Three cheers for Sir Richard Branson

If Virgin Rail had not moved for a judicial review into the award to First Group of the West Coast Main Line franchise the public would probably have remained unaware that the Department for Transport badly miscalculated after the assurances of the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, and his predecessor, the recently shunted to International Development, Justine Greening, that the procedure was 'robust'. So three cheers for Sir Richard Branson.

Sir Richard's first brush (pun intended) with the Tory Party was when Mrs Thatcher appointed him Litter Tsar charged with keeping Britain tidy, presumably on the assumption that he was 'one of us'. To be 'wet' in a Thatcher government was not looked upon kindly, a situation not lost on civil servants who would have avoided giving ministers advice they did not want to hear, a habit that appears to have lingered on. But if things went wrong the minister carried the can. No longer. Patrick McLoughlin said "he was angrydanquot; because the fault lay "only and squarely within the Department for Transport". - Three civil servants have been suspended, the politicians carry on regardless, in Ms Greening's case now using her accountancy skills for the benefit of the poor in the Third World, or not!

My days of business travel are long gone but how easy it was in those bygone days to decide what time I needed to arrive at my destination and simply buy a ticket at the station ticket office. Hearing of people's current experiences, I tried looking on-line to see how I would go about booking a return ticket from Manchester to London this coming Friday. Perhaps it is my age but I might as well have been buying an air-line ticket. Eventually I discovered that prices varied between £74.20 and £296 for a Second Class return with a whopping £423 for First Class travel. Traveling a greater distance of 346km from Paris to London compared with the 267km from Manchester by Eurostar would cost between 117 and 217 Euros (between £94 and £174 and a flexible business rate of £249. Traveling a similar distance of 270km from Paris to Brugge and back on a Friday would cost between 87 Euros and  just 169 Euros for flexible First Class travel (between £70 and £136). Ah, the joys of rail privatisation!

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Stuffed!

  "This stinking fish has been a long time on the slab. Back in 1992, the church voted to admit women to the priesthood, but this was only agreed upon the intervention of the then Archbishop of York, Dr John Habgood, who insisted that there were ?Two integrities? Within the church: the one that could accept women priests and the other that could not. Room must be made for both. If Dr Habgood?S agreeable compromise had not been accepted then there would not have been a majority in favour of the ordination of womendanquot;.- The Rev Peter Mullin, The Telegraph, 06 Feb 2012

Living with two integrities is now unacceptable to the cause of Women and the Church. According to most reports, being seen to be on the wrong side of the fence has been a clear impediment to the chances of the Bishop of London's name appearing on the Crown Nominations Committee list of two possible candidates to succeed Rowan Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury. Brief profiles of the 16 people selecting Rowan's successor indicate that all but two members are in favour of women bishops. It is not clear what protection for opponents would be favoured by some but of the 'Canterbury six' only one conservative amongst the modernisers wants concessions for traditionalists. Of the two 'Canterbury' women, one wants 'only minimal protection for opponents' while the other is 'opposed to measures which would make them inferior to male counterparts', ie, no concessions.

There is a more balanced representation between conservatives and modernisers among the remainder of the panel, all but two are in favour of women bishops. Again it is not clear how some of them feel about opponents but one who is completely out-of-step with the Anglican Communion while supposedly representing them has already withdrawn provision for opponents in the Church in Wales. Also highlighted is the fact that the chair of the London branch of Women and the Church is said to be 'frustrated at the Bishop of London’s opposition to the ordination of women'. No surprise there given the record of WATCH but is it acceptable that a commanding figure such as the Rt Rev Richard Chartres is considered beyond the pail because of his opposition to women priests regardless of his ability or suitability when the church has “two integrities”, or was their acceptance simply a cynical act of duplicity for political ends?

But does it really matter? Not if these estimates are correct because the Church of England will be dead in 20 years time. Killed by politically correct, self-interested groups who have tinkered with other people's faith to such an extent that many have already given up attending formal worship - other than in the Diocese of London, that is where the church is still growing!

The stench is overwhelming.

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Welsh Primate abandons twin integrity

News from Llandaff Cathedral insiders:

In his newly created role of Acting Dean of his own Cathedral, the dictatorial Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Llandaff, Dr Barry Morgan, has decreed that the Cathedral Office is not to publish the names of officiants at each of the Cathedral services. The intention is to put a further barrier in the way of those who, for theological reasons, are uncomfortable with a woman presiding at the altar. Rather than being able to plan ahead to avoid unfortunate pastoral situations, it would appear that the only way of knowing who is celebrating the Eucharist at Llandaff is to see who appears at the entrance procession.

This action again illustrates that there is nothing so intolerant as an arch-liberal. If this is the level of pastoral care shown by the Archbishop in his own Cathedral for those who are told they still have an honoured place in his Church, what hope is there for the rest of us?

So much for a Code of Practice - it's probably not worth the paper is written on.

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An emasculate conception

" Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

In 2005 a new version of the Gospels invited readers to believe that Jesus Christ was a woman known as Judith:

 "And Joseph went to Bethlehem, To be enrolled with Mary, his wife, who was then pregnant,  And she brought forth her firstborn child, And her name was chosen to be Judith.” Later, "She bearing her cross went forth, There they crucified Judith.... Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb, But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Judith who was crucified. She is not here; for She is risen.”

In July this year role reversal and substitution in the guise of equality reached its climax in the Episcopal Church of the United States, the Mecca of religious liberalism. They voted overwhelmingly in favour of transgender ordination, the latest in a series of departures from the male priesthood of faith and tradition in the Apostolic Church.

In 2008 the Presiding Bishop's arch disciple, the Archbishop of Wales, wrote for the Guardian that refusing to ordain women bishops was at odds with the gospel. Quoting St Paul he wrote: "At the heart of the Christian gospel are values of integrity, justice, wholeness and inclusion: In Christ there is no bond or free, male or female, Jew or Greek". Too often in this feminist inspired campaign, equality is preached out of context for the benefit of a secular audience while demeaning the views of those who share a different integrity. Yes, in Christ there is no "bond or free", no "Jew or Greek" but that does not mean that they are the same any more than "male and female" are the same; they are complementary. Interpreting the Bible in the context of social development becomes not a matter of faith but simply a question of geography using a false definition of equality contrary to Christ's vision of the church. The gospel values of integrity, justice, wholeness and inclusion are now being denied to opponents of the ordination of women on the absurd pretext that affording them the protection they need would make women bishops second class.

In 2002 the results of a survey carried out by Christian Research disclosed a decline in core beliefs and widespread scepticism among liberal clergy, particularly in organisations such as Affirming Catholicism and Modern Church (formerly the Modern Churchpeople's Union). The sample of women clergy in the kuesioner showed that just over half said they believed in the bodily Resurrection. The figure fell to exactly a third when it came to the Virgin birth. This is a worrying development given theprediction: "It's obvious that over time the priesthood will become increasingly a female profession. As far as the church has a future it will include a predominant ministry of women and they will get to the top."- David Martin, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics.

Women rightly have much higher expectations today, demanding equality of opportunity in society and in employment but the church is not a secular marketplace. The ordained ministry is a vocation which already shows itself to be incapable of achieving the objective of parity in employment as envisaged by Women and the Church (WATCH). The  church is being increasingly feminised with every indication that the end result will not be parity but female domination. As the testosterone deficit in congregations spreads through choir and chancel to the sanctuary, supporters of the ordination of women outdo one another in liberality with the predicted result of gender reversal in the priesthood leaving the church dominated by women as in pagan churches at the time of Christ when His Apostolic Church stood apart.

Back in 2007 Clerical Whispers blogged: "For the first time, the Church of England reports that more women than men were ordained in 2006. Last year 244 women and 234 men were ordained in the Church of England.

In June 2012 the Church of England published these statistics:

The number of women clergy, paid and unpaid, continues to rise. In 2011 there were 1,763 women in full-time paid parochial appointments compared with 1,140 in 2000, an increase of 50 per cent over the decade. Women make up over one in five (22 per cent) of paid parish clergy. Women in 2011 made up more than half of both those in self-supporting ministry (54 per cent) and of licensed readers (51 per cent).

Constantly capitulating, trendy liberals in the House of Bishops have demonstrated that they are ill-equipped to defend traditional teaching from attack, particularly by Women and the Church who campaign for equality but demand an ordained women's ministry solely on their terms, a ministry that in a period of reception has shown every indication that the result will be predominately (perhaps solely) a female ministry according to evidence already available. Synod can no longer in good conscience vote for a measure that will result in the inequality it strives to avoid. The proposals for the ordination of women to the episcopate must be rejected in order to reverse the process of gender substitution in the priesthood which will turn the Church of England into a feminised organisation no longer recognisable as part of Christ's Apostolic Church.

