Thinking Anglicans

Presiding Bishop writes to Fort Worth

The ENS report by Jan Nunley is headed: Fort Worth bishop receives notice of possible consequences if withdrawal effort continues.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has made public another letter of warning sent to a bishop actively seeking to withdraw his diocese from the Episcopal Church.
The letter to Bishop Jack Leo Iker of the Diocese of Fort Worth notifies him that such a step would force her to take action to bring the diocese and its leadership into line with the mandates of the national Church.

The first of the letters was sent to Bishop Robert Duncan of the Diocese of Pittsburgh on October 31. Letters to other bishops will follow.

Fort Worth’s diocesan convention, meeting November 16-17, is set to consider the first reading of a constitutional amendment that would remove accession to the Constitution and Canons of General Convention, as well as several canonical amendments that eliminate mention of the Episcopal Church. Iker has indicated his support and approval of the amendments…

The full text of the letter is below the fold.

The Living Church also has a report: P.B. Issues Warning to Fort Worth.

8 November 2007

The Rt. Rev. Jack Iker
The Episcopal Diocese of Ft. Worth
2900 Alemeda Street
Fort Worth, TX 76108

Dear Jack,

As you are undoubtedly aware, it is my view that recent amendments to your Diocese’s constitution violate the Constitutional requirement that the Diocese maintain an “unqualified accession” to the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church. I have now reviewed several proposed constitutional amendments that will be considered at your forthcoming diocesan convention. It is evident to me that several of these proposed changes would further violate the Church’s Constitution, while some other proposed changes would undo the problems created by the earlier amendments. It is clear from your public statements and from what I understand your position to be regarding these matters that you endorse the first set of changes. Your statements and actions in recent months demonstrate an intention to lead your diocese into a position that would purportedly permit it to depart from the Episcopal Church. All these efforts, in my view, display a fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between The Episcopal Church and its dioceses.

I call upon you to recede from this direction and to lead your diocese on a new course that recognizes the interdependent and hierarchical relationship between the national Church and its dioceses and parishes. That relationship is at the heart of our mission, as expressed in our polity. Specifically, I sincerely hope that you will change your position and urge your diocese at its forthcoming convention to adopt the proposed amendments that will bring the Diocese’s constitution into agreement with the Church’s Constitution and Canons.

If your course does not change, I shall regrettably be compelled to see that appropriate canonical steps are promptly taken to consider whether you have abandoned the Communion of this Church — by actions and substantive statements, however, they may be phrased — and whether you have committed canonical offences that warrant disciplinary action.

It grieves me that any bishop of this Church would seek to lead any of its members out of it. I would remind you of my open offer of an Episcopal Visitor if you wish to receive pastoral care from another bishop. I continue to pray for reconciliation of this situation, and I remain

Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori

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anon
anon
16 years ago

Seems each side is starting to talk clearly for a change.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Pluralist
16 years ago

Multiple Luthers perhaps, up against what the Archbishop called a “unity of canon law”.

JCF
JCF
16 years ago

That’s the sound of your chickens coming home to roost, Jack.

revkarenm
revkarenm
16 years ago

Thank you, Katherine, for having the strength of character to step up and properly warn these bishops, who are preparing to claim to take their dioceses out of TEC, of the inevitable consequences of their actions. After many years of attempts at dialogue, it has come to this. I had a small role on the sidelines of the diocesan reconciliation commission in the diocese of Los Angeles, now almost a decade ago. From the beginning, from the demands made on us by David Anderson, it was clear that the threat of schism was there. It was spelled out in the… Read more »

Margaret
Margaret
16 years ago

Feel the Love

Fr Joseph O'Leary
16 years ago

Firm and clear. Jefferts Schori is shaping up as one of the great church leaders of our time.

NP
NP
16 years ago

The ABC said that the diocese and its bishop is much more important than the “abstract reality” of TECUSA…didn’t he?

Ford Elms
Ford Elms
16 years ago

See, even if you think she’s Mrs. Satan incarnate, you can’t argue with her right and, I would argue, responsibility, to do this. I would not be able to argue if it were +Akinola saying the same thing to a liberal bishop who had behaved as Iker has. It doesn’t mean she’s right, though I think she is, but it is legitimate discipline. It’ll be interesting to see how fast legitimate discipline gets turned into, yet again, oppression of the poor faithful remnant.

