FORT WORTH: Bishop asks clergy to verify decision to leave
Episcopal News Service. May 29, 2009 [052909-02]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth provisional Bishop Edwin F. Gulick Jr. has asked 72 members of the diocesan clergy to meet with him to verify their decision to leave the Episcopal Church with former bishop Jack Iker.
"It is not my intention in writing you this letter to trespass upon your conscience in this matter or to offer any new arguments or words of persuasion," wrote Gulick, who is also bishop of the Diocese of Kentucky, in a May 26 letter. "However, before I begin to exercise certain canonical responsibilities regarding the status of those who have left the Episcopal Church, I feel compelled to offer to meet with you, if you wish, for a conversation related to your own discernment and decision."
The clergy and Iker aligned themselves with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone by way of a series of votes at a November 15 diocesan convention. Six days later Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori inhibited Iker from exercising his ordained ministry and on December 5 announced that she had accepted what she said was Iker's renunciation of his Episcopal Church ordination. Iker has denied that he renounced his orders.
Gulick in his letter thanked the clergy "for your service as a priest or deacon in the Episcopal Church" and acknowledged that "many of you have searched your hearts and conscience and have come to a decision to join with Bishop Iker to realign your allegiance with Anglicans in the Southern Cone."
The letter noted recent meetings of the primates, or leaders, of the Anglican Communion's provinces and the Anglican Consultative Council as well as various state court legal decisions "that may well affect decisions made here in Texas."
"In fairness to you, I would like to be absolutely sure that your decision to leave the Episcopal Church is final and that your conscience and soul are at peace," Gulick continued. "If in fact that is the case, then any canonical action I am forced to perform as Provisional Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth will simply be declaration of a reality that exists. If on the other hand, there is still an open ended space for further discernment, I stand ready to be available to consult and pray deeply with you about your relationship with the Episcopal Church."
Gulick offered the afternoons of June 9, 10, 12 and 15 for such meetings and said that he would assume clergy persons have made their decision if he does not hear from them by mail.
A news release about the letter said the canonical responsibilities Gulick referred to "are those requiring the deposition of clergy who have left the Episcopal Church" for abandonment of the communion of the Episcopal Church and for refusing to acknowledge the authority of the bishop of the diocese--in this case, Gulick.
The announcement of Gulick's request came on May 29, two days after the Diocese of San Joaquin said that 61 priests and deacons had been given final deposition notices for the same reasons.
In addition, the news release noted that on February 5 Iker issued a "Godly Judgment" listing 23 members of the diocesan clergy whom he wrote had "signified a desire to no longer be canonically resident in this diocese." The news release said that Iker "by implication identified those clergy who had left the Episcopal Church with him."
A third group of clergy who were not included on Iker's list have indicated to the diocese that they do intend to remain as clergy in the Episcopal Church and thus did not receive Gulick's May 26 letter, the release said.