Alabama judge dismisses ex-Episcopal Church official Stacy Sauls’ lawsuit

From ENS-

An Alabama judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the corporation of the Episcopal Church, called the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS), by former Chief Operating Officer Bishop Stacy Sauls after he was let go from his post.

Mobile County 13th Judicial District Judge Ben Brooks said in his Aug. 22 decision that Alabama was not the proper place for Sauls to bring such a suit.

The former chief operating officer said that because the Episcopal Church is present in Alabama, he ought to be able to file suit there. The church had argued that the case did not belong in the Alabama courts but, instead, in New York where Sauls was based.

The judge agreed with the church, saying all the actions described in the suit took place in New York, where Sauls still lives and where the church maintains its denominational office.

“The only potential Alabama witnesses are the lawyers [Sauls] hired,” Brooks noted.

Neva Rae Fox, the church’s public affairs officer, said late on Aug. 22 that “we believe this to be a just and proper decision.”

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2017/08/22/alabama-judge-dismisses-ex-episcopal-church-official-stacy-sauls-lawsuit/

also here-

http://livingchurch.org/2017/08/23/judge-tosses-suit-by-bp-sauls/

Bishop Stacy Sauls sues the Episcopal Church

From ENS-

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry and President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings shared the following letter with the staff of the Episcopal Church on Feb. 8.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

Earlier this week, we informed Executive Council that Bishop Stacy Sauls has filed a lawsuit against the corporation of the Episcopal Church, called the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS), and an unspecified number of unnamed defendants associated with the church. 
The suit concerns Bishop Sauls’ tenure as chief operating officer of the DFMS and his departure from that job.

As you may remember, Bishop Sauls served as chief operating officer from 2011 until December 2015, when he was placed on administrative leave. Bishop Sauls’ employment with the church ended in April 2016.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2017/02/08/presiding-bishop-president-of-house-of-deputies-shares-information-with-episcopal-church-staff/

Gender bias may be part of Episcopal Church firings, ex-staffer says

From RNS-

When the Rev. Bob Honeychurch learned that the Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop was calling for staff culture reform after firing two senior administrators for misconduct, he had a hunch what some of those cultural issues might be.

From 2008 to 2012, Honeychurch served on the national church staff, where he heard accounts of gender bias on multiple occasions. Women were excluded from important decision-making, Honeychurch said, even when they held high offices and had relevant skills and experience to offer. Respecting female colleagues as equals wasn’t the norm.

More here-

http://gazette.com/gender-bias-may-be-part-of-episcopal-church-firings-ex-staffer-says/article/1574193

US Episcopal Church demotes one and terminates two high-ranking officials

From Christian Daily-

Bishop Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, has fired two high-ranking leaders for not being able to comport themselves according to the standards of the church in dealing with other employees. Another executive has been demoted following an independent internal investigation.

According to Fox News, deputy chief operating officer Sam McDonald, director of public engagement and mission communications Alex Baumgarten, and chief operating officer Bishop Stacy Sauls were reported to have violated the workplace policies of the church. All three were put on administrative leave last year, on Dec. 9.

More here-

http://christiandaily.com/article/us-episcopal-church-demotes-one-and-terminates-two-high-ranking-officials/51090.htm

Presiding Bishop sacks senior US officials

From The Church Times-

TWO of the most senior officials in the Episcopal Church in the United States have been sacked, and a bishop demoted, after an independent investigation into misconduct.

Last December, the Presiding Bishop, the Most Revd Michael Curry, placed the chief operating officer, Bishop Stacy Sauls, the deputy chief operating officer, the director of mission, Samuel McDonald, and the director of public engagement and mission communications, Alex Baumgarten, on administrative leave after many allegations of misconduct (News,18 December).

In a statement on Monday, Presiding Bishop Curry announced that Mr McDonald and Mr Baumgarten had had their employment terminated, as the investigation had found that their behaviour violated “the highest standards of personal and professional conduct embodying the love of God and reflecting the teachings and the way of Jesus”.

More here-

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2016/8-april/news/world/presiding-bishop-sacks-senior-us-officials

and from RNS-

http://www.religionnews.com/2016/04/04/episcopal-church-fires-two-top-executives-accused-of-workplace-misconduct/

and from Fox-

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/04/05/episcopal-church-terminates-2-high-ranking-leaders.html

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry issues update on investigation

From ENS-

I am writing to bring you up to date on the investigation of our three colleagues who
have been placed on administrative leave.

