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GAFCON Forms New Diocese in Australia * Diocese of Florida Pulls Plug on Bishop Elect * SC ACNA Diocese Keep 6 Parishes in legal Turnabout * TEC Endorses Sex Change for All Ages * Two Episcopal Seminaries Affiliate * PA Parish Endorses Drag Queen Bingo * Nigerian Primate Visits US
The need to listen. The best preachers are always diligent pastors, who know the people of their district and congregation, and understand the human scene in all its pain and pleasure, glory and tragedy. And the quickest way to gain such an understanding is to shut our mouth (a hard task for compulsive preachers) and open our eyes and ears. It has been well said that God has given us two ears and two eyes, but only one mouth, so that he obviously intends us to look and listen twice as much as we talk. --- John R.W. Stott
"Laughter, ridicule, opposition and persecution are often the only reward which Christ's followers get from the world." ― J.C. Ryle
Given the absolutely clear, univocal Biblical witness to marriage, Anglicanism simply cannot change on marriage and remain Anglicanism. Anglicanism has long prided itself on being a reformed and thoroughly Biblical religion. We claim scripture as our highest authority, above tradition or a magisterial teaching office. And so, if we redefine marriage, we are hypocrites. We cannot redefine marriage and remain Anglicans in any authentic sense. And that is why the Global Anglican Bishops, who are willing in many other matters to accept cultural or even theological differences, cannot accept the redefinition of marriage. This is not a secondary issue, but rather a primary issue of fundamental relevance to the gospel, because it implicates Biblical authority. -- Anglican Compass
"Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you." ― J.C. Ryle
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
August 26, 2022
Hard on the heels of the Lambeth Conference and before the ink was dry on Archbishop Welby's dual statements supporting contrary views on homosexuality, a group of Australian evangelical Anglicans decided to make a move and form a GAFCON inspired diocese in the political heart of Australia -- Canberra - in open defiance of the wobbly stance the Anglican Church in Australia has taken over homosexuality.
Over 350 Anglicans from around Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are gathering in Canberra for the inaugural GAFCONAustralasia Conference to encourage one another to continue proclaiming Christ faithfully.
As part of the conference proceedings, the Diocese of the Southern Cross was formally announced. "The Diocese of the Southern Cross is a new structure for Anglicans in Australia who can no longer sit under the authority of their bishop," said Tasmania Bishop Richard Condie. His diocese and that of Sydney will not join the Southern Cross, but they are fully on board with the idea of a new Anglican jurisdiction as a safe haven for orthodox Anglicans.
Led by the former Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies; Davies will be the first Bishop of the Diocese. Already, its first church, Southern Cross Anglican Beenleigh and Logan, has met under the leadership of the Rev Peter Palmer.
This action infuriated the current Anglican Archbishop, The Most Rev. Geoffrey Smith, Primate of Australia and Archbishop of Adelaide who noted the formal launch of the Diocese of the Southern Cross. Smith said that while this new jurisdiction "mirrored" some characteristics of an Anglican diocese, it had no formal or informal relationship or connection with the Anglican Church of Australia and should be considered a new denomination.
"The meeting of the General Synod held in May this year clearly affirmed the view that marriage is between a man and a woman, and declined to affirm same-sex marriage. It is perplexing therefore that the leaders of this breakaway movement cite the reason for this new denomination as the failure of General Synod to explicitly express an opinion against the blessing of same-sex marriages."
Individual dioceses are free to bless same-sex unions in Anglican churches, which is the thin end of the wedge. Smith, as primate, chairs the meeting of the General Synod but has no power over other Anglican dioceses. He called for the church "to live together with difference."
Based on what has happened in The American Episcopal Church, there is little doubt, that in time, homosexual marriage will be officially authorized in Australia and those who don't go along will be pushed out. Just ask former Albany Episcopal Bishop Bill Love after Resolution B012 was passed. He was shown the door.
As Anglican Compass noted, GAFCON represents the beginning of a new Anglicanism, bound not to Canterbury but rather to the Bible. Wars are sometimes won with pre-emptive strikes and that might just be the case here.
