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"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:1-2 NKJV
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Message from Bishop David Anderson
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Bishop Anderson
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Dear Friends of the Anglican realignment,
We have now heard and seen the new Roman Catholic pope Francis in the media coverage, and we wish him and all of our Roman Catholic friends the very best. The reports about his faith, his discipline and convictions are all encouraging, and we pray that the Holy Spirit guides and assists him in the rebuilding of his church.
Issues in his church touching on sexuality, such as abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage and paedophilia are mirrored in other churches to a similar or lesser degree, and in the culture around us in great degree. The proponents of such aberrant behavior as paedophilia are deeply entrenched, and the church cover-ups have ruined lives, destroyed families and churches, and caused incalculable harm to come to the Roman Church, and this will be part of what Pope Francis has to set right and he will need our prayers to restore and rebuild. Similar issues of abortion, homosexuality and same-sex marriage have caused splits in Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian and other denominations as well, and Christians who believe solidly and completely in Jesus Christ and accept the authority of Holy Scripture over their Christian life and behavior will all need to stand together against the societal pressures and cultural collapse around us.
We are pleased that our friend Bishop Gregory Venables, Anglican Bishop of Argentina and former Primate of the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone, is a close friend of Pope Francis. +Gregory reports that Francis is a friend of Argentine Anglicans, and we hope and pray that this relationship will grow and extend to orthodox Anglicans the world over.
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All of the major churches of various names and denominations have rules of procedure that in the more ancient churches (such as Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican to name only three) are called Canon Law. Most nationwide churches have canon law which directs how they function, and what you can and cannot do, and what happens if you break the rules. These are augmented by diocesan canon law, and then finally by parish by-laws. The importance of canon law and by-laws is such that they need to be well thought out, wise, fair, and equally applied. When a crisis occurs, such as when a church member reports that he or she has been sexually abused by a clergy person, or that money is missing from the parish treasury, it is important that two things occur: One is that the signed complaint of the accuser is taken seriously and investigated properly, and that pastoral care as appropriate is extended to the individual who has been victimized; the other thing that needs to happen is that the presumption of innocence of the accused is preserved, and no actions are taken prior to the investigation which would irreparably damage the clergy person beyond restitution if they are found not guilty.
In my previous life in the Episcopal Church, I sat as the Presiding Judge of the Ecclesiastical Court for a number of years in Los Angeles, and I saw things go from one extreme to the other. In the earlier years of the 1990's, accusations were sometimes shelved, or slow tracked, and the system often protected serial clergy predators. Then the pendulum in the national Episcopal Church went in the opposite direction and complaints were not only fully investigated, but clergy were removed from office, put out of salaried work during the investigation, required to provide their own legal defense, and subjected to complaints twenty, thirty, even forty years old. The statute of limitations was lifted and some complaints were so old that finding witnesses for or against the accusation was extremely difficult, records to corroborate or refute the date an event allegedly took place and whether the accused or accuser could even have been present were lost, and finally a presumption of innocence was replaced by a presumption of guilt until proven otherwise. The Episcopal Church has recently exacerbated their canon law problems by revising their Title IV canons on misconduct, and from the following letter you can grasp some of the injury being caused. While we must take clergy sexual misconduct very seriously, it is important to have a proper structure so that those who are innocent have a means to defend themselves and clear their names. This letter from an Episcopal priest, Paul Woodrum, who has given permission to reprint it, gives us an example of one such clergyman's dilemma.
The point of all of this is that Canon Law is important in all Church bodies, and a fair balance between providing for and protecting both the complainant and the accused may be difficult to find, but it is very important if justice is to prevail. It is important for clergy to feel safe enough in their life and career to want to continue in ministry, and clergy do worry that some wildly untrue accusation might come in from left field and destroy them. The problem is that some few clergy have been abusers, and some few laity have projected relationships on clergy, or fantasized, and finding the truth of the matter is both difficult and important. Promptly and fairly adjudicating it in a manner that respects all concerned is important in any family of faith. Although the Episcopal Church is the subject of concern today, most churches have had sorry examples of both clergy, administrative and judicial malfunction, and reflection on this is sorely needed.
Elsewhere, the Episcopal Church, operating through its faux representation of a diocese in South Carolina, has now sued Bishop Mark Lawrence in Federal Court as I have predicted, but surprisingly, using the Federal Lanham Act as the excuse. You can read it on the Diocese of South Carolina's website under latest news, or read it below in our Update, or go to Virtueonline and there is a follow-up article by Mary Ann Mueller on Virtueonline. The Schorites are continuing their battle to overturn the historic diocese and Bishop Mark Lawrence, and to seize the property, bank accounts and assets. The Episcopal Church has caused so much turmoil, dissension, and litigation cost, but has so little that is productive or helpful to show for all of its ongoing courtroom campaigns. Perhaps the motto of the Episcopal Church should simply be "Duey Suem and How." And Lent proceeds on...
