VirtueOnline Digest, Vol 17, Issue 35

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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: September 15, 2017 (David Virtue)
3. CAIRO: Global South Primates' Communique, September 9, 2017
(David Virtue)
4. Australian Anglicans brand Scottish Episcopal Church
'contrary to the teaching of Christ' (David Virtue)
5. ACNA College of Bishops Statement on the Ordination of Women
(David Virtue)
6. ACNA College of Bishops Issue Solomonic Decision on Women's
Ordination (David Virtue)
7. Anglican Churches to Sign Statement of Full Communion at
Historic Atlanta Joint Synod - UPDATED (David Virtue)
8. Newly-released Episcopal Church bar graphs reveal continued
membership loss in 2016 (David Virtue)
9. Bishop Bruno pushes back on Title IV disciplinary measures
against him (David Virtue)
10. RIP the C of E -- choked by her own niceness (David Virtue)
11. Biblical Law, Grace and 'Gay' Recidivism (David Virtue)
12. Are White Evangelicals Really in Decline? Scholars Dispute
PRRI Findings (David Virtue)
13. Transactivism Is Hurting Your Children (David Virtue)
14. Leading Protestant theologians offer a new confession on
Reformation's 500th anniversary (David Virtue)
15. THE GLORY BANDWAGON (David Virtue)
16. KINDNESS/GOODNESS: What Does it Mean to be a Mature Christian
Disciple? -- (Luke 6:37-45) (David Virtue)


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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:38:42 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Table of Contents
Message-ID:
<1505443122.3564587....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

VirtueOnline Weekly News Digest - Desktop & Mobile Edition
www.virtueonline.org
Sept. 15, 2017

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

1. ACNA College of Bishops Nix WO and Women Bishops * TEC Graphs show
more deaths than baptisms or confirmations
http://www.virtueonline.org/acna-college-bishops-nix-wo-and-women-bishops-tec-graphs-show-more-deaths-baptisms-or-confirmations


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

2.CAIRO: Global South Primates' Communique, September 9, 2017
http://www.virtueonline.org/cairo-global-south-primates-communique-september-9-2017

3.Australian Anglicans brand Scottish Episcopal Church 'contrary to the
teaching of Christ'
http://www.virtueonline.org/australian-anglicans-brand-scottish-episcopal-church-contrary-teaching-christ


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

4.ACNA College of Bishops Statement on the Ordination of Women
http://www.virtueonline.org/acna-college-bishops-statement-ordination-women

5.ACNA College of Bishops Issue Solomonic Decision on Women's Ordination
http://www.virtueonline.org/acna-college-bishops-issue-solomonic-decision-womens-ordination

6.Four Continuing Anglican Churches will Sign Full Communion Statement
at Historic Atlanta Joint Synod
http://www.virtueonline.org/four-continuing-anglican-churches-will-sign-full-communion-statement-historic-atlanta-joint-synod


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

7.Newly-released Episcopal Church bar graphs reveal continued membership
loss in 2016
http://www.virtueonline.org/newly-released-episcopal-church-bar-graphs-reveal-continued-membership-loss-2016

8.Bishop Bruno pushes back on Title IV disciplinary measures against him
http://www.virtueonline.org/bishop-bruno-pushes-back-title-iv-disciplinary-measures-against-him


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

9.RIP the Church of England -- choked by her own niceness
http://www.virtueonline.org/rip-c-e-choked-her-own-niceness


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

10.Biblical Law, Grace and 'Gay' Recidivism
http://www.virtueonline.org/biblical-law-grace-and-gay-recidivism

11.Are White Evangelicals Really in Decline? Scholars Dispute PRRI
Findings
http://www.virtueonline.org/are-white-evangelicals-really-decline-scholars-dispute-prri-findings

12.Transactivism Is Hurting Your Children
http://www.virtueonline.org/transactivism-hurting-your-children


********************************
HISTORY, THEOLOGY & SCIENCE
********************************

13.Leading Protestant theologians offer a new confession on
Reformation's 500th Anniversary
http://www.virtueonline.org/leading-protestant-theologians-offer-new-confession-reformations-500th-anniversary

14.THE GLORY BANDWAGON
http://www.virtueonline.org/glory-bandwagon


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

15.KINDNESS/GOODNESS: What Does It Mean To Be A Mature Christian
Disciple? - Luke 6:37-45
http://www.virtueonline.org/what-does-it-mean-be-mature-christian-disciple-kindnessgoodness-luke-637-45


END



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

Message: 2
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:41:51 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: VIEWPOINTS: September 15, 2017
Message-ID:
<1505443311.3565369....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

The Episcopal Church reflects a natural attrition where more
Episcopalians are being buried than baptized and confirmed --- Mary Ann
Mueller

Service and suffering. The place of suffering in service and of passion
in mission is hardly ever taught today. But the greatest single secret
of evangelistic or missionary effectiveness is the willingness to suffer
and die. It may be a death to popularity (by faithfully preaching the
unpopular biblical gospel), or to pride (by the use of modest methods in
reliance on the Holy Spirit), or to racial and national prejudice (by
identification with another culture), or to material comfort (by
adopting a simpler lifestyle). But the servant must suffer if he is to
bring light to the nations, and the seed must die if it is to multiply.
--- John R.W. Stott

"The Church is supposed to be a hospital for Sinners, not a hotel for
saints." Even though we all probably agree with that concept, the
reality is that for those of us who grew up in "Christendom", the church
being a hotel for Saints actually worked just fine. Now, in these
"Missional" times, we have to shift to actually being a hospital for
Sinners. We don't know how to set up surgical wings and long-term
rehabilitation centers to help people become mature followers of Christ.
We just didn't have to before. --- Mark Eldredge

"We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is
the first duty of intelligent men." --- George Orwell

"You can't just tell kids, 'Behave! Because I told you so!' ... Without
a big spiritual narrative, some larger worldview, you have nothing to
hang moral behavior on." --- Terry Mattingly quoting Phil Vischer

Because children ARE the next generation, it is imperative that this
generation looks after them very carefully indeed. And nothing has ever
matched heterosexual marriage in securing that vitally important end.
--- Bill Muehlenberg

"Gay theology" is not just a threat to the integrity of the Church, it
is a diabolical trap designed to ensnare same-sex attracted believers in
a soul-binding heresy. --- Pastor Scot Lively

Evangelism and social action. If pressed ... *if one has to choose*,
eternal salvation is more important than temporal welfare. This seems to
be indisputable. But I want immediately to add that one should not
normally have to choose. As William Temple put it, 'if we have to choose
between making men Christian and making the social order more Christian,
we must make the former. But there is no such antithesis'. --- John R.W.
Stott

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
Sept. 15, 2017

HURRICANES. Despite the precariousness of America as it grapples with
the Culture Wars and the possibility of Civil War breaking out,
Americans come together when tragedy strikes.

This was most visibly seen in Houston and Florida this week when
thousands of first responders, FEMA, local police, Red Cross, the
Salvation Army, churches of all stripes, even something calling itself
the Cajun Navy brought boats to help flood-ravaged Houston. The media
performed remarkably well, risking life and limb to stand on roads and
in harm's way to bring us the latest on Hurricane Harvey and Irma. It
was no small feat.

This is America at its finest. I have seen this on the few occasions I
have witnessed road side accidents with overturned cars and people
lying, bleeding on the side of the road. People stop, they get out of
their cars and they help and comfort total strangers. Police and
ambulances are called, the helpers step aside as the professionals move
in and life goes on.

Of course, it won't stay that way, but for one brief shining moment
Americans showed who they are and what they could do in a time of
crisis.

Every huge disaster is followed by a huge fund-raising drive, especially
in the United States. But who gives all this money? It turns out that
the median donation is between US$50 and $100. Celebrities give,
companies give, foundations give. But millions of little guys give, too.
Almost half of Americans gave money for disaster relief after Katrina
and almost three-quarters donated after 9/11. We tend to complain about
self-centeredness and egotism in our culture. There's truth in that
negative vision, but it clearly is not the whole truth.

As New York Times columnist David Brooks put it, "Floods are invitations
to recreate the world. That only happens successfully when strong
individuals are willing to yoke themselves to collective institutions."

What better institution than the Christian Church.

*****

CARIBBEAN AND ARUBA

The Bishop of the Diocese of the Northeastern Caribbean and Aruba, Leroy
Errol Brooks, has written a letter appealing for funds to help his
devastated island.

"Hurricane Irma has dealt a hard blow to the people of our diocese and
beyond. We are grateful to Almighty God for sparing our lives and we
mourn for those whose lives were ended. Let me urge you to remember the
Apostle Peter when he got out of the boat to join Jesus walking on the
water. He was fine until he let the winds and waves distract him from
the Lord. When he began to sink, he cried out; "Jesus, save me." And He
did.

"As we go through these difficult days of cleaning up after Irma and
struggling with the loss of life and property, let me urge you to be
like Peter. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Remember also the words from the
Urbs..."Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on
Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for our Rock of Ages is the LORD."

"Please pray for one another and do not let Satan cause you to stumble.
Many of our places of worship have been damaged but few of the flock
taken from us. By God's grace, we will rebuild and prosper in our Lord
Jesus."

The office has sent this request:
"I am enclosing a list of items which will be immediately needed to help
those persons who were affected in our Diocese (Barbuda, Anguilla, St.
Maarten, Statia) by Hurricane Irma.
Water
Dried Goods and juices
Toiletries (sanitary pads, deodorants, Pampers for adults and children,
toilet paper, soaps, underwear for adults and children, disinfection,
paper towels, hand sanitizers)
Bedding (Sheets, Pillow cases, pillows)
Towels and wash cloths
First Aid Kits"
Please pray for all church leaders in the affected areas as they bring
comfort and play a role in the distribution of emergency relief in the
area. Pray for world governments as they respond to the need for the
massive task of reconstruction.

How to give practical help now:

Anglican Mainstream has the details of the Diocesan bank account to
which funds to purchase these necessities can be channeled and will pass
on all monies received through cheque (including charity and gift aided
cheques) to Caribbean Relief, Anglican Mainstream, 21 High Street,
Eynsham, OX29 4HE, UK.
Or here: http://anglicanmainstream.org/donations-and-appeals/

*****

NORTH AMERICA

In a decision that will not please everybody, but one that goes against
the grain of progressive Anglican provinces like The Episcopal Church,
the Anglican Church of Canada, the Church of England, the Church in
Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Australia
and AOTEAROA; the Anglican Church in North America vetoed women bishops
and women priests, but left open the door to those dioceses that still
wish to ordain women.

"We agree that there is insufficient scriptural warrant to accept
women's ordination to the priesthood as standard practice throughout the
Province. However, we continue to acknowledge that individual dioceses
have constitutional authority to ordain women to the priesthood," said
the statement. You can read the full story here or in today's digest.
http://tinyurl.com/yao76c3h
Newly-released Episcopal Church bar graphs reveal continued membership
loss in 2016. Preliminary data shows downward creep continuing. Mary Ann
Mueller, VOL Special Correspondent has compiled the data in which she
revealed that there were more deaths than baptisms and confirmations.

"The Episcopal Church is showing a continuing slow and steady downward
trend. Declining numbers no longer reflect the massive flood of
Episcopalians who left the denomination over women's ordination, the
acceptance of homosexual marriage or the full embrace of transgenderism.

Now, 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. You can read her report
here or in today's digest. http://tinyurl.com/yaopuj3w

*****

CAIRO. A group of Global South Primates, (not to be confused with GAFCON
primates, though there is considerable overlap) met in Cairo this past
week and issued a statement that one hopes the Archbishop of Canterbury
read and took note of.

After expressing displeasure at the innovations of the Scottish
Episcopal Church in changing its doctrine of marriage, the continued
innovations of The Anglican Church of Canada to allow same-sex marriage,
the group said they were working on a new structure for the Global South
to ensure fellowship in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and the
advancement of the kingdom of God, with emphasis on Ministry Formation,
Economic Empowerment, Mission Partnerships, Discipleship and Youth
Ministry.

On the upcoming summit of Primates with the ABC in Canterbury next
month, they said they are continuing to discern what the Lord is asking
of them in this hour. "The conscience of some does not allow them to
attend. Some intend to go in defense of the Gospel and some are
continuing to discern what the Lord is asking of them in this hour. We
have all agreed to pray that the outcome of the upcoming meeting will 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."

