Delegates to the Diocese of Fort Worth’s annual synod will decide this Saturday whether to quit the Episcopal Church, a move which would make it the fourth American diocese to secede and affiliate with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.The stronghold of the Anglo-Catholic movement in the Episcopal Church, Fort Worth has long been at odds with the Episcopal Church over innovations of doctrine and discipline championed by its liberal hierarchy.
One of only three dioceses that did not ordain or license women clergy, Fort Worth now remains alone within the American church in rejecting women’s orders, after Quincy quit this past week and San Joaquin left in 2007.
Fort Worth bishop the Rt Rev Jack L Iker said he was “confident” the second reading of the secession bill would pass this week’s synod on Nov 15. The “only question is by how much” he told ReligiousIntelligence.com.
At its 2007 synod Fort Worth passed the first reading by a four to one majority of six constitutional amendments that ended its accession to the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church. Canon lawyer and Assistant Bishop of Fort Worth, the Rt Rev William Wantland told the 2007 synod that claims proffered by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori that people could leave the Episcopal Church, but dioceses could not lack historical or legal foundation.
The claim that only people may leave, but not dioceses came “from the communications officer of [former Presiding Bishop] Frank Griswold who circulated it as a memo shortly after the 2003 General Convention where Gene Robinson was confirmed as Bishop of New Hampshire,” Bishop Iker said last year, arguing a press statement did not constitute binding canon law or ecclesiastical policy.
There was no statement in the national church’s canons that forbade dioceses from seceding, he noted.
Following the 2003 election of Bishop Robinson, Bishop Iker told his clergy that those congregations who sought to leave the Episcopal Church could do so and take their property with them --- providing there were no legal or financial encumbrances and that it was the will of the majority of the congregation.
A spokesman for the diocese told ReligiousIntelligence.com that those parishes that wished to remain part of the national Episcopal Church, could leave the Diocese of Fort Worth (if the second reading of the secession bill passed) and take their property with them too.
Approximately five of the dioceses 56 congregations are expected to side with Bishop Schori, the Steering Committee North Texas Episcopalians, a group loyal to the national church within the diocese, have said.
In October, Bishop Iker wrote to the diocese saying the Nov 15 vote would be “our kairos moment;” the defining moment that would permit the diocese to “dissociate ourselves from the bishops and dioceses that are violating the teaching of Scripture.”
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(Source: RI)