Most children who believe that they are transgender are just going through a "phase", the NHS has said, as it warns that doctors should not encourage them to change their names and pronouns.

The Episcopalian strategy to halt its demographic decline: give Gen Z apps that serve up eclectic "theologies" (feminist, queer, etc.) to give them an "authentic, do-it-yourself spirituality." --- Rev. Lorenzo Labrija, chief innovation officer at Virginia Theological Seminary
The right question about any temptation, desire, disposition, or "orientation" is not why God made me this way but, rather, what He expects of me. For the important thing is not why I have it or where it comes from but what I do about it: Do I accept it as an inescapable part of "who I am" that must be satisfied lest I whither away as a human being? Or do I reject it as an unnatural, abnormal, and dysfunctional pathology that must be overcome if I am to be, in the words of St. Irenaeus, "the glory of God...a man fully alive?" One choice leads down the death spiral of ever-increasing demands and ever-diminishing satisfactions; the other, to life abundant. --- Regis Nicoll

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
October 28, 2022

There is a profound irony in America's much talked about religious freedom. The First Amendment says congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The separation of church and state is sacred, and Americans enjoy unlimited access to believing whatever they choose without government interference.

However, many now believe that the woke left is endeavoring to cancel Christianity from the public square, making America more secular. The increasing homosexualization of American culture, the push for gay marriage, transgender tropes, drag queens in public schools are all seen as undermining the moral and spiritual foundation of the country.

Many on the far right are calling for laws to make America a Christian nation with laws drawn from the Old Testament. They want to see politics and faith fused into a form of Christian nationalism, an ideology that combines Christian and American identities and promotes Christianity as the reigning religion.

Now the irony of all this, is that the Christian faith is in decline in America. Mainline Protestant Christianity is rapidly aging and declining. The RCC is in deep numerical decline. Evangelicals, loosely defined, are holding their own, but the fastest growing segment are Nones, people without any religion or who have a vague spirituality. A poll by Pew says that America's Christian majority is shrinking and could dip below 50% by 2070 The deeper reality is that U.S.'s Christian majority has been shrinking for decades.

BUT the truth is that Christianity is growing faster in countries which have no state protection. In fact, where there is the most persecution, Christianity is growing the fastest and thriving. Nigeria is experiencing terrible persecution at the hands of Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram, but the church, especially the Anglican Church is growing by leaps and bounds and is, in fact, the largest province in the Anglican Communion.

The Church of England enjoys state protection and exists hand in glove with the state but is, in fact, dying with fewer than 750,000 practicing Anglicans on any given Sunday. The CoE is steadily brokering homosexuality into the Church, a sure recipe for its continued decline.

An Anglican missionary couple working in the Middle East had this to say about the regime in Iran. "It is in trouble. If it falls, Iran will be a Christian country. Zero doubt. Iran's grip on Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria will be loosened. And Israel's enemies will lose their support, funding, and weapons supplies. Just imagine!"

According to some Christian groups, there may be as many as 3 million Christians in Nepal, constituting up to 10% of the country's population. A report by Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary identified the Nepali church as the fastest growing church in the world!

The Christian Church in China is growing by leaps and bounds. Fenggang Yang, of Purdue University's Center on Religion and Chinese Society, estimates that there are between 93 million and 115 million Protestants in China, with fewer than 30 million attending officially registered churches. They are the real deal. They are not the Pope's faux Catholics (the real ones like Bishop Zen are being jailed for insurrection), nor are they like millions of American evangelicals, 40% of whom attend church twice a year, says Christian researcher and pastor Ryan Burge.

The First Amendment is nice to have on the books, but it won't make churches grow; it won't necessarily inspire faith either. It will offer cover but not much more. What makes churches grow is the steadfast proclamation of the gospel, coupled at times with persecution.

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Is the Left just as guilty of marrying politics with the Gospel as the Right? As we approach the 2022 midterms, and even more as we approach the 2024 presidential elections, Christian conservatives who are politically active will be accused of marrying the Gospel with politics. "Have you not heard of the separation of Church and State?" critics will ask. But what of the left. Are they just as guilty? Michael Brown, Christian Post Op-Ed Contributor thinks so. You can read more here: htmlhttps://www.christianpost.com/voices/the-left-is-also-guilty-of-marrying-politics-with-the-gospel.html

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THE BIG NEWS this week was the tongue lashing six GAFCON primates gave Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury over the appointment of the new dean of Canterbury Cathedral, one David Monteith, presently Dean of Leicester, who is living in a same-sex relationship in defiance of the CofE's official position and of course against its canons and Scripture.