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Church in Wales looks to Nonconformists in survival plan

In concert: Tabernacle Chapel, Morriston - 'The Cathedral of Welsh Non-Conformity'

Wales has effectively been a Nonconformist country since the mid nineteenth century but the Church in Wales has maintained a parish system for the hundred years since disestablishment - until now. The 'independent' Review led by the Archbishop's old friend Lord Harries, the former Bishop of Oxford, recently came up with a plan to abandon parishes in favour of ministry areas. On Saturday came news that Churches and chapels in Wales are being asked to discuss radical proposals which could result in closer unity. Proposals on the agenda include a new kind of bishop and a single "United Church for Walesdanquot; in which there would be an interchange of ordained ministries by those with church or chapel backgrounds. Five denominations - including the Church in Wales, Presbyterians and Methodists - could ultimately share bishops, ministers and buildings. If given the go-ahead, a new breed of bishops would be created and be interchangeable between all denominations in the united class. Ordained ministers would also be free to serve in all churches and chapels in the Church Uniting in Wales.

Now one might be forgiven for concluding that this plan may have been uppermost in the mind of the Archbishop while using the convenient conclusions of the Harries Review to nudge unsuspecting congregations in a predetermined direction. Concerns have been expressed about an indecent haste in trying to implement the recommendations of the Harries Review before they have been properly considered. Forward in Faith (Wales) reports: "The reaction to the Church in Wales Review leaves plenty of us with great concerns. At one meeting recently an Archdeacon reminded those present that at this stage the question should be: do we agree that ministry areas need to be created? and then how do we do it? Not vice versa. In some areas of the Review suggestions are quoted as giving permission for a new development without the necessary agreement of those involved. Some dioceses also seem to be moving ahead in a piecemeal fashion. This cannot be good for the unity of the church."

Unity as he sees it is close to the heart of the Archbishop of Wales. He has refused to secure a future for members belonging to the catholic tradition who would value the prospect of unity with the wider Apostolic Church of East and West on the grounds that the unity of the Church in Wales would be threatened! He argues that to appoint a bishop or bishops with jurisdiction for those opposed to the ordination of women would "alter irreparably the Church in Wales as we know it. It would be to sanction schism and for these theological reasons the bishops, as guardians of unity, could not give their support for such a measure." - Excuse me?

There have already been calls for the Church of England to decide whether it is a Catholic or Protestant body. The latest move by the Church in Wales makes their position abundantly clear. No wonder Anglo-Catholics have constantly to struggle against the tide of liberalism which has overtaken their church. Like headless chickens Dr Morgan and his bishops have tried everything to reverse the decline of the Church in Wales except the blindingly obvious, neatly summed up by Damian Thompson here. Over the years I have encountered many Nonconformists who have been brought to the Anglican faith through the awe of sacramental worship, perhaps no more important a figure than the present Archbishop of Canterbury who, according to Rupert Shortt's biography Rowan's Rule, changed his allegiance from the Presbyterian Church after visiting All Saints, Oystermouth: All Saints' provided the classic, moderately high church diet known as Prayer Book Catholicism. Preaching and musical standards were high; incense would make its appearance on major feast days. This was far richer than Park End Chapel [in Cardiff]. John Walters, Rowan's oldest friend, later quipped that the Williamses were like the Russian envoys in medieval Constantinople who felt transported to heaven by the splendours of Byzantine worship and quickly decided that Christianity should become the new faith of the Slavs [p.32].

All that has changed. As Anglo-Catholics continue to be marginalised much of the mystery of Anglican worship has ebbed away. So have congregations. As costs escalate, maintaining the 'parish share' with declining numbers becomes increasingly difficult as is the cost of maintaining a top-heavy structure. With no parish ties in the future and Anglican services becoming increasingly reminiscent of politically correct school assemblies, local self-supporting chapels will have an increasing appeal for those who are left. As one adherent with a liking for good Welsh hymn singing put it to me, "Rousing hymns with a good gossip afterwards; there's nothing like itdanquot;.

Readers with access to BBC Wales will be able to watch the latest reality show this evening at 10.35pm, Vicar Academy. The mind boggles.

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Rowan buckles under feminist pressure

Photograph: Paul Hackett/Reuters

No price is too high it seems to satisfy Rowan's longing to see women bishops in the Church of England. His 'unfinished business' of making satisfactory provision for all has been gradually whittled down in the House of Bishops to one word, respect. ‘With all due respect ’ to Archbishop Rowan I think he deludes himself. The word 'respect' may have legal content in the Archbishop's book but Oxford Dictionaries has "a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements".

There is no evidence whatsoever that women lobbyists in WATCH, GRAS or DARC have respect for the views, let alone the abilities, qualities or achievements, of anyone but themselves in the advancement of their feminist cause. If there were, how is it that opponents are left with nothing but a vague notion based on a word that will be ignored in the same way that the pleas of opponents have been ignored thus far? To date every suggestion of a concession has been met with howls of anger and resentment claiming that the proposals are insulting to women and would make them second-group bishops. Rowan's grovelling apology [position 6.25] illustrates how successful their tactics have been while more traditional views of women in the church have been overlooked.

Archbishop Rowan said at the July 2012 General Synod in York: ?I also long for there to be the kind of provision for those who continue to have theological reservations on this subject, for their position to be secured in such a way that they can feel grateful for the outcome. That is the essence of what I believe Synod at large still thinks despite the unfinished business of sorting out what that means in practice.? His statement gave some hope that reason might prevail but that hope proved to be unfounded in the face of the petition organised by WATCH for the withdrawal of Clause 5(1)(c) on the grounds that it would ?Entrench permanent division in the Church? And ?Feed a deeply damaging ambivalence towards women as made in the image of God.? Many more women in the church are also 'made in the image of God' and they profoundly disagree with the claims of WATCH but their views have been ignored in a campaign which has been based on false accusations of discrimination and misogyny showing a complete lack of respect for opponents.

The campaign launched by Archbishop Rowan to persuade General Synod members to back the new women-bishops legislation next month makes sorry reading. It would be presumptuous of me to argue against Rowan on theological grounds but however skillfully he weaves his justification for the ordination of women on the basis of their 'baptismal relationship with Jesus Christ', what he presents as an anomaly is anomalous only because the Church of England has departed unilaterally from the faith and tradition of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. With all due respect, the majority of Christians, East and West do not believe that women should have been ordained into the priesthood. If Synod had first considered whether or not women should be ordained as bishops in the Church of England there could be no anomaly.

It cannot be right to vote in favour of the proposal simply to avoid public embarrassment or internal conflict. That would be the worst possible reason for supporting the legislation. What the church needs to do is to take a step back and think about what Synod is being asked to do in the name of every member of the Church of England. It is no coincidence that Synod is being asked to correct an 'anomaly' now that the 'equality' argument has been turned on its head since the true effects of the feminisation of the church are becoming apparent. If this legislation is allowed to go through there will be a seismic shift in the church resulting in her domination by women clergy. The ordination of women has not halted the decline in church attendance and voting in favour of women bishops will result in the inequality proponents of women's ordination complained about. That is the true anomaly.

Postscript

Two appeals supporting Archbishop Rowan's plea have appeared on The Archbishop of Canterbury website. The Bishop of Chelmsford, the Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, urges those who cannot support the legislation for conscientious reasons to abstain because we are all ‘one person in Jesus Christ’ while Rebecca Swinson provides a gender reversal justification based on Give me a child until he is seven and I'll give you the man having spent her formative yearsunder predominately female influences.

Like the Archbishop of Wales before him the Bishop of Chelmsford picks out what he regards as a scriptural justification for choosing a pattern of ministry contrary to Christ's example. He quotes Galatians 3:28* as one of the ?Climatic? Passages in the Bible ? ?The one through which we then interpret many others?. Although the church interpreted the reference to Jew and Gentile within 20 years, we have had to wait 2,000 years for the Bishop of Chelmsford to decode the reference to male and female. If he had read John 14:6 instead - ?I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" - he would have had the key passage without the need to re-interpret what has been understood by most Christians for two millennia. Bishop Cottrell says: ??I hope that we in the Church of England will say yes to women bishops at our General Synod in November. I even dare to hope that those who disagree may choose to abstain. That those who aren?T sure will see that if we don?T pass this it would look terrible in the eyes of the world, would hold back our mission, and would also plunge us into years more debate on this issue. But, most of all, I?M going to be voting yes because I believe this is of the Gospel. It is the Holy Spirit leading us into the truth of that text whereby in Christ we are one humanity.? - Ah yes, the Holy Spirit, but only if it is a yes vote of course; otherwise, try again later!

Bishop Cottrell also says: "I know that there are some people who conscientiously disagree with this, and I respect them and I want them to be part of the Church along with everyone else. But I believe the Measure, as we have it, gives people that provision." - That word respect again. He 'respects' them but not with "a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements", just, I'll decide what provision is adequate so accept it. Does he understand what he is asking? Vote for the legislation to avoid losing face and if you can't agree, then abstain with all the consequences of inadequate provision. This is not about saving face. There is no question of abstaining; those who do not agree with the legislation must vote against it or risk losing everything they believe in.

