Send us a tip | About | Contact | Guidelines
Sexual grooming is a documented feature of clergy sexual abuse. Yet in much of the United States, the law still struggles to address grooming before abuse occurs. That needs to change. A 2022 peer-reviewed study examined records involving 10,667 alleged child sexual abuse cases in … Read more
The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island has helpfully published another register showing gaps in congregational audit reporting. Less helpfully, its October 29, 2026 document still lists outstanding audit years reaching back to 2019. In Anglican Watch’s view, allowing required financial reporting to remain unresolved across … Read more
The Episcopal Church has found a buyer for its Manhattan headquarters at 815 Second Avenue. The building is under contract, the buyer has been identified, and the church is finally moving toward unloading a property it should have sold years ago. But two important financial … Read more
A Catholic diocese received warnings about a priest’s behavior involving boys, allowed him to remain in ministry, and decades later settled a child sexual abuse lawsuit. Sound familiar? It should. The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia has its own uncomfortable parallels involving the Rev. Jonathan “Johnny … Read more
The Episcopal Church has spent decades worrying about declining membership. But its own research points to a contributor that deserves more attention: conflict, particularly involving clergy leadership, governance, and finances. And the church’s handling of those conflicts may be making matters worse. Not every departing … Read more
Apparently, irony is alive and well at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Dean Winnie Varghese has released a new book, One Single Act, exploring kindness, compassion, generosity, and justice. Yes, really. The book received a November 9 launch at the cathedral, complete with … Read more
Another day, another legal setback for McLean Bible Church. On November 9, the Virginia Supreme Court rejected the Northern Virginia megachurch’s request for rehearing in a long-running lawsuit alleging that church leaders manipulated membership rolls and voting procedures to control the election of elders. Apparently, … Read more
Wow, talk about bad news. Despite an announcement from the Diocese of Wyoming that Todd Ousley was departing as bishop provisional for health reasons, a confidential source within the diocese tells Anglican Watch that he remains as an assisting bishop. We have not independently confirmed … Read more
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) has managed to produce a disciplinary outcome that raises serious questions about its priorities: A pastor who argued that the Bible does not categorically condemn chattel slavery was acquitted of that charge, then indefinitely suspended for sarcastic remarks directed … Read more
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans has finally added the late Rev. Paul Hart to its list of clergy accused of sexually abusing children. That’s welcome news. Less welcome is the fact that attorney Richard Trahant, who tried to warn a Catholic high school … Read more
Optional accountability, mandatory applause The Church of England has unveiled a voluntary safeguarding complaints process. The Episcopal Church is proposing an optional diocesan Title IV pilot costing roughly $2 million a year. Different programs, familiar sales pitch: new structures, more administration, and promises of better … Read more
Friends, I’m pleased to report on two things: As you’ve seen, we were able to cut over to the new site this morning, and with surprisingly few issues. That’s good news, since it’s been a hell of a time getting ready for the change. But … Read more
The Episcopal Diocese of Rochester has nearly $30 million in net assets. Yet, it received another qualified audit opinion in 2025, ran an operating fund deficit, and relied on investment withdrawals for roughly half its operating funding. Apparently, having plenty of money doesn’t necessarily mean … Read more
Hello everyone. Quick note from behind the scenes on a couple of housekeeping issues. First: Where’s Eric? Although he’s the front person for the organization (and he gets to do 95 percent of the work), there are a couple of us skulking around behind the … Read more
Phil Snyder was a deacon at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia who challenged the church’s handling of sexual abuse. Tenth excommunicated him and sued him. Susan Elzey gave perjurious testimony against him. Years later, he remains divorced and burdened by legal fees, with no apology … Read more
St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Lakewood Ranch is among 18 Manatee County churches identified by the sheriff’s office in a donation-check theft investigation that has led to eight arrests. Authorities announced the arrests, reporting approximately $266,000 in confirmed losses across Manatee County and elsewhere. … Read more
After acquitting Bishop Stewart Ruch III in December 2025 over his handling of abuse allegations, the Anglican Church in North America commissioned an outside review of its disciplinary process. But the review excludes the court’s internal workings, and the latest public account of the disclosure … Read more
Current as of November 6, 2026. Embezzlement in the Episcopal Church reaches well beyond one rogue treasurer. Public records and reporting identify thefts and allegations involving national headquarters, dioceses, parishes, a preschool, a scholarship foundation, and a fund serving clergy families. The best-known case remains … Read more
A former mayor’s guilty plea offers churches an expensive lesson in financial oversight. Tamara Le Ann Wallace, the former mayor of South Lake Tahoe, pleaded guilty on October 29 to wire fraud after stealing approximately $390,000 from Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, where she worked … Read more
One of the truly irritating things about the church watchdog beat is that the church rarely admits to its mistakes, let alone fixes them. Thus, we are delighted to report that, according to information in its proposed triennial budget, the Episcopal Church is fixing serious … Read more
The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island projects a 62% increase in the funding shortfall at its Episcopal Conference Center in 2027, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of one of its largest ministries. According to the diocese’s 2027 budget narrative, the center expects $600,223 in … Read more
The Episcopal Church’s national finances reveal an institution with substantial accumulated wealth, improving diocesan collections, and a persistent problem: its financial cushion is stronger than its congregational growth. Investment gains can keep the books looking healthy while participation declines. They cannot put people in the … Read more
Trinity Church NYC has apparently ended its funding standoff with the Episcopal Diocese of New York. The diocese’s 2027 budget narrative reports that every congregation has accepted the Common Mission Share. Anglican Watch welcomes the news. A prolonged confrontation would help neither struggling congregations nor … Read more
Todd Ousley’s tenure as bishop provisional of Wyoming ended October 31, closing another chapter in a career marked by complaints about episcopal privilege, mishandled clergy discipline, and indifference to people hurt by the church. From Michigan to church headquarters to Wyoming, the recurring question has … Read more
The Episcopal Church has clear rules requiring annual financial audits. Getting churches to follow them is another matter. In Anglican Watch’s experience, non-compliance is very common. Public diocesan records reinforce that concern: overdue reports, multi-year backlogs, governance problems, and financial oversight that sometimes consists of … Read more
Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion is trying, unsuccessfully, to get Ohio’s lawsuit over its Cincinnati charitable assets thrown out. In an October 29 order, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Wagner denied HUC’s motion to dismiss. He found that the state had sufficiently pleaded … Read more
Anglican Watch’s small team of volunteers will be serving as election officials tomorrow. Our offices will be closed, we won’t be answering the phones, and we don’t anticipate publishing new posts. If something significant comes up, we may revisit the posting decision. In the meantime, … Read more
At a time when the mainline denominations are declining, it’s interesting to examine clergy compensation in the Episcopal Church and see what it tells us. The results are telling. Specifically, median compensation for bishops in the Episcopal Church’s largest dioceses reached $291,569 in 2025, up … Read more
The Episcopal Diocese of Springfield has distinguished itself in church finance: It is the only diocese that has neither committed to paying its full 2026 churchwide assessment nor requested a waiver, according to Episcopal News Service. The church’s assessment formula requires dioceses to contribute 15% … Read more
Retired California Bishop Marc Andrus is again a bishop in good standing. What, precisely, got him suspended? The Episcopal Church still isn’t telling readers enough to judge. In its October 29 newsletter, the Diocese of California published a statement from Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s office … Read more