Sign on to Join the Anglican Communion in North America

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/million.htm

This page seems to be starting the new network of churches and dioceses in the US and Canada that will be the Anglican Communion in North America. The goal is 1 million signatures declaring support for realignment by Christmas. What a Christmas present this will be: an Anglicanism in North America that has not abandoned the biblical and catholic Christian faith (this is not just in regards to recent events in NH; the abandonment of historical Christianity has happened in many ways in ECUSA). Sign up and get the process going!

Remember, you can start the process by doing more than just signing this statement. You can find an orthodox parish to begin attending, start redirecting funds, and keep up on the latest re-alignment news. And of course, pray! Always do lots of praying!

Dayton, Ohio Episcopalians Become Anglican

http://philippians-1-20.us/fairborn.htm

Andy Figueroa, leader of the Southern Ohio American Anglican Council, and over 36 others have left St. Christopher's Fairborn, OH for a less heretical environment (This is a 32% loss of regular attendees). Inside sources tell me that the reason many left is that the rector of St. Christopher's essentially took a business-as-usual approach, even cutting off discussion at a popular Sunday School discussion forum. While pretending nothing has happened might work for a little while, once the average Episcopalian gets mobilized, this approach will seem condescending, since it does not recognize the valid feelings that many people have over this. The Southern Ohio Diocese already prevented discussion about GC2003 at their Diocesan convention. The "let's pretend nothing happened and get along" approach will be less and less effective as the weeks go by.

Episcopal Youth Less Christian Than Secular Counterparts


This material taken from the National Survey of Youth and Religion. A few months ago, I would have found these statistics shocking. However, after seeing the current leadership of ECUSA in action, it is not a surprise that the next generation of ECUSA Christians is less Christian than your average teen (who is generally secular). The reasons are many. First, youth ministries are not emphasized in the Episcopal Church. Paid choirs come before youth ministers. This means a 70 year old atheist might end up being the youth leader, because nobody wants to do it. Second, ECUSA is far more liberal than the average person, and statistics show the younger generation of Christians are more conservative than the baby-boomer generation. ECUSA is not going to attract many of these youth, since ECUSA is probably the second or third Christian denomination most influenced by baby-boomer thought (UCC and PCUSA have been more influenced I think). Third, ECUSA has few youth anyway. Often they get children of parents who go to church simply for social or political reasons, so they have given their children no religious training. The stats are below. Read them for yourself.

1% of all youth surveyed say they are Episcopalian

85% - all U.S. teens definitely believe in God
72% - ECUSA teens definitely believe in God

68% - all U.S. teens believe God is a personal being
61% - ECUSA teens believe God is a personal being

51% - all U.S. teens feel very or extremely close to God
36% - ECUSA teens feel very or extremely close to God

51% - all U.S. teens faith is very or extremely important in daily life
40% - ECUSA teens faith is very or extremely important in daily life

56% - all U.S. teens have made commitment to live life for God
32% - ECUSA teens have made commitment to live life for God

47% - all U.S. teens saying morality is relative
61% - ECUSA teens saying morality is relative

73% - all U.S. teens believe in a Judgement Day of divine
reward/punishment
60% - ECUSA teens believe in a Judgement Day of divine reward/punishment

28% - all U.S. teens say some, most or all adults in their church are
hypocrites
46% - ECUSA teens say some, most or all adults in their church are
hypocrites

This material is used with the permission of Dr. Christian Smith, Stuart Chapin Distinguished Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Smith writes: "I will restrict any more commentary on these findings, other than to say I think they raise some soul-searching questions and hard implications for those still invested in the" Episcopal Church. "What" the figures "show is that" Episcopal Church "teens are doing *significantly worse* across a variety of religion measures than the average of all U.S. teens (which includes 16% of non-religious teens and 32% who attend religious services only a few times a year or never)." Head here for more information.