Ford Elms
Ford Elms
16 years ago

“Feel the Love” She isn’t spouting bile and vitriol against him, she isn’t calling him inhuman or a cancer on the Body of Christ, she isn’t denying his faith, she isn’t lying about him or pretending propaganda is actually science to prove how sick he is. In short, Margaret, she isn’t employing any of the tactics the Right routinely uses in this fight, so it’s a bit much to have you come out with this snide little comment. When “your side” shows even the slightest bit of Christian love towards those THEY oppose, you might have the right to say… Read more »

Erika Baker
Erika Baker
16 years ago

“Feel the Love”

Why are those who show no love always so outraged when they don’t receive any?

Dallas Bob
Dallas Bob
16 years ago

The posting by revkarenm is perhaps the finest statement of the situaton in the Episcopal Church I have ever read. It is a perfect description of where we are and what we need to do. If you can read only one posting or one article, read revkarenm’s post.

My prayers go out for our great Presding Bishop. May she indeed be granted the strength, courage and wisdom to lead us to the “business at hand, protecting the Episcopal Church from those who would tear it apart in their hurt and anger”.

drdanfee
drdanfee
16 years ago

Oddly, a larger, longer view of some of all this realignment campaign really seems to center on (1) certain men’s utter inabilities to cope with intelligent women (who may not ask their higher male permission first before offering their considerable gifts to the community), along with of course, (2) having an alternating cycle of tremendously powerful roller coaster ride feelings – fear plus disgust plus anger that is, so far as I can actually tell, stimulated by modernity. Rocking and rolling above these fear-anger-disgust cycles rooted in responses to women and modernity, we get all the rest: anti-gay stuff, anti-intellectual… Read more »

Jerry Hannon
Jerry Hannon
16 years ago

“Feel the Love” – Margaret

Sorry, Margaret, beware the attempted theft.

Individuals may leave, but they may NOT take the property of the Episcopal Church when they do depart.

And, if they violate their ordination vows, there are consequences for that as well.

Cynthia Gilliatt
Cynthia Gilliatt
16 years ago

New sheriff in town, +Jack!

L Roberts
L Roberts
16 years ago

I thought the ‘orthodox’ were agaisnt feeling the love of so many —preferring to feel the width !

than leave lgbt folk in peace

Cheryl Va. Clough
16 years ago

Good on Katherine and TEC for sticking to their principles (and their apologies elsewhere for backsliding at New Orleans have been gratefully noted). To continue Ford’s argument. Neither Katherine nor the loving TEC are calling the separatists “beasts” or “inhuman”. Nor are they advocating for legislation to imprison them. Nor are they seeking to deprive them of civil rights or an education. Nor are they seeking to deprive them of a safe communion. What they are doing is acting to preserve an existing communion that does provide sanctuary for those “inhuman beasts” and those who would advocate on their behalf.… Read more »

L Roberts
L Roberts
16 years ago

Why are those who show no /little love so outraged when they recieve love ?

Comes in the form of many considerations, courtesies and accomodations recieved from some liberals and even from some of us hoary old queers…

L Roberts
L Roberts
16 years ago

.Oddly, a larger, longer view of some of all this realignment campaign really seems to center on (1) certain men’s utter inabilities to cope with intelligent women (who may not ask their higher male permission first before offering their considerable gifts to the community), along with of course, (2) having an alternating cycle of tremendously powerful roller coaster ride feelings – fear plus disgust plus anger that is, so far as I can actually tell, stimulated by modernity. Rocking and rolling above these fear-anger-disgust cycles rooted in responses to women and modernity, we get all the rest: anti-gay stuff, anti-intellectual… Read more »

Fr Mark
Fr Mark
16 years ago

L Roberts: Yes, drdanfee is right. It’s really weird, because for the whole of my lifetime, Anglicanism has been synonymous with the most reasonable/ liberal of all the mainstream denominations, and yet now we suddenly find all these people like NP being outraged that it is not Calvinist. And, furthermore, they expect the rest of us to leave if we disagree with them! It’s an outrageous attempt at hijacking!

NP
NP
16 years ago

I don’t want you to leave, Mark…… but I do expect clergy to treat with respect agreed Anflican positions (like Lambeth 1.10) which even the liberal ABC says represents “the mind of the communion” If people cannot keep to that agreed Anglican standard of teaching and life, then I suppose people with integrity leave…..but I would much prefer it if people stay, repent and live lives compatible with scripture given God hates sin and will not accept it in us… See 1John1, Eph 5:1-21 and Hebrews 12:14 “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one… Read more »

Ford Elms
Ford Elms
16 years ago

Fr. Mark, If you look back over Anglican history, we have always had Puritans of some sort or another. One of the earlier groups actually had to cross an ocean to avoid the contamination of the rest of us. The funny thing is that they cannot seem to understand that actions speak louder than words. They mouth pious platitudes most of the time, but even then their true colours show through, and by their actions they put the lie to their claims of holiness, truth, and honesty. Since they are unable to understand this, it is very easy for the… Read more »

choirboyfromhell
choirboyfromhell
16 years ago

The holiday of Thanksgiving (like the Harvest Sunday in the UK) is coming up next week here in the U.S. So most of us will pretend to be thankful, and in a way we really should, as the native Americans taught the stubborn pious platituded gun powder plot failures how to survive in a place that was vastly different than Devonshire.

