Bishop Iker writes. No surprise. Just wait.

From Desert's Child: A copy of a letter from Bishop Iker to the clergy. In it was the following resolve:

"The Executive Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth today adopted and endorsed – with only one dissenting vote – the recommendation of the Bishop and Standing Committee “that this Diocese affiliate with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone as a member diocese, on a temporary, pastoral basis, until such time as an orthodox Province of the Anglican Communion can be established in North America.”

As Katie Sherrod says, not a surprise.

Bishop Iker will be deposed. It is only a matter of time. There is no question that he supports this action of the Diocese of Fort Worth's Executive Council. The motion to do as the Executive Council directs will be part of the decision making of the next Diocesan Convention in November. The cards and letters are in. The Bishop has stacked the deck. Then again, there could be an outbreak of sanity in the Diocese. There are fine people there and maybe they can get to the clergy and tell them to back off.

But I am not holding my breath.

This is why the news of groups coming together to continue the work of the Diocese if and when the decision is made by the majority to leave and go to the Southern Cone is such good news.

Those who leave should go with our blessing, wanted or not. We can hope that their temporary stay in the Southern Cone is fruitful and they find a way forward in ministry. There is plenty to go around. But if they thought it was difficult to live with the Episcopal Church, wait until they deal with the much more hierarchical and directive world of an Anglican provincial network in which Episcopal authority is very very hierarchical. One day clergy and laity will awaken to realize they have gotten themselves a pig with lipstick. (Wait..wait...who has used that image? I forget. Oh yes, damn near everybody.)