The sad truth is that the Church of England train is too far along the
homosexual track to change course and while they have not done anything
officially about practicing homosexuals. It is going on under the
official radar with the tacit approval of Welby and many of his bishops,
who have no reason to rock the boat, as he has already declared his hand
by calling for a "radical new inclusion" on sexuality issues.

One notable attendee at this gathering was the archbishop of the new
province of Sudan, The Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo. This will undoubtedly
anger Justin Welby, who thought, perhaps, he had him in his back pocket
after visiting there recently. One other notable attendee was Bishop
Julian Henderson, Diocese of Blackburn and President of CEEC-UK.

At the end of the day, it will be the Africans (the largest bloc of
Anglicans) who will maintain the faith and keep Anglicanism alive.
Within a couple of decades, most of the Western branches of Anglicanism
will either be irrelevant or dead.

Will all these primates attend Welby's summit in Canterbury next month?
Some will not, others will attend as a gospel witness, but no one is
going to compromise the faith on sexuality and Welby had better know
that now.

ACC CEO, Canon Phil Ashey who was present in Cairo, courageously asked
the question; Oh, and by the way, who is "failing to walk together"
when, as the Global South Primates note, the conditions for "walking
together" were nullified by the Archbishop of Canterbury himself, in his
failure to see that the restrictions on The Episcopal Church were
observed and respected? Point taken. You can read his take here:
http://tinyurl.com/y96p4hms

*****

US. In a public reflection from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry this
week, he made this observation: "It may be that we cannot solve
everything, and we cannot do everything. But we can do something, no
matter what."

I have a suggestion. Stop litigating against folk who don't agree with
you over the faith and whose properties you want (but can't fill)
because you don't share the same faith. You could save tens of millions
of dollars that could be spent repairing churches in Texas and Florida.
TEC would save millions of dollars and you might have some left over to
plant new churches, presuming, of course, that you have a saving faith
to communicate.

IN OTHER NEWS, Nashotah House Theological Seminary will present the
Archbishop Ramsey Award to Curry. "The award will be presented during a
special service on campus in recognition of Bishop Curry's profound
ministry and leadership in the Episcopal Church," said a press release.

"I am honored to be receiving the Archbishop Michael Ramsey award and I
look forward to visiting and preaching at Nashotah House. Growing up I
was influenced by Archbishop Ramsey and his work, and by priests from
Nashotah House, so this visit and award are truly special to me," stated
the Presiding Bishop.

The last time this happened, Ft. Worth Anglo-Catholic Bishop Jack Iker
resigned from the board after Katherine Jefferts Schori got an
invitation to speak there. Since Springfield Bishop Dan Martins has been
chairman, he has led in restructuring the Board of Trustees into a much
smaller Board of Directors and a larger "Corporation" (which contains
all the former Trustees who are not on the Board of Directors).

The Board of Directors hold the real power, and they are keeping the
House loyal to TEC. (Bishop Keith. Ackerman is the only ACNA member on
the Board of Directors.) The ACNA is having a difficult time making any
real gains in the governance of the House; and this is the main reason
why many in the ACNA don't trust Nashotah House. Giving the Archbishop
Michael Ramsey Award to PB Curry won't help. Ramsey and Curry are not
remotely on the same theological page.

In other Episcopal news, Katharine Jefferts-Schori has been selected by
TIME Magazine as One of the Women Changing the World. Hillary Clinton is
also in the list.

I can't find much fault with Time's choice, since Jefferts Schori has
the distinction of suing more congregations than any other bishop in
history and Clinton, of losing of an unlosable election, wrote David of
Samizdat.

No mention is made of whether the world is better or worse as a result
of the laboring of these ladies and, in the interests of even
handedness, TIME has chosen one of each: Katharine, worse through suing
and Hillary, better through losing.

The TIME project, which debuted Sept. 7, uses the metaphor of the glass
ceiling. "What a jagged image we use for women who achieve greatly,
defining accomplishment in terms of the barrier rather than the triumph.
There she is up where the air is thin, where men still outnumber women,
but where the altitude is awesome," the introduction says. "Our goal
with Firsts is for every woman and girl to find someone whose presence
in the highest reaches of success says to her that it is safe to climb,
come on up, the view is spectacular."

Jefferts Schori was so "spectacular" she presided over the single
largest annihilation of orthodoxy and orthodox priests and bishops in
the history of The Episcopal Church, a feat with no equals. She said she
would rather sell parishes to saloons than fellow Anglicans.

*****

SOUTH CAROLINA. Is that mediation or capitulation? Federal District
Judge Richard Gergel recommended "mediation" as a way of settling the
dispute and the parties involved have agreed in principle. At this
point, it would be inappropriate to speculate on any kind of resolution.
It should be noted, however, that TEC has never, in the 80+ cases
litigated nationwide, agreed to a settlement -- even when it was
requested. Our present priority is to focus on consideration of the
crucial Constitutional issues presented in our filed motions for
Rehearing and for Recusal.

BACKGROUND: On Sept. 1, the Diocese of South Carolina filed a motion
with the South Carolina Supreme Court for a rehearing of the case the
court decided on Aug. 2, favoring The Episcopal Church in South
Carolina. The diocese added a second motion for the recusal of Justice
Kay Hearn because of her affiliation with The Episcopal Church.

The diocese also had asked for a second 15-day extension for filing its
motion for rehearing, but the request was denied. In that request, the
group led by Bishop Mark Lawrence that left The Episcopal Church in
2012, referred to a separate federal lawsuit concerning intellectual
property. In that case, Judge Richard Gergel, of the U.S. District Court
in Charleston, issued an order on Aug. 30 assigning the case to Judge
Joseph F. Anderson Jr. for mediation.

The two sides consented to the mediation, which does not affect the
federal lawsuit, nor change the state Supreme Court decision. "The aim
is not to alter that decision, but to seek an agreement about how best
to implement it," The Episcopal Church in South Carolina wrote in an
email to its members.

In June 2015, The Episcopal Church in South Carolina proposed an
arrangement that would have allowed the diocese to keep 35 valuable
church properties in exchange for Camp St. Christopher and the
identifying name, marks and seal that had been associated with The
Episcopal Church for more than two centuries. That bargain was rejected
at the time because diocese officials said it wasn't offered in good
faith.

*****

NEW ZEALAND. Christchurch Cathedral will be reinstated, the Christchurch
Diocesan Synod has decided.

"This was not an easy or quick decision for the more than 220 members of
Synod," said Bishop Victoria Matthews. "Option A was chosen knowing we
could not please everyone, but the overwhelming message Christchurch
people told us was to 'just get on with it' and make a decision," Bishop
Matthews said.

"Many Synod members and observers addressed the Synod with passion and
conviction, discussing the history of Canterbury and the defining role
of the Anglican Cathedral in the creation of New Zealand's first city.
Other speeches spoke of a vision for the future and the need for change
as the church seeks to grow. In the end, the Synod voted to reinstate
with a 54.9 per cent majority."

*****

CANADA. The Bishop of Niagara, Michael Bird, has resigned. He won't say
why, just that he feels "devastated."

He's out the door June 1, 2018. He says he will take up a new ministry
in the Diocese of Ottawa. The deeper question is why? The Diocese of
Ottawa is dying faster than an armadillo hit by a Mack truck.

"Together, we have embraced so many exciting opportunities, we have
faced and met a number of daunting challenges, and above all we have
remained steadfast in our calling as God's people." I wonder if that
includes his suing a journalist who exposed the crazy stuff he was doing
to the diocese over properties and the faith. Whatever, it will be no
loss to the diocese.

*****

GAFCON, while guarding and proclaiming the unchanging truth in a
changing world,needs your support.
Dr. Peter Jensen is asking GAFCON followers to help maintain their
worldwide gospel centered movement outreach. "There are forces at work
against the Gospel and the unchanging truth of the Bible. Many church
leaders are learning it is costly to stand up for biblical orthodoxy --
and to stand against the changes that oppose the beliefs of the majority
of Anglicans worldwide."

If you can make a donation you can do so here:
http://tinyurl.com/ybby6639

FINALLY THIS: At a church in London, Ontario there have been so many
funerals that it was suggested from the pulpit that parishioners file
their funeral wishes and paperwork in the church office to be ready when
the time came.

All Blessings,

David



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

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:42:20 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: CAIRO: Global South Primates' Communique, September 9, 2017
Message-ID:
<1505443340.3565482....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

CAIRO: Global South Primates' Communique, September 9, 2017

Global South Primate Press Release
Sept. 11 2017

We, the Primates of the Global South, met in Cairo from 8-9 September
2017 to work together in service of the Church, to follow up the
recommendation of the 2016 Global South Conference and to discuss
arising issues. We give thanks to God for our time of prayer, worship,
and communion. In particular, we benefitted greatly from the ministry of
Dr. Os Guinness who led us in a Bible Study on the topic of biblical
Covenants and the love of God. We were blessed by the tremendous
hospitality of All Saints Cathedral, the Diocese of Egypt, and Bishop
Mouneer Anis. We are also grateful to the Egyptian government for all
the efforts taken to ensure granting visas and the security of the
meeting.

We remembered and gave thanks for the encouraging fellowship that our
delegates shared here in Egypt last year at the 6th Global South
conference. We were reminded of that conference's theme "Being Found
Faithful." By God's grace we have been saved and there is nothing in
this life that matters more than our faithfulness to Christ.

We shared together the challenges and blessings that we are experiencing
in our provinces. We noticed common themes across our fellowship. For
many of us, natural disasters and political unrest have created new
waves of refugees, yet at the same time this instability is being
accompanied by an extraordinary outpouring of God's Spirit. We heard
testimonies from areas in our provinces where people are coming to
Christ in thousands, new schools and hospitals are being built to care
for the poor, and new provinces and dioceses are emerging. We pray that
God will provide more labourers to disciple these new believers that He
is bringing into His kingdom, and pray that He will provide us with the
resources to share His love with all in our communities.

We welcomed The Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo of the new province of the
Sudan, and we rejoiced in the news of the desire to form new provinces
in Chile and Egypt.

As faithful members of the Anglican Communion, we are working on a new
structure for the Global South to ensure fellowship in the Gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ and the advancement of the kingdom of God, with
emphasis on Ministry Formation, Economic Empowerment, Mission
Partnerships, Discipleship and Youth Ministry. Under the chairmanship of
Bishop Rennis Ponniah the Structure Committee will convene its work in
Singapore at the end of October 2017.

We express our sadness for the decision taken by the Scottish Episcopal
Church to change its doctrine of marriage and are thankful for the
faithful remnant of the Scottish Anglican Network that continues to
contend for God's Word. We are also saddened by the decisions of the
General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada to allow same-sex
marriage. If this decision is ratified it will further tear the fabric
of the Communion.

We invited Bishop Julian Henderson, President of the Church of England
Evangelical Council (CEEC), to address us about the challenges facing
orthodox Anglicans in England. We commend the recent CEEC statements
reaffirming the biblical definition of marriage. We encourage Anglicans
in England to continue to stand firm in defence of the Gospel and to
speak up for the central place of Scripture in the life of our Church,
particularly in this 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

We are saddened that the 16th meeting of the Anglican Consultative
Council in Lusaka, Zambia, did not unequivocally accept the decisions of
the last Primates Meeting. While we expressed a desire to walk together
as a Communion, this was contingent upon our decisions regarding The
Episcopal Church being respected and upheld. Unfortunately, this
agreement was not enforced and The Episcopal Church has been allowed to
take part in decision making regarding "matters pertaining to polity and
doctrine." They have also represented us in ecumenical meetings. This
has led to a further breakdown of trust and confidence.

In light of this reality, we discussed the Archbishop of Canterbury's
invitation to the upcoming Primates' Meeting. The conscience of some
does not allow them to attend. Some intend to go in defence of the
Gospel and some are continuing to discern what the Lord is asking of
them in this hour. We have all agreed to pray that the outcome of the
upcoming meeting will 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.

We rejoice and pray for the upcoming meeting of Gafcon in June 2018 in
Jerusalem and give thanks for this renewal and reformation movement.

We gave thanks for the sacrificial and significant service of Bishop
Mouneer Anis, asking him to continue as our Chairman. Our next Global
South Primates Meeting will be 8-13 October 2018.

