"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." -Isaiah 7:14

• Virginia Update: All Saints, Dale City to Leave The Episcopal Church
• A Statement from the HKouse of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania
• Pastoral Letter from Archbishop Orombi of Uganda
• Evangelicals Applying Pressure on Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury
• Bishop Howard Attempts to Depose Six of “Florida Seven” Priests

VIRGINIA UPDATE: ALL SAINTS, DALE CITY TO LEAVE THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Source:  The Washington Times
December 12, 2006
By Julia Duin

Episcopal Church sees first defection

All Saints Episcopal Church in Dale City, whose members voted 402-6 on Sunday to leave the Episcopal Church, has become the first Northern Virginia church to flee the denomination out of several expected defections.

The 500-member church was one of nine churches to vote last weekend whether to leave the Episcopal Church over disagreements on biblical authority and the 2003 consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, a practicing homosexual.

All Saints' vote ratified an agreement its leaders had struck last month with the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia to cede their property to the diocese, then rent it back for five years until the church completes a new 800-seat sanctuary near Potomac Mills Shopping Center in Prince William County.

"We are heartened by the congregation's vote to move forward with our mission to be a church overflowing with God's love and healing power," said the Rev. John Guernsey, rector of All Saints. "We are grateful to the diocese that we were able to reach an amicable settlement and we pray that this may be a model for others in the [Episcopal] Church."

Virginia Bishop Peter J. Lee released a statement yesterday mourning the loss of All Saints.

"As the first of several churches to vote, I am disappointed with the result at All Saints and I sincerely hope that the result in the other congregations will be different," he said.

The remaining eight churches are keeping their polls open throughout the week and will announce their voting results Sunday.

At Truro Episcopal Church in Fairfax, a sign proclaiming "God's Church, Our Future, Your Vote" was posted by the front door on Sunday. At the Falls Church Episcopal in Falls Church, parishioners gathered in a sun-filled downstairs reception area to cast their ballots into yellow boxes covered with daisy patterns.

Roped-off aisles led into the voting area, which resembled a precinct polling spot with election volunteers seated at multiple desks. Some were poll judges who answered questions or ascertained membership qualifications; others directed parishioners how to fill out the two-part ballot. The first vote would separate the church from the denomination and the diocese; the second would empower the parish to fight to keep its multimillion-dollar historic property.

Posted in the voting area was a sign informing parishioners that the parish's rector and vestry, or governing board, "recommend a yes vote on both resolutions."

Stacked by church entrances was a booklet, "I Will Welcome You," about how the parish, if members decide to split, will go about "finding a new home in the Anglican Communion."

Russ Randle, the former head of the diocesan standing committee, which advises Bishop Lee, questioned whether diocesan canon law allows for multiple days of voting.

"While I am sympathetic to the difficulties of voting in a large congregation," he wrote in an e-mail, "it would appear that the voting procedures adopted are facially invalid and any vote taken by this means open to serious procedural challenge. I have called this deficiency to the attention of some in leadership at one of these parishes, but no correction has been made."

Jim Pierobon, spokesman for both the Falls Church and Truro, said both churches are conducting their votes legally within the confines of a parish meeting, which can be called and recessed throughout the week.

A STATEMENT FROM THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF TANZANIA

Source:  Anglican Communion News Service - Tanzania
December 12, 2006

A statement concerning the current situation in the Episcopal Church (USA), in light of their June 2006 General Convention.

1. Mindful of the fact that the Anglican Church of Tanzania issued statements in 2003 following the election, confirmation and eventual consecration to the Episcopate of Gene Robinson a practising homosexual clergyman, whereby we declared that henceforth we are not in communion, namely, communio in sacris, with:

i. Bishops who consecrate homosexuals to the episcopate and those Bishops who ordain such persons to the priesthood and the deaconate or license them to minister in their dioceses;

ii. Bishops who permit the blessing of same sex unions in their dioceses;

iii. Gay priests and deacons;

iv. Priests who bless same sex unions;

2. And because in their June 2006 General Convention, the Episcopal Church (USA) did not adequately respond to the requirement made to them by the Anglican Communion through the Windsor Report by their failure to register honest repentance for their actions that were contrary to the dictates of the Holy Scripture and the teaching of the Anglican Church as expressed in Resolution 1.10 of the 1998 Lambeth Conference and thereby indicating that they were deliberately choosing to walk apart from the rest of the Anglican Communion;

3. Therefore after its meeting on 7th December 2006 in Dar es Salaam, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania hereby declares that its communion with the Episcopal Church (USA) is severely impaired but the Anglican Church of Tanzania remains in communion with those who are faithful to Biblical Christianity and authority of Scripture who remain in the Episcopal Church (USA) or have left or are considering leaving that church body for the same reasons that we have stated above.

