Posts from 2020 (Page 3)
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…
Scam alert! Phishing/whaling scammers trying again. Here’s how to fight back
So you open your email and there’s a note from the bishop addressing you by name, and then saying: Hi,how are you doing? I need a favor from you, email me as soon as you get this message. Except – it’s not from the bishop. It’s a scam. And it’s targeting our church folks by sending emails that appear to be from the bishop or another clergy person or lay leader. Often it looks like it’s from the rector asking…
Bishop Mayer extends suspension of in-person worship through May.
Bishop Scott Mayer has extended the suspension of in-person worship through May. Meanwhile, the bishop, clergy, and lay leaders are exploring a phased approach to resuming in-person worship. Because the goal is to keep worshipers as safe as possible during this health crisis, this approach will be based on the best available scientific and medical advice. In the meantime, the medical community urges us to continue to love our neighbors and ourselves by sheltering in place, maintaining physical distancing, frequent…
Diocese offering online worship services 2020
This page contains information about online worship services, the link for downloading worship leaflets, and links to sermons preached at the diocesan online services as well as several other sermons offered by clergy in other diocesan services from Palm Sunday through the end of 2020. Information about diocesan worship services for 2021 are here. The Church is not closed. Some of our buildings are closed to the public, and in-person worship has been suspended in our congregations as we work…
The Rev. Johnson Shannon, 7/30/1948 – 4/20/2020
The Rev. Marvin Boyd (Johnson) Shannon, Jr. died on April 20, 2020, at Cityview Nursing Home in Fort Worth. He is preceded in death by his parents, his older sisters, Martha Angelique (and her husband Edward Hannigan) and Don (and her husband George Morgan). He is survived by his wife of nearly 51 years, Mary Ellen, his son Marvin Boyd III (Nicole), his daughter Mary Kathryn (David Wampach), his three grandchildren, Peyton Riley, Patrick Lucas, and William Ross, as…
Celebrate Earth Day from home
Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22, 2020. This is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. One could say we are celebrating Earth Day already, as we love our neighbors by sheltering in place, trying to flatten the curve of a virus that has impacted the entire planet. But there are other, more fun ways to mark the day. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is inviting everyone to “tune in from 10 AM – 2 PM on April…
Bored? Start coloring
UPDATE: We asked folks to send us photos of what they have colored. The Rev. Allison Sandlin Liles did so, saying, “We are coloring more than ever in our house – thanks mostly to the free weekly downloads from Illustrates Ministry. Here is our Easter poster hanging for the neighbors to see and a prayer we are using a lot these days.” As we all do our part to love our neighbors by sheltering in place, we may find ourselves…
Covid-19 Emergency Grant Program for deacons
The Fund for the Diaconate of the Episcopal Church has created a special Emergency Grant Program to aid deacons affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Deacons in good standing in The Episcopal Church, who have been laid off, furloughed, or otherwise had their employment hours cut back or eliminated, are eligible to apply. Grants will cover the time-period of March 1, 2020 – Sept. 30, 2020, with applications being accepted until Oct. 15, 2020. Grants of $525 per month will be made…
ENS story features the Rev. Dr. Robert Pace of Trinity
The Rev. Dr. Robert Pace, rector of Trinity Fort Worth, is the subject of a story featured by the Episcopal News Service. ——— [Episcopal News Service] When the Rev. Robert Pace woke up the day after Ash Wednesday “feeling miserable,” he didn’t think too much of it. His symptoms all pointed to a standard case of the flu – except the cough that just kept getting worse. What Pace – the 53-year-old rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Fort Worth, Texas…
Visit the Fort Worth Zoo from home
If you want to keep up with what’s happening at the Fort Worth Zoo while we are all caged up at home so we can keep our more vulnerable neighbors safe, visit the zoo’s Facebook page. They have daily video chats with keepers, and videos of the various animals doing their thing. Who knew that it’s remarkably relaxing to watch an alligator cruise through its swimming area?
Stuck at home? Tour a museum
Nearly all the museums in Fort Worth are offering virtual tours, and Visit Fort Worth has gathered up all the links for you in one place. You may discover places you haven’t been, and certainly you can revisit your favorites.The Artes de la Rose Cultural Center is highlighting “a visual tour of the show ‘Endangered Americas’ with insights by artist Stormie Parker. These beautiful ceramic works depict animals with humanistic expressions to allow the viewer to empathize with their natural…