Blessings and Peace,
+David
The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr.
President and CEO, American Anglican Council
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A Message from Canon Ashey
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Canon Ashey
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Anglican Perspective: Making the Most of Every Opportunity
March 13, 2013
A recent skit by the comedians on "Saturday Night Live" satirized the resurrection of Christ. The short video quickly drew objections from many in the Christian community. However, some Christians like Mr. Luke Moon of the Institute on Religion and Democracy see this mocking as an opportunity for evangelism. Hear Canon Ashey's take on "DJESUS UNCROSSED" in this week's Anglican Perspective. Read Mr. Moon's perspective here.
View this week's Anglican Perspective here.
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| Editor's Notes: Update on Virginia Events |
Last week Bishop Anderson commented on the recent "Faith in Conflict" Conference at
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Rev. Dr. Baucum
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Coventry Cathedral in England, where some people were defining the meaning of reconciliation as "assisted conversation." As a part of this conference, Bishop Shannon Johnston of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia (TEC) and the Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum, rector of the Truro Anglican Church (ACNA) in Fairfax, VA, gave their testimony of how they had been meeting regularly and had developed a personal friendship. The transcript of this testimony is here.
Many orthodox Anglicans were concerned about this testimony and what it implied. David Ould wrote: "They are now both [Johnston and Baucum] living into the tension of mutually contradictory positions being both affirmed. Please note, once more, Johnston has not had to move an inch, but Baucum has walked a long way down that Psalm 1:1 road [walking in the counsel of the ungodly]...."
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Bishop Johnston
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A significant problem is that Baucum+ asserted that the points they disagree upon "are not defining realities."
Truro's Vestry issued this statement:
Into this setting comes an article by Jeff Walton of the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD) which illustrates the wide doctrinal gap between TEC and the ACNA: "Just in time for Easter, Virginia Episcopalians hosted a Jesus Seminar radical who denies that Jesus was uniquely divine or physically rose from the dead. Instead, the historic person of Jesus was a non-violent revolutionary who was distinct only for the time and place in which he lived, according to an author and former Roman Catholic priest [Dominic Crossan] who recently lectured, preached, and led a dialog with clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia hosted by Bishop Shannon Johnston...."
Subsequently, the following statements were issued:
Statement by the ACNA Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic
Statement by Tory Baucum+
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Diocese of SC responds to TEC Federal Lawsuit
| Source: Anglican Ink
March 13, 2013
Diocese of South Carolina News Release
126 Coming Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29403
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EPISCOPAL CHURCH LAWSUIT ASKS FEDERAL JUDGE TO OVERTURN STATE COURT ORDER AND STRIP DIOCESE OF SOUTH CAROLINA OF ITS IDENTITY
National Church demands that Bishop Lawrence be blocked from doing what Circuit  Judge ordered that only he is legally permitted to do.
Charleston, SC, March 13, 2013 - A new lawsuit filed by The Episcopal Church (TEC) asks a federal court to effectively nullify a South Carolina Circuit Court order by granting a splinter group, formerly associated with the Diocese of South Carolina, control over the Diocese's identity and properties.
"The national church's suit is an apparent effort to move a state property rights case to a court that might support the denomination's seizure of local assets," said the Rev. Jim Lewis, Canon to Bishop Lawrence. "It seems to be more focused on undermining the state court's authority and prolonging the litigation than addressing the underlying issue."
The suit asks a federal court to prohibit Bishop Lawrence from doing what a South Carolina judge has ordered that only he can do: use the diocese's names and symbols.
The language used in TEC's filings appears to ignore the temporary injunction issued on January 23 by South Carolina Circuit Judge Diane S. Goodstein - and agreed to by attorneys for TEC - blocking the denomination, its continuing parishes, individuals, organizations or any entity associated with it from, using, assuming or adopting the registered names and the seal or mark of The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of South Carolina....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Struck Down, But Not Destroyed
| Source: The Living Church
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Bishop Martins
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March 14, 2013
By Daniel H. Martins
On March 8 Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's office released the text of the Accord reached between nine bishops - of which I am one - and those who filed charges against us last June under Title IV, the clergy discipline canon. In January, representatives of the Complainants and Respondents came to Richmond, Virginia, where we were joined by a professional mediator appointed by the Presiding Bishop. This document is the result of the process begun at that meeting, and is described in the canon as "conciliation." All the parties have agreed to it, the respondents are indemnified from future action in the matter, and the case is closed.
