Updated Sunday morning
The Convention of the Diocese of Fort Worth is due to hold a special meeting tomorrow.
The Presiding Bishop will attend tomorrow, and will preside and preach at the eucharist preceding the meeting, and again on Sunday morning. The meeting will elect a provisional bishop to replace Bishop Jack Iker.
The recommended candidate is Rt. Rev. Edwin F. “Ted” Gulick Jr., Bishop of Kentucky.
Earlier this week Bishop Jack Iker announced that he was relinquishing all claims on four of the parishes of the diocese. See this press release, Diocese Releases Four Parishes, and the associated supporting documents. See also this press release from The Steering Committee North Texas Episcopalians about it. There are several more parishes not affiliated with Bishop Iker.
The Dallas Morning News carried this front page report today: Episcopal divide in Fort Worth still wide open by Sam Hodges.
Sunday morning update
ENS reports: FORT WORTH: Gulick unanimously elected provisional bishop.
A pastoral letter from Bishop Gulick can be found here (PDF).
Local newspaper reports:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Fort Worth-area Episcopalians elect provisional bishop and Reorganized Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth elects a new bishop.
Dallas Morning News Fort Worth congregations loyal to Episcopal Church reorganize.
Meanwhile, Bishop Iker announced 23 Clergy Released from Canonical Residency.
Katie Sherrod writes about it here.
re “Diocese Releases Four Parishes”
This is another one of those “Fog in Channel, Continent Cut Off” headlines again, isn’t it? ;-/
[Seriously: how much better a human interest story could xJack have had, w/ “New church scouts out store-fronts”? It’s not my place to give Iker advice, but I’m just sayin’…]
‘Gamekeeper turned poacher releases 4 rabbits that didn’t get caught in his snares.’
for rabbits read parishes!!
‘I didn’t want to catch them anyway’ says poacher ‘they had theological myxymotosis’.
At the moment I read about Iker and company’s latest – the allegedly high and mighty releasing of parishes over which he de facto canonically relinquished episcopal supervision when he left TEC – I could not help but think again that maybe, maybe, maybe (at least some times in some places), the very conservative believers are helping us wear out the endless repeats of the standard antigay stuff. Antigay stuff gets used to explain and/or justify almost anything that Iker and other realignment movers and shakers say they are compelled to do. A solid religious reason to switch names on… Read more »
I find it hard to believe that xIker will be praying for the “released” parishes. It’s like some people in Pittsburgh thinking the Anglican Diocese wishes only the best for TEC loyal parishes. If that were the case why do they want to replace us as the authentic expression of Anglicanism in the US?
So much good will when your being a thief!!!
This is an example of the self deception of
Jack Iker.
A man who discounts women as priests and yet aligns with a province and a denomination which allows it.
A man who takes the moral high ground and heads a diocese rifddled with re-married divorcees.
This is a wonderful milestone for the Faithful Remnant of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. The 450 people gathered for his election as Diocesan must have been heartened by the tremendous degree of support he has received for his faithful oversight as a Bishop in good standing in TEC. I pray that today’s Eucharist, with Presiding Bishop Katharine, will be a joyous and heartfelt celebration of Christ’s love for those who have remained faithful to the prophetic calling of the Episcopal Church in North America and beyond. May God richly bless you all for your patience and love!… Read more »