4. Further to the consequent state of the severely impaired communion, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania declares that henceforth the Anglican Church of Tanzania shall not knowingly accept financial and material aid from Dioceses, parishes, Bishops, priests, individuals and institutions in the Episcopal Church (USA) that condone homosexual practice or bless same sex unions.

5. The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania declares that we are committed to concerted prayer for renewal in the Anglican Communion that will further the mission of Jesus Christ and will render greater glory to God.

6. Finally, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Tanzania hereby mandates the Primate of the Anglican Church of Tanzania to forward this statement to the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (USA), to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to all the Primates of the Anglican Communion.

Dar Es Salaam
From The Anglican Church of Tanzania

PASTORAL LETTER FROM ARCHBISHOP OROMBI OF UGANDA

Source: Released by email on Dec. 14, 2006

9th November 2006

RE: Pastoral Letter from His Grace, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda
 
Dear Christians of the Church of Uganda,
 
Greetings in the name of our risen and reigning Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
 
I am writing with a heavy heart to share with you sad news about our beloved Anglican Communion.  On Saturday, 4th November, the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) enthroned as their Presiding Bishop a leader who has permitted the blessing of same-sex unions and who also denies that Jesus is the only way to the Father.  Her name is the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori. 
 
Our problem with ECUSA is not that they have enthroned a woman as their Presiding Bishop.   We in the Church of Uganda do support the ordination of women and women in all levels of leadership in our church.  In fact, I am very pleased to report that the House of Laity elected Dr. Sarah Ndyanabangi to serve as the next Chairperson of the Provincial House of Laity. 
 
Our problem with the new Presiding Bishop of ECUSA is that she has publicly denied what the Bible teaches about faith and morality.  And now she is in the position of Archbishop of one of the most influential and wealthiest Provinces in the Anglican Communion, even though it is one of the smallest in number.
 
There is a proverb that says, “When America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold.”  So, I am writing to warn you to be careful that you don’t catch a cold!  I also want to update you on decisions and actions of the Provincial Assembly and the House of Bishops to guard the Church of Uganda from falling sick with the sickness that is coming from America.
 
1. In 2003, the House of Bishops officially broke communion with ECUSA, and in 2004 the Provincial Assembly affirmed that decision.  These decisions were taken because ECUSA elected and consecrated as a Bishop a divorced man who has a homosexual partner.  This is contrary to the Word of God!  We also determined that we would no longer receive funds from ECUSA, including American dioceses, churches, and organizations that support the gay agenda.
 
2. At the same time, the Church of Uganda has declared that it is in communion with those Bishops, Dioceses, clergy, and congregations who did not support the consecration as bishop of a man who is in an active same-sex relationship, and who now make up what is called in America the Anglican Communion Network.
 
3. Practically, the implications of these decisions are the following:
 
  a. We have broken or need to break once and for all the companion diocese relationships with ECUSA dioceses that support the gay agenda.
  b. We will no longer apply for grants from the Trinity Grants program of Trinity Wall Street, UTO (United Thank Offering), Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), or scholarships through the Episcopal Church Center (815).  No Bishop or Diocesan Secretary should sign grant applications to these organizations.
  c. We will no longer send students to ECUSA theological colleges, except Trinity School for Ministry and Nashotah House.  For example, we will no longer send students to Virginia Theological Seminary, Sewanee, Episcopal Divinity School, Seminary of the Southwest, or Church Divinity School of the Pacific.
  d. We will not invite Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to visit Uganda, and we did not send any official Ugandan representative to her enthronement. 
  e. We will not automatically accept an ECUSA priest or lay missionary in the Church of Uganda, unless it can be determined that the person upholds the authority of Scripture and the historic and biblical faith and morality of the Church of Uganda.
  f. We do consider ourselves to be in communion with those bishops, clergy, people, dioceses, and congregations that are part of the Anglican Communion Network.  Clergy and lay missionaries can be easily exchanged between the Church of Uganda and the Anglican Communion Network.
  g. We will send clergy abroad to study only at Trinity School for Ministry and Nashotah House.
  h. Grant requests must be directed to the Anglican Relief and Development Fund and other non-Anglican, Bible-believing donors.
  i. We need to pray for new international and orthodox partners to become part of our life, including other ecumenical partners who uphold historic and Biblical faith.
 
