Fort Worth Via Media provides pastoral care and vision.

Desert's Child author Katie Sherrod has written about an event held last Saturday  "entitled The Once and Future Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth -- Dealing with the present, planning for the future."

Her description is well worth the read and is indicative of the possibilities of pastoral care and mutual support available in the midst of crisis.  She reports, 

"A panel of professional counselors both lay and ordained offered tools for coping with the stress, anxiety, anger, grief, and fear many have been suffering as we move closer to our diocesan convention. That's when our leadership will urge delegates to pass illegal resolutions they claim will realign the diocese with the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. Regardless of the illegality of their move, the effect on the ground will be split parishes, split friends, even split families. The grief already is palpable.

The panel offered much good advice, including using humor and visualization, and stressed the importance of staying in community through the coming days."

This is an amazing witness by an amazing group. 

The Diocese will meet this weekend to decide if a majority of the clergy and lay delegates will vote to remove themselves from the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. However that comes out it will be a difficult time for all.  Whatever else, prayer is in order.