During its 227th annual convention, the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia approved a fund of $10 million in reparations for its role in slavery and institutional racism. But while the news is commendable, the convention overall was a mixed bag, marked by resolutions and canonical amendments of varying quality. Before we go further, it’s worth noting that one measure… Read More »
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That’s often a true statement, given our propensity as humans to prefer the comfortable and known, versus change and the unknown. But it’s nowhere more true than DioVA, where the recent passage of an annual budget — one quarter of the way into the new budget year —… Read More »
You can’t make this stuff up. In the midst of the pandemic, at a time where abuse and domestic violence are skyrocketing, the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is now proposing to zero out its budget for sexual misconduct training and prevention. Seriously. The announcement comes as the diocese attempts for the second time to pass a 2021 budget.… Read More »
Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia are very familiar with the recent “Shout it from the Mountaintop,” campaign to fund capital expenses and improvements at one of the two diocesan retreats, Shrine Mont. But a review of Shine Mont Paycheck Protection Program loan information, together with Shrine Mont’s 990’s (federal tax forms), raise issues regarding the potential… Read More »
The Church Pension Group, or CPG, is the Episcopal Church’s captive insurance company. Every year, it publishes a compensation report for clergy, a treasure trove of data for governance geeks. As always,the 2019 data never fails to disappoint, and in many cases manages to alarm as well. Total Number of Clergy First, the number of full-time clergy in… Read More »
In an article posted yesterday, The Christian Post reiterated warnings that The Episcopal Church is lurching towards collapse. That assessment coincides with similar predictions elsewhere. At its height in 1966, almost 4 million Americans were members. As of 2018, official reports count just 1.676 million members. And while all mainline denominations are facing decline with the passing of… Read More »
