+Lee threatens Diocese of Virginia, if you don’t start giving Kate and I can’t keep suing

Article published Jan 26, 2008
www.washingtontimes.com

Bishop exhorts Episcopalians to fund diocese

January 26, 2008

By Julia Duin - Virginia Episcopal Bishop Peter J. Lee rebuked fellow Episcopalians yesterday for stinginess, saying the nation's largest Episcopal diocese is financially strapped because of the "continuing inability or unwillingness" of its churches to contribute.

Speaking at the annual diocesan council meeting at the Hyatt Regency Reston, he also revealed that the diocese has spent $2 million to date on a lawsuit involving 11 churches that left the diocese a year ago over differences in theology and the 2003 consecration of the openly homosexual New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson.

The diocese officially does not ordain homosexual clergy, although a resolution is on the table for today's meeting that would change that policy.

It also does not conduct "blessing" ceremonies for same-sex unions. However, a diocesan committee report, issued yesterday, said there was an "emerging consensus" among committee members to eventually allow such blessings.

"Scripture addresses lifelong committed relationships characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect and the holy love" among homosexuals, the report said. A new commission will "identify practical steps" on how the diocese can minister to homosexual couples, it said.

The Episcopal Church has had multiple splits over sexual and theological issues, all of which have drained numerous dioceses of funds. The Virginia diocese's budget is up by 4.5 percent this year, but that has come at the expense of maintaining a staff of only 24 full- and part-time workers.

It's the smallest staff of the nation's five largest dioceses, said Bishop Lee, adding that there will be "unwanted turnover" unless larger salary increases are forthcoming.

"That was a departure for him to be that forthright," said Steve van Voorhees, a council teller. "He's never put money in his pastoral address before." Diocesan treasurer Mike Kerr said some churches have curtailed their giving out of fear that the money may go toward the lawsuit and have asked whether they can restrict where their funds go.

Calling restricted giving "a slippery slope," Mr. Kerr said that the $70,000 needed to service the $2 million line of credit is coming out of an endowment fund, not out of the diocese's $4.7 million 2008 budget.

He added that the diocese is fighting to win back properties now used by conservatives who fled the denomination and reminded delegates that four out of the 11 churches have been reconstituted as new congregations.

"I hope you'd expect your diocese to stand up for you rather than run, cave in or simply not care," he said to applause.

The 86,000-member diocese is one of a few in the country that does not assess its parishes a set percentage but instead lets those parishes give what they wish. As of midday yesterday, 20 churches had not handed in their 2008 pledges.

Average giving in Virginia is 6 percent of parish income, the lowest in the denomination. Only 27 churches — 14 percent of the total — in the diocese give proportionately to their income, officials said.

To drive home the point that all must give, diocesan officials cited the top giving parishes by name and had their representatives come forward. The largest amount of money given last year was $205,000 by Christ Church in Alexandria, they said. The largest percentage of income donated was by St. John's Episcopal Church in McLean at 16.5 percent.