The December 3rd Meeting Will "Present a Draft Constitution"

The Anglican Communion Network has produced a press release that clarifies what will take place in Wheaton in a few weeks. Here is the opening paragraph (emphasis added by RWF).

Leaders of the Common Cause Partnership, a federation of more than 100,000 Anglican Christians in North America, will release to the public on the evening of Dec. 3 the draft constitution of an emerging Anglican Church in North America, formally subscribe to the Jerusalem Declaration of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and affirm the GAFCON Statement on the Global Anglican Future at an evening worship celebration in suburban Chicago.

The full press release may be found here.

In light of this statement, it seems clear that the December 3rd meeting will not actually "launch" the new province. It will, instead, present what its framers intend for it to become once its new constitution is ratified by member ecclesiastical entities.

This actually makes sense, in light of the fact that the diocesan conventions (or equivalents) of each of the member dioceses and ecclesiastical bodies will surely have to ratify the proposed constitution individually before they will officially become members of such a new provincial structure. The CCP's leaders seem to be following the course taken in adopting the U.S. Constitution. It was proposed and debated for months before the individual states ratified it one-by-one and it went into effect.

So December 3rd is a highly significant development in the future of North American Anglicanism--indeed it is an essential step in the process of forming the new province--but it is not yet the actual "creation" of the orthodox province itself. It begins the ball rolling toward its creation and gives the GAFCON primates something they can officially endorse as the proposed orthodox province in their discussions with other leaders of the world-wide Anglican Communion.

+Duncan & +Murdoch Confirm Presenting, "Signing and Sealing" of New Province's Constitution in Wheaton, Illinois, on December 3rd

From Anglican TV (hat tip to Stand Firm):

"As We Realign"--A Statement Distributed Today within the Diocese of Fort Worth

The following statement was provided to us yesterday at the close our diocesan convention and was intended to be distributed at worship in our parishes this morning:

"The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth--As We Realign"

Our 26th annual convention has taken action to secure our future as a diocese.

During the Nov. 14 & 15 diocesan convention, your clergy and elected delegates have taken a stand as faithful members of the worldwide Anglican Communion. They have heeded the call to "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." (Jude 3)

What has change?

By voting to change our diocesan Constitution and Canons, we have withdrawn from the General Convention, dissociating ourselves from the moral, theological, and disciplinary innovations of The Episcopal Church. We have realigned with another Province of the Anglican Communion. This is a change in affiliation, not a change in worship or doctrine.

Our Bishop, clergy, and congregations have been received into the fellowship of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. We are deeply grateful to Archbishop Gregory Venables for this provision, which he has made on a temporary and emergency basis, in response to the crisis in The Episcopal Church. We now look forward to the formation of an Anglican Province in North America.

Where we stand.

We remain true to the historic faith and order of the Church.

We remain a member diocese of the Anglican Communion.

We remain the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. The word "episcopal" identifies us as part of the apostolic succession, with a bishop as our elected chief pastor.

We remain in communion with other Episcopalians. We share fellowship with all those in any Province who recognize the authority of Scripture and the faith and order of historic Anglicanism.

Everyone is welcome to worship in our churches this Sunday and every Sunday. Our liturgy remains the same, our name is the same. Most of all, we remain committed to the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What is the status of our clergy?

Our clergy continue to be licensed for ministry by Bishop Iker. TEC benefit programs, which may no longer be available to them, have been replaced by new group insurance policies and a retirement plan. Clergy who have established pension accounts in TEC will be eligible at retirement to receive benefits earned. While these will be less than they might have had by staying with the program longer, their new investment plan will provide supplemental retirement funds.

What about those Episcopalians who disagree with the decision to realign?

We know that not everyone agrees with this change. Those who dissent are valued brothers and sisters in Christ, and they are welcome to remain in their congregations. For some, however, it may be necessary to separate from the diocese, perhaps permanently. In a few cases it may be the will of the majority of the members in a particular parish to remain in The Episcopal Church. Where this is the case, the Bishop, Standing Committee, and Board of Trustees hope to work with the rector and vestry to come to a mutually agreeable separation and settlement of property issues without resort to lawsuits or other hostile actions.

What response should we expect from representatives of the General Convention?