Adding her message in the Archbishop?S campaign, Rebecca Swinson - the youngest-ever member of Archbishops? Council ? Outlines why she wants to see the legislation for women bishops passed at this November?S Synod. Basically Rebecca thinks we have waited long enough and the danger is that too much time will be spent in the coming years discussing the issue when there are much more important things to debate such as the healthcare system and benefits. - Not if the decision is accepted as the work of the Holy Spirit. If the church had not embarked on this divisive scheme which has resulted in churches emptying in the UK and is seeing the ruin of TEC in the United States there would have been ample time to talk about things that 'really matter to people'. Rebecca claims that it is really important for the mission of the Church of England that we are able to show that women are an accepted and valued part of our ministry. Women already are an accepted and valued part of ministry. Ask the women who are indispensable in the work of Church. They don't feel the need to be ordained to prove it.

* Read a full explanation here.

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Relentless self-publicist fuelled by personal ambition

"Relentless self-publicist fuelled by personal ambition" was the description of Gerald of Wales used by the Archbishop of Wales in a 'withering critique' of one of the nation’s most renowned historical figures in a lecture at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in August, 2012. Dr Morgan claimed that the 12th century cleric was an “ambitious spin doctor”.  He said: “One can never get away from the impression that everything Gerald did, and said, was ultimately for the greater glory of Gerald. Gerald was never short of an opinion on anything. Gerald died embittered and estranged from the people of Wales whom he regarded as ‘simple, uneducated and uncultured’. He blamed everyone else for his tribulations, claiming to be misunderstood and maligned. He totally failed to realise that, for the most part, he was the author of his own misfortunes.”

To the surprise of many, a Church in Wales press release on Friday 12 October not only resurrected the idea of churches and chapels joining together but quoted the Archbishop as starting another passionate campaign saying: ?This is the largest ecumenical gathering in Wales for many years. Our lack of unity does not help our message of reconciliation. I hope that we can find a way forward together as Churches in Wales.?

Still reciting a credal belief in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church while taking unilateral action to distance the Church in Wales from the rest of the Apostolic Church, the Archbishop is now leaning strongly in favour of nonconformity in a bid to inflate the number of worshipers under his control if he becomes the first in a new line of Presiding Bishops of the planned United Church of Wales. If he fails he had better not blame everyone else for his tribulations, claiming to be misunderstood and maligned.

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Fight the Good Fight

There are those who have given up the fight, there are many who are weary of the fight, but there are others who will continue to fight the good fight to save the Church they love.

It is now clear that Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals in the Church of England have been betrayed. In good faith they believed the promise of an honoured place in their church if the measure to allow women to be ordained went through. Since then every glimmer of hope of living together from the prospect of a 'Third Province' to a statutory 'Code of Practice' has been dashed. It has been made abundantly clear that we are not wanted in the new Anglican church. All that remains is a vague promise; this time the promise of a voluntary Code of Practice which ultimately will be unworkable because anyone not in favour of the ordination of women will be gradually weeded out. This final compromise is summed up in an offer of 'Respect' but what value can be placed on respect after years of false accusations of bigotry, misogyny and everything else the women's movement has chosen to hurl at us in pursuit of their cause while their opponents turned the other cheek. The brazen campaign by WATCH and their like to exclude opponents from the church as though they are cleansing the Temple has been over-egged to such an extent that many of their supporters have become uncomfortable at the lack of love and respect shown to their neighbours, many of whom have worshipped in Anglican churches long before the Church of England was infiltrated by these feminists in pursuit of their secular cause.

The hoped for live and let live stance has become so one-sided that if women are ordained bishops there will no longer be a place in the church for dissenters. Their objective is based on lies. This cannot be right in any circumstances let alone a religious environment. The last ditch face-saving campaign to encourage opponents to abstain rather than vote against the measure is offensive to those whose sole objective has been to act in a way they believe to be the mind of Christ. Since WATCH and their fellow travellers are the authors of their own misfortune it is now time for their supporters to turn the other cheek. If the women's movement had shown any sign of respect or understanding for their fellow worshippers whom they seek to crush through the legislative process they would have been guaranteed success. Now it is too late, their thirst for power has served no-one but themselves. They deserve defeat.

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Charity Bags

Photo: BBC

Almost daily we have a 'charity' bag or leaflet pushed through the letter box. Most boast of their giving to a registered charity which benefits by around ?50 per tonne of clothes collected. What is not said is that a tonne of clothing is sold for ?1,000. There is also a thriving 'business' in lifting bags left out for others as illustrated above.

If you have clothes or other items for disposal, please take them to a charity shop. Some will collect if too much to carry. Below are some interesting facts from http://www.charitybags.org.uk/

Next time you receive a plastic bag to fill, check the small print first or go to the above web site.

- 0 -

How to stop a bogus house-to-house collection...

. . . You need to act quickly - see the hands-on guide below

Charity shops raise 50 times more than house-to-house collections . . .

Taking your unwanted clothes etc to a charity shop raises around  50 times more money for charity compared with giving your clothes to a typical house-to-house 'charity' collector !

• House-to-house collectors:  Most of these are commercial companies - who give the partner charity only £50 or so for each tonne of clothes collected.

That's only  5 pence  per kilogram (35 ounces) - that's the weight of a jacket or winter dress.

[There's a thousand kilograms in a tonne.]

Usually the company exports your clothes (especially to Eastern Europe - eg Lithuania) and they're sold for private profit.  The company sells the clothes for over £1,000 per tonne.

Charity shops:  By contrast, if you take the same item of clothing to a charity shop they'll sell it for around £10, of which over  £2.50 is profit (=net proceeds) for the charity.  Also, you can increase this by 25% by using "Gift Aid"

Do you want your item of clothing to raise only  5 pence for charity - or over  £2.50 . . . ?

Worse still, around 50% of house-to-house collections are misleading/bogus/illegal.

... And fewer than 1 in 10,000 (=0.01%) illegal collections is prosecuted .

... And over 10% of filled bags are stolen before the house-to-house collector arrives.

With CDs and DVDs, around 200 times more money is raised for charity by charity shops compared with typical house-to-house collections (10 cased CDs weigh 1 kilogram):

A house-to-house collector gives only  a half-penny (0.5p) per CD to the charity!

A charity shop makes almost  £1 profit (=net proceeds) per donated CD or DVD

With jewellery, over 1,000 times more money is raised for charity by charity shops compared with typical (royalty-per-tonne) house-to-house collections.

There are over 9,000 charity shops in the UK - including :

• Age UK, Barnardo's, British Red Cross, Cancer Research UK, Children's Society, Extra Care, FARA, Marie Curie, Oxfam, RSPCA, Salvation Army, Scope, Shelter, Sue Ryder, YMCA; local cancer hospices.

However, if you're unable to take your donated goods to a charity shop, some shops are happy to collect them from your house - eg British Heart Foundation (BHF)

For more information on how charity shops raise 50 times more than collections, see the following :

the Charity shops versus house-to-house collections page

the Statistics page

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Misogyny

Thanks to Alan's Angle for his reporthere on Tackling Sharia Misogyny. The graphic descriptions of the way women are treated under Sharia law in this country serve to highlight the absurdity of the charge of misogyny thrown at those of us who oppose the ordination of women on theological grounds.

A clue to this phenomenon may be found in the recent blog by Miranda Threlfall-Holmes who previously compared the Church of England to an abusive husband. She claims that at the heart of Christian Feminism is liberation theology. Liberation theology isdefined as a political movement in Christian theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions. I do not see the link between the suffering of the poor and the demand for the ordination of women but we can be sure of one thing. There is no need to 'interpret' the teachings of Jesus Christ with regard to the ministry of women in the church. Like it or not, he left us His example.

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Catholic revival?

Well perhaps not but welcome news indeed.

Breaking News from Forward in Faith.

Next Bishop of Fulham announced

Oct 30, 2012

It has been announced this morning from 10 Downing Street that the Chairman of Forward in Faith, Bishop Jonathan Baker, is to be the next suffragan Bishop of Fulham in the Diocese of London. He will be translated from the suffragan See of Ebbsfleet, which he has held since his episcopal ordination in June 2011.

Bishop Jonathan said, ‘I am delighted to be taking up this new post, though of course very sorry to be leaving the priests and people of the Ebbsfleet parishes after such a relatively short time as their bishop. I am looking forward enormously to leading the Fulham parishes and to playing my part in the mission of the church in London across the Diocese.

I am assured that the process of appointing a new Bishop of Ebbsfleet is already underway, and so in due course I am confident that my move will lead to a strengthening of the team of catholic bishops in the Church of England at this critical time.

