Message from Bishop David Anderson       Bishop Anderson November 30, 2012 Dear friends interested in Anglican news, Across the globe we see troubles coming from various quarters, sometimes from known enemies such as militant Islamists like Boko Haram in Nigeria, and sometimes from militant Anglican progressives who would rather lose than compromise, and if they win, they would drive out of the church those who disagree so they could be cocooned in their anchorless insecurity. We note with sadness that additional Islamist bombings of Christians have taken place in Nigeria, this time in Kaduna State within the supposedly secure elite Armed Forces Command and Staff College military compound. The first bomb was a bus filled with explosives that rammed into the St. Andrew Military Protestant Church, killing and injuring many, and then after a few minutes' delay, when the Islamic terrorists calculated that people would have come to the aid of the injured and dying, a Toyota Camry also packed with explosives and parked just outside the church was exploded. Islamic terrorists will kill Christians whenever they can, and if they aren't available they will kill other Muslims who believe slightly differently. What kind of a religion is this that drives people to hate with such intensity that their concept of religion and service to Allah is to kill innocent people?  The fact that this happened inside a supposedly secure military base says that the Nigerian military has a problem with Boko Haram infiltration, and that is very serious. Whether the infiltration is on the officer level, the noncommissioned officer level, or the "grunt" soldier level, the fact that these explosions could take place means that a number of people were involved. It also helps explain why the Boko Haram has been so successful in gaining weapons and ammunition, and are able to plan their attacks in ways that avoid direct military interdiction.

Kaduna State is on the historic border between the predominantly Muslim north and the Christian south. Part of the problem is that the northern Muslims' frustration with the status quo plus money from oil-wealthy Muslim countries has made violence a convenient way to wage guerrilla jihad. As climate change recently has dried out parts of the already more arid North, many traditionally Muslim tribes such as the Hausa and Fulani are looking literally at greener pastures, and Kaduna State is more and more a flash point. The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the willingness of Jesus' followers to witness to him in the face of incredible danger and persecution and even to die for him has opened the door to Muslim conversions to Jesus Christ, even though under Sharia Law the penalty for conversion is death. Even in non-Sharia areas, other family members, feeling that disgrace and dishonor have been brought on the family, may kill the convert anyway. Those of us with ties to Nigeria (I was consecrated an Anglican Bishop by the Anglican Church of Nigeria for duty in North America) are very concerned for fellow Anglicans and indeed all Christians in Nigeria, and are hopeful that the government and military can clean out the secret terrorist collaborators and put the Boko Haram out of business. Islam and Christianity need to be able to live in peace side by side, and that means the Muslim community would respect the rights of Christians to live, worship, and work as equals before the law. Hard to achieve, but by God's grace, may it happen. In England, the single-minded push to have women bishops in the Church of England - and as importantly, to push them down the throats of all who disagree - has, for the moment, backfired. In a way, it is similar to the case in Nigeria; there is a group of zealots who not only want their way, but feel the need to ignore others' religious faith and push them aside in order to feel secure. It's not a very nice way to run a church, is it? Whether or not the Church of England should have women bishops is one thing, but the very "American Episcopal Church" manner of wanting to destroy and drive out those who disagree is heartbreaking. Why can't some realistic accommodation be worked out in advance, clearly and with no ambiguity that can later be misinterpreted, such that both groups can live within what Elizabeth the First wished to be a comprehensive church? It is noteworthy that of all the English monarchs, the three seemingly most successful have been women, beginning with Elizabeth the First, and all three, as is customary, have been titled "Defenders of the Faith." The third, Elizabeth II, has just celebrated her 60th anniversary as monarch and currently enjoys great admiration and esteem, not only in the UK but all over the world and also from me personally. A frequent question I hear from Episcopal and Anglican lay folk on my side of the water is, "What does the Queen think?" It is apparently not constitutionally appropriate or possible for her to take sides on some issues, although she speaks her Christian faith very clearly in many of her addresses for Christian holy days.      A group of American Episcopalians who are still and steadfastly orthodox have released another well-worded and reasoned paper called "An Open Letter to the Bishops of The Episcopal Church." The Anglican Communion Institute details the problems that beset the Episcopal Church (TEC) in its governance, discipline and leadership, and places the blame for much of the sad state of affairs today at the foot of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. It is a document worth reading. Our concern is that no one with the ability to make changes in the Episcopal Church will read it, have the courage to act on it, or care enough to act on it. For the Reverend Doctors Radner, Turner and Seitz who wrote the open letter, we applaud your effort. Jefferts Schori's reign of terror in costly litigation against dioceses, churches and individuals, waged with a seemingly unending supply of dollars intended for mission, shows no sign of letting up. As with the French Reign of Terror, who dares challenge the cart and guillotine? There are many moderate bishops who could raise their voices to protest the direction and the tenor that the Episcopal Church has adopted under Jefferts Schori. Will they hide behind their own crozier and seal and mind their words lest she name them for some untoward word or thought that can now be interpreted as "abandonment of communion" or "acting against the best interests of the church?" She has succeeded in forcing South Carolina bishop Mark Lawrence and his diocese out of TEC, much against their will. Now she can blame them even though they are the victims, and proceed to punish them with all of the vengeance that the Biblical Jezebel wished to visit on the faithful of Israel. When she has the cart ready for Bishop Lawrence, which should be in January, she will surely continue her pursuit of the seated bishops of Dallas, Albany, and Springfield, and the retired bishops who joined them in saying or signing things inconvenient to her regime. Please read the Open Letter to the Bishops, but my concern is that at the end of the day it won't make any difference. Please, somebody stand up, do something powerful and prove me wrong. With all of the stresses and strains of Anglican churches in many parts of the world, it is so refreshing to now be a part of the Anglican Church in North America, which is trying to preserve and keep what was faithful and honorable from our Episcopal Church heritage, but also to try and do it better, living more creatively with the differences and tensions that inevitably exist in any large family, and frankly enjoying church once again. May our Lord Jesus watch over and guard it in its new life. Amen. That's enough for one week; may our Lord prosper you in your faithfulness to him. Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, +David The Rt. Rev. David C. Anderson, Sr. President and CEO, American Anglican Council