Earlier today, the Church of England’s Church News, published an excellent synopsis of the Makin Report, which revealed an ongoing cover-up of the abuse of more than 100 boys by the late John Smyth. The report flags multiple bishops beyond Welby complicit in the cover-up, and flags yet another lie by Welby. Welby’s fabrication, which…
On a day when many are reflecting on issues of organizational and collective integrity, there is good news from within the Episcopal Church. Specifically, incoming Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe has removed corrupt Bishop Todd Ousley from all involvement in the Title IV process for bishops as a precursor to Ousley’s departure later this year. Anglican…
On November 2, 2024, the Episcopal Church installed Bishop Sean Rowe for a nine-year term as the denomination’s presiding bishop. Shortly afterward, Rowe made a series of personnel and related announcements, which Anglican Watch believes portend good news for the church. This post discusses these announcements and several related topics, with an emphasis on clergy…
Michael Greene, the 50-year-old rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Albany, has pleaded guilty to a non-criminal charge of trespassing, shortly before trial was set to begin for charges of criminal mischief. Under the previous charges, Greene could have faced 15 days in jail as well as financial penalties. The original charges stem from…
Editor Eric Bonetti is out this week, continuing plans to donate a kidney. Our deputy editor is in charge and wrote this article. Someone recently asked me why I haven’t posted much on Anglican Watch lately. I don’t really know the answer to that question, but a big part of it is workload, my frustration…
Anglican Watch notes with sadness the passing of Virginia bishop Mark Stevenson’s beloved wife Joy, who passed yesterday after a lengthy illness. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stevenson and those he loves. May Joy rest in peace and rise in glory, and the peace of God that passes all understanding be with those who mourn.
This is another late-breaking opinion piece from your pal, Stinkbomb, who had the misfortune of watching the Celebration of a Renewed Ministry at Grace Episcopal Alexandria last night, which involved Ted Gulick, who officiated, and Anne Turner, who flung holy water on everyone there but herself. Editor Eric Bonetti is out, doing tests to hopefully…
Anglican Watch has repeatedly covered the allegations of child rape involving Episcopal priest Richard Losch, who is canonically resident in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. We have received updated information on the case. As we previously reported, subsequent to our initial reports, Massachusetts indicted Losch earlier this year. The criminal trial, however, has been postponed…
The old saying about the devil being in the details is often true. And it’s never as true as when we consider proposals to redeem a corrupt clergyperson like Anne Turner, whom the Diocese of Virginia suspended a year ago for adultery from her position as rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA. Indeed,…
For many years, there has been a long-simmering scandal involving the US military and its reluctance to address sexual harassment and assault against women connected to the armed forces. Similarly, the debacle of the Southern Baptist Convention and its refusal to take abuse seriously continues, even as the denomination talks a good game. Now, Anglican…
In a decision released earlier today, the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta declined to act in a Title IV case against Ben Day, the rector of Christ Church, Kennesaw, GA. At issue is that various parties directly injured by Day’s alleged misconduct have declined to testify in the matter. While we understand the reasons for this,…
The long-simmering conflict involving an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Chicago, Will Bouvel, and his alleged perjury directed at a conservative church member, attorney David Duggan, has gone to litigation with mixed results. The legal action follows years of failed efforts by Duggan to obtain redress through the denomination’s cumbersome and slow-moving clergy disciplinary…
The Falls Church (TFC), one of the earliest Episcopal Churches in the US, recently released a study of the church’s complicity in slavery, including a series of recommendations to address the issue in the future. The recommendations in the report comprise: Speak the truth about TFC’s ties to slavery Seek spiritual penitence Make amends with…
An Episcopal parish in the Diocese of San Diego has filed a Title IV appeal following the dismissal of their complaint against Bishop Susan Brown Snook (“Bishop Susan”) by the national church. Anglican Watch remains deeply concerned about the case, including Bishop Susan’s failure to resolve the parish’s underlying concerns of her own accord. Moreover, we…
Over the years, one of our most popular posts has been the reprint of the late Danni Moss’ article about serial bullies. Regrettably, a high percentage of clergy fit the bill, with one expert we consulted estimating that fully a third of clergy are serial bullies, or predators. A new post by Dr. Karen Mitchell,…
