Texas Hold 'Em [Diocese of Fort Worth]

The more I think about it, the more the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth's appeal to Dr. Williams' Panel of Reference looks like a stroke of genius. What on earth are you talking about, Johnson? Everyone with a brain knows that the Panel won't do anything worthwhile. I know that. And while this is probably too clever by half, I think that's exactly what Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker wants.

Consider. The Panel takes up Fort Worth's appeal and quickly punts it back. At its next diocesan convention(or, if need be, at a special diocesan convention), Fort Worth elects a bishop coadjutor who shares Iker's views on women's ordination and who will take over when Iker retires. This man is presented for approval to GenCon 2006.

If you're ECUSA, what do you do?

Approve the man and you outrage the liberals and the women's ordination supporters who will probably file presentment charges against the man before the day is over and keep the ECUSA pot boiling for a long time. Turn the man down and Jack Iker takes the microphone (whether Frank Griswold gives it to him or not) and wonders why New Hampshire was allowed to select the bishop of its choice but Fort Worth is not to be granted the same privilege, especially when Scripture is clear about what New Hampshire's bishop likes to do in his off-hours.

To Fort Worth, continues Iker, nothing is more important than the Word of God. And Fort Worth highly values its standing in the Anglican world. Since ECUSA's only scriptures are its canons and since ECUSA has, over the past three years, repeatedly demonstrated that it is entirely willing to plow under the Anglican tradition to advance purely political goals, the Diocese of Fort Worth has no choice but to end this charade and don't bother, we'll show ourselves out.

For all practical purposes, ECUSA would lose an entire diocese rather than a single parish and a member diocese of the Anglican Communion Network at that. If ECUSA sues Fort Worth, its case would be badly undercut by the fact that Fort Worth was a part of the Network and the Network hadn't left ECUSA. And by going to court, ECUSA essentially declares war on the Network which would probably bring on an ECUSA split well before Lambeth 2008. On the other hand, if ECUSA does nothing at all, conservative bishops get carte blanche and ECUSA's precious canons are effectively rendered null and void.

Posted on 7/26/2005 8:38:52 PM , 11 comments

To: ahadams2; Fractal Trader; Zero Sum; anselmcantuar; Agrarian; coffeecup; Paridel; keilimon; ...

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2 posted on 07/27/2005 5:43:38 PM PDT by sionnsar (†trad-anglican.faithweb.com† || Iran Azadi || Kyoto: Split Atoms, not Wood)

especially when Scripture is clear about what New Hampshire's bishop likes to do in his off-hours.

Wow. Mr. Johnson doesn't pull any punches, does he?

3 posted on 07/27/2005 7:03:45 PM PDT by Marauder (If God lived on earth, liberals would break His windows.)

4 posted on 07/28/2005 6:48:08 AM PDT by sionnsar (†trad-anglican.faithweb.com† || Iran Azadi || Kyoto: Split Atoms, not Wood)

I think he was right too. This move was calculated and geared towards resolution of the current situation.

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