AnglicanTV covering the Diocese of South Carolina convention

Check out AnglicanTV for coverage of the diocesan convention for South Carolina.

And from BabyBlueOnline:

Head over to Anglican TV - they are discussing postponing the election of deputies to General Convention. Kendall Harmon has requested the the election be postponed until the next Diocesan Council so that the Diocese can decide if/how many deputies to General Convention. The concern was that "business as usual" is pushing through. Right now the Bishop has taken the floor to oppose Kendall's motion. The Bishop's concern is that it will get the new bishop's episcopate off on the wrong foot. It's rather unprecedanted to have the bishop take the floor during a debate. He must be worried. Go here and watch the proceedings.

The initial vote they took appeared to be even split. The Diocesan Chancellor has now taken the floor. It appears that the diocesan brass oppose the postponement. Kendall is willing to standdown if there is a guarantee that this discussion will happen. You can see that they want to trust the brass. But it's quite obvious that South Carolina is split.

It has now been withdrawn. Once the bishop spoke against it, the air went out of the tires. Very interesting. Watch that space.

Check it out.

Roe v. Wade: 35 years pass, but not debate

I really don't want to post this story because I find it so fundamentally evil, but we need to know what is happening in this area. (Thanks for commenter Hening for the heads up.) From Albany Times Union [boldface mine]:

SCHENECTADY -- To commemorate Tuesday's 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that affirmed a woman's right to an abortion, clergy blessed this city's new Planned Parenthood clinic in a ceremony dubbed "On Sacred Ground."

"Today is more than about the building and about bricks and mortar," Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Linda Scharf said. "It's a blessing to demonstrate the support of the clergy."

Since Jan. 22, 1973, when the high court handed down the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision, two sides of the issue have squared off. Opponents have campaigned to overturn unrestricted abortion laws, while proponents have stood firm for the right to choose.

Tuesday was no different.

Capital Region activists joined voices with their counterparts nationwide to mark the day. In Washington, as every year on the anniversary, the March for Life was held.

In Schenectady, the blessing occurred at the newly constructed 18,000-square-foot building at 1040 State St. that opened in September to replace a facility on Union Street.

"Clergy have long supported Planned Parenthood's mission and believe women are moral decision-makers, and they trust their right to make a personal decision based on their moral beliefs and whether ... we concur ... we still need to respect that decision," Scharf said.

"The clergy were instrumental in getting abortion services legalized in the United States and right here in Schenectady," she added. "I know a member of the clergy who was part of an underground who directed young women to safe abortions before Roe v. Wade."

Kathleen Gallagher of the New York State Catholic Conference called the blessing hypocritical.

"My gut reaction is that it's two-faced," Gallagher said. "For many years abortion proponents have been saying this is not a religious issue, you should keep religion out of this, and now all of a sudden they turn around and decide to bless an abortion clinic to gain respect for a procedure everybody knows is not worthy of respect." . . .

Despite the national trend of declining abortions, they increased in four local counties from 2005 to 2006 while statewide they dropped, according to the Health Department.

At Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson, an affiliate of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Rev. Larry Phillips of Schenectady's Emmanuel-Friedens Church declared the ground "sacred and holy ... where women's voices and stories are welcomed, valued and affirmed; sacred ground where women are treated with dignity, supported in their role as moral decision-makers ... sacred ground where the violent voices of hatred and oppression are quelled."

The minister has been affiliated with Planned Parenthood going back more than 30 years, Scharf said. About three dozen people gathered at the facility, known as the Evelyn & David Sencer Center, to offer prayers during the half-hour ceremony.

The Rev. Abby Norton-Levering led the group in prayers for the center's doctors and staff. "We pray that you will make this a place of safety and give a sense of sanctuary," she said.

Rabbi Matt Cutler of Temple Gates of Heaven blew the shofar as "a renewal of commitment to keep reproductive rights in the hands of women."

The Rev. Bill Levering, senior pastor of First Reformed Church of Schenectady, said the right to privacy is endowed by God.

"There are some decisions that are left to the individual. Even God respects the right of privacy. We make women into children when we say they cannot control their own bodies," Levering said.

Phillips led everyone outside where they laid their hands on the brick and limestone as the minister declared, "This is sacred ground."

Read it all and pray that hardened hearts may be softened to hear God and live by His Word.

Shoe Thursday: The eco-friendly edition

Since seeing the story in EpiscopalLife Online about the installation of the Canon for Environmental Ministry in the Diocese of California (California, but of course), I've been wondering what type of shoes we can wear to help save the environment.

Of course, please don't confuse my mind with any info on how these shoes are manufactured or shipped or boxed or advertized or anything else about the resources consumed in creating this most excellent example of caring for our Planet - that might impinge on my intense feelings of satisfaction that I am being such a wonderful steward of Mother Earth!

So, from the most excellent shopping site for shoes on the web, Zappos.com, we can actually search for "women's eco-friendly shoes" and see what's available.

This one is billed as GT Jane from Simple. Its eco-friendly attributes, according to the Zappos write-up, include:

• Woven Jute rand


• Organic Cotton upper


• Bamboo linings


• Coconut button


• Removable natural latex pedbed with a cotton canvas cover. Natural crepe rubber midsole.


• Uses water based cements


• Yes, that outsole is made of an actual car tire

Sounds like a most worthy candidate for Eco-friendly Shoe of the Year. The car tire outsole is an excellent touch.

Next, from JT-41, a shoe called Aquarius-Vegan, so of course, no leather materials or animal products are used in construction. Other items of note are:

• The Age of "Aquarius" is upon us with this stylish, 100% vegan slip-on shoe that impresses with its sleek design and incredible comfortability.


• Features removable Jeep® Memory Foam footbed for maximum comfort (I don't know, this sounds a little too petroleum-based to me)


• Eco-friendly partially recycled rubber outsole (but no mention if these are actual car tires or not)


• Upper: 100% vegan-friendly synthetic textile uppers

This shoe offers the double benefit of being both environmentally sound (Vegan) but also spiritually sound (Aquarius) - it's a twofer! (Although I am highly suspicious of that "memory foam footbed" - I keep thinking "off-shore drilling.")

For something a little more outdoorsy, I took a look at this Toetally boot by Simple - eco-claims include:

• Give Mother Nature a big hug purely by wearing Toetally


• Stylish and earth friendly boot made of organic cotton/linen, printed wool and printed felt uppers


• Bamboo linings add unique elements


• Jute laces add natural flair


• Removable natural latex pedbed with cotton canvas cover (huh, no memory foam here!)


• Natural crepe rubber midsole is fashionable and environmentally friendly


• Water based cements


• 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms (ah, so even their packaging is eco-friendly!)

But what if the eco-friendly girl wants to dress up a little, maybe go to an eco-charity event, to see and be seen by those most concerned with combating eco-concerns? Most eco-friendly shoes seem to be a little (how shall I say it?) "woodsy" in appearance.

