T-shirts!

Hey, check these out!

Talk about a collaborative effort. A timeline of events:

• Hills of the North posts "Blinking at reality" on Judge Bellows's decision re CANA and the Diocese of Virginia, highlighting one of the judge's most appropriate phrases [boldface mine]:

  [Bellows] said "it blinks at reality to characterize the ongoing division within the Diocese, ECUSA, and the Anglican Communion as anything but a division of the first magnitude."
  
  "Blinking at reality" is perhaps the best expression that anyone's used to describe the mendacity of Episcopal Church leaders. First, it confirms there is a reality that exists--not just some pluriform truth that is nothing more than a function of clever word use and dictated perception by whomever is in power. Second, it suggests the reality is one that the Episcopal Church well knows--since a blink is but an interruption of sight, and a very brief one that rarely distorts perception. Finally, although a blink can be voluntary or involuntary (i.e., an attempt not to see or a conditioned reflex of closing one's eyes), it neither changes reality nor precludes one from truthfully reporting that reality. In short, one who blinks at reality is one who lies without any excuse.



• So, of course, this great post is linked to on Stand Firm.


• And in the comments, AnnieCOA says,

  "TEC: Blinking at Reality"
  Somebody better be making the T-Shirts! Profits could go to the ADV Defense Fund.



• To which Billy Ockham (also known as mousestalker) replies

  Check ‘em out! Any profits will go to the ADV fund.

And a t-shirt (and boxers, mugs, and magnets) is born! My favorite - the maternity t-shirt. We know this must be a "reasserter" site, since "reappraising" Episcopalians prefer to leave the business of propagation to others.

The power of communication. Go, buy, enjoy!

AAC weekly message from Bishop David Anderson

Via email [boldface mine]:

Beloved in Christ,

This week I want to start with the good news. Judge Bellows, who is trying the Virginia litigation between the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia (EDV) and the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV), has issued a ruling, finding in favor of the departing parishes with regard to the Virginia 1867 Division Statute. As one of our readers commented, "...the Court found that a division within the meaning of the Virginia Division Statute occurred in a church or religious society to which the CANA Congregations were attached. It is now a court finding that there is a division within the worldwide Anglican Communion, The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia." This is a most important and favorable ruling for the orthodox Anglicans in Virginia, and if it holds up through the Appeals Court process, important for the orthodox in many other states as well.

When other judges read the opinion, even though the overall statute at stake may not be directly relevant to another state, the body of evidence and findings within the case and the 88 page ruling are informative and useful. You can find the full ruling on our AAC website. The next stage of the same trial will deal with a second challenge that the Episcopal Church (TEC) has raised, and that is the constitutionality of the Virginia statute - whether it unconstitutionally interferes with the right of churches to order their own internal affairs. This right of churches is not absolute, however, for obvious reasons. An organization calling itself a church could decide to do things internally that violate public safety or contravene reasonable state law. You cannot, for example, reconstitute the Old Order Aztec Church, complete with daily human sacrifice, even if the victims are willing.

If churches and religious denominations wish to own property which is tax exempt because it is used for religious purposes, and have their offering income be tax exempt, and their donors receive tax exemption for those donations, then churches have already intertwined themselves to a degree with the government. This is seen as permissible because no one church is favored, and the benefits are available to all of the organizations which are formed as churches. In the same vein, it would seem that the Virginia statute, which is applicable to all churches and denominations that might find themselves in this situation, does not encroach on the U.S. Constitution's non-establishment clause, because it does not favor any one church. We will follow the development of the arguments in this case with great interest.

One of the sad things is that the litigation - initiated by the EDV under pressure from Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori - is not only using up valuable EDV mission dollars but is also forcing the ADV to spend corresponding amounts. Although the ADV has been raising its money as the case proceeds, the EDV has been borrowing the money for its legal offensive, and has now gone through approximately two million dollars. If there were promises of financial aid made to Virginia to push them into the litigation battle, apparently they have not materialized. Other TEC dioceses take note: it's not what she says, it's whether she gives you the money to litigate up front and lets you bank it in advance - otherwise you might wind up like Virginia and Los Angeles, paying for it all yourself. For those dioceses which haven't yet commenced litigation against departing parishes, you may wish to seriously consider mediation, and make some money instead of spending huge amounts you don't have.

