4500 Churches Close Across U.S. * TEC Diocesan Mergers * Anglican Church of Canada Collapses * Rioting in England * Welby Blasts Israel over Occupation of Palestinian Territories * Patriarch Promotes Peace at Expense of Israel * Persecution of Christians

History demonstrates time and again that freedom is a binary choice. You either believe in a transcendent, unchangeable moral order or subscribe to manufactured, human-made disorder, well-meaning though some may be. –Michael Giere

Nobody of whom I am aware ever came to faith in Christ because of the rantings of the online unhinged. Many have been transformed through the random Christian kindness of strangers. — Carl Trueman

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
www.virtueonline.org
August 9, 2024

On average, approximately 4,500 U.S. churches close every year, and only 1,000 new ones open. And every year, 2.7 million church members become inactive, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

There are many reasons offered as to why people have left and continue to leave
churches. Many blame the pandemic, but the truth is the rot started long before then and was only hastened by the outbreak of Covid.

People were dropping out like flies. Forty million Americans have stopped attending church in the past 25 years. That’s something like 12 percent of the population, and it represents the largest concentrated change in church attendance in American history.

The question is why. Many demographers blame our busy lifestyles. The need to work on Sunday, shopping, kids need entertaining, not enough time to get up and get ready for church. We can now do church in front of an iPad or laptop in our pajamas, so why bother getting dressed to go to church. Our lives are hectic and we need Sunday morning to sleep in. The list goes on and on.

But I would like to suggest another reason. It is the failure of sound teaching from the pulpit; the failure to preach ‘the faith once for all delivered to the saints.’ Preachers who send out mixed messages, preachers who compromise God’s Word for ‘itching ears’ theology. Issues of one stripe or another become more important than teaching about justification or sanctification.

Intuitively people know when they are being hoodwinked. They may not say much, they won’t stand up and protest the garbage from the pulpit, they just quietly walk away. Who can blame them.

America’s preachers dropped the ball and the churches emptied out. I blame the pulpit not the pews. The people look up and are not fed. Why come back when you can get it all from the New York Times. Coffee and doughnuts replaced bread, wine, and the Bible.

A case in point was the news that Ryan Burge known for his analysis of church trends was also the pastor of a Baptist church in Illinois that closed its doors recently…going out of business for lack of people. You can read his own personal journey here: https://www.deseret.com/faith/2024/07/25/ryan-burge-church-closing-the-nones/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
You can read more here:
https://virtueonline.org/why-they-left-church-its-failure-sound-doctrine-pulpit

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VOL has written at length about diocesan mergers over the past two years as The Episcopal Church shrinks. https://virtueonline.org/indianapolis-and-northern-indiana-talks-discuss-merger-dioceses and here: https://virtueonline.org/3-episcopal-church-dioceses-wisconsin-one-step-closer-merger
The euphemism is collaboration. The truth is; merge or die.

It is not a pretty picture and the humiliating aspect on all this is that the new Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe is bishop of a partnership between the dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York, which may eventually have to merge. We shall see. But merger talks are going on in several Mid-Western dioceses and the Northeast.

The authorization of a series of diocesan mergers was one of the big stories at the 81st General Convention in June, when bishops and deputies celebrated the reunion of the three Wisconsin dioceses and the juncture of two dioceses in Michigan, as well as the combination of the church’s Micronesia area mission with the Diocese of Hawaii, according to ENS. You can read the full story here:
https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2024/08/01/central-pennsylvania-bethlehem-eye-vote-on-diocesan-merger-indiana-dioceses-talks-advance/

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The Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) has collapsed, reports The Living Church.
New numbers for ACoC are out, and they show that Canada is the first major province of the Anglican Communion to have collapsed. This is highly significant, both for Canada and for other Western provinces following its trajectory.

Here are the data for average Sunday attendance:

2001 – 162,000
2017 – 87,000
2022 – 65,000
(2023 figures will not be out till later this year, but it is thought to be under 50,000 ASA with even lower figures for 2024.)

These are truly remarkable numbers. A church already in steep decline saw that decline speed up during COVID. Attendance in 2022 was 40 percent of attendance in 2001. And between 2017 and 2022, the ACoC lost a quarter of its Sunday attendance. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/collapse-anglican-church-canada

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Rioting in England is testing the limits of immigration and what the real issue is. Millions are labeled far right, a gigantic slur it has turned out to be. Regrettably the Archbishop of Canterbury and four other religious leaders do not ‘get it.’ They wrote a letter saying so and sent it to the Times.

They do not see that a civil war is raging in England and the MSM, politicians and Justin Welby are ignoring the real facts on the ground.

They all want to blame right wing extremists for the violence going on, and this was highlighted in a letter signed by five religious leaders in England.

Their position was reinforced by the Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft and Imam Monawar Hussain who urged coming together to support one another and continue to build a resilient, inclusive society.