After having spent the whole of my ministry thus far in the Diocese of Oxford, it will be very good to be living and working in the heart of London for, having grown up in the capital, it will represent something of a homecoming for me.

I will, of course, continue to serve as Chairman of Forward in Faith.?

FiF Secretary Fr Ross Northing, who also serves as Vice-Chairman of the Ebbsfleet Council of Priests, added:  ‘Whilst we are naturally sad to be losing Bishop Jonathan from the Ebbsfleet area so soon, we nevertheless rejoice that he has been given this wonderful opportunity to minister to our brothers and sisters in the Fulham area.  He will leave Oxford with our prayers and very best wishes.’

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Enough is enough

After watching Dr Inge'svideo I was left with the feeling that if people believe what the Bishop of Worcester says in his 'Enough Waiting' contribution they will believe anything. That is no disrespect to the bishop. I am sure he fervently believes what he says but it does not hold up to scrutiny. I have not seen any evidence to prove that the Church of England has been "enriched immeasurably through the ministry of women as priests" but I have been told by various parishioners that their new woman priest is 'a lovely person' and how friendly she is with people. Why shouldn't she be? Bar the odd exception, women in the church are but they have not been ordained to fulfill their ministries. This attitude may help to salve the consciences of those who have gone with the flow of women's ordination but it is totally meaningless in theological terms. The great hope of enrichment through the ministry of women as priests has been an abject failure for the church. Church attendance continues to fall at an alarming rate with the fate of the US Episcopal Church acting as a warning beacon of what we can expect in this country if the measure is approved.  But Dr Inge really takes the biscuit when he says:

"The legislation presently before Synod strikes what seems to me is the best balance we are ever likely to get between rejoicing in the ministry of women as bishops but at the same time honouring those who don’t feel that this present move is warranted either by scripture or tradition. It enables us to move together, respecting one another; it enables us to remain a broad church."

That the balance is completely outweighed does not appear to have any significance for Dr Inge yet he speaks of honouring opponents when in truth the promises made to secure the ministry of woman as priests have been dishonoured removing any notion of a broad church.

The Bishop of Worcester is just one of a number of people who have been encouraged to add their support to Archbishop Rowan's 'Enough Waiting' campaign. In a postscript to a previous entry I noted that the Bishop of Chelmsford, like the Archbishop of Wales before him, had wrongly applied Galatians 3:28 to justify the ordination of women. There appears to be no limit to what supporters will say in an effort to get the measure through. Mark Russell, Chief Executive of the Church Army, had this to say: What happens if we say no? If we say no, we condemn this to the long grass, and years more discussion and years more synodical debate and more reports and more meetings – to get exactly to where we are right now. So I think this is the right time to make a decision, and to say yes.

Can they not see the imbalance when traditionalists are expected to accept their lot, as the Bishop of Worcester puts it, moving together, respecting one another, enabling us to remain a broad church, but if the vote goes the wrong way as they see it, we can expect years more discussion and years more synodical debate and more reports and more meetings. It doesn't have to be like that. The decision of Synod could be accepted in good grace as the will of the Holy Spirit. But be assured, if the vote does not go their way, it will not be accepted because their cause is not spiritual but secular, an attitude typified by an anonymous comment in this Telegraph report which referred to the "poor, poor beleaguered minority” ... “They have been pushing this but they are like a spoilt child: the more you give them, the more they want” when, in reality, what is on offer has become less and less, reduced to another meaningless promise.

Another bishop joining the 'Enough Waiting' campaign is the odd-ball Bishop of Willesden, The Rt Rev Pete Broadbent, who believes that his support is affirming women on equal terms with men. I don't know what world these people live in but I don't know of any women who do not already think that they are on equal terms with men. The only difference is that again, they don't see the need to be ordained to prove it. But worse, Bishop Broadbent also believes that there is a logic to what we’re going to do anyway, because when we ordained women as priests, it was only right that we should then say that they should be bishops as well. No, the logic is that they should not have been ordained to serve as priests if they were unable to accept that they may not be allowed to become bishops. He goes on to say that it is important to get a two thirds majority this time around not to "look completely stupid in the eyes of society"!

Let us hope that those eligible to vote allow themselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, putting aside what society may think, not feeling pressured to vote in the affirmative because there has been enough waiting to get to this point. We are the Church, all of us; society may think what it will. The stark fact is that the measure as presented has lost all credibility. It is being steam-rollered under the banner of women's liberation in defiance of the wishes of the wider catholic church, hindering the cause of unity which should be our first priority. Women in the church have been liberated but a vociferous minority interested in their self advancement are seeking to control the direction of the church by unscrupulous methods as illustrated by this outrageously dishonest campaign.

What these campaigners are saying is never mind that what we are doing is contrary to scripture and tradition, there has been enough waiting. We allowed women to be priests so we must allow them to be bishops; the measure must be approved now, otherwise we will look silly. This is not a waiting game, it is a fundamental change in our understanding of ministry. The church already looks silly as a result of adopting its liberal policies which have led to illiberal practices and disunity. Never mind Enou gh Waiting, enough is enough. This is no longer a question of whether there should be women bishops but a question of honour. The church is failing in its duty to care for all. Abstaining is not an option. The only honest vote is NO.

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Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

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Where do we go from here?

After lengthy speculation, Downing Street has confirmed that Justin Welby is to be the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. God help him, he will need our prayers. FiF has welcomed the appointment which is encouraging but on the downside his appointment has also been welcomed by Christina Rees, ex-Chair of WATCH, which does not bode well since he will be expected to be malleable to their will. Watching his press conference at Lambeth Palace he gave the impression of being his own man with a strong sense of conviction but stressed the need to listen attentively with regard to LGTB issues suggesting a possible about face on the question of same sex unions. He also urged the General Synod to vote in favour of legislation allowing women to become bishops. While he spoke positively about those who took a different conscientious view, as with the bishops who have taken part in the Enough Waiting campaign, there was no suggestion of further compromise.

Chosen to represent the Anglican Communion on the Crown Nominations Commission was the Archbishop of the neighbouring miniscule Province of Wales. Rightly or wrongly the delayed announcement had the stamp of Dr Morgan all over it. Stubborn in the extreme and not given to compromise, Dr Morgan is well know for his leanings towards secularised religion so he will be well pleased that Bishop Welby has been commented on mainly for his secular achievements rather than for his spirituality plus the fact that he is a strong supporter of the ordination of women as bishops. With characteristic insight the Rev Dr Peter Mullen provides a useful pen-picture of the new Archbishop here including the observation the Bishop Welby holds his views on women bishops "as a result of careful study of the scriptures and examination of the tradition" to which Dr Mullins rightly responds: "Well, that?S nice to know. But where does it leave those of us who examine scriptures and inhabit a tradition but come to conclusions at odds with those of Bishop Justin? For example, my examination of scripture reveals that it does not contain even so much as one solitary example of a woman bishop or, if it comes to that, a single woman priest."

What is clear is that to get on in the church today one has to be a supporter of the ordination of women - note the quick exit from the selection procedure of the Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres. Bishop Welby says he wants provision for 'traditionalists' but what can that amount to when any so called concession is regarded by WATCH as demeaning to women. In a briefing booklet Women Bishops Legislation - Not Fit For Purpose, members of the Conservative Evangelical and Catholic groupings in the General Synod commend the proposal put before the Church in Wales:

"We could look to the Church in Wales for an example to follow; having

rejected previous unsatisfactory legislation for women bishops, they are now

looking at a new process with two related pieces of church legislation, one to

provide for women bishops, and the other to provide for traditionalists (the

former cannot come into force until the latter has been agreed). This

approach has the potential to provide more equally for both those who

support women bishops and for those who do not."

It is dangerous to read too much into this proposal. It results from Dr Morgan's intransigence in refusing to appoint a new Provincial Assistant Bishop (PAB) to replace the Rt Rev David Thomas following his retirement. It is widely thought that the Governing Body of the Church in Wales voted against the ordination of women to the episcopate in Wales because of the Archbishop's refusal to re-appoint a PAB, a posture he maintained while bringing forward this cunning scheme. These are the two-stage proposals:

1. The first Bill would deal with the following matters of principle:

Women may be ordained as bishops in the Church in Wales.

There will be a scheme of pastoral provision, to be approved by the Governing Body by means of a second Bill, making provision for those who cannot in conscience accept the ministry of a woman bishop.

If this first Bill were to be passed and become a Canon, it would not come into force until such a second Bill is approved by the Governing Body and becomes a Canon.

    Dua. The second Bill would refer to the Canon enabling women to be ordained as bishops. We have purposely suggested that the scheme of pastoral provision be included ? Presumably as a schedule ? In a second Bill in order to give as much confidence as possible to those for whom it provides that their genuinely held views are being taken seriously and that the church is being faithful to its declared intent in 1996.

It is suggested that the two Canons would come into force on the same day.

