Noah's Dog

A little levity is good for the soul....

Lenten Meditation on Cain and Abel

Aaron Taylor, a gradute student in Moral Theology, has written a fine Lenten meditation on Cain and Abel. He writes:

Last night I read the story of Cain and Abel to my children from a Bible reader (a sort of simplified paraphrase of the text). I think the first murder is a fitting thing to recall as we move more deeply into our Lenten struggle. We are weeping for our sins, for our exile from Paradise. But unlike our First Parents, we were born into exile, and the already fallen world is the theatre in which our own sin takes place. As St Macarius the Great writes in his Fifth Homily, ‘The word spoken to Cain by the Creator, that sentence pronounced upon him with an outward meaning, Groaning and trembling and tossed shalt thou be upon the earth (Gen. iv. 12), is a type and likeness of what all sinners undergo in secret.’ [1]

Patristic interpretations of God’s rejection of Cain’s sacrifice focus on the wickedness of Cain’s heart or his carelessness in choosing his sacrifices. In the ‘Great Letter’, St Macarius writes:

I always remember that it was Abel who offered a sacrifice to God of the fat and firstlings of his flock, while Cain offered gifts of the fruits of the earth, but not of the firstfruits. It is said: ‘And God looked with favor on Abel’s sacrifices, but did not regard the gifts of Cain’ (Gn 4:4). This teaches us that everything that is done in fear and in faith is pleasing to God, not that which is done for display and without love. [2]

But there is another perspective we might take. The Welsh poet, R.S. Thomas, has a second interpretation of Cain’s sacrifices....

Read it all here.

Two Named 'Esau'

Alice C. Linsley

As can be seen from the diagram, there are two named Esau in the Bible and both are related to the Horites of Edom. The Horites of Edom were known to have a reddish skin tone. King David was described as reddish, likely owing to his Edomite blood.

Esau the Elder married the daughter of Chief Elon. The "sons of Esau" said to dwell in Seir (Deut. 2:4) must refer to the sons of Esau the Elder, a contemporary of Chief Seir. Esau the Elder had 2 wives: Basemath (Ishmaelite) and Adah (Kenite). 

Reading Genesis 36, without knowledge of the kinship pattern of Abraham's people, one gets the mistaken impression that there is only one Esau and that he had 3 wives: Basemath, Adah and Oholibamah. (A fourth wife, Mahalath, is mentioned in Genesis 28:9.) However, as seen in the diagram above, it was the younger Esau, Jacob's elder brother, who married Oholibamah, the great granddaughter of Seir.

Esau married well. Oholibamah's mother was the high ranking Anah and Anah's father was Zibeon, a Horite chief.[1] Oholibamah was the mother of Korah the Elder, the grandfather of Korah the Younger who opposed Moses in the wilderness. This was a priestly line with connections to the Harwa [2] of Egypt. Oholibamah means the tent of the high place, or the shrine tent.

Consider how often we find two with the same name in the Bible.  There are two Enochs, two Lamechs, two Nahors, two Esaus, two Korahs....etc.  When we find two with the same name, we recognize that one is the Elder and one is the Younger. The pattern is due to the intermarriage of patrilineal clans (called "kinsmen" in Gen. 31:42), with chiefs having two wives: one a half-sister and the other a patrilineal cousin.  The cousin bride named her first-born son after her father.  The cousin bride's father is "the Elder" and her son is "the Younger." We have seen this unique kinship pattern in analysis of the relationship of the descendents of Cain and Seth, and the descendents of Ham and Shem.  This naming prerogative of the cousin bride was already a custom in the time of Lamech (Gen. 4). Lamech’s daughter, Naamah, named her first-born son Lamech.

You are probably shaking your head, wondering how to keep these two-somes straight! It isn't easy without having the diagrams in front of you. Kinship analysis, a specialized field of cultural anthropology, involves preparation of diagrams using the genealogical data.  After the diagrams are prepared and checked for accuracy, analysis of the kinship begins.

Familiarity with the cousin bride's naming prerogative enables us to recover the names of some chiefs who have been given symbolic names, that is, names that are etiological etymologies. For example, Leah's first-born son is Reuben and we are told his name derives from raa beonyi, meaning "Yahweh has seen my misery." A second explanation relates the name to Leah's hope of winning Jacob's love by bringing forth a son. In this case, the name derives from yeehabani, meaning "he will love me."  It is more likely that Reuben is ra'a ben, meaning "behold, a son."

Esau's name is explained as referring to the color red - Edom (Gen. 36:2). This could as easily be translated "ruddy", an adjective applied to King David who had Edomite blood through Tamar. The same source relates the name to an abundance of hair: “The first to be born was red, altogether like a hair cloak; so they named him Esau.” (Gen. 25:25)

What is the origin of the name Esau and what connection does it have to the central message of the Bible? Cheyne associates the name with "Usu" of Tyre. (Stade's "Zeitschrift," 17.189)  This is interesting because of the connection between Jesus and Tyre.  Hiram, the king of Tyre, was allied by kinship to David. Hiram is also known as "Huram" and "Horam", which are versions of the shorter names Hur or Hor. Midrashic tradition names Hur as Moses’ brother-in-law, the husband of Miriam. Hur’s grandson was one of the builders of the Tabernacle. I Chronicles 4:4 lists Hur as the "father of Bethlehem", that is the patriarch of the place known as the "city of David".  In other words, the king of Tyre and David had common Horite ancestors, and as the Genesis genealogies and Ezekiel 28:11-19 indicate, the Horite lineage can be traced back to Eden. The Horites believed that the Son of God would be born of their bloodline and they expected Him to reveal Himself to them. This was fulfilled when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, visited Tyre (Matt. 15:21-28; Mark 7: 24).

