if you go back to the Old Testament.

"I know that the church around the world is deeply divided on this in
some places, including the Anglicans and other churches, not just us,
and we are -- the vast majority of the church is -- deeply against gay
sex."

He added: "I am having to struggle to be faithful to the tradition,
faithful to the scripture, to understand what the call and will of God
is in the 21st century and to respond appropriately with an answer for
all people -- not condemning them, whether I agree with them or not --
that covers both sides of the argument. And I haven't got a good answer,
and I am not doing that bit of work as well as I would like."

Asked if he was trying to reconcile Anglican church leaders in places
such as Uganda and more liberal churches principally in the UK and north
America, Welby said: "It is irreconcilable."

Archbishop of Canterbury accused of hypocrisy by sexual abuse survivors

But, he added, homophobia was sinful "because you are hating
individuals. I don't think it is sinful to say that you disagree with
gay sex. But to express that by way of hatred for people is absolutely
wrong in the same way as misogyny or racism is wrong."

In response to Campbell's suggestion that his answer was "morally a
cop-out", Welby responded: "Yes. I am copping out because I am
struggling with the issue."

The divisions within the global Anglican communion over same-sex
relationships will be central to a five-day meeting of primates in
Canterbury, which starts on Monday.

The meeting is expected to impose de facto sanctions on the Scottish
episcopal church, which accepted same-sex marriage this summer and
conducted its first same-sex wedding last week.

In January 2016, Anglican primates said the US episcopal church must
face consequences for a similar move. It was barred from membership of
representational bodies and excluded from decisions on policy for three
years. The Canadian church is expected to follow suit on same-sex
marriage.

Campaigners for LGBTI equality believe there has been a sea change in
the past year within the Church of England in attitudes to same-sex
relationships, and most Anglicans now support a more inclusive church.

In his GQ interview, Welby also said he hoped he would not have to
preside over the Queen's funeral. "It's enormous whoever does it -- God
willing someone else -- because it is an enormous public event. But as a
parish priest, at every funeral you think about the enormity of it.

"I don't want to get into details because it is not something I want to
talk about, but the Queen is the most extraordinary person, one of the
most extraordinary people I have ever met, in every possible way. When
it [her funeral] happens it will be the most extraordinary historic
moment."



------------------------------

Message: 13
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:40:00 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Justin Welby accuses BBC over Jimmy Savile abuse victims
Message-ID:
<1507336800.2797359....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Justin Welby accuses BBC over Jimmy Savile abuse victims
Archbishop of Canterbury faces backlash after claiming broadcaster
showed less integrity than church in tackling scandal

By Jamie Doward and Harriet Sherwood
https://www.theguardian.co.uk
Sept. 30, 2017

The Church of England and the BBC engaged in an extraordinary war of
words on Saturday over their responses to sex abuse scandals within
their ranks.

The dispute was prompted by criticism of the BBC levelled by Justin
Welby for its response to the Jimmy Savile crisis. The archbishop of
Canterbury said the BBC had not shown the same integrity over
accusations of child abuse that the Catholic and Anglican churches had.

The BBC's religious affairs correspondent, Martin Bashir, responded by
listing cases of alleged sex abuse within the Anglican church, adding
that Welby's comments reminded him of the passage in the gospel of St
John in which Christ says, "Let him who is without sin cast the first
stone".

Survivors of sexual abuse by CoE clerics accused Welby of "breathtaking
hypocrisy" after his criticism of the way the BBC dealt with the many
cases of abuse carried out by Savile.

Supporters of the church and the broadcaster expressed their anger on
social media after Welby's remarks, which came during a wide-ranging
pre-recorded interview to mark the 60th anniversary of Radio 4's Today
programme.

"I think we are a kinder society, more concerned with our own failures,
more willing to be honest where we go wrong," Welby said, before adding:
"In most of our institutions, there are still dark areas."

When asked which, he said: "If I'm really honest, I'd say the BBC is
one. I haven't seen the same integrity over the BBC's failures over
Savile as I've seen in the Roman Catholic Church, in the Church of
England, in other public institutions over abuse. We may be proved wrong
about that, but you know that's one area."

In 2012, the BBC appointed an independent review led by Dame Janet Smith
that identified 72 victims of sexual abuse by Savile at the BBC.

Since Welby became archbishop in 2013, the church has made the
safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults its "highest priority".
It has introduced safeguarding policies along with independent audits
for all its dioceses and dedicated training on hearing disclosures for
all senior clergy. A professional safeguarding representative now sits
in each diocese with the power to challenge the church when abuse
concerns surface.

When the Savile allegations became known we established an independent
investigation by a high court judge, said a BBC spokesman.

But abuse survivors' groups believe the response has not gone far enough
and on Saturday launched a blistering response to Welby's suggestion
that the BBC could learn from the church's initiatives. In a statement,
six abuse survivors said the record of the church and Welby himself was
one of "silence, denial and evasion". One survivor, Andy Morse, tweeted:
"Lambeth Palace is darkest place in UK." Dennis Skinner MP tweeted:
"Unbelievable. Pot calling the kettle black."

A spokesman for the BBC said of Welby's statement: "This isn't a
characterisation we recognise. When the Savile allegations became known
we established an independent investigation by a high court judge. In
the interests of transparency, this was published in full. We apologised
and accepted all the recommendations. And while today's BBC is a
different place, we set out very clear actions to ensure the highest
possible standards of child safeguarding."

The row was exacerbated by the Today programme's response to Welby's
comments. Presenter John Humphrys' interview with Bashir, as well as
survivors' groups, triggered an angry reaction from church supporters.
One listener tweeted: "Justin Welby criticises Beeb/Savile. BBC responds
by getting 'abuse in the church' activists on to point a finger at
church."

