_________________________

A Message from Bishop David Anderson

Beloved in Christ,

This week my comments start with the North American scene: the bishop of Central Florida, John Howe, whose Christian orthodoxy is solid but whose sense of strategy sometimes leaves others puzzled, has decided that he needs to part company with the Anglican Communion Network and join the Anglican Communion Institute and its allied group, Communion Partners.

Bishop Howe's relationship with the Anglican Communion Network seemed tenuous from the beginning in the eyes of some, though his diocese was solidly behind it. Now with major departures of congregations and clergy from his diocese in favor of overseas Primatial ties, there has been a shift in allegiance in Central Florida. Bishop Howe has recently, with his diocese, objected to the manner and legality of the depositions that Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori imposed on bishops Cox and Schofield, and he was joined by several other dioceses and bishops in this well-justified protest.

TEC bishop John Chane of Washington, DC has gone over the edge, accusing African leaders of treating him and his church as a punching bag. He so dislikes having his heterodox beliefs held up to scrutiny that he accuses those who put the spotlight on him of being "demonic." Now it is one thing to say to a brother, "your beliefs are wrong and your practice is wrong," and when he doesn't respond, to make those same statements before the larger church family. It is another matter to say that someone is in league with the devil, which is what Chane is saying when he uses the term "demonic." This is not the first time the liberal revisionists have resorted to such language. Former Presiding Bishop Griswold did it at the end of the Primates' meeting in Northern Ireland. It marks the level of desperation, when those caught hijacking the Church of Jesus are exposed, for them to demonize their opponents. If one wishes to look at Bishop Chane and his diocese of Washington more closely, they will see a shrinking church, growing more financially troubled by the year, whose main claim to fame at this point is the Washington National Cathedral, a beautiful Gothic edifice. Chane's most recent problem with the orthodox is that we uphold Jesus' own words when He said, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through me." This sits uncomfortably with Chane, a pluralist, who finds this language so narrow. Perhaps if Chane could have been the press officer for Jesus, he would have interrupted Him to say, "What Mr. Jesus means to say is....I'm just one way, there are lots of ways, everybody finds the Father/Mother/Whatever sooner or later, so pick what works for you."  Thankfully Chane wasn't around back then.

Moving to the international setting, the recent actions in England which denied any formal and permanent relief to those opposed to the women bishops vote has resulted in much speculation. What will the Anglo Catholics and Evangelicals do? Many may leave, but where will they go? Are the Anglo Catholics welcome to come to Rome en mass or not? Some have suggested they are, some have said no, because the liberal English Roman Catholics do not want an infusion of conservative orthodox Catholics into their church, which would shift the demographics and affect how the Catholic Church in England functions. From other sources we hear that Rome will be welcoming orthodox Anglicans and making them a deal of some sort. Certainly married bishops who take this option will find an obstacle in their path, one that will require setting aside their episcopal garb and office, but for them, that may be a price they will willingly pay.

Archbishop Rowan Williams continues to speak against GAFCON and what it stands for, principally because he can't control it or steer it. Many have called Dr. Williams a man of prayer, others a man of superior intellect, and perhaps both are true. We would look for the fruit of both in his work. What we have seen is a man whose leadership embodies a most unusual approach, one which has not, to date, born constructive results. We don't want to see him step down, but instead we would continue to urge that he address the heterodoxy in the communion which is occurring on his watch. The reality is that, with a tip of the hat to the office, a new order within the Anglican Communion will emerge, driven by the growth and orthodoxy of those who were present at GAFCON in Jerusalem.

To end on a positive note, the Nigerian Anglican Church is very much a church in good order, to which all the bishops are subject, from the bishop of the smallest missionary district to the largest diocese, to the primate himself. His Grace was very much wishing to retire and slow down, and has been saying so for the last two years. Many of us could not see how the realignment could be as strong if he retired so soon. Recently, when he submitted his request to the bishops of the Church of Nigeria in the form of a notice of voluntary retirement as Primate, and before his full term was expired, the request was denied. They requested him to complete his tenure which ends in 2010. Many sincerely sympathize with Archbishop Akinola, recognizing the effort and energy that his job has taken over these last years, but we commend the decision. He will thus stay on as Primate until 2010 and be able to continue working with GAFCON and the Primates' Council.

To God be the glory.