I have written a number of stories which you can read here:
https://virtueonline.org/gafcon-australia-will-reshape-anglicanism-down-under
https://virtueonline.org/southern-cross-new-anglican-diocese
https://virtueonline.org/sydney-response-creation-diocese-southern-cross
***
On the Episcopal Church front, the Diocese of Florida pulled the plug on wannabe Bishop Charlie Holt, a conservative priest who overwhelmingly won the election to be the next bishop of Florida to succeed John Howard. They said it was about "voting irregularities", but that was a smokescreen with the result that he withdrew his name from the "consent" process necessary to secure his consecration. However, the diocese's homosexual caucus said Holt was unfit to be bishop because he opposed the resolution affirming homosexual marriage, which was passed at the 2018 General Convention. There were implications that he was also a racist.
However, a black Baptist minister stepped up to the plate saying that Holt's support in the Trayvon Martin murder solidified his friendship with Holt. "Holt demonstrated to me a scholarly man and possessed a love of God and humble spirit...I have no hesitation as a black clergyman to support his consideration for bishop!"
So, the diocese will start again and look for a new bishop. Holt still has his hat in the ring. So there is a long shot he might win, but then he faces not getting consents from TEC's HOB.
Ironically, the new bishop of Virginia, E. Mark Stevenson, also a conservative, decided to change his mind on the hot button issue and easily obtained consents.
You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/florida-wannabe-bishop-charlie-holt-capitulates-face-heavy-gay-pushback
Just how radical are The Episcopal Church's ten seminaries?
"Looking at the various seminary course catalogs reveal some interesting classes, some of which border on indoctrination rather than education. In fact, looking at some of the seminary courses offered at these "divinity schools", it seems that seminarian students are being radicalized before they leave their seminary and are ordained into the Episcopal priesthood."
"That is particularly true of the seminaries which do not have an historic link to The Episcopal Church, such as Union Theological Seminary and Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University," Mary Ann Mueller writes.
"Historic seminaries which were founded by the Episcopal Church such as General Theological Seminary and Nashotah House have a more traditional understanding of Anglican theology and a biblical grounding which is the backbone of the courses they offer."
"For the most part the seminaries teach, to one degree or another, the theological basics: Old and New Testament, the Gospels, the Life of Christ, the Pauline epistles, moral and systematic theology, historical church history, Anglican history, Reformation history, Episcopal Church history, the Book of Common Prayer, the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, the Creeds, church music, Anglican liturgy ..."
It's the elective courses in which there is wide latitude to veer off center. Mary Ann Mueller went hunting and you can read what she wrote here: https://virtueonline.org/radicalization-episcopal-seminaries
***
IN OTHER NEWS, the ACNA Diocese in South Carolina got a reprieve when the South Carolina Supreme Court reversed itself and blocked the transfer of six churches to the Episcopal diocese.
Following a ruling in April that 14 church properties must be returned to the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina occupied by Anglican Church in North America congregations, the court reversed itself in an opinion issued Aug. 17, saying that the ACNA diocese is only required to return eight of the church properties.
For the remaining six churches, the ACNA congregations successfully argued in petitions for a rehearing that they had not placed their property in trust for the benefit of The Episcopal Church and its associated diocese. The state Supreme Court had previously ruled that 15 additional ACNA congregations could retain their church property for similar reasons.
The Episcopal bishop Ruth Woodliff said she was "very disappointed" and said that she will be reviewing all possible courses of action as we move forward.
You can read more of the legal situation here: https://virtueonline.org/sc-supreme-court-approves-petition-rehearing-sought-six-parishes-anglican-diocese-south-carolina
It is not surprising that the Episcopal Church has endorsed sex changes for children "at all ages.". The Episcopal Church has been post-Christian for some time, and has fully bought in to the premises of the transgender movement, writes Jonathon Van Maren of LifeSiteNews
It has been a terrible few weeks for the transgender movement. The attorney general of the United Kingdom announced that schools are obligated to provide sex-segregated bathrooms; that teachers cannot assist children in "socially transitioning" without the knowledge of their parents; and that teachers are not necessarily obligated to use a students' new "preferred pronouns." Additionally, The Times broke the news that up to 1,000 families are expected to join a class-action lawsuit against the Tavistock gender clinic after an NHS report highlighted the devastating long-term implications of the treatments prescribed and performed there.