While we are speaking of legal issues, Katharine Jefferts Schori and her chancellor, David Booth Beers, have been put on notice by an attorney representing Bishop William J. Cox, with a letter demanding that she publish a correction of her announcement concerning his deposition. Since she failed to achieve the canonically required majority of "the whole number of bishops entitled to vote," the vote was invalid. In legal terms, it was null and void. The letter goes on to require several things: first that Schori cease defamation of character of Bishop Cox by saying and distributing assertions that are not true and are injurious to him; and then right the wrong by withdrawing the pronouncement of deposition and publishing it in the same manner that she did the deposition. If she doesn't (or perhaps, when she doesn't), the implications are clear. The letter was a legal demand letter which precedes further action. This is one to watch also.

On the West Coast of the USA, the battle of San Joaquin is still in the formation stage. There appear to be three Standing Committees: the one that belongs with the Diocese of San Joaquin/Southern Cone; the Standing Committee that claims it never resigned and never left TEC; and the Standing Committee that Schori cobbled together as part of her "rump" Diocesan Convention of San Joaquin/TEC reconstituted. To our knowledge, Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori is the first Presiding Bishop to run roughshod over Canons, both diocesan and national, yet at the same time invoking them as gospel whenever she finds one that is useful to her. Since eventually the orthodox will leave TEC, become revisionists themselves, or die of old age, those who will eventually be left to enjoy this legacy of tyranny are the revisionist bishops, clergy and laity themselves. Pity them, for they shall finally inherit the poisoned fruit of their labor, and it will be bitter unto them.

Not only have Schori and her TEC assistants set up a Potemkin Village San Joaquin Diocese, claiming it to be the real thing, but they have now taken over the website of the real Diocese of San Joaquin/Southern Cone. Since the website was hosted by an Anglican organization, the Society of Archbishop Justus, which is friendly to TEC, they reassigned the address to Schori's group. Can they really do this? They did. If your website is hosted by any group friendly to either TEC or the Anglican Communion Office (ACO), you might wish to investigate moving to an orthodox-friendly site, or to a neutral independent provider. It is a nasty thing to wake up and discover that your internet identity has been stolen.

Adding insult to injury, the London Anglican Communion Office (ACO), which operates hand in glove with the TEC top leadership, is quite naturally listing the Diocese of San Joaquin as VACANT, to underscore Schori's contention of a deposition. It is understandable when one considers how much money flows from TEC to the ACO to keep their doors open and the lights on. Previously when we checked, one of the major ACO staffers, Fr. James Rosenthal, is actually being funded by TEC using Missionary dollars. If Jim is a missionary, we might inquire what is his message, and who is his target for conversions? Is this what TEC Mission Dollars were intended for? It appears in many ways that the Anglican Communion Office is 'TEC East'.

In the international scene the issue of free speech and freedom of religion are becoming issues in the Western world. Who would ever have thought that an English bishop would be convicted by a court for REFUSING to employ a practicing homosexual in his diocese's youth services? The Bishop of Hereford was fined 47,000 GBP (a bit over 90,000 USD) and made to attend a re-education course. We might wonder how long we can read the Bible out loud in church, especially certain passages that deal with sinful conduct. How long can we preach the 2000-year-old message from the pulpit before we are handcuffed and dragged away?

Maybe not as long as you think. Bob Unruh, writing in WorldnetDaily, reports that the Canadian government has ordered a Christian ministry which teaches doctrine and the differences between Christians and cults shut down because its reference materials were "critical" of the beliefs of those who are not Christian. The organization, MacGregor Ministries, has had to move to the USA and be re-created under the name MM Outreach Media Ministries.

With the European and British governments passing onerous legislation supposedly banning "hate speech" (but in reality banning Christian free speech about sin and its consequences), it becomes illegal not only to say certain things, but to write them, publish them, post them on the internet, etc. Is it now possible that something written in one country halfway around the world, where it is protected and legal, may be read in another far distant country and cause someone to be offended, and thus become an infraction of the law? Is the law broken where something is done or where it is received, or both? Are you ready to go to jail over free speech and free expression of the Christian religion?

And across the pond in England we are aware that the General Synod will be meeting just before the mini-Lambeths, and Lambeth itself. We have heard rumors that the Presiding Bishop of TEC and a few other liberal USA bishops might "independently" be planning trips to "accidentally" be in the neighborhood of the General Synod. Not on purpose of course, but then things being what they are, if any of them might bump into an English bishop that they know... well it would, under those circumstances, only be neighborly to ask her or them to say a word or two, to bring greetings from TEC-land to the Synod. Are these rumors true? In the past we have found that their reliability is better than half, but we shall have to wait and see. Any volunteers for Katharine spotters?

