AS Haley: Bishop Iker Files for Stay of Orders

January 25, 2011

Attorneys for Bishop Jack L. Iker of Fort Worth have now filed a request with Tarrant County Judge John Chupp for a stay of the orders he issued last Friday, January 21. A hearing on the request is scheduled for next Tuesday, February 1st, at 10:00 a.m.

The stay request is based on a number of objections to the orders, described in the papers just filed, which may be downloaded from the link just given. The request points out the massive disruptions possible if the orders are not stayed pending appeal, and serves to indicate some of the extent of the interests which are at stake in the litigation:

Defendants will suffer irreparable injury if this Court's order for the Defendants to "surrender all Diocesan property" to the Plaintiffs is later reversed on appeal. By way of example:

• The Plaintiffs deposed 57 ministers of Defendant congregations in 2010 (see attachment A), and declared that they "shall be deprived of the right to exercise the gifts and spiritual authority of God's word and sacraments." If parishes are immediately transferred to the Plaintiffs, these pastors may not be allowed to minister at these churches pending appeal. Due to the number, it is unclear how TEC can replace them all.

the rest