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I write as a priest who has been ordained since 1979. My ordained ministry has included 20 years of parish work and 20 years of work in private schools. (In case you are doing the math, there was overlap in both arenas during some of those years.) I have been retired for four years. Here follow some reasons for my remaining as a member of the Protestant Episcopal Church of the USA. First of all, I wish to express my appreciation of and respect for Bishop Iker. In my time in the Diocese of Fort Worth I have found him to be warm and sensitive as my pastor, and I am grateful for his assistance and counsel. I am saddened to think that his highly valued, conservative voice will not be heard in The Episcopal Church in the years to come. We are always enriched by diversity of opinion, and his voice will be missed. I was surprised and quite concerned to learn of the presentation last June to Bishop Vann (of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth) by four senior Episcopal priests of this diocese with the stated objective of bringing the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. I was concerned that it was done in secret. I was concerned that it was done without the knowledge and support of the laity of the diocese. I do not wish to become a Roman Catholic; neither do I wish to flirt with the Roman Catholic Church. I am a member of a protestant denomination, and I value the leadership of the lay persons in our church. Father does not always know best. It seems to me that the proposed move from The Episcopal Church to an affiliation with the Southern Cone has more to do with the ordination of women than with anything else. The ordination of women in The Episcopal Church is not new, and it is not an experiment. Our diocese is an aberration in this regard. In my opinion, the ordination of women to the priesthood has been an absolutely wonderful, refreshing change in our church. It has brought a very important enhancement and new dimension to the ordained ministry of our church. I am proud of our Presiding Bishop and her ministry. If the resolution to leave The Episcopal Church and affiliate with the Southern Cone is passed in November, I shall look forward to the presence of ordained women priests in the ongoing Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. The Presiding Bishop has come under criticism by some of the (male) leaders in our diocese because of public statements she has made which have been, in my opinion, misconstrued. I have found nothing she has said to be unorthodox or in conflict with the biblical witness. On the contrary, I have found her comments to be profound and helpful in understanding our shared ministry. Some of the criticism of the Presiding Bishop has been far-fetched, even bizarre. For example, the Standing Committee took issue with her Christmas card, which, they claimed, was devoid of male imagery. Did they overlook Jesus at the center? Concerning homosexuality, I would point out that the General Convention of our church has not approved a “same-sex marriage” rite. On the other hand, I am more and more convinced by scientific evidence that sexual orientation is more a function of genetic makeup than the result of an individual’s deliberate decision. I think we should learn more about this. It is likely that as many as 10%-12% of our population are homosexual because they were created that way. Our church cannot ignore these children of God. Neither may we relegate them to second class citizenship. I think it appropriate that our denomination continue to move toward affording the homosexuals in our midst the same rights and privileges as are enjoyed by heterosexuals. I would mention here that Jesus is silent in the biblical record concerning homosexuals. Also, most of the biblical proscriptions on homosexuality are in the context of the prohibition of temple prostitution or pagan fertility rites. I am concerned about church property. I am concerned that diocesan leaders have not heeded, nor have they made public, legal opinions contrary to their own. I fully expect that properties such as the Diocesan Center, Camp Crucis, and large, valuable parish property (e.g. St. Andrew’s, St. Vincent’s, St. Alban’s) will all revert to the ongoing Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, perhaps after lengthy, painful, and expensive legal action. Thus those who leave for the Southern Cone will have been misled with regard to the properties ultimately available to them. I am concerned about the long-term welfare of young clergy families. Health insurance and pension benefits, as well as future employment opportunities, will be severely limited once the clergy member has shifted allegiance to the Southern Cone and has been deposed as a priest in The Episcopal Church. Furthermore, it is intimidating for a young priest in the diocese to give voice to questions or concerns. I am concerned about the extent to which a cloak of secrecy seems to have descended on discussions of the plans for moving to the Southern Cone. The Fort Worth West Deanery meeting of Monday, August 25, 2008, at which discussion of the resolutions for the Diocesan Convention was stymied, is a case in point. Similarly, budget meetings at the diocesan level have been “closed,” and detailed information on budget planning is simply not available. Lastly, I would explain as well that I consider a move from The Episcopal Church to an affiliation with the Southern Cone to be a violation of the vows which I made when ordained to the diaconate and the priesthood. I solemnly engaged to conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church. Respectfully, |