And then look their sons, daughters and generations following did to the native Americans. In the name of “God” no less. Beyond shame. Yes, actions speak louder than words.

NP
NP
16 years ago

Ford – it would help if some could tell us that your clobber verses do not mean what they say….then we would put some fine vestments on, matching the season etc

Fr Mark
Fr Mark
16 years ago

NP: well, nobody consulted me, or any of the organisations representing gay people in the church, before passing that ridiculous Lambeth resolution, which all of the English bishops have certainly broken anyway. It would be more sensible to ask the gay people in the Church to be involved in drawing up rules to regulate exclusively their conduct: you can’t imagine a committee composed exclusively of white people, or of men alone, drawing up guidelines to apply only to ethnic minorities, or women, can you? I am fed up with being talked about, regulated, but never listened to by the Church… Read more »

Ford Elms
Ford Elms
16 years ago

“then we would put some fine vestments on, matching the season etc” No need. As long as two or three are gathered in His name, it’s a perfectly valid, and perhaps more meaningful, Eucharist if it’s celebrated on an overturned cardboard box in a ditch! And you really need to contemplate what I said about everybody else being able to see your nakedness. You know what I’m talking about, anyone can see you aren’t nearly as righteous as you want us to believe, and the way you turn sin into virtue while claiming only the EHBLs do that is really… Read more »

NP
NP
16 years ago

Mark – you really want to claim that Lambeth 1.10 was passed without knowledge of arguments which try to justify behaviour “incompatible with scripture”?

I suggest people like N T Wright know the arguments at least as well as you but do not find them convincing…. so most bishops still stand by Lambeth 1.10

L Roberts
L Roberts
16 years ago

L Roberts: Yes, drdanfee is right. It’s really weird, because for the whole of my lifetime, Anglicanism has been synonymous with the most reasonable/ liberal of all the mainstream denominations, and yet now we suddenly find all these people like NP being outraged that it is not Calvinist. And, furthermore, they expect the rest of us to leave if we disagree with them! It’s an outrageous attempt at hijacking! Posted by: Fr Mark on Tuesday, 13 November 2007 at 8:08pm GMT Mark, I too am amazed by this sudden volt face ! Anglo-catholic parishes were particularly obviously gay (camp helps!)… Read more »

Ford Elms
Ford Elms
16 years ago

“I suggest people like N T Wright know the arguments at least as well as you but do not find them convincing”

And I’d suggest people like Rowan Williams also know the arguments at least as well as you do, and find them quite convincing, so what’s your point? This “My God can beat up your God” style of argument is a bit Grade 2, don’t you think?

Göran Koch-Swahne
16 years ago

Ouk ésontaí soi Theoì éteroi;
prò prosåpou mou ou poiäseis seautoû Aídålon,
oudè pantòs Omoíåma,
ósa en tå Ouranå ánå, kaì ósa en tä Gä kátå,
kaì ósa en toîs Údasin upokátå täs Gäs.

Do not have other Gods;
before my face don’t make yourselves Idols,
or any Likeness,
either of anything in the Heavens or anything upon Earth, or anything in the Waters which covers the Earth.

NP
NP
16 years ago

Ford – my point is that I do not buy the assertion that agreeing with Lambeth 1.10 is anti-intellectual or an unstudied position…..however many times people try to paint it as such. Note how quickly some look past a person’s pHD or standing in the church as an Archbishop to dismiss their views because they are African….. Yes, the ABC wrote some contradictory things years ago as an academic but as ABC he has tried to uphold the teaching of the church and unity……he has not behaved as if those who support Lambeth 1.10 are stupid, wrong or nasty people.… Read more »

NP
NP
16 years ago

Ford – would that be the same Rowan Williams who was ABC when we got TWR and the Tanzania Communique? Does not seem he is so convinced of his view that he would force the church to accept it…… he asked TECUSA not to give the AC a fait accompli in the shape of VGR but they ignored him because their right to do what they want trumps everything else, of course

choirboyfromhell
choirboyfromhell
16 years ago

NP:

Picking and Choosing!!!!!!

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