Conciliation is a bizarrely inappropriate word to describe what has happened. Going into the January meeting, we bore no ill will toward our accusers, and welcomed the opportunity to meet them face to face and talk things out. Today, I think it's safe to say that all nine of us are processing some degree of anger and are feeling substantially alienated from those who brought the charges against us. We feel manipulated and victimized. We are nowhere near happy about this outcome, even though we stand by our decision to accept the Accord.
Some have accused us of cowardly capitulation. I can understand this reaction, so some explanation is in order. But it is vitally important to make a careful distinction between the tone of the document and its substance. In particular:
1. We admitted to no misconduct or any form of wrongdoing. The Accord contains no "finding" of guilt on our part, and the Complainants signed it.
2. We reaffirmed our belief in the assertions of our amicus brief. We continue to believe that the polity of the Episcopal Church as characterized by the 2009 Bishops' Statement on Polity is true and correct. We have not in any way backed away from this position....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Broad, diverse defense of marriage at US Supreme Court
| Source: LifeSiteNews
March 14, 2013
by Ryan T. Anderson
WASHINGTON, D.C., (Heritage Foundation) - Scholars have filed more than 50 amicus briefs with the Supreme Court urging it to uphold California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). While the media seems intent on ignoring these briefs and hyping the briefs on the other side, the sheer number and quality of the briefs in defense of laws recognizing marriage as the union of a man and a woman is impressive.
Austin Nimocks, Senior Counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, explains the significance:
During the Supreme Court's 2011-2012 term, an average of only 10 amicus briefs per case were filed. And in the historic landmark case of Roe v. Wade, only 26 total amicus briefs were filed.
By comparison a combined total of 58 amicus briefs were filed in support of Prop 8 and DOMA. The pro-marriage arguments are deep, rich, well-reasoned, common sense- and common good-based, and worthy of serious reflection by the Court and any other American interested in the future of our most important social institution....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Pro-life leaders say Pope Francis will inspire the world to 'promote the culture of life'
| Source: LifeSiteNews
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Pope Francis I (AP Photo)
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March 13, 2013
by Ben Johnson
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Members of the pro-life and pro-family community say they are overjoyed at the selection of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Chuch.
As LifeSiteNews reported in 2007, the new pope, Francis, has called abortion the "death penalty" for the unborn. He has also taken a strong stance in favor of the natural family in Argentina. He called gay marriage "a destructive pretension against the plan of God" and "a machination of the Father of Lies." At the same time, in a story that is being much-repeated today, Pope Francis demonstrated his compassion when he visited a hospice on Holy Thursday where he kissed and washed the feet of 12 patients suffering from AIDS, a disease that is often associated with homosexuality.
That legacy heartened pro-life and pro-family activists across the country.
"During him time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a stalwart defender of the sanctity of all innocent human life," Michael New of National Review told LifeSiteNews.com. "On September 1, 2009 - the feast day of St. Raimondo Nonnato, the patron of expectant mothers and the unborn - Cardinal Bergoglio celebrated Mass in Buenos Aires. He encouraged attendees to defend life from conception to its natural end. He also added that to really promote the culture of life means also supporting the existence of these unborn children, in all phases of their childhood."
"I pray that Pope Francis I inspires, not only Catholics, but people of all faiths to promote and defend the culture of life," New said....
"We now welcome Pope Francis I, who we pray to God follows in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi," Judie Brown, president of American Life League and three-time appointee to the Pontifical Academy for Life, said. "Recall that Christ said to St. Francis, 'Rebuild my Church!' This is the very challenge that our new Pope will have to confront."...
The rest of the article may be found here.
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Muslim mob torches 178 Christian homes in Pakistan over blasphemy claim
| Source: BarnabasAid 
March 12, 2013
Hundreds of Christians have been left homeless in Pakistan after a 3,000-strong mob of Muslims torched their houses and shops and a church over a false blasphemy accusation against a Christian man.
The Christians of Joseph Colony in the Badami Bagh area of Lahore had fled in fear of their lives ahead of the violence on Saturday (9 March), after hearing calls from the mosque loudspeakers that urged Muslims to "kill the blasphemers".
They were incited to attack the poor Christian neighbourhood in response to a complaint brought against Savan Masih the previous day by a local Muslim, who said that the Christian had made derogatory remarks against Muhammad.
The mob attacked Savan's home and also broke into the properties of other Christian families, looting their goods before setting the houses on fire. A total of 178 houses and 75 shops were destroyed, leaving hundreds of Christians homeless and with nothing. Bibles were also burnt....
The rest of the article may be found here.
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