Another view is that Esau is related to the Hebrew asa - to do, to fashion, or to accomplish. Or it may be related to the African word Ishan. Since some of Abraham's ancestors came out of Africa, we should expect the name Esau to be traceable to that area from which they came (Nigeria and Lake Chad). The name Esau is Ishan in Nigeria. The Arabic, Aramaic, Chadic and the Hebrew names are linguistically equivalent because they share a common Afro-Asiatic root. Because of the linguistic correspondence, some Islamic scholars suggest that Esau is Esa or Issa, the Quranic name for Jesus. This raises a fascinating possibility that the son beloved of the father, whose birthright was denied him by Israel, is a type of Jesus Christ!

David had Edomite blood through Tamar and was descended from the most ancient priestly line through Oholibamah and the Horite Zibeon. This is why II Samuel 8:18 speaks of David's sons as being priests. They didn't serve in the office of priest, but they were of the priestly line from which Jesus came. So we find a parallel between Oholibamah and the Virgin Mary.  Oholibamah, the Most High Tent, housed the seed of Messiah through David, and her mother's name is Anah. Likewise the Virgin Mary's womb became the tent of the Most High God, and her mother’s name was Ana.


NOTES

1.  The Horites appear to have been a confederation of clans including Sheba, Joktan, and Jebu. Culturally they reflect the customs of ancient Egyptian and Sudanese royalty.

2. Sarki also means ruler among the people of Kano (biblical Kain). They reside in west central Africa which is where Noah and his ancestors lived according to the Genesis genealogical data. Sarki are also a people group living in the Orissa Province of India. This connection between India and Nigeria has to do with the ruler-priests, called Harwa, who spread the Afro-Asiatic worldview around 12,000 years ago. They even went beyond India to Nepal because there are Sarki who live as ‘Haruwa’ in the Tarai region of Nepal. The word Haruwa is equivalent to the ancient Egyptian word Harwa, meaning priest.


Related reading:  Petra Reflects Horite Beliefs; Seats of Wisdom; Edom and the Horites

Should Genesis Be Taught in Public Schools?

Alice C. Linsley

Today three Democratic senators introduced Senate Bill 142 in Frankfort. It would allow Kentucky schools to teach from the Bible. Kentucky schools would offer it as an elective social studies course to help students become familiar with the Bible’s content and style. Read more here.

The Senators are riding the wave of the increasingly popular Bible Literacy Project. I looked at the Project to see who is the Consultant for Genesis.  It is Thomas B. Dozeman (Ph.D., Columbia University), who is a Professor of Old Testament at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.  Professor Dozeman is one of the editors of A Farewell to the Yahwist? The Composition of the Pentateuch in Recent European Interpretation, (Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series 34).

Dozemen generally holds to the Documentary Hypothesis, which maintains that the Pentateuch derives from four documentary sources: (1) a Yahwist (J) source, written in the south (Judah) in early monarchial times, (2) an Elohist (E) source, written in the north (Israel) somewhat later (these two sources being combined at some point, a combination referred to as JE), (3) a Deuteronomic (D) source, representing the book of the law found in the temple during the 621 B.C. reforms of Josiah., and (4) a Priestly (P) source, which most DH adherents thought to be post-Exilic. These sources were combined by an editor or Redactor (R) to form the   first 5 books of the Old Testament (Pentateuch).

I've already written about the failure of this hypothesis to account for the uniqueness of Genesis, so I will not dwell on that here. Let me say only this: Genesis is a record of the Afro-Asiatic rulers and priests before the emergence of a people identified as Israel. As such, it deserves to be studied apart from Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy which focus on Moses and the people of Israel.

Genesis names no one as its author, but claims to be the “toledot” or record of God’s intervention in history among real persons. The claim to be toledot is made thirteen times in Genesis, a number associated with the Afro-Asiatic lunisolar calendar of 13 months (requiring adjustment 7 times every 19 years.) This, with the organization of 7 days of Genesis 1, suggests a priestly source which is much more ancient than that proposed by the Documentary Hypothesis.

Dozeman, taking the approach of literary criticism, views the ancestor and exodus traditions as originally separate, but ignores the significance of the unique kinship pattern found in both Genesis and Exodus.  Analysis of the marriage pattern of Moses and his father Amram reveals that it is identical to that of Abraham and his ancestors. 

I'm afraid that this Project will teach children that a resourceful editor is responsible for the first 5 books of the Old Testament, without showing them why the priestly lines intermarried according to a unique pattern until the time of the birth of Jesus Christ.  This is equal to asking children to grasp the essence of an animal by showing them only the dissected parts.

