[blockquote]”They shook their fingers at us when the only recourse we have at this point is litigation to get back not only our real property but also millions of dollars of endowment [b]which they’re spending like water,” she said.[/b][/blockquote]
“Spending like water”? I’d like to see her back that up with some real live fact. They didn’t follow the canons of the diocese they claim to be in holding their “convention”. I don’t recognize her as chancellor of anything.
Fr. Cantrell, can you tell me why, apart from the property issues that are the subject of the lawsuit, the diocese under Bishop Iker’s leadership cares what the Episcopal Church does? Wouldn’t you agree that it has an obligation to those Episcopalians who do not wish to be a part of the new Diocese (meaning Bishop Iker’s diocese).
I will be interested to see how the hearing turns out, particularly since Bishop Iker and the leadership of his diocese have taken great pains to set things up to have a colorable claim to the property. I can also understand how those who don’t want to be a part of Bishop Iker’s diocese don’t believe that they should be required to take action to accept what I’ve heard characterized as a very generous offer to keep the property they already possessed.
Dallasite,
I can’t speak for a whole diocese – I can tell you what I care about. The Episcopal Church brought suit against us – We didn’t initiate this litigation, we are responding. The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth took legitimate action, by overwhelming majorities, through two consecutive diocesan conventions to disassociate from the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Episcopal Church. That was done through the normal decision-making processes by means of which a diocese orders its common life. We also established a canonical process by means of which a parish might dissolve the pastoral relationship between itself and the diocese. It was made part of the same canon which deals with dissolving the pastoral relationship between a parish and its rector. The relationship with several congregations has been dissolved and their property remains with them (no payment was required from them). The new diocese (made up of those congregations and some newly formed ones) in Fort Worth is the one with Ted Gulick as its bishop. The claim that it is somehow a reconstitution of the diocese that was formed in 1983 is ridiculous. Their convention last February claimed to be called under the provisions of the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. Under those canons, (among other failings) they failed to draw a necessary quorum and so were not able to legitimately do business as the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. And just because TEC’s Presiding Bishop showed up for that meeting, it was not thereby made legitimate.
I care personally very much about what the Episcopal Church does because the Episcopal Church is where I have spent my life, where I have invested my life. I have not left the fellowship of the Anglican Communion, but it is hard to deny that the Episcopal Church has.
[blockquote]”They shook their fingers at us when the only recourse we have at this point is litigation to get back not only our real property but also millions of dollars of endowment [b]which they’re spending like water,” she said.[/b][/blockquote]
“Spending like water”? I’d like to see her back that up with some real live fact. They didn’t follow the canons of the diocese they claim to be in holding their “convention”. I don’t recognize her as chancellor of anything.
I’d say that Ms Wells seems rather smug.
Fr. Cantrell, can you tell me why, apart from the property issues that are the subject of the lawsuit, the diocese under Bishop Iker’s leadership cares what the Episcopal Church does? Wouldn’t you agree that it has an obligation to those Episcopalians who do not wish to be a part of the new Diocese (meaning Bishop Iker’s diocese).
I will be interested to see how the hearing turns out, particularly since Bishop Iker and the leadership of his diocese have taken great pains to set things up to have a colorable claim to the property. I can also understand how those who don’t want to be a part of Bishop Iker’s diocese don’t believe that they should be required to take action to accept what I’ve heard characterized as a very generous offer to keep the property they already possessed.
Dallasite,
I can’t speak for a whole diocese – I can tell you what I care about. The Episcopal Church brought suit against us – We didn’t initiate this litigation, we are responding. The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth took legitimate action, by overwhelming majorities, through two consecutive diocesan conventions to disassociate from the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Episcopal Church. That was done through the normal decision-making processes by means of which a diocese orders its common life. We also established a canonical process by means of which a parish might dissolve the pastoral relationship between itself and the diocese. It was made part of the same canon which deals with dissolving the pastoral relationship between a parish and its rector. The relationship with several congregations has been dissolved and their property remains with them (no payment was required from them). The new diocese (made up of those congregations and some newly formed ones) in Fort Worth is the one with Ted Gulick as its bishop. The claim that it is somehow a reconstitution of the diocese that was formed in 1983 is ridiculous. Their convention last February claimed to be called under the provisions of the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. Under those canons, (among other failings) they failed to draw a necessary quorum and so were not able to legitimately do business as the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. And just because TEC’s Presiding Bishop showed up for that meeting, it was not thereby made legitimate.
I care personally very much about what the Episcopal Church does because the Episcopal Church is where I have spent my life, where I have invested my life. I have not left the fellowship of the Anglican Communion, but it is hard to deny that the Episcopal Church has.