From CBS News online:
Colorado's largest Episcopal church was left in chaos after leaders voted to leave the denomination and the bishop responded by dismissing the parish's leadership.
The controversy at Colorado Springs' Grace Episcopal Church and St. Stephen's Parish is the latest to roil the Episcopal Church following the national denomination's acceptance of homosexuality.
....
But Bishop Robert O'Neill rejected the move, dismissing the local leaders and saying the Colorado Springs parish would remain part of the Episcopal Church.
"The fact is people may leave the Episcopal Church but parishes cannot," O'Neill said in a statement.
The church's longtime rector, the Rev. Donald Armstrong III, who was suspended for allegedly mishandling funds, said O'Neill no longer has jurisdiction over the parish.
....
The leaders of Grace and St. Stephen's voted to join the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, a missionary diocese of the Church of Nigeria led by Archbishop Peter J. Akinola.
It's difficult for me to believe that members (or should I say former members?) of the Episcopal Church want to align themselves with Archbishop Akinola, knowing all that we know about his machinations in Nigeria and here in this country. I suppose that homosexuality and same-gender sex are the greatest sins and perhaps the only sins. I'm left close to speechless for commentary on this news. I know these are not the first parishes to join the "missionary diocese of the Church of Nigeria led by Archbishop Peter J. Akinola," but, what would it take for the folks in the US to say, "Enough!" We can't do this."
UPDATE: Here's a new letter from Bishop O'Neill to the parishioners of Grace and St. Stephen's concerning the specific allegations against the Rev. Donald Armstrong III.
Hat tip to Dr. Primrose in the comments at Of Course, I Could Be Wrong.
Go read the letter that the vestry of this church sent to members of the parish just before they did this. They made some promises to the bishop not on doctrine but on odd stuff like no loans to the rector and all accounts must be audited yearly.
ReplyDeleteThen the parish vestry voted to leave the day that a presentment was to be made after the diocese's attorneys finished looking into the money scandal. And it is apparently a big money scandal. Their former rector is apparently soon to be investigated and possibly more by prosecutors.
This is a money scandal hidden under the cover of a doctrinal dispute. unfortunately the mainstream media has read only the rightwing's press releases.
One of the parish's parishioners was over on StandLimp saying that he or she was surprised by this sudden turn of events. And the vestry didn't solicit any parish vote on leaving- they did it on their own before the letters of presentment could be handed to Anderson. interesting, eh?
Any court in the land not beholden to right wing religious types will see this as an effort to prevent a financial investigation. Unlike Falls Church where it is going to take a couple of years of litigation to get the buildings back, the diocese should have the keys to that building in hand very soon.
And ignore the right wingers announcing that this parish had the highest plate receipt every week in the diocese. They hadn't paid their assessment in years.
Dennis, where's a link to go read?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHere's a link suggesting that the charges have to do with income unreported to the IRS:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5444795,00.html
The truth will come out, eventually.
For myself, if that's all that this were about, it seems a bit heavy-handed. But whether the article is accurate is a question. Does anyone have a different idea of the charges?
Back when I was first out of law school I worked for a firm with a lot of prominent Democrats, and a number, having been put on Nixon's infamous Enemies List, were thoroughly audited by the IRS year after year. Most discovered that, unless your return is that of a simple wager earner, there is almost always something that can be challenged. In Nixon's hands it was a potent weapon indeed.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5444795,00.html
ReplyDeleteIs that better?
Apparently not.
ReplyDeleteMimi, I hope you are taking heart that there is someone more inept than you at doing computer stuff.
It's in there somewhere.
I was talking to my priest this afternoon and mentioned this event. Her reply was, "They will be much happier after they've left and we will too." Of course she didn't know about all the possible shenanigans their rector has allegedly been up to.
ReplyDeleteRick, I claim the most ineptitude when it comes to computers.;-)
And...my computer is older than dirt, so I can't see any videos that are put up on the blogs I read, among other problems that I have!
OK. the links in my previous comment were not quite right, so I deleted it and started over.
ReplyDeleteThe link to Grace and St. Stephen's Church's website is .
Nowhere on the main page of the website is the Episcopal Church referenced. The only groups mentioned are these:
CANA – The Convocation of Anglicans in North America
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican)
The link to Bishop O'Neill's letter to the diocese is here.
From Bishop O'Neill's letter:
...That they have chosen in consultation with Father Armstrong to “leave” The Episcopal Church knowing that on the same day that our Standing Committee, acting as the Diocesan Review Committee, received the report of the Church Attorney containing the results of the investigation, only calls into question the motivation of the vestry and Father Armstrong in making such a decision.
Having received the report of the Church Attorney today, I have been informed that the Standing Committee, acting as the Diocesan Review Committee, has voted unanimously to issue a Presentment containing six counts of wrongdoing against Father Armstrong. You can expect to hear more from me regarding the details of this Presentment just as soon it has been formally conveyed to Father Armstrong.