Blogging to Communicate the Gospel

Some readers have noticed that I recently added links in My Blogroll.  These are to blogs that I believe readers of Just Genesis will find helpful and interesting. One is written by an Anglican Traditionalist (Bishop Chislett) and the other by a Roman Catholic (Fr. Longenecker). These join the blog list as complements to the writings of Orthodox bloggers.

Bishop David's blog is always informative and theologically grounded in catholic tradition.  I met Bishop David Chislett when I went to Australia last September to speak at the Forward in Faith Conference. 

I also added Standing on My Head, Fr. Dwight Longenecker's blog which is always engaging.  Here is what he has to say about blogging the Gospel:

"My blog, Standing on My Head has a daily readership of about 2,000 people. They visit my blog from across the USA and around the world. They come back for my own peculiar blend of Catholicism, comment on converts, apologetics, humor, inspiration and personal information. Not only can I publish instantly and globally, but the medium is friendly. Regulars make comments and discussions get started on what I have posted.


Because of the “narrowcast” element it sometimes feels like I am not evangelizing at all, but simply “feeding the sheep.”

There is nothing wrong with a pastor feeding the sheep, but I have had enough e-mails over the years to know that a good number of people have returned to the Church, come into full communion with the Church, or had serious questions answered about the Catholic faith through my writings. They tell me that my blog encourages them, entertains them and makes them think about the faith, helps them through difficulties and keeps their faith alive.

Many Anglicans on the verge of coming into full communion read my blog and a good number tell me that it has been one of the helpers for them in their journey home.

I would encourage priests who like to write, and have good communication skills, to launch out into the new media. The technological side isn’t too difficult to master, and once you get going you’ll be surprised the number of people you touch.

What to write on a blog? Keep it short. Make it daily. Most of all, speak the truth simply and with enthusiasm, and before you let down your net make sure you have spent time with God, for before Christ told the disciples to let down their nets he told them to “cast out into the deep.”

(Father Dwight Longenecker, a Register columnist, is online at http://www.dwightlongenecker.com/).

Tp read more on the use of blogs to communicate the Gospel, go here.

God is Good!

Dear Prayer Warriors,


I have written a letter to the Editor of the local newspapers. I would like to share what I wrote:

Dear Editor,

I have just gone through a life threatening disease; H1N1, which hit me out of the blue. I was very fit until October of last year. I was in Saratoga Springs Hospital ICU and Sunnyview rehab in Schenectady, for a total of three months. For the first three weeks in a coma. I felt moved to write to thank the medical staff of Saratoga Hospital and the pulmonary doctors of Saratoga for saving my life. A huge thank you to Dr’s. Ares, Ying, and Del Giacco. I would like to thank the Sunnyview rehab staff and especially thank the Greenwich Family Medical facility, Dr. Austin Tsai and Dr. Colleen Quinn for their devotion, kindness and compassion. The nurses in ICU and all nurses we have been in contact with in all of the medical facilities, and visiting nurses of Washington County have just been amazing. As horrible as the physical effects of being so ill is, the people that surrounded me have been totally fantastic. I have seen another side of human nature being very kind and considerate, it has refreshed my very soul. So often news is rather negative I just wanted to write something positive to thank all those who saved my life and to remind people that it is good to be alive! I really want to say publicly, thank you to all those who prayed for me and all those involved in my healing.


Yours sincerely, The Rev. Nigel Mumford
(Source:  Lent and Beyond)

Readers of Just Genesis were asked here to pray for Father Mumford and I wish to add my thanks.
Alice

God Works With Flawed Material

Richard R. Losch wrote an encyclopedia of All the People in the Bible.  Losch notes that “most of the great leaders of Judaism and Christianity started out as the worst sort of scoundrels.”  He cites Abraham as an example who "lied and cheated his way through Egypt in order to save his own skin."  Then there is Jacob, who cheated his brother out of a birthright and a paternal blessing; and David, an adulterer and murderer who, according to Losch, was “a terrible husband and a worse father.”  Yet, as Losch reminds us, God “working with such flawed material, molded them into spiritual powerhouses…. We who are equally flawed should find great encouragement in this.”

What made these Bible figures spiritually great?  They repented, sometimes being humbled by the Almighty through great adversity.  Adversity can be our friend.  Trials temper our souls. How are you handling the troubles in your life?

God Has Made Progress with Us!

The book of Genesis ends with the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation in the story of Joseph and his brothers. It is the antithesis to the story of Cain killing his brother at the beginning of Genesis.  Cain was jealous of God's blessings of Abel.  It appeared to him that God favored his brother. Likewise, Joseph's brothers resented that their father favored Joseph.  If we read Genesis as a story of conflict between brothers, we see spiritual progress from resentment and murder to forgiveness and reconciliation.  This is a different picture than that presented in dispensational commentaries which stress the continued spiritual degeneration of humanity.

