Heavenly Father, we bless and thank you for our creation, our salvation and our preservation, through your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. We come to you confessing our sinful quarreling and the divisions among us. We are determined to follow you, Lord Jesus, to the foot of your cross. There we will find forgiveness and the the restoration of our unity.

It has been inspiring to watch this vibrant and dynamic mission parish mobilize after being told to make something great happen here 22 months ago. Ministry leaders and teams were formed to take on the various responsibilities of running the church. Now those teams collaborate with each other, pray for each other, and fan out to make sure no one is left behind, especially now that we are worshipping in the park.

Who are these clergy who praise the work of the largest abortion provider in the United States? Hardly a rogue's gallery of Religious Left boogeymen, the list is more likely to evoke a collective "huh?" from readers otherwise familiar with activist clergy. Stocked with assorted retired and small-church pastors, the list presents an image of oldline Protestantism: older, disproportionately concentrated in the Northeast, and almost entirely white.

Betts came to the Washington National Cathedral about three years ago. This popular choir had been singing for the 9 AM service for about 9 years. One choir member described Chris as a "masterful" director. Another choir member described him as both "Christian" and "musical."