Dear friends in Christ, Yesterday the clergy of the diocese gathered at Camp Weed with Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe. We prayed together, learned more about Bishop Sean’s vision for The Episcopal Church, and talked about the future of God’s mission in our communities. At the beginning of the day, Rebecca Wilson, Bishop Rowe’s chief of strategy, gave us an overview of the pending Title IV allegations against Bishop John Howard and the bishop’s responses to those claims. Those allegations and responses are detailed in documents released by The Episcopal Church yesterday afternoon, as required by canon law. As the documents reflect, there are two sets of complaints pending against Bishop Howard. One includes allegations of discrimination and the other contains allegations of improper financial actions. Bishop Howard’s responses to these allegations have been posted, as have several procedural documents in each case. At yesterday’s gathering, diocesan clergy had the opportunity to ask questions about the content of the documents, to process together what they were learning, to listen to one another, and to express the feelings that the allegations and responses created for them. The allegations and responses and the feelings expressed about the impact of the information were difficult to hear. It was hard, holy work. The clergy who gathered yesterday also heard unequivocal expressions of the love, support and concern of the Presiding Bishop and his team for the Diocese of Florida, its health, its healing, and its future. Bishop Rowe is committed to walking with us through this time as well as providing resources to help us as we work through this process, reconciling with the past, and looking to the future. The Title IV cases against Bishop Howard have been referred to a hearing panel, which is a subset of the Disciplinary Board for Bishops, the elected body charged with handling disciplinary complaints against bishops. The job of the hearing panel is to hear evidence and reach a conclusion; its proceedings are similar to a trial. As part of his role as Presiding Bishop, Bishop Rowe is working to arrive at a resolution of the cases without the grueling hearing panel process. Such a resolution is much like a settlement agreement in a civil legal case and is called an “accord.” However, if an accord is not reached, the hearing panel process will proceed; it is now scheduled to begin on April 30. The Standing Committee is deeply grateful to Bishop Rowe and his work on behalf of the complainants, the diocese, and the church in seeking an accord. While this process unfolds, we are committed to continuing our diocesan work toward reconciliation and healing. With God’s help, we are striving to move the worship, work and mission of the diocese forward. We are committed to transparency throughout this process and to sharing information with you as it becomes available. We ask your prayers for Bishop Rowe, for the complainants, for Bishop Howard, and for all of us in the diocese, that God in his great love and mercy may bring to us peace, forgiveness, healing and renewed dedication to spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ in the Diocese of Florida. With all the Hope of Jesus, Sarah Minton+, |
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President, Standing Committee of the Diocese of Florida |