Never fear, Zappos knows all and shows all. On the eco-friendly display page, I also found this shoe (the only dressy one on the whole page), the black satin Marlene by Annie. And its eco-attributes are listed as:

• This sophisticated dress slide features a criss-cross vamp.


• Jeweled detailing in the satin upper


• Lightly padded footbed for comfort


• 3" Lucite heel

What a minute, none of these points sound particularly "eco-friendly." The 3" Lucite heel sounds positively dangerous! Lucite, that's plastic! And plastic is anathema to any eco-friendly consumer - I think this shoe is a ringer! But, wouldn't you know, the one shoe that's actually somewhat stylish isn't even eligible for consideration.

Why must everything so worthy always be so serious?

NCAA moves toward protecting pregnant athletes from needing abortions

From LifeNews.com:

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The NCAA has adopted a new rule to help pregnant student athletes not have to choose between having an abortion or losing their scholarship or place on a team when they become pregnant. The new rule comes after exposes that students at Clemson University and University of Memphis had abortions rather than lose their sports standing.

The Division I Management Council voted 46-5 to support a proposal that prevents schools from retracting scholarships to student athletes who become pregnant.

According to a report in the Daily Aztec, the student newspaper at San Diego State University, San Diego State assistant athletic director Mike May said the vote should solve the problem of letting each university determine its own policy.

"This is certainly something that protects the student athlete," May said. "We are all in favor of that."

"The more things you can gather to assist student athletes (the better), and this is another example of the NCAA taking a step toward doing that," he said.

The NCAA Board of Directors approved the new rule on Monday and it will go into effect starting on August 1.

Though the vote is a step in the right direction, it doesn't resolve the debate entirely, the newspaper indicated, because it only prevents schools from revoking scholarships for the year in which the student becomes pregnant.

Colleges and universities could still yank scholarships for future years from students who become pregnant and don't have an abortion.

A rule change didn't appear likely after NCAA officials met this past August to discuss the problem. Janet Kittel, the outgoing head of the NCAA’s Committee on Women's Athletics, said NCAA director Myles Brand asked the committee to discuss the issue.

She told the Associated Press the meeting focused on how to do a better job of making students aware of their rights under the federal Title IX law.

The statute requires schools to treat a pregnancy the same way they would treat athletes with a temporary disability -- by allowing for time off from the athletic program without worries about losing scholarships or spots on the team.

The new rules change on revoking scholarships will now go along with NCAA policy allowing students to apply for an extra year of eligibility which would not count as a redshirt year but would allow girls who become pregnant to attend college an extra year by staying in school for six years and competing for four.

The problems became a national issue when Clemson and Memphis students said they lost scholarships over their pregnancies. The report included interviews with seven Clemson University students who said they felt coerced into having abortions to keep the athletic money.

Typically colleges and universities do not have formal rules on pregnancy and scholarships, which leaves many students confused as to what will happen should they become pregnant.

Some students wind up making decisions based only on verbal threats or promises that may have no weight.

Clemson later acknowledged that women's track coach Marcia Noad gave students a policy saying, "Pregnancy resulting in the inability to compete and positively contribute to the program's success will result in the modification of your grant-in-aid money."

However, Clemson athletic director Terry Don Phillips said the policy was never meant to encourage abortions but to encourage students to make responsible sexual choices.

He told AP in August that the rule “was a team rule that shouldn't have been in there" and that no student lost scholarship money or was kicked off the team for a pregnancy. . .

Read it all.

Still looking. . .

So I thought maybe since I checked EpiscopalLife Online yesterday (Tuesday) and there was no story on the March for Life in Washington, D.C. (or on any of the local marches and events nationwide), that they would have something today. You know, the "old" media sometimes takes a while to get the story published.

Back again tonight I go to their website to take a gander, but alas, no, once again there is no story on the pro-life message of this week.

A few new stories have been added since yesterday: the Episcopal Church Archives are launching an African American web exhibit; Mark Lawrence is being consecrated in Charleston this weekend as Bishop of South Carolina; and members of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin (not to be confused with the Southern Cone Anglican Diocese of San Joaquin) are gathering this Saturday for a "Moving Forward, Welcoming All" conference.

But nary a reference or reaction to this:
or this
or this
or the look of joy on this sign holder's face

Life must be so monochromatically dull for those who ignore or don't see what the Lord is doing in those around them. What a small box they have put God in!

Showdown in San Diego

From the California Catholic Daily [boldface mine]:

ACLU, Planned Parenthood challenge school district’s parental notification policy; pro-family groups oppose any change

Urgent update (as of January 18): The San Diego Unified School District's parental notification policy will not be discussed by the school board on Jan. 22 as originally reported. School district attorneys are still working out the details of a new policy and have not finished their work in time for the Jan. 22 meeting. "At this time, the proposal is still being revised; it has not yet been scheduled for a return to the board," Jack Brandais, a school district spokesman, informed California Catholic Daily.

Original post: Under fire from Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, trustees of the San Diego Unified School District will consider changing a longstanding policy requiring school officials to notify parents when a student leaves campus for an abortion during the school day at what is expected to be a long and contentious meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

Current school district policy, in effect for more than 20 years, provides “under no condition is a student to leave the school grounds before dismissal without the approval of his/her parent or guardian and the principal or the principal’s specifically designated representative.”

That policy, says the ACLU of San Diego & Imperial Counties is “antiquated and dangerous” and “in direct conflict with California’s medical emancipation statutes, which permit a minor to obtain reproductive health care without parental notice or consent.”

Both the ACLU and Planned Parenthood, citing state law and an opinion from the California attorney general, contacted the school district urging a change in the policy. A May 2007 letter to the school superintendent under the dual letterhead of the ACLU and Planned Parenthood said the district’s existing policy “does not comply with California law and endangers vulnerable young women.”

At a Dec. 11 school board meeting, trustees reviewed proposed changes to the policy from their legal staff, but decided to take no action until district lawyers had more time to work on a revised policy. That delay provoked Planned Parenthood and the ACLU even further. An ACLU news release the day following the school board meeting said, “We are disappointed that the policy was not corrected, and call on the San Diego School Board to do so at once.”

A draft of the proposed new policy indicates school lawyers are willing to incorporate the “medical emancipation” provisions of state law, but with a broad exception in cases in which school officials believe a student’s pregnancy or plans for an abortion present “a clear and present danger to the health, safety or welfare of the student.” In such cases, school counselors, nurses or administrators would be permitted to inform parents.

Planned Parenthood and the ACLU insist that any parental notification violates state law. . .

Read it all, and in the comments section, for those in San Diego who may want to speak against this change, here's some contact info:

I will be planning to take a group to the school board to make a stand against this abominable attempt to prevent parents from knowing when their young daughters are leaving school to get the abortion operation. Please let me know via email if you would like to be a part of the group we will be putting together for our presentation at the school board. email: hartline08@gmail.com James Hartline Candidate, San Diego City Council District 3 www.hartline08.com

Hey, at least ECUSA isn't the only one. . .welcome the Presbyterian Church (USA) into the pro-abortion side

From PowerBlog! [boldface mine]:

"March for Life" or "March for Women’s Lives"?

