Interview with Bishop Iker--A Must Read!
Greg Griffith has posted a superb interview with the Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker, bishop of Fort Worth, on Stand Firm. You simply must read the entire interview here.
Some of Bishop Iker's clear and concise answers follow to stoke your interest:
Bishop Iker: I fully expect that I'll receive notification from the Presiding Bishop's office, within days of our diocesan convention, that I've been inhibited. Of course by then it will be irrelevant, because I won't be under the authority of the Episcopal Church. But they'll play that out in the same that they did with Bishops Schofield and Duncan. What the "Remain Episcopal" people here are told by David Booth Beers - they've been to New York and met with him - is that I'll be inhibited right after our convention, then I'll have sixty days to recant, and if I don't then I will be deposed at the next meeting of the House of Bishops, which is some time in March. After that, they're planning on having the new organizing convention here in April, and probably get organized, elect a new standing committee, and a new provisional bishop. [Greg's note: Other sources in the diocese have confirmed that the "provisional bishop" will be Sam Hulsey, retired bishop of the diocese of Northwest Texas] ...
Greg Griffith: Do you expect any attempts by the Episcopal Church's national leadership to take property from your diocese?
Bishop Iker: The plan is to do the same thing they've done in San Joaquin - that is, to form a new diocese and then bring a lawsuit against the true diocese that separated - a lawsuit for all the assets, including property. Obviously the difference (between their approach and ours) is that the "Remain Episcopal" people have a winner-take-all attitude, that they believe everything belongs to the Episcopal Church and those who leave the Episcopal Church should be deprived of their buildings, property and assets. Our position is that those who don't want to continue to be a part of the diocese after our separation from TEC, under certain conditions, should be given their buildings, property and assets, and be cut free from the diocese. ...
Greg Griffith: The African provinces, particularly Nigeria and I believe Uganda - have said that whatever primatial oversight they give to American churches is intended to be temporary -
Bishop Iker: Correct.
Greg Griffith: - and by that we mean several years, perhaps a decade or even more in some cases. Is this your expectation as regards your affiliation with the Southern Cone - that you will be part of the Southern Cone for the next five to ten years?
Bishop Iker: No, not at all. It's supposed to be on an emergency pastoral basis, and very temporary. I think the formation of a new province is going to come much more quickly than any of us really thought. I think it will be up and running in early 2009. So it's possible that we'll be part of the province of the Southern Cone for less than a year. ...
Get over to Stand Firm and read the entire interview immediately!
Some of Bishop Iker's clear and concise answers follow to stoke your interest:
Bishop Iker: I fully expect that I'll receive notification from the Presiding Bishop's office, within days of our diocesan convention, that I've been inhibited. Of course by then it will be irrelevant, because I won't be under the authority of the Episcopal Church. But they'll play that out in the same that they did with Bishops Schofield and Duncan. What the "Remain Episcopal" people here are told by David Booth Beers - they've been to New York and met with him - is that I'll be inhibited right after our convention, then I'll have sixty days to recant, and if I don't then I will be deposed at the next meeting of the House of Bishops, which is some time in March. After that, they're planning on having the new organizing convention here in April, and probably get organized, elect a new standing committee, and a new provisional bishop. [Greg's note: Other sources in the diocese have confirmed that the "provisional bishop" will be Sam Hulsey, retired bishop of the diocese of Northwest Texas] ...
Greg Griffith: Do you expect any attempts by the Episcopal Church's national leadership to take property from your diocese?
Bishop Iker: The plan is to do the same thing they've done in San Joaquin - that is, to form a new diocese and then bring a lawsuit against the true diocese that separated - a lawsuit for all the assets, including property. Obviously the difference (between their approach and ours) is that the "Remain Episcopal" people have a winner-take-all attitude, that they believe everything belongs to the Episcopal Church and those who leave the Episcopal Church should be deprived of their buildings, property and assets. Our position is that those who don't want to continue to be a part of the diocese after our separation from TEC, under certain conditions, should be given their buildings, property and assets, and be cut free from the diocese. ...
Greg Griffith: The African provinces, particularly Nigeria and I believe Uganda - have said that whatever primatial oversight they give to American churches is intended to be temporary -
Bishop Iker: Correct.
Greg Griffith: - and by that we mean several years, perhaps a decade or even more in some cases. Is this your expectation as regards your affiliation with the Southern Cone - that you will be part of the Southern Cone for the next five to ten years?
Bishop Iker: No, not at all. It's supposed to be on an emergency pastoral basis, and very temporary. I think the formation of a new province is going to come much more quickly than any of us really thought. I think it will be up and running in early 2009. So it's possible that we'll be part of the province of the Southern Cone for less than a year. ...
Get over to Stand Firm and read the entire interview immediately!
posted by Texanglican (R.W. Foster+) | 9:02 PM
4 Comments:
Thank you for this interview. As a non-Episcopalian/Anglican I understand TEC's tactics but two questions arise:
1: Do the seceding Dioceses such as Fort Worth have the financial where with all and skilled lawyers to fight in court?
2: How can the TEC afford to keep doing this if they are emptying their coffers and taking in less and less money? Are they draining the faithful clergy's retirement funds?
I just can't understand what TEC is going to do with all the empty churches. I understand they won't sell to Continuing Anglican congregations or Orthodox congregations (esp. Western Rite ones!)
I am totally fed up with the whole Anglican Communion; that's something coming from an outsider.
As to your first question, Matthew, a generous donor family here in our diocese has publicly stated at a recent Remain Faithful gathering that we do not need to worry about the cost of litigation. And that family is quite capable of footing the bill for our litigation expenses,I assure you! So no need to worry about Ft. Worth.
As for where TEC is getting the money to fund their litigation, that is very much in issue. But do keep in mind how much money was donated to the Episcopal church in past generations. They are squandering the patrimony of their denomination, in my opinion. But come Saturday afternoon I no longer expect to be much concerned about how TEC is spending their money! I will no longer be part of their jurisdiction--I hope!
Father-
Thank you for your kind and informed response-MANY YEARS! to the Diocese of FORT WORTH of the ANGLICAN CHURCH OF THE SOUTHERN CONE.
You will soon see that your source is incorrect about who the provisional bishop will be. It will not be Sam Hulsey. Although many Episcopalians like him, he will not be the provisional bishop according to reliable sources I cannot divulge.
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