[Tim] Carson reveals an astounding ignorance of facts in his commentary, which is largely an attack on the Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.<\/p>\n
First, he alleges that Iker “has withdrawn from the established Diocese of the Episcopal Church in the U.S.A.,” and he challenges the legitimacy of the body of which Iker is chief pastor.<\/p>\n
But Carson ignores the fact that at the November 2008 convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, a resolution to realign with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone was adopted by a 78 percent majority of the clergy voting and 80 percent of lay delegates. This was the second such vote in two years, as any amendment to the constitution of the Diocese requires a concurrent majority of the vote of both orders, clergy and lay, in two consecutive conventions.<\/p>\n
This was not the unilateral action of the bishop. Nor was it the creation of a “newly founded” diocese, as Carson claims. It was, in fact, the constitutionally legitimate action of the diocese “that has been here all along” (to use, ironically, the words Carson intended as sarcasm).<\/p>\n
Carson then alleges that “it only seems right to the good bishop [Iker] that all of the assets and congregations should stay with him, even if he cashes in his chips, leaves the mother ship and affiliates with an African one.”<\/p>\n
Here again, Carson ignores facts.<\/p>\n