Ft. Worth, Sowing, and Reaping UPDATED

Yes, I have been rather quiet as I warned I might.  But having followed the travails of the Diocese of Ft. Worth for most of the life of this long lived blog, I should say something about the property dispute finally being resolved with the U. S. Supreme Court declining to hear an appeal of the Texas Supreme Court decision in favor of the ACNA Diocese of Ft. Worth.

There were a few congregations once in the diocese that aligned with The Episcopal Church in the dispute.  After the case was resolved, they had to vacate the church buildings.  Living Church, as they often do, has one of the better accounts of that.

All Saints, as usual, was among the worst actors, stripping the church before they left.  But St. Stephens Wichita Falls (Yes, I guess even Wichita Falls has a handful of libchurchers) tried to out do them by even taking the pews.  It was breathtaking.

I say “was” for a judge has since said they can’t do that and at least some of the stolen property has been returned.

I do have to restrain myself in opining on this for I am well aware that All Saints, perennial libchurch spokeswoman Katie Sherrod and company have been bad actors for decades.

But I will say this.  The departing libchurchers merit no sympathy no matter how many crocodile tears they shed.  If there had been a good faith negotiation, I am confident Bishop Iker and the diocese would have been glad to let St. Stephen’s, All Saints, and the like leave with the parish properties.  But no, The Episcopal Church under the Lady of Perpetual Litigation Katharine Jefferts Schori did not have “good faith negotiation” in their vocabulary.  They went scorched earth and tried to take all the property.  And All Saints, Sherrod and other libchurchers supported that policy.  Further they had over a decade to pull back and settle instead.  (I suspect that the courts were slow in part to provide opportunity to settle, but that is speculation on my part.)  But no.

So they get to have it their way.  Now what they tried to do to the orthodox majority of the Diocese of Ft. Worth is happening to them.  It sounds downright Biblical.  To be more Biblical, they would have to pay fourfold.  Reaping what one sows can be a . . . difficult experience.

Meanwhile, I am thanking God that He is just.  And I am trying not to engage in ungodly gloating.  I really am.

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Photo courtesy of ACNA and Living Church

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UPDATE: I have been reminded just how much All Saints, St. Stephen’s and ilk have only themselves to blame.  The orthodox Diocese of Ft. Worth on their own accord offered parishes that wanted to do so to stay with The Episcopal Church with their properties.  That even though TEC was showing no quarter.

This from the Standing Committee of the orthodox Diocese of Ft. Worth back in 2009:

On April 14, 2009, the newly formed diocese of Fort Worth, along with representatives of The Episcopal Church (TEC), filed a lawsuit in a Tarrant Count, Texas, court. The suit names Bishop Iker and the five-person Board of Trustees for the Corporation of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth as defendants.

As you might remember, at our 2007 diocesan convention we passed a revised canon outlining a process that could be used if a parish disagreed with the course of the diocese. At the end of the process, if reconciliation were not possible, the canon provided that the church property would be released to the congregation. Even after our 2008 convention, where we ratified our decision to separate from TEC by an 80 percent majority, none of the congregations wishing to remain loyal to The Episcopal Church asked for that procedure to be used.

However, the facts allowed the Bishop and the Standing Committee to investigate, and at the end of our investigation, the properties of Trinity Church, Fort Worth, and St. Martin in the Fields, Keller, were deeded to their respective congregations. At the same time, two other parishes - St. Christopher's in Fort Worth, and St. Luke's in Stephenville - were contacted. They had outstanding building loans which were made in the name of the Diocese. The Diocese offered to release their properties to them if they would renegotiate the loans and remove the Diocese from their notes. St. Luke's renegotiated their note and had their property deeded to them. As soon as we hear from St. Christopher's, we will do the same for them.

We've done everything we can think to do to make a settlement with any congregation that wants to stay with TEC. Bishop Iker and the Standing Committee have no wish to take property from those churches that do not wish to remain with us.

Which begs the question why did St. Stephens and All Saints and company not take the offers even while other parishes did?  I am told it was because they wished to assist The Episcopal Church in their lawsuit in taking it all.  They were in a better position to so assist in that predatory lawsuit if they stayed in the diocese.  But whatever their motives, they have only themselves to blame for what has befallen them.  The Diocese of Ft. Worth bent over backwards to accommodate them graciously.  St. Stephens and All Saints spurned that grace and trampled it under foot.  

They had best learn from their just defeat under secular judges and prepare for the final Judge.  But I am not holding my breath for those fools so to do.