With three suits pending in two Texas counties, members of the minority that chose to stay in The Episcopal Church (TEC) two years ago have launched another assault on much the same grounds as the first three. Today All Saints’ Episcopal Church on Crestline Road in Fort Worth has sued Bishop Jack Iker personally, in federal court.
There can no longer be any doubt that this litigation is intended to harrass, intimidate, bankrupt, and divert the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, its Corporation, and its leadership ”“ particularly Bishop Iker ”“ from carrying out the mission of the Church.
Ironically, only this weekend Bishop Iker made several comments in jest to a gathering of clergy and laity of the Church of England in London, saying that he had “not checked the Internet today” to see whether he had been sued again.
In dispute now is the right of the Bishop to recognize a parish in the Diocese as All Saints’ Episcopal Church.
Ah, gracious restraint strikes again. Kearon, where are you? In Car 54, with the ABC?
The most accurate part of this article is that it is obvious that some of those who remained with TEC have been and continue to be angry and vindictive. Their hostility knows no boundaries. Bishop Iker is NOT the Diocese, but their personification of him as the evil villain is patently ridiculous and just meant to intimidate him and the Diocese. Bp. Iker offered and gave to other parishes the option to remain and continue as a part of TEC, with no litigation and no hassle. For some reason All Saints has continued with their confrontive and hostile actions. Who knows why? It is all a sad comment on the nature of the “church” right now. What does all this have to do with spreading the Gospel?
mhmac13, since the Schori-connected dissidents in the Dio of FW have no good news to spread, they must resort to lawsuits in order to prove to themselves that they are who they say they are. At this point, filing lawsuits is their raison-d’etre. Without the lawsuits they’d have no self-identity at all, poor things.
DICK
The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.
CADE
Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable
thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should
be made parchment?
-Henry VI, Act IV, Scene 2
Seriously, if ever there was a frivolous lawsuit, it is this. When Bishop Iker wins, the court should award him costs and fees. I know such is unusual in the US system, but it is done when such meritless cases are brought against the ultimately prevailing party.
It’s good to see, though, how enraged and filled with hatred and bitterness the revisionist activists are in Fort Worth. That’s intel worth having.
Wowzer — they just hate to lose, don’t they?
This just illustrates the grim reality that dysfunctional systems don’t remain static, but continually get worse and worse. The terminal disease that controls TEC just continues to get progressively worse.
But I hope the noble +Jack Iker can continue to keep alive his sense of humor. He’ll need it.
David Handy+
Bishop Iker changed his affiliation from TEC to the Southern Cone. His continued use of “Episcopal” is merely a ruse to hang onto property and monies that do not belong to him. This is clearly what his lawyers advised. I find that tactic unethical.
I retired from a major airline and I can assure you if I had left that company and started my own airline, using their name or any thing closely related in my logo or advertising, I would have been sued and would have lost in a timely manner.
I won’t be surprised if this ridiculous suit gets tossed out of court.
7. Swac, the airline is a business…..a corporation; TEC isn’t.
swac, your example of one pilot “starting a new airline” is not that far off the mark. What if, say, 20% of all the pilots in your airline disagreed with a change in company policy, and started their own airline? Do you think they would have a right to claim that they were the “original” airline, because they refused to adopt the change, and to charge the majority with “theft” of their name and logo? But that is what the minority of Episcopalians are trying to do in Fort Worth.
“Episcopal” means “of or related to bishops.” TEC does not have the name trademarked; many other churches in the Anglican Communion use the word in their names. The “Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth” was founded in 1983 and is led by Bishop Jack L. Iker. The remnant group founded its organization only in 2009 and is led by Bishop Ohl. They have entirely different offices, and different staffs. Should the more recent organization be able to claim the name of the much older one? That is what you are saying.
“Wowzer—they just hate to lose, don’t they? ”
Sarah, I can’t help but notice a small error in the above.
“Wowzer- they just hate, don’t they”
There I fixed it for you.
“I won’t be surprised if this ridiculous suit gets tossed out of court. ” Where have we heard that one before? Followed by “i’m not a lawyer but…” and then some discussion about how biased the judge was. One would think that by this time there would be some sense of how these lawsuits are going to end up.
Pathetic.
Indeed!
Helllooo! It appears we have surfaced a spate of legal types. It doesnt take legal expertise to determine that those filing the latest lawsuit have no intention of working with anyone to solve problems, .only to harass and try to run EDFW out of money and patience. Yes Sarah there are some really ugly types out here in Fort Worth. And they surface from time to time in these angry legal actions. It is true, however that anyone can file a lawsuit. I guess they dont have enough to do over there at All Saints. Have they done any evangelism lately? Especially to those who are not among the financially favored? I think not. WWJD
#10. TEC was previously known as ECUSA, notice the USA. The Diocese of Fort Worth is a part of that larger organization.
If you believe that the TEC is in error might I suggest that you heed Matthew 10:14. If any household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.
RE: “if I had left that company and started my own airline, using their name or any thing closely related in my logo or advertising, . . . ”
HUH?
You’re saying you couldn’t use the word “airline” in your corporate name?
Nonsense. Of course you could.
In the same way, the diocese that left TEC is the same diocese, and it is an Episcopal diocese, and it is in Fort Worth.
There is no reason for a corporate entity to change its legal name just because it has departed a larger association.
#17. Was that a deliberate misunderstanding or a similar move made by Bishop Iker.
Could I use American or Delta or Air Tran. Of course not, why try to confuse when facts are needed.
Actually, swac, The Episcopal Church (TEC) is still known as PECUSA (The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America – see the BCP and the Preamble to the Constitution) AND often in common use as TEC USA. If your point was that a fuller understanding of the title of the denomination should be enough to argue a US identity, then you missed being at the General Convention in Columbus, and the discussion that ensued. I’m sure it is still in the archives on this weblog and on others. The point there being the clearly intentional stab at dropping the identity of the denomination to the USA alone.
And you do see that the instructions of Jesus for his disciples when entering the villages and towns as applied to our current situations does cut both ways?
#17 Of course one could use the word airline but do not add a modifier such as Delta, American etc.
I believe you are in error with regard to The Diocese of Fort Worth. Bishop Iker and many of the clergy removed themselves from TEC, they have no business calling themselves Episcopal other than to muddy the waters, when there exists a legitimate Episcopal Diocese affiliated with TEC
RE: “Of course one could use the word airline but do not add a modifier such as Delta, American etc.”
Of course one can use an adjectival modifier, like the word Episcopal. That is a general adjectival modifier — not a proper noun — and one that is used all around the world and among more than one denomination too.
They are an Episcopal diocese and they reside in Fort Worth. There is no reason for the organization to change its name just because it has left a larger association which also happens to use the same adjectival modifier in its name.
So the law suit is abut grammar not unethical, illegal or immoral behavior.