(help)
Panel of Reference Commends Diocese of Fort Worth, Calls for Action by TEC
Bishop Robert Duncan, moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, today thanked the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference for its clear and unequivocal support of the Network Diocese of Fort Worth.
“This is great news for the people of a faithful diocese, and, by extension, all others in the Anglican Communion Network and the Episcopal Church who share their convictions as well as for those of us who support them. Of course, only time will tell what action results from this very positive development,” he said.
Fort Worth is one of three Episcopal dioceses which does not ordain women to the priesthood. The Anglican Communion as a whole is committed to “open reception” of women’s ordination. While any province is permitted to allow the ordination of women, no individual, parish or diocese is compelled to receive ministry from an ordained woman if they are in theological disagreement with the practice. However, in recent years The Episcopal Church has appeared to force acceptance of women’s ordination through canonical changes and, most recently, through the election of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori (whose election and consecration occurred after Forth Worth appealed to the Panel of Reference).
Ft. Worth told the panel that it believed canonical changes in 1997, as well as a general lack of tolerance in The Episcopal Church for its theological position, make it very unlikely that it would receive the necessary consents from the majority of Episcopal dioceses for the election of any bishop who does not support women’s ordination to the priesthood. The diocese also believes that its current bishop could be subject to presentment, trial, and deposition for not ordaining women to the priesthood. It is a particularly ironic situation because the Diocese of Fort Worth, unlike many dioceses dealing with orthodox theological minorities, has generously provided a way for those in disagreement with the majority there to receive care. Women from the Diocese of Fort Worth who are discerning a call to the priesthood are able to do so through the neighboring Diocese of Dallas. Further, Fort Worth’s Bishop Jack Iker has offered to designate the bishop of Dallas as an alternate episcopal authority with full oversight for any parish that desires to call a woman priest.
In their response to the Diocese of Fort Worth’s 2005 appeal for relief, The Panel of Reference commended “to all parties” these efforts to care for the minority of Fort Worth’s membership who support women’s ordination to the priesthood. In fact, the panel was so pleased with Fort Worth’s efforts that they went on to recommend that the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Presiding Bishop and the Primates of the Anglican Communion “publicly commend” the adequacy of this system of care.
The panel also held that within The Episcopal Church as a whole, “provision has to be made to meet the conscientious objection to [ordained] ministry by women.” They further suggested that The Episcopal Church clarify the 1997 amendment, which appeared to make women’s ordination mandatory, in such a way as to make it obvious that is not the case. It went on to ask The Episcopal Church to make it clear “that theological views on the ordination or consecration of women should not be a ground on which consent might be withheld” to the election of bishops. Finally, it recommended that “the Archbishop of Canterbury continue discussions with the Diocese of Fort Worth and with The Episcopal Church with the aim of securing the place of Fort Worth in the Communion.”
“It is clearly up to the leadership of The Episcopal Church to choose either to continue pushing faithful Episcopalians who disagree with the majority on this issue out the door, or to accept the constructive work of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference.” said Bishop Duncan. “Within the Anglican Communion Network, we have found that those of us who have embraced the ordination of women to the priesthood and those who have not have been able to work and worship together with great unity once we agreed to respect each-other’s theological convictions on this issue in both word and deed. This is why, at the very beginning, the Anglican Communion Network established its Forward in Faith Convocation to stand alongside its five other convocations, creating a means to enable and strengthen this very outcome. It would be a wonderful thing to see the entire Episcopal Church choose this path.”
Posted 1–8/07