Rosie Harper, chaplain to the bishop of Buckingham, tweeted: "Bashir
very energised about the huge scale of abuse in the church. Not at all
happy that the ABC points the finger at the Beeb."

Another tweet read: "Archbishop of Canterbury attacks integrity of BBC.
#r4today launches a tirade against the Church. Archbishop of Canterbury
wins."

One complained: "Very defensive Martin Bashir chat with John Humphreys
[sic]. Seems the BBC can dish it out but can't take it."

Today said Welby had declined an invitation to expand on his criticisms.
The corporation also did not want to be interviewed on the matter.

In a statement, Lambeth Palace reiterated Welby's criticism of the
corporation. "The archbishop fully supports the church's commitment to
develop a stronger national approach to safeguarding to improve its
response to protecting the vulnerable," the statement read. "The
archbishop believes this level of rigorous response and self-examination
needs to extend to all institutions, including the BBC."

END



------------------------------

Message: 14
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:41:00 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Four Continuing Anglican Bodies Establish Full Communion
(Communio in sacris)
Message-ID:
<1507336860.2797559....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Four Continuing Anglican Bodies Establish Full Communion (Communio in
sacris)

By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
October 6, 2017

Four Continuing Anglican bodies made history this week, 40 years after
they broke away from The Episcopal Church over the ordination of women.

In Atlanta this week, The Anglican Catholic Church, The Anglican Church
in America, The Anglican Province of America and The Diocese of the Holy
Cross signed a Communio in sacris establishing full communion with each
other.

The ordination of women priests in the United States in 1976 was the
lightening rod issue that led to the founding of the Continuing Anglican
Movement in 1977. Its Affirmation of St. Louis declared the ordination
of women (by the Episcopal Church in the USA and the Anglican Church of
Canada) to be a matter of schism and to have caused a break with
apostolic succession.

In their statement this week they declared:

We acknowledge each other to be orthodox and catholic Anglicans in
virtue of our common adherence to the authorities accepted by and
summarized in The Affirmation of St. Louis in the faith of the Holy
Tradition of the Undivided catholic church and of the seven Ecumenical
Councils.

We recognize in each other in all essentials the same faith; the same
sacraments; the same moral teaching; and the same worship; likewise, we
recognize in each other the same Holy Orders of bishops, priests, and
deacons in the same Apostolic Succession, insofar as we all share the
episcopate conveyed to the Continuing Churches in Denver in January 1978
in response to the call oif the congress of Saint Louis; therefore,

We welcome members of all of our Churches to Holy Communion and
parochial life in any and all of the congregations of our Churches; and,

We pledge to pursue full, institutional, and organic union with each
other, in a manner that respects tender consciences, builds consensus
and harmony, and fulfills increasingly our Lord's will that His Church
be united; and,

We pledge also to seek unity with other Christians, including those who
understand themselves to be Anglican, insofar as such unity is
consistent with the essentials of Catholic faith, order, and moral
teaching

The following signatures included:

The Most Rev. Brian R. Marsh
The Most Rev. Mark Haverland
The Most Rev. Walter Grundorff
The Rt. Rev. Paul C. Hewett



------------------------------

Message: 15
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:41:16 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Four markers reveal why the collapse of the Episcopal Church
is inevitable
Message-ID:
<1507336876.2797983....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Four markers reveal why the collapse of the Episcopal Church is
inevitable

Special Report

By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
Sept. 29, 2017

Recent statistics (2016) on the state of The Episcopal Church offer
insights not normally tapped by the media, but looked at more closely,
reveal a Church in faster decline than initially thought.

There are four distinct demographic markers and they include: Aging
parishioners and clergy, smaller parishes and no new clergy to fill
pulpits; lower baptisms and confirmations; higher death rates and lower
Average Sunday Attendance.

DEMOGRAPHICS

The average age of an Episcopalian in 2011 was 57 years old. In 2017, it
is closer to 64. What this means is that roughly three-fifths of the
Church's membership will be dead in the next twelve to sixteen years.

The median average Sunday worship attendance is 57 (and declining), with
congregations showing an ASA of 100 or less now totaling 71% of all 6473
domestic parishes and missions. Furthermore, the rate of decline is
accelerating and picking up speed with each passing year, as Nones,
Millennials, and Generation EXERS show no interest in joining the
Episcopal Church. Over the course of the last ten years, ASA has dropped
by a startling 25%. Only four percent of all 6473 congregations have an
ASA of 300 or more!

It is generally recognized that when a congregation dips below 75, it
cannot sustain a full-time paid priest.

CLERGY DECLINE

According to TEC's figures, the average age of all clergy is 59. This is
without doubt one of the most serious demographic numbers as it means
thousands of priests will retire over the next twelve years, emptying
pulpits at a faster pace than there are clergy to fill them. Fully 67%
of all Episcopal clergy are aged 55 and over. Only 15% are under the age
of 45. Half of all dioceses have priests aged 60 and over. Some 65% of
all priests are male and 35% are women. 55% of all priests are full time
(4007); 27% of all priests are part-time (1967) and 15% are
non-stipendiary (947).

Mandatory clergy retirement is 72, but hundreds will retire earlier than
that based on health issues, disillusionment and boredom with the
ministry, with others retiring, having done their 30 years and therefore
entitled to a full pension.

Pulpits will be filled by part-time and non-stipendiary priests, who
will do little more than open and close parish doors following Sunday
worship with little or no inclination to deal with heady issues of
evangelism, discipleship and church growth. Talk of the Jesus Movement
will be irrelevant. Funeral services will be the central issue as
baptisms and confirmations combined continue to drop below replacement
and deaths will continue to rise. (More and more churches are building
columbariums.)

