FT. WORTH: Diocese Will Vote on Joining Southern Cone

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
11/14/2007

The Anglo-Catholic Diocese of Ft. Worth will vote at its upcoming diocesan convention this weekend on whether or not it will join the Province of the Southern Cone under its leader the Most Rev. Gregory Venables.

A resolution has been submitted saying that the diocese intends to remain within the family of the Anglican Communion while dissociating itself from the moral, theological, and disciplinary innovations of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

If it passes, it will be the first diocese in the Episcopal Church to publicly accept the offer and protection of an orthodox Anglican province as it seeks to publicly divorce itself from The Episcopal Church.

Three other orthodox Episcopal dioceses are in varying stages of disassociation, but have not publicly said with whom they would align themselves. The Diocese of Ft. Worth said it will seek membership in the Southern Cone on an emergency and pastoral basis.

The Bishop and Standing Committee will need to prepare a report on the constitutional and canonical implications and the means for accepting this invitation.

The acceptance of the invitation comes hard on the heels of a resolution passed by the Province of the Southern Cone at their recent Provincial Synod in Chile which offered ecclesiastical cover for dioceses in the U.S. wanting it.

The resolution of the Provincial Synod of the Southern Cone of America made it clear they were doing so because of the desire of a number of Episcopal Church provinces wanting to remain faithful to the historic faith and order of the Anglican Communion. The Province recognized that a number of dioceses and parishes, clergy and laity of the Episcopal Church in the USA want to follow resolution 1.10 of the Lambeth Conference of 1998 which articulated the clear teaching of the Anglican Communion with regard to human sexuality. They said this teaching has been widely ignored by many dioceses, parishes, and clergy of the Episcopal Church in their lives and teachings. The Southern Cone delegates also acknowledged The Episcopal Church's "notorious" consecration of a bishop known to be in a homosexual relationship, an act that has torn the fabric and trust within the Communion . Given the failure of the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church to give a clear and unequivocal response to the Windsor Report, the rejection by the House of Bishops and the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church to the pastoral scheme proposed by the Primates in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in February 2007, no adequate response has been made by the Episcopal Church to the questions set by the Primates in Dar es Salaam, and that a significant number of bishops have publicly expressed their intention to permit the blessing of same-sex unions, the province has offered itself as a way out for orthodox Episcopal dioceses.

Venables berated what he called "the widespread use of lawsuits and threats against dioceses and parishes, as well as bishops, clergy and laity who seek to remain faithful to the historic faith and order of the Anglican Communion."

The Episcopal Church's refusal to repent and comply with the requests of the Windsor Report, its refusal to respect the conscience of the parishes and dioceses which wish to adhere to the theological moral and pastoral norms of the Anglican Communion once held by the Episcopal Church, and because its Presiding Bishop and officers continue to pursue and intimidate these dioceses and parishes by means of lawsuits, confiscations, and depositions the Southern Cone is offering adequate effective and acceptable alternative Primatial and Episcopal oversight as recommended by the Primates in Dar es Salaam.

The orthodox province was also critical of the Archbishop of Canterbury for not taking clear action and responding effectively to the legitimate and urgent concern of the alienated parishes and dioceses of the Episcopal Church, an for not offering pastoral leadership to protect them.

Last week Mrs. Katharine Jefferts Schori, TEC's Presiding Bishop threatened Bishop Jack Iker in a letter sent to him. She called upon Iker to recede from this direction and to lead his diocese on a new course that recognizes the interdependent and hierarchical relationship between the national Church and its dioceses and parishes. "If your course does not change, I shall regrettably be compelled to see that appropriate canonical steps are promptly taken to consider whether you have abandoned the Communion of this Church -- by actions and substantive statements, however, they may be phrased -- and whether you have committed canonical offences that warrant disciplinary action."

Iker responded saying that her threats don't frighten them. "It is highly inappropriate for you to attempt to interfere in the internal life of this diocese as we prayerfully prepare to gather in Convention. The threatening tone of your open letter makes no attempt to promote reconciliation, mediation, or even dialogue about our profound theological differences.

"Instead, it appears designed to intimidate our delegates and me, in an attempt to deter us from taking any action that opposes the direction in which you are leading our Church. It is deeply troubling that you would have me prevent the clergy and laity of this diocese from openly discussing our future place in the life of the wider Anglican Communion, as we debate a variety of proposals."

Iker accused the Presiding Bishop of misusing her office in her attempt to intimidate and manipulate the diocese.

"Your aggressive, dictatorial posturing has no place in that decision. Sadly, however, your missive will now be one of the factors that our Convention will consider as we determine the future course of this diocese for the next 25 years and beyond, under God's grace and guidance."

END