Despite the apparent good intentions, since 'traditionalists' in Wales have already been denied pastoral provision based on their own spiritual needs, any new scheme will be based on what the Archbishop decides, not too unlike the position now facing the Church of England except that pastoral care continues to be provided by the Provincial Episcopal Visitors, but for how long once women bishops are approved?

The minimal provision before the Church of England Synod looks generous when compared with anything that might be expected by 'traditionalists' in the Church in Wales. They have no alternative but to accept or reject the pastoral care offered by the Bench of Bishops all of whom hold contrary beliefs. Under the Archbishop's new plan the issue becomes one of sex rather than integrity. If the diocesan bishop is a woman, a male colleague from the Bench may be requested but since neither would be of the required integrity the procedure is pointless. In the longer term, as the church becomes increasingly feminised and the number of bishops is reduced under proposals detailed in the Church in Wales Review there may, in the future, be only female bishops on the Bench. In the meantime Dr Morgan and the other bishops will be hoping that resistance will die out. It has not so far, nor will it.

The people of Wales should demonstrate that they are not as gullible as implied in the proposals and reject the ruse as another cynical attempt to deny 'traditionalists' what they were promised when women were admitted to the priesthood. Likewise in England, the measure before Synod has become one of integrity and should be rejected.

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Who do they think they are kidding?

The Bishop of Sheffield has taken his turn in Archbishop Rowan's Enough Waiting campaign with the usual self-affirming assertions:

"In 1805, Admiral Nelson sent the most famous signal in naval history to the fleet: England expects every man to do his duty.

I believe our country wants to send the same signal to the Church of England General Synod at the present time.

The majority of people the Church of England serves in parishes across the land want to see women as bishops.  The society we serve wants us to make a positive decision, to take action and to move on.

We have an immense task before us in the next ten years.  We are called to bear witness to God’s love and God’s justice and God’s ways and God’s call to know him in Jesus Christ.  We must not spend yet more time on this internal issue.

Of course it's been important that we’ve taken the time to think through the biblical arguments.  Is there good evidence for women taking a leading role in ministry in the Bible?  Yes there is.  Mary Magdalene was the first witness of the resurrection.  Paul names many women as co-leaders and fellow workers with him.

Of course it’s been important that we keep in step with other churches. We’ve pondered long and hard whether we can take this decision by ourselves.  The majority of us believe that we can and that we must as we have taken many other such decisions in the past.

Of course it’s been important that we take time and care to find the right ways to make provision for those who will not accept this development.  I deeply respect those who hold such views.  I hold them in high regard.  They will continue to have an honoured place in the Church of England. I believe the traditions they represent have a vital part to play in our future.  I will continue to support them.

But we have now found that compromise position:  provision can be made without undercutting the ministry of the women who are ordained as bishops. We need to move forward.  However long we keep talking we will not find a better fit than this.

Even those who are opposed to the measure are weary of the debate and need to know where they stand.

So this is a moment for a clear decision.  We cannot continue with a situation where women are ordained deacons and priests but not as bishops.

I believe we need the wisdom and perspective and gifts of women as bishops, urgently, in the House of Bishops, in dioceses and in our wider society.  They will be a rich gift to the Church and the nation.

The overwhelming majority of dioceses have already given approval to this Measure.

For the sake of God?S Kingdom and God?S mission to this land in the coming years, I hope the overwhelming majority of General Synod members will support this measure.

England expects and the Church of England expects.  We need to deliver."

The duplicity of this campaign is mind-blowing. Who do they think they are kidding? Talk of 'respect' simply pays lip service to the 'Appleby amend??Ment', a cop-out if ever there was one.

Of course these campaigners are in favour of the ordination of women. If they were not they would not be where they are today pouring out irrelevant propaganda to justify their position.  The legislation is not fit for purpose. It must be rejected.

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Ordering and teaching of the Church of England

 "Knowledge of the Canons by the Clergy is essential for the

right ordering and teaching of the Church of England."

ERIC KEMP (former Bishop of Chichester)

From the Church of England web site which boasts 'a Christian presence in every community'. Perhaps 'a presence in every community' would be more appropriate.

C 18 Of diocesan bishops

1. Every bishop is the chief pastor of all that are within his diocese, as well laity as clergy, and their father in God; it appertains to his office to teach and to uphold sound and wholesome doctrine, and to banish and drive away all erroneous and strange opinions; and, himself an example of righteous and godly living, it is his duty to set forward and maintain quietness, love, and peace among all men.

Given that typical congregations are aging fast, they must include many cradle Anglicans who have done their bit and more over the years but no longer sit on committees or attend synods. Leaving others to take over their work they still, mistakenly it seems, rely on their bishop to promote unity in the church while upholding sound and wholesome doctrine. Instead worshippers find themselves out of step with terkini thinking, abandoned by bishops who are more comfortable with political posturing than caring for 'all that are within his diocese'. A clear majority in the House of Bishops have sided with revisionists who demand that their opponents accept what they are given or leave their church. Even if all the bishops of the last 2,000 years were too blind to see what is now regarded as sound and wholesome doctrine, by what authority do they exclude worshippers who simply refuse to accept doctrine that is outside the teaching of the Holy Catholic Church? They claim to respect the views of their opponents but do not show it in any meaningful manner. Instead they engage in a campaign to force through unacceptable legislation not based on universally accepted theology but on the grounds that there has been 'E nough Waiting'.

In his opening statement at the press conference at Lambeth Palace following the announcement that Bishop Justin Welby was to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury he said:

"This is a time for optimism and faith in the church. I know we are facing very hard issues. In 10 days or so the General Synod will vote on the ordination of women as Bishops. I will be voting in favour, and join my voice to many others in urging the Synod to go forward with this change. In my own Diocese, and before I was a Bishop, I have always recognised and celebrated the remarkable signs of God's grace and action in the ministries of many people who cannot in conscience agree with this change. Personally I value and learn from them, and want the church to be a place where we can disagree in love, respecting each other deeply as those who belong to Christ."

But what does that mean in reality for those praying for a greater understanding of their pastoral needs?Absolutely nothing. Bishop Welby simply joins those bishops who are urging Synod to vote in favour of the measure in full knowledge thatwhat is offered to opponents is no more than a promise to provide a code of practice that has no sah force. A code that if WATCH and GRAS have anything to do with it will go the same way as the promises made to ensure that women were admitted to the priesthood.

Apart from a few honourable exceptions whatever bishops believe today falls well short of what older Anglicans expect for the right ordering and teaching of the Church of England . It may be new Anglican but it is not Christian.

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Bishops: a loss of trust

The desperate methods being employed to secure the ordination of women to the episcopate are now an embarrassment to the Church of England and in some respects look like a re-run of the vote in the Church in Wales in 2008 when their bishops thought they could ride roughshod over opponents. That measure was rejected for reasons explained in the following extract from a VirtueOnline special report:

THE CHURCH IN WALES VOTE ON WOMEN BISHOPS

Everyone who has been following the progress of moves to ordain women as bishops in the Principality will know that the enabling Bill failed on 2nd April. The bare bones of what happened are these: An amendment that would have given protection to traditionalists who could not accept the ordination of women by providing them with a bishop, was not passed.

When the substantive motion was then put to the vote of the Governing Body of the Church In Wales (CIW), it was assumed that it would go through on the nod. But curiously enough it did not. It failed by three votes to get the two thirds majority in the House of Clergy, one of the three houses of the Governing Body. The Bill therefore did not receive the necessary support.

We can conjecture as to why, unusually, this substantive motion was not approved after the amendment had been cleared out of the way. The reason is probably quite straightforward. When the draft Bill was published some months ago, Welsh traditionalists became concerned that nothing stronger than vague assurances over protecting their position would be put into the draft. This was in spite of the fact that under current arrangements there is a Provincial Assistant Bishop (PAB) who provides care for traditionalists. This post is currently held by Bishop David Thomas who is understood to be approaching the age of retirement. [Bishop David Thomas retired in 2008. He was not replaced. - Ed]

The amendment was voted down it seems because the majority of members led by the Archbishop of Wales, Dr. Barry Morgan, opposed what they saw as "institutionalised schism" being brought into the Church. It is believed however that several fair-minded members of the Governing Body in the House of Clergy were unwilling to vote for the substantive motion which would almost certainly have stripped traditionalists of their PAB in the proposed new setup.

Any future pastoral provision would have had to depend on the goodwill (were it to exist) of the future bench of bishops of the CIW, a bench which could well by that time have included female bishops. However, we are bound to admit that had the Bill including its amendment been passed, it would have created severe difficulties for the CIW. What could these have been?

We have to remember that the CIW is reckoned numerically to be about the size of the Diocese of Oxford (a medium sized C. Of E. Diocese). Taken as a whole, the CIW is therefore very small, given that it is divided into six dioceses, each with its own bishop.