The Episcopal Church reflects a natural attrition where more
Episcopalians are being buried than baptized and confirmed or moving
away and not affiliating with the local Episcopal church in their new
neighborhoods, leaving fewer people in the pews, writes VOL researcher
Mary Ann Mueller.

SEMINARIES

The Episcopal Church's 11 seminaries (now officially 10) since Episcopal
Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass. recently shut down and moved its
remnant student body to a liberal Protestant seminary in New York City,
are mostly on life support as they depend more and more on
collaborations with other church bodies and seminaries, experience fewer
students and offer online courses with mostly older second career
students.

The ten accredited theological seminaries and schools for ministry
unevenly dot the American Episcopal landscape. An independent study of
the state of these seminaries reveals that seventy percent of these
institutions have fewer than 100 students.

Their decline follows the bell curve of The Episcopal Church as it
experiences loss in members, parish closings and an inability to attract
a younger generation of Americans. Many believe that issues like the
ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopacy, the embrace of
pansexuality and homosexual marriage now enshrined in canon law, reflect
a Church that lacks a distinctive message separate from the prevailing
culture.

Only three seminaries are remotely viable at this time. They are;
Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA (Evangelical); Virginia
Theological Seminary, (Liberal) and Nashotah House, WI (Anglo-Catholic).
Two of these seminaries, TSM and NH collaborate with other denominations
to provide orthodox educations to newer start-up denominations, like the
ACNA and smaller Lutheran bodies.

PLATE AND PLEDGE

In the area of Plate & Pledge, there were small percentage changes. The
domestic plate and pledge figures dropped. In 2016, $1,312,430,692 was
dropped into the collection plate, a drop of $1,288,475 over 2015.

Personal pledging rose from $2,707 to $2,776 between 2015 and 2016. The
few are giving more, but this will dramatically change as the older (and
wealthier boomer and pre-boomer generations) die off. More and more
parishes are drawing down on endowments and anecdotal evidence shows
that action has a limited future.

HOMOSEXUALITY

The consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003 saw
an accelerated decline, with more than 100,000 Episcopalians fleeing the
Episcopal Church. Those parishes that suffered the most, saw no reversal
of fortune from that radical act, nor did homosexuals come rushing into
the church to fill pews vacated by evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics
fleeing TEC, despite rhetorical promises to the contrary.

THEOLOGY AND MORALITY

The loss of confidence in scripture as authoritative, watered down in
seminaries, and then washed out into pulpits and pews has undermined the
church's very foundations. This and the dumbing down of morality has
been the two hallmarks of recent Episcopal decline.

Revisions of the 1928 Prayer Book and its weakened version in 1979,
while no longer a public issue, frustrated and appalled many
Episcopalians at the time who did not like or agree with the changes.
The ordination of women, another (and continuing) lightening rod issue,
first brokered in illegally and then accepted, not on the basis of
biblical reflection or historic precedent, but because the culture and
women's rights mandated it, pushed the Church into continued decline.

Homosexual practice, the changing of the canons to allow same-sex
marriage and the ordination of women; issues that have bedeviled the
Episcopal Church for four decades, forced the hands of faithful
Episcopalians and thus was born the Anglican Church in North America.

As the dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, William Inge observed, he
who marries the spirit of the times will soon find himself a widower.
The Episcopal Church is fulfilling this in spades.

END



------------------------------

Message: 16
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:41:43 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: San Joaquin bishop writes Nashotah House chairman over
Presiding Bishop Curry's ++Ramsey Award
Message-ID:
<1507336903.2798250....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

San Joaquin bishop writes Nashotah House chairman over Presiding Bishop
Curry's ++Ramsey Award

Letter to Bishop Daniel Martins from Bishop Eric Menees

FROM: The Rt. Rev. Eric Menees
The Diocese of San Joaquin
Anglican Church in North America
http://sanjoaquinsoundings.blogspot.com/
September 25, 2017

TO: The Rt. Rev. Daniel Martins

Nashotah House Theological Seminary
2777 Mission Road
Nashotah, WI. 53058

Dear Bishop Martins,

I read with surprise, and more than a little confusion, the decision of
Nashotah House to award Presiding Bishop Curry the Archbishop Ramsey
award for excellence in the areas of Ecclesiology, Ecumenism and
Liturgy.

Regarding ecclesiology Bishop Curry has chosen to disregard the will of
the primates of the Anglican Communion and continues to act willfully as
one not under authority.

Regarding ecumenism relations between TEC and the vast majority of
Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical churches are at an all-time low.

Regarding liturgy, Bishop Curry is presiding over the creation of new
rites that defy scripture, tradition and reason. In the last few years
Seabury, General and EDS have all but folded. Recently, with the abrupt
transitions of the dean and several faculty members I suspect that
Nashotah House will not be far behind.

Lastly, while Bishop Curry preaches reconciliation at every turn he
fails to practice what he preaches with his continued support for the
ongoing lawsuits in Quincy, Fort Worth and South Carolina. Given this
reality, Bp. Martins, can [you] give me a reason to send my men to
Nashotah House? San Joaquin has had a long and positive past with
Nashotah but at this point I am really shaking my head and wondering
what in the world has happened?

The Right Rev. Eric Vawter Menees
Bishop, Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin
cc. Acting Dean Garwood Anderson

BISHOP MARTINS RESPONDS. VOL wrote to Bishop Martins to get his side of
the story and he wrote this; "The letter was unfortunately leaked before
I even received it. It was addressed to me at Nashotah House, where I
actually happen to be at the moment, but it has not arrived here yet.
When I officially receive the letter, it is my intention to reply, but
privately."