Howe To Griswold: I Can't Live In Discord Pluriformity Any Longer


---
Bishop Howe of Central Florida Writes the Presiding Bishop

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold
Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church Center
815 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10017-4594

Dear Frank,

Well, the deed is done. My heart is breaking over yesterday's
consecration of the Bishop Coadjutor of New Hampshire.

By virtue of this action, we in the Episcopal Church, USA have ignored
the counsel of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Meeting of the Anglican
Primates (as recently as two and a half weeks ago, which you yourself
signed!), the Anglican Communion Council, the most recent Lambeth
Conference (in 1998), and the Theology Committee of the House of Bishops.

We have ignored the clear teaching of scripture, 5,000 years of
Judaeo-Christian tradition, the last seven General Conventions of the
Episcopal Church (prior to this summer's 74th General Convention), the
pleas of Primates and Provinces of the Anglican Communion from around the
world, and those of our ecumenical partners, including the Holy Father in
Rome, and the Conventions of (at least) six of our dioceses.

We have ordained and consecrated, as a bishop in the Church of God, a
non-celibate homosexual man, openly living in a "partnered"
relationship with another man for the past thirteen years.

We have thus repudiated the promise of the House of Bishops' Study
Document of 1994 to ordain "only persons we believe to be a wholesome example to
their people, according to the standards and norms set forth by the
Church's teaching [which is] that...the standard found in the New Testament of
lifelong, monogamous, heterosexual union as the setting intended by God
for sexual relationships between men and women is the foundation on which
the Church's traditional teaching is built."

We have violated the commitment made in that same Study Document to
"commit to ongoing consultation concerning these matters with the wider
Anglican Communion and with our ecumenical partners" before proceeding with such
innovations.

We have betrayed tens of thousands loyal Episcopalians, bewildered the
Christian world, and grieved the Holy Spirit.

Frank, I believe that for all these reasons, those bishops who
participated in yesterday's consecration, and those who supported it, should
immediately resign their positions in the Episcopal Church, USA.

(Sadly, I believe that resignation call should include you. It grieves
me to even think this, let alone say it, for I have honored and trusted you.
But I believe you have betrayed that trust. You are my friend, but as I said
on the floor of our House at the General Convention, I cannot, and will
not, follow you in this schismatic action.)

Since, of course, these resignations will not be offered, I believe I
need to step away from several responsibilities of my own.

I hereby resign my participation o the Theology Committee of the House
of Bishops. I have put in six years of hard work, and to have our
unanimous recommendation - that we NOT legislate regarding these very divisive
issues - ignored only serves to prove the uselessness of further
participation on that Committee. (I salute my fellow members for their
sacrificial efforts to preserve the Church's unity.)

Similarly, I resign my participation on the Pastoral Letter Committee
of the House of Bishops. I have no interest in trying to speak for a House
that has abandoned any recognizable commitment to the authority of Holy
Scripture.

I am saddened by these decisions. Up until now it has been an honor to
serve. But Frank, I even question the value of attending any more
meetings of the House of Bishops. I believe they have become manipulative and
duplicitous.

You have helped us learn to be civil with each other, and for that I am
grateful, but you have led us deeply into a world of "pluriformity" in
which there is, ultimately, no truth on which we can rely. And hence many are
hailing yesterday's consecration as a "new thing God is doing" in spite
of its contradiction of what God has actually said!

Frank, there is a scene in the move Braveheart in which William Wallace
captures one of his opponents following one of the great, bloody
battles of that remarkable film. He pulls the hood off his adversary to discover
it is...Robert the Bruce. Wallace staggers to the ground, dumbfounded, and
unable to speak, because...he trusted this man.

I had just such a moment on October 16th, when you signed onto the
unanimous statement of the Anglican Primates that declared:

- Scripture is the basis for our decisions, particularly doctrinal,
- We reaffirm the Lambeth Resolution that "homosexuality is incompatible
with scripture,"
- We deeply regret the decisions of the General Convention, and
- If the consecration of Gene Robinson precedes it will tear the
Anglican Communion at its deepest level...

and moments later you stated in a press conference that unless the
Second Coming were to intervene, the consecration of Gene Robinson would
proceed (as it now has) on November 2nd.