With the tremendous support over the years for the March for Life efforts, it is no coincidence that the organizers of the counterpart march, which promotes abortion, wanted a similar sounding name to play off of this success. The misnamed “March for Women’s Lives” does just that.

For those of us who are members in the Presbyterian Church (USA) - the PC (USA) has sponsored, promoted and officially participated in one of these marches, but has not sponsored, promoted, officially participated, or even referenced the other. Can you guess which one?

Did the PC (USA) support or oppose legislation to ban partial birth abortions? What about support or opposition regarding parental consent legislation or the Unborn Victims of Violence Act?

Unfortunately, the PC (USA)’s lobbying efforts on each one of these issues matches the lobbying efforts of Planned Parenthood.

In more moves than a contortionist can muster, our denomination tries to accommodate all positions on abortion. However, the lobbying efforts of PC (USA) have been exclusively pro-choice.

This Saturday, the Beaver-Butler Presbytery will be considering an overture which will require the PC (USA) to either equally promote both sides of this issue, or promote neither side at all. . .

Read it all.

March for Life video on YouTube

Check out American Papist for video takes on today's March for Life in Washington, D.C.

Welcome to any new visitors. I'm a Catholic young adult, studying and working in Washington DC, who is providing exclusive on-the-ground coverage of the 35th Annual March for Life. Here's what I offer:

• All March-for-Life related posts are collected here (includes event schedules & info)


• My photographs will be uploaded to this Flickr page (currently almost 100)


• My videos will be uploaded to this YouTube page (about 10 from the march)

March for Life exclusive content:

• March for Life (5): March for Life Videos


• March for Life (4): March for Life Pictures (1 of 2)


• March for Life (3): March for Life Pictures (2 of 2)


• March for Life (2): Blogs4Life Videos


• March for Life (1): Blogs4Life Photos

And please, join me in praying for an end to abortion, and for its millions of victims and survivors.

I survey ENS for pro-life stories today "just for fun"

Just for fun, I took a look at the home page of EpiscopalLife Online today, January 22, the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision and the March for Life 2008.

I was, I don't know, hoping? wishing? praying? I might see a positive story on the March for Life and the number of people nationwide who are celebrating the sanctity of life today. After all, an Episcopal clergyman, the Right Reverend Henry Scriven, Assistant Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, PA and Anglicans for Life Board Member, gave the opening prayer at the March for Life Rally in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately, someone forgot to let those at ENS know that a rally was going on. As of 7:30 PT, their home page looked like this:

The "top stories" include Myanmar'e election of a new bishop of Rangoon, Bonnie Anderson "encouraging" conversation in Albany (oh dear), GAFCON vs. the Bishop of Jerusalem, the revamp of the website for the Archbishop of Canterbury, and an address about religion and violence on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

So maybe, I think, there's something in the home page section titled "Diocesan Digest" - after all, the March for Life is taking place in the home town of the National Cathedral. Surely that warrants a mention.

But no, there is a story on the Buffalo cathedral choir (Western New York), Virginia's displeasure and opposition to remarks by the state attorney general seemingly supporting CANA's position, and Central Florida's attempt at resolving disaffiliation issues.

Okay, maybe under "Opinion" - but no luck here either. We have commentary on Tony Blair's move to the Roman Catholic Church and something about an Earth Prayer.

Well, there's only one main section left on the home page - "People" - surely this is where I'll find a mention of the many Episcopalians who participated in the March today. Personal stories, insight into how the church can help those who find themselves with an unwanted pregnancy, what we can do as a church to support life from conception to natural death.

But once again, it's a no go. There's a story on the installation of the Canon for Environmental Ministry in the Diocese of California and a very nice acknowledgment of a Connecticut rector on the 70th anniversary of his ordination. But no mention of support for life or coverage of the March for Life.

I do, however, have one picture of the Episcopal Church at a rally:

Could this be at an earlier March for Life?

No, sorry, this is from the March for Women's Lives in support of "reproductive rights" (code name: abortion) in 2004 - and this did rate an ENS story.

I would love to be proven wrong here, so if anyone has found anything on the ENS website, please let me know and I'll post a link. But I see no mention of Sanctity of Life Sunday or of the week-long activities celebrating life.

March for Life mourns 35 years of abortion, sees hope for pro-life future

From LifeNews.com:

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Hundreds of thousands of pro-life people turned out for the annual March for Life in Washington, braving cold temperatures to take a stand for the right to life of unborn children. While marchers mourned 35 years of legalized abortion, many sounded a hopeful theme for a pro-life future and think the decision will eventually be reversed.

As with other recent marches, the number of young adults and high school and college students impressed organizers and provided another reason to be optimistic.

"People will get on a bus and travel 24, 48, 72 hours, some even further," Concerned Women for America president Wendy Wright told the Washington Times. "That's such an immense dedication, which is striking when you consider it is not on behalf of privileges or rights for themselves."

Catholic University wound up hosting more than 1,600 high school and college students from other states at their campus to help them afford attending the event.

David Talcott, an Indiana University graduate student, said what happens in the future depends on whether the pro-life movement will continue to stay motivated.

“It’s just a matter of whether or not you see human life as important enough to defend,” Talcott said.

He urged pro-life advocates to do more than rally for life this month, but to remain active throughout the year.

“These things can't be done sitting on our couches in our comfortable and warm living rooms,” Talcott said. “God calls us to action; Christ propels us out into the world.”

John O'Herron, a second-year law student at the University of Richmond and the organizer of the Students for Life group there, says he thinks Roe v. Wade was a terribly Supreme Court decision but one that will eventually be toppled.

"It's so poorly written. It's based on weird ideas," he said.

Olivia Gans, president of the Virginia Society for Human Life, says she understands why so many young Americans participate.

"Some of these kids know a member of the family is missing," she told the Richmond Times Dispatch. "They know they would have been the second child not the first child in their family because of an abortion Mom and Dad had.". . .

Read it all.

Bishop Lee of Virginia also did not consent to inhibition of Bishop Duncan

From The Lead [boldface mine]:

I along with the two other most senior active bishops in the House of Bishops were asked by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to review the evidence and give consent to moving forward with the inhibitions of the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Bishop of San Joaquin on the charge of abandonment of the communion of this Church. I gave my consent for the inhibition of Bishop Schofield. It is clear that by his actions and their result he has abandoned the communion of this Church. I did not give my consent for the inhibition of Bishop Duncan at this time. The Diocese of Pittsburgh, which Bishop Duncan leads, has not formalized any change to their membership within the Episcopal Church. I do not take either of these actions lightly, the giving or withholding of consent to these inhibitions. I fear that Bishop Duncan’s course may be inevitable. But I also believe that it is most prudent to take every precaution and provide every opportunity for Bishop Duncan and the leadership of the Diocese of Pittsburgh to turn back from the course they seem to desire and instead to remain in the Episcopal Church.

