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"Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 10:13 NKJV
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Message from Bishop David Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Beloved in Christ, I write to you this week on the road from the California coast, enjoying a brief respite from the hot Atlanta summer. Next week, I will not file a report since I will be in surgery and recovery. Although I will be out of the office for awhile, until the surgeon clears me for travel, I will endeavor to file reports from home in the following weeks. My prayer is that the surgery will correct a deterioration in a hip that has increasingly bothered me since the mid 1990's. One of the difficulties in the conservative/liberal or, alternatively, orthodox/revisionist attempts to dialogue, discuss, and find any common ground on the theological and sexuality issues tearing the Anglican Church apart has been a determination of the revisionists to deceive those taking part and let them believe that the dialogue actually matters. That leaves the orthodox with the feeling that the dialogue (an earlier form of today's Indaba Process), is for show only, with those who have an agenda to redirect the church's faith busily working behind the scenes while ignoring the dialoging. In the same sense, in the late 1960's, North Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh burned through months of useless talk at the Paris Peace Table, keeping US diplomats thinking that something worthwhile would come forth, and all the while he was moving vast amounts of armaments and troops south through the jungle. It never was about conversation, it was about deception. So the conversation, dialogue and now Indaba have been and are all about deception. On Mary Ailes' blog, she reports on lesbian activist and Episcopal priest Susan Russell's recent admission that eleven years ago, at the 2000 Episcopal Church General Convention, she and other homosexual activists in the Episcopal Church manipulated the process, the debate and the legislative protocol, to deceive, so that they could covertly advance their cause. Go to Mary Ailes' blog and read it there, then follow it back to Ms. Russell's own article, where she spills the beans on their dishonesty (although she would call it "strategy").
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All of the Indaba, dialogue, and conversation is geared to deceive the orthodox, so that Susan "Ho Chi Minh" Russell and others could be advancing their homosexual agenda in the Anglican Church while slowing down the opposition with "conversation and compromise." This spiritual cancer on the soul of Anglicanism is rapidly spreading to other provinces, and as with cancer in the body, surgical removal is either timely done or the patient dies.
It appears that the American Episcopal Church's influence is close to overrunning the province of Southern Africa and that will be used as a bridgehead to the balance of the African continent. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori will be an honored guest at the Synod of Bishops meeting later this month as the province seeks to develop Pastoral Guidelines in relation to same-gender civil unions. The only solution may be to create a faithful remnant in opposition to the Canterbury-approved heterodoxy.
We should view everything that the revisionists do and say in light of Ms. Russell's expose of her own group's rampant and purposeful deception. Dr. Rowan Williams' Indaba is a part of this, and you should be no less deceived by Dr. Williams than by the spider who invited the fly to come and rest awhile. They do not mean what they say, but they do mean what they won't say, to destroy your soul and turn you from the one who alone can save your soul.
Beware, Satan is as a roaring lion looking for whom he can devour.
May our Lord Jesus protect and defend you through all of these difficult days.
Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus,
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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Chaplain's Corner
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By The Rev. Canon Phil Ashey, J.D. Chief Operating and Development Officer, American Anglican Council  | |
Canon Ashey
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Dear friends in Christ, I am well into the second series of individual consultations with each of the six congregations participating in our Sure Foundation project for congregational development here in the Anglican Diocese of the South. Through meetings with each congregation's leadership team, I have discovered some common questions and challenges: - How can an older congregation meeting in rented space reach and attract young families?
- How can we expand our gospel "footprint" in the community where we are located?
- What steps do we need to take to establish a local outreach ministry? A missionary partnership with an Anglican diocese in the Global South?
- How do we start a youth or children's ministry from scratch?
- What steps do we need to take to better disciple adults?
- How do we raise up more volunteers? Our core group is tiring.
- How can we reach and attract unchurched men?
- How can we improve the level of financial commitment and giving/tithing?
- Given our congregation's vision and mission, are we physically located in the right place?
