Anaheim, CA --- Forward in Faith North America (FiFNA) recognizes the price of being a faithful witness while associated with The Episcopal Church (TEC). Remaining faithful will come at a higher cost as historic biblical teaching and Christian morality was rejected by the 2009 General Convention of TEC which ended two days ago.

“I want to encourage each member of FiFNA to realize they face martyrdom, great opposition and hostility, when they oppose the new religion of TEC. Jesus thought it worth dying on the Cross for our sin; even for the sin of those who set themselves at enmity with God’s plan of salvation. As Jesus offered himself for each man and each woman, individually taking our sin and offering salvation, it was with suffering because Jesus loved us so much. I encourage you to make your witness for Christian biblical faith and practice, because in Jesus, you love these lost sheep so much,” said a FiFNA Council member. FiFNA has established an "Episcopal Desk" to assist and support FiFNA members who are in TEC.

Bishop Keith Ackerman, the President of FiFNA and retired bishop of the Diocese of Quincy, said, “my heart goes out to our members who see little hope for orthodox Anglicans in TEC. Our lay members are feeling more like Jehudi reading 'Word of the Lord' and watching it being sliced page by page and set into the fire of King Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36). And my brother clergy as being cast into Jeremiah’s cistern having made witness for the saving Gospel of Jesus which we received as members of the Anglican Communion.”

A great number of FiFNA members are trying to be faithful while the TEC took a major step away from the vast majority of the Anglican Communion by inventing a blessing of same-sex unions as somehow “pleasing to God” and breaking their agreement to refrain from the ordination of those engaging in homosexual activity. “This was huge step away from worldwide Anglicanism and Christianity, and into a religion which rejects the bible as God’s Word for humanity,” said Dr. Michael Howell, FiFNA’s Executive Director who recently moved into the province of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) to remain part of the Anglican Communion. Ties to the historic See of Canterbury have been severed by TEC's actions, which marks a significant failure for the leadership of Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

FiFNA asks all of its members to pray for those of our fellowship under great persecution and paying a great price for standing for the Gospel amidst this new religion. We are assured of that it is worth contending for the one Truth in "Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever" (Hebrews 13.8). It was by no accident that the Epistles of John and the Epistle of Jude directly precede Revelation (on the end times) in the New Testament. These letters encourage the saints to stand firm against false teachers. Our hope is set on the Good News of God in the one Lord Jesus Christ.