We ask you to continue to pray for the Church, especially that we might
be found faithful stewards contending for the faith which was once for
all delivered to the saints. Jude 1:3

___

The Most Rev. Mouneer Anis (Chairman)
Diocese of Egypt, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa

The Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh (Vice Chairman)
The Church of Nigeria

The Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali (Secretary)
The Church of Uganda

The Most Rev. Ng Moon Hing (Treasurer)
The Church of the Province of Southeast Asia

The Most Rev. Foley Beach
The Province of the Anglican Church in North America

The Most Rev. Masimango Katanda
The Anglican Church of the Congo

The Most Rev. Ezekiel Kondo
The Church of the Province of Sudan

The Most Rev. Daniel Sarfo
The Church of the Province of West Africa

The Most Rev. Paul Sarker
The Church of Bangladesh

The Most Rev. Stephen Than Myint Oo
The Church of the Province of Myanmar

The Most Rev. Gregory Venables
The Church of the Province of South America



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

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:42:47 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Australian Anglicans brand Scottish Episcopal Church
'contrary to the teaching of Christ'
Message-ID:
<1505443367.3565484....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Australian Anglicans brand Scottish Episcopal Church 'contrary to the
teaching of Christ'

By Harry Farley
CHRISTIAN TODAY
https://www.christiantoday.com/
September 8, 2017

Australian Anglicans have passed a motion branding the Scottish
Episcopal Church's decision to permit gay marriage as 'contrary to the
teaching of Christ'.

Tabled by conservatives but winning support across the Church of
Australia's ruling general synod, it openly backs Anglicans leaving the
Scottish Episcopal Church (SEC).

The vote on Thursday sets up a showdown next month as global Anglican
leaders, including the Scottish and Australian leaders, will gather in
Canterbury for the second time in less than two years.

Archbishop Freier faces a tense encounter with his Scottish counterpart
at a primates meeting in Canterbury next month.Reuters

It comes after the SEC voted to remove the teaching that marriage was
between 'one man and one woman', leaving the door open for priests who
wanted to conduct same-sex weddings.

The move has deepened divides within the worldwide Anglican Communion
but the Australian Church's decision to publicly criticise it will
further heighten tensions.

Its synod approved a motion that 'notes with regret' the decision to
change the teaching on marriage and says: 'This step is contrary to the
doctrine of our Church and the teaching of Christ that, in marriage, "a
man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the
two will become one flesh".'

It goes on to express 'our support for those Anglicans who have left or
will need to leave the Scottish Episcopal Church because of its
redefinition of marriage and those who struggle and remain'.

The text of the motion was altered several times throughout the debate,
eventually becoming more hardline than the initial statement. The final
version received widespread support across the three 'houses', passing
by 60 to 45 votes among the laity, 68 to 42 votes among the clergy and
12 to six votes among the bishops.

Australian's primate, the Archbishop of Melbourne Philip Freier, will
meet the Scottish Primus, the Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness Mark
Strange, along with the leaders of the other 39 Anglican provinces
around the world next month.

Hinting at a potentially tense encounter between the two leaders, the
motion concludes by praying 'that the Scottish Episcopal Church will
return to the doctrine of Christ in this matter and that impaired
relationships will be restored'.

The SEC's decision to allow gay marriage in church was widely celebrated
among more liberal leaning Anglicans around the world but has prompted
retaliatory action from conservatives.

The traditionalist network GAFCON appointed Andy Lines as a 'missionary
bishop' for Europe in response, saying he will offer alternative
oversight to Anglicans who no longer feel they can come under the
authority of their official bishop.

Two conservative leaders have refused the Archbishop of Canterbury's
invitation to Canterbury next month on the basis of the SEC's decision.

The Archbishop of Uganda, Stanley Ntagali was joined by the influential
Archbishop of Nigeria Nicholas Okoh who hinted at a split when he
snubbed Justin Welby's invitation earlier this week, warning the Church
was 'in the midst of the next great Reformation'.

'Everything else is the same or worse,' Okoh wrote comparing Welby's
tenure to that of his predecessor Rowan Williams. 'There is endless
debate, the will of the orthodox Primates is frustrated and
misrepresented, false teaching is not being corrected, and nothing is
being done to halt orthodox Anglicans in North America (and maybe soon
elsewhere) being stripped of the churches that have helped form their
spiritual lives.

'In these circumstances, 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.'



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

Message: 5
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:43:13 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: ACNA College of Bishops Statement on the Ordination of Women
Message-ID:
<1505443393.3565524....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

ACNA College of Bishops Statement on the Ordination of Women

Sept. 8, 2017
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing to you from the airport in Vancouver, British Columbia
following the meeting of our College of Bishops. We met this week,
September 5-7, 2017, in order to discuss the report of the Theological
Task Force on Holy Orders. As we met, we were deeply aware that North
America is reeling from devastating natural disasters: we heard
first-hand accounts of hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana, the
smoke from widespread wildfires in the Western parts of Canada and the
United States filled the air of Victoria where we met, and we followed
the latest reports of hurricane Irma in Haiti, Cuba, and the Caribbean.
With that hurricane now threatening the southeastern United States, some
bishops in the affected areas had to leave early to make preparations in
their dioceses and in their own homes. In the midst of these challenges,
we gathered to do the important work of discernment that had been laid
before us.

I write to thank you for your prayers for our meeting. Each bishop
shared his personal position on the ordination of women, and the
position of his diocese. We spent time listening to each other and to
the Lord. The deliberation was frank and, at times, poignant and
painful. We worshiped, prayed, read Scripture, and spent much time in
silence, earnestly seeking to hear God's voice and saying often
throughout our time together, "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all
the earth keep silence before him" (Habakkuk 2:20).

Words cannot convey all that the Lord did in our midst, but we leave
more unified than ever, and I give thanks for your faithfulness to lift
us up in prayer. Below is the statement by the College of Bishops,
unanimously adopted.

In Christ,

The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach
Archbishop and Primate
Anglican Church in North America

*****

A Statement from the College of Bishops on the Ordination of Women

September 7, 2017

PREAMBLE

In an act of mutual submission at the foundation of the Anglican Church
in North America, it was agreed that each Diocese and Jurisdiction has
the freedom, responsibility, and authority to study Holy Scripture and
the Apostolic Tradition of the Church, and to seek the mind of Christ in
determining its own convictions and practices concerning the ordination
of women to the diaconate and the priesthood. It was also unanimously
agreed that women will not be consecrated as bishops in the Anglican
Church in North America. These positions are established within our
Constitution and Canons and, because we are a conciliar Church, would
require the action of both Provincial Council and Provincial Assembly to
be changed.

STATEMENT

Having gratefully received and thoroughly considered the five-year study
by the Theological Task Force on Holy Orders, we acknowledge that there
are differing principles of ecclesiology and hermeneutics that are
acceptable within Anglicanism that may lead to divergent conclusions
regarding women's ordination to the priesthood. However, we also
acknowledge that this practice is a recent innovation to Apostolic
Tradition and Catholic Order. We agree that there is insufficient
scriptural warrant to accept women's ordination to the priesthood as
standard practice throughout the Province. However, we continue to
acknowledge that individual dioceses have constitutional authority to
ordain women to the priesthood.

COMMITMENTS

As a College of Bishops, we confess that our Province has failed to
affirm adequately the ministry of all Christians as the basic agents of
the work of the Gospel. We have not effectively discipled and equipped
all Christians, male and especially female, lay and ordained, to fulfill
their callings and ministries in the work of God's kingdom. We repent of
this and commit to work earnestly toward a far greater release of the
whole Church to her God-given mission.

Having met in Conclave to pray, worship, study, talk, and listen well to
one another, we commit to move forward in unity to carry on the good
witness and work that God has given us to do in North America (Ephesians
4:1-6; John 17). We invite and urge all members of the Province to
engage with us in this endeavor to grow in understanding the mission and
ministry of all God's people.

Adopted unanimously by the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in
North America
The Church of Our Lord, Victoria, BC, Canada



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

Message: 6
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:43:35 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: ACNA College of Bishops Issue Solomonic Decision on Women's
Ordination
Message-ID:
<1505443415.3565599....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

ACNA College of Bishops Issue Solomonic Decision on Women's Ordination

NEWS ANALYSIS

By David W. Virtue, DD
www.virtueonline.org
Sept. 10, 2017

In a decision that will not please everybody, but one that goes against
the grain of progressive Anglican provinces like The Episcopal Church,
the Anglican Church of Canada, the Church of England, the Church in
Wales, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church of Australia
and AOTEAROA; the Anglican Church in North America vetoed women bishops
and women priests, but left open the door to those dioceses that still
wish to ordain women.

"We agree that there is insufficient scriptural warrant to accept
women's ordination to the priesthood as standard practice throughout the
Province. However, we continue to acknowledge that individual dioceses
have constitutional authority to ordain women to the priesthood," said
the statement.

The College of Bishops unanimously agreed that women will never be
consecrated as bishops in the Anglican Church in North America.

ACNA does allow women to be ordained to the Diaconate.

This decision flies in the face of a recent decision by the Archbishop
of Canterbury, who oversaw the first women consecrated as bishops in the
Church of England. Two weeks ago, the Anglican Church of Australia
consecrated its first woman archbishop.

Internationally among the global Anglican Communion, it is a mixed bag.

There are four Anglican Communion jurisdictions that do not ordain any
women to any order. They are: Central Africa, Melanesia, Papua New
Guinea, and South-East Asia.

Two Anglican Communion jurisdictions do not ordain women priests. They
are Nigeria and Pakistan. Most African provinces ordain women to the
priesthood, with the exception of Rwanda and Nigeria.

One Anglican Communion jurisdiction that permits the ordination women
priests, but hasn't done so yet is Burma.

Eleven Anglican Communion jurisdictions permit the consecration of women
bishops, but haven't done so are: Bangladesh, Brazil, Central America,
Japan, Mexico, North India, the Philippines, Scotland, the Sudan,
Tanzania and Uganda.

Ten Anglican Communion jurisdictions that have consecrated women bishops
are: Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia, Australia, Canada, England,
Ireland, Southern Africa, South India, the United States, Wales and
Cuba.

Ten Anglican Communion jurisdictions that have priests but do not permit
the consecration of women bishops are: Burundi, Hong Kong, Indian Ocean,
Jerusalem & the Middle East, Kenya, Korea, Rwanda, South America, West
Africa and the West Indies.

Six Anglican Communion provincial and extra-provincial jurisdictions
that have woman priests, but the canonical status of the consecration of
women bishops is questionable and have no bishops are: Burma, Bermuda,
Ceylon, the Falkland Islands, Spain and Portugal. It could not be
ascertained if the Congo has women priests. They do not have or allow
women bishops.

Overall, there is little evidence, theological arguments aside, that
women priests or women bishops have successfully planted churches or
made churches grow.

It should be further noted that the Roman Catholic Church does not
ordain women to any order as expressed in the current Code of Canon Law
and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states that "Only a
baptized man validly receives sacred ordination." The Catholic Church
teaches that this requirement is a matter of divine law and thus
doctrinal. They also believe that women cannot be validly ordained as
deacons.

The Orthodox Church precludes the ordination of women to the priesthood
and episcopacy. It is a matter of Holy Tradition, as well as a vision of
ministry as something not limited to the ordained priesthood.

Alice Linsley, an American anthropologist and former Episcopal priest
who renounced her orders after extensive biblical, theological and
anthropological studies says the priesthood of women is informed by
feminism and Process Theology, not by Scripture or sacred history.

Linsley believes the temptation is to create a designer church or to
seek to reproduce the late great Episcopal Church. "No new ground can be
won by facing backward. We have entered upon a great adventure as
pioneers on a new frontier."

She observed that the wreckage of women's ordination can be seen in the
same diocese that put forward Barbara Harris, the first African American
female bishop; Geralyn Wolf, the first female bishop to have converted
from Judaism; and Mary Glasspool, the first partnered lesbian bishop. "I
knew them all...their perspectives on the priesthood were informed by
feminism and Process Theology. Our paths diverged dramatically once I
began to consider questions about the origin and nature of the
priesthood from the perspective of anthropology."

"Catholic Anglicans have a special role to play in the revitalization of
Anglicanism worldwide. We have a responsibility to oppose feminism,
process theology, reductionism, fundamentalism, and iconoclasm," she
said.