And so naturally the Episcopal Church chose this moment to issue a blanket endorsement of so-called "gender-affirming care" at any age. From the Episcopal House of Deputies Resolution:
Resolved, that the 80th General Convention calls for the Episcopal Church to advocate for access to gender affirming care in all forms (social, medical, or any other) and at all ages as part of our Baptismal call to "respect the dignity of every human being"; and be it further
Resolved, that the 80th General Convention affirms that all Episcopalians should be able to partake in gender affirming care with no restriction on movement, autonomy, or timing; and be it further...
One wonders how far down the proverbial drain must TEC go before God calls a halt to its blasphemies. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/episcopal-church-endorses-sex-changes-children-all-ages
The General Theological Seminary and Virginia Theological Seminary, announced that they have entered into an affiliation agreement as GTS finds itself faltering on the edge of extinction with few students and increasing debt.
"This new relationship between these two great seminaries of the church represents a truly creative possibility for faithfully, effectively, and strategically forming leaders for the movement of Jesus Christ through the church, and for the sake of our 21st century world," Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said in affirming the affiliation.
A press release said, "future seminarians are offered a rich Anglican theological education, spiritual direction, and robust professional training through an innovative, shared governance structure and a range of joint programs and services."
In June, the seminaries announced they were considering an affiliation, citing financial struggles at GTS, whose campus is in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The affiliation partly hinged on General Convention's granting authority to the GTS board of trustees to modify the seminary's constitution, which convention granted when it met in Baltimore, Maryland, in July.
VOL did a deep dive into the history of these two seminaries with Mary Ann Mueller writing a brilliant take on the whole situation -- a partnership marriage made in heaven or hell? You can read here the full take here: It is one for the history books. https://virtueonline.org/will-partnership-gts-and-vts-be-marriage-made-heaven-or-hell
***
A Philadelphia parish has decided to host a drag queen bingo night with the full support of PA Bishop Daniel G. P. Gutierrez. Grace Episcopal Church and the Incarnation in Philadelphia, will now offer a regular Drag Queen Bingo.
Here is what a blurb from the church said: "Bingo! Join for Drag Queen Bingo to benefit the music ministry at Grace Episcopal Church and the Incarnation. Doors Open at 6:00 pm with live music. Games begin when the girls are ready... All over 21 invited. Buy your tickets ($35) on Eventbrite - or pay more at the door: )"
And you wonder why families are not breaking down the red doors to enter in.
The bishop apparently approved the action. He would rather not offend the pansexualists! Better to offend the dwindling orthodox who have been all but trampled into the ground.
The Episcopal Church in Delaware has launched an advertising blitz via billboards, mail and social media, but strangely it doesn't say anything about an Episcopal church. You're Invited! But to where?
This billboard could be the Baptists advertising. True, there's no rainbow arching across behind the clouds, but you do have a mixed-race gay couple and there is supposedly a lesbian couple.
There is no way to identify this as the Episcopal church, there is no identifiable Episcopal logo. You can read more here:
***
The Lambeth Conference is over, but the aftereffects will continue for months, possibly years. When GAFCON archbishops, bishops, clergy and laity meet in Rwanda next April, it will certainly be center stage what the Archbishop of Canterbury did and did not do. His failure to uphold Lambeth Resolution 1:10 as the ONLY acceptable moral standard for the global church will in all likelihood get a hammering as it should.
New GAFCON dioceses will be announced and applauded. The Gospel of God's love, grace and forgiveness will echo across Africa and the world.
You can read several stories here:
https://virtueonline.org/lambeth-22-news-you-may-not-have-seen-or-heard
https://virtueonline.org/lambeth-2022-elevation-experience
In the wake of Archbishop Welby's announcement that he would not discipline provinces for contravening the historic Anglican Formularies, Archbishop Tito Zavala of Chile spoke for many when he said, "We need a rudder to steer the Anglican Communion." Clearly it isn't Justin Welby.
