A recent column claims that confusion reigns in North Texas over the status of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.
But why?
It is still centered in Fort Worth, as it has been since its inception in 1982. It is still led by Bishop Jack Iker, the elected choice of the diocese since 1993. It still holds title to its property in its corporation pursuant to state law.
But here’s what has changed. After decades of being systematically attacked for its orthodox biblical viewpoint, the diocese voted overwhelmingly (almost 80 percent to 20 percent) in November to separate from the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States (TEC) led by Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori and affiliate with a different province within the Anglican Communion, the umbrella group for both.
Of course, there were some parties who didn’t agree.
Instead of respecting the conscience and vote of the majority, they organized themselves into the Steering Committee North Texas Episcopalians (the “Steering Committee”), under co-chairs Father Courtland Moore and Walt Cabe, in an attempt to take over the name of the diocese and, with it, our assets.
We wish them no harm and would welcome a peaceful realignment should they so choose.
How much clearer can you be than this wonderful article written by Ms. Werley. Unfortunately, those that don’t want to hear will not!
“Since its inception in the 18th century, each diocese has operated autonomously through its bishop, supported by its local congregations.”
Simply not true.
Only two dioceses (Connecticut and Maryland) every operated autonomously, and only one of those (Connecticut) operated through a bishop. Every other diocese in TEC held its Prime Convention for the express purpose of electing deputies to a General Convention and/or of adopting a local constitution that declared the intent to form a constituent of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Every diocese (state convention) that met before 1790 declared its submission to the Constitution and Canons of the national church when they went into effect. So even they are not autonomous. (Parenthetically, a fair number of dioceses up until the 1850s operated for decades without having a diocesan bishop.)
Still more, every subsequently organized diocese submitted to national authority after it was created by General Convention. That was certainly as true of Fort Worth as it was of its four predecessors, the Missionary District of the Southwest, the Diocese of Texas, the Missionary District of North Texas, and the Diocese of Dallas.
One can argue for Fort Worth’s autonomy, but let’s base the arguments on actual history, not the myth that there were a bunch of independent dioceses before 1789 that formed the national church as a voluntary membership organization, and that all the subsequent dioceses are similarly independent.
There aren’t a lot of Texas church property fight cases in the books — until now. There’s going to be a whoppin’ big property lawsuit over the Diocese of Fort Worth. I see it coming like a blue north’er.
Dale Rye – nothing in your last paragraph contradicts those preceding it. You have demonstrated that the several dioceses intended to be part of the national Episcopal Church, but you haven’t demonstrated that intent is irrevocable.