END



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

Message: 7
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:43:55 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Anglican Churches to Sign Statement of Full Communion at
Historic Atlanta Joint Synod - UPDATED
Message-ID:
<1505443435.3565600....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Anglican Churches to Sign Statement of Full Communion at Historic
Atlanta Joint Synod - UPDATED

By Chandler Holder Jones
Anglican Province of America
Sept. 11, 2017

This October the leaders of four Continuing Anglican Churches--The
Anglican Church in America (ACA), the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC),
the Anglican Province of America (APA), and the Diocese of the Holy
Cross (DHC)--will gather in Atlanta for a series of joint synods to
formally recognize their growing affinity and to sign an historic
statement of full communion.

The four Churches represent 300 congregations in the United States as
well as larger memberships in Africa, South America, Oceania, Asia, and
England. The groups have grown increasingly close over recent years, and
look to the Congress of Saint Louis (1977) and the Affirmation of Saint
Louis as common historical and theological touchstones. The Churches are
united by commitments to credal orthodoxy; to traditional Anglican
worship; to the threefold Apostolic ministry of bishops, priests, and
deacons; and to traditional morality in issues affecting the sanctity of
life and human sexuality.

While all four Churches seek closer relations with other ecclesial
bodies with Anglican backgrounds, they differ from most of them in a
firm belief that innovations since the mid-1970s such as modernist
liturgies and the purported ordination of women to Holy Orders
constitute unacceptable developments that remove Anglicans from the
central Tradition of the Undivided Church of the first millennium.

The 2017 Anglican Joint Synods will meet over the week of October 2nd to
6th 2017 at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia Hotel on
Ashford-Dunwoody Road. At the conclusion the Bishops and Councils are
expected to sign an agreement establishing full communion, known as
"communio in sacris", and formally pledge to pursue full unity. These
documents aim to reconcile several contentious issues and, more
significantly, open up reciprocity of holy orders and sacramental life.

During the October meetings, the four Churches will discuss common plans
for mission and evangelism, signaling a new chapter in their life and
ministry together. Each Church will hold its own mandatory business
meetings and Synods, but the four will join together throughout the week
for common worship and social occasions.

The four Churches and their episcopal leaders are the Anglican Church in
America, led by Presiding Bishop Brian Marsh; the Anglican Catholic
Church, led by Archbishop Mark Haverland; the Anglican Province of
America, led by Presiding Bishop Walter Grundorf, and the Diocese of the
Holy Cross, led by Bishop Paul Hewett.

The combined Synod Mass at the hotel on Friday morning at 11am, October
6th 2017, following the plenary session, will be a joint celebration
expressing the sacramental communion of the four Churches. The public is
invited to attend the Mass. All interested people are urged to make
plans now to attend this unique history-making event.



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

Message: 8
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:44:27 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Newly-released Episcopal Church bar graphs reveal continued
membership loss in 2016
Message-ID:
<1505443467.3565680....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Newly-released Episcopal Church bar graphs reveal continued membership
loss in 2016
Preliminary data shows downward creep continuing

By Mary Ann Mueller
VOL Special Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
September 8, 2017

September not only means a lowering of temperatures, possible late
summer hurricanes threatening the US coastline, and the beginning of
colorful fall foliage, it also signals the time when The Episcopal
Church starts releasing its latest membership figures. This preliminary
information, for the calendar year ending December 31, 2016, was
released in the form of colorful blue (baptized membership), red (ASA),
and green (plate & pledge) diocesan participation bar graphs used to
visualize changes in membership, average Sunday attendance and plate &
pledge over a 10-year period.

The 14 dioceses which seem to have an increase of baptized membership
include: Alabama, Delaware, Fond du Lac, Hawaii, Idaho, Nebraska,
Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, TEC Pittsburgh, TEC San Joaquin,
Tennessee, Utah, and Western Kansas.

Another 68 dioceses showed a discernible drop in membership including:
Alaska, Albany, Arizona, Arkansas, Bethlehem, California, Central
Florida, Central Gulf Coast, Central New York, Central Pennsylvania,
Chicago, Colorado, Connecticut, Dallas, East Tennessee, Eastern
Michigan, Eastern Oregon, Easton, El Camino Real, Florida, Georgia,
Indianapolis, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Lexington, Los Angeles, Louisiana,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Milwaukee, and Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, Navajoland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Newark, Northern California, Northern Indiana, Northern Michigan,
Northwest Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Olympia, Oregon, Rochester, San Diego,
Southeast Florida, Southern Ohio, Southern Virginia, Southwest Florida,
Southwestern Virginia, Spokane, Springfield, Upper South Carolina,
Vermont, Virginia, Washington DC, Western Missouri, West Texas, Western
Louisiana, Western Massachusetts, Western Michigan, and Western New
York.

An initial perusal of the newly-released graphs reveals some changes in
baptismal numbers, ASA and P&P income are so small that they do not show
up in the bar graph.

The 16 dioceses that show a minute membership bar graph movement and are
too close to call include: Atlanta, East Carolina, Eau Claire, TEC Fort
Worth, Long Island, Montana, Northwestern Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Rio Grande, South Dakota, Texas, West Tennessee, West
Virginia, Western North Carolina and Wyoming.

The Episcopal Church is showing a continuing slow and steady downward
trend. Declining numbers no longer reflect the massive flood of
Episcopalians who left the denomination over women's ordination, the
acceptance of homosexual marriage or the full embrace of transgenderism.

Five entire dioceses left TEC, led by San Joaquin in 2007, followed by
Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, and Quincy in 2008; and finally, South Carolina
in 2012. Thousands of other Episcopalians also left on an individual
basis, leaving Episcopal churches to empty. Now, 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.

For a fifth year in a row, The Episcopal Church has not developed a bar
graph for The Episcopal Church IN South Carolina, so only 98 out of
TEC's 99 domestic dioceses are reflected in the graphs. In 2012, the
Episcopal Diocese OF South Carolina disaffiliated with the Episcopal
General Convention and has since joined the Anglican Church in North
America. Five years later, the now ACNA diocese is still battling in the
courts for its churches and corporate name.

The 100th domestic Episcopal diocese -- Quincy -- reunited with the
Diocese of Chicago to become the Peoria Deanery in 2012. It is no longer
represented by TEC's yearly participation bar graphs.

However, 11 of TEC's dioceses which seemed to show an ASA uptick in 2016
are: Georgia, Navajoland, Nebraska, Northwest Texas, Northwestern
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, Vermont, Washington DC, Western Kansas,
and Western New York.

Some 54 dioceses which showed a downward trend in Average Sunday
Attendance (ASA) include: Alaska, Albany, Arizona, Bethlehem,
California, Central Gulf Coast, Central New York, Central Pennsylvania,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, East Tennessee, Eastern Michigan,
Easton, Eau Claire, El Camino Real, Florida, Fond du Lac, Hawaii, Idaho,
Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Lexington, Long Island, Los Angeles, and
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Missouri, New
Hampshire, Newark, North Dakota, Northern California, Northern Indiana,
Oregon, Rio Grande, San Diego, South Dakota, Southeast Florida, Southern
Virginia, Southwest Florida, Southwestern Virginia, Spokane, Upper South
Carolina, Utah, West Missouri, West Texas, West Virginia, Western
Louisiana, Western Massachusetts, Western Michigan.

However, there are 33 TEC dioceses whose increase or decrease in ASA
numbers cannot be visually determined until the actual 2016 figures are
made public. They include: Alabama, Arkansas, Atlanta, Central Gulf
Coast, Chicago, Dallas, East Carolina, Eastern Oregon, TEC Fort Worth,
Indianapolis, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Olympia, Pennsylvania, TEC Pittsburgh,
Rhode Island, Rochester, Northern Michigan, TEC San Joaquin, Southern
Ohio, Springfield, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Texas, Western North
Carolina, and Wyoming.

Plate and pledge income for 2016 is also a mixed bag, with little more
than a third of domestic Episcopal diocese showing an offering plate
increase. The 37 dioceses are: Alabama, Atlanta, California, Central
Florida, Central Gulf Coast, Dallas, Delaware, East Carolina, East
Tennessee, El Camino Real, Florida, Fond du Lac, TEC Fort Worth, Hawaii,
Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, and Nebraska.

Also: North Carolina, Northern California, Ohio, Olympia, Oregon, Rhode
Island, Rio Grande, Rochester, TEC San Joaquin, Southern Virginia,
Southwest Florida, Spokane, Springfield, Tennessee, Virginia, West
Tennessee, Western Michigan, and Wyoming,

The 48 TEC dioceses showing a decrease in plate and pledge include:
Alaska, Albany Arkansas, Bethlehem, Central New York, Central
Pennsylvania, Chicago, Colorado, Connecticut, Eastern Michigan, Eastern
Oregon, Easton, Eau Claire, Idaho, Indianapolis, Iowa, Lexington, Long
Island, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Milwaukee, and
Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Newark, North Dakota,
Northern Indiana, Northern Michigan, Northwestern Pennsylvania,
Oklahoma, San Diego, South Dakota, Southwestern Virginia, Texas, Upper
South Carolina, Vermont, Washington DC, Western Missouri, West Texas,
West Virginia, Western Kansas, Western Louisiana, Western Massachusetts,
and Western New York.

The remaining 13 TEC dioceses with a relatively flat plate and pledge
graphic include: Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, New
Hampshire, Northwest Texas, Pennsylvania, TEC Pittsburgh, Southeast
Florida, Southern Ohio, Utah, and Western North Carolina.

Past history shows that actual figures are needed to flesh out the
visual thumb nail bar graphs. These figures will be released by The
Episcopal Church later in late September.

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



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

Message: 9
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:44:50 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Bishop Bruno pushes back on Title IV disciplinary measures
against him
Message-ID:
<1505443490.3565732....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Bishop Bruno pushes back on Title IV disciplinary measures against him
An appeal has been mounted

By Mary Ann Mueller
VOL Special Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
September 10, 2017

Bishop John Bruno (VI Los Angeles) is not taking Title IV Hearing
Panel's sanctions against lying down. Nor is he poised to accept them.
On Sept. 7, he fired back with a short three-page brief on Diocese of
Los Angeles letterhead, charging that the panel's Aug. 2 ruling was
deliberately prejudiced against him.

On Aug. 2, four of the five-member Hearing Panel determined that Bishop
Bruno would be barred from exercising his ministry, either as priest or
bishop, for a three-year period of time. It also said that he was to
keep his hands off of all real or personal property and to refrain from
involving himself in any "temporal affairs of the church." It was also
determined that "St. James the Great is a casualty of Bishop Bruno's
misconduct acting as Diocesan and Corp Sole," and that the church "was
robbed of a reasonable chance to succeed as a sustainable community of
faith."

The Hearing Panel also strongly recommended that "as a matter of
justice", the Diocese of Los Angeles "immediately suspend its efforts to
sell the St. James property, that it restore the congregation and vicar
to the church building and that it reassign St. James the Great to
appropriate mission status."

That prohibition was quickly ignored by the Bishop-coadjutor John
Taylor, in conjunction with the Diocese of Los Angeles' Standing
Committee, which determined that through Bishop Bruno, the Diocese has
entered into a binding contract to sell the Newport Beach property where
St. James the Great sits with Burnham-Ward Properties/Burnham USA.
Apparently, that agreement cannot be broken without "further expense and
litigation."

"... Bishop Bruno has entered into a binding contract to sell the
property," Bishop Taylor wrote on Aug. 14. "The buyer has the legal
right to expect the seller to honor the contract."

Bishop Taylor was elected Bishop-coadjutor on December 3, 2017, and was
consecrated on July 8. He will take over the full reins of leadership
later this year when Bishop Bruno retires and ends his 15-year reign.

In his written response to the Hearing Panel's disciplinary actions,
Bishop Bruno addressed 18 issues and charges that the he felt the Panel
violated the Constitution & Canons of The Episcopal Church; exceeded its
Title IV authority; had not decided all issues requiring resolution;
erroneously interpreted and/or applied the church canon law; is guilty
of procedural errors; and that the "factual determinations" of the Panel
are not supported by "substantial evidence."