The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council

_________________________

Lambeth Conference: 'Efforts must be made to preserve integrity of Church'

Source: Religious Intelligence
By George Conger
July 17, 2008

Canterbury: The 14th Lambeth Conference will not settle the disputes dividing the Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said last night, but an effort must be made to keep the conversation going to preserve the integrity of the Church. Speaking to the some 600 bishops and their spouses at the opening session on the evening of July 16, Dr Williams outlined his vision for the conference around the theme of "building relationships."

Forming personal relations among the college of the Anglican Communion's bishops by itself will not settle the disputes of doctrine and discipline, he acknowledged, but "it is certain that without the building of relationships the challenges will never be resolved," he said according to bishops present at the opening session.

Bishops began arriving on Wednesday on the campus of the University of Kent situated on a hill to the south of Canterbury, with lines snaking across the campus as the bishops registered for the conference and were assigned dormitory rooms. ...

During the evening presentation Dr Williams offered a brief summary of his hopes for the conference, while his wife, Jane Williams discussed the plans for the spouses' conference, and general housekeeping chores were conducted. A total count on the number of bishops present will not be ready until the end of the three-day retreat and the start of the conference business session on Sunday, a spokesman said. However between 600 and 700 of the Communion's 900 bishops are expected to attend. While four provinces: Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya have declined to attend the conference, some bishops from Nigeria, Rwanda and Kenya appear to have broken ranks with their colleagues and made the pilgrimage to Canterbury. ...

Over the course of Thursday, Friday and Saturday the bishops will meet in retreat. Dr Williams and other speakers will present five lectures and the bishops will divide into Bible study groups. ...

A "Lambeth Reader" distributed to the bishops with their registration packets, but unread by almost all, advances arguments harshly critical on theological grounds of those who have stayed away. Prepared by the Inter Anglican Doctrinal and Theological Commission some months ago, the Reader argues that "given the present state of the Anglican Communion it is the special collegial responsibility of the bishop to be at prayer for and with fellow colleagues. "This is particularly relevant for those bishops who are in conflict with one another. Their failure to attend fervently to this ordinal vow weakens the body of Christ for which they have responsibility. This in turn weakens the bonds that all the baptised share with one another," the document argues.

In the marketplace, the Bishop of New Hampshire has set up a stall with the aim of telling his "story" to the world. A skilled communicator, Bishop Robinson will likely be a favourite of the press as he is not bound by the rules of the conference and speaks freely and pointed about the divisions within the church. While Pope Benedict XVI is half a world away in Australia, the Catholic Church's disquiet over recent actions by General Synod and by the American and Canadian churches is a topic of concern among traditionalists, and the potential exists for women bishops to supplant the homosexuality question as a point of contention.

In the midst of these stresses stands Dr Williams, whose mettle and diplomatic and pastoral skills will be put to the test over the coming days. A failed 2008 Lambeth Conference - one that breaks apart in acrimony or collapses into funk and indecision, may well be the last Lambeth Conference.

The entire article may be found at the link above.

_________________________

Today at Lambeth: Thursday 17th July 2008

Source: Anglican Mainstream

This is the first of regular daily blogs which will come live from our support team at Lambeth. You will get to know us as the days go by. We are sharing accommodations with two bishops and their wives who are reflecting with us on their experience of this global gathering. 

We begin with the visuals and the physical impact of the site. The main plenaries are being held in a large blue 'big top' circus tent on the University of Kent campus. This is surrounded by a seven foot high wire fence whose entrances are manned by security guards. We are hoping to find out what security threat they are guarding against since Gene Robinson is not present at the plenaries.   
 
The Welcome Meeting (for the Bishops and their Wives) took place on Wednesday evening and consisted mainly of logistical arrangements, introductions, and choir practice. Archbishop Williams' introduction did not shrink from recognising the pain of missing brethren. Thursday morning began with Eucharist (without a homily) followed by Bible study based on the Gospel of John. The bishops then were taken by coach to Canterbury Cathedral for two addresses by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Orthodox bishops thought that this was what he did best: leading a spiritual retreat at which people could have listened to him for hours.
 
Our bishops' question was whether this would lead to any substantial result. It is already rumoured that TEC bishops are planning a popular move among the indaba groups to call for Gene Robinson to be seated as a full member of the conference.
 