In all honesty, I cannot imagine how you hold all of these "pluriform truths"
together in your mind. I cannot.

With the deepest grief of my life,

John W. Howe

cc: The Bishops of the Episcopal Church, The clergy of the Diocese of
Central Florida

---

Doug Theuner's Rampage of Tolerance and Diversity

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3362664,00.html

The Diocese of New Hampshire is undoubtedly the most "tolerant" and "diverse" place on the planet, if upper-class politically correct "blah" counts as "diversity" and "tolerance." However, it seems all is not well in the magical land of Blah. Just recently, Bishop Doug Theuner (who is still bishop for a little longer in NH) has dismissed a priest at the Church of the Redeemer in Rochester, NH, whose congregation has vocally opposed the Robinson consecration. Despite bring just days after Robinson's consecration, Theuner claims that the dismissal has absolutely nothing to do with the whole Robinson affair. Perhaps some bureaucrat up at the Diocese, overpaid and underworked, just thought, "It's a boring day, let's shake up Church of the Redeemer a bit?" Not likely. It is apparent that Theuner and his boys and girls and _____ (insert any other group here, so as not to be exclusive) over at the diocese office are working to ensure a more orderly diocese.

Hey Primates, we love you, but we are getting weary and need your help immediately! This is proof positive we need adequate episcopal oversight sooner than later. And then Theuner and his successor can manipulate whomever they want, but we won't have to be in that system anymore. Lord Have Mercy on ECUSA and all its nonsense.

Ready To Realign? We Must Be Patient

Right now many Episcopalians are ready to realign, to get out of dioceses and churches that appear to them to be inconsistent with the classical Christian and Anglican faiths. Let me provide you with an outline of what will happen as well as some words of encouragement as we brave this together.

1. Be Patient and Take Heart! - We will move somewhat slowly, so as to do this right. Keep in mind as the realignment shapes up, the ties to ECUSA (and Spong and Griswold, etc) will become fewer and fewer.

2. First, Find a Congregation That Will Realign - The American Anglican Council has a list of member Churches, and can probably give you the names of others that will be a part of the realignment process. Find a safe church, and one that has a future in the new Anglicanism.

2.Second, The Congregation Will Apply For Alternate Oversight - Traditional congregations will begin applying for adequate oversight from other dioceses, which is technically illegal according to Episcopal canon law (which nobody pays attention to anyway!). This will begin the push for realignment, since many dioceses will not take kindly to losing churches and members to another diocese (think green).

3. Third, These Congregations Will Form Networks- These parishes and dioceses will become more autonomous from the Episcopal Church as time goes by, forming networks and working directly with foreign Primates.

4.Fourth, The Majority of Primates Will Appoint a New US Primate- Frank Griswold will stay supreme trekkie of ECUSA, and the traditional Anglicans will get a less politically correct leader to attend to their spiritual needs. There will be two Primates in the US for a time it appears.

5.Fifth, The New Commission Will Work On A New Province- The newly established Anglican commission will work to figure out how all of this will work, but eventually the confessing networks (and perhaps the Anglican Mission in America and a few Continuing Churches) will become a new Anglican Province in the US. Whether ECUSA is kicked out or not, we won't know for awhile, although with its current growth statistics, it is hard to tell how long it could last. The AMiA has grown at rapid rates, and we would love to take them into the realignment, maybe appointing their bishops in some capacity.

6.Sixth, We Can Just be Anglican Christians Again!- During this whole process many of us can take note that we can be good Anglican Christians again and not have to worry about going to towns where the priest believes the only form of heresy that exists is the idea that heresy exists. We won't have to worry that the name of Jesus will be ignored, or perhaps even mocked. In short, starting NOW, we can once again reclaim the gospel mission that we are called to do, and no longer worry about the national leadership doing every sort of tactic to hinder it.