The action brought forth calls from the Primates for Welby to repent. The Global South Primates said Welby's actions were "duplicitous" and "disingenuous". One Asian Archbishop called it "shocking" and "legalizing sin". VOL believed that Justin Welby knew about this appointment when the Lambeth Conference met recently, but he said nothing. Pushback has been virtually zero from any other CofE bishops.

ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach called the Dean's appointment a serious matter that "basically slapped primates in the face." Beach called on Welby to go into his prayer closet and repent.

The Anglican Primates met in Kigali, Rwanda and issued a communique condemning the actions of Welby in allowing a homosexual dean to be the next Dean of Canterbury. They praised the close relationship GAFCON has with GSFA and recognized the new GAFCON diocese in Australia. You can read more here:
https://virtueonline.org/communiqu%C3%A9-gafcon-primates-council-0

This is the Anglican story as it is unfolding today and what VOL predicted many years ago. We said then that unless a truly Biblical archbishop took the helm of the Church of England, and the Lambeth conference, Resolution 1:10 forbidding homosexual behavior would be sidelined, and revisionists would push and push till they triumphed as they had done in The Episcopal Church, Canada and Scotland. TEC was never disciplined for its action ordaining homosexualist Gene Robinson to the episcopacy. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/rwanda-six-gafcon-primates-blast-welby-over-homosexual-appointment

You can watch a video here of Dominic Steele talking with the six Primates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtqA49D4AJk

I expounded further on this here with a piece: THE INSIDIOUS PANSEXUAL PUTSCH IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. You can read it here: https://virtueonline.org/insidious-pansexual-putsch-church-england

Would it surprise you to learn that over 1,000 licensed priests in the Church of England have indicated that they are willing to conduct same-sex marriages if they become legal! You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/uk-we-will-conduct-same-sex-marriages-say-more-1000-clergy

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As the Church of England moves forward to embrace homosexual marriage, the Church of England's Evangelical wing, the CEEC, (CofE Evangelical Council) is debating how far they can compromise with their liberal brethren and still stay in the club.

Sadly, they will learn that compromise is not possible as conservatives in the Episcopal Church learned to their dismay. Most of them have gone, never to return. The CEEC thinks it can come up with a compromise based on what happened in Pittsburgh, yes Pittsburgh.

In his book That Hideous Strength: a Deeper Look at how the West was Lost, the late Melvin Tinker writes on how evangelicals became 'useful idiots' in the debate over homosexuality, first in Scotland and later in the CofE.

He recalls David Robertson's words over the homosexuality debate in Scotland: "Over ten years ago when the whole SSM and homosexuality debate began in the Church of Scotland, I got in enormous trouble and 'hurt' people for saying that the evangelicals were being suckered by the Establishment. The response was that this was a battle that they [the evangelicals] would win, that two evangelicals had been invited on to the panel to investigate the matter that an evangelical was going to become Moderator, etc. But they were suckered. Big time. The evangelicals were never allowed to outnumber the liberals. The only reason they were invited on to these groups was to enable them to keep their fellow evangelicals in line. They were invited to the table, but they were not allowed any say on the menu. They were outmaneuvered every time by fine words, appeals to unity (and to pride), threats and empty promises of jam tomorrow. From a liberal perspective it was a brilliant strategy that largely worked -- mainly because the evangelicals were leaderless, clueless and blinded by a myopic fixation with what they hoped the Church of Scotland could be, not what it really is. Most evangelicals stayed in, but not to fight. Now they have been reassimilated into the Establishment to such a degree that they are completely toothless." You can read more here:
https://virtueonline.org/church-england-ceec-will-learn-compromise-not-possible-over-human-sexuality-debate

***

Primates of Nigeria, Rwanda and the ACNA consecrated three bishops for Britain following a meeting of six GAFCON primates in Rwanda. They are Tim Davies, Ian Ferguson and Lee McMunn who were consecrated on Friday 21st October at a service in Hull by Archbishop Foley Beach (Primate of the Anglican Church in North America and Chair of Gafcon), Archbishop Laurent Mbanda (Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda & Vice-chair of Gafcon) and Archbishop Henry Ndukuba (Primate of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion). This is undoubtedly a stick in the eye at Justin Welby who views these consecrations as unnecessary and a violation of his leadership of the communion.