The Rt. Rev. Peter James Lee
Bishop of Virginia

Bishop Wimberly of the Diocese of Texas also did not consent to the inhibition of Bishop Duncan (Pittsburgh), but Bishop Frade of the Diocese of Southeast Florida did consent.

"The clear witness borne to Christ"

The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers.

No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it. The real conflict is the inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the hecatombs of extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?

Maximilian Kolbe, patron saint of the pro-life movement
(Polish, Franciscan order, 1894-1941)

Resources for Sanctity of Life Week, January 20-27 *sticky*

I've listed some web resources and ideas for this coming week, Sanctity of Human Life Week, January 20-27, 2008. This week marks the 35th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions that legalized abortion in the USA.

• March for Life (January 22 in Washington, D.C.)


• Anglicans for Life (and don't forget to sign the petition!)


• January Pro-Life Events (Priests for Life)


• Annual Commemoration of Roe v. Wade Events (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)


• Be a Voice for Life (An Outreach of Focus on the Family)


• A New Way to Celebrate Sanctity of Human Life (Bethany Christian Services)


• Life Sunday Resources (The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod)


• Presbyterians Pro-Life


• 2008 Sanctity of Human Life bulletin insert (Buckner International)


• Physicians for Life


• Blogs for Life (third-annual Blogs for Life Conference on January 22 at the Family Research Council Headquarters in Washington, D.C. beginning at 8:00 a.m, to precede the March for Life; a webcast will be available)


• ProLifeBlogs

Sunday Proverb

Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright.

Proverbs 14:9

Why hold a conservative Anglican conference?

From Canon Dr. Chris Sugden (Anglican Mainstream) in the Church Times:

Archbishops and bishops from both the Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic wings of the Church, who lead 30 million of the world’s 55 million active Anglicans, will make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in June 2008 for the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON: News, 4 January). They are travelling to the places of Christ’s ministry, where the gift of the Holy Spirit was first poured out, in order to strengthen them for what they believe will be difficult days ahead.

The vision, according to the Archbishop of Kenya, the Most Revd Benjamin Nzimbi, is to inform and inspire the invited leaders “to seek transformation in our own lives and help impact communities and societies through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

The convening Primates have said that their pastoral responsibility requires that they provide an opportunity for their bishops, who would normally have looked to the Lambeth Conference, to meet for prayer, fellowship, and counsel, on matters vital to their Church’s mission and ministry. . .


There are challenges to the world of religion, the world of secularism, and the role of the family in world peace, and impediments to the means of economic empowerment for families and communities.

The conference will grapple with the crisis of authority and ecclesiology that has occurred as a result of North American actions. We want to ensure that our relationships in the Anglican Communion reflect gospel values. We seek to affirm both biblical orthodoxy and Catholic order, but a Catholic order that will serve the Catholic faith, not the other way around. Were Catholic faith to serve Catholic order, there would never have been a Reformation.

Responses have been positive: One senior English cleric spoke for many: “We have to find a way which does not leave us endlessly stuck waiting for decisions which never come and allow us to move on with the gospel.” Another called the decision to hold the conference “momentous”. From East Africa, a senior official has written: “The vision is timely.”. . .

This will enable Anglican Churches in all parts of the world to develop their understanding of the gospel by building relationships across the usual dividing lines of humanity, race, culture, gender, and economics. This expresses the true inclusiveness of the gospel — that all who receive the good news of Jesus have a contribution to make to the spiritual health of the whole.


This is one of God’s ways of ensuring that Churches in the West are not overwhelmed by the power of their surrounding culture, because they are in fellowship with and accountable to Christians in other cultures and contexts.


God is clearly at work. This is a time of asking people to reaffirm their Anglican identity by being clear about their commitment to the biblical gospel and the faith of the Church as expressed in its creeds and formularies. We have to be ready to make a clear witness, not to compromise what has been entrusted to us, for the health, wholeness, and salvation of men, women, and children. . .

Read it all.

The Anglican Church kicks off the March for Life

From Anglican Mainstream:

Anglicans for Life is pleased to announce that the Right Reverend Henry Scriven, Assistant Bishop in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, PA and Anglicans for Life Board Member will give the opening prayer at the March for Life Rally in Washington DC, on January 22, 2008 at noon.

Each year thousands of people travel to Washington DC on the anniversary of the Roe versus Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion all nine months of pregnancy. Busloads of adults, teens and stalwart ‘pro-lifers’ make this annual pilgrimage as a way to acknowledge their support for the sanctity of life.

“To have a representative of the Anglican Communion provide the invocation for such a special event as the March for Life is extraordinary,” stated Georgette Forney, President of Anglicans for Life. “We were very honored when March organizer, Nellie Gray called with the request!”

Bp. Scriven’s prayer can be viewed on TV, as the Rally is shown live on EWTN and C-SPAN at Noon, EST. . .

Read it all, and catch a presentation to the San Diego AAC chapter by Georgette Forney here.

Video: Georgette Forney of Anglicans for Life at San Diego AAC

From SanDiegoAnglicans.com (thanks to David Turney):

Georgette Forney of Anglicans for Life (formerly known as N.O.E.L, or National Organization of Episcopalians for Life) addresses the San Diego Chapter of the American Anglican Council (AAC), December 8 2007 at St Annes Anglican Church, Oceanside CA. . .

Check it out.

And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made. . .

Romans 1:20

Bishop Wimberly: Why I did not consent to inhibition

From the Episcopal Cafe [boldface mine]:

"Bishop Don Wimberly of Texas has released the following statement on his reasons for not consenting to inhibit Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh:

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori asked me along with the other two most senior bishops (Peter Lee of Virginia and Leo Frade of Southeast Florida) for consent to move forward with two inhibitions, one for John-David Scofield, Bishop of San Joaquin and Robert Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburg, for abandonment of the Communion of the Church. We consented to Scofield because the Diocese of San Joaquin had recently voted to leave the Episcopal Church. We did not consent to the request for Bishop Duncan because the Diocese of Pittsburgh has not held their annual convention yet and therefore has not formalized any change to their membership within the Episcopal Church, as the Diocese of San Joaquin had. Even though waiting postpones the issue coming before the House of Bishops, I believe it is prudent to take every precaution and afford Bishop Duncan the opportunity to remain in the Episcopal Church.

The Rt. Rev. Don A. Wimberly, Bishop of Texas

It is not known whether or not the other senior bishops gave consent."

Bishops to focus on media relations at spring meeting

From the Living Church [boldface mine]:

The spring House of Bishops’ meeting will include development of a media strategy for next summer’s Lambeth Conference of Bishops, according to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. Bishop Jefferts Schori briefed bishops on the agenda for the March 7-13 meeting at Camp Allen in an email message dated Jan. 10.