The Scofield Bible, which has greatly influenced conservative American Protestants, defines a dispensation in the subhead to Genesis 1:28: “A dispensation is a period of time during which man is tested in respect to obedience to some specific revelation of the will of God.”  Scofield is not speaking here of the testing of individuals such as Cain, Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Joseph.  He is speaking of the general failure of mankind to love and serve God.  Each of his seven dispensations ends with God's punishing evildoers.  This gives the false impression that God has made no progress with humanity, and misses the obvious contrast between the beginning and the end of Genesis.

On this Sunday of Forgiveness, let us turn all our desires to God who alone is able to purify us and turn our souls from resentment to forgiveness.

Literalists in Good Standing?

A Catholic Blogger recently posted this interesting piece:

"There was a lot of good discussion on my post last week - Friday Fast Fact: The Big Bang Theory. But a few points came up there and in some other responses that are important to clarify and remember as Catholics.

A lot of Christians say that they believe in the biblical Genesis story, rather than the “Big Bang” theory. Of course, such a statement presents a false dichotomy. It implies that the theory of the Big Bang necessarily contradicts the biblical account of creation. That is not true.

Those that believe in a scientifically literal interpretation of the book of Genesis are known as “creationists” or “fundamentalists.” And they can basically hold those views and be in perfectly good standing with the Church. However, we must leave room for other interpretations of Genesis that are still consistent with the doctrine of Jesus’ Church. Especially when the light of reason leads us there.

Read it all here.

According to this Catholic blogger, those who insist on a literal interpretation of Genesis 1-3 are in good standing with the Church. Actually, the Catholic Church discourages concordism, recognizing the inherent dangers of such an approach. 

Interestingly, the person who has best articulated the dangers of concordism isn't Catholic.  He is a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College (Illinois). Here is what he has to say:  "If we accept Genesis 1 as ancient cosmology, then we need to interpret it as ancient cosmology rather than translate it into modern cosmology. If we try to turn it into modern cosmology, we are making the text say something that it never said. It is not just a case of adding meaning (as more information has become available) it is a case of changing meaning. Since we view the text as authoritative, it is a dangerous thing to change the meaning of the text into something it never intended to say." -- John H. Walton, Ph.D (italics mine)

So the question must be asked:  "Should the Church welcome those who change the meaning of the Bible?"  When gay activists tried to do this in the Episcopal Church, it split apart. 

The Roman Catholic Church is held together by a well organized hierarchy and a traditional of Reason in the interpretation of Scripture. Protestant fundamentalists have no vehicle for unity and I doubt that they care whether the Catholic Church welcomes their literalist views.

To read more, go here.

Thank God, Mary Didn't Get an Abortion!

JERUSALEM — A subject ordinarily not on the top of Israel’s national agenda has become a hot topic in recent weeks, following media reports that the country’s two chief rabbis sent a letter to all state-funded rabbis urging them to discourage abortions.

In the letter, which was disseminated in late December, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger noted that approximately 50,000 abortions are performed in Israel every year — 20,000 approved by Health Ministry abortion committees and 30,000 unapproved procedures performed illegally in private clinics.

The chief rabbis wrote that abortions, which Judaism permits under certain circumstances, “delay the coming of the Messiah.”

Read it all here and here.
 
These fine rabbis have missed the central reality of their Tradition, that Messiah would be born of the priestly lines descending from Abraham. The priestly lines no longer intermarry according to the ancient custom, a unique marriage pattern practiced by the ruler-priests of Abraham's people because they believed that the Son of God would be born of their bloodline.  The vehicle for Messiah's appearing is gone.  This can mean only one thing: Messiah has already appeared!

Justice: Righteousness or Power?

Alice C. Linsley

The English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) wrote Leviathan, a book which influenced John Locke and the Founding Fathers of the United States. His idea of a social contract between citizens whereby each agrees to surrender rights to the state is considered one of the best ideas of the Enlightenment. Rarely do people consider how Hobbes' contractarian philosophy departs from and has little in common with the wisdom of antiquity.

In the ancient world, the citizens' well-being depended on the virtue or righteousness of the ruler. Hobbes argued that the sovereign's power is what makes the citizen's comply with the contract. This being the case, justice is not a possibility until sovereignty has been created. By this argument, we conclude that justice is a product of coercive power and contracts are validated by the ruler's power, not by the ruler's virtue or righteousness.

Read it all here.

TEC Clergy Hit List Grows Daily

Alice C. Linsley

Besides the list below, forced clergy terminations are becoming common practice in the Episcopal "church" organization.

The following list includes 404 Priests and Deacons, and 12 Bishops who have been inhibited, deposed, and or released by TEC action. The list was composed by The American Anglican Council and the document heading reads:  HOW TEC LEADERSHIP HAS VIOLATED ITS OWN CANONS, DUE PROCESS AND NATURAL JUSTICE IN DEPOSING AND REMOVING 12 BISHOPS AND 404 PRIESTS AND DEACONS.

God bless these people for that is what they have done in opposing The Episcopal Church's grievous innovations which include women priests, women bishops, non-celibate homosexual clergy, heresies, apostasy, injustice and now forced terminations of clergy who are attempting to avoid the obvious self-destruction of what was once an influential Christian presence in the United States.

