The Patriarch’s Letter for this Sunday

Last March, I was in San Clemente, California, with the Primates Council members and their wives.  We had a great gathering, and the Lord spoke to us in so many ways.  At the time, we were hearing about this “Coronavirus” that apparently was in China and Europe and perhaps spreading to the United States.  Little did we know at the time what that “danger” and “spreading” was all about. When we returned home, suddenly, there was talk about a “lockdown” and the shutting down of entire countries in Europe, and we in the United States were soon to follow.  That shutdown happened.  We were told the shutdown would be 15 days to flatten the curve so that hospitals could handle the overwhelming numbers of people admitted.

We also heard about “essential services” and “non-essential services.”  Grocery stores were essential, and guidelines were given for those who needed to shop.  Elderly people even had special times to shop.  Of course, healthcare workers, police officers, emergency personnel, sanitation workers, pharmacists, and others were considered essential, and indeed they were.

Then there were the lists of non-essentials that ranged from “gyms” to restaurants and bars. Most small retail shops or barbershops and hair salons were non-essential.  Churches were considered non-essential, and still, in many states, churches face restrictions on the number of people who can occupy their buildings.  For sacramental churches, like the CEC, that meant there were no Eucharists, no baptisms, no weddings, no funerals, no last rites at the hospitals (clergy were even forbidden to visit dying parishioners), or any other sacramental rite available to the people of God.  Thank the Lord for the internet, as the churches could go virtual and minister to the people.  The Church established an online presence. But, while churches were considered non-essential abortion, clinics were deemed essential.  While medical procedures and other medical services were put on hold as non-essential, abortion was a procedure that was deemed to be essential.

The pandemic put life and death before us.  As the numbers of hospitalized patients and those dying from COVID increased, we faced a new pandemic of “fear.”  On the positive side, we became deeply concerned about the vulnerable among us in nursing homes, long-term living facilities, assisted living centers, and senior living facilities.  Thousands died in these facilities, and the medical community told us outright that the elderly were most at risk and most likely not to survive the virus.  The elderly who lived at home were advised to avoid contact with their children and grandchildren.  Contact with an asymptomatic child could result in being infected and death.  Those who are isolated from the community’s daily life were now even more isolated to be protected from this virus of death.

It is good that soon a vaccine will be available. Healthcare workers and these seniors in facilities will be the first to receive the vaccine, followed by senior citizens who have underlying health issues.  Soon those with other diseases will receive treatment.  And perhaps our hearts will be changed in our appreciation for the elderly among us.  Hopefully, the Church will be awakened to the concerns of our elderly.

Throughout it all, abortion clinics, however, remained open.  Abortion clinics were an “essential service.”  While society rightfully cared for the elderly, they ignored the preborn — innocent little children who rely totally on others for their protection and life.  These babies were still disposable.  While politicians ran for office on the handling or mishandling of the Coronavirus, there was little concern or even awareness that some of the candidates ran on a platform that advocated the right to abort a baby up to the moment of birth, and, even in some cases, to allow a baby to die after birth.

The Church is always called to be present during human suffering with the message of life.  Our faith is based on a God who suffered among us.  It is right and a good thing that many churches ministered to those suffering from COVID.  It is also right and good that the Church advocates for the poor, the widow, the fatherless, the single mothers, the disenfranchised, the homeless, the hungry, those in prison, immigrants, and those seeking freedom from tyranny.  These are pro-life concerns.  The Church needs to proclaim life into these situations, or as some say, we have a ministry of life from the womb to the tomb.

During the pandemic, we continue to have concern for everyone who is at risk, who has the disease, and especially those who mourn the death of a loved one because of the disease.  We mourn the loss of almost 300,000 who have died from COVID and pray the new vaccine will end this horror.  We continue to preach life and not give in to a fear of death.

Yet, we must also continue to cry out with a loud voice for the preborn babies’ right to life.   As of this year, almost 40,000,000 abortions were performed worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.  That is 125,000 babies a day.  In the United States, roughly 3,000 preborn babies die every day at the hands of abortionists.  We are told that 22% of all pregnancies in American end in abortion.  There are more babies aborted in parts of New York City than brought to a full-term pregnancy and birth.  We cannot get quality of life if we continue to destroy life.  Death cannot be a solution to injustice or oppression.  That is not good news.