We expect a number of announcements in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Among these may be plans for a new General Convention-member diocese in this 24-county area. There may be lawsuits testing the ownership of our properties. And action may be taken to remove our Bishop and clergy from their positions and ministry in the General Convention church. But such action will have no practical effect, since they will already be ministering under the authority of another Anglican Province. These developments may generate news headlines, and they may cause some confusion, but they will not prevent us from going forward in mission as a diocese.

What next?

On Nov. 24, Bishop Iker will meet with the clergy on the topic of "Moving Forward--Life after TEC." Other events for clergy and lay people will be announced in the weeks ahead. Please continue to pray for our diocese, for all Episcopalians, and for the Church throughout the world. Let us pray for God's guidance for ourselves and for the leadership of our churches and diocese. Let us seek the peace that passes understanding. Let us rejoice in God's saving grace and continue to carry his message of love and salvation to the world.

The actions of our 26th diocesan convention assure us of our future as traditional Anglicans. We are now free to carry out our diocesan mission, "To equip the saints for the work of ministry."

Greetings from the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone of the Americas

It's official! As of the fall of the gavel adjourning the 2008 diocesan convention at 1:28PM CST, the four constitutional changes that brought to an end our diocese's connection to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States and a resolution admitting us to membership in the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone became effective.

All five of the crucial votes were passed by approximately 80% majorities in both the clergy and lay delegations (plus or minus less than three percentage points each).

The meeting was polite and business-like, with no rancor. The bishop gave a good, clear address that no one could accuse of being harsh toward those who disagree with us. Thankfully the opponents of our move to the Southern Cone decided to have a single, twenty minute long statement read aloud opposing the actions of our convention instead of insisting on extended comments from the floor with respect to each of the individual amendments. This courtesy speeded things along nicely.

The only mildly sour note of the day was provided by a small tape recorder left in the visitors' section by some prankster that went off right after the first set of vote totals was announced, playing "Hit the Road, Jack" (an obvious insult to our beloved Bishop Jack Leo Iker, who took the prank with his usual good grace).

A transcript of Bishop Iker's press conference following the convention may be found here.

At the close of the meeting a statement was made available from our leadership intended to be distributed in our parishes on Sunday morning.

Votes on Constitutional amendments (all passing):

A. PREAMBLE--We, the Clergy and Laity of The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, do hereby ordain and establish the following constitution as duly amended: (RWF: This change removes any suggested limitation to the geographical scope of the diocese to Texas, just in case others would like to join us later on!)
clergy for: 73 Clergy against: 18
Laity for 101 and against 26

B. Article 1 ANGLICAN IDENTITY--The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is a constituent member of the Anglican Communion, a Fellowship within the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, consisting of those duly constituted Dioceses, Provinces and regional churches in communion with the See of Canterbury, upholding and propagating the historic Faith and Order as set forth in the Old and New Testaments and expressed in the Book of Common Prayer. (RWF: This change removes references to accession to TEC's General Convention.)
clergy for: 72 clergy against: 19
laity for: 102 laity against: 25

C. Article 12 DEPUTIES OR DELEGATES TO EXTRA-DIOCESAN CONVENTIONS OR SYNODS
Sec. 1 At each Annual Convention there shall be elected priests and an equal number of lay persons canonically resident within the Diocese to serve as deputies or delegates to any extradiocesan conventions, synods or meetings that may occur between Annual Conventions and to which this Diocese may wish to send such deputies or delegates. They shall possess the same qualifications as members of the Standing Committee and shall be elected by a concurrent majority of both orders. Such duly elected deputies or delegates shall hold office until their successors are elected.
Sec. 2 At the same Convention there shall be chosen, in the same manner and with the same qualifications, the same number of priests and lay persons to serve as alternate deputies or delegates.
Sec. 3 The Bishop shall assign the Alternate deputies or delegates to fill any vacancy in the delegation. In case there be no Bishop or he is unable to act, this power shall be exercised by the Standing Committee. (RWF: This change reworded the article so that it applies to any extra-territorial meeting the diocese wishes to attend. It no longer applies to TEC's GenCon, as formerly it did.)
clergy for: 71 clergy against: 19
laity for: 103 laity against: 24

D. Article 18 CANONS--Canons consistent with this Constitution may be adopted, altered, amended, or repealed at any Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth by a majority vote of the Convention, provided that no new Canon and no alteration, amendment, or repeal of an existing Canon shall be adopted unless the same shall have been filed in writing with the Secretary of the Convention not less than sixty (60) days before the meeting of the Convention. The Secretary shall, not less than forty-five (45) days before the meeting of the Convention, deliver copies of all proposed amendments or alterations to the Canons to the Chairman of the Committee on Constitution and Canons. The Committee shall report thereon to the Convention on the first day of the meeting.