But a response to the recent riots from Peter Whittle of the New Culture Forum had a different take on the riots shaking up towns and cities across England:

“Let me outline a scenario for you and let’s call it how to make a people angry. First you take a people known for their tolerance and fair-mindedness, a people who are amongst the least racist people in the world and you open up their country to unprecedented levels of migration within the space of a decade. You tell those people that this is good for them and that any concerns they might have are simply a product of their own bigotry. You then tell them that it was forever thus, and that their country is in fact a nation of immigrants.”

“Furthermore, you then tell them that their history is one of unmitigated evil. You stand by while their monuments and traditions are undermined. You go one further and tell them that they have white privilege, and that this is the root of the world’s problems. At the same time you allow thousands of young men from myriad cultures to enter the country illegally and then you get the people to pay for it. You tell them that diversity is their greatest strength and that to even question this is akin to fascism. You tell them that they would effectively be nothing without unceasing migration.”

“As the people become more frustrated, more angry, you disable their concerns by changing the terminology. You start calling them far right, you then make sure to police them in different ways, you accommodate some demonstrations, you come down hard on others. You arrest some but not others. All the while you tell them that this is for their own good. If you disagree there is no place for you in this new nirvana.”

You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/riots-england-test-limits-immigration-and-what-real-issue

Dr. Martin Davie has written on the issue of Welby, Israel and the ICJ and you can read it here:
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/why.the.archbishop.of.canterbury.needs.to.think.again.on.israel.and.the.international.court.of.justice/142016.htm#google_vignette

Democracy in decay: The system is no longer believed in by the people:
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/intersex-the-new-kid-on-the-pride-block-2/

White rage is bubbling up in the suburbs. The UK has not been at all civil of late. Indeed, to the outside world, our great country has looked such a violent mess that certain overseas governments are warning their citizens against travelling to the UK. You can see it here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2024/08/06/riots-are-cry-of-rage-and-despair-from-wretched-communities/

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The Archbishop of Canterbury continues to dig in revealing his biases. He says the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel is unlawful and they must exit, but is he right?

Justin Welby launched a broadside against Israel this week arguing that the besieged state must exit the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. The Advisory Opinion by the International Court of Justice (19 July 2024) makes definitively clear that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is unlawful and needs to end as rapidly as possible.

The archbishop said the State of Israel has been “denying the Palestinian people dignity, freedom and hope” — and that ending its occupation of Palestinian territory is “a legal and moral necessity”. Welby urged governments around the world to reverse the “deeply damaging trend” of upholding international law “in a selective manner”. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/archbishop-canterbury-says-occupation-palestinian-territories-israel-unlawful-and-they-must-exit-he

Not to be outdone the Patriarch and heads of churches in Jerusalem say they want dialogue for peace, but when you read the fine print, it is at the expense of Israel. Who doesn’t want peace, justice and reconciliation? Noble thoughts and aspirations indeed.

The pastoral solidarity visit takes place against the backdrop of a situation of prolonged war and dire humanitarian need, with an aim to “amplify calls from the Holy Land to engage in meaningful dialogue aimed at restoring peace and stability” — not least in view of the evident risk of war escalating and spreading through the region and beyond.

So, who is prolonging the war? Who poses the real danger? Israel or Iran? It is certainly not Israel and PM Netanyahu has said that once the hostages are released and Hamas surrenders, peace is indeed possible. Hamas has no intention of doing so. Apparently that word “peace” has not reached the tunnel where the new Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is hiding. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/patriarch-heads-churches-jerusalem-want-dialogue-peace-expense-israel

I then segue into WHY THE WORLD STILL HATES JEWS. It’s not just the UN or the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and a host of religious and political figures who hate Jews. The truth is antisemitism infects more than one billion of the world’s adult population of four billion, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Global 100 Index of Antisemitism. You can read more here: https://virtueonline.org/why-world-still-hates-jews

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The Church of England is facing an existential crisis about its own survival. The push for blessing same sex marriages has finally gotten evangelicals to take a stand. At St. Helen’s, Bishopsgate, London, a flagship evangelical parish along with All Souls Langham Place kicked into high gear. The Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches (CEEC) commissioned its first set of overseers to deliver its provision of alternative spiritual oversight.

This did not sit well with the Diocese of London and its female bishop who issued a statement regarding this commissioning service.

“We are conscious of questions raised regarding the recent commissioning services that have taken place at All Souls Langham Place and St Helen’s Bishopsgate. Incumbents have been reminded before and following these services of their responsibilities to ensure that the law of the Church of England as expressed in canon and liturgy is observed, and that all safeguarding requirements are fully met.

“In terms of the ongoing LLF process, we recognize that some will feel the need for structural provision in the light of what has been passed by General Synod. The London College of Bishops represents a breadth of traditions, and together is committed to ensuring the necessary support is available to all equally in our Diocese.

But this is a minefield through which evangelicals must carefully tread. Neither the state nor the church will allow a third province to emerge. A third province and a church within a church undercuts the very essence of Anglican ecclesiology and represents a red line we cannot cross, says Martin Davie, an orthodox theologian. But the first step has been taken and we will now see how it all plays out.

