Statement from the Bishop and Standing Committee
of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth

FORT WORTH, Texas – The Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker and the members of the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth have released the following statement in response to the consecration today of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire:

“Today’s consecration of a practicing homosexual as a bishop in New Hampshire has broken the unity of the Episcopal Church and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is essentially a schismatic act, and as such, has created a breach of our communion with the Diocese of New Hampshire and with those bishops who participated in the consecration. By this action, they have separated themselves from the teaching of the Anglican Communion and have broken fellowship with us. We are deeply disturbed by their callous disregard for the damage they have inflicted upon the unity and mission of the Church, both here and abroad. We declare our solidarity with those Bishops and Dioceses and those Primates and Provinces that will now move forward with a realignment of the Anglican Communion.

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

with the members of the Standing Committee:
The Very Rev. Christopher T. Cantrell
Franklin Salazar
The Very Rev. Christopher C. Stainbrook
Jo Ann Patton
The Very Rev. Ryan S. Reed
Kay Stromberg”

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth consists of 56 congregations serving 24 north central Texas counties. The major cities in the diocese include Fort Worth, Arlington, Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Wichita Falls, Grand Prairie, Richland Hills, Brownwood, and Stephenville. The Rt. Rev. Jack L. Iker has served as the third Diocesan Bishop of Fort Worth since 1995. The diocese enjoys companion relationships with the Dioceses of Northern Malawi and Northern Mexico.

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Contact: Suzanne Gill
Communications Officer
Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
817-244-2885 ext. 11
sgill@fwepiscopal.org