Posts from May 2020

Posts from May 2020

Honor the rage

This is the statement Bishop Scott Mayer issued in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests, all occuring in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. ————————— “I can’t breathe.” In 2014, these anguished words were the last words of Eric Garner. In 2020, they were among the last words of George Floyd. These words and names became hashtags, digital memorials that use the power of names to encapsulate and evoke the rage and horror of…

Pentecost 2020

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is offering a worship service for the Day of Pentecost at 10 am on Sunday, May 31, 2020. Bishop Scott Mayer is preaching. The Rev. Karen Calafat, St. Luke’s in the Meadow, Fort Worth, is the officient. The Rev. Kevin Johnson, St. Alban’s, Theatre Arlington, is the gospeller. Readers are Eleanor Forfang Brockman of St. Luke’s, and Dave Burrows of St. Alban’s. The organist is Tony Kroll of St Luke’s and the singer is…

Standing in solidarity

Bishop Scott Mayer has shared a letter from the Rev. Celia Ellery, rector of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in San Angelo. The letter is especially meaningful in that Ellery and her congregation understand very clearly what the situation is here. In 2006, a questionable majority of the members of Good Shepherd voted to leave The Episcopal Church to affiliate with the Diocese of Uganda, Africa; however, they refused the order of Bishop C. Wallis Ohl, then the bishop of Northwest…

The presiding bishop and president of the House of Deputies stand with us

Both Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and the Rev. Gay Jennings, president of the House of Deputies, have sent assurances of their affection, support and prayers. Michael Curry’s letter Curry wrote: Dear Bishop Mayer, Clergy and People of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, I recall with great fondness the time not so long ago when I was blessed to make a pastoral visitation with you. We worshipped God together, visited several of your ministries, had opportunity for conversation and fellowship.…

Episcopalians regret Texas Supreme Court decision

This is the statement issued by Bishop Mayer and other leaders of the diocese in the wake of of the May 22, 2020, decision of the Supreme Court of Texas. ——————————— The Rt. Rev. Scott Mayer, provisional bishop of Fort Worth; the Standing Committee, and the Board of Trustees of the Corporation of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth are saddened by the May 22, 2020, decision of the Texas Supreme Court that failed to uphold the opinion of the…

Bishop Mayer letter to the diocese in wake of Supreme Court decision

This is the letter Bishop Scott Mayer wrote in the wake of the Supreme Court of Texas decision issued on May 22, 2020. ————————– Dear beloveds, On May 22, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court’s decision went against us. This decision is a disappointment to us all, but as followers of Jesus Christ, we live in hope. Read the decision Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry  joins me in acknowledging our disappointment and urging all of us to be gentle with one…

Tracie Middleton assumes presidency of deacon association

The Rev. Tracie Middleton, deacon serving at Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Worth, has assumed the role of president of the Association of Episcopal Deacons (AED) in the wake of the resignation of the Rev. Douglas Argue. Argue has resigned as president to focus solely on his critical work with the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio during this Covid 19 crisis. Middleton, who was serving as vice president of AED, will continue her ministry at Trinity. In resigning the…

A Pentecost invitation

We need your help! The Day of Pentecost is May 31. Pentecost is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year in the Episcopal Church (BCP, p. 15). The liturgical color for the feast is red. It marks the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1), shortly after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, so Pentecost is a day to celebrate the gift of the Spirit. Some understand Pentecost to be the origin and sending…