https://virtueonline.org/interview-archbishop-tito-zavala-chile
You can also read what the Primate of Pakistan had to say about the Lambeth conference and how it impacts his country here: https://virtueonline.org/pakistan-anglican-primate-reflects-lambeth-and-issues-facing-his-country
You can also read GAFCON chairman and ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach's take titled; The Anglican Communion is broken. "Lambeth Conference organizers have routinely mixed heresy and orthodoxy, the Canterbury Communion is broken, not just metaphorically, but literally." You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/gafcon-chairman-anglican-communion-broken
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The Archbishop and Primate of Nigeria, Henry Ndukuba made an unexpected visit to the U.S. to dedicate two new churches. The Anglican Diocese of the Trinity (ADOTT) dedicated two church buildings in Harrisburg, PA and Newark, NJ. They are under the leadership of Rt. Rev. Dr Olukayode Adebogun and his wife, Mama ADOTT. Mrs Olatundun Adebogun who arrived at the maiden episcopal visit to Region four of the Diocese under the leadership of the Suffragan Bishop, Rt. Rev. Dr Augustine Unuigbe and his wife, Mrs Florence Unuigbe, warmly welcomed the Primate and his wife, Mrs. Angela Ndukuba and his entourage. Primate Ndukuba did make a friendly visit to ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach.
You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/nigerian-anglican-primate-ndukuba-dedicates-churches-us
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Just how woke is the Church of England? You can read what one woman has to say about it all. She says The Church of England now preaches the Gospel of Woke and it will not end well as a result.
"IN THE last week or so two emails from Church of England HQ have hit my Mum's inbox. Could this be a promise of more support for her work as vicar of eight village churches without even a curate? Could it be a response to her query about legal protection if she refuses to marry a trans person to a member of the same sex? Of course not. Like 95 per cent of the communications from bishops and central Church authorities the emails reflected the Church's new priorities -- Net Zero and 'Racial Justice'. It would appear that preaching the gospel of salvation in Christ is passe." You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/church-england-now-preaches-gospel-woke
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The Diocese of Jerusalem condemned a raid on the Anglican church in West Bank, this week. Early on the morning of Aug. 18, Israeli forces made an unannounced and unwarranted raid on the premises of St. Andrew's Anglican/Episcopal Church in Ramallah. Making a forced entry, the soldiers wrecked the church's entrance by smashing through the door's lock and security glass. For two hours, Israeli soldiers occupied the entire complex, which includes the church sanctuary, parish hall, church offices, rectory, and the Arab Episcopal Medical Center.
The community living inside the church compound felt unsafe during the assault: The sound of gunshots, stun grenades, and the smashing of doors caused terror among the families living inside the compound. A spokesperson said there was no justification for this "shocking incursion into church premises," the Israeli forces only later justified this harsh treatment as a raid on Al-Haq, one of the most prominent human rights groups in the West Bank, to whom St. Andrew's rents an office with a totally separate entrance from the church.
CULTURE WARS. The following are a number of stories on the culture wars that I hope will grab your attention.
https://virtueonline.org/mocked-reviled-and-pelted-eggs-christian-pride-front-line
https://virtueonline.org/christians-have-abortions-too
https://virtueonline.org/technology-being-weaponised-persecute-religious-minorities-open-doors
https://virtueonline.org/kneeling-altar-rainbow-colors
***
The following is an excellent overview of Anglicanism today.
https://www.youtube.com/c/ReadyToHarvest/search?query=anglican
***
A REVIEW of my new book jointly authored by Brad Hutt and myself, THE GREAT EPISCOPAL CHURCH ROBBERY is out and you can read a review by David Duggan here: https://virtueonline.org/great-episcopal-church-robbery
The book tells the story of 6,400 congregation properties heisted by radical clergy and is available to readers for a tax-deductible donation of $30.00 or more. This book follows my earlier book THE DESTRUCTION OF THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Great Episcopal Church Robbery tells the story of the purposeful take-over and co-opting of the Episcopal Church by radical clergy. As active participants of this 45-year-old Episcopal church dispute, the co-authors witnessed Dioceses, parishes, and congregations struggle to maintain Biblical orthodoxy and keep their church property in the face of an aggressive Episcopate hell bent on making the Episcopal church over in their own image by:
Ordaining women and homosexuals in violation of scripture.
Forcing churches to bless same sex marriages.
You can make a tax-deductible donation for the book and to keep the news coming to you. You can make a donation here by check, credit card or PAYPAL.
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David