“In the light of unsettling pluralism within Canterbury-aligned Anglican structures, those seeking a safe home will be reassured that there is a genuine and authentic Anglican alternative to compromise and cultural capitulation,” said the leaders. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/primates-nigeria-rwanda-and-acna-consecrate-three-bishops-britain

***

THE ongoing dance between the Anglican Province of Nigeria, ACNA, Archbishop Foley Beach and CONNAM, the North American branch of the Nigerian Church came to a head this week.

The recent direction of Archbishop Henry Ndukuba, Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), to incorporate and expand the Church of Nigeria North American Mission (CONNAM) was the "straw that broke the camel's back" for Bishop Felix Orji and the Anglican Diocese of the West (ADOTW) churches.

Bishop Orji announced that he and his diocese were leaving CONNAM and rejoining the ACNA. He has now joined with Bishop Derek Jones and the Jurisdiction of the Armed Forces and Chaplaincy.

"To expand the CoN in North America was never the vision of Archbishop Peter Akinola, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, or the Church of Nigeria before Archbishop Ndukuba -- and it has never been our vision," said Archdeacon Don Armstrong, rector of St. George's Anglican Church in Colorado Springs, one of the more well-known parishes from the Episcopal Church war years. Archdeacon Armstrong indicated that his, and other churches, have seen themselves as partners in ministry with the ACNA, but now believe the CoN's actions present competition with the ACNA and represents a reversal of promises made by the CoN.

Early last year when Archbishop Ndukuba created CONNAM, he directed Bishop Orji, against the advice of many, to proceed with a reorganization of ADOTW, the JAFC, and ADOTT into geographic borders. This was not received well by the majority of churches who were forced to leave their bishop to join the other diocese. Several churches simply left the CoN, all but one joining an ACNA diocese. Many interpret Ndukuba's creation of CONNAM was simply showing that the CoN has no real intention of ever leaving North America, by making CONNAM an incorporated and, more importantly, an expanding body. How Ndukuba responds to the departure of ADOTW and her bishops will be telling.

VOL was given an exclusive story ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF THE WEST BISHOP HAS LEFT THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA which you can read here: https://virtueonline.org/anglican-diocese-west-bishop-has-left-church-nigeria

You can also read my exclusive piece; IS THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA TRYING TO BECOME THEIR OWN INTERNATIONAL CHURCH MOVEMENT? There is mounting evidence that CoN wants to go it alone. VOL obtained two documents from reliable sources that indicated the Primate of the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion (CoN), under Ndukuba, is attempting to make the CoN its own global Church movement that is not just separate from Canterbury but disconnected from her GAFCON partners! You can read more here:
https://virtueonline.org/church-nigeria-trying-become-their-own-international-church-movement

***

But The Anglican Diocese of the West (ADOTW), a diocese of 40 churches located in 24 states and four Canadian territories, and formerly part of the Church of Nigeria's North American Mission (CONNAM), voted October 23 to officially end its affiliation with CONNAM and become a diocese within the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).

The announcement was made by The Rt. Revd. Dr. Felix Orji, OSB, who was consecrated as Bishop of ADOTW in 2011. Bishop Orji also served as the Missionary Bishop and later the Coordinating Bishop of CONNAM after his appointment by the Church of Nigeria from May 2019 to October 2022. Bishop Orji will continue his role as Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the West within ACNA. He was licensed and received by the Anglican Church in North America. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/anglican-diocese-west-affiliate-anglican-church-north-america

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Caught in the middle of this ecclesiastical nightmare is ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach who has to contend with Archbishop Ndukuba, a leading GAFCON Primate. He and five other primates representing some 32 million Anglicans met in Kigali, Rwanda, recently where they tore into Welby over his duplicitous behavior in furthering the homosexual agenda of the LGBTQ in the CofE by allowing a partnered homosexual to be the next Dean of Canterbury.

Archbishop Beach needs Ndukuba as part of an orthodox phalanx against the growing western pansexual Anglican provinces which are slowly capitulating to the West's homosexual agenda. At the same time, it is uncomfortable having a Nigerian Anglican presence on American soil that refuses to recognize Primate Beach's ecclesiastical authority. It's a bit like having a Western orthodox Anglican diocese planted in Abuja, wanting their own show without recognizing the Anglican Province of Nigeria and its archbishop.

I have dealt with Nigerians over the years, and while I recognize them as my brothers in Christ, they are not an easy group to love. I have travelled several times to Nigeria where I met the late Archbishop Joseph Abiodun Adetiloya, a gracious primate in retirement who was responsible for the massive jump start in evangelism in that nation. Subsequent archbishops were not nearly so agreeable. One suspects that tribal differences between Akinola and Ndukuba, plus an antipathy towards the West over sexuality issues has made them increasingly isolationist. Time will tell how all this will sort itself out, but prayer can make a difference.