Bishop Bruno also levels charges that the Panel was improperly
influenced by church authorities in its Title IV decision-making
process; failed to maintain confidentiality; referenced secular court
rulings to determine canon law; failed to dismiss the Title IV action;
refused discovery evidence; failed to decide the Title II 6:3 charge as
used in the Title IV action; blindsided him with a Title II 6:2 charge
-- consulting with the Standing Committee about the sale of property;
relied on irrelevant evidence in the Trial of a Bishop; excluded Canon
Cindy Voorhees' deposition and other pertinent evidence at the Trial of
a Bishop; relied on a negative publicity campaign against him as
evidence in the charge of "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy";
exceeded its jurisdiction to suggest to the Standing Committee not to
continue with the sale of the property; and made "irrelevant findings"
by adopting The Episcopal Church attorney's facts without proper
analysis to the weight of evidence.

Therefore, Bishop Bruno asks the nine-member Court of Review for Bishops
to "reverse the order of the Hearing Panel and dismiss all charges and
restrictions in the Title IV disciplinary matter" involving him.

Five-members made up the Hearing Panel. Four of the five panelists
signed the order, including: Bishop Herman Hollerith, IV (X Southern
Virginia); Bishop Nicholas Knisely (XIII Rhode Island); Fr. Erik Larsen
(Rhode Island) and Ms. Deborah Stokes (Southern Ohio). The fifth
remaining member, Bishop Michael Smith (XI North Dakota), was seeking
reconciliation and redemption rather than retribution.

"Both parties have ignored this scriptural wisdom: the Bishop, when he
resorted to the secular court against the Anglicans who attempted to
depart with the property; and the congregation of St. James the Great,
under the guise of 'Save St. James the Great,' when it filed a civil
complaint against the Bishop to stop the sale of the property," Bishop
Smith stated in a dissenting communique. "Christian reconciliation
becomes an elusive goal under these circumstances."

Sanctions against Bishop Bruno cannot be enforced until his appeals
process has run its course. His appeal could also be successful and the
bishop's court ruling overturned leaving Bishop Bruno's ministry intact.

This is not the first time a bishop has been adjudicated by the Trial of
a Bishop and has sought redress through the Court of Review for Bishops.

The Bennison-Bruno connection

In 2008, Bishop Charles Bennison (XI Philadelphia) was found guilty of
covering up his brother's on-going sexual abuse of a young teenage girl.
At the time, newly-ordained Deacon John Bennison was the youth minister
at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Upland, California, while his brother
(Charles) was rector.

Eventually, Deacon Bennison was ordained into the priesthood and became
rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Clayton, California, a position
he held 25 years.

In 2006, a San Francisco television investigative news crew at KGO-TV 7
news broke the story about Fr. Bennison's various sexual dalliances not
only with the teenager, but a married woman as well.

When SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) heard about
the Episcopal priest's previous sexual misdeeds, it lobbied for Fr.
Bennison's defrocking. He was deposed on June 12, 2006. Initially, there
was some confusion as to whether Fr. Bennison could be deposed or if he
already was deposed. Records show that during the 1970s, he voluntarily
renounced his orders, but was able to work his way back into the good
graces of The Episcopal Church, recover his priesthood and land a
rectorship.

The irony is that Bishop Bruno was instrumental in the defrocking of Fr.
Bennison. The former Episcopal priest's known sexual transgressions took
place at St. Mark's, which is within the Diocese of Los Angeles. So,
even though Fr. Bennison in 2006, was rector at St. John's in Diocese of
California, when his past history was uncovered by the television
station, Bishop Bruno had to sign off on his deposition before Bishop
William Swing (XII California) could actually depose him.

The former Fr. Bennison has not faded way. Now he is Dr. Bennison with a
Ph.D. in religion from Claremont School of Theology. He is involved in
Pathway Faith Community an embracive, inclusive, progressive Internet
"non-church", which includes "self-professed atheists, agnostics, pagans
and believers of any sort." He also writes the Words & Ways commentary
blog from a progressive angle, which has drawn the praise of at least
two retired Episcopal bishops.

"John Bennison's messages are always interesting, always provocative
and, as often as not, inspiring, memorably inspiring," commented Bishop
John S. Thornton (XIII Bishop of Idaho). "Few preachers are so aware of
what's going on in the world and few are so aware of what's going on in
them, as a consequence."

Dr. Bennison's old friend Bishop Swing, also commented on his blog: "As
Mary and I traveled abroad last week, I read aloud your collection of
writings. Superb! Sometimes I couldn't finish a sentence, as I was
touched to tears. Your sermons are the reason we all preach ... Thank
you."

The Bennison brothers grew up in an Episcopal rectory. Their father,
Charles E. Bennison, Sr., eventually became the V Bishop of the
Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan.

Bishop Bennison's successful appeal

As a result of the initial cover-up, Bishop Bennison the younger, a
presentment was brought against him in late October 2007, with
"suppressing the information about his brother until 2006, when he
disclosed publicly what he knew" and "failing to minister to people who
he understood to have been injured by his brother's conduct."

This resulted in Bishop Bennison being removed as Bishop of the Diocese
of Philadelphia and inhibited by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts
Schori on October 31, 2007. This was in effect through the June 2008
Trial of a Bishop, in which he was found guilty on both charges. He
faced defrocking as a result of the guilty verdict.

On October 3, 2008, the Court for the Trial of a Bishop handed down its
sentence, formally deposing Bishop Bennison, Jr. from holy orders. The
order stated: "The court finds that even today Bishop Bennison has not
shown that he comprehends the nature, significance and effect of his
conduct and has not accepted responsibility and repented for his conduct
and the substantial negative effects of that conduct."

However, Bishop Bennison appealed, and, like his brother, he was able to
work his way back into the good graces of The Episcopal Church and
regain his diocese.

In 2009, Bishop Bennison first appealed to the Court of Review for
Bishops. He requested a new trial, citing new exculpatory evidence. He
was denied. His second appeal was based on the statute of limitations.
In August 2010, the ecclesial appeals court found that the statute of
limitations had been breached by the time the 2007 Title IV presentment
was issued, so the bishop's court ruling was overturned and Bishop
Bennison was returned to his diocese amid a non-binding House of Bishops
resolution urging him to retire. He finally hung up his mitre on Dec.
31, 2012.

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



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

Message: 10
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:45:20 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: RIP the C of E -- choked by her own niceness
Message-ID:
<1505443520.3565734....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

RIP the C of E -- choked by her own niceness

By Jules Gomes
https://www.julesgomes.com/
September 10, 2017

Dearly beloved, we have gathered in this place to bury a nice church who
wanted to be nice to everybody. She ordained nice vicars to hold nice
services with nice choirs (or happy bands) and preach nice sermons in
nice churches. After the service, nice people in nice congregations
would have a nice cup of weak tea with not-so-nice soggy biscuits and go
home to a nice Sunday roast.

The Church of England had nice bishops who sat on nice cushions in the
House of Lords and lived in nice palaces with nicely manicured gardens.
Everyone was so very nice to each other. The nice bishops and nice
vicars preached the gospel of niceness. No one was ever offended by this
gospel, because the Church of England's raison d'?tre was to offend
nobody. Her greatest ambition was to be all things to all people. We lay
her to rest in a nice coffin, lower her into a nice grave and cover her
with nice flowers. Amen.

This week, the British Social Attitudes Survey pronounced the coroner's
verdict on the strange death of the Church of England. Only 3 per cent
of adults under 24 are Anglican. In the 25-34 age group, only 5 per cent
identify as Anglicans. Only 15 per cent of British adults call
themselves Anglican. The decline is catastrophic. It is time to lay the
C of E to rest.

When conducting an inquest on Lady C of E, the coroner might not limit
himself to a sociological diagnosis. A materialist analysis cannot fully
answer the question of why young men become jihadis and blow themselves
up. Similarly, there are good sociological reasons for the death of the
C of E but they need the support of a theological analysis.

Martin Parsons, in his forthcoming book Good for Society: Christian
Values and Conservative Politics, argues that 'one of the primary
drivers of secularisation in the twentieth century was clearly the
assumption by the state of roles previously undertaken by the church.
Central to this was the increasing control of school education in
Britain from 1870 and the emergence of Socialism across the world.' Not
surprisingly, New Zealand, the first English-speaking country to pursue
socialism, is now the most secular, while Scotland, once one of the most
widely Christian parts of the UK, has under Labour and the SNP become
'both its most secular and most Socialist,' observes Dr Parsons.

In other words, the church was doing three bags full of good deeds. It
was going around being nice -- feeding the poor, healing the sick and
educating the illiterate. But was it clarifying to the curious its
motivation for doing good? In most cases, no. The vicar was simply a
glorified social worker. And when the state took over the good works
that the church was doing, the church was made redundant. She had forged
her identity on the anvil of good works and was now stripped of that
identity. She simply did not know what to do.

Until the state under a Labour government began a new crusade --
equality of outcomes. With a hey, and a ho, and a hey-nonny-no, the C of
E jumped on the equality bandwagon. After all, it was committed to
niceness and what could be nicer than campaigning for equality? The C of
E replaced do-goodism with social justice. She willingly capitulated to
the agenda of the state on fundamental issues of morality -- abortion,
homosexuality and marriage and in doing so lost her identity as the
moral voice of the nation.

Instead of speaking truth to power in keeping with her esteemed pedigree
of the biblical prophets, she turned herself into a ventriloquist's
dummy and squawked in the high-pitched tones of the Labour-socialist
voice. Then, suddenly, when her equality agenda proclaimed that some
people -- women, ethnic minorities, gays, lesbians, transgendered -- are
more equal than the white cisgender male, she lost some of her niceness
and became nasty towards some while stepping up to be extra nice to the
new pantheon of victim groups. Her ecclesiastical schizophrenia confused
the nation.

So when Tory politician Jacob Rees-Mogg confidently stated he was
against abortion and gay marriage because of the teaching of the
Catholic Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Wobbly Welby was parroting the
dogma of equality of outcomes and calling for radical economic reform,
i.e. stealing from the haves and doling it out to the have-nots.

When Sikh, Hindu and Pakistani Christian leaders responded to the abuse
of teenage white girls in Muslim-dominated towns around England this
week in a letter to The Times highlighting the fact that victims of
grooming gangs 'are almost always non-Muslim' and the perpetrators 'of
largely Pakistani Muslim heritage', not a single C of E bishop dared to
say boo to the Muslim goose.

The coroner's theological diagnosis is far more serious. The Church of
England died of niceness because she substituted the religion of the
cross for the cult of snowflakery. The original symbol of her identity,
the cross, was grotesque. Like the electric chair, the noose or the
guillotine, the cross was a symbol of the death penalty -- the badge of
criminality deserving gruesome public execution. The church survives
only by worshipping a God and telling the story of a God who was
crucified as a criminal by the greatest empire in the ancient world.
This central narrative of the church's identity is not nice.
Understandably, Lady C of E desperately wanted to be nice.

So she bartered the badge of her identity, the cross, for the emblem of
all that is malleable, cowardly, and vacillating -- the snowflake.
Snowflakes are very nice. Nobody is offended by a snowflake. You can
take snowflakes and shape them into a snowball or a snowman. Sadly, a
snowflake cannot bear strong sunlight. It melts and dies a shy death.
Its life is limited by its superficiality.

The Scottish theologian P T Forsyth drove home the centrality of the
cross when he wrote at the beginning of the last century: 'The church
rests on the cross of Christ. If you move faith from that centre, you
have driven the nail into the church's coffin. The church is then doomed
to death, it is a matter of time when she shall expire.'

The church finds its identity solely in the cross of Christ. 'A
Christianity which does not measure itself in theology and practice by
this criterion loses its identity and becomes confused with the
surrounding world; it becomes the religious fulfilment of the prevailing
social interests, or of the interests of those who dominate society. It
becomes a chameleon which can no longer be distinguished from the leaves
of the tree in which it sits,' writes German theologian J?rgen Moltmann
in his book The Crucified God.

No wonder people in Britain are turning to Islam; a fact conveniently
ignored by the British Social Attitudes Survey. Douglas Murray confirms
this in The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam 'For
some years now I have been especially struck by numerous accounts I have
heard first hand and also read from people who have chosen to convert to
Islam . . . The fact that they chose Islam is a story in itself. Why do
these young men and women (very often women) not reach out and find
Christianity? Partly it is because most branches of European
Christianity have lost the confidence to proselytise or even believe in
their own message. For the Church of Sweden, the Church of England, the
German Lutheran Church and many other branches of European Christianity,
the message of the religion has become a form of Left-wing politics,
diversity action and social welfare projects. Such churches argue for
"open borders" yet are circumspect about quoting the texts they once
preached as revealed.'

