Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth (Southern Cone)
Encyclopedia
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America, is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas
, and comprises 58 congregations. The diocese is led by Bishop Jack Iker, SSC. It is a member of the Anglican Church in North America, since its foundation, in 2009.
The controversial separation between it and the identically-named Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in the Episcopal Church
arose out of events in 2008, when the 26th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth voted to remove the diocese from the Episcopal Church and join the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone.
At the time of the vote in 2008 to separate from the Episcopal Church, the diocese had geographically fixed boundaries covering 24 counties in Texas and claimed 19,000 members. Afterward, in accordance with the non-geographical concept of dioceses in the Anglican Church of North America, it began to accept congregations outside its previous territory. In early 2010, the diocese reported 58 congregations, of which 56 were in Texas, one in Oklahoma and one in Arkansas. The cathedral of the diocese is St. Vincent's Cathedral in Bedford
.
, was long seen as a leader of Anglo-Catholics
and other theological conservative
s within American Anglicanism. The diocesan bishop
, Jack Iker, SSC
, was the last diocesan bishop in the Episcopal Church who held that a bishop could not ordain women to the priesthood.
In 2006, most of the fifty-one parishes in the diocese affiliated with the Anglican Communion Network, an association of dioceses, parishes, and clergy working to counteract what its members consider a liberal
shift in doctrine and practice that abandons or ignores traditional teaching and discipline.
and join the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone. In 2009, the diocese joined the new Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), whose founding convention was held at St. Vincent's Cathedral. Joining ACNA therefore created a dual affiliation for the diocese.
Following the vote of diocesan convention to leave the Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori
, declared that Bishop Iker was inhibited from exercising his office as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, on the grounds that he had violated Title IV, Canon 9, by abandoning the Doctrine, Discipline or Worship of the Church. In response, Iker rejected the authority of the Presiding Bishop. Thus, the Presiding Bishop, on December 5, with the advice and consent of her Council of Advice (bishops who are the presidents or vice-presidents of each province), deemed that Iker had renounced ordained ministry and declared him removed from it.
as an "illegal, unconstitutional, and uncanonical attempt to interfere with the rights and ministry of a diocese of another province of the Anglican Communion", thus affirming their decision to realign with the Southern Cone.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and comprises 58 congregations. The diocese is led by Bishop Jack Iker, SSC. It is a member of the Anglican Church in North America, since its foundation, in 2009.
The controversial separation between it and the identically-named Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth in the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
arose out of events in 2008, when the 26th annual convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth voted to remove the diocese from the Episcopal Church and join the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone.
At the time of the vote in 2008 to separate from the Episcopal Church, the diocese had geographically fixed boundaries covering 24 counties in Texas and claimed 19,000 members. Afterward, in accordance with the non-geographical concept of dioceses in the Anglican Church of North America, it began to accept congregations outside its previous territory. In early 2010, the diocese reported 58 congregations, of which 56 were in Texas, one in Oklahoma and one in Arkansas. The cathedral of the diocese is St. Vincent's Cathedral in Bedford
Bedford, Texas
Bedford is a suburban city located in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, in the "Mid-Cities" area between Dallas and Fort Worth. It is a suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 46,979 at the 2010 census...
.
Position in the Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth came into being in 1983 and, within the Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
, was long seen as a leader of Anglo-Catholics
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
and other theological conservative
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
s within American Anglicanism. The diocesan bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, Jack Iker, SSC
Society of the Holy Cross
The Society of the Holy Cross is an international Anglo-Catholic society of priests with members in the Anglican Communion, the Continuing Anglican Movement and the Roman Catholic Church's Anglican Use...
, was the last diocesan bishop in the Episcopal Church who held that a bishop could not ordain women to the priesthood.
In 2006, most of the fifty-one parishes in the diocese affiliated with the Anglican Communion Network, an association of dioceses, parishes, and clergy working to counteract what its members consider a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
shift in doctrine and practice that abandons or ignores traditional teaching and discipline.
Realignment
In November 2008, delegates at a diocesan convention voted to leave the Episcopal Church (United States)Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
and join the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone. In 2009, the diocese joined the new Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), whose founding convention was held at St. Vincent's Cathedral. Joining ACNA therefore created a dual affiliation for the diocese.
Statements from the Episcopal Church
The Episcopal Church maintains that the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth remains a part of the Episcopal Church and that only the individuals in favor of these motions have left the Episcopal Church. The decision of convention was challenged by a minority of members from few parishes (the vote to leave TEC was 72 to 19 clergy and 102 to 25 laity), who have since reorganized and remain within the Episcopal Church with the Rt. Rev. Ted Gulick as provisional bishop.Following the vote of diocesan convention to leave the Episcopal Church, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...
, declared that Bishop Iker was inhibited from exercising his office as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, on the grounds that he had violated Title IV, Canon 9, by abandoning the Doctrine, Discipline or Worship of the Church. In response, Iker rejected the authority of the Presiding Bishop. Thus, the Presiding Bishop, on December 5, with the advice and consent of her Council of Advice (bishops who are the presidents or vice-presidents of each province), deemed that Iker had renounced ordained ministry and declared him removed from it.
Response from the diocese
The Standing Committee of the Diocese, which in the absence of the bishop would be the highest ecclesiastical authority of the diocese, regarded the subsequent inhibition of Iker by Katharine Jefferts SchoriKatharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...
as an "illegal, unconstitutional, and uncanonical attempt to interfere with the rights and ministry of a diocese of another province of the Anglican Communion", thus affirming their decision to realign with the Southern Cone.