Now finally, the American Anglican Council has been assisting the Global Anglican Future Conference and Pilgrimage (GAFCON) with registration and other administrative tasks that need some attention, and we are pleased to see the number of paid registrations adding up, hotel reservations filling up, and planning shaping up. Nigeria has checked in already with its full allotment paid for by monies raised within Nigeria. Scholarships are being sought for bishops in other provinces who can only raise part of their costs to attend, and if you are able we encourage you to assist this gathering of orthodox bishops, clergy and laity who will help shape the future of Anglicanism in the century ahead. You can do this on the AAC website or at this link.

Blessings and Peace in Christ Jesus,

The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President & CEO of the AAC

From office of the Presiding Bishop: A statement in response to the Virginia ruling

From EpiscopalLife Online [boldface mine]:

Statement from the Office of the Presiding Bishop follows:

We are obviously disappointed in yesterday's ruling by the trial judge against the Episcopal Church and the Diocese that involved one Virginia statutory issue in the case. While we believe that the Court's conclusion that Virginia's unusual "division" statute applies to the current situation in the Diocese, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion is incorrect, there will time enough in the future to seek review of that decision if it becomes necessary. In the meantime, we shall present to the Court at the scheduled argument in May our contention that if the statute means what the Court has held, it plainly deprives the Episcopal Church and the Diocese, as well as all hierarchical churches, of their historic constitutional rights to structure their polity free from governmental interference and thus violates the First Amendment and cannot be enforced.

We also note that this decision does not bar the contentions of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese regarding control over the property of the departing congregations that will be presented to the Court in the fall.

Virginia judge issues preliminary ruling on application of state statute

Don't ya know ECUSA hated to acknowledge this! From EpiscopalLife Online [boldface mine]:

Constitutional challenges, conflicting claims to Episcopal Church property remain unresolved

A judge ruled April 3 that it was appropriate for 11 Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) congregations to file property claims under a portion of Virginia state law that is triggered when there is a so-called "division" of a church or religious society.

Fairfax County Judge Randy I. Bellows did not rule on the property issues themselves or whether the Virginia statute violates the Episcopal Church's or the Diocese's First Amendment rights. He said only that the CANA congregations, some of which include former members of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, could file their claims under Section 57-9(A) the so-called “Division Statute” of the Code of Virginia.

"We are obviously disappointed in yesterday's ruling by the trial judge against the Episcopal Church and the Diocese that involved one Virginia statutory issue in the case," the office of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said in a statement.

"While we believe that the Court's conclusion that Virginia's unusual 'division' statute applies to the current situation in the Diocese, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion is incorrect, there will time enough in the future to seek review of that decision if it becomes necessary."

Jefferts Schori's office noted that "this decision does not bar the contentions of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese regarding control over the property of the departing congregations that will be presented to the Court in [October]."

The Diocese of Virginia said in a statement posted on its website that "it is simply wrong" to allow those who have left the Episcopal Church "continue to occupy Episcopal Church property while loyal Episcopalians are forced to worship elsewhere."

Bellows held in his 88-page letter of opinion and order that the conflict constitutes a "division" in a "'church or religious society'" within the meaning of Section 57-9(A). . .

Read it all.

Judge rules in favor of the Virginia churches: A division has occurred; statute applies

I have no idea if this ruling helps the case in California at all - I hope it does. I know these property issues are state issues, but I'm sure the lawyers look at how other states interpret the structure of the Episcopal Church.

From BabyBlue Online:

Here is a brief summary of the conclusions from the Letter Order:

Findings and Conclusions:

A. As used in 57-9(A), the term "church" or "religious society" does apply to the Diocese, the ECUSA, and the Anglican Communion.

B. As used in 57-9(A), the term "attached" applies to the CANA Congregations, in that they are "attached" to the Diocese, the ECUSA, and the Anglican Communion.

C. As used in 57-9(A), CANA, the American Arm of the Church of Uganda, the Church of Nigeria, ADV, ECUSA, and the Diocese are all "branches" of the Anglican Communion, and CANA and ADV are "branches" of ECUSA and the Diocese.