The C of E lost her identity in the fog of congeniality. She was so nice
to everyone. There was only one teensy-weensy problem with her posture
of rolling over like a dog, letting everyone tickle her tummy, and
patting her on the head with the words 'What a nice doggie.' Human
beings are not nice. Human beings will never be nice. The world is not a
nice place. The world will never be a nice place.

Liberals and Leftists hate the conservative idea of the
non-perfectibility of human nature. 'Every day in every way I am
progressively getting better and better,' is their morning prayer as
they look into the cracked mirror. Liberals and Leftists also swear by
the grand mythical delusion of utopia. 'By the power of the state, we
can bring about the Fourth Reich of Heaven on Earth,' is their quaintly
demented slogan. Lamentably, as the C of E jettisoned the cross, she
swallowed these myths of niceness. They stuck in her throat and killed
her.

Church of England, Requiescat in Pace.

(Originally published in The Conservative Woman)



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

Message: 11
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:46:07 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Biblical Law, Grace and 'Gay' Recidivism
Message-ID:
<1505443567.3565828....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Biblical Law, Grace and 'Gay' Recidivism

By Scott Lively
http://www.scottlively.net/2017/09/05/gay-recovery-recidivism-and-grace/
Posted on September 5, 2017

Ex-"gays" have been a part of the Christian church from its earliest
days. After reminding believers that "homosexuals" and "effeminates"
(male transsexuals) "will not inherit the Kingdom of God," the Apostle
Paul wrote: "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by
the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). This scripture was
foundational to the ministry of Exodus International, which served as a
hub for many independent groups of ex-"gays" around the world from 1976
to 2013. Exodus was so named to evoke the exodus of the Hebrew slaves
from Egypt in the Bible, and to analogize compulsive same-sex attraction
and conduct to slavery from which one could be delivered by God.

Though I have never experienced same-sex attraction, I attended several
Exodus conferences and other functions and was deeply impressed by the
glowing Christian character of many of its members and the overpowering
presence of the Holy Spirit, especially during their worship in music. I
have always had a special place in my heart for "gay" strugglers and
have ministered to many individuals over the years as an aspect of my
Bible-based Christian activism.

As with any compulsive behavioral disorder, homosexuality is tough to
overcome. There's an aspect of physiology involved in all addictions --
drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, video games, porn, whatever -- that
addicts the struggler to his or her own pleasure-related brain chemicals
that are released when they act out. Unlike most other addictions,
however, sex-based ones are especially hard to escape because sexuality
is hard-wired in us and the brain chemistry associated with sexual
release is extraordinarily powerful. If you never experienced cocaine,
you'd never miss it, but everyone is sexual by nature, and the sexual
impulse is continual throughout life, whether you want it or not.

Once your brain associates sexual pleasure with any particular illicit
act or fetish -- especially during the formative years -- the stage is
set for possible addiction. You can't un-ring the bell and you can't
prevent the bell from ringing again in the part of your brain where
temptations dwell. The more you indulge the temptation, the louder and
more insistent the bell will ring. What is worse, the shame associated
with indulgence create an inner turmoil which enhances the effect of the
brain chemistry and becomes a part of the addictive cycle.

I was miraculously healed of drug and alcohol addiction in 1986 -- on my
knees in prayer at a treatment center -- after sixteen years of bondage
that started at the age of 12. I never had another desire to drink or
take drugs ever again. Nevertheless, I attended Alcoholics Anonymous
regularly for over a year and saw that for many addicts temptation fades
very slowly but they can stay abstinent through the constant mutual
encouragement of fellow-sufferers. A few years later when I became
familiar with Exodus International, I noticed that the successful local
groups of ex-"gays" seemed to follow the same general approach.

AA enjoys enormous public support, even among drunks who don't wish to
seek recovery. Nevertheless, the recidivism rate for alcoholics is very
high. Exodus International, on the other hand, suffered the wrath of the
powerful LGBT political movement from Day One because every one of its
members was living proof that homosexual self-indulgence is a choice.
Every member was thus individually a target -- with the goal of forcing
them to recant and re-commit to a "gay" self-identification. And, of
course, many did, including Alan Chambers, who closed Exodus in 2013
with an apology for ever suggesting homosexuals could overcome same-sex
temptation. Alan went back to Egypt, metaphorically speaking, while the
network of ex-"gay" groups simply migrated from Exodus to the more
Biblically-oriented Restored Hope Network and added him to their prayer
list.

But if vilification and ridicule are the "stick," then the "carrot" in
"gay" recidivism is so-called "gay theology:" the Christian heresy that
fraudulently reinterprets the Bible to change its message from
condemnation to affirmation of homosexuality. From apostate Derrick
Sherwin Bailey's Homosexuality and the Western Christian Tradition in
1955 to the just-published manifesto "The Statement"
http://www.christiansunitedstatement.org/ (in response to the Biblically
grounded "Nashville Statement" on LGBT issues
https://cbmw.org/nashville-statement/), "gay theology" has always been
satanic bait to lure those with same-sex attraction into lives of active
homosexual sin. It is also a seductive siren-song for ex-"gays" in the
weak moments of their recovery.

In tandem with "gay theology" is the heresy of antinomianism, which
holds that salvation by grace frees the Christian believer from
accountability to the moral law (which fails the most basic test of
logic if theft or murder is substituted for sodomy in the equation:
reductio-ad-absurdum). Antinomianism is the heresy Paul debunked in the
book of Romans, which, importantly, begins with a correlation of
homosexuality with the "reprobate mind" (Rom 1:18-32), before launching
into a detailed treatise on law and grace in chapters 2-8, contrasting
"justification" (salvation by faith alone, Rom 5:1), with
"sanctification" (becoming Christlike, Rom 6:12-19).

Effective ministry to Christian "ex-"gays" and backsliders requires a
basic understanding of Paul's teaching. While justification is by faith
alone, sanctification requires work: specifically, following the spirit
of the moral law that underlies the letter of the law proactively. To
the argument that "gay sex" (or stealing) will send you to hell, the
heretics cite "salvation by faith alone" and they're right on that
narrow technicality when taken out of context.

But their deadly error is missing the truth about sanctification: 1)
becoming Christlike is not possible without following the spirit of the
moral law and cooperating with Him in the transformation process, and 2)
only a false Christ contradicts the spirit of the moral law to
rationalize sin, meaning if you're doing that in His name you're
probably not saved because you can't be justified by faith in a false
Christ. This is why "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20) because
faith is proved by its fruit (changed character and behavior) -- as
measured by the spirit of the moral law.

"Gay" heresy also confuses grace with mercy. Grace is God's dispensation
of an unearned gift, while mercy is His forgiveness for sin-earned
punishment. Moral equations involving homosexuality and its consequences
are not governed by grace but mercy. Thus, the darkest spiritual
condition arises from declaring that homosexual temptation and conduct
is a "gift" of God (blaspheming Him -- and the Holy Spirit -- by
contradicting His explicit moral law), while simultaneously pushing away
His hand of mercy by insisting that homosexual sin doesn't need
forgiveness. Such a person is doubly cursed.

"Gay theology" is thus not just a threat to the integrity of the Church,
it is a diabolical trap designed to ensnare same-sex attracted believers
in a soul-binding heresy. Our duty is to boldly affirm the truth and
encourage them to do the same -- especially if they're backslidden --
because grace can come only from the true Christ, and forgiveness is
only effective for those who admit they need it. The Apostle John
perhaps said it best in 1 John 1:8-10: "If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him
a liar, and his word is not in us." That graceful summary contains both
the essence of "gay" recovery and the remedy for recidivism.

END



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

Message: 12
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:46:43 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Are White Evangelicals Really in Decline? Scholars Dispute
PRRI Findings
Message-ID:
<1505443603.3565980....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Are White Evangelicals Really in Decline? Scholars Dispute PRRI Findings

PHOTO: Evangelical leaders Greg Laurie (blue tie), Ronnie Floyd (pink
tie), Jack Graham (green tie) and James Dobson (yellow tie) pose for a
picture as they attend a private dinner with President Donald Trump,
Vice President Mike Pence and cabinet officials at the White House in
Washington, D.C. on May 3, 2017.

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter
http://www.christianpost.com/
Sept. 11, 2017

Several scholars are challenging the Public Religion Research
Institute's recent survey that suggests white evangelicals are in major
decline.

Professor Tobin Grant, department chair of Political Science at Southern
Illinois University, pointed to other trustworthy polls, such as one
from the General Social Survey. Those polls show that the white
evangelical population has not declined, but rather remained stable over
the past decade.

"The decline that they (PRRI) show in their survey doesn't match what we
see in other surveys that are of higher quality and are seen as more
accurate," Grant told The Christian Post, citing a General Social Survey
graph of "white (not latino) 'Born Again'" Christians, which shows a
mostly flat line from 2004 to 2016 at around 20 percent.

PRRI's study was released last week and revealed that the percentage of
white evangelical Protestants dropped from 23 percent in 2006 to 17
percent of Americans in 2016. The study was based on interviews with
more than 101,000 Americans from all 50 states.

Andrew R. Lewis, assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati,
and Ryan P. Burge, who teaches at Eastern Illinois University in
Charleston, also took issue with PRRI's report. They decided to compare
PRRI's results with findings from both the GSS and the Cooperative
Congressional Election Study.

"Both have the advantage of being large, national samples, and both
include two different approaches to measuring evangelicals --
affiliation with specific denominations and self-identification with
evangelicalism (which PRRI used)," they said.

They also noted that the other surveys use two different methods -- the
GSS is conducted face-to-face, while the CCES is conducted online.

"Essentially, comparing the GSS and CCES data with the PRRI results
using both measurement strategies allows us to fully assess if there is
decline," they said.

Here is what the surveys showed: "In the GSS, the percentage of
evangelicals by affiliation declines slightly (2-3 percent), but
evangelicals by self-identification (the approach PRRI used) remain
constant. In the CCES, evangelicals by self-identification actually
increase from the 2008 baseline, while evangelicals by affiliation
remain relatively constant. In fact, the only statistically significant
change in all the data is an increase in self-identified evangelicals in
the CCES from 2008 to 2012 (and nearly 2016)."

Lewis and Burge believe PRRI accurately captured the percentage of white
evangelicals in 2016 (at 17 percent), considering the GSS has them
between 18 and 19 percent and CCES has them between 16 and 18 percent.

The problem lies in the reported percentage of evangelicals in 2006.
PRRI reported it as 23 percent, based on Pew reports, while the GSS
found it to be about 19-20 percent in 2006 and CCES reported it as
between 14-18 percent in 2008. Hence, PRRI came to the conclusion that
the percentage of white evangelicals "dropped substantially" over the
past decade while the other surveys showed consistency.

Grant told CP that "no survey is perfect," but noted that the GSS is
"considered the gold standard on how to do a survey on these types of
questions."

"What they do is a little survey every week, and then add it all
together as if it's one big survey," the political science professor
said.

"And where that's important is that rather than coming up with a list of
numbers to call and people to contact, and then really making the effort
to make sure you include as many of those people as possible, their
surveys are done between Wednesdays and Sundays, until they get 1,000
people, and then they are done."

"What happens in those types of surveys," he continued, "is that they
are not as representative and of the same quality [as] surveys where
they really make an effort over a long period of time to contact
people."

PRRI's methodology section for the 2016 American Values Atlas notes that
the 101,438 telephone interviews were conducted between January 6, 2016
and January 10, 2017.

"Throughout 2016, at least 1,000 interviews were completed each week,
with about 600 interviews conducted among respondents on their cell
phones. Each week, interviewing occurred over a five-day period, from
Wednesday through Sunday or from Thursday through Monday," the study
states.

Grant clarified that he is "not questioning the integrity of the people
who are involved" with the PRRI survey, but suggested that they are
"overselling" their findings.

He said that a smaller survey of 2,000 people that really is
representative of the people would be better than one with 100,000
people that is not so representative.

PRRI CEO Robert P. Jones told CP in response that their latest findings
on white evangelicals do corroborate with other reports on membership
declines and pointed to the Pew Research Center as well as Southern
Baptist membership reports.

"According to Pew, the percentage of white, non-Hispanic Protestants has
dropped from 23 percent in 2006 to 17 percent in Pew's latest publicly
available survey (October 2016). The 2006 number is the exact number
PRRI used in our report, and the most recent Pew number is identical to
PRRI's finding that the percentage of white evangelical Protestants has
fallen to 16.8 percent," the PRRI CEO said.