These are the very questions we will be addressing in part 2 of the Sure Foundation curriculum, beginning for these ADOTS congregations in January, 2012. But the preliminary answers to each of these questions leads right back to one fundamental question: what unique values and ministries does your church have? Let me explain. One of the most helpful leadership and discipleship resources in the last decade is Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God (Lifeway, 2007). One point in particular stands out: If you and I want to know and do God's will, discover where He is already at work and join him in that work. Blackaby draws this out of the experience of Jesus himself, who proclaimed after healing the paralyzed man at Bethesda pool, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19 NIV). So where is God already at work in the life and ministry of your congregation? One key indicator is your congregation's core values. Like any living organism, a church has a code or DNA that is God given and determines the unique identity and calling of that church. Core values are at the heart of the code or DNA of your church. Core values are different than core beliefs. Every church in the ACNA has in common certain core beliefs - the Creeds, the first seven ecumenical councils of the church, the Thirty-Nine Articles, the Jerusalem Declaration, the Fundamental Declarations in Article I of the ACNA Constitution. These are not unique to each congregation - in fact, they are shared by the majority of Anglicans all over the world. Core values on the other hand are the unique commitments and priorities that a particular congregation has. Examples of such unique commitments might include investing in the renewal of the local neighborhood, offering healing ministries to those who are sick and broken, or making sure that every member participates in a biblically functioning small group with outreach to the community. Each one of these is an example of something the church values, a commitment that determines the mission priorities and allocation of resources by that church. These are often different and unique to each Anglican congregation with whom we consult. So if you want to know God's will for your church and do it, by entering into what God is already doing through your church, look at the unique core values and ministry commitments of your church. For example, I just finished a consultation with a church whose first core value is mission and outreach - to quote them exactly, "seeking God's guidance as we use our individual and corporate gifts to exhibit God's grace visibly in our community and in the world. (Matt. 25:35-36; John 20:23)." What a great biblical value and commitment to begin with! I asked them a series of questions and listened: "How do you see this value and commitment being lived out by your church? Where? By whom? What spiritual, emotional and physical energy do you feel as a church around this commitment? Where are the disconnects between this professed commitment and actual commitments of your individual and corporate gifts?" Through the lively discussion that followed it became evident almost immediately where God is already at work: he has led both the Rector, leadership team and others to reach out to victims of domestic violence. They have connected with their county's Domestic Violence Response Team. They are hosting meetings of the Team in their church. They are making themselves available to pray with and counsel victims. They will be asking the Team to come and make a presentation to the entire church. There are very few, if any, churches in the community meeting this need. Once they articulated this core value where God is already at work in ministry, other answers to common challenges and questions began to unfold. A mission focus on victims of domestic violence will shape the kind of children's and youth ministry this church will develop. What resources, both in-house and by referral, will these child and youth victims need? What gifts and training will Sunday school teachers and youth leaders need? What about the parent victims? How will this congregation help them to feel loved and welcomed into a safe family again? Through small groups? Mentoring families? What adult discipleship resources will the congregation need in order to become more effective Christian caregivers? How does this mission commitment shape the kind of facilities this congregation will need and their location? By the end of the evening, we had a list of ministry objectives and action steps identified: short term, mid term and long term. And that was only in response to one of their core values! Do you want to know how your church can discover God's will, and do it? Do as Jesus did: look at what the Father is already doing through you. Look at the core value and ministry commitment that has led you to that place - and join Him! Yours in Christ, Phil+ Back to Top |
Breaking the Bonds of Affection: Denver 2000 Revisited
| Source: BabyBlueCafe
August 30, 2011
By Mary Ailes
Susan Russell, the former head of Integrity, has now publicly admitted that the the landmark resolution D039 from the Episcopal General Convention "Denver 2000" was indeed a political maneuver crafted by political organizers not to be as it was promoted at the time to be a compromise between two sides working hard to build trust and commitment, but actually to achieve long-term political results at the expense of that trust and commitment.