Where any amendment of a Canon has been so proposed and referred to the Committee, amendments thereto may be made from the floor of the Convention if within the judgment of the presiding officer of the Convention such amendments are germane to the pending amendment.

No other amendments or alterations to the Canons shall be considered at that meeting except by unanimous consent of the Convention.

Changes to the existing Canons shall take effect immediately upon the adjournment of Convention. Typographical errors may be corrected by the Committee on Constitution and Canons and reported to the Convention. (RWF: A final bit of legal "tidying up" to remove references to TEC from our diocesan constitution.)
clergy for: 72 clergy against: 19
laity for: 102 laity against: 25

***And here is the resolution joining our diocese to the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.

Resolution 1:
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, meeting in its 26th Annual Convention, does hereby accept the provision made by the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, and the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth does hereby immediately enter into membership with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone as a full and equal constituent member of such province, and the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth does hereby accede to the authority of the Constitution and Canons of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone to the extent such Constitution and Canons are not contrary to Holy Scripture and the teaching of the one holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

Clergy for: 73 Clergy against: 20
laity for: 98 laity against: 28

Images from Day One of Fort Worth's Diocesan Convention--St. Vincent's Cathedral Church & School

George Conger's Unbiased Report Today

If you are looking for unbiased reporting to update you on the last year's worth of activity in TEC and Fort Worth's up-coming diocesan vote on terminating our relationship with the General Convention of the Episcopal church, George Conger has this nice, short piece for a quick read. Hat tip to TitusOneNine.

Live Coverage of DioFW Convention on Friday

For those who want to watch our diocesan convention live, you may find the webcast here.

Interview with Bishop Iker--A Must Read!

Greg Griffith has posted a superb interview with the Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker, bishop of Fort Worth, on Stand Firm. You simply must read the entire interview here.

Some of Bishop Iker's clear and concise answers follow to stoke your interest:

Bishop Iker: I fully expect that I'll receive notification from the Presiding Bishop's office, within days of our diocesan convention, that I've been inhibited. Of course by then it will be irrelevant, because I won't be under the authority of the Episcopal Church. But they'll play that out in the same that they did with Bishops Schofield and Duncan. What the "Remain Episcopal" people here are told by David Booth Beers - they've been to New York and met with him - is that I'll be inhibited right after our convention, then I'll have sixty days to recant, and if I don't then I will be deposed at the next meeting of the House of Bishops, which is some time in March. After that, they're planning on having the new organizing convention here in April, and probably get organized, elect a new standing committee, and a new provisional bishop. [Greg's note: Other sources in the diocese have confirmed that the "provisional bishop" will be Sam Hulsey, retired bishop of the diocese of Northwest Texas] ...

Greg Griffith: Do you expect any attempts by the Episcopal Church's national leadership to take property from your diocese?

Bishop Iker: The plan is to do the same thing they've done in San Joaquin - that is, to form a new diocese and then bring a lawsuit against the true diocese that separated - a lawsuit for all the assets, including property. Obviously the difference (between their approach and ours) is that the "Remain Episcopal" people have a winner-take-all attitude, that they believe everything belongs to the Episcopal Church and those who leave the Episcopal Church should be deprived of their buildings, property and assets. Our position is that those who don't want to continue to be a part of the diocese after our separation from TEC, under certain conditions, should be given their buildings, property and assets, and be cut free from the diocese. ...

Greg Griffith: The African provinces, particularly Nigeria and I believe Uganda - have said that whatever primatial oversight they give to American churches is intended to be temporary -

Bishop Iker: Correct.

Greg Griffith: - and by that we mean several years, perhaps a decade or even more in some cases. Is this your expectation as regards your affiliation with the Southern Cone - that you will be part of the Southern Cone for the next five to ten years?

Bishop Iker: No, not at all. It's supposed to be on an emergency pastoral basis, and very temporary. I think the formation of a new province is going to come much more quickly than any of us really thought. I think it will be up and running in early 2009. So it's possible that we'll be part of the province of the Southern Cone for less than a year. ...

Get over to Stand Firm and read the entire interview immediately!