------------------------------

Message: 17
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:42:07 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Pundits politicizing and polarizing instead of praying about
Las Vegas tragedy
Message-ID:
<1507336927.2798568....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Pundits politicizing and polarizing instead of praying about Las Vegas
tragedy
Washington Bishop says prayer is not enough

By Mary Ann Mueller
VOL Special Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
Oct. 5, 2017

It is so easy to ridicule, demean, and rush to judgment before all the
facts are in, so it didn't take long for the pundits to come out of the
woodwork to criticize, satirize, or politicize the horrific shooting
tragedy in Las Vegas Sunday night, which left 59 dead and hundreds
wounded, some still clinging to a thin thread of life in area hospitals.
Even the church is not immune to wading into the fray.

An attorney for CBS went to Facebook to post her commentary even as the
horrendous situation in Las Vegas was yet unfolding. She was the first
to be axed for her early ill-mannered comments: "If they wouldn't do
anything when children were murdered I have no hope the Repugs
[Republicans] will ever do the right thing," attorney Hayley
Geftman-Gold posted. "I'm actually not even sympathetic bc [because]
country music fans are often [R]epublican gun toters."

CBS was quick to respond: "This individual [Hayley Geftman-Gold], who
was with us for approximately one year, violated the standards of our
company and is no longer an employee of CBS," the television network
announced in a formal statement. "Her views as expressed on social media
are deeply unacceptable to all of us at CBS. Our hearts go out to the
victims in Las Vegas and their families."

In the nation's capital city, Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde (IX
Washington, DC) declared that prayer was not enough.

"As people of faith and of prayer, we know well -- we know better than
anyone -- that thoughts and prayers, while important, are insufficient,"
she said at Tuesday's outdoor interfaith gathering at the National
Cathedral.

For her, the insufficiency of prayer lies in lack of gun control. She is
a member of the Episcopal Bishops United Against Gun Violence (EBUAGV)
lobby.

"It has become cliched at moments such as these to offer thoughts and
prayers. But as Christians, we must reflect upon the mass killings that
unfold with such regularity in our country. And we must pray ..." the
united Episcopal bishops said in a released statement. "And then, having
looked, we must act."

Tuesday, Bishop Budde rang the National Cathedral bells 60 times in
remembrance of those who died in Las Vegas. This is not the first time
she tolled her cathedral's bells. In 2013, the mourning bell sounded for
the students, teachers and staff killed at Sandy Hook School in Newtown,
Connecticut. She again sounded the tolling bell in 2015 for the shooting
victims at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Washington bishop rang her bells in solidarity with Bishop Dan
Edwards (IV Nevada) who asked his churches to toll their bells for those
who died Sunday night. Other Episcopal churches across the United States
joined in the tolling of their mourning bells.

"As Christians, we are called to engage in the debates that shape how
Americans live and die, especially when they die due to violence or
neglect," the EBUAGV statement continues. "It is entirely reasonable in
the wake of mass killings perpetrated by murderers with assault weapons
to ask lawmakers to remove such weapons from civilian hands."

"In the United States of America, our beloved country, still the world's
super power and self-proclaimed moral force for good in the world,"
Bishop Eugene Sutton (XIV Maryland) thundered Tuesday from his pulpit at
the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation in Baltimore at the special
Service of Lament for Victims of Gun Violence. "Over thirty thousand of
our citizens are killed every year by firearms. Another eighty
thousand-plus are shot every year, most of whom will carry permanent
injuries, and all of whom will carry emotional scars for the rest of
their lives."

Bishop Sutton is one of the three Episcopal bishops, along with Bishop
Mark Beckwith (X Newark); and Bishop Ian Douglas (XV Connecticut), who
founded Bishops United Against Gun Violence in 2013. The group members
nearly 70 active and retired Episcopal bishops.

Following the election of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, the Episcopal
bishops, all decked out in their flowing bright red chimeres and snowy
white rochets marched down Salt Lake City, Utah streets during the 2015
General Convention, bringing a focused attention to their united front
against gun violence.

"Our country is feasting on anger that fuels rage, alienation and
loneliness ..." the EBUAGV Las Vegas statement notes. "We must, as a
nation, embrace prayerful resistance before our worse impulses consume
us."

The Episcopal bishops are also supporters of the annual National Gun
Violence Awareness Day in early June. Even though orange is not a
liturgial color, the bishops don orange vestments and stoles for the
day. They join other faith-based organizations, such as cultural,
educational, journalistic, political and athletic groups as well as
other community clubs of various sorts to raise awareness of gun
violence.

The EBUAGV not only focuses on bloodshed by firearms, but they also
highlight what they call the unholy trinity -- racism, poverty, and gun
violence.

President Donald Trump called the deadly Las Vegas carnage "an act of
pure evil." Evil is defined as: profoundly immoral and malevolent;
wickedness and depravity.

The postmodern world has had to deal with various and escalating forms
of evil: Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust (1933-1945) ... Idi Amin and
ethnic cleansing in Uganda (1971-1979) ... Roe Vs. Wade and lawful
abortion that rips out an unborn child from the safely of its mother's
womb (1973 - current) ... Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 terrorist attacks
(2001) ... the Pakistani Taliban attack on All Saints Anglican Church in
Peshawar (2013) ... Jihadi John's YouTube videos of ISIS beheadings
(2014-2015) ... Dylann Roof and Charleston's Mother Emmanuel AME Church
Bible study shootings (2015) ... Stephen Paddock and the Route 91
Harvest country music festival massacre in Las Vegas (2017) ...