So Yes, all of this will be messy, long, and unclear. However, we must have patience. If ECUSA has you upset, just be sure to find a realigning parish immediately and begin to show your support for realignment, so those in power will get that this is not to be taken lightly.

Realignment Anglicans Must Not Be Ceremonialist Southern Baptists

I have always lived far from the upper class lifestyle, growing up in a small Appalachian town, and so I have at times been very suspicious of upper-class, well-educated, wealthy clergy who work for the poor, but couldn't relate to a poor or uneducated person if his or her life depended on it. However, Tonight I visited a settlement house in a bad area of Columbus, OH, and I have seen first hand the poverty and hopelessness that many people experience, as well as the good that is being done socially. With three health clinics closing in the area, and declining funds, this center is going to be swamped with requests for basic health care. The center does so many wonderful things, in partnership with Roman Catholic and Baptist churches in the area.

This made me think, that whatever happens with a new Anglican province in the US, I hope it embraces social justice issues, like combating poverty, oppression, and inequality, issues to which the Bible speaks that more conservative Christians often ignore. We must not forget the calls of Jesus towards our fellow human beings! However, I hope we will still work to provide healing from (and stand up against) the problems resulting from the sexual "revolution": abortion-on-demand, the decay of families, and the denigration of fatherhood. We must emphasize the transformative power of Jesus, that can bring about change in a person, as conservatives do well, but liberals scoff at. However, we must help others get on their feet, and work for the good of others, which conservatives sometimes forget, and liberals embrace.

Essentially I am arguing for the early Church's position, which could be considered a good mix of conservative and liberal, although always biblically based, and very far from our culture's (and ECUSA's) "anything goes" mentality. The early Christians, transformed by Christ, sought to live Christ's teachings in the fullest, opposing war, capital punishment, abortion, greed, fornication, etc. We must work to include and allow the early Christian ethic in the new realignment (as well as include those who embrace the more post-Constantinian understanding of war, etc), or else we will just be Republicans who like ceremony. Sorry, but this is a disclaimer I have to state, because the media is going to portray the realigned communion as Christian Coalition types who like form prayers, and this is simply not true. So while I am still suspicious of rich, upper-class leaders spouting off on social issues, we must work following the example of Jesus and the early Church to help those in need, who cannot help themselves, while offering the transformative gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Geriatric Consecration of Gene Robinson



What do Tyrannosauruses, Allosauruses, and most Episcopal Bishops all have in common? They are all dinosaurs, except while the first two are extinct, the last example thrives in a kind of insulated, urban, upper-class habitat.

The photo on the left says it all. The grey hair bishops, many a part of the aging baby-boomer generation, have spoken. They have spoken much like they have spoken on many issues. And generally when they get too extreme on social issues (which they have as a whole since the early 1970s), Christians run en masse for the exits. Now, their era continued the Church's progess to positive social change, such as fighting poverty, stopping racism, and respecting the dignity of all human persons (however, an earlier generation really pioneered all of this). However, many of us younger Christians know that the mainlines have also embraced damaging trends, like the sexual revolution, that have ruined the lives of many of us in Generations X and Y. This alienation is evidenced by the large number of young people in non-mainline Churches, and the handful that bother to attend the mainlines. I can barely count how many baby-boomer clergy have come up to me saying, "boy do we need young clergy like you," and then in the next breath go mainline on me, going on about how exciting the progressive Rev. so-and-so down at the mainline seminary is, or how relevant Jack Spong is, expecting me to immediately light up, as if that stuff impresses me. It is amazing how just because I am young, many clergy assume I must be impressed with their views. Many Episcopal bishops seem to be doing just this with the whole world. As the mainlines, ECUSA included, shrink and lose any influence in our culture's life, they keep thinking they are the truly relevant ones. It is as if they think, "Okay, so we have hemorrhaged 30% of our members in the last decade, but we are the truly relevant ones, and those growing churches like the Charismatic Episcopal Church, they think they're relevant, but we know better."

