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I Cor. 11:19 "Indeed, there have to be factions [Gk. haireseis, "heresies"] among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine."
2 Timothy 4:3-4
1a) http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/la.asp All Saints' Church is one of three conservative parishes that have seceded from the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles since Aug. 17 because of dissatisfaction over what they describe as a gradual drift from Biblical orthodoxy. Parishoners cite the Episcopal Church USA's consecration of the openly gay Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire and Los Angeles Bishop J. Jon Bruno's blessing of the same-sex union of one of his priests as examples of this shift. On Friday, All Saints' rector received a letter from Bruno informing Thompson that he had been relieved of his duties and would be replaced by the Rt. Rev. Robert Anderson, assistant bishop of Los Angeles. Bruno also wrote that a new vestry, or board of governors, would be constituted in accordance with All Saints' bylaws. After Sunday's 7:30 a.m. service, parishoner Bob Armstrong said he was puzzled by Bruno's statements. "The vestry has to be elected from within the church. How could he send a bunch of outsiders here?" asked Armstrong, who has been attending All Saints' with his wife, Eleanor, for 41 years. Armstrong said that, as far as he was concerned, Anderson was welcome to attend the church, but that Thompson would continue to be his priest. "I think that we would receive (Anderson) and welcome him to sit in the pew and worship, but he certainly wouldn't take over the celebration," said Armstrong, a former All Saints' senior warden. Parishoners also said that they would not be dissuaded from leaving by Bruno's previous demand that the breakaway churches either surrender their property to the diocese by Aug. 30 or suspend operations. "The church isn't the building, it's the people in the church," said Scott Strong. "The diocese and the bishop are going for the money and the property. His focus is on the money not on Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are being tossed by the wayside. Their first move is to try to take a building the parishioners built." Thompson said he "wasn't terribly concerned" about the bishop's efforts to replace him or to repossess the church. "Frankly, he can say what he wishes. The deed says it's our property and we will continue to use it as such," Thompson said. The members of All Saints' maintain that they, like the congregations of St. James Church in Newport Beach and St. David's Parish in North Hollywood, are now under the supervision of the Rt. Rev. Evans Kisekka, bishop of the conservative Ugandan Diocese of Luweero, not Bruno(...) Edmund Thompson, who attended St. Francis Episcopal Church in Palos Verdes Estates for 35 years before gravitating toward All Saints' more literal interpretation of the Scriptures a year ago, said he had a message for Bishop Bruno. "I would say to the bishop, as Moses did to Pharoah, 'Let my people go," he said. , Staff writer Greg Mellen and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
1b) http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/la.asp It would have been business as usual at St. James Sunday - but churchgoers welcomed a few surprise visitors for Mass who supported the church's nondenominational cause. Maurice Benitez, a former bishop of the Diocese of Texas, read from a prepared statement in each of the church's three Sunday services, urging parishioners to embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to pray for Bruno and the Diocese of Los Angeles and to look to what lies ahead under Anglican jurisdiction(...) St. James' legal spokesperson Eric Sohlgren said Bruno had threatened to disrupt Sunday services dispatching Episcopal clergy to St. James, to All Saints in Long Beach and to St. David's in North Hollywood, but representatives at St. James said the opposition never showed. The three churches broke away from the Episcopal Church because of its liberal views relating to the Bible, the divinity of Jesus Christ and homosexuality, church officials said. The churches then joined the Diocese of Luwero in the Anglican province of Uganda. Benitez said Henry Orombi, Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Uganda, and Evans Kisekka, Bishop of the Diocese of Luwero, now have jurisdictional authority over the three churches and invited him to St. James to speak at Sunday Mass. "They asked me to come and offer, on their behalf, a measure of pastoral care and ministry to these three congregations, as best I can," he read. "I now address you in these congregations to whom I was sent, and I begin by declaring that I am here today to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to call all people, beginning with each one of us, to repent our sins and to embrace Godliness and righteousness, and to obey Biblical doctrine and the Apostolic faith." During the 11 a.m. Mass, Benitez walked to the back of the church to hug and sing with Ugandans Lazarus and Lois Seruyange, who received applause and a standing ovation when they were announced. "We would like to thank God for what he's doing," Lazarus Seruyange said. "We were very much impressed, and that's a sentiment you're going to stay true to the Scriptures." The Seruyanges said they'd heard about the church's conversion to the Anglican Church of Uganda, wanted to pay their respects first-hand, and planned to share the bishop's goodwill with fellow Ugandans when they return to the capital city, Kampala, in October. "We like that people are loving the lord and worshipping him, and we were happy when they mentioned Uganda, Bishop Kisekka and Bishop Orombi specifically," Lazarus Seruyange said. "We are all brothers and sisters loving the lord." JEFF BENSON is the news assistant and may be reached at (949) 574-4298 or by e-mail at jeff.benson@latimes.com.