Across the Atlantic Ocean, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry is
attending the 2017 Primates' Gathering, hosted by Archbishop of
Canterbury, Justin Welby. Then tragedy struck in the Diocese of Nevada.
The Archbishop of Canterbury reached out to the American presiding
bishop to lead the prayer for the victims and those reeling from the
shock and devastation left in the wake of Las Vegas carnage.

"Michael Curry, who is a citizen of the United States, was asked by us
-- after we had talked with anguish about the events in Las Vegas -- we
said: 'Could you lead a prayer as we begin our prayers together at
Evensong?'" Archbishop Welby explained.

"Dear Lord," the Presiding Bishop prayed: "... We come to you tonight,
Lord, with sorrow in our hearts, for 58 of your children are no longer
with us, and some 500 of your children are hurting physically and
emotionally, and one of your children took their lives, and they are all
our sisters, they are all our brothers, they are all your children ..."

Later, the Archbishop of Canterbury was "taken back" by GAFCON's
apparent pushback on the decision to ask the American presiding bishop
to pray for the victims of the Las Vegas shooting at the start of
Monday's Evensong in Canterbury Cathedral.

By Tuesday afternoon, ACNA Canon Andrew Gross, the Canon for
Communications and Media Relations for the Anglican Church in North
America, weighed in on the subject.

The Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) reported that Canon Gross
"...speaking on behalf of GAFCON, said that the decision to invite
Michael Curry to lead the congregation in prayer at the Evensong service
'put the GAFCON primates in a difficult spot.'"

Reportedly, the American canon was speaking at a press conference in a
hotel near Canterbury Cathedral. Canon Gross explained that GAFCON
primates were "forced to look like they are walking together when they
are not walking together."

"People all over the world are praying for Las Vegas," the Archbishop of
Canterbury shot back. "I don't think we ought to bring church politics
into Las Vegas. I mean, it is the most dreadful, horrendous, appalling
event. I suppose that I would be surprised and disappointed by that
comment."

The Anglican world has joined in common prayer before. In the Spring of
2014, then Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, called
The Episcopal Church into prayer for the violence which was rocking
South Sudan.

"Prayer, at the very least, changes our own hearts, it joins us to
people who are in the midst of radical suffering," she explained.
"Prayer is a reminder that we are all connected. We are all children of
the same God."

Then, during Advent 2014, the Presiding Bishop called The Episcopal
Church to unified prayer for the Province of West Africa, which was
battling the Ebola pandemic, including the hardest hit dioceses of
Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

"I ask your prayers for the people of West Africa in the midst of this
plague," the former Presiding Bishop said. "Today we continue in a
covenant relationship of mutual support and fellowship."

By Wednesday, a codicil was added to the ACNS story, attempting to
clarify the ACNA-GAFCON connection: "This article was amended on 4
October, to make clear that Canon Gross was not thought to be speaking
on behalf of any Anglican primate and that his church, the Anglican
Church in North America (ACNA) is not part of the Anglican Communion or
involved in the Primates' Meeting."

However, the ACNS story failed to mention that Archbishop Foley Beach
(II ACNA) is a member of GAFCON and an active part of the Primates'
Council. Canon Gross is Archbishop Beach's go-to media man for ACNA
press communications and, as such, the Canon is also very involved in
GAFCON public relations.

Archbishop Beach may not be attending the October 2017 Primates'
Meeting, but he did attend and was very influential in the January 2016
Primates' Meeting.

Canon Gross has not responded to an inquiry by VOL for further comment
about his earlier reported GACFON remark.

Thursday, GAFCON issued a statement entitled: "We Are Not Walking
Together."

"The persistent assertions that the Primates of the Anglican Communion
are 'walking together' do not reflect the reality," GAFCON's statement
begins. "Three of the leading Primates of the Communion are absent on
firmly stated principle.

GAFCON Chairman, Nigerian Archbishop Nicholas Okoh said: "I have
concluded that attendance at Canterbury would be to give credibility to
a pattern of behavior which is allowing great damage to be done to
global Anglican witness and unity."

Ugandan Archbishop Stanley Ntagali, GAFCON's vice-chairman, added: "If
we are not walking in the same direction, how can we walk together?"

"In no way can these leaders, with the Archbishop of Rwanda [Onesphone
Rwaje], be said to be 'walking together,''' the GAFCON statement
continues. "They have chosen to witness to the truth by their absence."

"The presence of the Primates from Canada [Fred Hiltz] and the United
States [Michael Curry] and the absence of Archbishop Foley Beach, whose
Church [Anglican Church in North America], is recognized by Anglicans
around the world, is a further testimony to a Communion in which the
leaders are not walking together," the GAFCON statement continues.
"Several of the other primates who are attending the meeting are equally
concerned about the divisions over the authority of Scripture within the
Communion, but intend to remain in defense of the Gospel. The Primates
are not walking together. At best, they say, 'they are walking at a
distance.' At worst, 'they are walking in different directions.'"

Thursday's GAFCON statement concludes: "Surely public statements need to
reflect reality rather than mere wishfulness."

Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular
contributor to VirtueOnline



------------------------------

Message: 18
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:42:23 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Secxit (or why I must leave the Scottish Episcopal Church)
Message-ID:
<1507336943.2798557....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Secxit (or why I must leave the Scottish Episcopal Church)

By Daniel Davies
http://scottishanglican.net/
October 3, 2017

The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Mark
Strange, has addressed the meeting of the primates of the Anglican
Communion, accepting that the consequences applied to The Episcopal
Church (USA) at the 2016 meeting, must also be applied to the province
he represents. He failed to acknowledge that there are congregations and
individuals in Scotland now seeking alternative oversight from the
orthodox primates. One such, Daniel Davies of Christchurch, Harris in
the Western Isles, writes:

The church has been here before. In 318 AD a priest called Arius led a
movement that said Jesus was just a man, and this heresy became so
powerful that at one point, in eastern Christendom, every church leader
that said otherwise was in one small boat with Bishop Athanasius,
sailing up the Nile.