In a post on the late Pamela Chinnis, the former House of Deputies president who passed away this week, Susan writes on the landmark General Convention Resolution DO39, "The resolution was crafted knowing that the "8th Resolve" was going to be a bridge-too-far for this convention. And so when it came to pass in the legislative process that it was separated off and failed by a narrow margin, our strategists inwardly celebrated the victory ..."
It was in fact their intention to see the final resolve struck (which would have called for the creation of liturgies for same sex blessings) and instead lay the significant foundation for Minneapolis 2003
The rest of the article may be found here.
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| New ACNA Youth Awards Introduced | Source: ACNA via email
September 2, 2011
A New Anglican Church in North America Youth Religious Awards Program, developed in cooperation with Programs of Religious Activities with Youth (PRAY), is now available. The program will use the already available workbooks developed by P.R.A.Y. for Protestant churches, and the God and Church Award emblem will have an ACNA pin attached to the ribbon.
The ACNA program was approved by the Boy Scouts of America in May 2010. The program is also available to youth members of the Girl Scouts of the USA; Camp Fire USA; and American Heritage Girls. Canadian Scouts and Guides may earn the awards but they are not recognized by their organizations.
Program workbooks and awards are available from Programs of Religious Activities with Youth (P.R.A.Y.), 11123 South Towne Square, Ste. B; St. Louis, MO 63123
www.praypub.org
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| Pittsburgh: Penn Hills church in Anglican Diocese abandons its building | Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
September 1, 2011
By Ann Rodgers
Another congregation in the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh has decided to abandon its building, saying that it couldn't meet the financial or ecclesiastical demands that the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh made during negotiations for the property.
On Oct. 2 the 104 members of All Saints Church in Penn Hills will begin holding services in nearby Rosedale United Methodist Church.
"We are a poor church. We made the best offer we could possibly make, given our financial resources. Our offer was rejected out of hand," said the Rev. David Rucker, the rector of All Saints, in a statement released by the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh.
In addition to asking for more money than the parish could offer, he said, the Episcopal diocese wanted All Saints to disaffiliate from the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh.
All Saints is the second parish in the Anglican diocese to abandon its property in the wake of a court decision on ownership of church assets after a 2008 diocesan split. Allegheny County Common Pleas Court Judge Joseph James awarded all centrally held diocesan property to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, but said that there should be negotiations over parish property....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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| TEC: Married lesbian priest among five nominees for bishop of New York | Source: LoHud.com
August 29, 2011
The Episcopal Diocese of New York has named five nominees to become its next bishop, one of whom is a married lesbian priest.
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Rev. Lind
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The nominee, the Rev. Tracey Lind, is dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland. An announcement Monday from the diocese said that "She is 57 years old and is married to Emily Ingalls."
A diocesan committee chose the five nominees. One is scheduled to be elected on Oct. 29 at a special convention at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City.
The rest of the article may be found here.
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| Mexican Presbyterian church severs ties with US Presbyterians over gay clergy | Source: Associated Press
August 26, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Presbyterians in Mexico are breaking ties with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) because of differences over homosexuality.
The theologically conservative National Presbyterian Church of Mexico voted to stop working with the U.S. denomination. U.S. Presbyterians voted last May to remove barriers for ordaining people in same-sex relationships. The churches share a 139-year history and a network of social service ministries that spans the Mexican-U.S. border....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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| Deadly Christian-Muslim clash in central Nigeria | Source: AFP
August 31, 2011
JOS, Nigeria - Clashes broke out between Christians and Muslims in tense central Nigeria on Monday, with witnesses reporting a number of deaths as well as vehicles and at least two shops set ablaze.
The head of a search-and-rescue team for the Muslim community in the city of Jos, where the clashes occurred, reported nine dead and 106 people wounded, but there was no official confirmation.
Information commissioner for Plateau state Yiljap Abraham said "there are casualties, but the police will give that later."
Plateau state Police Commissioner Emmanuel Dipo Ayeni confirmed there had been some fighting, but could not say if people were killed.
Witnesses and community leaders claimed varying numbers of deaths....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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