Just so you know, I have no problem with older people, in fact I love them and cherish their insights. Most of my best friends are over 40/ However, I must say I have little sympathy for out-of-touch bishops who would rather split a global church family than give one inch on a predominantly Western agenda. But hey, these same bishops have been deeply supportive of the so-called "sexual revolution," proclaiming families don't really matter anyway. I guess we are seeing the results.

Much Needed Humor: An Obituary for a Dead Denomination

http://www.exceptionalmarriages.com/weblog/BlogDetail.asp?ID=10934

written by Gregory Popcak
----

Episcopal Church USA

Born: 1789

Died: November, 2, 2003.

(AP wire)

On a lonely New Hampshire country road, the Episcopal Church USA, best known for pancake races and good breeding, died today in a tragic head-on collision with Christian Morality (known to his friends as "CM"). While the ECUSA was killed on impact, CM was life-flighted to Italy and is listed in critical condition at The Vatican General Hospital's "Religious Trauma Unit."

Sgt. Chuck Appleton of the New Hampshire Highway Patrol reported that witnesses saw Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold and passenger, Bishop Gene Robinson driving recklessly and at extremely high speeds with the windows of their Jaguar down while blasting the classic Depeche Mode song, "Your Own Personal Jesus."

Preliminary toxicology reports indicate that both Bishop Griswold and Bishop Robinson were highly intoxicated by their own sense of self-importance. A source close to the coroner's office stated, "I haven't seen S.I.I. ("Self-Importance Index") numbers this high since the Clinton Administration. I mean, this was totally off the charts."

According to the police report, the head-on collision with Christian Morality occurred while Presiding Bishop Griswold was driving with his knees and using both hands to, "give the finger" to any pedestrian who did not cheer and smile broadly as they drove past. Witnesses report that, ironically, the Depeche Mode song had just finished and Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" came on the stereo, when suddenly, the bishops crashed at full speed into CM's vehicle, and the bishops' car burst into flames. Thus was the ignominious end of the high-speed reign of terror which , only moments before, nearly claimed the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Dewright and their daughter, Chastity, as they crossed the street at the intersection of Church Road and Modern Way.

"Cain't say as I evah seen nothin' like it a'fore." stated New Hampshire resident and accident witness, Walter Taciturn. When asked by this reporter if he had any further comment, Mr. Taciturn--apparently choked up--simply shook his head.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, marked today's tragic events by giving up his usual second glass of sherry at the club. Said a quietly moved Archbishop Williams, "An occasion such as this is much too serious for sherry." He added, "Indeed, for an occasion such as this, I think a tawny port would be much more appropriate."

Wilton Dithersmore, Press Secretary for Lambeth Palace, issued an official statement today, announcing that a poetry reading--or maybe even an award ceremony for Bishop Desmond Tutu, "or some other popular minority chap"--would be held later in the day, "in order to attempt to distract the public, er, that is, 'facilitate the public grieving process by celebrating the indwelling god-hood of every human person as evidenced by our achievements in art and literature.'"

Mr. Dithersmore stated that the poetry reading/award ceremony would conclude with the singing of traditional hymns and a Robert Mapplethorpe retrospective.

Back in the States, the ECUSA is survived by its estranged wife, The American Anglican Council.

Family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Rome and Istanbul branches of the Travelers Aid Society.
---

Well at least ECUSA has been dying now for 35 years, so everybody has mourned already, said their piece, and are ready to move on...but remember, the money ECUSA has will never die!