Diocese of Quincy, Illinois, realigns with Southern Cone

The third diocese has departed from TEC. Here is the press release published on TitusOneNine:

The Annual Synod of the Diocese of Quincy’s meeting November 7-8 in Quincy, Illinois, has voted by strong margins to realign itself with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, breaking its ties with The Episcopal Church in the US. On two key votes more than ¾ of the clergy and lay deputies voted in favor of the realignment.The move came after several years of prayer and discernment about the diocese’s relationship with The Episcopal Church. Many in the Quincy Diocese, both clergy and lay people, have been at odds with the national leadership and other dioceses over the authority of the Bible, church order and discipline, and the church’s moral standards and teaching on Christian marriage.On the vote to disaffiliate from the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, 75% of the clergy and 82% of the lay deputies voted in favor. On the subsequent vote to realign the diocese with the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone the vote in favor was 92% in the clergy order and 87% in the lay order.

Presiding Bishop Schori of TEC issued this statement, in-keeping with her oft-repeated (and in terms of the Constitution and Canons of TEC, groundless) assertion that "individuals may leave but dioceses and parishes cannot":

We lament the departure from The Episcopal Church of some individuals in southern Illinois. The Episcopal Diocese of Quincy remains, albeit with fewer members, and we are working to assist in the reorganization of diocesan affairs. We assure all, both Episcopalians and former Episcopalians, and members of their surrounding communities, of our prayers for clarity and charity in their spiritual journeys. May all be reminded that the gospel work of healing this world will take the best efforts of every person of faith.

This was the lovely sunset tonight in Bedford, Texas. The photo was taken by my father, Randy.

Bishop Ackerman to Retire Effective November 1st

According to Stand Firm the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman, bishop of Quincy, Illinois, has announced his intention to retire effective from the beginning of November.

Bishop Ackerman's health has been troubling him for some time, and we should be sure to continue our prayers from his physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being and for the continued flourishing of his family during his retirement. He is scheduled to preach and celebrate at St. Vincent's Cathedral on Thanksgiving.

The Shape of Things to Come

For anyone interested in what a rump TEC "diocese of Fort Worth" would look like in the aftermath of 80%+ of our parishes and parishioners departing from union with the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in November, take a look at these recent developments from the 815-loyalists "diocese of San Joaquin" (hat tip to MCJ, emphasis added by me):

Delegates to the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin's Oct. 24-26 annual convention meeting in Hanford overwhelmingly approved creation of a new "equality commission" and an agricultural outreach ministry to the Navajoland Area Missionary Diocese. The commission is to include at least nine lay and clergy members to support, engage and affirm marginalized communities within the diocese. Echoing the baptismal promise to "respect the dignity of every human being" the resolution identified the marginalized as "gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender persons; women; various ethnic communities; the disabled and those adversely affected by socioeconomic circumstance in the life and worship of the Church, as the Diocese works toward justice, reconciliation and peace." ...

Dubbed as an "Episkofest," the gathering was planned as a time for fun and "for us just to get to know each other," said Nancy Key, diocesan communications officer. "It was exciting," she said of the meeting, which also included at least 33 ministry workshops and was held at the Church of the Saviour in Hanford. About 250 Episcopalians attended Episkofest, the first diocesan annual meeting since the March 29, 2008 special convention that elected the Rt. Rev. Jerry Lamb as Bishop of San Joaquin. Lamb, preaching at the 10 a.m. Sunday morning Eucharist, compared reconstituting the diocese to "refloating the boat." The Central California Valley diocese, with 19 congregations and faith communities, remains loyal to The Episcopal Church (TEC). ...

Meanwhile, another set of convention delegates—those who in December 2007 approved former Bishop John-David Schofield’s attempt to realign the diocese with the Argentina-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone—attended their own convention Oct. 24 and 25, about 38 miles to the north at St. James Cathedral in Fresno. Litigation is still pending to determine rightful ownership of the cathedral and other diocesan properties and assets. Delegates from about 37 congregations attended the convention, referred to as the 49th annual convention on the diocesan website, which "promised to model a whole new approach to our being together as God’s people." ...

Schofield was deposed by the Presiding Bishop in March with the consent of the House of Bishops, but he has refused to relinquish diocesan property and assets. Those assets are now frozen, pending the outcome of litigation. ...

