A Commentary from the American Anglican Council Regarding the Situation in Connecticut
August 11, 2005

A Commentary from the American Anglican Council Regarding the Situation in Connecticut

As more information is revealed regarding the tactics and actions of Andrew Smith, Bishop of Connecticut, it is clear that the situation at St. John’s, Bristol, has potentially far-reaching and dangerous consequences throughout the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA). We have learned through reliable sources in Connecticutthat the bishop not only inhibited St. John’s rector and seized church property but also has successfully obstructed the vestry’s [church board] canonical authority to conduct business.

The canons [church law] of ECUSA state clearly that the vestry is responsible for all financial and legal matters of the church and is required to “provide for services of public worship.” Canon 14, Section 2 reads: “… the Vestry shall be agents and legal representatives of the Parish in all matters concerning its corporate property and the relations of the Parish to its clergy.” While Canon 7, Section 4 notes that the parish is “held in trust” for the Church, this trust “shall in no way limit the power and authority of the Parish, Mission or Congregation otherwise existing over such property.” Clearly, Bishop Smith’s actions are a flagrant abuse of canon law: he seized St. John’s property, hacked into computers to obtain church records, redirected the parish website to the Diocese of Connecticut’s site, and appointed a revisionist priest-in-charge—all over the vestry’s protest. Subsequently, he claimed ownership of all parish accounts at the church’s bank and took control of the church post office box in Bristol, denying vestry members access to any mail. As a result, the bank has frozen all accounts while the issue of ownership is investigated and neither vestry members nor the treasurers have access to bills or the means to pay them, thereby inhibiting them from discharging canonical duties.

The rest @ AAC