Death notice: Rev. John Worrell, publisher of Nevertheless

It falls to this Sunday blogger to note the death yesterday of The Rev. John Worrell, whose name might be recognized by the past few generations of Texas Episcopalians, and most certainly will be recognized by their members of the clergy.

Though he accomplished much in his long career as a working priest, John will likely be remembered chiefly as the force behind Nevertheless: A Texas Church Review - founder, publisher (along with wife Vivian), and head writer of a thoughtful publication that prided itself on being an independent voice crying for a little sanity in the Anglican Communion - no, not just in Texas ... and not just in the years before before 2003, but especially, and with hard vigor, in 2003 and beyond, until finally just a few years ago Nevertheless and other small occasional pubs like it were forced to run up the white flag and surrender (swearing many cautions to the rest of us) to the immediacy of the Internet.

John was profoundly captured by the notion that The Episcopal Church was a place capable of having a wide, fair, giving, and intellectually honest conversation about faith and the politics of faith. (He was also less apt to confuse the two, as we sometimes are now, in our rush to keep the story going.) He was, simply, a broad churchman who did not accept the smallness one sometimes perceives in clergy - including bishops - and who never shied from pointing out both the location and remedy of faults. Upon handing over the reigns of Nevertheless to an editorial board, he noted, with a tinge of melancholy, that

... [w]e never quite succeeded in providing, as we had hoped, a place where very different views were argued out in "charitable yet rigorous" debate, at least not often. Perhaps the times had already turned to discomfort with diversity and serious exploration of important differences in a shared environment. It is also likely that our willingness, on the rare occasions when it seemed needed, to question the wisdom or fairness of our Bishops gave us a partisan reputation we had not desired ... I hope that our shared concern for the success of the Gospel and the welfare of the Church will continue and grow.

Let's remember that The Episcopal Church, like any American expression of Christian thought, was upheld by many in the last century who cared enough about her fortunes to do something to in the hope of making a lasting impact upon them. There were many who toiled with blue pencils, pica-poles, and reduction wheels to make their drafts better - who would stay up late copying, folding, applying stamps and fueling it all with cold coffee, because they loved their Church enough to sacrifice for it in ways that just made sense to them. And if today entirely web-based news-and-views organs like Episcopal Café succeed, they do well to recall their forebears in this lineage.

So farewell, John, and thanks for all the carp. We owe you.

Posted by Torey Lightcap on July 25, 2010 7:18 AM | |
Comments (6)

I am very sad to hear of it. Fr. John was a great man, and exemplified for me what was best in old style Broad Churchmanship. May his life-long contribution not be forgotten.

Posted by Michael LaRue, K.M. [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 25, 2010 10:14 AM

"It is also likely that our willingness, on the rare occasions when it seemed needed, to question the wisdom or fairness of our Bishops gave us a partisan reputation we had not desired..."

I don't know whether I'd have agreed or disagreed with John Worrell on those rare occasions. But this is indeed how it happens when one questions the wisdom or fairness of our Bishops; rectors too for that matter. Anyone who lived through B033 knows how ruthless they can be when they simply must have their own way.

They talk all the time about listening to each other in big tents to hold us all; I suppose we're lucky that we do listen at times, in big rooms with space for everyone. And I suppose that I'm guilty at times of ruthlessness too. All of us hold certain principles dearly, and many of us are willing to fight for them.

But as one who's been pushed out more often than pulled in, I identify with John Worrell. I've spent years too with blue pencils and reduction wheels; I've got my own lifetime batting average and it sure isn't 1.000.

But I can't help thinking about certain schismatic bishops, in dioceses that allowed plenty of leeway for control freaks, until the dioceses disappeared into personality cults where marginalizing the questioners became the reason they existed.

I don't know what Worrell might have done to deserve any of that; but we can all see the results. May God forgive this Church.

Posted by Josh Thomas [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 25, 2010 11:34 AM

From Dixie Hutchinson

Not mentioned in the tribute are John's support of the Civil Rights movement
and his time as a beloved college chaplain at Rice University. Dixie

Posted by Ann Fontaine [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 25, 2010 12:09 PM

Fr. John was a friend to me personally, as well as the best-kind of friend to the Integrity/Houston chapter--the kind of friend who doesn't uncritically agree with you, but challenges you to be your best self. For the one article I wrote for Nevertheless, Fr. John thanked me and very nicely let me know that I could make my point much more clearly than I had, which I greatly appreciated. Fr. John and his family are all in my prayers.

Posted by Dale McNeill [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 25, 2010 10:13 PM

I echo Dale McNeill's sentiments about John. Not only did I know John Worrell from attending Integrity eucharists at Autry House, I also heard John's challenging sermons when he would preside and preach at the 8 a.m. HC at St Stephen's, Houston. R.I.P., John Worrell. - Jay Vos

Posted by dutchfox [TypeKey Profile Page] | July 27, 2010 1:37 PM

John Worrell and St Bede kept me sane during my medical school training. John is the embodiment of the virtues of Anglicanism.

Posted by Kelli Mok [TypeKey Profile Page] | December 12, 2010 6:28 PM

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