In other convention business, delegates approved a $600,000 budget and approved resolutions to provide Episcopal Life and Episcopal Life/San Joaquin publications to all members and constituents of the diocese; and to authorize missionary outreach to establish new congregations. The Executive Council, meeting October 23 in Helena, Montana, renewed its ongoing support of San Joaquin and other dioceses in which the leadership has left or plans to leave the church, and pledged the church to seek reconciliation "without precondition on our part."

RWF resumes: As I understand it, the 19 "congregations and faith communities" represented at the 815-loyalist diocese's convention included some delegates drawn from small 815-loyalist contingents arising out of parishes that departed from TEC last year. They are, I believe, seating these folks as the representatives of parishes where the substantial majority of the members no longer consider themselves to be within the bounds of TEC at all! But even with the use of this questionable tactic, their 815-loyalist group still claims only 19 "communities" compared to the Southern Cone diocese's fully-functioning 37 congregations.

I would be very interested in seeing how much of that $600,000 budget actually originates in their "diocese" and how much is provided from New York City.

The entire text of this news story may be found here.

If anyone out there reading this believes that parish life in an 815-loyalist "diocese of Fort Worth" would not be radically different than parish life here is today, please read the story carefully and take note. The folks running the "Steering Committee" here (your future "diocesan leadership") will most likely be following this blueprint. Please don't vote to stay inside TEC at our convention next month in order to "keep things just the way they are." Your new 815-loyalist "diocese" will resemble Newark or California or Chicago far more than it will resemble the present diocese of Fort Worth! There are plenty of people out there who want it to be so!

Reformed Episcopal Church Endorses Jerusalem Statement, Including Call for New North American Province

Wannabe Anglican has posted very good news today. The Reformed Episcopal Church has just endorsed the Jerusalem Statement of the GAFCON movement without opposition. Their Presiding Bishop, Leonard Riches, has predicted that we are only weeks away from the formation of the new orthodox province (most likely in December)!

From Wannabe Anglican:

Upon the hearty recommendation of Presiding Bishop Leonard W. Riches, the 52nd General Council of the Reformed Episcopal Church has just affirmed the GAFCON Statement and the Jerusalem Declaration by a rising vote. There was no opposition. Today is a great day.

MORE: In his comments on GAFCON accompanying his recommendation, the Presiding Bishop said with emphasis, “Within a few short weeks it is expected that this new alignment will be represented domestically in the formation and recognition of a new Province of the Anglican Church in North America.”

RWF resumes: This is great news! We are on the brink of closing a breach that has gaped in North American Anglicanism for more than 130 years. The new province will include orthodox churchmen of all stripes, united in their affirmation of the authority of Scripture and the truth of the Gospel.

I cannot wait! It is only three weeks now until the diocese of Fort Worth votes on departing from the General Convention of the Episcopal Church and moving to temporary shelter within the Southern Cone. We get that done, then join the newly-formed orthodox province at the end of this year or early next year, and finally we can put the folly of the national TEC behind us! Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished!

My Front Yard ROSE

Bishop Duncan Speaks on Common Cause & the New Orthodox Province

In an interview with the British press today, Bishop Bob Duncan--soon to be re-elected bishop of the diocese of Pittsburgh, Southern Cone--spoke about the formation of the new, orthodox North American province (hat tip to TitusOneNine):

The four of us [i.e., dioceses of Quincy, Pittsburgh, Quincy, and Fort Worth] have agreed to come under Southern Cone which becomes the first Anglican Province to stretch pole to pole, from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic Ocean as Canada and its Anglican Network in Canada are part of our relationship of the four dioceses in the states, all under the Southern Cone. This is a temporary measure. It is quite clear that when the four of us bishops who are to come under Southern Cone met with the House of Bishops of the Southern Cone in August 2007, that the Southern Cone was simply making a temporary refuge for us until we could create a North American province together.

I would like to speak about the North American Province. Many of you are aware of the GAFCON statement this past summer and the readiness of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and the group that met in Jerusalem to recognize a second province which would be both Canadian and US. We have worked together in a group called Common Cause Partnership. Right now that is eight jurisdictions, both US and Canadian. Those jurisdictions together represent 30 bishops, 800 clergy, 700 parishes, a worshipping community of about 100,000. That makes it larger than a third of the provinces of the Anglican Communion in that sheer number of people who worship on Sunday. We are committed to one another. The Common Cause Partners, while it has been a federation, is moving to a greater level of integration. I function at this point as the bishop who presides in that body as the moderator of that partnership. We have really grown together in substantial ways. The thing that would be most surprising to our English brothers and sisters is the extent to which we have been able to bridge the divide over the ordination of women. We actually are a body that has both those that ordain women and those that do not ordain women and there is a level of respect among us that is something that only the Lord could do. The strongest indication of that respect is that Forward in Faith and jurisdictions that do not ordain women have repeatedly chosen me who very clearly supports the ordination of women as their spokesman and leader. That might not happen in other parts of the Anglican Communion but hopefully it is part of our reality.