“With over 100 [TEC] bishops consecrated since the 1998 gathering, it is helpful to offer some historical perspective, as well as consider the practical realities of our time there,” wrote Bishop Jefferts Schori, who was not consecrated Bishop of Nevada until two years after the conclusion of the 1998 conference. “As part of preparing for Lambeth, we will also discuss communications strategies and reflect on how best to work with the media both leading up to and following the conference.”

Bishop Jefferts Schori noted that the bishops will be assisted in their Lambeth preparation by Paula Nesbitt, author of the chapter on “Reflections from Lambeth and Beyond” in the 2001 book, The Future of Religious Pluralism and Social Policy, as well as the yet-to-be-published Cape Town to Canterbury: Organizational Conflicts and Futures for the Anglican Communion in the Twenty-First Century.

Bishop Jefferts Schori also has updated the bishops with information concerning the inhibition of Bishop John-David Schofield of San Joaquin during the spring meeting. Title 4, canon 9, sec. 2, of the canons requires the Presiding Bishop “to present the matter to the House of Bishops at the next regular or special meeting of the house.

“If the house, by a majority of the whole number of bishops entitled to vote, shall give its consent, the Presiding Bishop shall depose the bishop from the ministry, and pronounce and record in the presence of two or more bishops that the bishop has been so deposed.”. . .

Read it all. That's what they're going to focus on in their meeting - Media Relations???!!!! Good grief. (Well, that and deposing Bishop Schofield.)

Guess ECUSA may have finally realized that they've lost control of the information flow and they're trying to figure out how to get it back. Either that or they figure there's not much else to talk about, huuummmm?

Shoe Thursday: 2008 Trends II

Well, things are looking up (or down) shoe-wise since the beginning of the year. Now some of these I can live with, although I'm not fond of all of them. Courtesy of the Manolo, of course:

This next trend, which has been developing over the past year, has now fully arrived, and it is the brightly colored shoes. Currently we are seeing shoes which are saturated with color, not the primary color, but rich variations in the purples, the oranges, the yellows, the greens, the blues, and the reds.

In fact, the Manolo goes so far as to call this the “Year of Color.”

This trend to color is visible at all levels of the market. Look, here are affordable shoes from Enzo Angliolini in bright orange and yellow.


And in the more expensive prices, here is deep purple satin slide from Ralph Lauren.


Yellow-ish platform shoes from Bruno Frisoni.


Two varieties of red from the Christian Louboutin.



So, add some colors to your feets this year.

Central Florida: Grace Episcopal is house of worship divided but sharing same space

From Ocala.com:

Feb. 3 will be a day of change and challenges for Grace Episcopal Church.

On that day, the Rev. Donald J. Curran will resign as rector of the historic church. The 12-member vestry board will follow. And so will several staff members, the musicians and a big chunk of the congregation.

Those leaving will make up a new church, Christ the King Anglican Church. Those staying will remain members of Grace Episcopal.

In recent years, many Episcopalians have been frustrated with the direction of The Episcopal Church (USA). They believe the church is losing its biblical and traditional roots and are upset with the church’s acceptance of gay clergy and blessing of same-sex unions. As a result, parishes across the country are leaving the denomination, which is the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. In October, Grace Episcopal and seven other parishes told Bishop John W. Howe, head of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, they wanted to leave the diocese and the national church.

Both groups at Grace said the split is sad and painful for the church, but are hopeful they can work things out like Christians. The plan, Curran said, is for both congregations to share the use of the church building for services until June 30. The new church also wants to negotiate a lease for the manse, the church’s office building on Fort King Street, as well as the rectory where Curran lives.

“We have to work out service times and we have to figure out how we live together under the same roof for five more months and not step on each other’s toes, but we’ll do that,” said Curran, who is resigning on his 10th anniversary as rector of the church. “God’s got a plan and He’s working this out.”

Tuesday night there was a meeting at the church with the people who have decided to stay at the church and those who are undecided. A little over 100 people attended. There are about 1,000 members at Grace Episcopal. The meeting was filled with unanswered questions, tearful testimonies and spirited, optimistic speeches. Grace members passionately declared to continue to worship the same way they always have and work together amicably with the departing members.

“Our objective has been and continues to be to facilitate the disaffiliation with little or no harm to anyone involved,” said Nate Gilman, who has been a member with his wife Patti for 40 years. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re coming or going. Our objective is to make it as easy, peaceful and beneficial to you as we can...We simply want to help all affected.”

Gilman is a part of the “transition team” working with Grace’s current leadership to address issues such as the new church’s requests, finances and plans for the ministries and Grace School, which both sides said will be independent and no longer be affiliated with Grace Episcopal. The new church will likely be built on the same site as the new Grace School, currently under construction on 50 acres on County Road 475.

However, all decisions are up to the new vestry board, which will be will be elected Feb. 3.

Paul Ferguson, a member for 40 years, said he loves Grace, but the actions of of the national church have led Curran and members like him to leave. "The reason people are leaving is the leaders of the ECUSA are changing the Gospel.....I am accountable not to a denomination, but to Jesus Christ, who I believe is the only way to salvation," he said in an e-mail message.

The Rev. Jonathan French, associate rector at Grace, will be Grace's interim rector. He said there's a rough road ahead, but the church will go on. . .

Read it all.

Virginia: Make a note: Judge Bellows puts trial dates on calendar - has not yet ruled what will be covered on those dates

From BabyBlueOnline:

The Diocese of Virginia has just released a statement on the state of their lawsuits against the eleven Virginia Churches that followed the Protocol for Departing Churches and voted to separate from the Episcopal Church.In their weekly Communique under the headline "Judge Sets Date for Trial," the diocese states that “The Hon. Randy I. Bellows has set Oct. 6-30, 2008 for the second phase of the trial over ownership of Episcopal Church property.” The Diocese then asserts that "

In this second phase The Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Church seek declaratory judgment regarding the property, a ruling that requires the CANA congregations to vacate Episcopal property, transfer of title and a full accounting of all property. "

This is not true.

The judge has reserved trial dates this fall, but the judge has not yet ruled on the subject covered by those dates and won’t make a decision until after he rules on the 57-9 filings, some time after January 19, 2008 (which will probably be in February or March 2008).

On January 4, 2008, the Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal Church had originally petitioned Judge Bellows to begin litigation of their lawsuits immediately, which would have caused a dramatic increase in legal costs for the eleven churches now sued by the Diocese and TEC. These eleven churches followed the Diocese's Protocol for Departing Churches and voted to separate from the Episcopal Church. The protocol followed the Canons of the Diocese of Virginia and the statutes of the Commonwealth, including Virginia's Statute 57-9

The judged said no. . .

Read it all.