1c) http://www.virtuosityonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1264 NEWPORT BEACH-(9/6/2004)-- No church-goers were locked out of the three Sunday morning services at St. James Church. No prayer books were confiscated or sermons interrupted. Instead, church-goers and the visiting Rt. Rev. Maurice Benitez, a retired bishop from the Diocese of Texas, reveled in the Newport Beach church's rebellion - breaking away from the national Episcopal Church over divergent views on biblical interpretation and homosexuality. Wearing a red and white vestment, his voice soft and soothing, Benitez played cheerleader to a congregation whose actions stunned national church leaders. "Now I turn from the present circumstance and urge each one of you ... to focus not on the past, where you have been, but focus on the future, on what lies ahead," said Benitez, an outspoken critic of the confirmation last year of an openly gay bishop in the New Hampshire Diocese(...) St. James officials said Sunday that no one from the diocese has come to the 55-year-old, white-stucco church situated near shopping areas and the beach on Balboa Island - or talked to anyone there. Even if they did, they would have no authority because the churches are separate California religious corporations, said Eric Sohlgren, a church attorney. "They can rattle all they want, but they have no control over us anymore," said Jim Dale, senior warden at St. James, after the 9 a.m. service. At that service, the full chapel seemed at times abuzz with excitement. The 290 audience members gave Benitez a standing ovation. They cheered at what they said was a higher-than-usual number of visitors. Several said they came from as far as Bakersfield to voice their support. They expressed solidarity with the congregation's interpretation that Jesus Christ is the Lord and savior and the "only way to salvation," and that the Bible should not be changed to fit the cultural climate. "Praise God for this church. Don't be afraid," said John Chandler of Yorba Linda. Claude Potter of Huntington Beach talked of how he has seen the same debate at his church, Faith Lutheran. "To me it's remarkable," Potter said after the service. "To take a whole congregation like this and walk away from what's going on in the United States. They're truly taking a biblical path." John Gobbell, a member at St. James since 1988, said the years leading up to the split were "gut-wrenching." "It took the life out of the church," said the novelist from Laguna Niguel. "I am so happy that we're doing this - taking a stand." END
1d) http://www.virtuosityonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1262 The welcome they received from Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi, Anglican primate of all Uganda, didn't surprise those who knew him. Orombi, 55, has a reputation for two things: welcoming refugees from the civil war and ethnic strife in neighboring Congo and preaching fiery sermons against what he sees as the Episcopal Church's fall from historic Christian teachings(...) In the confrontation over the three breakaway parishes - All Saints in Long Beach, St. David's in North Hollywood and St. James in Newport Beach - Orombi is pitted against Los Angeles Episcopal Bishop J. Jon Bruno. "There is a tradition on human sexuality that was passed to us by the apostles, and if we're an apostolic church, how come the Episcopal Church claims they are better than St. Paul?" Orombi said in a telephone interview from Kampala, the Ugandan capital. "Why do they turn their back on the faith their grandparents brought to us?"(...) v "If your child is running away to your neighbors, then I would imagine your home is not peaceful," Orombi said. "We are not going to see you sink with the boat, but we are going to offer you an alternative to come to us. It's just like you have an S.O.S., a distress call. You just don't stand by, do you?"(...) v Orombi spoke of the entire American church. "There is an opportunity to repent and come back," he said. "There's always an opportunity if you injure your brothers to say, 'I am really, really sorry.' If this is not going to happen in the Anglican Communion, this fragmentation is inevitable."