The present system in Wales employing a PAB (not unlike the Provincial Episcopal Visitor system in England) has worked quite well because the traditionalists' bishop has concentrated on his pastoral duties, while the diocesan bishops, all men it must be emphasised, have restricted their duties in traditionalist parishes to the jurisdictional and administrative side of their work. Boats have not been rocked to test the present compromise system to its limits.

The author Roland W. Morant went on to explain: "As was realised in England a year or more ago when discussion was taking place on women bishops there, when women bishops are introduced into an episcopal college of men (as would apply to the present bench of Welsh bishops), the system using a PAB (or in England, PEVs) would become unmanageable." - Please follow this link to read Mr Morant's explanation in full.

As indicated in the extract above, the Archbishop of Wales is a relatively big fish in a very small pond. He is unrepresentative of the views of the wider church so he must have been chosen to represent the liberal ruling clique as their representative on the Crown Nominations Commission. The House of Bishops is showing the same cavalier attitude as Dr Morgan towards opponents in their ' Enough Waiting ' campaign which has been condemned by a Barrister and Synod member in these terms: Bishops who pressure elected synod members to change their vote are suborning clergy and laity and inviting them to betray their electorate. Desperate to secure a 'yes' vote by whatever means a social media campaign has also been launched to encourage people to contact diocesan representatives and to use Facebook and Twitter to tell their friends to do the same thing regardless of whether they have any theological understanding of the issue, whether they attend church or not, or even if they are Anglicans.

This process has now lost all credibility. The Anglican church in England and in Wales is in a complete mess over the issue of women bishops. In Wales Dr Morgan is using sleight of hand to get the measure passed by their Governing Body having previously failed because traditionalists were ignored. In England bishops constantly retreat in the face of tirades from WATCH about demeaning women when according to many women in the church what they are doing is demeaning themselves and their sex. The Third Province provides a solution that enables both sides genuinely to respect the position of the other.

We need a fresh start. The measure should be rejected in the interests of unity so that our bishops can reflect on their actions and seek a solution acceptable to ALL. Otherwise the church as we know it is doomed.

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WATCH OUT!

You have to hand it to them, the campaign by Women and the Church (WATCH) has been well executed but it is entirely self-centred. It is misplaced in a Christian setting because it looks inward with the aim of satisfying their own desires regardless of the effect on others in the church. Their subtle campaign plays on the respect due to Christian women but it is deceitful. It uses secular criteria to pursue false claims of inequality gathering support from members of the general public who have no religious affiliations whatsoever.

WATCH is a feminist pressure group which presumes to dictate the direction of the church over the heads of the House of Bishops. Most of the bishops are incapable of coping with this pressure as demonstrated by their constant capitulation, latterly taking refuge in the notion that 'respect' is the way forward when none has been in evidence so far. Their retreat in the face of opposition by WATCH has been relentless. The pledge by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York to attend to ‘unfinished business’ has been neutered leaving not so much as a glimmer of hope for opponents of the ordination of women. Surprisingly for a bishop admired for his conciliation abilities I was disappointed to read a report in The Telegraph that the newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, is treading the same path:

?Bishop Welby?S vocal endorsement of the measure last week, moments after being announced as the next Archbishop, is being seen as a potential ?Game-changer?.

He is understood to be spending much of this weekend drafting his speech, striking a balance between saying that it is time for the Church to move on and offering assurances to those with theological objections to women bishops that there will be proper ?Provision? For them.?

Mere assurances are worthless. What is described in the Synod agenda notice as ‘some provision’ will be based on what is acceptable to the provider. To assure proper provision would be to agree enforceable terms in advance of the vote but such a solution is unacceptable to WATCH. They demand a solution only on their terms to avoid having what they would regard as second class women bishops. It matters not one jot to them that a substantial minority of Anglicans will be made second class members of their church under current proposals despite being assured of an honoured place. Anyone who has settled a bill with an assurance that problems will be rectified afterwards will know that such promises quickly evaporate after payment.

It is obvious that Christ's commandment to love your neighbour does not figure large in the WATCH camp. They claim to be inclusive but have done everything in their power to marginalise those who find themselves in a minority for staying loyal to the tradition of the Apostolic church. If they succeed in persuading Synod to pass the measure then WATCH OUT!

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A sense of proportion

In the face of claims by advocates of the ordination of women that they now command a majority in favour of women bishops in Synod we should retain a sense of proportion. Using published figures the Anglican Communion accounts for just 6% of the total membership with whom we closely identify in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. In the above chart the Anglican Communion is sub-divided into those who do not ordain women (4%) and those who ordain women to the episcopate or claim a two-thirds majority in favour (2%) so they are out-numbered by two to one in the Anglican Communion and overwhelmingly marginalised in the wider church.

Addressing the 2008 Lambeth Conference, Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, observed that in breaking with the apostolic tradition the Anglican Communion is moving away from not only the Catholic Church but also the Orthodox churches. More and more, he said, the Anglican stance appears to resemble that of the Protestant churches born of the Reformation rather than a branch of the older Christian tradition. He said that despite 40 years of cordial and often productive talks between Rome and Canterbury, "full visible communion as the aim of our dialogue has receded further."

Similarly in a recent letter congratulating Bishop Justin Welby on his appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church commented: "Regrettably, the late 20th century and the beginning of the third millennium have brought tangible difficulties in relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Churches of the Anglican Communion. The introduction [of] female priesthood and now episcopate, the blessing of same-sex ‘unions’ and ‘marriages’, the ordination of homosexuals as pastors and bishops – all these innovations are seen by the Orthodox as deviations from the tradition of the Early Church, which increasingly estrange Anglicanism from the Orthodox Church and contribute to a further division of Christendom as a whole."

The message could not be clearer. The Anglican Church is moving away from unity in direct contradiction to Christ's prayer ' that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me'. If the issue were before a Church Council it would be decisively rejected. Instead the self-interested constantly chip away at the foundations church by church so weakening the body of Christ in the world. How can anyone vote for that?

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Sorry Rowan but you are wrong this time

I have long been an admirer of Rowan Williams and never thought I would have to write this but I have to admit to being gravely disappointed by his Enough Waiting campaign which is designed to achieve a 'Yes' vote for women bishops regardless of the ramifications. It smacks of getting the issue out of the way to progress other things. I could understand that if it meant advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ having made satisfactory provision for those who remain loyal to the tradition of the Apostolic Church but sadly it is not. Anyone who doubts this who hasn't already seen it should watch this heart-wrenching video to experience the devastating effect in South Carolina where the ruling liberal elite in The Episcopal Church (TEC) is destroying traditional Anglicanism.

Up until now Rowan has always been even-handed while being clear in his support for the ordination of women, even when he was slapped in the face by them. No doubt in his heart he has reconciled himself to the notion of 'respect' believing that everything will be resolved after the vote but other people do not think like him. The truth is summed up in this report. Anyone and everyone is invited to join the bandwagon by contacting 'their' synod representative to press for a Yes vote. The Dean of Salisbury told The Independent on Sunday, "There's no sense at all – not theological, not rational – in making women priests if you are not going to make them bishops." Quite so. It was neither theological nor rational to make women priests because that is their only 'justification' for being made bishops.

Today The Independent publishes an open letter signed by over one thousand clergy: 'The Biblical case for women bishops'. But there is none. The reasons given for their belief have nothing whatsoever to do with the appointment of bishops yet these people stand at the Altar In Persona Christi, the One who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.

Is there no shame in the Yes campaign?

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There is only One Lord

 Readers who have clicked on this icon in the right hand column will have seen a short video clip (here) with the quotation: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." As Greg Koukl says, there is never a suggestion in Jesus' teaching that all religions are basically the same and it doesn't matter which one you follow; quite the contrary.

Why then are other religions held in such respect and Christianity so ridiculed? As Cranmer puts it (here), "It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister should find himself incapable of referring to the Bishop of Bath and Wells without referencing satiredanquot;, having compared the Bishop of Bath and Wells with a character from Blackadder.

More seriously I was struck by this comment from "The end of Christianity in the Middle East?":The first paragraph of the chapter quotes from a report by the charity Aid to the Church in Need, in which it soberly and chillingly asks whether “future historians [will] say of us that we were first-hand witnesses to the extinguishing of Christianity in the very countries where the light of our faith first took hold?”

What a devastating indictment yet Islam continues to be treated with the utmost respect by Anglican leaders. Why? There is only one way to the Father - through Our Lord Jesus Christ. I sometimes wonder if they really believe it.

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Lying and cheating for Christ!

In yesterday's entry I referred to the open letter to The Independent signed by over a thousand clergy from the Church of England supposedly giving the biblical case for women bishops when there is none. The letter has attracted some well deserved criticism here, here and here to quote a few examples. The lead signature was that of the Rev'd Dr Miranda Threlfall-Holmes which may account for the tone but the fact that existing bishops could add their names to such a statement of beliefs is a disgrace since the list should provide an aide memoire of those not suitable for consideration as a bishop of the church.

