After the wave of adverse publicity and the resignation of corrupt senior minister Liam Goligher, we had hoped that, in some small way, Tenth Presbyterian (PCA) would clean up its act. But recent litigation involving former member Phil Snyder makes clear that nothing has changed at this spectacularly corrupt brood of vipers. A hypothetical Before…
In the run-up to the upcoming triennial general convention, the Title IV committee of the Episcopal Church recommended a series of changes to Title IV to reduce single points of failure in the disciplinary process. The move, while well-intentioned, misses the mark by overlooking several vital reasons the clergy disciplinary process fails. The committee’s recommendations,…
Historically, Anglican Watch has been a fan of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT) and its handling of clergy discipline. In particular, we like and respect former bishop Ian Douglas (who would have been an excellent presiding bishop) and the Rev. Canon Robin Hammeal-Urban, who has long been a driving force in improving Title IV. And while…
Demands increase for bishop accountability Following the lackluster response to the allegations of domestic violence by Bishop Singh and the purported sexual assault of Julia Ayala Harris at a church meeting, there have been demands in both Houses of the General Convention to revisit bishop discipline and the related disciplinary canons. But these efforts miss…
Today’s post is about Title IV, the Episcopal clergy disciplinary canons. Specifically, what reasonable steps can we take to improve Title IV? For starters, let’s look at how Title IV functions today. Our take—far from unbiased—is that the best-managed cases rise to mediocrity. Those cases are few and far between, as most don’t even rise…
As our Roman sisters and brothers mourn the senseless murder of Los Angeles auxiliary bishop David O’Connell, his legacy illustrates the TEC episcopacy’s profound challenges. A priest for 45 years, O’Connell was known as a peacemaker who worked to reduce tensions between area residents and law enforcement, particularly following the beating death of Rodney King. The community he served…
Anglican Watch is pleased to announce its first annual Top Ten Toxic Terrors of TEC list for 2022. Inclusion on the list is intended to highlight people, churches and dioceses that are causing lasting harm to others due to abusive conduct. This is vital for the survival of the denomination, as the church cannot change if…
Did you ever have a moment of profound cognitive dissonance? Where you look around and just go, “Holy Toledo—what the heck just happened?” That was this author’s reaction when he recently learned that Shannon Johnston, former bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia (DioVA), has been named as a fellow to George Mason University’s (GMU’s)…