1e) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/
The Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno
1f) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/
* http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/index.php?p=2348#comment-19542
1g) http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/politics/9581838.htm
1h) http://www.virtuosityonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1257 Three breakaway parishes, including St. James in Newport Beach, on Friday received notice that new Episcopal clergy have been put in charge of their congregations(...)
1i) http://www.virtuosityonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1259 The move by the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, communicated in letters dated Sept. 1 but delivered Friday, escalated what probably will be a protracted legal battle over ownership of the parish property and Bruno's jurisdiction over the breakaway priests(...)
2) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/ By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent, THE LONDON TIMES 9/6/2004 THE Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has given his blessing to an extraordinary scheme for an African archbishop to consecrate a leading evangelical clergymen as a bishop to work as a missionary in Britain. The Most Rev Henry Orombi, Archbishop and Primate of Uganda, is to consecrate the Rev Sandy Millar, former Rector of Holy Trinity Brompton, as a Bishop in Uganda. Mr Millar, who helped to pioneer the Alpha course that has revived evangelical Christianity in Britain and worldwide, will serve in Uganda and London, where he will be titled Bishop in Mission. An announcement is expected from Lambeth Palace later this week. The scheme is understood to have been worked out by Dr Williams and the Bishop of London, the Right Rev Richard Chartres. It will reward Mr Millar and appease evangelicals who are furious about the advancement of the liberal agenda throughout the Church of England. Evangelical churches that disagree with their diocesan bishops on gays and were thinking of importing conservative African or Asian bishops for confirmations and other services will now be able to call on Mr Millar, one of the international evangelical movement's most respected figures. The appointment - disclosed, on the Virtuosity evangelical website - comes on the eve of the meeting in Windsor of the Lambeth Commission set up by Dr Williams to resolve the gay crisis.
Dr Williams is desperate to keep the Church united and is expected to go as far as possible in appeasing evangelicals in order to prevent their departure. The Episcopal Church of America is expected to be penalised for its consecration of the openly gay Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire.
3) http://gs2004.classicalanglican.com/modules/news/
4) http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/ Inspired by remarkable stories of spiritual renewal and growth, an estimated 13,000 churches from 60 denominations have experienced the purpose-driven phenomena inspired by a California pastor's best-selling book. Ever since I have heard from fellow pastors like Owen Scott of Valley Church and Paul Carter of Immanuel Westside who led successful 40 Days of Purpose Campaigns, I have been praying about the right time for St. Simon's to step out in this area. The time has come, with the unanimous support of our St. Simon's Church Council. Our prayer is that during the 40 Days, every adult will involve themselves in one of our home groups. To accomplish this, our goal is that our 10 home groups will multiply to 20 home groups for this spiritual growth journey. At the center of the campaign is the fastest-selling hard cover nonfiction book in history. The Purpose Driven Life has sold more than 16 million copies since the book's release in 2002. The book's author, Rick Warren, is senior pastor of one of America's largest churches, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. Following its 40 Days of Purpose Campaign two years ago, Saddleback Church baptized 671 new believers, added almost 1,200 new members, and increased average attendance by 2,000. Two years ago the first 1,500 churches to hold a 40 Days of Purpose Campaign reported their worship attendance increased an average of 22 percent. During the 40 Days of Purpose Campaign at St. Simon's, the truths about God's five purposes for people-worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism-will be communicated repeatedly in six ways: 1. An all-church Simulcast seminar & potluck on Sunday Oct 3rd from 6pm to 9:30pm. 2. A weekly message by Rev. Ed+. 3. A personal or family daily devotional reading. 4. A weekly Scripture memory verse that everyone memorizes. 5. A weekly small group lesson. 6. A daily e-mail of encouragement. It is vital that we clear our slate as much as possible during this 40 Days of Purpose, so as to gain the maximum benefit. This is going to be a great breakthrough in spiritual growth for us as the St. Simon's people. p.s. the Wrap-up Celebration Sunday for 40 Days of Purpose will be Sunday Nov 21st, which will also be our 18th Annual St. Simon's Pledge Sunday.