The heresy that we face today, when stripped down to its essentials, is
the same. It follows from the belief that we can change Jesus' words and
that we can deny their plain meaning; in this instance, those recorded
in Matthew 19: 5-6. If we do this it can only be on the grounds that
Jesus is just a man, and could only speak out of the limited
understanding possible in his own time and place -- in his case, first
century Palestine.

Given that we now live in the supposedly much more advanced twenty first
century, we have outgrown Jesus' more dated teaching, and so must
substitute them with our own, as befits the times. What could be more
rational than that? So goes the revisionist argument. The difficulty is
that Jesus claims he is far more than a man. He say that to see him is
to see God, that he and the Father are one. He claims that he himself is
the Way, the Truth and the Life.

This then is the problem: if Jesus and every word he speaks, is not in
every possible sense, the Truth and nothing but the Truth, to which
nothing can be added or taken away; then he cannot be either the Way or
the Life. Therefore this claim by the revisionists that we can revise
Jesus' words to say what we want them to say, rather than what they so
plainly mean, is also to claim that Jesus is not divine, but just a man.
This is Arianism, the heresy begun by Arius, which took root in the
church for most of the fourth century.

However, after an epic struggle lasting sixty years, it was Athanasius
who finally triumphed. He lived to see the Nicene Creed confirmed, and
later the triumph of orthodoxy was sealed with the Chalcedonian
Definition which proclaimed that Christ is fully God and fully man. This
is the faith of the church. His words are not to be changed at our
convenience. We cannot stand in judgement over his words. His words
stand in judgement over us.

Now Arianism is back, the old heresy in a new guise, smuggled into the
church under the cover of a civil rights movement. It has deeply
affected much of the western church, and in the change to canon 31 of
the doctrine of marriage, it has taken over the Scottish Episcopal
Church. The parallels between our situation and the time of Athanasius
are remarkable. The entire society of his day went over to Arius: the
army, civil service, church leadership and the Roman emperors. All this
power and authority was turned against Athanasius. As Bishop of
Alexandria, the second city of the empire, he could not be ignored. He
was ordered to be politically correct, to stop his obdurate opposition,
and was commanded to serve the teaching of the now Arian church.

Athanasius refused and he fled up the Nile, pursued by a police boat,
with only the clothes on his back and escaped into exile in the west. He
endured decades of hardship which broke his health, while maintaining
the cause of orthodoxy. He wrote letters, taught and ordained orthodox
bishops, whom he sent to found Christian churches within the Arian
jurisdiction, and he rebuilt the true church.

History is now being repeated. Bishop Andy Lines has been consecrated by
the orthodox heirs of Athanasius to come to us and start a new orthodox
Anglican church, in what has now become an Arian jurisdiction; in
Scotland and other parts of Britain. Orthodox believers, once more have
a church they can belong to; and for that lifeboat, the orthodox
Anglicans in Scotland are profoundly grateful.



------------------------------

Message: 19
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:42:42 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Yes They ARE Targeting Our Children
Message-ID:
<1507336962.2798804....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Yes They ARE Targeting Our Children

By Bill Muehlenberg
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2017/10/01/yes-targeting-children/
Oct 1, 2017

Homosexuals, by their very nature, cannot procreate. So if they wish to
expand their numbers, they can only do it by recruitment. And many of
the more honest homosexual activists have told us that is exactly what
they are doing. When the other side tells us all about their strategy
and goals, we really ought to pay heed.

Indeed, this is one thing that really puzzles me: when the other side
clearly tells us what their plans are and how they hope to achieve their
aims, why don't we start to pay attention? Why don't we believe them?
The militant homosexual lobby has told us in no uncertain terms just how
they expect to overturn society, so we really ought to take seriously
what they have told us.

I have documented heaps of this in my 2011 book Strained Relations.
There I quoted plenty of the activists and what they have said about
their goals and strategies, and how targeting children is a crucial part
of this. Let me quote from parts of that book here.

Many homosexuals speak of being introduced to the homosexual lifestyle
by someone older, while they were still in their teens. Consider this
representative quote: "Nobody is fooled when we proclaim that the gay
movement has nothing to do with kids and their sexuality. . . . Many of
us -- both women and men -- had our first homosexual experience with
partners who were older than ourselves". Indeed, one study found that 75
per cent of homosexual men report their first homosexual experience
before the age of sixteen. This compares to 22 per cent of heterosexual
men reporting their first heterosexual experience.

A well known saying states that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the
world. Homosexual activists know this all too well. As one lesbian put
it, "Whoever captures the kids owns the future". Thus the constant
attempts by homosexual activists to influence children.

There have been many attempts lately to get access to young people. For
example, in the United States the New Jersey Supreme Court has ordered
the Boy Scouts to admit homosexuals. The Girl Scouts have also caved
into Political Correctness. Indeed, according to some Scout staffers,
one in three of the Girl Scouts' paid professional staff is lesbian. And
in the United Kingdom, the English Scout Association recently lifted the
ban on homosexuals becoming troop leaders....

One quite well known homosexual blog site openly admits to just how
intent the activists are in targeting young children in our schools. He
says in an article entitled, "Can We Please Just Start Admitting That We
Do Actually Want To Indoctrinate Kids?": "'NOOO! We're not gonna make
kids learn about homosexuality, we swear! It's not like we're trying to
recruit your children or anything.' But let's face it -- that's a lie.
We want educators to teach future generations of children to accept
queer sexuality. In fact, our very future depends on it."

