Charles Bennison
Encyclopedia
Charles Ellsworth Bennison, Jr. is 15th bishop
of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
.
, on November 30, 1943, and was baptized at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Hastings, Minnesota, on December 24, 1943. His father, Charles E. Bennison, Sr., was also a clergyman who went on to become Bishop
of Western Michigan
.
Bennison received a B.A.
degree summa cum laude from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin
, in 1965. In 1965-66, he studied at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
, and then attended Harvard Divinity School
, where he received a B.D.
degree in 1968 and a Th.M.
degree in 1970. He earned his M.A.
degree from the Claremont Graduate School in 1977, and a S.T.M.
degree from Union Theological Seminary
in 1992. He was honored with a D.Div.
degree from Episcopal Divinity School
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, in 1997.
Married to the former Joan Kathryn Reahard, the bishop has two daughters, Sarah and Kathryn.
in 1968 and a priest
in 1969, Bennison began his full-time ministry in 1971 as rector
of St. Mark’s Church in Upland, California
, where he was founder of St. Mark’s Episcopal School, St. Mark’s Homeless Shelter
, and new congregations in Rancho Cucamonga
and Chino, California
.
In the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
, he chaired the Program Group on Social Relations and the Standing Committee, served as president of the Corporation of the Diocese, taught at the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont Graduate School, and was a frequent reader of the General Ordination Examinations. He served as a member of Venture in Mission Board, the Los Angeles Jewish-Christian-Muslim Trialogue, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission
, and numerous other bodies. In 1987, he was recognized by the Pomona Valley Council of Churches for outstanding leadership in ecumenical affairs. That year he was also among the nominees considered to replace Robert Rusack
as bishop of the diocese, a position that ultimately went to Frederick Borsch
.
From 1988 to 1991, he was rector of St. Luke’s Church in Atlanta, Georgia
, where he substantially raised stewardship
giving, broadened the participation of laity in the governance of the parish, and initiated a process leading to the acquisition of significant real estate holdings. In 1991 Bennison was involuntarily terminated from St. Lukes."
Bennison has been a fellow of the College of Preachers and a Masland fellow at Union Theological Seminary. In 1992, he was elected to the faculty of Episcopal Divinity School, where he served as associate professor of Pastoral theology
and founded the program in Congregational Studies.
in Maryland
that was developed as "Wapiti", a summer camp for youth and a diocesan conference center.
made an agreement with the 14th bishop of Pennsylvania, Allen Bartlett, known as the "Parsons Plan." Under the terms of this plan, Donald Parsons, the retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy
, would make episcopal visitations to several traditionalist parishes until the next General Convention. This arrangement was similar to the role of a provincial episcopal visitor
in the Church of England
.
In 1997, the General Convention adopted a resolution stating that "no member of this Church shall be denied a place in the life and governance of this Church on account of their sex or their theological views on the ordination of women," after which Bishop Bartlett decided not to renew the Parsons Plan. He retired later that year. Despite differences in churchmanship
, traditionalist leaders in the diocese supported Charles Bennison's election under the impression that he would continue the provisions of the Parsons Plan. These leaders assert that they cast their votes for him after he gave them solemn assurance that he would continue the "Parsons Plan." After his installation as Bishop, he announced that he had "changed his mind" and would no longer consider the Parsons Plan. When Bennison elected not to reinstitute the arrangement, several crises arose in the diocese, compounded by theological differences between Bennison and several conservative parishes.
and Christology
. Bennison was a signatory to the "Koinonia Statement", a 1994 letter authored by John Shelby Spong
, retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark
. The statement affirmed the 1976 ordination of women and said that gay or lesbian relationships "that are faithful, monogamous, committed, life giving and holy are to be honored" and promised "support and protection" for gay and lesbian clergy. In 1997, while still coadjutor, Bennison published an article arguing that, "Because the legitimized paradigm institutionalized in the church's present marriage liturgy is a heterosexist one directed against gay men and lesbian women, a change in the rite is required to delegitimize that paradigm." He proposed 24 changes to the sacrament of marriage, some based on a "Visigothic rite," and wrote,
Bennison's statements on salvation and the doctrine of the Resurrection
have been cited as a source of controversy. In a 2003 Easter Message, Bennison also wrote that Jesus "acknowledges his own sin. He knows himself to be forgiven." Many Christians interpreted this remark to be a denial of the sinlessness of Jesus.
had, for many years, withheld its payments to the diocese in protest about the ordination of women. Bennison's decision to not renew the license of Fr. Willis, an assistant priest of St. James, further strained diocesan relations with the parish.
In 1999, the vestry of St. James the Less voted to transfer the property and assets of the parish to a nonprofit corporation called the “CSJL Foundation,” in order to disassociate from the diocese and the Episcopal Church. In response to St James' attempt to secede from the diocese, Bishop Bennison declared the parish "inactive or extinct" and initiated litigation to seize its property. In 2003, the Philadelphia County
Court of Common Pleas
ruled that the attempted merger of St. James the Less with the CSJL Foundation was ultra vires
and invalid, that the vestry was "ineligible to continue in their offices," and that the diocese could appoint or elect a new vestry. St. James lost two subsequent appeals, first to Commonwealth Court
and then to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
. Pursuant to the Supreme Court's decision, the Diocese assumed control of the St. James property, and the congregation left to form an independent church.
, while rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, Pennsylvania
, was also President of the American branch of the conservative group Forward in Faith
until 2005. Moyer is alleged to have refused to allow Bennison to make canonically-required episcopal visitations to Good Shepherd, saying the bishop "was too liberal and could not be trusted in the pulpit." The charge, however, is disputed by Moyer and by the Vestry of the Church of the Good Shepherd, who insist that they only advised Bishop Bennison that a visit would not be helpful. Bennison was specifically invited to visit with the Vestry and to inspect the books and records of the Parish, which would have fulfilled his canonical responsibility. In response to Moyer's very public criticism of Bennison's public statements regarding the veracity of the Bible, sexual teachings, and other statements regarded by the conservative parish as heretical, Bennison approved a decision to inhibit Moyer from exercising his priestly functions for six months in 2002, under the canons of the diocese.
Moyer not having recanted, but insisting that he had not left the Episcopal Church as charged by Bennison, within the six month period of inhibition, at the conclusion of the canonical inhibition Bennison deposed Moyer on September 4, 2002. Bennison deposed him using a canon designed for the removal from the official list of priests a priest who has left the church, rather than using the canon for disciplining of a wayward priest that provides for a church trial in which the priest may contest charges against him. Bennison explained, "I deposed him because he had over a decade shown a pattern of a series of canonical failures, one after another. Under his leadership, his parish has become increasingly alienated from his diocese." The Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, said he would license Moyer to officiate in the Diocese of Canterbury. Moyer was promptly received by Robert Duncan
, Bishop of Pittsburgh, as a priest in good standing, although it is unclear whether such reception was permissible under the canon law of the Episcopal Church. Moyer also denounced Bennison's teachings as "apostate and heretical". Subsequently, Moyer was consecrated as a bishop in the Traditional Anglican Communion
, though he continues to serve as rector at the Church of the Good Shepherd. A Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, court found in the matter of Moyer v. Bennison, et al., on October 24, 2008, that there was no fraud on the part of Bennison, the charge on which the case turned.
On November 6, 2006, the Standing Committee filed a complaint against Bennison with church authorities, charging that he had usurped its "canonical prerogatives and authority" by spending money and transferring funds without the committee's consent. Bennison responded that the complaint had no merit, saying, "I have never spent any money in the diocese without the approbation of various governance bodies." The chancellor to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
forwarded the complaint to a review committee in March 2007.
. At the time John Bennison was in graduate theological studies, and Charles had hired him to serve as a part-time youth leader of St Mark's. Although married, John was alleged to have had sexual relationships with several persons, including one who was allegedly 14. According to one newspaper reporter, John Bennison was alleged to have had sexual intercourse with the teen over a four year period, both on and off the premises of St. Mark's Church. However, in a subsequent deposition for Bishop Bennison's trial, the former teen acknowledged her sexual abuse at the age of 14 consisted of a back rub during a youth group meeting when she "felt funny."
In 1975, John Bennison left St. Mark's for a parish in Santa Barbara, where his ex-wife alleged he had other affairs. In 1977, John Bennison acknowledged his failures, voluntarily left the priesthood, and was deposed by Bishop of Los Angeles Robert Rusack
. Two years later, John Bennison was restored to the priesthood by the same bishop, who—according to subsequent trial testimony—was fully cognizant of the prior allegations of misconduct. In 1992, the same charges from the 1970s were raised once again. After a formal church investigation, the parish where John Bennison was then serving as rector responded with a unanimous vote of confidence for their priest. Finally, in 2006, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
(SNAP) initiated a campaign calling for John Bennison's resignation. After two months of protest, Bishop of California William Swing called for his resignation. Despite widespread support from church members, John Bennison chose to resign.
Meanwhile, although there had been these two prior public adjudications of the same matter, first in 1979, then in 1992, Bishop Bennison's critics said that he had concealed the alleged abuse of the minor from church authorities and police. Charles Bennison initially said he had learned of the allegations from the girl's parents and promptly fired his brother. He acknowledged not having reported the matter to civil or ecclesiastical authorities at the time, saying, "I did not think it was my prerogative to do so on my own" (because the girl's parents had not chosen to report the matter to the police). The girl's mother, June Alexis, disputed this account, based on a 1978 letter from Bennison that she says indicate that he knew that their daughter was being abused by his brother, but did not tell them. John's ex-wife, Margaret Thompson, produced another letter from 1979 in which Charles Bennison asked her not to visit the parish because of the potential for "a public scandal here which, I believe, could cost me my job." John's victim has stated that "she and John Bennison were twice interrupted during sex by Charles Bennison's arrival at his brother's apartment" (although it is unclear whether she alleges that Bishop Bennison saw them in a compromising situation).
At the annual diocesan convention on November 11, 2006, Bennison said:
He acknowledged a "failure in the 1970s to act more assertively with regard to my brother, his victims, and the church," but also reassured people that the church had since established reporting and disciplinary procedures so that, "What happened 30 years ago would not happen today."
Outside the convention, protesters renewed calls for Bennison's resignation. Inside, a motion to hold him accountable narrowly failed. Instead, a study of the impact of sexual abuse by clergy was authorized almost unanimously. Unlike the previous year, the convention was able to adopt a $3.45 million program budget.
On October 3, 2008, the Court for the Trial of a Bishop handed down its sentence, formally deposing Bennison from holy orders. Specifically it stated that "The court finds that even today [Bennison] has not shown that he comprehends the nature, significance and effect of his conduct and has not accepted responsibility and repented for his conduct and the substantial negative effects of that conduct."
Meanwhile, on April 17, 2009 Bennison's attorney filed a motion with the Court for the Trial of a Bishop requesting a new trial, citing newly uncovered exculpatory evidence
. According to Bennison's attorney, more than 200 letters, written by the then-teenage female to John Bennison, were discovered that contradicted witness testimony at the trial. Bennison's attorney asserted that the letters showed that the teenage girl actively tried to cover up her relationship with John Bennison, leaving Charles Bennison unaware of the situation and therefore unable to take appropriate action. On September 24, 2009, the Court for the Trial of a Bishop denied the motion for a new trial.
Following the denial of a new trial, Bennison then pursued his appeal to the Court of Review for the Trial of a Bishop, which heard his case in Wilmington, Delaware on May 4, 2010. The basis for the appeal was a statute of limitation provision that had been in effect before a Presentment charge had ever been filed against Bishop Bennison. While Bishop Bennison's attorney had repeatedly raised the matter of the limitation statute, the earlier trial court had declined to rule on the issue for unexplained reasons.
On August 4, 2010 the Court of Review reversed the trial court's decision, and Bennison shortly afterward returned as Bishop of Pennsylvania. On September 21, 2010, however, the House of Bishops adopted a strongly worded yet nonbinding resolution urging Bennison to resign.
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware in the state of Pennsylvania....
.
Education and family
Bennison was born in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, on November 30, 1943, and was baptized at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Hastings, Minnesota, on December 24, 1943. His father, Charles E. Bennison, Sr., was also a clergyman who went on to become Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Western Michigan
Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan
The Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan is the Episcopal diocese in the western half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.The diocese is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan and covers a 33-county area that stretches from the Straits of Mackinac southward to the Indiana border and from Lake...
.
Bennison received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree summa cum laude from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, in 1965. In 1965-66, he studied at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary is a seminary of The Episcopal Church, located in Evanston, Illinois. It was formed in 1933 by a merger of Western Theological Seminary of Evanston , and Seabury Divinity School of Faribault, Minnesota...
, and then attended Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
, where he received a B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
degree in 1968 and a Th.M.
