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furrbearFort Worth Diocese to officially split from Episcopal Church today over social issues(Full Story)12:00 AM CST on Saturday, November 15, 2008
Lanette Carpenter can't say enough about the people of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Hurst, especially choir members she has sung with for years.
KHAMPHA BOUAPHANH/Special ContributorBishop Jack Iker, giving Communion at the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth's Center for Ministry on Wednesday, says: 'We're not leaving the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church has left us.'"They've walked with me through the best and worst times of my life," she said.
But the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, including St. Stephen's, is to break officially from the Episcopal Church today, becoming the fourth diocese in the nation to leave since last year over such issues as the ordination of female priests and the acceptance of an openly gay bishop.
Though Ms. Carpenter doesn't agree with everything the Episcopal Church does, she loves it, and doesn't want to leave.
So on Sunday, she and other Episcopal Church loyalists from St. Stephen's plan to hold services at a local women's club.
"It's like a man and woman getting a divorce, and now they have to have two households," she said. "It saddens me greatly."
The 2.2 million-member Episcopal Church and other mainline denominations have long struggled over what is the true Christian approach on social issues. The fight has come to a head among Fort Worth Episcopalians, dividing congregations and setting up a legal showdown.
At the urging of Bishop Jack Iker, delegates to the Fort Worth Diocese's annual convention today are to take the final vote for realigning with a conservative, Argentina-based province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Fort Worth clergy and lay delegates overwhelmingly approved the break in a first vote at last year's diocesan convention, and Bishop Iker expects that margin to hold today.
"We no longer see a secure future in the Episcopal Church as traditional believers," he said.
Not very much of a surprise, but still a sad event. Wonder if more than the four parishes already known are staying.
