Heroes In Unlikely Places

It's hard to believe that a faith battle with world-wide implications is being waged right here in quiet Western, PA. But it is. At the center of the battle is the issue of biblical authority in the Episcopal Church in America and the Anglican Church worldwide.

The man in the picture is Robert Duncan. He presides as shepherd over the Pittsburgh Diocese which is soon to vote on seceding from the Episcopal Church in America to join with the Anglican confession in a region of Africa (for those who don't know, Episcopal and Anglican share the origin of the Church of England, although there is no one centralized place of leadership for all Anglicans worldwide --except Jesus of course).

They are doing this because of the left-ward drift of the Episcopal Church in America. For their courageous stand, Duncan, as the leader, has received both hatred from the world ("homophobe, narrow minded" etc) and persecution from his own church.

The latest is that the Episcopal Church in America is, by questionable tactics, seeking to remove him from his position before any vote of secession can take place.

Please read about this situation here. Pray for our brothers in the Pittsburgh Episcopal churches. God stands behind those who are standing for Him.

Let me add one quote from Bishop Roberts that I read in an interview that I believe all Christians of all traditions should be willing to agree with and even die for:

The battle is about the authority of Scripture. It's about the basics of Christian faith. It's about sin and redemption. It's just so fundamental. The issues have to do with sexuality and morality, but at the very heart of it is whether Scripture can be trusted. In my experience I learned the one person I could trust was Jesus Christ and the only testament that was reliable was what was in Scripture. And I cannot let the Church, of all bodies, challenge the notion that you can't trust the plain meaning of Scripture.