Episcopal Church in Parker County gets truly ‘new’ priest-in-charge

Religion

December 10, 2009

Anonymous The Weatherford Democrat Thu Dec 10, 2009, 03:40 PM CST

WILLOW PARK — The Episcopal Church in Parker County has a truly “new” priest-in-charge. The Rev. ClayOla H. Gitane was ordained an Episcopal priest recently at Trinity Episcopal Church, Fort Worth. The Right Rev. Bavi Edna “Nedi” Rivera, assistant bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, Seattle, Wash., presided, assisted by the Right Rev. C. Wallis Ohl, Provisional Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. Gitane had until recently served as a deacon in the Diocese of Olympia.

She is the second woman ordained a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth. Although The Episcopal Church approved the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate in 1976, when the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth was founded in 1983, the policy of its first bishop was nevertheless not to ordain women or allow them to serve in the diocese. This policy was kept in place by his two successors until late in 2008, when then-bishop Jack Leo Iker left the Episcopal Church.

Following Gitane’s ordination, Bishop Rivera said, “We would of course love to have ClayOla serve in a church in the Diocese of Olympia, but this is her home, and you are fortunate to have her serving with you.”

The Episcopal Church in Parker County, Willow Park, includes the congregations of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Weatherford, Texas; St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, Willow Park, Texas; and Church of the Holy Apostles, Fort Worth, Texas, which have been temporarily displaced from their buildings. They are worshipping together at McCall Elementary School, 400 Scenic Trail, Willow Park.

Gitane will also serve as priest-in-charge at Christ the King Episcopal Church, Fort Worth. For these two congregations, now both of modest size, the sharing of a priest-in-charge is a practical best use of their resources.

Gitane holds the Degree of Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. She had earlier studied at the Anglican School of Theology at the University of Dallas. More recently, she studied at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California, a graduate theological seminary of The Episcopal Church.

For a while it seemed as if she would have to actually be ordained to the priesthood elsewhere. Happily, recent events in The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth allowed her to come home to fulfill that calling.

The Episcopal Church in Parker County welcomes all to join them at their weekly Episcopal worship service each Sunday at McCall Elementary School, 400 Scenic Trail, Willow Park, Texas. For more information, contact ClayOla Gitane at (817) 637-0846 or by e-mail at clayola.gitane@gmail.com.

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