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Honoured and lauded, for what?

"The former Church of the Good Shepherd building is now the Islamic Awareness Center."

Photo: Jamie Dean

Archbishop Justin has welcomed news that the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, is to be awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity by the University of Oxford. He said "This award, richly deserved, reaffirms Bishop Katharine’s remarkable gifts of intellect and compassion, which she has dedicated to the service of Christ."

Read about her "dedicated service to Christdanquot; here in the case of the former Church of the Good Shepherd which was sold to become the Islamic Awareness Center rather than let orthodox Anglicans buy their own church building.

More stories here, here, here, here andhere among others. Here is an extract from a recent entry :

"A.S. Haley of Curmudgeon blog fame wrote on Sept. 2010, "We thus arrive at an estimated total of some Twenty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($26,650,000) dedicated thus far by the Church of Katharine Jefferts Schori to lawsuits and illegal disciplinary actions. That is quite a negative achievement for someone who has been in office for not even four years yet." He now estimates the figures to be between $30 million and $33 million. "If the spending continues at the same rate, by the time her term is up in November 2015 (and assuming her last budget is like those before it), she will have committed the Church to an impossible-sounding Sixty-Four Million Dollars in sah costs." http://accurmudgeon.Blogspot.Com/2010/09/just-how-much-has-ecusa-spent-on.Htmldanquot;

Archbishop Welby added: "Prior to becoming ordained, Bishop Katharine pursued a career in oceanography, and her enduring deep commitment to the environment has evolved into a profound dedication to stewardship of our planet and humankind, especially in relieving poverty and extending the love and hospitality of Christ to those on the edges of society. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said of Bishop Katharine, 'In her version of reality, everything is sacred except sin.'

"It must be noted, too, that Bishop Katharine?S achievements serve ? And will continue to serve ? As a powerful model for women seeking to pursue their vocations in the church."

If the Presiding Bishop is "a model for women seeking to pursue their vocations in the church" it is not difficult to see why Anglicanism is where it is.

Postscript [09/02/2014]

For further background information watch Anglican Unscripted video newscast, Episode 91,here.

More here from VirtueOnline correspondent Mary Ann Mueller [10/02/2014]

See also How TEC funds Facilitated Conversations from TitusOneNine (here) [11/02/2014]

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The Joker has it, the Joker has it

As expected, the Church of England has overwhelmingly approved a fast-track scheme which could see its first women bishops appointed this year after being told it has run out of male clerics who are "up to the taskdanquot; - see Telegraph article here.

It came from a member of the Synod who was applauded as he warned bluntly that it ?Urgently? Needs to ordain its first women bishops because it has effectively run out of male clerics who are up to the task. He said that, with a string of bishoprics already lying empty and a growing backlog of appointments to make, the ?Shallow pond? Of suitable male candidates had already been "overfisheddanquot;.

I was horrified by the remarks but the comments were well received. A similar lack of charity had been displayed at the Governing Body of the Church in Wales last September after their bishops sold-out to an amendment to their own motion which would have offered some protection for traditionalists. That statutory provision was to be replaced by a voluntary code of practice 'in line with other provinces', not least the Church of England, was greeted with "wild delight". The mover of the amendment hoped that women in the Church of England would be encouraged by the result. "Sisters across Offa's Dyke, look to us," she said. More shame them if the Church of Wales is to be held as an example with the continuing prospect of no acceptable sacramental and pastoral oversight for traditionalists unless the Bench of Bishops significantly change their stance.

The Church of England has demonstrated that on the question of women's ordination, theology is as shallow as the pond they are left to fish in. Had they been able to see beyond politics they would understand that 'the pool' now consists of mainly like-minded people who have compromised their faith for personal advancement, claiming to see the work of the Lord even when all the evidence is against them.

This morning I read another disconcerting claim (here): How TEC funds Facilitated Conversations. Now that explains a lot!

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Softening up Synod

Credit: Telegraph - women bishops vote by 2015 at the earliest Photo: ALAMY

From the Telegraph: Final hurdle for women bishops to overcome - Church of England General Synod meets amid hopes of swift end to years of wrangling over women bishops ? But row looms over the precise meaning of ?Trust?.

Yesterday there was a debate on Gender-Based Violence [GS 1933]. Forgive me if I appear a little cynical but this debate appeared to be firmly in the camp of 'men have been beastly to women' so women must be ordained to redress the balance, notwithstanding the fact that it is not women but men who are becoming increasingly marginalised in the Anglican Church and in society in general if television coverage of events is anything to go by.

Alternative statistics which showed the balance of gender based violence was not as marked as suggested were rejected as were two amendments to ‘Leave out “violence based on gender” and insert “sexual and domestic violence”' and ‘In paragraph (c), leave out “boys and men” and insert “all people” ' (amendment details here).

Violence in all its forms is un-Christian and violence by males against females is particularly abhorrent even in this gender neutral age but it was no surprise and perhaps no coincidence that we were reminded of a familiar theme that the brutalisation of women has at its core the absence of women in the episcopate.

Only one thing appears to really matter now in the Church of England: women bishops. Never mind how or what has to be said. Hence all the rule bending and the never ending drip, drip of how tough it is for women in the Church. After yesterday's debate you could have fooled me.

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Guiding Synod

The General Synod yesterday approved a private members motion on a new promise introduced by Girl Guides UK in September 2013. Guiders, ex-guiders, lay and ordained queued to speak, mainly in favour of the motion. One woman priest went so far as to claim that she owed her ministry to her membership of the Girl Guides when she developed a liking for parading up the church aisle in uniform. Despite procedural manoeuvres including a call to proceed to next business,the motion had strong support although a male priest protested that Synod had no business meddling in the affairs of the Guide movement. At one stage unwholesome tittering erupted around the chamber after the mover confessed that she didn't like young girls very much; she preferred older women. In the sexually charged atmosphere created by the items on the agenda the mover was forced to clarify what she meant which tended to confirm a claim that the Church of England has become obsessed with sex and the ordination of women.

For reasons previously explained (here) I found it particularly ironic that the now secularised Church of England was complaining that the Guide movement was following the same path. The background paper [GS 1943A] compared the new "To be true to myself and to develop my beliefs" with the previous "To love my God". Better still would be the original "To do my duty to God and to the Queen". If that is not acceptable, then join an organisation or form one which accords with one's own beliefs. But that is not how it works today as traditionalist Anglicans have found to their cost. Feminist entrists in the Church of England have been so successful in appealing to a godless general public to promote their secular ideals that the spirit of the age is now more important than the Gospel giving rise to statements such as 'others would see the Church as increasingly “irrelevant” and promoting attitudes “akin to racism” over its response...to hold special services honouring same-sex relationships' - Justin Welby (here).

Being true to oneself and to develop one's beliefs are fine principles in themselves as Buddhists would no doubt agree. 'To love my God' would probably have more appeal to Muslim recruits. For Christians there is only one way to the Father and that is through Jesus Christ. That is what the Church of England should proclaim.

The Scouts retain their promise "To do my duty to God and to the Queen" but unlike the (girls only) Guides, the Scouts have had to become gender neutral. How long before they are forced by a potential girl Scout to force another change.

Synod,  'Physician heal thyself'.

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Opinionated obfuscants

Over the weekend I read a couple of articles offering opinions which made me despair of the direction that Anglicanism is taking. 'God loves you'; a simple message contorted by groups desperate to validate their own rencana at the expense of others. The emphases below are mine.

First up, from the Belfast Telegraph (here) in an article headed 'Women bishops, yes... But female Pope a long way off'.

A few quotes: "Of course, there are still die-hards who believe that women should not become bishops...", "Such historical sexism was acceptable in societies where women were, and still are, treated like chattels", "The Church of England seems particularly out of touch with modern society, and it is hard to take seriously most of its stately Bishops gliding along in gorgeous dress-like regalia and funny hats", "The Roman Catholic Church, which venerates Mary, has strict views on women in the church, lay and otherwise. That view will not change in my lifetime or yours, so don't hold your breath for a female Pope", "the ordination of women as leaders in all the main churches will depend on their limited man-power. One reason for the Church of England's urgent requirement for women bishops is the lack of good male candidates for these key posts".

And from The Guardian (here), 'Vivienne Faull: a pioneer tipped to be the first female bishop' - yet another article about women being best suited to be bishops because they are women, contrary to scripture, tradition and Christ's own example.