A great deal of progress has been made over the past few years in bringing about change and saving babies’ lives.  Abortion clinics continue to close, and some states could soon become “abortion free” states.  The courts are now more “friendly” to pro-life cases and rule in favor of the right to life and the protection of the preborn.  We could face some setbacks in the next few years, but we will continue to fight to be a voice for the voiceless.  (Thank you to all who continue to pray at the abortion mills regularly.  Persevere and do not give up.)

A lot still needs to be done on all different levels if we are to win and find a day when abortion will not only be illegal, but unthinkable.  We must continue to work towards the day when the truth that God loves the unborn child, and that God loves the mother who has tragically presented herself for abortion, is understood.  Our churches should be centers of life and healing for all the little children, for families in crisis, for single mothers, the fatherless, and the widows.

Churches should be a voice for the poor and a place where mercy and justice meet at the cross.  We must work towards the day when death is not considered a solution; rather, choices of life for both mother and baby are more obvious and more available.

This is going to take a change of heart.  The Pro-life movement is a Gospel movement.  We need to support our clergy in preaching and teaching the Gospel of life from womb to tomb.  We need to raise a generation that continues in the fight until the right to life is a reality for all.  We need to raise a generation that has the heart of God.  This is what CEC for Life is all about. Though the end of abortion is a primary concern of CEC for Life, it does not mean the leadership of CEC for Life is not concerned about all life.  The battle cry is “All Life is Sacred.”

The Charismatic Episcopal Church was birthed in the Pro-Life movement and the “cultural wars” of the past few decades.  As a people, God spoke to us and drew us into the life of the ancient and historic Church. We saw and continue to see that through liturgy and sacraments, along with preaching the Good News and the transformation of the heart, and empowerment by the Holy Spirit (the Lord and giver of Life), we join in a cultural war that has been raging since the beginning of time.

The cross of Christ is a cultural war, and victory was won on that cross in the wounds of Christ Jesus and the shedding of His blood. We found out that, as we participate in His life, and particularly His death, we find that ultimate gift of life, the resurrection and defeat of death.  This truth is lived out every day in our people, but particularly in the praise and thanksgiving of the Eucharist Feast.

On January 17th, the third Sunday of the Christmas season, the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church celebrates a feast in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord and Giver of Life.  During the Eucharist, an offering is to be taken where we ask every participant and member of the ICCEC to give generously to the pro-life work of our communion.  We also ask every clergy, along with every parish, to partner with CEC for Life by submitting their membership request for the year.

I can only ask you to give generously, which most of you do.

What more will we do? We will persevere with the Gospel, knowing that in due season we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  We will continue to pray at abortion clinics.  We will continue to work with other Pro-Life groups.  We will continue to raise up a generation around the world who are Gospel activists.  We will continue to equip the Church with the message of life.

Please once again join us.  Be a part of a godly solution and a warrior for life.

Under His mercy,

The Most Rev. Craig W. Bates

Patriarch, ICCEC

This letter was originally published on CEC for Life’s web-site.

The Patriarch to Visit Church of the Messiah this Sunday

This Sunday, October 18th, at our 10 o’clock service, Church of the Messiah is blessed to welcome Archbishop Craig W. Bates, the Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church.  Abp. Bates will be preaching during the service as well as celebrating the Holy Eucharist.  We will be worshiping in person in the sanctuary of Ft. Caroline Presbyterian Church (at our current location) and the service will be live streamed via Facebook for those who cannot attend in person.

Archbishop Bates began his ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church where, in 1985, he was called to serve as the associate pastor of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, in Malverne, New York. Five years later, after the retirement of the senior pastor then-Fr. Bates was called to be the senior pastor–a position he has maintained until 2018. In 1994, Fr. Bates left the Episcopal Church and joined the fledgling Charismatic Episcopal Church. The following year, St. Thomas Episcopal Church became a part of the CEC and changed their name to Church of the Intercessor. On November 14, 1997, Craig Bates was consecrated the first Bishop of the Diocese of the Northeast. Nine years later, on January 9, 2008, Bishop Bates was elected the second Patriarch of the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. In addition to pastoring the same church for over 30 years and all of his episcopal ministry, Archbishop Bates holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Franconia College, a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Anna Maria College and a Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary. Archbishop Bates is extremely active in the New York metropolitan area as a voice for church unity, an original signer of the Manhattan Declaration, and a staunch defender of the pre-born in the Pro-Life movement. He has been married to his wife for over 40+ years and together they have three grown children and a growing number of grand-children!

