Bishop Opposing Women Priests Endorsed
In a test of church unity, lay and clergy groups throughout the Episcopal Church have approved the election of a Texas bishop who opposes the ordination of women, church officials said Friday.
Despite protests that his election would retain a local ban on woman priests, a majority of the Standing Committees in the church’s 117 dioceses have given their consent to the election of the Rev. Jack Iker to be the assistant bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth, church officials said Friday.
The election is now turned over to the diocesan bishops. If a majority of the bishops give their approval, Iker can be consecrated.
The Texas diocese elected Iker in early October, but the normally routine process of obtaining consent from the rest of the church was turned in some places into a referendum on whether any bishop can oppose women priests.
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