Friday, January 23, 2009

Wantland leaves with dignity

William Wantland is stating the obvious -- he has left the Episcopal Church and thus can no longer function as a bishop in our church. Jack Iker continues his stomping around trying to bully people into believing that he's STILL the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth.

At least Wantland retains his dignity.

You can read the ENS story here.

Presiding Bishop accepts two bishops' voluntary renunciation of orders
By Mary Frances Schjonberg, January 23, 2009
[Episcopal News Service]

Episcopal Church bishops William Wantland and Henry Scriven have renounced their orders and Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has accepted their renunciations.

Jefferts Schori said that Wantland, the retired bishop of the Diocese of Eau Claire, had written to her November 15 to say that he had "canonically affiliated" with the Argentina-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. She said that Wantland declared in his letter that he was no longer a member of the Episcopal Church.

Jefferts Schori said that Wantland, who was serving as an assisting bishop in the Diocese of Fort Worth, sent his letter "as a result of the Diocese of Fort Worth's recent attempt to realign with the province of the Southern Cone." That action took place at the diocese's convention November 15.

Wantland's statement, the Presiding Bishop said, made it clear that he has left the Episcopal Church "and no longer wishes to carry out the responsibilities of ordained ministry in this Church." Thus, she said, she accepted his voluntary renunciation with the consent of her Council of Advice on January 15 and released him from his orders.

The Presiding Bishop had declared on December 5 that then-Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker's statements after the convention's action meant that he had renounced his orders in the Episcopal Church. Iker objected to that characterization.
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Read it all at ENS.

3 comments:

Leonard said...

Wantland, I´m quite pleased he has gone away (by resigning)...after all the decades of unhappiness and ugly political strivings he has instigated at The Episcopal Church...he has failed in his ministry and in his ability to know basic human right from demoralizing wrong.

Jake said...

Do keep in mind Bp. Wantland's attempted coup d'etat back in 1996. With such unethical conduct in his past, he is not to be trusted.

As an update, his recent response confirms that is indeed a difficult thing for a leopard to change his stripes.

Terry said...

err...make that "it is indeed a difficult thing for a leopard to change his SPOTS."

Making late night comments is not always a good idea.