Previously, we reported on the ongoing saga of Episcopal priest Daniel McClain, rector-elect of St. Paul’s, Dayton, which covers a wide array of issues, including living with another woman while still married to his wife, his abusive conduct toward parishioners and his alleged misuse of church funds, resulting in our decision to file a Title…
Right Wing Watch, an online publication of the non-profit advocacy group People For, reports that Austin, TX-based Pastor Joel Webbon is advocating public execution of women who falsely report being sexually assaulted, adding that a few such killings would quickly put an end to the #MeToo movement. Webbon made his comments in a recent sermon…
On October 19, 2024, representatives and clergy of the Diocese of Bethlehem, and the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, will gather at State College, PA in an agreed upon joint convention of both dioceses. On the agenda is a proposal that the two dioceses re-unite and become one after 100 years of separation. Subsequently, both groups…
Diocesan officials announced earlier today that former Diocese of California bishop Marc Andrus has been suspended from ministry as a result of allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an adult while serving as bishop diocesan. The move illustrates the denomination’s dated approach to ethics and clergy discipline. The suspension was issued by the presiding bishop’s…
One of our favorite sister publications is Floodlit.org, which covers abuse in the Latter-day Saint (LDS) denomination. Floodlit does a wonderful job in covering issues church that uses its wealth and power to cover-up abuse, even as it talks a good game. Candidly, although no one here is LDS, we are very fond of our…
Disclosure: Anglican Watch editor Eric Bonetti is a former member of Grace Episcopal Church. Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria, VA, has invited rector Anne Turner to return to ministry following the Diocese of Virginia’s suspension of her for adultery. While Diocesan officials have approved the decision, Anglican Watch believes it is unwise and will cause lasting harm…
More than two years ago, Anglican Watch editor Eric Bonetti and another individual filed Title IV clergy disciplinary complaints against Dallas bishop George Sumner. The original complaint filed by Bonetti was received by Bishop Todd Ousley, then the national intake officer for bishops, via email, who acknowledged receipt of the complaint. When that sailed off into oblivion,…
In early 2024, Episcopal priest Nicholas Szobota, rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Colonial Beach, Virginia, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of embezzlement, one misdemeanor account of embezzlement, and two felony counts of using a computer to commit embezzlement. Victims include St. Mary’s and the Colonial Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad. Under terms of…
These days, there’s not much coming out of Texas that we like. But local Texas officials got it right when they arrested a former teacher and the Head of School at St. John’s Episcopal School in Abilene. Local media report that last July police arrested former St. John’s teacher Kelsey Alexander and Head of School Rebecca McMillon, each…
The Tycho Supernova – NASA Reprinted with permission from The Wartburg Watch. Original here. Should be required reading for Bishop Lucinda Ashby and her minions at the Diocese of El Camino Real — and everyone else who thinks that having a sex offender policy is adequate to protect minors and other vulnerable populations. Also recommended…
The following is reprinted by permission from Christa Brown’s excellent publication, In Solidarity. A victim of abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, Brown has been a forerunner in the drive for accountability. She is the author of Baptistland: A Memoir of Abuse, Betrayal, and Transformation. ### The Texas Supreme Court erroneously released a massive trove of “highly…
The Falls Church Anglican (TFCA) has released an addendum to its investigatory report on sexual abuse within the church’s Cornerstone Program. Unsurprisingly, the result is every bit as underwhelming as the original report. Defining sexual abuse A significant issue with the report is the author’s game of duck, bob, and weave around covert sexual abuse….
The following is reprinted with permission from friend Shannon Ashley’s wonderful SubStack publication, The Truth Hurts. Please consider supporting Shannon, a single mother who is struggling with a variety of health challenges. She is a dear and loyal friend. Apropos Phil Williams and his claim that Angie Solomon is “crazy,” a mother who has lost…
It’s long been a fundamental tenet within private companies that illegal conduct by an employee can and should result in immediate termination. Yet the Episcopal Church, which far too often treats Title IV, the clergy disciplinary canon, as the only solution to clergy misconduct, almost invariably ignores criminal conduct and other egregious misconduct by clergy….
Daniel McClain, the rector-elect of St. Paul’s Episcopal in Dayton, has yet again run the Jolly Roger up the mast, further revealing the depth and breadth of his manipulative and abusive conduct. Per ex parte filings with the Montgomery County OH Court of Common Pleas, Daniel McClain allegedly engaged in another round of attempted self…