The Episcopal Church and Episcopal leaders who have reorganized an Episcopal diocese in the Fort Worth, Texas, area, filed suit in state court April 14, seeking to recover all real and personal property, including funds and endowments, now claimed by another group with the same name.
That organization constitutes a majority of the former Episcopal diocese which voted to amend its bylaws to leave The Episcopal Church and affiliate with the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone on a temporary and emergency basis at its annual convention in November.
“We feel sorrow that the former diocesan leaders took such actions that led us to this time, said the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, in a statement to the media. “However, this is a necessary step in order for the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, comprised of Episcopalians of the full theological spectrum, to continue its gospel work in Texas.”
The Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in the Southern Cone, was in London for a meeting with international Anglican leaders at the time of the announcement. Later, he corresponded with the clergy of his diocese through an e-mail.
“We are neither surprised nor alarmed by the lawsuit brought against the diocese,” Bishop Iker said. “We are confident that we followed the proper legislative process in amending our Constitution and Canons and are prepared to make our case in court if necessary.”
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1 Comment
As a young person in the church, I simply wonder why the current generation of leadership - both liberal and conservative - is so hell-bent on making sure that it has its own way to the expense of all else concerned. There is no reason why +Iker and company should have pulled away; there is no reason why +Schori and company need churches the remainder of the diocese cannot fill. Both moves by both groups do nothing to make amends. Rather, they embitter an already acerbic situation. It is as if they wish to leave those of us who are young with absolutely nothing! Why must we young people be punished for the incessant willfulness of the present generation? When does it stop?