5) http://www.alphacanada.org/resources/alphanews.html Twenty-five per cent of the English speaking population - that's approximately six million Canadians - now know about Alpha and 650,000 have attended a course. "As a result of your hard work and the efforts of the churches and business community, Canada now leads the world as far as Alpha awareness is concerned," says Nicky Gumbel, pioneer of the Alpha Course at Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London, England. "And if people have heard of the course it makes it so much easier to invite them out." Doug Morneau, from Coquitlam Alliance Church in BC, says the campaign helps. "When the initiative rolled out everything changed 180 degrees. It created a lot of excitement within the church". In Newfoundland, another church leader agrees. "While the initiative was going on I think there was an Alpha buzz around the city. At least 20 of our guests, especially the younger ones, came as a result of the advertising." Fr. Albert Sterzer, priest at St. Teresa's Roman Catholic Church in St. John's, NL admits, "I thought we had peaked. I honestly believed that we had peaked. I didn't anticipate that we would get the numbers that we did. But I was wrong. I would attribute it to the initiative. It brought out a lot of people. It loosened them up. They had been thinking about it, maybe heard about it." People come to Alpha for many reasons. "The reason that I came to an Alpha course was that I saw an ad so I knew that there was a lot more people like me out there," says a bubbly blonde who now volunteers at her church. "I didn't think there was a place where a person could ask their questions and not be looked at like, 'why are you thinking that'!" "I came because I saw it at the bus shelter that is just down the street from here" says a hairdresser in Saint John, NB. When people on the street were asked, "Have you heard about the Alpha Course?" typical responses were, "I read about it on my neighbour's lawn"; "There was an ad in the elevator of the building I live in"; "I've seen it up on a church near here"; and, "There was a big poster and then I asked somebody what that was." On August 16, Alpha banners and lawn signs will appear across Canada as individuals and churches begin to advertise their courses. The impact of an invitation from 2,500 churches of different types and backgrounds across Canada is significant. "People are looking at us and they are seeing that we are doing similar stuff and that we are talking a similar language and that when push comes to shove what really matters is what we believe about Jesus", says Mike Stewart, a pastor at St. Matthew's Anglican Church in Abbotsford, BC. Many communities are planning creative ways to extend the invitation in their neighbourhoods. Car antenna flags, Alpha floats in parades and involvement in other community events, booths in parks and at exhibitions, musical concerts, advertising on local radio stations, community-wide BBQ's with free food and live bands in the park, are some of the ways churches are raising awareness of the course. Though most people come to Alpha in response to a personal invitation from a friend, in today's internet-savvy culture many will check out the website, www.alphacanada.org. Last year's campaign added an extra million visitors to the website in August alone. The website lets enquirers find out a bit more about a typical evening and search course listings for a location close to them. "We're so excited by your plan for 2004," says Nicky Gumbel, "and pray God's blessing on you as you push on in your vision to give everyone in Canada an opportunity to attend an Alpha Course and to find Jesus Christ for themselves." Churches and other groups planning to run an Alpha Course can check out Alpha Canada's Initiative website (http:www.invitethenation.org/) for updates, ideas, and resources. A National Day of Prayer for Alpha will be held on September 16th.
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