You can read a number of stories here:
https://virtueonline.org/what-ecclesiological-problem-third-province
https://virtueonline.org/why-stay-least-now
https://virtueonline.org/episcopal-jenga

Here is a slam dunk article against wokeness that is killing the Church of England: https://virtueonline.org/wokeness-will-kill-church-england

***

Over three hundred Christian clergy, leaders, and religious liberty advocates have signed an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging diplomatic action to condemn the persecution of Christians in India.

Mainline Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, and independent clergy and lay leaders were among the signatories alongside leaders of ecumenical organizations, theological institutions, universities, and Christian advocacy groups. They collectively spoke out against the dramatic rise in Christian persecution in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The ecumenical Delhi-based United Christian Forum reports 720 attacks in 2023 against Christians, a stark increase from 127 in 2014 when Modi first came to power” the statement reads. You can read more here: https://juicyecumenism.com/2024/08/08/india-christian-persecution/

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The moderator of the Church of Bangladesh and bishop of Dhaka, the Most Rev. Samuel Sunil Mankhin, wants prayer for Bangladesh in light of the recent unrest in the country, where hundreds of lives have been lost, reports the ACNS.

In the letter, which was written on Aug. 4, a day before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country, Mankhin highlighted key points for prayer: peace and stability; government decisions that lead to reconciliation and healing; protection of all citizens — especially the vulnerable, restoration of communication, comfort and strength for families who are grieving; and unity among the church and other faiths.

***

CULTURE WARS

• Britain’s Oldest Evangelical Gathering Blacklists Pro-life Display https://virtueonline.org/britains-oldest-evangelical-gathering-blacklists-pro-life-display

• When the fruit of LGBT hits you in the face https://virtueonline.org/when-fruit-lgbt-hits-you-face

• THE PLOT TO QUEER EVANGELICAL CHURCHES: https://virtueonline.org/plot-queer-evangelical-churches

• These African Christians Are Already Living in the Millennium
• https://virtueonline.org/these-african-christians-are-already-living-millennium

• Believe it or not, there is a silver lining to the Paris Olympics parody of the Eucharist. It has caused a worldwide multifaceted conversation. You can read it here: https://virtueonline.org/olympic-parodys-silver-lining

AS EYE SEE IT

 An anti-culture of nothingness – Carl Trueman:
https://virtueonline.org/anti-culture-nothingness-carl-trueman

 PARODYING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER :
https://virtueonline.org/parodying-lords-supper

 Why I Did Not Celebrate “LGBTQ+ Pride Month” But Mourned It:
https://virtueonline.org/why-i-did-not-celebrate-lgbtq-pride-month-mourned-it

 Elite sports chaplain Ashley Null: ‘The gospel is the antidote to…
https://virtueonline.org/elite-sports-chaplain-ashley-null-gospel-antidote-performance-based-identity

 THE RESPONSE OF THE CHURCH TO PERSECUTION IN NIGERIA
https://virtueonline.org/response-church-persecution-nigeria

THEOLOGY

The filioque clause is back in play with the Orthodox Church and Lutherans reaching an agreement on the thorny issue. I have also posted an Anglican response. You can read both stories below.

https://virtueonline.org/lutherans-orthodox-church-reach-agreement-1000-year-debate-over-nicene-creed

https://virtueonline.org/anglican-reflection-filioque

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PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY EXPANDING MINISTRY AND OUTREACH
I have done a YouTube interview with Dr. Gerry McDermott on the War in Israel. You can see it here: https://youtu.be/98nNyRRWIz4?si=HEnsrJHU1eRYNjC2

I have also started a SUBSTACK with my scribblings on the Middle East with the war in Israel. You can see them here: https://substack.com/@davidvirtue2?utm_source=user-menu

***

VOL is on the move. We will shortly host a new website making it more reader friendly. Our lists will be coordinated and flow faster and more evenly. But we need your support. The move is costly and I don’t have the funds to make the switch. There are no salaries, but there are bills to pay, travel to be done, correspondents and a webmaster to pay.

If you can help, please send a tax-deductible donation to the address below:

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Warmly in Christ,

David

4500 Churches Close Across U.S. * TEC Diocesan Mergers * Anglican Church of Canada Collapses * Rioting in England * Welby Blasts Israel over Occupation of Palestinian Territories * Patriarch Promotes Peace at Expense of Israel * Why the World Still Hates Jews * Persecution of Christians in Nigeria & India

God intends us to penetrate the world. Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad. And when society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach the non-Christian world; but should we not rather reproach ourselves? One can hardly blame unsalted meat for going bad. It cannot do anything else. The real question to ask is: Where is the salt? — John Stott

ENGLAND: Democracy in decay. The main takeaway from recent events is that very large numbers of people — well beyond an idiotic, violent fringe — now realize we do not live in a democracy in any meaningful sense. There will be a reckoning that the current system will not survive. Let us hope and pray it will be a peaceful one. — John Wycliffe

If a church opposes abortion but never holds its people to account on the issue, then the question of what “opposes” means becomes rather pressing. — Carl Trueman