Read the entire report at Anglican Mainstream.

St. Vincent's Cathedral Church & School Carnival, October 18, 2008

Saturday was our St. Vincent's Cathedral Church and School Carnival. It was a huge success! Hundreds of people came from all over the area to sample the chili prepared for the Chook Off and to play games. Above is a shot of me trying (and failing) to dunk Dean Ryan Reed in the dunk tank (below). [I can think of certain ecclesial dignitaries who probably wouldn't mind seeing the leadership of our diocese perched precariously on a ledge inside a steel cage!] There were games for all ages. The school's soccer field truly had the feel of a real carnival midway.
About fifteen teams competed in the Chili Cook Off. Their preparations were uniformly delicious! And many of the booths were quite creative.

More than 100 people from our parish and our school volunteered their time for the Carnival. Thanks so much, folks!

There were plenty of colorful characters, like our own Fr. John Jordan (below).

And if chili wasn't your cup of tea there were plenty of brats and nachos and snow cones to be had.
That, btw, is one of my finest Theology students from the last three school years, Caroline U., working with the nacho cheese (above). Caroline is perhaps the only person I know who can discourse learnedly on melting nacho cheese as a "type" of Salvation History! Her dad, Larry, manned the grill with skill.
A grand time was had by all. Thanks to all who made this Carnival such a success this year, particularly Mrs. Holland and Mrs. Graber.

Photos by my father, Randy Foster. Thanks, Pop!

Bishop Iker Writes His Clergy on Possible Future Litigation after our Proposed Departure from Union with the General Convention of TEC

Yesterday Bishop Iker sent out an Ad Clerum message which has now been published on Stand Firm. In his message the bishop reported sad news about talks that had been on-going in an effort to avoid costly litigation in the aftermath of our diocese's expected vote to depart from union with the General Convention of the Episcopal Church and re-affiliate temporarily with the Province of the Southern Cone on November 15th (boldface emphasis added by RWF):

At the same time as these conversations were going on, a group of diocesan officials from Fort Worth were meeting with our counterparts in the Diocese of Dallas to see if a pastoral agreement could be worked out between our two dioceses, whereby parishes in Fort Worth that wanted to remain in TEC could do so as part of the Dallas Diocese. These meetings included the Bishops, Chancellors, Canons to the Ordinary, and Presidents of the Standing Committees of the two dioceses. We came up with a proposal whereby, under certain conditions, Fort Worth parishes and clergy could have “associate membership” in Dallas, including seat, voice and vote at their Convention, and their property could be placed temporarily in the name of the Corporation of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, to be held in trust for their use.

This plan was then presented to the Rectors, Wardens and Chancellors of five Fort Worth parishes that we thought would like to pursue such an arrangement, at least on a trial basis. They were asked to discuss the proposal with their vestries, and then we would meet a second time for further exploration. Unfortunately, at that second meeting, the Chancellor of Dallas reported on conversations he had initiated with the Presiding Bishop’s Chancellor, David Booth Beers, about the proposal under discussion. Mr. Beers stated that neither the PB nor the General Convention would support such a plan, and without their support, the Fort Worth parishes were unwilling to continue steps to implement the plan.

In the final meeting of the clergy discussion group in September, there was an open and honest exchange of views about where this left us. The differences appear insurmountable. No minds were changed as a result of these meetings, and no clear solutions were found that the group could propose. Although it was said that no one wants litigation, it appears that the two opposing sides in this controversy are headed in that direction.

RWF resumes: So while the leadership of the two Metroplex dioceses were doing everything they could to avoid costly and damaging litigation should our diocese vote--as expected--to end our union with the GenCon of TEC, the national leadership in New York (especially the PB and her lawyer) has determined that any attempt at a peaceful parting of the ways must be crushed. It is clear that 815 intends to pursue the same strategy in Fort Worth that they pioneered in San Joaquin last year.