Regarding the decision made by the vestry, I can only say that the decision has no canonical or constitutional grounding or effect. I take the position that people may leave The Episcopal Church but parishes cannot. Grace and Saint Stephen’s Church remains a parish of The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado and will continue to be so for any and all who desire to be members of it.
The letter from the vestry of Grace and St. Stephen's to the parishioners is here.
Well, the links are still messed up, but you can get where I want you to go. I'm linking to a PDF file, so maybe there's a different way to do that.
ReplyDeleteRick, thanks for trying to help. I am beginning to regret that I posted the whole damned thing.
1) with computers it is always the simplest thing that causes the problem.
ReplyDelete2) have no regrets Mimi; I will send you the "letter" if you haven't found it already.
3) re: Grace/St Stephen's? Lord have mercy; Christ have mercy; Lord have mercy. Pray fervently for the stunned parishioners who have had their church literally seized by power-hungry and corrupt leadership; pray for Bishop O'Neill for wisdom and grace during this time. In the true Lord's name. Amen.
"I am beginning to regret that I posted the whole damned thing."
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel. Still, however curmudgeonly I may react to computers, and however much I may grumble that they haven't exactly simplified things, I must still look at the effort you took to post the Annunciation image and wonder a little bit at how what before was a masterpiece accessible by only a few can now literally be seen and shared by hundreds of millions.
Not too long ago it was brought to my attention that though we see paintings by reflected light, images on the computer screen, by way of contrast, though limited in some ways by flattening and digitalization, are seen by themselves emitting light, a form of being seen unimaginable by the original artist.
So, anyway, thanks for the effort.
Catherine, I pray for all involved. May God be with them.
ReplyDeleteRick you do understand. Thanks.
I'm glad the bishop took a no-nonsense stand about trying to pull the parish out, whatever the real reason, money or "reassertion." Probably both.
ReplyDeleteMimi, I think a lot of people feel okay joining with Akinola because they do not understand the depth of his actions in Africa, and they firmly resist enlightenment, preferring instead to put their fingers in their ears and say "La la la, I can't HEAR you!"
ReplyDeleteAlthough, yes, in this case it looks like the money scandal was the driving force.
Pat and Pat, the Episcopal Church is not a congregational church. I think the "reasserters" get that, but they are going to try their power plays, and the bishops must stand up to them and, above all, care for the faithful members of the flock who want to remain in the Episcopal Church.
ReplyDeletethough we see paintings by reflected light, images on the computer screen, by way of contrast, though limited in some ways by flattening and digitalization, are seen by themselves emitting light, a form of being seen unimaginable by the original artist.
ReplyDeleteRick---what a beautiful vision that is! Thanks for giving me a new way of seeing.
Cheers,
Doxy
I still find this concept of a battle over who/what can leave both curious and sad.
ReplyDeleteSad, because it is a legal battle (ultimately). And curious, because what, precisely, does the diocese do? Change the locks? Send in a new priest, to struggle with the other priest for who gets to lead worship? Really, it's a very curious thing.
Really, it's a very curious thing.
ReplyDeleteRmj, it is that. Certainly not what Our Lord had in mind. Although he did drive the money-changers out of the temple with a whip. Could that be the way to go?
There are numerous interesting comments over on T19 about the Armstrong scandal. Not surprisingly, opinion about his culpability seems to line up with opinion about his orthodoxy.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that stands out is that he is fairly-well-compensated (apparently Episcopal bishops don’t set the salaries for their priests). That normally under-the-radar kind of information will certainly affect how sympathetically he is judged.
Another factor is the claim that non-reporting of imputed income is rampant among the clergy. I have never been a tax lawyer, but I took one course on income tax, and I have to admit that many of the items the IRS considers income are not always intuitively so. In a church context the distinction between “gifts” and “income” especially seems a bit slippery. So, given their generally low compensation, I don’t find it terribly scandalous that clergy don’t go out of their way to ascertain how they can increase their taxes. On the other hand, a pastor paid like a middle-tier CEO may have more trouble playing the innocent lamb.
As always, it all comes down to Trollope. I always considered “The Warden” a rather perfunctory introduction to the juicier “Barchester Towers.” But the warden, Mr. Harding, fundamentally a good man, a priest enjoying the good life from a lucrative church stipend, when confronted with questions about Hiram’s Hospital, begins to wonder himself if he isn’t as corrupt as the world suddenly thinks him. One hopes that Mr. Armstrong is as good, and as self-questioning, as Mr. Harding, and that his personal questions don't become proxies for larger issues, as poor Mr. Harding's became, in the next novel, between the Archdeacon and Mr. Slope.
Check out the detailed allegations at http://www2.gazette.com/interactives/pdf/Presentment.pdf
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! And clear that this will not simply be a church issue -- it's embezzlement.