In some cases, those listed may have preferred not to be listed. For example, some women in the priesthood may have concluded that they didn't belong in that office. That is my situation and my story can be read here.

I know at least 2 other women - former Episcopal priests - who, like myself, left the priesthood and became Orthodox laywomen by intention. One was released by Bishop Duncan.  Her name doesn't appear on this list. The other woman's name isn't on the list either. I suppose these women's releases are regarded as "friendly" and therefore are not identified with TEC's vindictiveness.  Instead, our releases represent recognition of the Episcopal Church's tragic innovations, women priests being one of the most serious.

It is true that Bishop Sauls inhibited me from ministry, months after I had resigned as rector of a Lexington parish.  It is unfortunate that I am listed since I intentionally renounced Episcopal Church ordination vows, having concluded after prolonged study that the order of priest cannot be occupied by women.

The publication of this list is intended to show that The Episcopal Church has lost all spiritual authority and is a dead institution, but the list inevitably misrepresents the individual stories that stand behind these names. That's the problem with lists, be they TEC's or AAC's.

The Hit List

The Rev. Robert L. DeMoss II 
Released (Jan. 2006)   Alabama

The Rev. Foley T. Beach
Deposed (July 2004)  Atlanta

The Rev. Garland L. Watts, Jr.
Deposed (July 2004)  Atlanta

The Rev. Paul F. Gerlock
Inhibited (July 2006)  Atlanta

The Rev. M. Anthony Seel
Inhibited (July 2007)  Central New York

The Rev. Donald Helmandollar
Removed (June 2007)  Connecticut

The Rev. Mark Hansen
Deposed (Jan. 2006)  Connecticut

The Rev. Alfred Marie Moncla
Deposed (Jan. 2008)  East Carolina

The Rev. Fredericka A. Steenstra
Deposed (July 2007)  East Carolina

The Rev. Gene Geromel
Deposed (Aug. 2005)  Eastern Michigan

Deacon Aldo Erazo
Deposed (June 2006)  Europe Conv.

The Rev. Bradley T. Page
Deposed (June 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Charles Alexander Farmer
Deposed (Nov. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Charles H. Coit
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Charles S. Bailey (Deacon)
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Claudia C. Kalis
Deposed (Sept. 2005)  Florida

The Rev. David C. Allert
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. David Sandifer
Deposed (Nov. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Dennis Ackerson
Deposed (Sept. 2005)  Florida

The Rev. Dorothy Head
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Edwin C. Griswold
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Eric Dudley
Deposed (June 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Gary R. Blaylock
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. George W. Hall, Jr.
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. George W. Stockhowe, Jr.
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Gilbert T. Crosby
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida
The Rev. Harald K. Haugan
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. James L. Hobby
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. James M. Parker
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. James McCaslin
Deposed (Nov. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. James Needham
Deposed (Nov. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Jonathan P. Hartzer
Deposed (Nov. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Lawrence E. O'Connell
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Leonard Eugene Strickland
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Mark R. Eldredge
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Michael W. Petty
Deposed (June 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Neil Lebhar
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Patrina A. McCarty
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Robert Sanders
Deposed (Nov. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Samuel Pascoe
Deposed (Nov. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Sharon S. Hobby
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Shawn E. Porter
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Travis Greenman
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. W. Hall Hunt
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. William Earl Palmer
Deposed (March 2008)  Florida

The Rev. Bruce Flickinger
Released (March 2006)  Florida

The Rev. John Eason
Released (Aug. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Lynne Ashmead
Released (Jan. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Nicholas Marziani
Released (Feb. 2006) Florida

The Rev. Patricia Smith
Released (Aug. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Robert Coon
Released (Jan. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Travis Boline
Released (Jan. 2006)  Florida

The Rev. Dewayne M. Adams
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. H. Jay Atwood
Inhibited (July 2009) Fort Worth

The Rev. J. Ronald Baker
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Patricia A. Banks
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Can. William E. Blewett
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Andrew F.L. Bradley
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Very Rev. Christopher T. Cantrell
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Richard A. Cantrell
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Melody Crabb
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. William A. Crary
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Christopher Culpepper
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Sergio Diaz
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. William R. Dickson
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Jonathan Duncan
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. James A. Eanes
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Dr. Charles Eriandson
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Lana K. Farley
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Randall Foster
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Roger Grist
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Michael Heidt
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Dennis W. Helbert
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Thomas E. Hightower
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Charles Hough IV
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Cecil Dow James
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Stephen W. Jones
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Kingsley Obi Jon-Ubabuco
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. John W. Jordan
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Terence N. Jordan
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Thomas B. Kennedy
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. David F. Klein
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Edward F. Kresowatty
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. I. Javier Loyo
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Kenneth W. MacKenzie
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Timothy M. Matkin
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Sandra McCown
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Alan E. McGlauchlin
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. George L. Milyiori
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Robert O. Mitchell
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Chad Nausbaum
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Can. David E. Nyberg
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. William E. O'Connell
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. I. Jonathan Ogujiofor
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Vance C. Page
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Timothy P. Perkins
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. John M. Phelps
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Darryl J. Pigeon
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Very Rev. Ryan S. Reed
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. W. Ann Richards
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Zeke L. Rogers
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Stuart B. Smith
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Micah Snell
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Very Rev. Christopher C. Stainbrook
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Mark Stockstill
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. S. Philip Swickard
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Louis L. Tobola
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Kerwin K. Wade
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Nancy S. Weaver
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Joshua Whitfield
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Very Rev. J. Scott Wilson
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Very Rev. Scott R. Wooten
Inhibited (July 2009)  Fort Worth