The S*%# Hits The Fan, So Get Ready For The Mess
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=2&u=/ap/20031102/ap_on_re_us/gay_bishop

Gene Robinson is now a bishop. Let the games...er...fallout begin. Anyone who has dealt with Western unilateralism before knows that this was going to happen anyway, despite worldwide objections and cries for postponement. Presiding Griswold was there in all of his niceness, politeness, and muddled language. The Episcopal Church will never be the same...

This is a good thing. Yes, with all the sadness and pain that comes with the impending ending of my relationship with ECUSA, I think this is a good thing. Many of us have felt less and less at home in the Episcopal Church as of late, as the gospel message of radical love and transformation has been overtaken by mushy political correctness. We have witnessed clergy and future clergy who know little about the Bible, and really don't care too much for it, shunning it as a vestige of bygone times. Bishops have been blatant heretics, or else willing to sacrifice just about any classical Christian belief on the altar of politeness and surface unity. Open Communion is practiced widely despite being against the canons and Church tradition. And we must ask, which canons do we obey and which are we allowed to ignore? Perhaps I should ignore the canons requiring time between postulancy and candidacy, what would it hurt? If Gene can do it, why can't I? I could be a priest now! Oh well, a Church with 2.3 million members which has declined around 40% since the 1960s, with regular attendance just under a million, is hardly influential, so at least very few will ever have to rationalize such mental and canonical acrobatics. And I no longer will have to rationalize either. I can't do it anymore. There are too many catholic options in the world right now, from Orthodoxy to the Charismatic Episcopal Church, for me to constantly bark and strive against the Episcopal Church. And then there is Anglicanism as an option, which has not been tried in ECUSA as a whole in quite awhile.

As you can tell, my faith in ECUSA has waned. In my book, the moral and ethical authority of ECUSA is somewhere between the United Nations and the Christian Coalition. I would rather seek moral guidance from Homer Simpson (at least he's funny) than from most bishops in ECUSA. Many of us will be discerning where to go and what to do in the upcoming months. We must be patient through the process, recognizing that it took years for the Church to get this way, and it cannot be dealt with overnight. Soon realignment will happen, where traditional parishes in the US (and maybe Canada) will align together under traditional bishops, under the primacy of a foreign bishop, distinct from the Episcopal Church. Very soon these Primates will appoint an Anglican leader for these parishes and dioceses, and these "confessing" churches will no longer be Episcopalian, but Anglican. The Archbishop of Canterbury has already recognized this system as valid, and the process has already begun.

The pain of leaving a Church, or rather a Church leaving you and the worldwide body of Anglicanism and catholicism, is great, much like the ending of a romantic relationship where one partner has been unfaithful. First there is great pain, anger, and sadness at the prospect, since the time and energy devoted over the years have been tremendous. Then, after awhile, there is the excitement of starting anew, realizing that being with an unfaithful partner was hardly fulfilling, and that now the opportunity exists to find someone new and faithful. We have this chance now. Lord Have Mercy.

From All Western, Unilateralist, and Schismatic Acts, Good Lord Deliver Us

Today is the All Saints Sunday, a few days after Reformation Day, and technically All Souls Day, which is translated to Monday. However, on the minds of many is the consecration of Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. What this means for the future of the Episcopal Church is uncertain. For many of us it means beginning the long and messy process of staying Anglican, yet ceasing to be Episcopalian.

Western hubris is alive and well, in the life of our nation, our universities, and our churches. It is no wonder that many in other countries distrust Westerners. Against all cries from fellow Anglicans, fellow Christians, and fellow catholics, the Episcopal Church is ready to consecrate Robinson. Rather than wait for consensus of their views, (at the moment the consensus is that practicing homosexuals are not bishop material), they acted anyway, proud to advance an agenda at any cost. Why is it that very few seem to be able to see the arrogance in this? Is it that our enlightenment-influenced culture is so arrogant, so objective in its thought, that whatever it does must be right simply because "we" thought of it? They tell us the modernist, enlightenment era is over, but I guess we are finding that in our churches modernism is dead, but it won't lie down.