PB Schori and her lawyer cannot tolerate the idea of the five possible "TEC loyalist" congregations of the DioFW officially leaving our diocese and re-affiliating with DioDallas. This would undercut completely 815's apparent plans to have those five loyalist parishes (together with a scattering of "loyalists" gathered from various parishes that will re-affiliate with Southern Cone along with the majority of our diocese) convene a "special convention" of the "true" TEC DioFW (the "church in exile," as they seem to think of themselves) sometime in the Spring. This "special convention" of their rump TEC "diocese of Fort Worth" will then invite in a retired bishop to take their helm and elect an entirely new, substitute "Standing Committee" to run their corporate affairs (n.b., every member of the current Standing Committee will likely re-affiliate along with the rest of our diocese) while lawsuits are filed attempting to take away the property of the diocese and it's approximately fifty congregations that will re-affiliate with Southern Cone. (Actually, it appears that the TEC loyalists will initially "cherry pick" just the most valuable assets of the diocese, such as Camp Crucis and the cathedral. But should they win in court on those lawsuits, I have little doubt that they will pursue more of our property later.)

It is shameful to think that PB Schori and her lawyer would undercut these talks, aimed as they were solely at fostering an amicable parting of the ways. How can they possibly justify this to themselves? Do they really think they can stop us from leaving by threatening to take away all of the property that we use to accomplish our missions and ministries? We have all been resigned to those lawsuits for a long time, and are confident that we can triumph in court if it comes to that. But these lawsuits need never be filed in the first place! PB Schori's tactics here are directly analogous to an abusive husband trying to keep his wife from leaving him by threatening to track her down and harm her and their children if she ever tries to go! "I love you so much that if you try to leave me I will have no choice but find you and destroy you." Charming.

No, 815 cannot possibly think they will keep us from re-affiliating by means of these tactics. They simply want our property. Please remember, our diocesan leadership was doing all it could to find a just and peaceful way for those parishes that want to stay loyal to GenCon and PB Schori to do so and keep their property. But PB Schori must have it all! The congregation and clergy of St. Vincent's Cathedral, it seems, simply must be kicked off our property and those assets sold off if we re-affiliate. This would be the inevitable outcome, after all, if 815 won our parish property in court. Virtually the entire congregation of St. Vincent's will support re-alignment. The TEC loyalists could not possibly keep our buildings operating if they ever won them in court. The school would surely be closed immediately and the buildings put on the market. How can those who support this litigious scheme possibly do so in good conscience? I cannot imagine. One can only hope and pray that common decency will carry the day in the end and the five parishes will refuse to participate in PB Schori and Canon Beers' litigation plans. Let us part on as good terms as possible, not in bitter court disputes!

Words fail me in describing how this sorry spectacle makes me feel.

Bishop Duncan Predicts Swift Movement on Formation of a New Province

From Christianity Today magazine on-line (bold-faced emphasis added by me):

CT: How will conservatives negotiate the issues that divide them—women's ordination and related concerns? Is there going to be a theological center?

+BD: The theological center on first-order issues has deep agreement. Most of us hold the issue of the ordination of women to be a second-order issue. We are committed to working with our partners in the communion as we try to come to some lasting agreement. The way I illustrate that is we are now wise enough to understand that we can't settle the issue of reception of the ordination of women. The reason we can't settle it is that East Africa ordains women and West Africa doesn't. We have got to go through this together, and it's going to take a couple generations to do it. There's a deep commitment to one another across this divide.

CT: Are you confident that there will be a new province for the North American Anglicans a year from now? And are you the most likely person to be the primate of that province?

+BD: The simple answers are yes and yes. I do believe that the Common Cause partners will put everything in place that we need to put in place by Christmas. The time has come. In terms of my leadership I think I understand, and those who put me in this place understand, that in this particular moment my task, my call has been to bring the partners to a place, to the creation of a province and to the beginning of its life, and then I'll be happy to give it over as soon as it's clear that I'm not called to do it anymore. We will operate in a way in which the primate of the province is a diocesan bishop, will serve for a term, and may be reelected for a term. Then another will take up that primacy.

RWF resumes: This is very good news! It confirms what I heard at the Common Cause North Texas meeting last month. One can hope that in December, or very early in the new year the GAFCON provinces will act to recognize us as a province! Glory!