The Rev. Charles Conover (Deacon)
Deposed (Sept. 2007)  Indianapolis

The Rev. Dr. Thomas Tirman
Deposed (Sept. 2007)  Indianapolis

The Rev. John Beasley
Deposed (Dec. 2007)  Indianapolis

The Rev. D.O. Smart
Deposed (Nov. 2005)  Kansas

The Rev. Ronald McCrary
Deposed (Nov 2005)  Kansas

The Rev. Kent Litchfield
Deposed (Jan. 2006  Kentucky

The Rev. Alice Linsley
Removed (March 2006)  Lexington

The Rev. Anna Gulick
Removed (March 2006)  Lexington

The Rev. David Brannen
Inhibited (Jan. 2005)  Lexington

The Rev. Martin Gornik
Removed (March 2006)  Lexington

Deacon Sara Lee Burch
Deposed (Aug. 2006)  Los Angeles

The Rev. Ronald W. Jackson
Deposed (Aug. 2006)  Los Angeles

The Rev. Jose Poch
Deposed (March 2005)  Los Angeles

The Rev. Kathleen Adams
Deposed (March 2005)  Los Angeles

The Rev. Richard Menees
Deposed (March 2005)  Los Angeles

The Rev. William Thompson
Deposed (March 2005)  Los Angeles

The Rev. Lance Giuffrida
Deposed (October 2007)  Massachusetts

The Rev. Allen Kannapell
Deposed (July 2006)  Michigan

The Rev. Terence L. Wilson
Deposed (Feb. 2005)  Milwaukee

John Thomas Urban
Deposed (Oct. 2004)  Mississippi

Ruth Virginia David Urban
Deposed (Oct. 2004)  Mississippi

The Rev. Samuel M. Outerbridge
Released (May 2006)  New Jersey

The Rev. Carlton C. Clarke
Deposed (Aug. 2008)  New York 

The Rev. John W. Gibson, Jr.
Deposed (2005)  North Carolina

The Rev. David H. Miller
Deposed (Dec. 2006)  Northern California

The Rev. Constance D. Harris
Released (July 2006)  Ohio

Deacon Samuel E. Gordin II
Deposed (Jan. 2007)  Oklahoma

The Rev. Donald L. Lawrence, Jr.
Deposed (Jan. 2007)  Oklahoma

The Rev. John Bailey
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Ronald Baillie
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Simon Barnes
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. James Bauer
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Douglas Blakelock
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Seth Brooker
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Dennett Buettner
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Donald Bushyager
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Aaron Carpenter
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Deborah Carr
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Paul Chaney
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Geoffrey Chapman
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Paul Cooper
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Robert P. Coval
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Donald Allen Cox, Jr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Daniel Crawford
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Cruikshank
Released (October 2009) Pittsburgh

The Rev. Lawrence Deihle
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. William Driscoll
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Norman Drysdale
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Norman Erb-White
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Leslie Fairfield
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Daryl Fenton
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Dallam Ferneyhough
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Fierro
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Huett Fleming, Jr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. James Forrest
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Peter Frank
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Gabig
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. J. Bruce Geary
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Gordon Green
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. David H. Grissom
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Don Gross
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Guest
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Robert Hanna
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Mary Maggard Hays
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Whis Hays
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Heidengren
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Paul Henry
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. William Henry
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Thomas Herrick
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Hervey
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Travis Hines
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Scott Homer
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Eric Hornbuckle
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Ira Houck, Jr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. William Henry Ilgenfritz
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Samuel Jampetro IV
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Terrence Johnson
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Arnold Klukas
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Carrie Klukas
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Christopher Klukas
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Barbara Knotts
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Lawrence Knotts
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Joseph Koch
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Colin Patrick Larkin
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Leggett
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Tina Lockett
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Macdonald
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. David MacKenzie
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Ethan Magness
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Juan Marentes
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Ronald McKeon
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Joseph R. Martin
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh
The Rev. Jeffrey Mead
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Peggy Means
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Jonathan Millard
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Gary D. Miller
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. James Morehead III
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Carl Neely, Jr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Stephen Noll
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Peter Ostrander
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. F. Ann Paton
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Langdon Pegram
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. George Pierce
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John Porter
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Keith Pozzuto
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Jeffrey Rawn
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Andrew Ray
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. David Rucker
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Douglas Sherman, Jr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Eddie Slayton
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Jay Slocum
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. David St. Clair
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. William Starke
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Karen Stevenson
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Elaine Storm
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Paul Sutcliffe, Jr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Clifford Swartz
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Eric Taylor
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Gaea Thompson
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. H. Lawrence Thompson III
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Andrew Tibus
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Joseph Vitunic, Jr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. James Vreeland
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Matthew Walter
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. David Wilson
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Michael Wurschmidt
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Michael Yemba
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Aaron Zimmerman
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Mark Zimmerman
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Donald Bowers
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Andrea Buettner
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Marybeth Carey
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. James Chester
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Jack Dolan
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Karen Geary
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. J. Edmond Hay
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Joanne Hetrick
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Harold Hicks, Jr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Judith Lynn Howells
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Tara Jernigan
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Byron Johnson
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Colleen Klingensmith
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Marion Kush
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Jonathan Linebaugh
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Robert Lytle, Sr.
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Ruth Manson
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Nancy Phillips
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. William Rau
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Elizabeth Rodewald
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Joel Scandrett
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Diane Scott
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Rebecca Spanos
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Mary Jeane Steele
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Mark Stevenson
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Laura Theis
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Wendell Turney
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Harry Walter
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Kathy Walzer
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Laura Wicker
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Dennis Wilson
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. Karen Woods
Released (October 2009)  Pittsburgh