D. As used in 57-9(A), a "division" has occurred in a church or religious society to which the CANA Congregations were attached, at all three levels of the Diocese, the ECUSA, and the Anglican Communion.

VI.) Conclusion:
ECUSA/Diocese argue that the historical evidence demonstrates that it is only the "major" or "great" divisions within 19th-century churches that prompted the passage of 57-9, such as those within the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches. ECUSA/Diocese argue that the current "dispute" before this Court is not such a "great" division, and, therefore, this is yet another reason why 57-9(A) should not apply. The Court agrees that it was major divisions such as those within the Methodist and Presbyterian churches that prompted the passage of 57-9. However, it blinks at reality to characterize the ongoing division within the Diocese, ECUSA, and the Anglican Communion as anything but a division of the first magnitude, especially given the involvement of numerous churches in states across the country, the participation of hundreds of church leaders, both lay and pastoral, who have found themselves "taking sides" against their brethren, the determination by thousands of church members in Virginia and elsewhere to "walk apart" in the language of the Church, the creation of new and substantial religious entities, such as CANA, with their own structures and disciplines, the rapidity with which the ECUSA's problems became that of the Anglican Communion, and the consequent impact-in some cases the extraordinary impact-on its provinces around the world, and, perhaps most importantly, the creation of a level of distress among many church members so profound and wrenching as to lead them to cast votes in an attempt to disaffiliate from a church which has been their home and heritage throughout their lives, and often back for generations.

Whatever may be the precise threshold for a dispute to constitute a division under 57-9(A), what occurred here qualifies. . .

Read it all. And from Stand Firm, a link to Judge Bellows' ruling.

Sharing Our Faith conference videos

From AnglicanTV:

Sharing Our Faith

For a small donation of $10 you can watch hours of teaching from the Sharing Our Faith Conference. This conference was video taped in the Metro DC area and is brought to you as a ministry of AnglicanTV.org.

For more information on the Sharing Your Faith Ministry Click Here

Included videos include:

• Evangelism: Why Bother?


• Faith-Centered Cathecesis


• What Good News?


• How Can I Motivate My Church for Evangelism


• The Church God Multiplies


• One-to-One Evangelism


• Every Church a Planting Church


• and many more....

After you complete the paypal transaction, you will be immediately forwarded to the video page.

Anglican District of Virginia to hold inaugural missions and outreach training event

Via email, the ADV continues along (looks very interesting):

WHAT: The Anglican District of Virginia (ADV) and its members unite this weekend at its inaugural outreach event, Inspired Service Through Missions – a conference designed to enlighten, equip and encourage. The conference is for those in ADV churches who would like to get involved in missions, those who are actively supporting or participating in outreach, and those who are planning to participate in a local, domestic, or international trip in the future. At the event, there will also be a list of all 2008 mission trips planned by ADV churches.

ADV parishioners travel around the globe each year with the goal of responding to God’s call to share the Good News of Jesus Christ by loving and serving the nations. Through mission trips, prayer and financial support, ADV member churches provide outreach to over 50 different countries or regions of the world from Afghanistan to Uruguay.

WHO: The featured speaker will be Jim Hobby, Rector of Trinity Anglican Church in Thomasville, Ga., and Director of Ethne Mission Networking and Equipping (http://www.ethneonline.org/).

WHEN: Friday, February 22 and Saturday, February 23, 2008

Friday
7:00 – 7:30 p.m. – Registration and Check in
7:30 p.m. – “Why Don’t We Just Send the Money?” – Short-term Trips That Make a Difference

Saturday
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. – Registration and Check in
9:30 – 11:30 a.m. – “But There Is So Much Need Right Here.” – The World through the Eyes of a Missionary God
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Lunch
12:30 – 1:45 p.m. – “Why Do They Do That?” – Engaging Cultural Differences
2:00 – 3:15 p.m. – “This Isn’t What I Had in Mind!” – Conflict and Expectations Going and Coming
5:00 p.m. – Worship and Eucharist – Rev. Jim Hobby Preaching

WHERE: Church of the Apostles, 3500 Pickett Road in Fairfax, Va.

RSVP: To attend the conference, please contact Jerry Baker, ADV Outreach Coordinator at 703-626-6774, or ADVOutreach@cox.net. (For members of the media who wish to attend any portion of the conference, please RSVP to Caitlin Bozell (ext. 119) or Kelly Oliver (ext. 140) at (703) 683-5004.)