He continues, (and pardon his crude language): "I for one certainly want
tons of school children to learn that it's OK to be gay, that people of
the same sex should be allowed to legally marry each other, and that
anyone can kiss a person of the same sex without feeling like a freak.
And I would very much like for many of these young boys to grow up and
start f**king men. I want lots of young ladies to develop into young
women who voraciously munch box. I want this just as badly as many
parents want their own kids to grow up and rub urinary tracts together
to trade proteins and forcefully excrete a baby. I and a lot of other
people want to indoctrinate, recruit, teach, and expose children to
queer sexuality AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT."

Everything that I said there was of course fully documented in my
volume. In fact, there are over 700 footnotes in my book, so everything
contained therein is fully referenced. And many of my quotes come
straight out of the homosexual literature.

And of course things are just the same here in Australia. Let me quote a
bit more from my book:

In Australia a number of homosexual activities have made many conclude
that children are indeed being targeted by older homosexuals. Several
years ago a large outcry arose over the discovery of homosexual swap
cards. The cards, which featured sexually explicit photos, pictures and
cartoons, were part of a safe-sex campaign.

Also, in a recent edition of a Melbourne homosexual newspaper, there was
a large article entitled "Comics come out". The article described how
mainstream as well as underground comic book makers are increasingly
using homosexual characters and themes in their comics. Homosexual
superheroes have been featured, along with graphic homosexual scenes and
dialogue. Indeed, one comic, The Authority, features two main characters
who are homosexual superheroes.

Another article in the homosexual press on the same issue reported that
there are "probably around a hundred gay characters out there" in comics
right now. Given that children are usually the main readers of comics,
one has to ask if recruitment is not part of the strategy.

And we also have homosexual cartoon characters in both TV series and in
the movies. Consider Utena, Revolutionary Girl, an anime character who
is a lesbian. Anime, or Japanese animation, is of course hugely popular
with children -- (Pokemon being but one example). Advertisements for
Utena the movie feature in homosexual newspapers.

Along the same lines, what is one to make of the world's first talking
homosexual dolls? The dolls, which have been sold in the US and Europe,
were made available in shops for Christmas 2003 in Australia. Openly
homosexual Elton the Biker (complete with nipple rings), and his plastic
counterpart Marshall, evidently have sold well overseas. Given that
dolls are usually the kind of thing that children, not adults, play
with, one has to ask if this is another recruiting attempt.

In the US pro-homosexual books such as Heather Has Two Mommies are found
in many schools and libraries. And in Australia, similar books can be
found, for example in Sydney school libraries. Another example is
Daddy's Roommate. One book entitled My House has this as part of its
story line: "I've got a cat and two dogs. I've got two mums."

I could go on, but let me stop at this point, and focus a bit more on
the idea of children's books. I just mentioned a few above, but today of
course there are scores of them out there. Our kindergartens and schools
are now flooded with such books.

Who says our children are not being targeted? Last month one American
researcher, Brad Harrub, posted the following. It makes for scary
reading, but we must be aware of what is going on here:

School is back in session...

And the battle for your child's heart and soul is raging. Many parents
are celebrating their children being "out of the house," not even
realizing how busy Satan has been. There are now 32 books promoting
LGBTQ lifestyles for your children. These books are in their school
libraries. They are being read openly in class. And yet, you are just
thankful they are "out of the house." Many parents can't even name one
of these books, much less name all 32. God help us and have mercy on us.
We are sending our children off to pagan lands where they are being
taught that abominations in your sight are just alternative lifestyles.
(And we wonder why our children leave the church and don't possess a
Biblical worldview...)

The picture I include above shows just some of these books. Um, when
will we wake up here? These books are all about getting access to our
children. And when the activists have so very plainly said that is their
clear intention -- to snare our kids for their own agenda -- then we
really better stand up and take notice.

We are in the middle of a protracted and nasty war. The real endgame is
to capture our children, and thus capture our culture. The militants
know how utterly essential it is for them to target our children, and
win them over for their cause.

So when will we wake up to this assault on our kids and start resisting
the activist agenda? Or will we do nothing until it is too late?



------------------------------

Message: 20
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:43:00 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: You may now kiss the groom! History is made as gay couple
marry in the UK's first same-sex church wedding
Message-ID:
<1507336980.2799011....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

You may now kiss the groom! History is made as gay couple marry in the
UK's first same-sex church wedding
Gay couple were married in church ceremony after rules relaxed in
Scotland
Move has been welcomed by equal rights campaigners and some clergy
It could leave the Scottish denomination who held the service facing
sanctions

By Richard Spillett for MailOnline
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/
29 September 2017

History has been made after the UK's first same-sex church wedding took
place in Edinburgh.

Peter Matthews and Alistair Dinnie were married at St John's Church, run
by the Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC).

Church authorities voted to amend canon law in June, allowing same-sex
couples to be married in church during the General Synod in Edinburgh.

The move made it the first branch of the Anglican faith in the UK to
allow same-sex marriages in church in a move that was welcomed by equal
rights campaigners.

However, it could lead to action being taken against the church by the
Anglican Communion, the international association of the world's third
largest Christian movement, at a meeting next week.

The wedding took place on September 16 with other same-sex weddings
having been held in SEC churches in Glasgow and Moray since.

The Rev Markus Dunzkofer, the rector at St John's, told The Times: 'I
have blessed marriages in other Anglican provinces and always had to
stop short of the vows. It felt like something was cut off, like
something wasn't right.

'Finally being able to do the whole thing felt like the fulfilment of
where the spirit had been telling us to get to. It completely made
sense, it all came together.'