The MEA Foundation in the Diocese of Dar-es-Salaam

Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear the Rt Revd Valentino Mokiwa, bishop of the Diocese of Dar-es-Salaam of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, speak to the San Diego chapter of the American Anglican Council at their monthly board meeting. Bishop Mokiwa was visiting Holy Trinity Parish, an Anglican parish in the Diocese of Argentina (in the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone), and will be in Charleston for the January 26 consecration of Mark Lawrence as bishop of South Carolina.

In his talk, Bishop Valentino mentioned the MEA Foundation which sponsors the Buguruni Anglican Health Centre. The centre's mission is to deliver clinical health care services and public health programs to women and children.

According to the MEA Foundation website, the Diocese of Dar es Salaam is

developing a comprehensive women and children health program serving the impoverished Buguruni District (population 250,000) of Tanzania’s capital city. The health center and public health programs will be carefully linked with the government district hospital, the other two general clinics serving the area, and the medical school hospital in order to create an integrated health system for the mothers and children of the area.

Currently on a 3-year mission in Dar-es-Salaam to help with this effort are Drs. Henry and Priscilla Ziegler, a physician and nurse team with community health training and experience. They have had experience in several other African countries: Ethiopia, Nigeria and Uganda, and are sponsored by the Episcopal Church. You can read some of their letters here but this most recent note from August, 2007, says:

. . . We are now actively helping 94 children by supplying a small amount of emergency food aid, full health care coverage, and support for education or job training. The children stay in the community with extended family caregivers or adoptive families. Since beginning in January of 2006 with a $15,000 grant from the Incarnation Episcopal Church in North Carolina, we have helped 107 children. Unfortunately, we can no longer accept new children into the program because the funds are fast disappearing and we must fund the educational needs of children already in the program. We are seeking grants to continue the program but could certainly use your help.

We just graduated another class of community health workers. They include community residents from the Buguruni area, a community resident from the Rufiji Delta, a nurse from Mafia Island, and a doctor who will be our rural health educator. Their community outreach, mosquito net distribution, and health education through the Nets for Life program are one of the most valuable things that we do in helping decrease death and suffering in our communities. . .

Read it all and consider donating as well. Donations should be sent to:
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church
4228 Factoria Blvd. SE
Bellevue, WA 98006
Attention: Ziegler Mission

The Big Bang: Vision of the (Anglican) future

Archbishop to announce Lambeth plans

From the Living Church:

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has scheduled a press conference Jan. 21 to announce the official launch of this summer’s Lambeth Conference. He will be joined by the Most Rev. Gerald (Ian) Ernest, Archbishop of the Indian Ocean, and the Most Rev. Ellison Pogo, Archbishop of Melanesia. Archbishops Ernest and Pogo are members of the Lambeth Design Team that has been planning the program. . .

The conference will be held on the campus of the University of Kent in Canterbury, from July 16 to Aug. 4.

Read it all.

+Schori to +Iker: You Misunderstood; +Iker to +Schori: I don't think so!

From Stand Firm [boldface mine]:

January 9, 2008
The Rt. Rev Jack L. Iker, D.D.
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
2900 Alameda
Fort Worth, TX 76108

Dear Jack,

Thank you for your letter. I believe you have misinterpreted my previous letter. I gave no "acknowledgement that dioceses can and do leave the Episcopal Church." On the contrary, I continue to aver that individuals may leave, but congregations and dioceses do not. I continue to urge you to withdraw from any encouragement of such a belief, or action toward departure, as i believe it to be a violation of the vows we have both repeatedly taken to "conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of the Episcopal Church."

I lament your belief that clergy and laity with your theological position are being systematically eliminated from positions of leadership and influence. If they are disappearing, it is by their own decision and at their own hands. I note how carefully the current and former Presidents of the House of Deputies have been to ensure broad representation in appointment to various church bodies, and know that my predecessors and I have also sought to include all theological positions in appointments within our purview.

You state your concern about those who would stand by their convictions being threatened with depositions and lawsuits. I would also note that depositions and lawsuits have no substance if there has been no violation. Fear of same is probably not rational if there is no basis for same.

I pray that your ministry may be one of abundance in the coming year, and I remain

Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori

The entire letter is here in PDF format.

A Bishop Iker's response from the Diocese of Fort Worth [boldface mine]:

Yesterday was a rather interesting day, and I wanted to make certain that all of you were aware of the following events:

BISHOP SAM HULSEY, the retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas, hosted an organizational meeting yesterday afternoon at his home here in Fort Worth for all clergy of this Diocese who are opposed to the decisions made by our Diocesan Convention in November and who are committed to keeping this Diocese in The Episcopal Church, no matter what. Though I was not given a list of those invited, I understand that only two or three rectors attended and that the rest were a handful of retired priests and a couple of deacons. Of the 14 clergy who voted against the constitutional changes in November, it is believed that half are retired or non-parochial.

I HAVE RECEIVED A SECOND THREATENING LETTER from the Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori. Interestingly enough, it arrived on the same day as the meeting convened by Bishop Hulsey. As you will recall, in a much-publicized letter in November the PB had threatened me with disciplinary charges of “abandonment of the communion of this church” if I permitted the Diocesan Convention to vote on the proposed constitutional revisions that were put before us. This time she threatens me with charges of a violation of my ordination vows if I continue “any encouragement of such a belief” that parishes and dioceses can leave The Episcopal Church. Well, so much for an invitation to dialogue and conversation! It’s all about threats of dire consequences if you don’t comply with the party line.

BISHOP BOB DUNCAN of Pittsburgh was officially charged with abandonment of the communion of the church on this very same day! Though the Review Committee endorsed the charges brought by the PB, the three senior diocesan bishops would not consent to his being inhibited from functioning as a bishop, as they had done in the same charges brought against Bishop John-David Schofield of the Diocese of San Joaquin just last week. The essential difference in the two cases is that San Joaquin approved measures to separate from The Episcopal Church with a second, ratifying vote on December 8th, whereas the Pittsburgh Convention approved of their measures at the preliminary, first reading vote in November, an action which will need to be ratified at the 2008 Convention. Fort Worth is in the same position as Pittsburgh.

BISHOP STANTON OF DALLAS AND I had a very good meeting yesterday at St. Vincent’s, where we discussed how to make provision for any parishes in this Diocese that may choose to remain in TEC if the Diocesan Convention votes to separate from The Episcopal Church. We were joined by our Canons to the Ordinary, the Presidents of our respective Standing Committees, and the Chancellor of the Diocese of Dallas. You will be hearing more about this in due course.

Thank you all for our prayers, encouragement and support during these difficult days in the life of our beloved church.

The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker
Bishop of Fort Worth

Presiding Bishop Jefferts-Schori deposition videos

AnglicanTV has posted the deposition videos of ++Katharine Jefferts Schori on the Virginia property case.

