Ft. Worth Bishop and Cathedral Look for Ways to Heal Strained Relationship
Episcopal News Service. October 31, 1990 [90274]
Steve Weston, Canon for Communication and Program for the Diocese of Dallas.
In the wake of their October 6 decision to surrender their church's cathedral status, the vestry and members of All Saints' Cathedral in Ft. Worth, Texas, are searching for a way to move beyond the controversy and seek reconciliation with Bishop Clarence Pope.
The controversy was precipitated when the vestry sought to add an addendum during the annual review of its agreement with the diocese. The addendum sought to distance the cathedral from a canon approved at last year's diocesan convention that said church property was held in trust by individual parishes. The vestry contended that the diocesan canon conflicts with the canon of the Episcopal Church. According to a letter by Dean William Nix, the vestry wanted to "guarantee that All Saints' property would remain in the Episcopal Church USA in perpetuity."
On the advice of the diocesan Standing Committee, Pope wrote to the diocese October 12, recounting the chronology and issues behind the decision not to renew the relationship.
Contrary to reports, Pope did not introduce the canon or indicate his public support. In his letter to the diocese, Pope said he had offered "a compromise containing no reference to property," but the vestry showed no interest in reconsidering its decision.
In his letter to Pope reporting on the vestry decision, Dean William Nix said, "Most of the vestry had become convinced that this would offer you an opportunity to choose a cathedral which would support your agenda more enthusiastically, while relieving this parish of the obligation of being a flagship for a cause which most of us do not support." Pope is president of the Episcopal Synod of America (ESA), formed as "a church within a church" to oppose what it perceives as liberal trends in the Episcopal Church.
While admitting that there are theological issues involved, Pope said his cause and agenda "are the same as when I was elected bishop in 1984: I have not changed. I will always vigorously promote the revealed religion of our Lord Jesus Christ, based upon Holy Scripture and the Tradition of the undivided Church, and the moral behavior which flows from it using whatever legitimate organized help I can get. Such an understanding of catholicity is what made All Saints' the great parish she has been."
Pope said he had no intentions of naming another cathedral because "to do so would trivialize the whole idea of 'cathedral' and make the setting apart of All Saints' in May, 1987, to be seen as some kind of make-believe."
At an open forum conducted by the vestry of the cathedral on October 16, members of the parish expressed "the whole spectrum of opinions and reactions to the vestry decision," according to Nix. He said there was "general approval of the suggestion that we are a family in God and that whatever our disagreements we need to set this matter behind us and unite to get on with the ministry of our church."
Nix reminded the parish that he was still loyal to the bishop "despite my disagreement with him over the Synod." He added that All Saints' "will continue to be a parish of the Diocese of Ft. Worth in union with our bishop. And I have repeatedly said to our vestry that I refuse to be a party to choosing loyalties between the dean and the bishop."
Norman Brown, treasurer and member of the vestry who voted against the dissolution, said the financial impact of the decision will be self-evident. "In the aftermath there will probably be fallout, people pulling pledges, transferring their membership. This will hit revenues and programs for 1991," he said. "We will have to cut the daylights out of the budget and it will have a disastrous effect."
Brown said there is also a spiritual ramification. "Whether people support the ESA or not, they have expressed shock and concern that we have disassociated ourselves from the bishop," he said. "All we can do is hope and pray that it is not as bad as I think it's going to be."
"It's a done deal -- it's finished," said William T. McGee, a Ft. Worth attorney who is a member of the vestry and chair of its every-member canvass. Even though the contract will end in a year, he said the mood of the cathedral parish seems positive. "We held our stewardship campaign last Sunday, and I was able to recruit a good number of persons on both sides of the issue to seek pledges. We have been able to work harmoniously side by side. This is a good indication that the church isn't going to split on this. Things will settle down. It's just going to take time," he concluded.
In a October 18 letter to communicants of the cathedral, Nix said the vestry decision to terminate the agreement was final and that the vestry expressed an eagerness to meet with Pope "at his earliest convenience to begin a process of reconciling the tensions which have arisen."
Nix added, "It has been a source of much pain for me and my family during the past two years that, because I cannot agree with the specific definition of catholicity contained in the Declaration of the Episcopal Synod of America, I have been labeled unfaithful, unorthodox, dishonest, and worse."
Nix said the bishop had asked him "not to risk polarizing the congregation by discussing my views openly, in the hope that this would not discourage support of the Synod among members of the cathedral." He expressed regrets that his restraint had kept parish members from "being wellinformed about all aspects of these issues as you deserved to be."
In pleading for a time of healing, Nix said he and the vestry "have worked hard and prayed hard this year to respect and tolerate the diversity of views among our own membership. And we pray that all members of All Saints' will do the same, in order that we may build up the Body of Christ."