Again a few quotes: "If she were not a woman, she'd have been a bishop years ago. Her mixture of competence, energy and honesty would propel anyone to the top of the Church of England, and her CV ticks all the right boxes", "She was among the very first generation of women to become priests, and has slogged through 20 years of institutionalised misogyny as a result", " she once explained: 'The local population took the view that if a woman led the funeral service, how would you know that you were properly dead?' ", "For 10 years Faull has been a member of the high-level commission that explores theological agreement between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. She believes the Roman Catholic church will eventually introduce women priests", "She looks forward to the blessing of same-sex partnerships", "Faull's finely judged intervention would mean the churches that allowed for same-sex marriages would still be Christian churches – something the homophobic parts of Anglicanism would utterly deny", "Despite a career spent working against the misogyny of the institutional church, what is striking about her manner is the lack of rancour."

'God loves you' means ALL, including the allegedly sexist, homophobic, misogynistic die-hards who are regarded as 'out of touch with modern society'. But faith cannot be determined by modern society. To believe that "the Roman Catholic church will eventually introduce women priests" is simply an opinion contrary to the historic teaching of the Church. 'God loves you' cannot be used to undermine what is also true, that “The Church of England affirms, according to our Lord’s teaching, that marriage is in its nature a union, permanent and lifelong, for better for worse, till death them do part, of one man with one woman, to the exclusion of all others on either side”.

A blog entry (here) offers a personal response to the House of Bishops Pastoral Guidance on Same Sex Marriage (here). The comments are heartfelt and the pain real but that does not make it right that the Church should be governed by modern society because individuals feel the need to witness God's love on their own terms. Traditionalist 'die-hards' who only wish to remain faithful to the Church will not be side-lined merely to watch as the complexities of modern society, which are of our own making, are used to rob the Church of the real meaning of 'God loves you' simply to advance minority causes at the expense of others.

Postscript [19/02/2014]

Read David Ould on 'Real love' here.

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Sacred cow

Feminism: the sacred cow of the modern Anglican Church

Forget the golden calf -

"We Christians must face it: The Bible is hugely misogynistic" so stop 'reading it like 'a car manual' and 'reconcile the Bible with the present day'. So says Jemima Thackray (a chaplain in Winchester) in the Telegraph (here).

Holy cow! How many Christians have been labouring under a misapprehension for the best part of two millennia, not to mention all those poor Jews, misguided for thousands of years before that. Although prior to Jemima's intervention there is a rather good example of how to interpret the law in Christ's seven woes which denounced the false religion of the Scribes and Pharisees as "utterly abhorrentdanquot; to God and worthy of severe condemnation (read here).

Commenting on the General Synod vote to fast-track the legislative process which would allow women to be appointed as bishops, Jemima says "the proceedings started rather awkwardly when the Bible passage, which happened to be that day’s lectionary reading, conveyed a message that was utterly at odds with the goal of elevating women to leadership roles within the church.[My emphasis - Ed.] It went something like this:

“A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” (1 Timothy 2:11-14)".

In the suppression of that passage of scripture the message has added weight. Had a passage been to their advantage it would have been claimed as the work of the Holy Spirit but at Synod the Holy Spirit has to have the approval of the sacred cow of feminism to speak. - If it doesn't suit, just drop it. The Telegraph is running a poll with Jemima's article asking: "Do you believe religious texts should be taken literally?" At the time of writing over 54% responded "No, they need to be read in the context of their time."

Faith it seems is becoming irrelevant but as Christians this should be the basis of our belief. If religion has to be supported the spirit of the age there is no faith so the Bible gets discreditied or ignored. Of course many biblical stories illustrate a point as in the parables but where does this stop? Did Christ die on the cross and rise again or was it merely a 'conjuring trick with bones'. Academics who spend their lives pondering minutiae should be more guarded in their condemnation of those with a simple faith. We are the body of Christ, all Christians, including those who are being marginalised for remaining faithful to the Apostolic Church

It is understandable that feminists would prefer to ignore the facts. Otherwise they would have to accept that the world was full of priestesses at the time of Christ but "the astonishing thing was actually that they were absent from the community of Jesus Christ, a fact that in turn is a point of continuity with the faith of Israel" ( Light of the World ).

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Morgan's organ (2)

Photo Credit: Llandaff Cathedral

From Anglican Communion News Service (here): "Llandaff Cathedral now has one of the finest organs in Europe". For the next six days more informationhere with Newsreader Huw Edwards trying out the £1.5m organ.

Ruined after Reformation, Llandaff Cathedral has had more than its fair share of troubles. The bombing in 1941 by the Nazi German Luftwaffe was followed by an 'Act of God' in 2007 when a lightning strike rendered the organ unusable. In an earlierMorgan's organ entry (here) I drew attention to more avoidable man-made problems. But things have moved on.

On 28 February 2014 the Rev'd Gerwyn Capon is to beinstalled as the new Dean of Llandaff Cathedral. I have heard some fears that having been Archbishop Morgan's Chaplain, the new Dean will not be allowed to be his own man. Indeed rumour has it that the former Dean took flight precisely for that reason but whatever the facts another failure cannot be countenanced. The new Dean must be his own man. He will garner support for being so. There is no more room for failure.

Likewise this is the time for the Archbishop to redeem himself. He has achieved his cherished pre-retirement ambition of permitting women to serve in the Episcopate. Celebrating his success Dr Morgan pledged to talk to Church members who, as a matter of conscience, "find the decision difficult" expressing the hope that no-one would be "lost" from the Church in Wales as a result of the decision. The Code of Practice consultations have been completed. My understanding from a report here and from comments after a previous blog entry (here) is that the meetings were held in a "constructive and generous spirit" with a "wide consensus emerging in the Province that there is need for the restoration of episcopal provision for traditionalists".

So, at the end of this sorry tale, perhaps all members of the Church in Wales can once more live and worship happily ever after.

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The crunch

Original picture Tony Wills

For some days now, looking out of our kitchen window around breakfast time I have been watching the antics of a couple of male blackbirds. A female is busying herself around the garden but soon she will make her choice of mate. One of the males will have to leave. There is no way they will be building a nest together.

Liberal Anglicanism sees things differently. The ramifications of the House of Bishops Pastoral Guidance on Same Sex Marriage (here) rumble on. A summary of the various reactions can be found on Anglican Mainstream (here). According to the Telegraph (here) the authority of the House of Bishop is going to be tested by a vicar of two large parishes in north-west London who said that he would not be “frightened” into cancelling his wedding to his long-term partner by any prohibition. They have been together for fourteen years and not only will they "press ahead" with their plans but they expected "at least two bishops" to be among their guests.

Across the pond the 'marriage' of 2 lesbian Episcopal priests made the headlines in 2011 adding "a  new twist to gay issues" (story here). The Episcopal Church in the United States has now moved so far from traditional Anglicanism that it should be a warning to anyone in Great Britain who values any claim of continuity with the Apostolic Church. Read Anglican Curmudgeon's account (here) of the fate of faithful Anglicans in TEC. The author A. S. Haley concludes with the words: "Anglo-Catholics sought to travel the via media of Anglicanism on a path toward the ultimate reconciliation of Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The modern crop of identity-liberals have no common goal other than to celebrate their own individuality, and to make others respect (and even honor) it."

The purpose of nest building is for the continuance of the species. God made male and female. If males or females want to live together in civil partnerships that is fine by me but the notion of same sex marriage goes beyond the protection of assets. Marriage is the joining together of a man and a woman. To demand that same sex couples should be allowed to marry on grounds of equality is an abuse of the word. It has more to do with expecting others to give their stamp of approval to a misguided concept of equality or as the Curmudgeon puts it, to celebrate their individuality and to make others respect (and even gaji) it.

Liberals constantly push boundaries by exploiting tolerance and understanding until all are expected to bow to every fad or endure the consequences as members of the Episcopal Church have discovered (here). The following video illustrates the manipulation of public opinion which has aided the acceptance of women first as deacons, then priests and soon to be bishops while the LGBT lobby has moved from pleas of acceptance to threatening demands:

Reports are coming in of diocesan synods giving "the green light" to women bishops (here and here). No surprises there given that synods have become councils of the like minded and few in the Church of England and nobody in the Church of Wales gets anywhere unless they accept the liberal agenda.

Women expecting to be bishops because they think they should be bishops and men wanting women to  be bishops because they are women is based on an erroneous notion of equality of opportunity. But soon that will be yesterday's news.

Claiming 'equality' to justify gay marriage is altogether a different ball game. Men and women are not the same, deliberately so in terms of continuance of the species. Same-sex marriage cannot be justified. That is the crunch.

Postscript [07/03/2014]

From The Christian Institute Gay marriage: Law changes backed in Commons vote. Centuries-old laws changed by MPs ahead of this month’s gay marriages.

“These changes cover legislation going back nearly 800 years, affecting legislation covering inheritance, taxation, social security and children.” The amendments mean the terms “husband” and “wife” will be replaced in many pieces of legislation. If Dukes, Earls and other male Peers marry other men, their ‘husbands’ could not be made Duchesses, Countesses or Ladies. A gay King’s ‘husband’ is prevented from becoming Queen.

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