Two absentees were public news today, Bishop John David Schofield was technically disinvited, though the language used in relation to this skates over this fact. Bishop Ed Salmon, formerly of South Carolina, who had made all his bookings and reservations prior to the second election of Bishop Mark Lawrence, heard that he was no longer invited well after he had made non-refundable reservations. He is attending as press.
 
Moreover, a bishop from Canada has said freely that once Lambeth is over the Canadian church will be moving forward apace with same-sex blessings etc. This gives substance to the observation that there is denial in what looks to be a potentially schizophrenic conference. Everyone knows that the North American lobbies are determined to have their agenda affirmed.   However, all the processes of the conference in plenary addresses and small discussion groups mean that there is no place for the whole conference to hear itself think and address this elephant in the room. ...
 
The BBC 2 Documentary on GAFCON is being broadcast on Monday, July 21st at 7 p.m. on BBC2, entitled "Battle of the Bishops." Review copies have been sent to the media and clips and quotes are being posted by Riazat Butt of the Guardian and Ruth Gledhill. ...
 
It is rumoured that Presiding Bishop Shori will press Archbishop Williams to prevent cross-boundary oversight in America on the grounds that it goes against tradition.
 
Matters are moving fast. We will keep you posted every day on "Today at Lambeth" on Anglican Mainstream.

_________________________

TEC bishop to priests: Decide now if you're with us

Source: Central Valley Business Times
July 12, 2008

The Episcopal Bishop of the Central Valley, Jerry Lamb, is asking priests in the region between Bakersfield and Lodi to publicly announce if they will stay with the church.

In a letter this week, Mr. Lamb has asked all deacons and priests of the Diocese of San Joaquin to decide whether they will uphold their ordination vows to "…conform to the doctrine, discipline and worship of The Episcopal Church."

Clergy have been given until Aug. 5 to state their intent in writing to the diocesan office in Stockton. ...

The rest of the article may be found at the link above.

_________________________

Central Florida: Bishop Pulls out of Anglican Communion Network

Source: VirtueOnline
By David W. Virtue
July 13, 2008

Saying that he wants to stay in The Episcopal Church and in full communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Bishop of Central Florida, the Rt. Rev. John W. Howe has dropped his support of the Anglican Communion Network led by Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan and thrown in his lot with the Anglican Communion Institute, (ACI) a group that wants to stay and fight for change in The Episcopal Church.

The bishop announced this change in the July 2008 "Central Florida Episcopalian", which caught a number of conservatives in the diocese by surprise. "We didn't see it coming," said one evangelical priest who asked not to be named.

In his letter to the diocesan family, Howe said, "In my opinion, the Anglican Communion Institute has inherited the original vision of the Network: to work to promote orthodoxy within The Episcopal Church, and to maintain our relationships with the broader Anglican Communion." ...

The rest of the article may be found at the link above.

_________________________

Encouragement for Fort Worth Laity

Source: The Living Church
By Suzanne Gill
July 16, 2008

"Realignment has to be something that begins here and here," Michael Howell said, pointing to his head and his heart as he addressed a gathering of some 400 conservative laity of the Diocese of Fort Worth on July 12. The program at St. Peter & St. Paul, Arlington, was presented by Remain Faithful, a lay-led organization that has grown to more than 700 members in the seven weeks since its founding.
 
"The councils of the church will do what they do, but we can start right now," Dr. Howell urged. "Keep the focus on faith, not on institutional structures." ...
 
The Diocese of Fort Worth is in a period of discernment between two annual conventions. Delegates voted by a wide margin last November to approve amendments to the diocesan constitution that would remove it from the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. Ratification is required at this year's convention, scheduled for Nov. 14-15, for the changes to become effective.
 
Dr. Howell's call to focus on faith rather than institutional structures was echoed by Chad Bates, Remain Faithful's founder and president. On behalf of the organization, he issued a challenge to diocesan clergy who have indicated they will stay in The Episcopal Church if the Diocese of Fort Worth votes in November to leave the national church.
 
"Were the vows you made before God, other faithful clergy, and the laity, to an institution that has clearly embarked on revisionist theology, or were your vows to God?" he asked. "I submit to you that the faithful clergy realize that vows to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are much more important than any vows made to the flawed, man-made organization of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church. It is time to form a new orthodox and Anglican province in the United States." ...

The entire article may be found at the link above.