By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
11/15/2008
Clergy and lay delegates to the 26th diocesan convention of the Diocese Ft. Worth today voted overwhelmingly to leave The Episcopal Church.
Clergy voted by orders, 73 for and 18 against. In lay orders, it was 101 for, 26 against. In percentage terms it was 79.3% clergy and 79.5% lay voting in favor. 92 ballots were cast. One invalid ballot was cast. In the lay order, 127 total ballots were cast.
Proposed changes in the Canons and Constitutions were also passed. Clergy voted 72 for with 19 against. Among the laity, 102 for voted with 25 voting against it. The percentages were 78% and 80%, respectively by clergy and laity.
On the question on authority to withdraw from General Convention and to recognize a new Anglican identity, clergy voted 72 for with 19 against. Among the lay orders, 102 were for, 25 were against. As a percentage, it was 78% by the clergy and 80% among lay orders.
A resolution, revising the constitutions and canons that would be recognized at the end of the convention rather than a 30-day wait, was also overwhelming passed.
A vote to join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone passed with 78 percent voting for and 22 percent voting against it. The clergy voted 73 to 20 against. In the lay order, 98 voted for and 28 against.
The Archbishop of the Province of the Southern Cone, the Most Rev. Gregory Venables sent his greetings and warmly welcomed the new diocese. "In spite of the tragic circumstances which have made your costly decision necessary we rejoice with you at the opportunity to serve God together in His ongoing and glorious mission to extend His Kingdom." Our calling in this is indelible and must take priority, he also said.
One objector to leaving TEC, Dr. John Burk of All Saints Episcopal Church in Ft. Worth, the second largest parish in the diocese, rose to say that the propositions are invalid because they are inconsistent with the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church. "The propositions would violate the interests of generations of Episcopalians who, long before this diocese existed, sacrificed to contribute time, talent, and treasure to build up the body of Christ through the ministry of Episcopal Church, not some other church, in this area."
Judy Mayo, a lay woman on the Standing Committee spoke in favor of the resolution to leave The Episcopal Church saying she was for the move to the Province of Southern Cone."I spend a lot of my life teaching young people. Our children are bombarded by the world's values. General Convention makes things more and more confusing for both straight and gay people. "A husband wearing a dress and skirts to teach SS in church, another pastor wants to perform same sex unions. Young people crave a safe haven. Bible churches have something steady and secure to hold onto. In The Episcopal Church we have shifting sands, relationships of every sort are accepted. We are on a collision mode. The Diocese of Ft. Worth is held in trust for the diocese not beyond to the TEC. The notion of a national church is mythical.
" If something is morally wrong, it is morally wrong in Canada, New Hampshire, Kansas or Texas. The canonical changes speak for themselves. Nothing in our canons says we cannot separate from TEC."
In his address to delegates, Bishop Jack Iker said, "Today, as a matter of conscience and conviction, we voted to align ourselves with an orthodox Province of the Anglican Communion, the Province of the Southern Cone.
"This past year has been a tense and at times contentious period in the life of our diocese. Every one of our congregations has engaged the controversies that are before us, some more than others. Most of our churches have hosted forums and conducted study groups on why we are doing what we are doing. Differences of opinion remain in our church family, but we cannot avoid the decision that is before us. Some can no longer remain within the structures of The Episcopal Church, and others cannot bring themselves to leave TEC, even though they may disagree with the direction it is headed. Some have encouraged us to stay and fight as the faithful remnant in TEC, to work for reform from within. I can only reply by quoting the saying that "the definition of insanity is to keep on doing the same thing, expecting different results." The time has come to choose a new path and direction, to secure a spiritual future for our children and our grand-children.
"Today we made the decision in the only way we can - by the constitutional, legislative process of this Diocesan Convention, which is the only body that can speak with authority on behalf of all the congregations of this Diocese. No Vestry can override or disregard what is decided here today. If some must separate from the Diocese as a result, then so be it."
Iker urged the parting of the ways to be as between friends in Christ, without rancor or ill will, without trying to punish or force one another to do what cannot be done.
"This diocese stands for orthodox Christianity, and we are increasingly at odds with the revisionist practices and teachings of the official leadership of The Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church we once knew no longer exists. To contend for the faith as traditional Episcopalians has brought us to this time of realignment in the Body of Christ."
Convention delegates rose as one and gave the bishop an extended standing ovation for his speech.
You can read Bishop Iker's address to Diocesan Convention here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=9355
Following the vote, one disgruntled layman in the diocese, who had a tape recording strapped beneath his wheelchair, played aloud the musical selection "Hit the Road, Jack" saying the vote was illegal. John S. Morgan said he acted alone, without the support of any group.