Archbishop Bates is a mighty man of God and a powerful prophetic voice in the Church.  Please join us in welcoming our Patriarch this Sunday, October 18th, at 10 o’clock.  We encourage everyone to join us in person* or virtually on Facebook Live and invite their friends to join us as we witness that The LORD is doing.

 

*For more information about our COVID-19 precautions, visit this page.

The Patriarch’s Easter Statement

Seems to me like every pastor, preacher, and evangelist has discovered social media, and in particular, the ability to live stream. It might seem to be that way for me because so many of my “friends” and/or “contacts” on social medial are conservative Evangelicals, Orthodox, Anglicans, or Catholics. Of course, I also have a significant number of friends from my own denomination. Despite this, I have held back on becoming involved in social media. I don’t want to become another “talking head pastor.”  I have instead tried to refer people to others who are doing an excellent job at leading people in prayer and worship. Many of them are ICCEC churches. I have also joined others during morning prayer, group gatherings, and Sunday mornings. What an encouragement these bishops, priests, and deacons have been to my family and me. Soon we will have link information on the various live streams on CEC-NA.
As I write this note to the ICCEC, the state of New York is the center of the pandemic in the United States. Not just in the United States but for the entire world. Today, there are 103,000 plus (and growing) cases in New York and most of those in the New York City Metropolitan Area. This does not include those in New Jersey and Connecticut.  The center of the pandemic in New York City is Elmont, New York (a village of Queens County in New York City), which is less than ten minutes from my home. I have been told that because of my age, some respiratory and health issues, to stay home and have no contact with anyone outside. I am careful to follow these instructions.
I have decided that the Christian response to the pandemic is to submit and obey to those who have authority over us. Certainly, I do so for myself but also because if I were to test positive for COVID-19, I would be highly contagious and perhaps, even unknowingly, infect someone else. Although, I am disappointed that I cannot gather with my brothers and sisters for the daily Eucharist, daily prayers, and, more importantly, the Sunday Eucharist.
The decision of Churches to cancel public gatherings is the right decision. This has been the decision of every sacramental church from Rome to Anglicans. The major spiritual leaders of the historic churches have all called for a suspension of public gatherings, even for Holy Week and Easter. I encourage all of us to do the same.
It is important that we do not get infected but also that we don’t infect others. The best way to end this thing is social distancing and washing our hands frequently. And pray. Rather than “sing happy birthday,” I pray the Our Father and other prayers.
This forced quarantine has opened up a tremendous amount of time for me to pray and research the Scriptures. I have also enjoyed reading and, above all, listening to some great preachers. On Sunday, I make a list of those who have live-streamed their services and then during the week I will listen to one of the sermons each day of the week. I have connected with my own Cathedral and sign on to their virtual Eucharist every day at 12 p.m. EST. I am part of a small group of brothers and sisters who have been faithful in prayer. I have also joined prayer groups in Manila and Europe. The increased use of the internet in ministry, especially for evangelism, I believe, is something that will continue after the pandemic. I am excited about that and the potential to reach our friends and others with the Gospel.
As I listen to the government and medical officials, it is clear that this pandemic is far from over. In New York, the apex or peak has not happened yet, and it is predicted that the peak will fall somewhere between two weeks from now to the end of April. After that, there will still be a time when the virus will be active, and we will still have to stay home. “Back to normal” is several months away for New Yorkers. Leaders are telling us that the worst has not yet happened, and in the end the death toll could be as high as 200,000 or maybe more.
It means for most that we will not have public worship services for Palm Sunday, all Holy Week, and Easter Sunday. It means that our services will be almost entirely “live-streamed.” If you are a small church and can’t live stream, it is important that you find out if your Cathedral is live-streaming and encourage your people to join them online.
I had hoped that this deadly virus would have been over by Easter Sunday. How glorious it would be if that were true, and we could gather and sing the great hymns and songs of the resurrection together. How our souls would rejoice to hear the Gospel proclaim that the tomb is empty, and death is defeated. Above all, it would be brilliant to gather at the altar where we know Him in the breaking of the bread and join with all the saints in eternal worship. I cannot remember a time in my seventy years that I was not around the altar for the Feast of the Resurrection.
We need to remind ourselves that celebrating the Passion and Resurrection is something we do every Sunday. We are a people of the resurrection, and in the face of death, we are not afraid. We do not allow anxiety, worry, or fear take the place of prominence in our lives. And, even at the grave, we will sing our song “alleluia.” The truth is that this horrible pandemic is going to end. I believe they will discover both a cure and a vaccine. We will gather once again and praise God in our churches.
This Lent (the Lent of all Lents) teaches that through prayer, reading and study of scripture, fasting, repentance, helping the poor, and sacrificial giving, we allow our souls and bodies to be drawn into a deeper participation in the life and death of Christ. But these are not just principles for Lent; they are disciplines meant for our entire Christian walk with Jesus. If we are to follow Him (which is far more than believing in Him) we are daily to pick up our cross. We are to deny ourselves and humble ourselves. It is through the cross that we come closer to Jesus.
When this ends, I pray that we have brought ourselves and our churches into a deeper commitment to daily prayers, both as individuals and communities. How great it would be if there were growth in early morning prayer both at the church, in our homes, and on social media. I am even thinking of starting an online prayer group. To pray is to breathe the breath of God. To pray is to abide in Christ, knowing Christ lives in us and we in Christ. To pray is to abide with Jesus in the heavenly places.