As for possible reasons for the discrepancy with the GSS study, Jones
said that the latter "has a much smaller sample size," and noted that it
asks a slightly different question to identify evangelicals, namely
whether they have had a born-again experience.

"These trends are also corroborated from other sources that point in the
same direction. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention -- the
largest white evangelical Protestant denomination -- has now posted a
straight decade of membership declines," he continued.

"And if one looks at the generational differences among American adults,
they reinforce the trend numbers. White evangelical Protestants comprise
26 percent of seniors but only eight percent of the youngest cohort of
Americans (ages 18-29)," he added.

As CP reported in June, the SBC has lost hundreds of thousands of
members in the past few years, with baptism numbers also falling.

SBC leadership has signaled its intent to reverse the decline, however,
vowing "to pray for and invest in evangelism and discipleship efforts
with college students and strengthen the relationship between parachurch
campus ministries and local churches."

END



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

Message: 13
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:47:28 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Transactivism Is Hurting Your Children
Message-ID:
<1505443648.3566546....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Transactivism Is Hurting Your Children

By Michael Brown
CHRISTIAN POST
http://www.christianpost.com/news/transactivism-is-hurting-your-children-199051/
Sept. 13, 2017

What you're about to read will shock you, but first, let me do my best
to be a voice of sanity in the midst of an increasingly-confused world.

When it comes to children (or adults) who struggle with gender
confusion, I have a simple principle: We do our best to help them find
wholeness without imposing their struggles on everyone else.

This is both compassionate and reasonable, and it's how we handle other
situations when an individual suffers from a handicap or disorder. We do
our best to help them, but we don't turn the world upside down for them.

So, for example, if a student is confined to a wheelchair, we make sure
the school has the appropriate bathroom facilities and, if there are
several floors to the school building, we make sure there is an
accessible elevator or lift. But we don't force all the other students
to use wheelchair-specific bathrooms, nor do we stop them from using the
stairs.

In the same way, if there is a blind student in the school, we do our
best to include the child in all possible activities and we have braille
materials available. But we don't force the other students to play games
with their eyes closed or learn to read braille as well.

Unfortunately, when it comes to transgender activism, the world must be
turned upside down to accommodate a struggling child (or adult). This
makes even less sense, since in the case of someone struggling with
gender confusion, we're not talking about a physically tangible,
conclusively diagnosable condition. We're talking about a subjective
condition, a personal perception, something that could be here today and
gone (or, modified) tomorrow. How, then, can these struggles be imposed
on everyone else?

Recently, in the UK, a couple reported that their six-year-old son
returned "totally drained" from school. As his dad explained, "When he
got home from school one day, he said: 'Daddy I'm confused. There's a
boy in my class who says he's now a boy but then sometimes he's a
girl.'"

One day the boy in question would dress as a boy, the next day as a
girl, wearing a dress. This deeply confused the other boy, draining him
emotionally.

How could the school impose the confused boy's struggles on everyone
else?

The mother explained, "We talked to the head, we talked to the teacher
concerned and they basically said: 'We have no choice, we have to accept
this, otherwise I could even lose my job.'"

This left the parents with no choice but to remove their son, who was
not suffering from a disorder, from school.

Such is the social madness produced by transgender activism, and it is
embraced wholeheartedly by the local school district as well. As a
spokesperson stated, "Our schools are inclusive, safe spaces where
pupils learn to respect diversity of all kinds.

"We comply with the legal requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and
believe that all should feel welcomed, valued and nurtured as part of a
learning community."

Really? They want all students to "feel welcomed, valued and nurtured"?
Obviously, this excludes all students who are not at home with LGBT
activism on their campus. They are outside the realm of "diversity" and
"inclusion."

You might say, "Well, that little boy shouldn't be so upset. His parents
need to teach him to be more accepting."

Really? Are you sure?

Certainly, we should teach our kids to be kind to all. And we should
absolutely oppose bullying for any reason.

But we should not teach our children to affirm mental or psychological
disorders, and there is no verifiable scientific evidence that the boy
in question is a girl. Why, then, should these parents teach their son
to affirm that which is not true or real?

Let's not forget that the vast majority of children who identify as
transgender no longer do so after puberty. And there are psychologists
who believe that we do these children a disservice by affirming their
transgender identity.

Consider this recent case which is getting widespread attention.

As reported in the Daily Wire, "With guidance from medical professionals
and his own mother, a 12-year-old Australian boy suffering from gender
confusion began to transition into a 'female.' Just two years later, the
young man told his mom he felt like his born sex again, and is now in
the painful process of transitioning back, which includes surgery."

Some would argue that the doctors who helped this young boy "transition"
to female were guilty of medical malpractice, if not outright child
abuse, however well-intentioned they might have been.

Yet in today's upside-down world, the schools (and all students) would
be expected to embrace this boy as a boy, then as a girl, then as a boy
again -- based entirely on how he felt and identified at any given
moment. And woe be to the teacher or parent or student who protests. One
dare not be branded a transphobe.

Lest you think I'm exaggerating, remember that just last month, "A first
grader at a California charter school was sent to the principal's office
this week after she accidentally 'misgendered' a classmate in what's
being called a 'pronoun mishap.'"

A first grader!

We're talking about six-year-olds again -- precious, little,
impressionable, innocent children -- who are being punished for their
failure to embrace transactivism. This must stop, and it must stop now,
which means that parents, educators, and legislators must act to protect
these little ones, regardless of professional cost or consequence. Do we
really have a choice?

And remember: Kids in nursery school and up are being indoctrinated with
the standard LGBT talking points. Why should we surprised when they grow
up so confused?

If enough people of conscience speak up and act up, change will come.
And rather than simply affirm the struggles of these equally precious,
gender confused children, let's redouble our efforts to get to the root
of their struggles, helping them find wholeness from the inside out.

And just how far will this radical LGBT activism go if we don't stand up
to it? How about drag queens reading to our 2-year-olds in libraries?
Should we applaud this too?

Or how about a scantily clad drag queen dancing in front of school
children at a gay pride event in Canada? (I was sent a picture of this
horrid, mind-boggling moment.) Perhaps we should celebrate this too?

To every parent, educator, and legislator reading this article, I urge
you to get involved and do the right thing. You owe it to your kids.



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

Message: 14
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:47:56 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: Leading Protestant theologians offer a new confession on
Reformation's 500th anniversary
Message-ID:
<1505443676.3566555....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Leading Protestant theologians offer a new confession on Reformation's
500th anniversary

CHICAGO (Sept. 12, 2017) -- A new Protestant confession commemorating
the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and honoring the original
vision of the reformers for catholic unity was released Tuesday,
September 12.

The Reforming Catholic Confession is an opportunity for Protestants
across denominations and around the world to come together in a united
gospel-centered witness. The steering and drafting committees believe
that despite genuine denominational differences, there is a significant
and substantial doctrinal consensus that unites reformational Christians
as "mere Protestants."

"This confession is not a charter for a new church but a tactical
commemoration of the unitive Protestantism that characterized the
Reformation at its best, a concrete witness to the fact that the
theological truths that unite us are deeper and stronger than the
doctrines that distinguish us," said Kevin Vanhoozer, research professor
of systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and
co-chair of the confession drafting committee.

The confession is organized around statements of belief on God the
Trinity, Holy Scripture, human beings and their fallenness, the person
and work of Jesus Christ, the gospel, the person and work of the Holy
Spirit, the church, baptism and Lord's Supper, holy living and last
things.

A 17-member committee drafted the confession, co-led by Vanhoozer and
Jerry Walls, scholar in residence and professor of philosophy at Houston
Baptist University. The confession's steering committee was co-chaired
by Timothy George, dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University,
and Timothy Tennent, president of Asbury Theological Seminary.
Theologians across many denominations support the confession, including
Anglican, Baptist, Free Church, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist,
Nazarene, Pentecostal and Presbyterian. Their hope and prayer is "for
ever greater displays of our substantial unity in years to come," as
stated in the confession's introduction.

"The Reforming Catholic Confession celebrates the many distinctive
Protestant voices and contributions to the church, yet also calls us to
remember the underlying catholicity and shared faith which strengthens
us all," Tennent said.

At launch, the confession had approximately 250 signatories representing
scholars, theologians and church leaders around the globe, including
Gwenfair Walters Adams, Henri Blocher, Matt Chandler, Darrell Bock,
Charlie Dates, Robert Kolb, Benjamin A. Kwashi, Gilbert Meilaender,
Russell Moore, Michael Oh, Alvin Plantinga, Karen Swallow Prior, Samuel
Rodriguez, Philip Ryken, Geoffrey Wainwright and Amos Yong, to name a
few.

"The Protestant Reformation was a clarion call on behalf of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, a summons to biblical catholicity," George said. "500
years later its message of forgiveness and renewal is still urgent."

Christians around the world are encouraged to read and sign the
confession at reformingcatholicconfession.com as an opportunity to unite
in a joyful confession of common faith this Reformation year.

*****

Anglicans Back New Confession

The confession (see above) was launched with 250 initial supporters,
included 15 Anglican leaders:

The following Anglican and Episcopal leaders signed A Reforming Catholic
Confession, which launched online Sept. 12.

The Rev. Michael Bird, lecturer in theology, Ridley College, Melbourne,
Australia
Douglas Groothuis, professor of apologetics and ethics, Denver Seminary
Wesley Hill, assistant professor of biblical studies, Trinity School for
Ministry
The Rt. Rev. Paul Kibirech Korir, Bishop of Kapsabet, Kenya
The Most Rev. Benjamin A. Kwashi, archbishop, Ecclesiastical Province of
Jos, Nigeria
The Rev. Gerald McDermott, Anglican chair of divinity, Beeson Divinity
School, Birmingham
The Very Rev. Andrew Pearson Jr., dean, Cathedral Church of the Advent,
Birmingham
The Rev. Ephraim Radner, professor of historical theology, Wycliffe
College, Toronto
The Rev. Joel Scandrett, director, Robert E. Webber Center for an
Ancient Evangelical Future, Trinity School for Ministry
The Rev. John Senyonyi, vice chancellor, Uganda Christian University
The Rev. Jacob Andrew Smith, rector, Calvary-St. George's, New York City
The Rt. Rev. George Sumner, Bishop of Dallas
John Stonestreet, president, Colson Center for Christian Worldview
The Rev. Tish Harrison Warren, co-associate rector, Church of the
Ascension (ACNA), Pittsburgh
The Rev. John W. Yates III, rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Church,
Raleigh, North Carolina
The confession affirms doctrines about God the Trinity, Holy Scripture,
human beings and their fallenness, the person and work of Jesus Christ,
the gospel, the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the church, baptism
and the Lord's Supper, holy living, and last things.

"[T]he one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church is God's new society,
the first fruit of the new creation, the whole company of the redeemed
through the ages, of which Christ is Lord and head," the confession
says. "The truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, is
the church's firm foundation (Matt. 16:16-18; 1 Cor. 3:11). The local
church is both embassy and parable of the kingdom of heaven, an earthly
place where his will is done and he is now present, existing visibly
everywhere two or three gather in his name to proclaim and spread the
gospel in word and works of love, and by obeying the Lord's command to
baptize disciples (Matt. 28:19) and celebrate the Lord's Supper (Luke
22:19)."



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

Message: 15
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:48:23 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: THE GLORY BANDWAGON
Message-ID:
<1505443703.3566578....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

THE GLORY BANDWAGON
(The Boastful Church)

By Roger Salter
Special to Virtueonline
www.virtueonline.org
Sept. 11, 2017

"You are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of
God's own possession, that you may show forth the excellencies of him
who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; which in time
were no people, but now we are the People of God" (1 Peter 2 : 9-10).

The simplest definition of the church, derived from Holy Scripture, is
located in the term, "The People of God". The Church visible is
comprised of all persons who claim to confess Christ and profess
allegiance to him. The membership, in practical terms, also includes the
dependents of those parents who attach themselves in some sense, firmly
or loosely, to the Lord's congregation throughout the nations. Such a
company is a motley entity, a diverse community of varying conditions of
mind and spirit before the divine scrutiny. Some are inwardly right with
the Lord and many are far from that reconciled relationship. "For they
are not all Israel who are of Israel' (Romans 9:6). Within the
boundaries of the institutional church in its varied expressions there
are those who believe in truth, those whose faith is false, and those
for whom faith is non-existent. External belonging is no proof of being
a genuine and integrated member of the body of Christ.

