Bishop Iker on Notice

As she did with Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh, Presiding Bishop Jeffferts Schori has now sent a warning letter to Bishop Iker of Fort Worth. She reminds him that his support of the constitutional and canonical changes coming before the diocese next weekend (November 16-17) would force her to take action to bring the diocese and its leadership into line with the mandates of the national Church. The full story is available at ENS.

The Presiding Bishop's letter makes clear the steps that may occur if Bishop Iker and the Diocese of Fort Worth proceed on their current course:

If these and related constitutional changes go forward, the Presiding Bishop could ask the Title IV Review Committee to consider whether the bishops who have proposed and supported them have abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church.

If the Presiding Bishop presented materials to the Review Committee regarding potential abandonment by those bishops, and if the Committee agreed that abandonment had taken place, the bishops would have two months to recant. If they failed to do so, the matter would go to the full House of Bishops. There is no appeal and no right of formal trial outside of a hearing before the House of Bishops.

If the House concurred, the Presiding Bishop could depose the bishops and declare the episcopates of those dioceses vacant. Members of congregations in the diocese remaining in the Episcopal Church would be gathered to organize a new diocesan convention and elect a replacement Standing Committee, if necessary.

An assisting bishop would be appointed to provide episcopal ministry until a new diocesan bishop search process could be initiated and a new bishop elected and consecrated.

A lawsuit would be filed against the departed leadership and a representative sample of departing congregations if they attempted to retain Episcopal Church property.

Appointed to the 2007-2009 Title IV Review Committee are Bishop Dorsey Henderson of Upper South Carolina (president), Bishop Suffragan Bavi E. Rivera of Olympia, Bishop Suffragan David C. Jones of Virginia, Bishop C. Wallis Ohl Jr. of Northwest Texas, the Rev. Carolyn Kuhr of Montana, the Very Rev. Scott Kirby of Eau Claire, J.P. Causey Jr. of Virginia and Deborah J. Stokes of Southern Ohio.

Faithful Episcopalians in Fort Worth have been calling for support from the Episcopal Church. The Presiding Bishop's letter seems to make clear the course that will be followed.