When this ends, I pray that we renew our commitment to the reading, studying, and doing the Holy Scriptures. We are called to be disciples, and our churches are called to make disciples. I know of one church that is looking at developing an online campus of events and programs that people can participate in without leaving their homes. However, I also hope there is an increase in weekday home groups (relationship is part of discipleship). During this pandemic, I have a renewed understanding of the role Scripture plays in my day to day life. It is the sword of the Spirit and it is profitable to a righteous man.  Every day, the Lord has spoken to me in His Word, and I have been equipped. I am more equipped to be an ambassador of Christ proclaiming in word and deed the ministry of reconciliation and not judgment. What a joy to have churches that have a Biblical world view and not a political or media-driven world view.
Fasting reminds us that the body is a great servant but a horrible leader. We are to be led by the Spirit, and weekly fasting is good for our soul. We sometimes laughed at the “no meat on Friday” obligation. We laugh because we saw it as “legalism.” But fasting one day a week is not such a bad thing. It is not necessary for salvation, but it is a good discipline to discipline the body and renew the Spirit. After this, Lent may we discover increase times of fasting not only individually and perhaps as a whole parish or a whole diocese. Not as a law, but as a means of moving more and more in the Spirit. I believe the Holy Spirit is going to move into the world with the message of God’s love and promise of eternal life.
We are not in need of repentance just during Lent. This isolation has turned me into the need to have my mind renewed repeatedly so that I am not conformed to the pattern of this world. Watching endless news conforms us to the world. I am thankful for the ability to confess my sins and have Him restore me day after day. Being able to look at the pandemic from the eyes of God enabled me to see how much I am loved, and we are loved. Hence, there has been caution, but no fear. I hope that the Churches and each of is renewed in our understanding that God has forgiven us, and we have a constant need to forgive those who have offended us. I hope there is a renewal of confession both in the Penitential order of the Liturgy. But I also hope for a renewal of private confession that will bring reconciliation and healing in our churches, homes, between individuals, and in our communities. What power will be released through this simple act of love. What power will be released when people look at us, and say, “we know they are followers of Jesus by their love for one another.”
The poor must be dear to our hearts, not only during Lent but throughout the whole year. In my times of prayer, I have had times of weeping thinking of the impact the pandemic is having and is going to have on the poor in our church in Africa, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. How senseless was the hoarding behavior of people in the West? How we need to understand that the vast majority of Africa, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia have nothing to hoard. They already live day to day with no or limited medical care. How the poor live with the reality of cholera, malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Malnutrition and starvation is a reality for millions in these areas. Finding clean water or proper sewage is difficult. Also, in some places the people cry not because the schools are closed but because there are no school. I hope this Lent has brought us to live a life with and for the poor. The poor, the widow, and the fatherless are dear to our God. How can we serve them?
There is also the poor right around us. We have discovered how many live-in fear. And fear leads to all kinds of addictions and destructive behavior. There are those around us who are spiritually empty and searching. I hope that our use of social media will not be to entertain the saved but to reach the lost. May we come out of the pandemic as an army that has a mission that so much greater than the need to survive.
I have determined myself that there are two types of people, and I have since modified that to believe there are three types of people. The first are takers. Takers live life to get what they can out of life. They believe that they are entitled to everything. So, they live taking as if they can take all their possessions with them. Their sin is that they treat people like things and things like people. Instead of loving people, they love things. The second group are buyers. These are people who appear as if they are givers. They are generous in giving gifts, particularly to those less fortunate than themselves. But they also expect complete loyalty, as each gift comes with a price. They are manipulators of the least. The third group are givers. Givers are determined to live a life for others. It is not what they can take out of life but what they put into life and especially the lives of others. They give not out of duty or with expectations but because they know that real blessing is in giving.
I pray this Lent has taught us about things that really matter in life. Those things that are important and will motivate us to become generous givers, especially to the work of the Lord through His Church. We should study what it means to be a giver – particularly Malachi 3.8-12. This is not only about giving but about trusting in our Lord God. It is the beginning of living a life knowing for certain it is God who is our protector and provider. When the next crisis comes, we will not fear for we will know, not just believe, He is with us.
I believe in the Liturgical calendar. I enjoy keeping the Liturgical calendar. The time of Holy Week, Easter, the Ascension, and Pentecost are my favorites. I am going to miss the traditions and liturgies this year. But we all know that we are called to live in between Pentecost and the Second Coming. We are called to be Resurrection people in the midst of a dying world. I hope Lent transformed us individually, as families, and a Church community.
I don’t expect the world to be different and churches to be packed after the pandemic is over. It is like believing that was going to happen after 9/11. Nor is it any different than expecting that the Sunday after Easter is going to be as well attended as Easter. But I do hope that we, the people of God, will have been revived and renewed, and on fire to bring the Gospel outside of the church. May the suffering of this pandemic motivate us to live the three streams of being charismatic, evangelical, and sacramental in order to glorify Christ and lead others in the way of salvation.
Christ is risen from the dead. Trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.
Under His mercy,
+Craig W. Bates,
Patriarch