Finally, one of the most significant decisions we have made to support Biblically faithful Anglicans in America is to provide a diocesan home for American congregations who could no longer be submitted to a revisionist Bishop and the national church leadership of ECUSA.  Ten of our dioceses in the Church of Uganda are now providing spiritual oversight to twenty congregations in America.  These are congregations of Americans in America, but they are officially part of the Church of Uganda. 
 
I have been in consultation with the other Primates and Archbishops of Africa and the Global South about this crisis in our beloved Anglican Communion.  We have written to the Archbishop of Canterbury and informed him that we cannot sit together with Katharine Jefferts Schori at the upcoming Primates Meeting in February.  We have also asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to invite an orthodox Bishop from the Anglican Communion Network in America to attend the Primates Meeting and represent the orthodox believers.  We await his decision on these matters.
 
We are also praying about whether our House of Bishops should attend and participate in the Lambeth Conference of Bishops in 2008.  Every ten years, the Archbishop of Canterbury invites all the bishops of the Anglican Communion together for prayer and mutual consultation on matters of mission and our common life together as Anglicans throughout the world.  The next conference is planned for 2008.  However, the Archbishops of Africa and the Global South have received a report and a recommendation that we not participate in the next Lambeth Conference if ECUSA, and especially their gay bishop, are also invited to the conference.  The House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda has not yet made a decision about this, but I wanted you to know that we are praying and asking the Lord to give us the mind of Christ on this matter.
 
Since ECUSA officially approved of homosexual relationships in 2003 we have earnestly prayed they would repent and return to the Word of God.  But, their General Convention in June 2006 made it clear that they are not intent on repentance.  In fact, they seem even more committed to their erring ways and the revision of the Biblical and historic faith that brought life to us and that we gratefully proclaim.
 
Therefore, and in light of all these developments, the House of Bishops and the Provincial Assembly in its meeting in August reaffirmed our position of broken communion with ECUSA and our decision to support in practical ways those churches, dioceses, and leaders in America who uphold and promote the Biblical and historic faith of Anglicanism for which our own Ugandan martyrs died.
 
In the meantime, as we work and pray for unity in the Anglican Communion that is grounded in the truth of the Word of God, we are rejoicing in the upcoming consecration of the new Bishop of North Mbale Diocese, and the recent breakthrough in Muhabura Diocese.  I urge you to keep praying for complete and lasting peace in northern Uganda.  May I also ask you to explore ways your diocese and parishes can actively support the restoration of the families and communities of our brothers and sisters in the greater North.
 
Yours, in Christ,
 
The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi
ARCHBISHOP OF CHURCH OF UGANDA

EVANGELICALS APPLYING PRESSURE ON CHURCH OF ENGLAND, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

Source:  The Telegraph (London)
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
December 14, 2006

Williams Warned of Church Anarchy

The Church of England was plunged into a fresh crisis yesterday after evangelical leaders representing 2,000 churches told the Archbishop of Canterbury to allow them to bypass liberal bishops or face widespread anarchy.

The group, whose supporters include the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, warned Dr Rowan Williams that the crisis over issues such as gay clerics was escalating fast and could descend into schism.

At a confidential meeting at Lambeth Palace on Tuesday, they urged Dr Williams to create a parallel structure to free them from the interference of liberal bishops or risk a revolt against his authority.

The group, an unprecedented coalition of evangelical organisations and networks, is powerful because it represents about a fifth of all the Church of England's churches.

As many of these are large and thriving, according to some estimates they account for almost a third of its active membership and up to 40 per cent of its money, a significant weapon given the parlous state of Church finances.

The evangelical intervention comes with the worldwide Anglican Church on the brink of schism and will further complicate Dr Williams's efforts to keep the Church of England from disintegrating as well. Additionally, traditionalist Anglo-Catholics who oppose female ordination are threatening similar action if they are not provided with sufficient protection when women are consecrated as bishops.

Lambeth Palace confirmed last night that the Archbishop had held a "preliminary" discussion with the evangelical group and was taking the issues seriously. It is understood that he is urgently contacting all his fellow bishops to seek advice.

But liberals were dismayed, saying that evangelical attempts to split the Church over homosexuality would undermine its traditional tolerance, damaging not only the Church but also the nation.