The Rev. John R. Spencer
Deposed (Aug 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Edward den Blaauwen
Deposed (Aug 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Richard Chapin
Deposed (Aug 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Thomas Janikowski
Deposed (Aug 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Lewis Payne
Deposed (Aug 2009)  Quincy

The Rev James Marshall
Deposed (Aug 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Peter Powell
Deposed (Aug 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Andy Ainley
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. William Barnds
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Michael Brooks
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Eric Craig
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Richard Crist
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. James Derbyshire
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Shawn Doubet
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Ronald Drummond
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Charles Flinn
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Gus Franklin
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Thomas Gimple
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. M. Bill Knapp
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Louis Mahue
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Arthur Mattox
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Steven McClaskey
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Nicholas Pierce
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. V. Joey Scalisi
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. William Swatos
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Robert Tiling
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. David Wagner
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy
The Rev. Ronald White
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon Rod Bales
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon Paul Brooks
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon Diane Brooks
Inhibited (Sep 2009) Quincy

The Rev. Deacon Dennis Brown
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon Phillip Fleming
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon Danny Grimes
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon K. Krewer
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon Joshua Miller
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon William Timmons
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Deacon Christian Whatley
Inhibited (Sep 2009)  Quincy

The Rev. Alfred A. Sawyer
Deposed ((Mar 2009)  Rio Grande

The Rev. David J. Harnish
Deposed (July 2006)  Rochester

The Rev. Keith J. Acker
Deposed (Aug. 2006)  San Diego

The Rev. Robert M. Jepsen
Deposed (Aug. 2006)  San Diego

The Rev. Stephen A. Baron
Released (Aug. 2006)  San Diego

The. Rev. Lawrence D. Bausch
Deposed (June 2007)  San Diego

The Rev. Anthony J. Faint
Deposed (June 2007)  San Diego

The Rev. Donald L. Kroeger
Deposed (June 2007)  San Diego

The Rev. Michael Nee
Deposed (June 2007)  San Diego

The Rev. Joseph R. Rees
Deposed (June 2007)  San Diego

The Rev. Dee Renner
Deposed (June 2007)  San Diego

The Rev. Edward J. Renner
Deposed (June 2007)  San Diego

The Rev. Robert S. Trebbe
Deposed (June 2007)  San Diego

The Rev. Judith R. Battershell
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. David Alan Brown
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Madeline Durrett Burton
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Wesley James Clare
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Donald J. Cleave
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. John Chilson Combs
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Dale Jackson Cox
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Carl E. Dietze
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. William Richard Eastman
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Jack Alexander Estes
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Jack Dwayne Faucett
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. David Mallery Foster
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Thomas Mallery Foster
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. William E. Gandenberger
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Erin Christianson Giles
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Howard Roden Giles, II
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Laurel Julliette Greene
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Woodrow Canieso Guban
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Robert George Hilliard
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Richard Ian James
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Blandford B. Jones, II
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Jinkun Michael Jun
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Gordon M. Kamai
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Linda Marie Klug
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Wolfgang Eugene Krismanits
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Robert Victor Latour
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Cathy Marie Fresbie Leach
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Frances Genevieve Levy
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Thomas Lawrence Maggitti
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Bertha Jean Rodriquez Marker
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Van austin McCallister, II
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Michael Donald McClenaghan
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Arlen Glen Neckels
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Stephen George Nicholls
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Ronald James Parry
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Tancredo Ribubuet Pastores, Jr.
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Carlos Lee Raines
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Robert R. Richard
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Kenneth D. Richards
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Norman John Riebe
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Roger Dirk Riggsby
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Jerry Dean Roberts
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rt. Rev. John-David M. Schofield
Deposed (Mar. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Donald Austin Seeks
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. James Langley Snell
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Kay Winifred Sprague
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. James L. Stout
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Mary Gwathmey Swann
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Charles Richard Threewit
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Robert Ward Tobias
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. John-Paul Wadlin
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Andrew Edward Watson
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Jane Reeves Futrell Williams
Deposed (Oct. 2008)  San Joaquin