The Patriarch’s Letter on the Feast of Our Lord the Giver of Life

The Gospel of John chapter 10 and verse 10 reports Jesus telling His disciples that He came that we might have life and have life abundantly. It is through the sacraments and the Scriptures that we find the essence and fullness of human life, now and for all eternity. John further records in John 14:6 that life is not a “concept” or merely something “spiritual” but is the person of Jesus. The person of Jesus shows that, in the eyes of God, all human life is not only good and sacred but is the focus of His love in Jesus and therefore worthy of redemption.

Every Christmas season the whole world and especially the Church are reminded that the God and King of the entire universe has become human in the womb of a virgin. Not human for a time, but for all time. He never abandons His humanity but takes humanity, through His death and resurrection, upon His Kingdom throne and sits in His humanity over all creation. This Christ Jesus, whom we worship because of His humanity and divinity, is God with us to never leave us.

The Church is called to proclaim that Jesus is Lord. He is the truth. Our task is not to debate the world about this truth but to proclaim this truth. Our convincing the world of this truth is far more profound than just discourse with our society and culture about truth; it is the presentation of Christ in us in the world. We are to live out the truth that is revealed to us by living that revelation in the culture and society in which we dwell.

I am absolutely opposed to abortion. I believe abortion is never necessary. I believe abortion is the taking of human life and, in some cases, not only killing but murder. I am abhorred by any abortion but particularly by late-term abortion and by those who are now comfortable even with infanticide. I am appalled by those who march forward with advocating abortion for any reason whatsoever, including genetic selection, gender selection, and racial selection.

