All Saints’ Episcopal Church

October 4, 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Vestry, at a special called meeting on October 2, 2008, unanimously passed the following resolution (Kent Henning and Elaine Edwards being absent):

WHEREAS, the Vestry, putting aside individual personal opinions and as a show of solidarity for our fiduciary responsibility on behalf of this Parish; and

WHEREAS, the Vestry, having carefully listened to the varied opinions of the members of this Parish; and

WHEREAS, the Vestry, appreciating and supporting Father Jambor's leadership of this Parish,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that All Saints' Episcopal Church is a parish that follows and supports the Windsor Process, including but not limited to:

-The Windsor Report;
-the moratoria called for by the Anglican Communions' Instruments of Unity on

the blessings of same-sex unions
the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals and
cross-provincial incursions;

-the 1998 Lambeth Conference Resolution 1.10 regarding human sexuality; and
-the development of an Anglican Covenant.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Vestry will not consider changes to the governing documents of this Parish.

Signed this 2nd day of October, 2008
The Rector and Vestry

Information on the Windsor Process, Resolution 1.10, and our parish's governing documents can be found on the bottom left side of the home page of our parish web site at www.allsamtsfortworth.org.

What this Resolution means is that All Saints' Episcopal Church is a parish which will continue to be true to its identity as defined by its governing documents, namely, that we are an Episcopal parish in the Episcopal Church, and that we will support and participate in those things which further our unity within the Anglican Communion.

Please be assured that All Saints' Episcopal Church will continue to be the fine parish you know and love and, with God's help, will continue to Go and Grow as One.

[signed]
Fr. Chris Jambor
Rector

5001 Crestline Road Fort Worth, Texas 76107-3699 817-732-1424 FAX 817-731-2417

A PASTORAL LETTER FROM THE BISHOP
TO THE CLERGY, VESTRY AND MEMBERS OF
ALL SAINTS’ EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN FORT WORTH
OCTOBER 20, 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Fr. Jambor was kind enough to send me a copy of his recent letter to all of you concerning the resolution adopted by your Vestry on October 2, 2008.  I rejoice and give thanks for this unanimous expression of support for the position that I have taken as your Bishop in supporting Resolution 1.10 of the Lambeth Conference, the Windsor Report, and the development of an Anglican Covenant.  It is gratifying to have your Rector and Vestry so clearly endorse the decisions made by overwhelming majorities at our Diocesan Conventions in years past.  As you know, our Diocese endorsed the Lambeth Resolution 1.10 on sexuality in 1998 and the Windsor Report in 2004.  Convention reaffirmed both of them in 2006.

The problem is that the General Convention of The Episcopal Church has not complied with the Lambeth Resolution on human sexuality and several Bishops and Dioceses of TEC (including the Presiding Bishop) have acted in defiance of the requests of the Windsor Report.  That is why we are in the crisis we are in! At this last summer’s Lambeth Conference, TEC Bishops consistently expressed the position that they will only accept a future Anglican Covenant if there are no consequences for breaking it!

The Vestry resolution goes on to say that it “will not consider changes to the governing documents of the Parish.”  Evidently, this is a reference to the parish bylaws.  However, the real governing documents of the parish are the Constitution and Canons of this Diocese and the Constitution and Canons of the General Convention, which your Vestry cannot change by means of parish bylaws.  Only the Diocesan Convention can alter or amend the Diocesan Constitution and Canons, and no parish Vestry has the canonical authority to repeal or ratify such actions of the Convention once they have been duly adopted.

As our Diocesan Convention votes next month to rescind our accession to the Constitution and Canons of the General Convention, I sincerely hope that the vast majority of the clergy, vestry and members of All Saints’ Church will continue to stand with your Bishop and this Diocese.  We are committed to upholding and propagating the historic faith and order of the apostolic church, what the Prayer Book calls “the doctrine, discipline and worship of Christ as this Church has received them.”  For in doing so, The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth continues to stand with the vast majority of Anglican Christians around the world.  Please stand with us.

Be assured of my prayers and pastoral support as we move forward together in the days ahead.

                                                                                    Faithfully in Christ,

                                                                                    The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker
                                                                                    Bishop of Fort Worth