The Rev. Paul L. Nicely
Released (Aug. 2006)  Southern Ohio

The Rev. Colin C. Cooper
Deposed (Sept. 2008)  Southern VA

The Rev. Martin O'Rourke
Deposed (Nov. 2006)  Southern VA

The Rev. J. Coleman Tyler
Deposed (Aug. 2008)  Southern VA

The Rev. William Midgett
Deposed (August 2008)  Tennessee

The Rev. David N. Jones
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. David R. Harper

Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. E. Kathleen Christopher
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Elijah B. White
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Frederick M. Wright
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. George R. Beaven
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Herbert J. McMullan
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Jack W. Grubbs
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Jeffrey O. Cerar
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. John A.M. Guernsey
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. John W. Yates II
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Marion D. Lucas, III
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Mark W. Brown
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Marshall Brown
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Neal H. Brown
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Ramsey D. Gilchrist
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Richard C. Crocker
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Robin Rauh
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Robin T. Adams
Deposed (July 2007)  Virginia

The Rev. Valarie A. Whitcomb
Deposed (July 2007) Virginia

The Rev. Phil Ashey
Deposed (Dec. 2005)  Virginia

The Rev. Charles A. Williams IV
Deposed (April 2005)  West Tennessee

Dark Sky, Howling Wind

The Peshitta is a version of the entire Bible read by Syrian Christians.  (This is the Bible that St. Ephrem the Syrian knew.)  In the Peshitta, Genesis 8:4 says that Noah's Ark landed in the “mountains of Quardu.”  This probably refers to Cudi Dagh, a mountain range in southern Turkey near the borders of Syria and Iraq.  Doubtless this represents the eastern tradition of the older African story.

Likely the identification of Noak's Ark with Ararat is a misunderstanding of the Arabic herarat - حرار  - which means vehemence.  Har-arat, better translated, would mean Mountain of Vehemence. 

Noah's ark is also identified with Armenia, but this too is misleading. Older sources indicate that Noah's ark came to rest on Mount Meni, near Lake Chad. Armenia is likely a corruption of Har Meni, Mount Meni. This coupled with the Genesis geneaologial data showing that Noah's ancestors lived in west central Africa seems conclusive.

Mount Meni is almost exactly in the center of Africa. Today it stands at about 4000 feet. According to David M. Westley, PhD, Director of the African Studies Library at Boston University, "From the center of the Chad Basin to Mount Meni is about 230 miles."  In the time of Noah (12,000 -14,000 years ago), Lake Chad was a sea (Mega Chad) and would easily have extended that far.

There is the parallel between har-meni and har-arat. The conjunction "meni" in the Afro-Asiatic languages means "then, after that" and may refer to a time after the flood's devastation or to continuing turbulence in nature. Har-meni (mountain of "then, after that") and Har-arat (mountain of vehemence) convey the concept of a prolonged and intense encounter with God's visible power.

The word "meni" appears only once in the Bible, in Isaiah 65:11, where it is paralleled with the word gad, meaning good fortune. This suggests a connection between meni and encounters with God on mountain tops because where the word gad appears there is often a contextual reference to sacrifice offered on mountains. We recall that Noah offered burnt sacrifice on the mountain in thanksgiving for his deliverance (Gen. 8:20) and that God established a covenant with Noah and his descendents.

I'm reminded of the Gikuyu story of the experience of first Man and Woman:
There was wind and rain. And there was also thunder and terrible lightening. The earth and the forest around Mount Kerinyaga shook. The animals in the forest whom the Creator had recently put there were afraid. There was no sunlight. This went on for many days so that the whole land was in darkness. Because the animals could not move, they sat and moaned with the wind. The plants and trees remained dumb.

It was, our elders tell us, all dead except for the thunder, a violence that seemed to strangle life. It was this dark night whose depth you could not measure, not you nor I can conceive of its solid blackness, which would not let the sun pierce through it.

But in the darkness, at the foot of Mount Kerinyaga, a tree rose. At first it was a small tree and it grew up, finding a way even through the darkness. It wanted to reach the light and the sun. This tree had Life. It went up, sending forth the rich warmth of a blossoming tree - you know, a holy tree in the dark night of thunder and moaning. This was Mukuyu, God's tree.

Now you know that at the beginning of things there was only one man (Gikuyu) and one woman (Mumbi). It was under this Mukuyu that He first put them. And immediately the sun rose and the dark night melted away. The sun shone with a warmth that gave life and activity to all things. The wind and the lightening and thunder stopped. The animals stopped moaning and moved, giving homage to the Creator and to Gikuyu and Mumbi. And the Creator, who is also called Murungu, took Gikuyu and Mumbi from his holy mountain to the country of the ridges near Siriana and there stood them on a big ridge.

I'm reminded of Abraham's encounter on a wild and windy mountain where he intended to sacrifice his son.  To quote William H. Willimon: "The sky darkens, the wind howls and a young man walks up another Moriah, driven by a God who demands everything and who stops at nothing. He carries a cross on his back rather than sticks for a fire, but like Abraham, he is obedient to a wild and restless God who is determined to have his way with us, no matter what the cost."