I anticipate the investigators will complete their interviews in the next 3-4 weeks.
Following that, they will share their findings and conclusions with me. I will then consult with the officers of the DFMS and legal counsel regarding appropriate steps forward.

Once the course of action is clear and it has been properly shared with those on
administrative leave, I will share with you with as much transparency as is appropriate,
protecting confidentiality, and the ways we will move forward from that point.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2016/02/24/presiding-bishop-michael-curry-issues-update-on-investigation/

Sr. Staff at The Episcopal Church Center Placed on Administrative Leave

From Michael Curry-

December 11, 2015 

Dear Friends, 

I need to inform you that on Wednesday I placed on administrative leave Bishop Stacy Sauls, Chief Operating Officer, Samuel McDonald, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Director of Mission, and Alex Baumgarten, Director of Public Engagement. This is a result of concerns that have been raised about possible misconduct in carrying out their duties as members of senior management of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. 

I want to be clear. My decision should not be confused with a finding of fault, but is necessary to allow us to find clarity. We are taking these allegations seriously and there will be a full and fair examination of the concerns that have been raised to be conducted expeditiously by an independent investigator. To protect the integrity of that process, we will not be able to say more about the concerns at this time. 

I ask that you pray for all who are involved and who are impacted by this situation. 

More here-

http://houseofdeputies.org/governance/32-letter-to-staff-12-11-2015/file.html 

House of Bishops Day 3 (Fall 2013)

From Dan Martins-

We began with the Eucharist for St Matthew's Day at 9am. The Bishop of Atlanta presided and Fr Simon Bautistia, one of the HOB chaplains, preached. I really do hate it that I find worshiping at meetings of the House of Bishops more alienating than uplifting. As a good Catholic, of course, I realize that it's not about how I feel. Indeed, if it were about how I feel, I would probably just silently absent myself. But it's not, so I go. Part of the alienation, no doubt, is my responsibility, and I need to own that. But I also need to name my irritation: It's just too laborious. Today the celebrant switched from English to Spanish and back several time--just during the Eucharistic Prayer! Prayer Book rubrics and texts are widely ignored or altered. Our musician, Dent Davidson, has talent oozing out of his pores; he is really good at what he does. But the music is a steady diet of the exotic with occasional smatterings of the familiar as a condiment. I would dearly love to see the proportions reversed: liturgies anchored in the center of the tradition, following Prayer Book texts and rubrics, seasoned judiciously with the exotic. I suppose others would then feel malnourished. What to do?

More here-

http://www.cariocaconfessions.blogspot.com/2013/09/house-of-bishops-ay-3-fall-2013.html

Sauls announces innovative missionary program

From ENS-

Episcopal Church Chief Operating Officer Bishop Stacy Sauls has announced an innovative missionary program designed to connect dioceses and staff in a collaborative manner: The Diocesan Partnership Program.

“Our Episcopal Church yearns for connection,” Bishop Sauls explained.  “Our people want to be connected.  Our leaders are looking for opportunities to be connected. Through the Diocesan Partnership Representatives, the DFMS (Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society) staff can assist in connecting and offering resources to our dioceses and congregations.”

The purpose and goals of the Diocesan Partnership Program are twofold: to make resources available at the local level; and to build networks and partnerships to connect people across geography.
“This is an exciting venture with enormous potential to invigorate the life of the Church,” Bishop Sauls pointed out.

The Diocesan Partnership Representatives are DFMS staff members who will work together to connect the Church across a vast geographical area in 16 countries through Virtual Regional Offices. The Virtual Regional Offices, Bishop Sauls said, “will consist of representatives of DFMS staff from Formation, Diversity, Congregational and Diocesan Ministries, Global Partnerships, Government Relations, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Development, and Communications.”

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2013/07/25/sauls-announces-innovative-missionary-program/

Council considers proposal to stay at church center to further mission

From ENS-

The church’s denominational offices would remain at the Episcopal Church Center in New York if the Executive Council accepts a recommendation it received Feb. 26 from a group of Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society executives.

Of four main scenarios analyzed, “God’s mission of reconciliation is best furthered” by remaining at 815 Second Ave. in Manhattan and consolidating DFMS operations at the church center to free up even more space to rent to outside tenants than the 3.5 floors that are currently leased out, a report to council says. This choice would be “in the organization’s best interests financially, both in terms of budget effect and for long-term investment purposes,” according to the report.