Bishop Schofield will ignore inhibition

From the Living Church:

The Diocese of San Joaquin and its Bishop, John-David Schofield, will not participate in any ecclesiastical disciplinary action brought against them by The Episcopal Church, according to statements released by the diocese and Presiding Bishop Gregory Venables, Primate of the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone.

“As of December 8, 2007 Bishop John-David Schofield is not under the authority or jurisdiction of The Episcopal Church or the Presiding Bishop,” Bishop Venables said. “He is, therefore, not answerable to their national canon law but is a member of the House of Bishops of the Southern Cone and under our authority.”. . .

“The Diocese of San Joaquin continues to move forward, motivated by the momentous consensus of our convention in December,” the Rev. Canon William Gandenberger, canon to the ordinary, told The Living Church. “The Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin is a member of the House of Bishops of the Southern Cone of South America and under their authority. Therefore, the actions of the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, in broken or impaired relations with more than half of that world-wide Communion, have no authority over our bishop or this diocese. Rather, Bishop Schofield continues to function in all the capacities of a bishop in good standing within the Southern Cone and the Anglican Communion.”

Read it all.

Diocese of Pittsburgh: Effort to inhibit Pittsburgh bishop unsuccessful

From the Diocese of Pittsburgh website:

An effort to inhibit the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, has not been supported by The Episcopal Church’s senior bishops.

The news, along with a copy of the allegations made by the chancellor to the Presiding Bishop against Bishop Duncan and the Title IV Review Committee’s decision to certify that, in their opinion, Bishop Duncan “had abandoned the communion of this church,” came in a letter from The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori late in the day on January 15.

Bishop Duncan offered a brief response to the news, saying, “Few bishops have been more loyal to the doctrine, discipline and worship of The Episcopal Church. I have not abandoned the Communion of this Church. I will continue to serve and minister as the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh."

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's letter to Bishop Duncan is here.

The full report of the Title IV review committee is here.
- Posted January 15, 2007 -

H/t to Stand Firm.

Church in an auditorium

So, in our continuing discernment process, my family tried another church this Sunday. No, no tears from me this time – it’s kind of hard to get too worked up when your 12-year-old says, “Mom, where’s the altar??”

A place that is so totally different from a liturgical, Anglican church, in physical appearance and worship form, creates somewhat of a feeling of “willing suspension of disbelief.” I have to admit, the sermon was very good - although I don’t think it was called a sermon, maybe a “talk” or “teaching”? (I can’t remember.) That was all there was except for some praise songs and two prayers (I think there were two – I might have missed one). They did, however, have a Bible in every seat (and tons of kids).

And now I have a better idea of why at this church I didn’t react like I did previously – with an overwhelming feeling of grief.

We have no interest in going to another “mainline” church – the Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, etc. are all at various points along the path that ECUSA has already stumbled down and we’re not going through that again. But even if we did, I would still regard myself as an Anglican, just going to a Methodist or a Presbyterian church as a survival plan. And going to a community Christian church would be the same thing – I’m still an Anglican, just not able at this time to go to an Anglican church.

If, however, we discern that we are being led to a Roman Catholic or Orthodox church, I would have to become Roman Catholic or Orthodox. They are not going to let me stay in my comfort zone of “I’m really an Anglican but am just hanging out here for a while.” No, I would actually have to put aside any identity (generational, personal, theological on some doctrine) that I may have as an Anglican and put on another Christian identity. That is what was so upsetting to me in our earlier visit – realizing that I would not be able to just hang out for a while, but I would be called to actually embrace a new manifestation of my faith.

So, am I prepared to do that? Not yet. Should we move to a community Christian type of church, knowing that we might be using it for refuge and not completely truly invested in becoming part of that? Not yet on that either.

To be continued. . .

APA opts not to join Common Cause Partnership

From Stand Firm:

To all Clergy of the APA and others,

RE: Common Cause Partnership

Over this past year, there has been much talk and discussion and unfortunately argument over the Anglican Province of America participating as a full member of the Common Cause Partnership (CCP). As the Presiding Bishop, I have listened to our bishops, clergy and lay people about their feelings toward how we of the APA should be related to this Body. I have personally gone back and forth attempting to determine where we should be in the midst of the developing Partnership.

As I observe the reaction of the various clergy, there are those who strongly oppose any participation at all, a larger number that believe we should observe and see what develops (an option we may not officially have) and others who believe we should become members and see what happens. At the present time we are polarized at about 50/50. There is no clear majority on any side.

At this point, as Presiding Bishop, I must ask myself the question, is it wise and is it the best course of action to force through a decision to join the CCP with the strong possibility that there will be significant fall out among some of our parishes and missions. As a Church, we have developed a solid reputation as a stable jurisdiction that is outgoing and welcoming. We have managed to attract good and faithful men for the ministry in a Classical Anglican Church that has a balanced approach to the faith. When we have concentrated our efforts upon building up our parishes and dioceses, we have been successful.

At this time, when the majority membership of the CCP has just recently departed from the Episcopal Church and are going through the withdrawal and anger symptoms which so many of our people experienced 30-40 years ago, do we want to be caught up into their present day battles? Many of the membership of CCP are involved in bitter law suits most of which will not be resolved for years to come. We must ask ourselves whether or not we want to get caught up in the internecine struggles of those who are leaving or preparing to leave the Episcopal Church. The APA has always maintained a positive approach to the mission of the church and departed the Episcopal Church years ago without buildings and property and began on a very modest level building new buildings or renovating places for worship. We made a special effort over the years of not looking back but forward as we have sought to build a positive expression of traditional Anglicanism and not being an anti-Episcopal Church. Our reputation as a positive witness has gotten the attention of a number of former Charismatic Episcopal Church bishops and clergy recently and they have invited me to come to their next meeting to talk about their possible future with us.

Although we have developed a solid reputation and have experienced growth, we are still a fragile flock. There are some monumental issues that must be resolved by the CCP for us to give our enthusiastic support and not jeopardize our own future. What will the CCP develop in to over the next few years? What will the leadership be?

At the present time, we are part of an Intercommunion Agreement with the REC and through this relationship we have formed ourselves into a Federation of the Anglican Churches in the Americas. There are now 6 jurisdictions that are part of this Federation. FACA has requested as a Body to be a part of the CCP. We are thereby in a position as part of this Federation to be observers of CCP as we watch how it unfolds over the next few years. Although personally I would like to be at the table of the CCP, I am well aware that I do not have the necessary support of the majority of the APA to be there. The Theological Statement and the Articles of Federation of CCP have my personal support, but I realize my first responsibility as Presiding Bishop and Diocesan Bishop of the DEUS is to care for that to which I was elected and consecrated.

My position is that I do not recommend becoming partners in the CCP at this time and that we wait, watch and pray that as CCP develops and unfolds, we will have clearer direction as to whether we can be a part of it.

I am well aware that my decisions will not meet with everyone's approval. I have prayed, sought advice from a number of sources and believe that this is the right thing to do for the good of the APA. I pray that all of you will continue to pray for me and for each other as we seek to build this small portion of the Church to His Glory.

