Pennsylvania Bishop, Standing Committee Face Legal Challenges
09/27/2006

Legal and financial challenges continue to mount in the Diocese of Pennsylvania as the standing committee held its regularly scheduled meeting Sept. 26 with the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Bennison, Jr., bishop of the diocese. The meeting occurs before the Oct. 1 resignation of the diocesan chancellor becomes effective and shortly after the standing committee issued an appeal for donations to hire independent legal counsel.

“As any chancellor is unable to represent both the standing committee and the bishop in a disagreement, our chancellor has recommended that the standing committee retain Michael Rehill, Esq.,” the committee said in a statement posted on a website maintained by the committee. “Bishop Clay Matthews, executive director, [Presiding Bishop’s] Office of Pastoral Development for The Episcopal Church, has stated that the standing committee is entitled to independent legal counsel… The chancellor agreed to put this directive in writing to Rob Rogers and has done so. On Monday, September 18, 2006, at a special meeting of the standing committee, the bishop refused to issue the retainer check.”the rest