Several national churches have joined The Episcopal Church and Texas dioceses in filing amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs with the Texas Supreme Court, in support of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas and the loyal Episcopalians at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in San Angelo. That case,Masterson v. Diocese of Northwest Texas (“Masterson”), is set for oral argument before the Court on February 29, 2012 in Laredo.
On February 16, The Episcopal Church filed a separate brief in support of its Diocese of Northwest Texas and Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.
On February 20, four other national churches joined the plaintiffs in the Fort Worth diocesan case plus three other Texas dioceses in filing a second amicus brief. The national churches supporting the Episcopalians are the United Methodist Church , the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
Four other Texas dioceses appear as “friends of the court” in support of their sister diocese, the Diocese of Northwest Texas: the Diocese of Texas, Diocese of West Texas, Diocese of the Rio Grande, and the Diocese of Fort Worth (represented by the successful plaintiffs in the diocesan case pending in the 141st District Court in Fort Worth.)
More information and analysis will be posted later.