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On the Diocesan Web Page The Right. Rev. Jack Iker, the Bishop of Fort Worth, outlines a scenario under which he would attempt to lead his diocese out of the Episcopal Church. The condition seems to be: "If the Episcopal Church decides to walk away from the Anglican Communion." One wonders what he might do if part of the Anglican Communion decides to walk away from Episcopal Church? That is a real possibility in the Bishop's mind because he says, "It is expected that General Convention will try to 'fudge' the issue and have it both ways...I doubt that the Primates of the Communion will be willing to accept that." What would he do if his allies in the third world form an Anglican Communion of their own as has been rumored and threatened and/or attemp to expell the Episcopal Church? Apparently this is a very real possibility if not probability in the minds of the Primates of the Global South. In an interview with Archbishop Malango, on June 24, 2005, the Archbishop said, "If there is no resolution and solution of this situation, the Global South will go it alone and we will form a church - a true Anglican Church..." "We shall meet as CAPA Primates in October and one of the questions will be where a new Anglican Communion will be set up." A few years ago Bishop Iker referred to: "the Episcopal church that we all dearly love." Bishop Iker states: "Already more than half of them [the Primates] are in broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church because of all this." Broken or impaired communion is nothing new to the diocese of Fort Worth which had declared and remains in broken or impaired communion with many constituent members of the Anglican Communion over the ordination of women priests. The Windsor Report, which our diocese is on record as approving, regards that a settled issue, and applauded how the whole issue of women priests was handled from its inception in the Communion. The Canon Theologian of the Fort Worth Diocese, in a report printed on the diocesan Web Site, argues that the ordination of women broke communion at its most fundamental level. Our diocese has decided to live in broken communion long before our current crises.
Excerpts from the Web Site of The Diocese of Fort Worth: July 13, 2005
The Episcopal Church will have to decide in June 2006 at the General Convention if we will comply with the teaching of the Communion or if we will “walk apart” (as the Windsor Report expresses it) and leave the Communion. The Anglican Church of Canada will have to make the same decision at their General Synod in 2007. After these decisions are made, the Archbishop of Canterbury will have to decide which Bishops are to be invited to the Lambeth Conference and which Bishops will not be participants.
One way or another, a decision will have to be made that will affect us all. It is expected that General Convention will try to “fudge” the issue and have it both ways: to say that we intend to remain in the Anglican Communion, but continue to ordain active homosexuals and bless same-sex unions. I doubt that the Primates of the Communion will be willing to accept that. Already more than half of them are in broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church because of all this.
I repeat what I said in addressing this at our Diocesan Convention last year. If the Episcopal Church decides to walk away from the Anglican Communion, this Diocese will not depart with them.
Pray for the Church, for our unity and witness. Pray for our leaders, that we will comply with the mind of the Anglican Communion and the historic teaching of the Church of God throughout the world.
The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker |