wfn.org | Complaints against Dixon sent to disciplinary review committee

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2001-196

Complaints against Dixon sent to disciplinary review committee

by Jan Nunley

     (ENS) Virtually identical complaints filed against Washington's bishop pro 
tempore Jane Holmes Dixon by a group of three retired bishops and a separate 
group of clergy and laity were forwarded July 20 to the Episcopal Disciplinary 
Review Committee by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, along with a request that 
they "work on an expedited basis."

     A group of "confirmed adult communicants…in good standing," including one 
priest and six lay persons of the Diocese of Washington, filed a complaint July 
13 accusing Dixon of "the intentional, material, and meaningful violation of the 
Constitution and Canons of the General Convention" in the ongoing controversy 
over the election of the Rev. Samuel L. Edwards as rector of Christ Church and 
St. John's Parish in Accokeek, Maryland. 

     The same day, retired diocesan bishops FitzSimons Allison of South Carolina, 
Maurice Benitez of Texas, and William Wantland of Eau Claire filed a similar 
complaint. All three have been vocal critics of Dixon's action in refusing 
Edwards' call as rector.

Charges and counter-charges

     Dixon filed suit in federal court June 25 asking that Edwards be barred from 
officiating and the parish's vestry prohibited from barring her from "ministering 
to the congregation and performing episcopal acts there." She has refused to 
grant him a license because she says he is not "duly qualified" to be a rector in 
the diocese. Edwards, a long-time traditionalist activist who has publicly 
referred to the Episcopal Church as "the Unchurch," has said he would only 
recognize Dixon as an administrator, since he opposes the ordination of women as 
priests and bishops. 

     A complaint was brought May 29 against Edwards by 12 priests in the Diocese 
of Washington, charging him with violating Article VIII of the Episcopal Church's 
constitution, which requires a priest to conform to the "doctrine, discipline and 
worship" of the church; canon IV.1.1(c), forbidding teaching doctrine contrary to 
that held by the church; and canon III.16.2, proscribing a priest from 
officiating for more than two months without a license in a diocese other than 
his own. Those charges have not been officially forwarded to Edwards' bishop, 
Jack Iker of Fort Worth, but Iker has promised that they will be investigated 
anyway.

Four counts charged

     The complaints against Dixon charge her with four counts of violating the 
constitution and canons.

     Count I says Dixon violated canon III.17.2, which provides that "no election 
of a Rector shall be held until the name of the Priest whom it is proposed to 
elect has been made known to the Bishop…and sufficient time, not exceeding thirty 
days, has been given to the Bishop to communicate with the Vestry…"

     Count II says she refused to send notice of Edwards' election to the 
Secretary of the Convention in violation of canon III.17.3.

     Count III claims she violated canon III.14.4(a) by inducing the Rev. Robert 
Stephenson and retired Washington bishop Ronald Haines to conduct services within 
the bounds of the parish without securing the consent of the rector or wardens.

     Count IV says she presumed to appoint an interim priest to take charge of 
the parish without notification by the wardens that a vacancy existed (canon 
III.17.1).

     "It is with heavy heart that Complainants come before their Presiding Bishop 
and his designated Review Panel of Bishops," say both documents, "making inquiry 
if The Episcopal Church in fact permits its bishops to exert a veto over the 
selection by a Parish of a new rector prayerfully called to be its rector in 
accordance with the Canons of the Episcopal Church."

'Painful and disruptive' dispute

      The review committee consists of five bishops, two clergy members and two 
lay members, all appointed at the beginning of each triennium by the Presiding 
Bishop and the president of the House of Deputies. The current review committee 
includes diocesan bishops Michael W. Creighton of Central Pennsylvania, Gethin B. 
Hughes of San Diego, and Barry Howe of West Missouri; retired bishop suffragan of 
the Armed Forces Charles Keyser; and retired bishop of East Tennessee Robert G. 
Tharp. J. P. Causey, Jr. of the Diocese of Virginia and Mary Lou Crowley of the 
Diocese of Central New York are the lay members. Scott H. Kirby, dean of Christ 
Church Cathedral in the Diocese of Eau Claire and the Rev. Carolyn Keil-Kuhr of 
the Diocese of Montana are clergy members of the committee. 

     Howe replaces Indianapolis diocesan bishop Catherine Waynick, who signed a 
statement in support of Dixon. Keil-Kuhr replaces the Rev. Anne Robbins of 
Southern Ohio, who withdrew for health reasons.

     Under Title IV of the canons, the committee is to convene to consider 
whether to issue a presentment or dismiss the charges.

     In a letter to the House of Bishops, Griswold called the dispute "painful to 
many and disruptive to the work" of the Diocese of Washington. "Moreover, these 
events are transpiring at a particularly unfortunate time," he added, in that 
Washington is anticipating the election of a new diocesan bishop in January.

     "I want to assure you that there have been efforts at mediating this 
dispute, and although they have not been successful, I continue to hope that 
further informal discussions could produce a resolution," Griswold concluded. "As 
Paul tells us, when one member of the Body suffers, we all suffer, and therefore 
I ask each of you to hold all those involved in this situation in your prayers."

--The Rev. Jan Nunley is deputy director of Episcopal News Service.