Because I am opposed to abortion in this manner, I am often challenged with the charge that “being pro-life is more than being anti-abortion.” Of course to be pro-life is to be more than anti-abortion. And, the church, particularly the ancient and historic church, has always been in the forefront of proclaiming the dignity of human life. The church is called to bring life, not only for the salvation of our souls, but in the food for the hungry, water for the thirsty, and shelter for the homeless. The church has always embraced a welcome to strangers and refugees. The church has always visited those in prison and declared release to those who are in bondage to sin, the world, and the devil.

Drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual promiscuity, greed, materialism, consumerism, poverty, domestic violence, and the sex trade industry are breeding grounds for the killing of the unborn. The church must bring the Gospel of life and the light of that Gospel into those areas of darkness. The Gospel is the way to address these horrors.

At this moment in our history, we are confronted in the United States with around 3,000 abortions a day or 1,095,000 a year. Around the world there are more than 100,000 abortions a day or 36,500,000 a year. More abortions committed in one day than in all of World War II.

Abortion is not a legal issue or a political issue, though we need to address the issue in the courts and in the legislature. Abortion is a moral issue and an issue of the soul. Mother Teresa reminds us that a country that allows the killing of its infants in the womb has lost its soul. Have the nations of the world who have permitted and legalized this murder of children lost their soul, particularly the United States?

Because this is a moral issue our primary weapons are not carnal but spiritual to the tearing down of this stronghold of death. Prayer must be at the front of the Pro-Life movement. Through prayer that is sustained, not for days, but for day after day, we are going to see spiritual victories won in the physical realm. We are going to see the Gospel lived out in the flesh of transformed lives living out the Pro-Life discipline of discipleship. Abortion will end because we will see it for the evil that it is and always will be.

For this reason, at the core of the mission of CEC for Life is prayer. We know we belong in front of abortion mills, as well as places where abortion mills are being constructed, to stand and pray. We do the

Liturgy for the Preborn at the Time of Death because this is what the Church is called to do. We are called to pray.

Secondly, we educate the church on the issue of abortion. We keep the church informed of victories that are happening around the world. We educate people on how they can work in their own church and in their communities to end abortion. And, particularly, we educate young adults for the future of this ministry. They are the generation that will end abortion.

The CEC is not a church that is Pro-Life; it is a Pro-Life church. From the beginning we have been given signs and symbols to make visible the Pro-Life message, and not only on Sunday morning. We are a communion of people birthed in the jails of Los Angeles and around the country, making visible the Gospel of Life. We are a Church that knows we are to identify with the preborn, the woman in crisis, those in need of healing from abortion, and with those who seek freedom from the abortion industry.

On January 19th, the third Sunday of the Christmas season, the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church celebrates a feast in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord and Giver of Life. During the Eucharist, an offering is to be taken where we ask every participant and member of the ICCEC to give generously to the Pro-Life work of our communion. We also ask every clergy, along with every parish, to partner with CEC for Life by submitting their membership request for the year.

I know you will want to participate with me in this holy work. I know you will want to give sacrificially and generously. Go to our website and see all that is happening because of your generosity and the blessing of God.

You are always in my prayers.

Under His mercy,

+Craig W. Bates, Patriarch ICCEC

ICCEC to Celebrate Life on Worldwide Feast Day

Dear Brothers,

I hope you are experiencing a fruitful time of reflection and anticipation as we move from the Christmas season and into Epiphany.  This coming Sunday (January 20), as always during the Epiphany season, we will celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lord the Giver of Life.  This Feast Day is unique to our own Communion, a day set aside to celebrate and stand in wonder at the gift of Life bestowed upon us by our loving Father.  It is a joy and an honor to celebrate such a day with each of you.

As all of you know, I was raised in the Anglican Communion. Hence, for all of my youth and for a significant part of my ministry, the Episcopal Hymnal was a deep part of my spiritual discipline. I grew up under a Pastor who was a retired Ensign in the United States Navy. Like every male adult I knew as a youth, he served in World War II. He was also deeply influenced by the ministry and writing of Dietrich Bonheoffer. As a result, so were all the members of his congregation.

