June 13, 2024
Office of Public Affairs
Dear family in Christ,
We write today to make you aware of five recent Title IV matters involving three bishops who have been nominated for election as our next presiding bishop. We recognize the gravity of this decision, and we would like to explain our reasons for this disclosure.
Over the past year, many bishops, other clergy, and laypeople have called for greater transparency in our processes that address bishop misconduct. As followers of Jesus of Nazareth, we know that the call to lead comes with an extra measure of accountability, and we believe that balancing appropriate confidentiality with appropriate transparency will help increase trust that our church is a safe place for all of God’s children.
While our canons do not require the kind of disclosure we are making today, they do leave room for the presiding bishop or presiding bishop-designate to exercise discretion in Title IV matters when sharing information is pastorally appropriate.
In this instance, we believe disclosure is pastorally appropriate because the subjects of the complaints are people who have been nominated as our next presiding bishop, and this disclosure protects the integrity of the presiding bishop election.
We provide this information with the caution that our canons make it clear that all persons against whom allegations are made are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
Two Title IV matters are currently pending against bishops who are nominees for presiding bishop. The nature of the allegations and the procedural status of those matters are as follows, with bishops named alphabetically:
- The Rt. Rev. DeDe Duncan-Probe: On May 5, 2024, the intake officer for bishops received an anonymous report that Bishop Duncan-Probe had publicly misrepresented her academic credentials. The reference panel referred the matter for investigation on May 22, 2024.
- The Rt. Rev. Daniel Gutiérrez: On June 5, 2024, the intake officer for bishops received a report criticizing Bishop Gutiérrez’s handling of a Title IV matter involving allegations of sexual misconduct against a priest in the diocese. The reference panel referred the matter for investigation on June 11, 2024.
Three Title IV matters involving nominees for presiding bishop have been considered in the Title IV process and have been dismissed:
- The Rt. Rev. DeDe Duncan-Probe: On Dec. 20, 2023, the intake officer for bishops received a report criticizing Bishop Duncan-Probe for refusing to permit the complainant to continue in the discernment process and requiring the complainant to refer future correspondence to the chancellor. The intake officer dismissed the matter on Feb. 20, 2024, and, after an appeal by the complainant, the dismissal was upheld by the president of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops on March 21, 2024.
- The Rt. Rev. Daniel Gutiérrez: On May 15, 2024, the intake officer for bishops received an anonymous report criticizing Bishop Gutiérrez for resolving a Title IV matter involving a priest in the diocese with an accord the complainant regarded as too harsh and for allegedly failing to provide adequate pastoral support to the parish. The reference panel decided on May 28, 2024, to take no action other than appropriate pastoral response, and the matter was dismissed.
- The Rt. Rev. Robert Wright: On Dec. 15, 2023, the intake officer for bishops received allegations of ageism, ableism, microaggressions, and abuse of power by Bishop Wright. The reference panel decided on Feb. 22, 2024, to take no action other than appropriate pastoral response, and the matter was dismissed.
We hope you receive this information in the spirit of our intent, and we call all Episcopalians to prayer in this season of discernment about the future of our beloved church.
Faithfully,
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
The Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves
Vice President of the House of Bishops
Title IV Presiding Bishop-Designate
The Episcopal Church