***

I was asked by an ACNA bishop if I would document episcopal bishops who have left the Episcopal Church and moved to the ACNA and other Anglican and non-Anglican jurisdictions.

VOL documented 18 who had left TEC to join the ACNA; six bishops who had joined other Anglican jurisdictions, with some 30 bishops, globally, having swum the Tiber. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/episcopal-bishops-who-left-episcopal-church-and-moved-acna

***

ACNA Bishop Stewart Ruch, accused of spiritual abuse, has ended his voluntary leave. Ruch had stepped down after admitting serious mistakes in responding to abuse in his diocese. He still faces an investigation into alleged spiritual abuse.

"I am writing to inform you that Bishop Stewart Ruch has decided to come off his voluntary leave of absence and he has chosen to return to the diocese in his capacity as Bishop of the Diocese of the Upper Midwest on October 30, 2022," Archbishop Foley Beach said in a letter to ACNA members on Friday (Oct. 21). Retired Bishop Martyn Minns will continue his oversight of the diocese. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/acna-bishop-stewart-ruch-accused-spiritual-abuse-ends-voluntary-leave

***

Anglicans For Life (AFL) and ACNA's Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic will hold a Life SUMMIT in 2023. The three-day event is focused on the Sanctity of Life. "As Anglicans, we believe all life is sacred and that it is important to come together annually to learn, celebrate, and affirm our commitment to honoring life. Over the course of the three-day event, students and adults will learn about the value of life, mourn the hastened death of the unborn and elderly, worship our Creator, and get equipped for Life-Affirming ministry," said AFL President, Canon Georgette Forney.

Life SUMMIT 2023 will address the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade, and how the Church can serve the thousands of lives that will be saved as a result of the decision. Learn more about the speakers, explore the event schedule, register for the events, and navigate the Life SUMMIT experience online at AFLlifeSUMMIT.org.

Anglicans For Life (AFL) is the only global Anglican ministry dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia through ministry, education, pastoral care, and biblical advocacy.

***

In the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, a confidential report received by VOL revealed that nearly $1.5 million was allegedly stolen from the PA Clergy Assurance Fund by its former Treasurer, John A. Miller.

A forensic report revealed that Miller wrote duplicate checks, one to himself totaling $1,425.400 with some $20,000 on a credit card that included erectile dysfunction meds to HIMS and Rugiet, "the gold standard for ED treatment" and a Canadian pharmacy called Honeybee. The alleged misappropriation took place between 2016 and 2022. In other news, the flagship evangelical flagship and largest parish in the diocese, Good Samaritan of Paoli fired its rector for arrogance and failure to grow the church. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/pennsylvania-fraud-perpetrated-clergy-assurance-fund-15-million-allegedly-misappropriated-treasurer

***

The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island is seeing more than the usual number of closures a source revealed. A list of "secularized" parishes is carried in monthly issues of THE LIVING CHURCH. St. Charles on Adelphi Street has closed, covered under bushes and is now a luxury residence. Also closed out is St. Margaret's Fresh Meadows Queens; Grace and Resurrection unified in Elmhurst, NY recently. Redeemer 4th Ave. closed, along with The Bishop Henry B. Hucles Nursing Home. WHERE IS THE MONEY AND WHERE DID IT GO? This is all under the watchful eye of Bishop Joseph Provenzano.

"There is much cronyism and nepotism in Orders and seminaries. GTS, EDU, Pacific, and Union are filled with close relatives of clergymen, parental acquaintances, thereof," he said.

***

Mere Anglican Conference will draw world class theologians to discuss C.S. Lewis in January of 2023. The reappearance of this conference after a COVID hiatus returns to Charleston, SC with the theme, "Telling a More Beautiful Story: Lessons from C.S. Lewis on Reaching a Fractured World." A group of world-class theologians and Lewis scholars will be present in person for the conference.

Conference sessions will be held at the Charleston Music Hall, with accommodations next door at the Hampton Inn, in the heart of Charleston's famed Historic District. The conference registration fee of $250 includes all sessions and materials and services; but meals and accommodations are on your own. Registration will open October 4 at www.mereanglicanism.org Contact can be made here: info@mereanglicanism.org.
https://www.mereanglicanism.org/

***

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In Christ,

David