Dietrich Bonheoffer had to confront directly the moral issue of his day – the rise of fascism, particularly National Socialism. It was the moral issue of my father’s generation and so, as a youth, I also heard a clear message that there really was such a thing as evil, and that it incarnated itself in the men, particularly Hitler, who attempted to rule Europe and enslave millions of people. In that War it is estimated that somewhere between 62 and 78 million people died either in military service, civilian casualties, or in the concentration camps. One hundred and thirty-five thousand, five hundred and six American military personnel were killed in action between D-Day and V-E Day.

My father and every veteran I knew talked of the horrors of war and their desire was that their sons would never have to go to war. Yet, they knew there was evil, and that evil was to be confronted, even if it meant giving your life – the greatest sacrifice.

My Pastor and my father also taught me that there was good and righteousness. There was right and there was wrong. They believed that virtue and all that was good was found in Christ Jesus and so, we, along with all the kids I grew up with, went to Church.

Today, the battle we face between good and evil is no longer contained within some foreign land; it is across the globe and against a very prevalent culture of death.  Whether we live in America or Africa, the battle for freedom, religious liberty, the inalienable rights of all persons, and the traditional and God-ordained pattern of marriage and family is being fought in our own back yards.

There can be no compromise on these issues. There can be no compromise on the right to life for all people – born and preborn. The murder of preborn children at the rate of 115,000 a day worldwide is wicked, and those involved in this holocaust are wicked. This is not a political issue, it is a battle between good and evil, light and darkness, righteousness and wickedness, and life and death.

In 1845, James R. Lowell wrote a poem protesting America’s war with Mexico. It was set to music by Thomas J. Williams and placed in the Episcopal Hymnal, until it was removed in 1982, along with “Onward Christian Soldiers”, for questionable theology. My Pastor had us sing this song at least once a month to teach us the importance of not remaining silent in the face of evil.

“Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ‘twixt that darkness and that light.

“Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

“By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, They bleeding feet we track,
Tolling up new Calv’ries ever with the cross that turns
not back; New occasions teach new duties, time make ancient
good uncouth, They must upward still and onward, who would
keep abreast of truth.

“Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is
strong; Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the
throne be wrong; Yet that scaffold sways the future, and
behind the dim unknown, Standeth God within the shadow,
keeping watch above His own.”

We will be victorious in the fight to end abortion. I believe a generation of young people is being raised up in the international communion of the CEC who are not only committed to ending abortion in their own nations, but are Pro Life because they have a radical and passionate love for the Risen Lord Jesus.

We can and should give to all types of Pro Life activities, from Pregnancy Centers to Post Abortive Counseling. We should also be Pro Life from conception to natural death, which means we need to support ministries to the homeless, single mothers, fatherless children, and drug/alcohol victims. The Lord loves a cheerful and, might I add, generous giver. Yet the Lord, from the founding of the Charismatic Episcopal Church and through consensus of the Bishops and Patriarch’s Council, established CEC for Life as our voice in the Pro Life Ministry.

We agreed, in consensus, that every year Parishes, Missions, and Clergy should renew their memberships for CEC for Life. We agreed, in consensus, that we should encourage all of our parishioners to give annually to CEC for Life. We also agreed that the Lord directed us to establish the Feast Day of Our Lord the Giver of Life, to be celebrated every January with a special Sunday service during which each parish would take up a special offering to be given to CEC For Life.  This year that Feast Day will take place on Sunday, January 20th.

Times are tough.  Many of our nations are currently facing extreme economic crises, even here in America.  Some see this as a reason for cutting back on giving; I see it as a time to increase my giving.

We can give lip service to being Pro Life. We can even vote Pro Life. But the end to abortion will not happen until the Church is mobilized and called to apostolic action. And any mobilization will require the sacrificial giving of time, talent, and treasure.

On Sunday, January 20, please encourage your clergy to take part in this important offering. Bishops must take the lead. Your voice has influence in the lives of your sons in the Lord.

Be assured of my prayer and affections.

Under His mercy,

The Most Rev. Craig W. Bates,
Patriarch, ICCEC
Primate, CEC-NA

For more information on the Feast Day of Our Lord the Giver of Life, please contact Fr. Terry Gensemer through the Office of the Patriarch at frterry@cecforlife.com.