Episcopal Church in North Texas unanimously votes to reunite with the Diocese of Texas
The Episcopal Church in North Texas has voted unanimously to reunite with the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
The Episcopal Church in North Texas was formerly the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, and lost both its name and more than $100 million in church property after it lost a legal battle in February 2021 with a Fort Worth diocese that broke away from the national Episcopal Church in 2008 over doctrinal disagreements, which involved the ordination of women and gay ministers.
That Fort Worth diocese that broke away became part of the Anglican Church in North America.
The Episcopal Church in North Texas has 13 churches covering 24 counties.
Katie Sherrod, a spokesperson for the Episcopal Church in North Texas, said in addition to church buildings, the diocese lost chalices, vestments and other items used in worship services in addition to funds in church bank accounts.
“We were left pretty hollowed out financially,” she said.
Sherrod said the merger will expand the resources of the diocese.
The diocese was originally part of the Diocese of Texas in 1849, but split off in 1895 as the denomination expanded.
“[The church] was growing and we needed to have more priests and bishops to help handle it,” Sherrod said.
The reunification is pending approval by the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies, who will vote on the issue at the General Convention July 8-11 in Baltimore. The North Texas vote was 69-0 on Saturday.
If the reunification is approved, the Episcopal Church in North Texas will cease to be a diocese and will become the fourth region of the Diocese of Texas.
According to a press release, Bishop Scott Mayer said in his sermon at the meeting where the vote took place: “This event today is not about closure. It’s an outward visible sign of faith, hope and love by a liberated people.”
The Diocese of Texas voted 526-14 in favor of the merger on June 9, according to information posted on the Episcopal Church in North Texas’ Facebook page.
The Episcopal Church in North Texas was born out of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas (1849), becoming part of the Missionary District of Northern Texas (1874), then part of the new Diocese of Dallas (1895), then becoming the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth (1982).
In February of 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, which let stand the decision of the Texas Supreme Court that awarded most of the property — including the name of the diocese — to people who left the Episcopal Church in 2008.
This story was originally published June 20, 2022 at 5:37 PM.