At a press conference, VOL asked the bishop what sort of war chest he had ready when Mrs. Jefferts Schori and her attorney, David Booth Beers comes after them for the properties. Iker replied, "We have a commitment from a number of families who have substantial means to underwrite the legal costs for any lawsuit filed against the diocese. Nothing will be taken from assessments; it will be a special donation. All monies will come from through special designated funds."
"Properties are held in trust for the diocese and not beyond that to the Episcopal Church. What is the national church? The national church is a mythical body. Mrs. Schori can only preside over general conventions she is not the bishop of a diocese and has no say on how we run our diocese."
Asked by Katie Sherrod, a lay liberal activist in the diocese what was now the status of the clergy in the diocese, Iker said they now belong to the Province of the Southern Cone. No one is being forced to take any action. Clergy do not have ratification powers. They are in, until they say they are out."
With regard to properties, Iker said they belong to the corporation of the diocese. If rectors do not want to belong to the Province of the Southern Cone, they must obtain a two-thirds vote from their parish. Then they can be unseated. It must be a super majority of the congregation. "We must listen to the lay people. They ought to be consulted."
Iker said the convention was "historical" and "eventful", but contained no surprises about how the delegates decided to vote. The convention was respectful, generous and loving, he said.
When the Bishop of Peru, William Godfrey was asked if he was going against the Windsor Report and the Archbishop of Canterbury's call not to cross boundaries and to end border incursions, he replied, "The Southern Cone did not reach out to anyone. They (the diocese of San Joaquin and Quincy) came to us and asked our assistance. It was the will of the diocese.
"People came and said would it be possible for you to help us. We have not crossed any borders. The Anglican Communion Network bishops came to us and we said we will provide a temporary shelter until a North American Anglican Conference is in place. We will turn them over at that time." (Sources tell VOL that a formal request for a new province will be made to the Primates Council in December. A new province could be created as early as January 2009 before the Primates meet in Egypt in February.)
Bishop Iker: "Why is the Diocese of Honduras in Central America part of TEC? What about the Diocese of Haiti or Taiwan or Europe. Honduras has chosen to stay in TEC rather join their local province. This shows there are no tight provincial boundaries. We made the invitation. The Presiding Bishop has no ecclesial authority in the Diocese of Ft. Worth."
Bishop Godfrey: "The Southern Cone has never made a decision to go outside its own borders to make a move as a province outside itself. I have never done that even as the Bishop of Peru. A diocese has asked our Synod for help. We have never made involuntary incursions into other dioceses. Recently I spoke in the cathedral of the revisionist Diocese of Minnesota and I first asked permission of Bishop Jelinek. He gave it."
Asked by VOL if this was the end of Anglo-Catholicism in The Episcopal church, Iker said yes.
"It is the end of Anglo-Catholic wing of The Episcopal Church. It has been dying for the last four decades. Anglo-Catholicism is not about wearing vestments. Anglo-Catholicism is about theology and ecclesiology.
"That wing of the church has now been eliminated. There were three of us, then it went down to two, but Bishop Keith Ackerman left last week then it was down to one and now I have gone."
Asked by VOL now that women's ordination has gone from permissive to mandatory, would the same thing happen over pansexuality, same sex rites and more gay bishops, Iker said the same thing will happen. Women's ordination was defeated in 1973. At that time, it was illegal to ordain a woman. In 1997 it became mandatory. "One aspect of revisionist theology is that they will move to have all dioceses bless same sex unions, resistance will be impossible. Then we will see what dioceses like Central Florida, South Carolina, Albany et al will do then."
"Now we can focus on the mission of the church. We will have far less time to bicker on church property, evangelism, witness and outreach must be the objectives. We have been freezing us up until now, it is time to move forward and move on. We cannot have the official teaching of the church denigrated by the leadership of The Episcopal Church."
Asked about how other orthodox diocese will fare, Iker said over time, things will get worse before they get better. "The center keeps shifting to the left. Conservatives are not right wing. The new extreme right wing will be formerly centrist dioceses."
Retired Eau Claire Bishop William Wantland, assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Ft. Worth, said of the national church's actions, that he had two words of wisdom - "Because you can do something, doesn't mean you ought to do something. When in doubt, don't. The problem is not even for the Anglican Communion, but a problem for the whole, world. It wants to impose their will on the whole world. It seriously concerns me when an institution wants to disobey its own rules.
END
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