BREAKING NEWS: Virginia Attorney General sides with Virginia congregations that voted to separate from the Episcopal Church

From BabyBlueOnline (and don't forget to check the link here to Stand Firm for your reactions, comments, etc.) [boldface mine]:

BB NOTE: The Motion is here and the Brief is here.

FAIRFAX, Va. (January 11, 2008) – Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell has filed a motion to intervene and a brief in the ongoing church property litigation that is being heard by Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows involving eleven congregations that separated from the Episcopal Church in 2006 and 2007 and joined the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV). In his brief, Attorney General McDonnell defended the constitutionality of the Virginia Division Statute (Virginia Code § 57-9), thereby validating the position of the ADV churches and making it clear that there is no constitutional problem with applying the Statute in exactly the way ADV attorneys have advocated.

As stated in the Attorney General’s motion to intervene, “As a matter of federal constitutional law, the Episcopal Church is simply wrong. The Constitution does not require that local church property disputes be resolved by deferring to national and regional church leaders.”

“The Attorney General’s brief validates the position of our parishes and directly refutes arguments that were made by the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia following the November trial,” said Jim Oakes, vice chairman ADV. “Virginia has a long and rich history of deferring to congregational control of property. The Division Statute itself clearly states that majority rule should be the deciding factor in determining the ownership of church property when a group of congregations has divided from its former denomination. In his brief, the Attorney General ratified the authority of the Division Statute and noted that the interpretation of the Statute by ADV lawyers is ‘both textually and historically accurate.’”

“Virginia law does not permit the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church to seize our property from us. Our parishes voted overwhelmingly to disassociate from the Episcopal Church due to its rejection of the authority of Scripture. Our decision is just one small piece of evidence that there is a widespread division within the Anglican Communion. We are confident in our legal position that the Division Statute is applicable in this case and we look forward to the resolution of this litigation,” Oakes continued.

“It is unfortunate that the Diocese of Virginia and the Episcopal Church broke off amicable property negations and filed lawsuits against our parishes in the first place, forcing us to defend ourselves in a court of law. But despite the distraction of the legal proceedings, we will continue to remain faithful to the historic teachings of the church while moving forward in mission and ministry,” concluded Oakes.

The Anglican District of Virginia (www.anglicandistrictofvirginia.org) is an association of Anglican congregations in Virginia. Its members are in full communion with constituent members of the Anglican Communion through its affiliation with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a missionary branch of the Church of Nigeria and other Anglican Archbishops. ADV members are a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a community of 77 million people. ADV is dedicated to fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission to make disciples while actively serving in three main capacities: International Ministries, Evangelism, and Strengthening Families and Community. ADV is currently comprised of 21 member congregations.

Orthodox Anglicans unite in prayer as church property trial looms

From BabyBlueOnline:

Churches within the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV) are joining together in prayer in advance of the November 13 church property trial that will take place in Fairfax County Circuit Court. Prayer services will be held at The Falls Church and Church of the Apostles in the next few days and Truro’s chapel will be open for prayer throughout the trial. All 11 of the churches named in the lawsuit, now known as Multi-Circuit Property Litigation, Case No. CL-2007-0248724, are members of ADV, an association of Anglican congregations in Virginia and a part of the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).

“Our legal team and the ADV member parishes are prayerfully preparing for the court proceedings next week. The upcoming prayer services illustrate our continued desire to act in accordance with the will of God and the laws of the land. We remain confident in our legal standing and in our decision to dissociate from The Episcopal Church due to its blatant rejection of the authority of Scripture. It is unfortunate that The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia abruptly halted our collective efforts to resolve this matter amicably out of court,” said Jim Oakes, vice-chairman of the Anglican District of Virginia. . .

On Friday, November 9 at 7:30 p.m., Church of the Apostles, located at 3500 Pickett Road in Fairfax City, Va., will hold a prayer and worship service focused on the legal team and the court proceedings. On Saturday night, November 10, The Falls Church will devote the 5:30 p.m. worship service especially to prayers for the litigation. The prayer vigil will take place in the main sanctuary located at 115 E. Fairfax Street in Falls Church, Va. Truro Church located at 10520 Main Street in Fairfax, Va., is also making its chapel available for prayer throughout the legal proceedings.

Read it all.