Faithfully yours,

The Most Rev. Walter H. Grundorf, D.D.

Bishop of the Eastern United States, Presiding Bishop

Stand Firm: Presiding Bishop Schori’s deposition in Virginia property trial

From Stand Firm, videotape of the deposition of Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori in the Virginia property trial.

Also, check out BabyBlueOnline for more commentary.

Sunday Proverb

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:3-4

Schori: "You're Fired"; Schofield: "I Already Quit"

From David Trimble's blog, Still on Patrol, thoughts on the accelerating downward trajectory of the Episcopal Church [boldface mine]:

. . . The inexorable desire of PB Schori to exert her perceived ecclesiastical "power" has become little more than a parody of itself, albeit an expensive one, while she at the same time presides over the accelerating decline of TCGC. She has single-handedly derailed semi-peaceful negotiations in Virginia for the departure of eleven parishes and turned that into a multi-million dollar piece of litigation that already has DioVA taking on debt load it cannot handle in light of declining pledge income, and that shows little promise of being resolved for many years to come. She has directed similar litigation to be filed in other states and forums. She and many of her Bishop-allies have thrown about inhibitions and other ecclesiastical charges with an abandon and purposelessness that is decidedly beyond the pale of administration of a supposedly Christian institution. The truly sad upshot of this high-level maneuvering is that it continues to disgust and drive away the rank-and-file membership of TCGC, and no one at 815 or in Diocesan headquarters around the nation even seems to care.

I do not claim to know how history will look back upon these times. I suppose, as with most history, the story will be written by those who are ultimately perceived to have "won" although in this situation we have all lost something dear regardless of the outcome. What I do believe history will see, however, is that no matter whether one believes the decline of TCGC started with the rise of Spong, et al., or with the 1979 Prayer Book or women's ordination, or with the consecration of Gene Robinson, the election and consecration of Katherine Jefferts Schori as presiding bishop will be seen as truly that point where any hope of reconciliation and recovery within the Episcopal Church was brutally executed. I cannot say whether any of her competitors would have been better or worse in the position - we will never know. But it seems remarkably clear to me that PB Schori, by her disingenuous and sometimes openly dishonest politics, by her many statements inconsistent with basic Christian tenets, and by her power grabs and contentious nature, has accelerated and consolidated the orthodox movement in ways no conservative leader had yet been able to do.

Read it all.

'Islamic Jesus' hits Iranian movie screens

From the AFP:

A director who shares the ideas of Iran's hardline president has produced what he says is the first film giving an Islamic view of Jesus Christ, in a bid to show the "common ground" between Muslims and Christians.

Nader Talebzadeh sees his movie, "Jesus, the Spirit of God," as an Islamic answer to Western productions like Mel Gibson's 2004 blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ," which he praised as admirable but quite simply "wrong".

"Gibson's film is a very good film. I mean that it is a well-crafted movie but the story is wrong -- it was not like that," he said, referring to two key differences: Islam sees Jesus as a prophet, not the son of God, and does not believe he was crucified. . .

Even in Iran, "Jesus, The Spirit of God" had a low-key reception, playing to moderate audiences in five Tehran cinemas during the holy month of Ramadan, in October.

The film, funded by state broadcasting, faded off the billboards but is far from dead, about to be recycled in a major 20 episode spin-off to be broadcast over state-run national television this year.

Talebzadeh insists it aims to bridge differences between Christianity and Islam, despite the stark divergence from Christian doctrine about Christ's final hours on earth. . .

"By making this film I wanted to make a bridge between Christianity and Islam, to open the door for dialogue since there is much common ground between Islam and Christianity," he said.

The director is also keen to emphasise the links between Jesus and one of the most important figures in Shiite Islam, the Imam Mahdi, said to have disappeared 12 centuries ago but whose "return" to earth has been a key tenet of the Ahmadinejad presidency. . .

The bulk of "Jesus, the Spirit of God", which won an award at the 2007 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, faithfully follows the traditional tale of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament Gospels, a narrative reproduced in the Koran and accepted by Muslims.

But in Talebzadeh's movie, God saves Jesus, depicted as a fair-complexioned man with long hair and a beard, from crucifixion and takes him straight to heaven.

"It is frankly said in the Koran that the person who was crucified was not Jesus" but Judas, one of the 12 Apostles and the one the Bible holds betrayed Jesus to the Romans, he said. In his film, it is Judas who is crucified.

Islam sees Jesus as one of five great prophets -- others being Noah, Moses and Abraham -- sent to earth to announce the coming of Mohammed, the final prophet who spread the religion of Islam. It respects Jesus' followers as "people of the book". . .

Shiite Muslims, the majority in Iran, believe Jesus will accompany the Imam Mahdi when he reappears in a future apocalypse to save the world.

And Talebzadeh said the TV version of his film will further explore the links between Jesus and the Mahdi -- whose return Ahmadinejad has said his government, which came to power in 2005, is working to hasten.

Shiites believe the Mahdi's reappearance will usher in a new era of peace and harmony. . .

Read it all.

Presiding Episcopal Bishop Katharine Jefferts in Birmingham to help consecrate suffragan bishop for Alabama

From the Birmingham News [boldface mine]:

. . . [Presiding Bishop Katharine] Jefferts Schori will be one of five bishops expected to lay hands on the Rev. John McKee Sloan during a consecration service today at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral Church of the Advent. Sloan will become suffragan, or assistant, bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama during the service. . .

Jefferts Schori also discussed continuing dissent in the Anglican Communion - the more than 70 million Christians worldwide affiliated with the Church of England - over the issue of accepting openly gay bishops. Schori voted in favor of approving New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson as the denomination's first openly gay bishop in 2003.

So far, Episcopal Church relationships with other branches of Anglicans still have a lot of vitality, she said. . .

"I think we continue to muddle along with enthusiasm," Jefferts Schori said. "You can't say it's not enthusiastic. I look at the shift in terms of relationships across the communion in the last 10 or 15 years and I'm enormously heartened by that. Far more dioceses and congregations in this church have partnerships with the communion than was true a number of years ago, and in that sense the Anglican Communion on the ground is alive and real and growing in vitality because people are engaged in mission work together in the broadest sense.

"Yes, there is some conflict in the highest governing levels in the Anglican Communion," she said. "The reality is that mission work is growing and increasing.". . .

Sloan, known throughout the diocese by his nickname "Kee," said he hopes that as suffragan bishop he can help the church become more inclusive. The Diocese of Alabama includes more than 30,000 Episcopalians across the north-central part of the state.

"We have a lot of work to do, every church does," Sloan said. "We celebrate a lot of good ministries going on. We hope to be more hospitable to the multicultural nature of the population of Alabama and reach out for other sources of people. The Episcopal Church has always been a completely welcoming and inclusive church for all people, of all sorts.". . .

Read it all.