A Living Text.

  • Bishop Steve Breedlove says his investigation led to a lack of justice 

    Bishop Steve Breedlove says his investigation led to a lack of justice 

    In an email to his diocese, Bishop Breedlove writes: To The Diocese of Christ our Hope: Greetings to you in Jesus Christ, Lord of the Church. Within the context of the celebration of All Saints Day, reflecting on the wonder of the Church on earth and in heaven, I am writing to offer a public apology…

  • Rwanda’s dictatorship shuts down churches with Mbanda covering for the regime

    Rwanda’s dictatorship shuts down churches with Mbanda covering for the regime

    Rwanda is a dictatorship that allows for no dissent from official narratives. This month, “the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) and other government agencies have closed over 5,600 places of worship, including 100 cave churches over failing to meet the legal requirements governing faith-based organizations (FBOs) in Rwanda.” What are these legal requirements? They include many items that…

  • IV. Realignment

    IV. Realignment

    (Continuing a series of posts on recent Anglican history.) At the dawn of the twenty-first century the Anglican Communion experienced a profound rupture over issues of fidelity to Scripture. National churches from “the Global South” ordained Americans as missionary bishops to the United States, touching off a new level of spiritual warfare that pitted church…

  • Bishop Menees on Jesus Antonio Castañeda-Serna

    Bishop Menees on Jesus Antonio Castañeda-Serna

    One of the most egregious cases of sexual misconduct that took place in ACNA is that of Jesus Antonio Castañeda-Serna. With that in mind, it is encouraging to read a letter that Bishop Menees presented to the court in his trial: April 12, 2024The Honorable Charles LeeSuperior Court of California,Fresno County – Department 33Your Honor,Thank…

  • Bishop Steve Wood: What is Reformation Anglicanism?

    Bishop Steve Wood: What is Reformation Anglicanism?

    Back in his blogging days, ACNA Archbishop-elect Steve Wood published this article in 2014: Perhaps the easiest way to describe Reformation Anglicanism is simply by defining the words. By “reformation,” we mean that expression of the Christian faith that arose in the 16th century, commonly called the Protestant Reformation, which sought to reform the church according to…

  • Who is Archbishop-elect Steve Wood?

    Who is Archbishop-elect Steve Wood?

    I know very little about Bishop Wood, but I know his blog Treading Grain and used to read it back in the day. He no longer uses it. From his blog I can tell that he is a reader who interacts with cultural changes and theology quite a bit. He had Ashley Null speak to…

  • The next ACNA Archbishop

    The next ACNA Archbishop

    Here are some candidates for the role that I have heard about or suspect. I am adding a few more in based on a helpful comment. Bishop Eric Menees Bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin. Bishop Menees is bilingual, speaking Spanish as well as English. According to his biography: Following his ordination Bishop Menees…

  • Hard and Honest Work: The 2014 ACNA Conclave

    Hard and Honest Work: The 2014 ACNA Conclave

    Note: I am republishing this as we are about to have another Conclave. 7/19/24 Former Archbishop Duncan characterized the 2014 Conclave to elect his successor as “hard and honest work” and a variety of other participants offered similar characterizations. The conclave ended with a unanimous vote electing Bishop Foley Beach as the second Archbishop of…

  • Lack of discernment at ACNA’s Provincial Assembly 2024

    Lack of discernment at ACNA’s Provincial Assembly 2024

    In the past I wrote about why it was a mistake to invite Ravi Zacharias and Archbishop Laurent Mbanda to the ACNA’s Provincial Assembly in 2019. The Zacharias mistake is now obvious for the world to see, although I am not aware of ACNA ever apologizing for what they did. Mbanda however has gone from…

  • Clerical scandals in the 19th century

    Clerical scandals in the 19th century

    We can be tempted to think that clergy behaving badly is a uniquely modern phenomenon, but it is nothing of the sort. Edmund Wilson’s fantastic book Patriotic Gore contains letters from Calvin Ellis Stowe to his wife Harriet Beecher Stowe on the subject of prominent scandals in his day. He wrote: “I have thought much…