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Question: "What is the church?" Answer: Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of people. It is ironic that when you ask people what church they attend, they usually identify a building. Romans 16:5 says “… greet the church that is in their house.” Paul refers to the church in their house—not a church building, but a body of...

IT'S THE apology, stupid. NAACP board Chairman Julian Bond took to the podium Sunday to address the organization's 96th convention in Milwaukee. Once again, Bond pretended to bemoan President George W. Bush's decision not to address the convention. ... Bond proceeded to bash Bush, saying "the president likes to talk the talk, but he doesn't walk the walk" on civil rights. That's because Bond's definition of "civil rights" flies in the face of the very language of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law calls for things to be done without regard to race, color or creed. So do...

THE DECONSTRUCTION OF A DIOCESE How defensive responses and controlling personal agendas lay the groundwork for a schism, in the church By David W. Virtue What made five parishes and seven clergy leave the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast and affiliate with the Anglican Mission in America in the year 2000? Was it simply a matter of bad theology, a mediocre bishop, a morally and theologically bankrupt Episcopal leadership? Or was it something more than that? The Rev. Dr. David McDowell-Fleming thinks he knows what the problems are and he may be right. The priest is no arm-chair systems...

IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERRATE ILL HEALTH OF ECUSA, SAYS GLOBAL STRATEGIST By David W. Virtue BEDFORD, TX- (6/28/2004)--It is impossible to overrate the ill health of The Episcopal Church. The difficulty nowadays is to make a caricature of the institution. The biggest concern is not that the parts are in ill health but the impact it has on those of us who have good health, says a leading orthodox Episcopal leader who travels the globe interfacing with the Global South bishops. "We [the orthodox] have been tremendously impacted by what is going on," said Canon Bill Atwood, general secretary of Ekklesia,...

ORTHODOX LEADER SAYS COMMUNION IS FINISHED IF ECUSA IS NOT DISCIPLINED Special Report By David W. Virtue COLORADO SPRINGS (4/22/2004) An evangelical Episcopal leader who meets regularly with Global South Primates and bishops, says that unless the Lambeth (Eames) Commission calls for the public disciplining of the Episcopal Church and its Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold for his participation in the Robinson consecration, the Anglican Communion will not stay intact. The Rev. Dr. Canon Bill Atwood, general secretary of EKKLESIA, an organization that interfaces orthodox ECUSA bishops with leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion, said it was impossible to overstate the...

ROWAN WILLIAMS PUTS ANGLICAN COMMUNION AT RISK An interview with the Rev. Canon Bill Atwood general secretary of EKKLESIA, an organization that networks biblically orthodox leaders around the world. The following interview took place in Orlando, Florida at the third meeting of the U.S. Anglican Congress, which included leaders, bishops, priests and laity from the Continuum, Anglican and the ECUSA. By David W. Virtue VIRTUOSITY: Dr. Atwood you travel the world talking with the primates of the Global South about the ongoing crisis in the Episcopal Church. You have been in meetings with Primates all over the globe. What are...

Split Over Gay Bishop Expected to Develop By RACHEL ZOLL AP Religion Writer November 3, 2003, 4:29 PM EST Anglican leaders moved closer Monday to a permanent break with the U.S. Episcopal Church over its first openly gay bishop, but the anticipated split within the U.S. denomination will evolve more slowly as conservatives create a network of like-minded dioceses and parishes. Overseas bishops, who said they represented 50 million of the world's 77 million Anglicans, jointly announced they were in a "state of impaired communion" with the Episcopal Church, but stopped short of declaring a full schism. Episcopalians form the...