Update: Virginia priest Cayce Ramey facing two additional Title IV complaints

Over the past year, Anglican Watch has covered the Title IV cases against Cayce Ramey, an Episcopal priest canonically resident in the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. Now, with one of the two original cases still grinding along, Anglican Watch has learned that two additional Title IV charges are pending against Ramey.

The news comes from the Title IV hearing panel documents on the Diocese of Virginia website, which reveal that work on the prior case is on hold pending a decision by the Title IV reference panel on the two most recent charges.

Documents filed by the church attorney indicate that the reference panel should complete its deliberations by December 1, 2025.

We have not yet learned the details of the allegations in the two most recent complaints.

A copy of the relevant church attorney’s correspondence follows.

Our reaction

We have a mixed reaction to the Title IV cases against Ramey.

As we have noted previously, we agree with the Court of Review, which found that there is no inherent obligation for a priest to say Mass.

That said, we see the Court of Review dicta regarding the need to work towards reconciliation as being absolutely misguided. Specifically, while we view the case with skepticism, the Diocese of Virginia has been nothing but patient in this matter.

Indeed, we think there is a good argument to be made that way too much time and money have been spent on Ramey, a knucklehead if there ever was one with scant interest in the welfare of the parishioners he purports to serve.

And, to be clear, one of the reasons Ramey has been so intransigent in the Title IV cases is that he’s trying to use the process to credential his racial consulting service, Racial Heresy. Indeed, one of his taglines is, “Hire a Heretic,” despite the fact that he is NOT accused of heresy. 

As we’ve stated previously, we are also concerned that Ramey may have untreated mental health issues. Indeed, former ecclesiastical authority Bishop Susan Goff herself said that she was concerned for his welfare, after allegedly observing Ramey being alternately tearful and manic during a meeting with her.

As an aside, issues of clergy impairment continue to be problematic for the denomination.

On the one hand, impairment is a relatively common problem among clergy, whether due to substance abuse, mental health issues, dementia, or aging.

On the other hand, the Episcopal Church appears unable to formalize a mechanism to address these challenges. Even worse, judicatories have consistently mishandled the impairment cases of which we are aware.

Back to Ramey: Despite our discomfort with the original Title IV case, we believe the Diocese of Virginia is justified in attempting to remove Ramey from the priesthood.

If nothing else, holy orders should not be taken lightly. Nor should ordination be used, as Ramey attempts to do, as a marketing gimmick.

And to be clear: Ramey is clueless when it comes to race. Ensconced in his million-dollar Falls Church home, the guy reveals just how out of touch he is with his references to “celebratory dinners” as part of his for-profit pilgrimages to Ghana. 

As we have said before, we were not aware this anything “celebratory” about slavery, and we suspect descendants of enslaved individuals would find this offensive.