Hail the bright millennial day

It is all true, dear readers, every word of it.

All wars will cease Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. central time. Hunger will be eradicated; the Commies will renounced communism; socialism will die throughout the world; illnesses will be instantly cured.

The world about to be saved - true redemption is here! Jesus is back and his name is Robert. And it will all happen Wednesday evening in Texas when the not-Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan will become archbishop of The (no such thing as) Anglican Church in North America.

I rejoice in the dawn of the millennial day. Well, actually, I'm a-fixin' to rant some.

Monday USA Today published an article about Luther Duncan and the schismatic movement. I find one quote from His Lordship to be rather funny. In speaking of ordination of women, Duncan said that the "Just say No Communion" may continue to ordain women as deacons and priests, but under no circumstances will women be consecrated (nor will openly gay men -- those in the closet are perfectly acceptable).

Pushing forward to name them as bishops is seen by the rest of the Anglican Communion as a sad and arrogant American approach. The bishop is the symbol of the diocese and putting someone other dioceses do not recognize as capable of holding the office in the post is divisive in the international church.

Now, that is funny folks. Bob Duncan calling anyone arrogant. Bob has a trademark on that attribute.

It is arrogance to promote divisive candidates to the episcopacy? There is a host of dioceses that see Duncan, Schofield, Iker, Akinola, and Martin Minns as "not capable" of holding the post and extremely divisive. That doesn't matter though; those divisive men are part of the "decider" group.

Duncan claims they have about 100,000 members (down from 250,000+ they claimed last year - talk about attrition!) and fifty bishops. Keep in mind that that the male Peerage includes bishops of eight malcontent groups that defected from TEC over inconsequential issues throughout the past 150 years.

Duncan makes one statement that we must examine.

[We are about] The reliability of Scripture, the Catholic tradition and Pentecostal power. The Anglican Church bridges all three. If you see the love of Jesus in us, you will join.

As for the first sentence,

• The "reliability of Scripture" applies only when it is convenient. When it touches their own sins, scripture is not reliable and is interpreted/changed/ignored so that their activities may continue.
• Catholic Tradition? Catholic Tradition would have removed Duncan form his priesthood at least fifteen years ago. The Duncanites do not care one iota for catholic tradition.
• Pentecostal Power? Anglicans and Pentecostal Power. Ah, here we are again - the Life in the Spirit movement is at the very root of this whole mess.
  

Let's take a look at what the The Pentecostal power brings.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Galatians 5.22

The Duncanite Kingdom fails in six of the nine gifts of the spirit.

I see nothing of "the love of Jesus" in their leadership. As far back as the Chapman Memo (and before that) Duncan has done all in his power to inflict major damage to The Episcopal Church. He and his cohorts have consistently sought to exclude people - the antithesis of what Jesus did. They have lied; they have cheated; they have committed fraud; they have been the recipients of stolen assets. In short, they have been the largest group of dishonest people since the Reconstruction.

Here is just one example of the love these people have. I thank a blog friend for permission to use this story.

This last week we buried "Mrs. Schonberg" the last surviving founder of "St. Swithen's in the Glenn" Episcopal Church. The funeral was at "St. Hepzibah's" Episcopal Church because the building at St. Swithin's is occupied by members of the the schismatic diocese.

The priest at St. Swithin's changed the locks after the vestry voted to stay in TEC and fired him because he had followed the bishop to align with the Southern Cone). The vestry wanted to call an Episcopal priest. Now the Episcopalians are worshiping in a Lutheran Church parish hall.

"Mrs Schonberg's" heart broke long before she died because she knew her funeral would not be in the beautiful building in which she and Methuselah, her husband, had worshiped from its beginning. She was 93.

Almost daily, I hear from older Episcopalians who are grieving over the fact that their husband or wife's ashes are in the columbarium of a building in which they are no longer welcome.

You have no idea of the heartbreak caused to hundreds of Episcopalians by these folks.

What was it Duncan said? "If you see the love of Jesus in us, you will join."

There is nothing loving or positive about them or their image. They are founded exclusively on hate.

Other reports state that the Archbishop of Canterbury sent +Santosh Marray (retired bishop of the Seychelles) to the Duncanite convention. At first I was incredulous. (Well, not really because I would believe anything about him except a report that the told the schismatics to get out of Dodge.

But, I think there is wisdom in what Rowan has done here. The brilliant Chinese general and military strategist Sun-tsu (circa 400 BC) said: Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Like Sun-tsu, Rowan probably wants a first hand report from a trusted source about the meeting in Texas.

Duncan sees this as affirmation of his divine call, however (how else would he see it?) . In a BBC interview Sunday, he said that Rowan has encouraged him to apply for formal membership in the Anglican Communion and that the ABC personally supports Duncan.

I wouldn't Bob Duncan if he said the sun was shining and I was staked spread-eagled in the desert at noon and could feel the heat and the sunburn. I also can't quite believe that Rowan is that stupid.

But delusional people always distort things and desperate people grasp any life preserver they can find. Duncan et al are grasping at straws in this, their last hurrah.

Benjamin Franklin is supposed to have replied to a woman who asked if the new United States would be a monarchy or a republic, "A republic if you can keep it." The schismatics cannot keep their ecclesial community. Wednesday evening is simply the apex of the movement but also the first day of their demise.

I have it on good authority that this is will be the closing hymn at Wednesdays' coronation.

Hail! Thou long expected Bobby
Come to set schismatics free
from their minds and from T.E.C.
All their hope is found in thee.

Bigots' hope and consolation
hope of all AC thou art
Dear desire of every province,
save us all from Evil Kate.

Born True Christians to deliver,
born a pipsqueak but our King,
born to reign o'er us forever,
now thy gracious province bring.

Here's the mitre and the crosier,
use them well to fight the foe!
Smite the homos and the wimmin
who no longer know their place.

By thine own eternal Ego
rule our hearts of stone alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise a church that's homo-free.

Aaaaaaaaaaandnowim'in.