From VirtueOnline

The bombshells about the state of The Episcopal Churchare exploding almost weekly. The truth about the state of the church is coming more into view and the rot at the core of the institution is becoming more visible.

CANA Bishop David Anderson got word that graduating seminarians at Virginia Theological Seminary can't find jobs. Since most of the students end seminary with huge student loans, having jobs is critical, not only to support their families, but to repay the loans that will be coming due. According to canon law, the students need to have a ministry assignment (a job) in order to be ordained a Deacon. The closing down and financial collapse of so many local parish churches and the fiscal famine in most TEC dioceses means the jobs just aren't there. "TEC's largest diocese, Virginia, (in truth the Diocese of Haiti is larger) has only four clergy positions open in total with 40-50 applicants for each job. That certainly doesn't bode well for the new graduates who have the lightest job experience in the queue. The same source revealed that Bishop J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles had to release all of his postulants because he has no positions for them. The problem is that the leaders of TEC, including former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, have monumentally miscalculated the future of neo-pagan Anglicanism and the willingness of the average pew sitter to blindly follow the other spiritual lemmings over the cliff," wrote Anderson.

He is right. VOL released a story this week on the parlous state of the Diocese of Vermont. A Feasibility Study, ordered up by Bishop Thomas Ely, revealed that the diocese is in serious trouble with significant financial struggles, division over pansexuality, a lack of inspiring leadership and much more.

As a result, Episcopalians in the diocese have rejected an $11 million dollar fund-raising campaign to prop up the diocese, citing that the goals were too ambitious. Following a two year capital campaign feasibility study, an outside consulting team concluded that Vermont Episcopalians feel disconnected enough to the Diocese to not want to invest significant amounts of their time, money and effort in a campaign for the Diocese.

Vermonters are concerned about a range of challenges that make them reluctant to endorse the campaign. In their congregations, members are seeing budget stress, rapidly declining and aging membership, deteriorating buildings, and an uncertain world that brings into question the outreach and spirituality that would otherwise be their touchstones. Along with these concerns, many members feel disconnected from the Diocese.