FORT WORTH: School backs out of convention-hosting plan
Episcopal News Service. October 3, 2007 [100307-04]
Mary Frances Schjonberg
The board of All Saints Episcopal School in the Diocese of Fort Worth has withdrawn its offer to host the diocese's November 16-17 convention.
Headmaster Tad Bird notified Bishop Jack Iker of the board's decision on September 26, according to an October 1 letter to convention deputies and alternates.
The letter, posted on the diocese's website, said that the board cited, "concerns about security and negative publicity for the school in the face of possible pro-gay rights demonstrators at the convention."
The diocesan Standing Committee announced October 1 that it will ask the upcoming diocesan convention to "take the first step needed to dissociate itself from the General Convention of The Episcopal Church and to begin the process of affiliating with another Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion."
The convention's opening Eucharist is now to be held at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Fort Worth with Bolivia Bishop Frank Lyons preaching. The opening session of the convention will follow in the nave, according to the diocese's announcement.
All Saints' Episcopal Church founded the school in 1951.
The convention's November 17 session has been moved to the East Texas Room at the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth.
The diocese has previously held at least one convention at the school, in 2005, and a small group of protestors gathered off the school's property, holding a banner that asked "Episcopalian or not?" and a sign for Fort Worth Via Media. The Fort Worth group is a member of Via Media USA, an alliance of Episcopal laity and clergy formed in 2004 to offer a counterpoint to efforts to "realign" the Episcopal Church along more conservative lines.