Few will subscribe in a hearty and full-blooded way to John Wycliffe's
definition of the church, namely, "the whole number of the predestined".
That is the truest description of the church and the elect of God mingle
with and circulate among the vast crowd that considers itself to
constitute the dubious phenomenon identified as Christendom for all
sorts of reasons apart from the Gospel (historical, ethnic, political,
cultural). Peter's words are emphatically monergistic and powerfully
expressive of the omnipotent grace that wrests us from depravity and
doom. Grace must take the initiative in our redemption and grace must be
irresistible.

Regenerate and unregenerate populate the church. Sin inevitably
pervades, and the regenerate are not entirely liberated from human
nature's corruption. Far from it. The church is perfect in paradisiacal
prospect but not in the present era. Its purification is a long-term
program and penitence its perpetual posture in this evil world. Humility
and utter dependence upon God befits our demeanor at all times.

The Church witnesses to divine grace and seeks to disclose the divine
glory but it is often diverted toward self-reliance and self-elevation.
It inclines to being pleased with itself and to be impressive before the
world. The undeservedly "blessed beggars" of the Lord (see the Prayer of
Humble Access) become bloated with human ambition and pursue the prize
of worldly success and acclaim.

The cockiness and crowing of the Church in citing stunning statistics,
announcing achieved projects, and touting distinctions to be admired by
men is a denial of its lowly Lord. It frequently apes the world in
message and method in order to amaze the world and amass its support.
The shame, scandal, and secret power of the cross wielded by the Spirit
of God in the gospel is dismissed and set aside. We wish to be viewed as
smooth operators equipped with faultless expertise. Our celebrity
publicity is often nauseating, as is the impression we give that
authoring endless editions of books, new and revised, brings us into the
elite of the Lord and closer to him. Often there are arrogant academics
who function as the new priestly caste, as if only academics can show us
the way and save us - believers must not be supine before the experts,
but under the authority of the Word and reliant upon the teaching of the
Spirit.

We gloat over our mega-churches, ecclesiastical empires, and celebrity
gurus. Media grooming is by no means the guarantee of the making of a
man of God. The simplicity of our faith and life is sacrificed to the
goal of man-centered schemes and accomplishments that redound to our
self-awarded praise.

The sense of serving God subtly swerves into self-gratification on
various levels e.g. this is what we will do and look what we have done.
We have a compulsion to measure the results of our efforts and to pin
medals of merit upon our breasts. Simple faith and leaning patiently on
the Lord mutates into contentment with our own fabulous feats of
mission, organization, and building the kingdom (the Lord's
prerogative). The Lord's humble chariot is now a streamlined limousine
zooming down the interstate to the gleaming destination of Hollywood
glamour and all its grotesque gaudiness.

We are so fixated on our notions of effectiveness, so self-conscious of
our efforts, so self-regarding that we forget the humbleness and
helplessness of the Church of God (Without me you can do nothing, John
15:5).

An extended quote from Alan Richardson, liberal evangelical sage of the
60s and 70s Church of England may be salutary:

"The Church is not a man-made institution at all; it was called into
being by something which God has done, by his action in the world in
biblical history and supremely in Jesus Christ. The inner necessity of
the church, as based upon God's will and not upon ours, is not something
that can be perceived by the ordinary unenlightened eyes of
non-Christian people. It is seen by those whose eyes have been opened to
recognize and understand God's purpose in history and therefore in his
Church, for the Church is God's instrument in history, whatever the
secular mind may think.

It may seem to the man in the street a particularly weak and useless
instrument, unimpressive and foolish, but it has always been God's
wisdom to work in his own way and not in ours. It has always been his
policy to choose the base things of the world and the things that are
despised, the things which are weak and which seem foolish to worldly
eyes, in order to achieve his purpose which in the end confounds the
wisdom of the worldly-wise and brings to naught the things that are
seemingly all powerful.

An oppressed slave-tribe, engaged in building Pharaoh's pyramids, does
not seem a likely beginning for a royal priesthood, for the instrument
of the divine education of the world. A stutterer like Moses, a
fruit-grower like Amos, a shepherd-lad like David - these do not seem
the kind of people we would have selected to be the bearers and
instruments of a great world-purpose and message. An obscure village
maiden in a backyard province of the Roman Empire - why did not God
choose someone who could have carried more weight in worldly eyes, a
queen or a famous prophetess, to be the mother of his incarnate Son? The
answer is, of course, that God did not need to use worldly methods,
simply because he is God and worldly prestige would not have added
anything to the greatness of his divine revelation of love. Hence, if we
are tempted to think that church around the corner is not a very
impressive affair, that it is rather dull and composed of not very
progressive people, we have not even begun to understand the way God
works or the purpose of his Church. St. Paul, who had obviously
reflected deeply on these points, cared little that his church at
Corinth contained few who were accounted wise in the eyes of the world,
or drawn from the ranks of the aristocracy (1Corinthians1:26).

Small congregations and falling resources are not things which should
worry Christians who know what the church really is: its significance
and its future do not depend on our efforts - especially our efforts to
bolster up churches with worldly prestige or box office glamour. The
unconverted eye does not penetrate beyond the externals of church life -
all of which are dispensable and do not affect the essence of the Church
- the buildings, the forms and ceremonies, the size of the congregation,
the bazaars and or sales of work. It is because the man in the street
does not see the real essence of the church - the Church which in a
sense the churches hide - that he remains in the street and does not
come inside the church. The real life of the Church is 'only visible to
the eye of faith; it is 'hid with Christ in God", it can only be known
from the inside, not the outside, and let us add, it cannot be known by
reading books (like this one) about it!" (Science, History And Faith,
Oxford University Press, 1950, pages 120-122).

Our motivation about anything embarked upon by the Church is to be
challenged by searching interrogation. We must address ourselves with
the question as to whether our exertion is for our prestige, popularity,
and the praise of man? We long to see the unbeliever unite with us in
faith in the Triune God, but not through cajolery, hectoring, or
manipulation but by the truthfulness and winsomeness of the Lord Jesus
who indwells us and expresses himself through us. Godly men and women
are the "living epistles" who are the best evangelists in the ordinary
scenes of life and who win outsiders into the fold of Christ (2
Corinthians 3:2-3) . In them the power of God resides and works
(Ephesians 3:20-21), sometimes imperceptibly - especially to those whom
God is using - for all the ballyhoo of contrived techniques that
cultivate artificiality and self-congratulatory backslapping.

The thoughts of William of Thierry are of enormous benefit:

"But do not fear, servant of God. Do not move your feet, do not waste
your steps! Infidels seek signs, the hesitant require wisdom. But you
embrace Christ crucified, a stumbling block to those predestined to
ruin, foolishness to those who are wise in their own eyes, but to all
those who are called and justified the wisdom of God and the power of
God, for the foolishness of God is wiser and his weakness is stronger
than all men. If you consult the sense of the flesh it seems foolish and
weak. Yet if, with the apostle, you have the sense of Christ, you will
understand that the Word of God is the supreme wisdom but the
foolishness of this wisdom is the flesh of the Word. This is so that
those who are carnal, who are not able through the prudence of the flesh
to attain to the wisdom of God, may be healed through the foolishness of
preaching and simplicity of faith, that is, through the flesh of the
Word. Be foolish that you may be wise, and there will be lighted up for
you the economy of the mystery hidden for all ages in God who created
every creature. Be as weak as God's weakness and you will learn how
exceedingly great is the greatness of his power in [those of] us who
have believed, according to the workings of the force of his power" (The
Mirror of Faith, 18).

It is salutary to know that when we are weak then we are strong (2
Corinthians 12: 1-10).

The Rev. Roger Salter is an ordained Church of England minister where he
had parishes in the dioceses of Bristol and Portsmouth before coming to
Birmingham, Alabama to serve as Rector of St. Matthew's Anglican Church



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

Message: 16
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2017 22:51:55 -0400
From: David Virtue <da...@virtueonline.org>
To: "virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org"
<virtue...@listserv.virtueonline.org>
Subject: KINDNESS/GOODNESS: What Does it Mean to be a Mature Christian
Disciple? -- (Luke 6:37-45)
Message-ID:
<1505443915.3569117....@webmail.messagingengine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

KINDNESS/GOODNESS: What Does it Mean to be a Mature Christian Disciple?
-- (Luke 6:37-45)

By Ted Schroder,
www.tedschroder.com
August 6, 2017

William Penn wrote, "I expect to pass through life but once. If,
therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do
to any fellow being, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way
again." Someone said, "Be kind to everybody. You never know who might
show up in the jury at your trial."

A poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way
through school was down to his last penny and was hungry. He asked for a
drink of water from a young lady and she brought him a large glass of
milk. He asked, "How much do I owe you?" She replied, "You don't owe me
anything. Mother has taught us never to accept pay for an act of
kindness." Years later when she was admitted to hospital with a rare
disease a specialist was called in for consultation. He recognized her
at once and worked hard to help her. Dr. Howard Kelly asked the hospital
to pass the patient's bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then
wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. When she
opened it she read these words: "Paid in full with one glass of milk."

Jesus taught, "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.
For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38).
There is a reciprocity in the affairs of life. We get back what we put
into life. The mature Christian disciple is like his teacher. Everyone
who is fully trained by Jesus will be like him. Jesus did good by
responding to the needs of those around him. The apostles did good by
showing kindness to the sick and the needy.

Kindness and goodness are the characteristics of God as revealed in
Jesus. God, by definition, is the summun bonum: the chief good, the
highest good. "God shows us his kindness in coming to save us not
because of righteous things we had done but because of his mercy. He
saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior"
(Titus 3:4-6). The kindness and goodness of the Holy Spirit is given to
change our hearts from being unkind, cruel and evil, as seen in our
critical nature, to being kind, nonjudgmental, forgiving, and
self-aware.

Jesus tells us that we are not to judge, not to condemn people, not to
hold grudges against people for the reciprocity in the affairs of life
can boomerang on us. We can be judged, we can be condemned, we can be
unforgiven if we don't watch out. If we are unkind and wish evil of
people, we will suffer the consequences. We can be hypocrites in
identifying the specks of sawdust in the eyes of other people and pay no
attention to the plank in our own eye.

The problem lies in our own sinful nature. There are good trees and
there are bad trees. They bear the fruit of their own nature. "The good
man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the
evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For
out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).

How can the heart be changed by the Holy Spirit to be kind and to do
good? How can the critical person become an affirming person? How can we
think the best of people rather than the worst? This is a besetting sin
in politics and in religion. We can be most unkind of our political and
theological opponents. Cartoonists can be vicious. Commentators and
satirists can encourage a culture of unkindness. Frederick Faber has
written that "it is harder for a clever man to be kind, especially in
his words. He has the temptation to say clever things; and somehow,
clever things are hardly ever kind things. There is a drop of acid in
them."

This also a problem in families and in education. Parents and
schoolteachers can be unkind, abusive and cruel.

If children live with criticism,
They learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility,
They learn to fight.
If children live with ridicule,
They learn to be shy.
If children live with shame,
They learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement,
They learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance,
They learn to be patient.
If children live with praise,
They learn to appreciate.
If children live with acceptance,
They learn to love.
If children live with approval,
They learn to like themselves.
If children live with honesty,
They learn truthfulness.
If children live with security,
They learn to have faith in themselves and others.
If children live with friendliness,
They learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
Copyright ? 1972/1975 by Dorothy Law Nolte

We have to learn to store up good things in our hearts rather than evil
things. It means cultivating the attitude of gratitude. Being thankful
for how the Lord has blessed you rather than being envious of others. It
requires suppressing the desire to get even by repaying evil with evil
and insult with insult but with blessing. It means praying for others
rather than resenting them. "It is better, if it is God's will, to
suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for our sins
once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God" (1
Peter 3:17-18).

None of us is good. There is no one good except God. Read Romans 3:9-20.
We all need to have our hearts changed by the Holy Spirit. If we want to
become mature Christian disciples we will seek to find our highest good
in God, and find ways to be kind to our neighbors. "Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ
God forgave you" (Eph 4:32).

END



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