The DFMS, the church’s corporate entity, currently rents 2.5 floors to the Ad Council and one floor to Permanent Mission of Haiti to the United Nations. The church center has nine floors of office space.
The study began in February 2012, five months before General Convention met, when council’s Finances for Mission committee asked DFMS management to study the possible relocation of the church center.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2013/02/26/council-considers-proposal-to-stay-at-church-center-to-further-mission/

Episcopal Church Is Radically Faithful to Its Tradition

Stacy Sauls responds to the WSJ-

Space does not permit a correction of the numerous factual points I could dispute in Jay Akasie's "What Ails the Episcopalians" (Houses of Worship, July 13). Instead, I offer a spiritual correction.

The church has been captive to the dominant culture, which has rewarded it with power, privilege and prestige for a long, long time. The Episcopal Church is now liberating itself from that, and as the author correctly notes, paying the price. I hardly see paying the price as what ails us. I see it as what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Many years ago when I was a parish priest in Savannah, a local politician and disaffected Episcopalian began a conversation with me. In that case the subject was homosexuality. It could have been any of the things mentioned last week as our ailments. "I just think the church should not be governed by the culture," he said. I replied that I agreed with him, but that "I just hadn't noticed that the culture was all that hospitable toward gay people." He stammered. "Well, maybe not here in Georgia."

The Episcopal Church is on record as standing by those the culture marginalizes whether that be nonwhite people, female people or gay people. The author calls that political correctness hostile to tradition.

More here-

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444464304577534993658282250.html

Executive Council Update

From ENS

Executive Council challenged to engage in adaptive change

Bonnie Anderson’s opening remarks to Executive Council

Bishop Stacy Sauls’ opening remarks to Executive Council

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/tag/executive-council/

Mainline Protestants seek reforms, stir anger

From The Washington Post-

By his count, there are also nearly 50 departments and offices in the church’s New York headquarters, and 46 committees in its legislative body, the General Convention.

Sauls, who was hired by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori in May, said that he has since learned there are even more offices “that I had never heard of before.”

“It has become just Byzantine,” he said. “The governance structures have grown by accretion, without any strategic plan.” Nearly half of the denomination’s budget is spent on overhead, according to Sauls.

Meanwhile, Episcopal membership continues to drop, dipping below 2 million in the U.S. for the first time in decades. Donations, too, are down. It is time for change, starting at the top, Sauls said.

“We’ve been operating in a system where certain expertise resides at the churchwide level and pronouncements get sent down the pipeline,” he said. “That model is last century. It’s a radically different time now.”

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/mainline-protestants-seek-reforms-stir-anger/2011/12/05/gIQAXgXHXO_story.html

Episcopal Church chief operating officer announces staff appointments

From ENS-

Bishop Stacy Sauls, Episcopal Church chief operating officer, said July 19 that he has created a new position at the Church Center and reconfigured part of the center's mission staff.
Sauls named Canon Sam McDonald, who served as his canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of Lexington, to be deputy chief operating officer and director of mission, according to a press release from the church's Office of Public Affairs.

In addition, Antoinette "Toni" Daniels has been named associate director of mission for administration and the Rev. Margaret Rose has been named associate director of mission for program.

The changes are effective Sept. 1, according to the release.

"These appointments are intended to help all of us work most creatively as we seek to better serve the church," Sauls said. "I look forward to working closely with Sam, Toni and Margaret as we focus on the mission work for the Episcopal Church."

McDonald will oversee the church's mission programs and manage the work of the Episcopal Church Center's mission funding, human resources, information technology and building service departments, the release said. Prior to serving in Lexington, he worked with youth in churches in the Diocese of Ohio and has been a General Convention Deputy since 2003.

More here-

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/80263_129095_ENG_HTM.htm

BBC audio on the Lambeth Sexuality Discussions

Is it possible that there can be an Elizabethan Settlement sort of solution ? This is a 7 minute audio with interviews with several key players.

"The Lambeth conference of Anglican bishops discusses "human sexuality", the subject which divides traditionalists and liberals. The Archbishop of Canterbury hopes to draft a statement that can hold the worldwide Anglican Communion together on this issue. Clive Hanford, the person in charge of drafting this statement, says it can be done but they have to be 'cautious'."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7534000/7534537.stm