The group of evangelicals who met the Archbishop is thought to have included the Bishop of Lewes, the Rt Rev Wallace Benn, who is the president of the Church of England's Evangelical Council, a broadly representative national network.

Others believed to be involved were the Rev Paul Perkin, a member of the General Synod and of Reform, the conservative evangelical organisation, and Canon Christopher Sugden, the executive secretary of Anglican Mainstream.

Group members presented Dr Williams with a covenant" making clear they would not accept the authority of liberal bishops regarded as having abandoned Biblical teaching by accepting gay priests or blocking evangelical growth.

The covenant makes clear that the whole group will support individual members who break their ties with their bishops, refuse to allow them into their churches, or who cut their quotas, the "taxes" they voluntarily pay into central Church funds.

As part of a growing resistance movement, retired or foreign bishops from abroad could be parachuted into evangelical parishes in defiance of the diocesan bishops.

The evangelicals believe Dr Williams has only a few months to create a "flying bishops" structure because the clash could worsen significantly after a summit in February in Africa of all the primates, the leaders of the 38 self-governing provinces of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The meeting is expected to decide on the fate of the liberal Americans who precipitated the crisis by consecrating Anglicanism's first openly gay bishop in 2003.

Mr Perkin, the priest in charge of St Peter and St Paul in Battersea, south London, said: "The sleeping giant is waking. We have to be taken account of now."

Bishop Nazir-Ali, who was a leading rival to Dr Williams for the post of Archbishop of Canterbury, threw his weight behind the evangelical initiative last night, saying it demonstrated "the depth of feeling" within the Church.

But the Rev Giles Fraser, the president of the liberal pressure group Inclusive Church, said: "These rebel churches want to destroy the traditional breadth of the Church of England and turn it into a puritan sect. They must not be allowed to succeed."

BISHOP HOWARD ATTEMPTS TO DEPOSE SIX OF "FLORIDA SEVEN" PRIESTS

*Note: A letter of response from one of the six priests, the Rev. Sam Pascoe,   may be read here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2006

Contact:
The Rev. Neil Lebhar
redeemerrector@bellsouth.net 
(904) 642-8803

Press Release from the Anglican Alliance of North Florida:
Bishop Howard Attempts to Depose Six of “Florida Seven” Priests

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA—The Anglican Alliance of North Florida is saddened to announce that six of the original "Florida Seven" priests have received a letter of deposition from Bishop John Howard of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida on the grounds of “abandonment of communion” (the letter is available here in electronic format). The deposition of a priest or a deacon is an ecclesiastical measure which strips someone of clergy status by nullifying his or her ordination.

All of the priests in question had requested that Bishop Howard provide alternative episcopal oversight in 2005, and were refused. All but one had applied to the Panel of Reference and the Archbishop of Canterbury for protection. All of them are now members of the Anglican Alliance of North Florida and are faithfully serving as priests under archbishops in other parts of the Anglican Communion. Not only have they not abandoned the communion of the Church, they have come under the authority of orthodox Anglican bishops precisely because of their desire to remain in that communion.

In addition, Bishop Howard sent out a letter announcing that he had accepted letters of renunciation of ministry from seven clergy. At least three of these clergy have never renounced their orders, either verbally or in writing, but rather have been accepted as clergy under an overseas Anglican authority and serve in parishes within the Anglican Alliance of North Florida; they have no intention of renouncing their orders and ask Bishop Howard to rectify his mistake.

The priests who received letters of deposition are the Rev. Alex Farmer, the Rev. James McCaslin, the Rev. James Needham, the Rev. Samuel Pascoe, the Rev. Robert Sanders, and the Rev. David Sandifer. The priests and deacon purported to have renounced their orders have asked that their names not be disclosed at this time at the request of their overseas province.

All of these clergy are in good standing in the dioceses to which they belong and are serving under the authority of their respective bishops; by the grace of God, they intend to continue to serve Christ and His Church as ordained ministers and are looking forward to working together for a common Anglican witness.

The Anglican Alliance of North Florida was formed in the fall of 2005 to gather together biblically faithful churches in the Anglican tradition for a common witness. The Alliance currently comprises 17 churches in North Florida, including Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville, and other cities. The goal of the Alliance is to represent orthodox Anglicanism in our area, and to work to increasingly combine our resources for common ministry and mission under the worldwide Anglican Communion.