SEC members voted to remove the doctrinal clause which stated that
marriage is a 'union of one man and one woman', replacing it with a
clause which asserts that clergy who do not wish to preside over
same-sex weddings will not be compelled to do so 'against their
conscience'.

The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion said the SEC's decision
puts it 'at odds with the majority stance that marriage is the lifelong
union of a man and a woman'.

Last year, the US Episcopal Church was suspended from participating in
decision making and prevented from representing Anglicans in meetings
with other Christians and faith groups after it backed equal marriage.

Rev Dunzkofer told the newspaper he will pray that Anglican leaders do
not take action, adding: 'Quite literally, God only knows what will
happen.'

Mr Matthews and Mr Dinnie are said to be on honeymoon.

END



------------------------------

Message: 21
Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2017 20:43:40 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: 12. TRANSFORMATION: What Does it Mean to be a mature
Christian Disciple? -- 2 Peter 1:1-11
Message-ID:
<1507337020.2799226....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

TRANSFORMATION: What Does it Mean to be a mature Christian Disciple? --
2 Peter 1:1-11

By Ted Schroder
October 8, 2017

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously
given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who
invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also
given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you -- your tickets to
participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world
corrupted by lust.

So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given,
complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual
understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder,
warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and
developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your
lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its
reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. (2 Peter
1:3-8, The Message)

Who wouldn't want to be a person described in those terms: a person of
faith, good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline,
passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness and generous
love? What would the world be like if we were all like that? What would
the church be like if we were all like that? Peter is claiming that God
has given Christians all that they need to become spiritually mature.
But Christians must actively pursue spiritual maturity if they expect to
be welcomed into God's eternal kingdom. These two statements appear to
be mutually incompatible. On the one hand we say that all Christian
character is from God -- a free gift of God's grace in Jesus by his
Spirit. On the other hand we say that it depends on our effort, that we
have to do something ourselves if we are become Christlike. How do we
hold these two truths together in our understanding and in our behavior?

A mature Christian disciple will become like Jesus through participating
in his life of the Spirit. This life of his Spirit has been given to us
by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to
God -- Jesus. His divine power has given us everything we need to become
people of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control, hope, humility and prayer. He has given us his
very great and precious promises of enabling us to share in God's own
nature, so that we may reflect the family likeness more and more.

This requires us turning our back on the corruption of the world. The
ancient world was haunted by the conception of corruption -- decay.

Change and decay in all around I see:
O Lord who changest not, abide with me.
(Henry F. Lyte)

The transitoriness of life, the pointlessness of it all, oppressed many
of the best thinkers in antiquity (as it does today). Tragedies such as
the massacre in Las Vegas remind us of the evil that can possess a man's
soul and inflict untold horror. Death can pursue us suddenly and without
warning. Peter tells them that there is a way of escape -- through Jesus
Christ. Live for eternity not for the passing world. Reject all that is
contrary to Christ. We are not to go along with the immoral and
extravagant behavior that is so much part of our culture, our media, and
our recreational life.

Because of this call from Jesus to follow him and share in his life of
the Spirit we are to make every effort, to add to our faith the goodness
of Christ -- the character of Christ, his excellence as a human being as
seen in his life and ministry. Spiritual growth is not a matter that the
Christian can treat lightly. It is not an option for the believer. It is
a goal to which we need to give ourselves body and soul, every day of
our lives. Christianity is not just an intellectual belief but
Christlikeness.

What is the right biblical balance between what God does in us by his
Spirit and what we must do by our own effort? Both are necessary. "Work
out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in
you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil 2:12-13).

Douglas Moo, in his commentary on these verses describes the problem.
Some Christian teachers put great stress on what God is doing in us.
They say that what we should do is only receive passively what God is
doing. Our job is to "let go and let God." But there is another side to
the picture. We have a part to play in becoming like Jesus. There are
other Christian teachers who tend to present the Christian life as kind
of military boot camp. Our job is to go out and discipline ourselves,
work hard, take orders and live up to Jesus' expectations. That can be a
guilt trip. The balance is to be found in both the divine and the human
side. God makes us like Jesus and also we ourselves have the
responsibility to become like Jesus every day.

We cannot live as God wants us to without the power of the Holy Spirit.
We cultivate the power of the Spirit through reading the Scriptures
which are inspired by the Holy Spirit. We draw on the power of the
Spirit through prayer in the Spirit, and allowing the Spirit to pray in
us and for us -- the Spirit intercedes for us. We immerse ourselves in
the power and presence of the Spirit in worship and in fellowship with
others. These are the means of grace God has provided for us to enable
us to grow in grace. Just as an athlete or a musician has to practice in
order to perform well, we have to give priority to building into our
lives our relationship with God.

There are many things we can do to mature in our Christian character.
The chief thing to do is to remain connected to Christ. If we want to
bear the fruit of the Spirit we have to be connected to the True Vine.

Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way
that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to
the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me. I am the
Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you,
the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.
Separated, you can't produce a thing... This how my Father shows who he
is -- when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples. (John
15:5-8, The Message)

Are you connected to the true vine? Does the Holy Spirit witness to you
that you are God's child? The fruit of the Spirit -- the virtues Peter
and Paul list --are the only satisfactory evidence of being a true
Christian disciple. Where there is no fruit to be seen there is no vital
spiritual life. The secret of bearing the fruit of the Spirit is close
communion with Christ. It is to pour out your hearts to Christ as to
your chief companion and best friend, to keep his words continually
before you, and to make them the guide of your actions and the rule of
your daily conduct and behavior. Then the fruit will supply the best
evidence to your own hearts that you are real, mature disciples of
Christ.

"For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a
rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ."

END



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