“We’re delighted, we’re ecstatic, we’re so excited to move forward now,” said Cora Werley, spokeswoman for Remain Faithful, a local orthodox laity group that supported Iker’s stance. “We have an incredible gospel to spread. Now we can do it without all this hanging over us.”
Others, saying they will remain with the Episcopal Church, expressed resignation and sorrow.
“It’s certainly no surprise,” said Walter Cabe, president of the Steering Committee North Texas Episcopalians, an umbrella group of conservatives and liberals who opposed the split. “But more than ever, we have a great deal of respect for rectors and parishes who have identified themselves loyal to the Episcopal Church regardless of pressure.”