Master of Theology
A Master of Theology is an advanced theological research degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries.-North America:In North America, the Master of Theology is considered by the Association of Theological Schools to be the minimum educational credential for teaching...
degree in 1970. He earned his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from the Claremont Graduate School in 1977, and a S.T.M.
Master of Sacred Theology
The Master of Sacred Theology is a second-level graduate degree for those who wish to pursue a year of more advanced coursework focusing on a particular discipline....
degree from Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
in 1992. He was honored with a D.Div.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degree from Episcopal Divinity School
Episcopal Divinity School
The Episcopal Divinity School is a seminary of the Episcopal Church based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Known throughout the Anglican Communion for prophetic teaching and action on issues of civil rights and social justice, its faculty and students have been directly involved in many of the social...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, in 1997.
Married to the former Joan Kathryn Reahard, the bishop has two daughters, Sarah and Kathryn.
Ministerial and academic career
Ordained a deaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1968 and a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1969, Bennison began his full-time ministry in 1971 as rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Mark’s Church in Upland, California
Upland, California
Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, located at an elevation of 1,242 feet . As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 73,732, up from 68,393 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on May 15, 1906, after previously being named North Ontario.-History and culture:Upland...
, where he was founder of St. Mark’s Episcopal School, St. Mark’s Homeless Shelter
Homeless shelter
Homeless shelters are temporary residences for homeless people which seek to protect vulnerable populations from the often devastating effects of homelessness while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on the community...
, and new congregations in Rancho Cucamonga
Rancho Cucamonga, California
Rancho Cucamonga is a suburban city in San Bernardino County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,269, up from 127,743 at the 2000 census. L. Dennis Michael was elected as Mayor on November 2, 2010. Jack Lam is the City Manager...
and Chino, California
Chino, California
Chino is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. It is located in the western end of the Riverside-San Bernardino Area and it is easily accessible via the Chino Valley and Pomona freeways....
.
In the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles is a community of 85,000 Episcopalians in 147 congregations, 40 schools, and 18 major institutions, spanning all of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties, and part of Riverside County....
, he chaired the Program Group on Social Relations and the Standing Committee, served as president of the Corporation of the Diocese, taught at the Episcopal Theological School at Claremont Graduate School, and was a frequent reader of the General Ordination Examinations. He served as a member of Venture in Mission Board, the Los Angeles Jewish-Christian-Muslim Trialogue, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission
Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission
The Anglican—Roman Catholic International Commission is an organization which seeks to make ecumenical progress between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
, and numerous other bodies. In 1987, he was recognized by the Pomona Valley Council of Churches for outstanding leadership in ecumenical affairs. That year he was also among the nominees considered to replace Robert Rusack
Robert Rusack
Robert Claflin Rusack was the fourth Bishop of Los Angeles in the Episcopal Church from 1974 until his death in 1986. He was succeeded by Frederick Borsch. He was a 1947 graduate of Hobart College.- External links :*...
as bishop of the diocese, a position that ultimately went to Frederick Borsch
Frederick Borsch
Frederick Houk Borsch was the Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles from 1988 to 2002, then served as interim dean of the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University and Chair of Anglican studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia...
.
From 1988 to 1991, he was rector of St. Luke’s Church in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, where he substantially raised stewardship
Stewardship
Stewardship is an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources. The concept of stewardship has been applied in diverse realms, including with respect to environment, economics, health, property, information, and religion, and is linked to the concept of sustainability...
giving, broadened the participation of laity in the governance of the parish, and initiated a process leading to the acquisition of significant real estate holdings. In 1991 Bennison was involuntarily terminated from St. Lukes."
Bennison has been a fellow of the College of Preachers and a Masland fellow at Union Theological Seminary. In 1992, he was elected to the faculty of Episcopal Divinity School, where he served as associate professor of Pastoral theology
Pastoral theology
Pastoral theology is the branch of practical theology concerned with the application of the study of religion in the context of regular church ministry. This approach to theology seeks to give practical expression to theology...
and founded the program in Congregational Studies.
Bishop of Pennsylvania
Bennison was elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania at a special convention held on October 19, 1996, at the Cathedral Church of the Savior in Philadelphia and was consecrated as a bishop on February 27, 1997 at the Deliverance Evangelistic church in Philadelphia. He was made the diocesan bishop on May 16, 1998.Controversies
Bennison's tenure as Bishop of Pennsylvania was marked by controversies. Early in his episcopacy, Bennison became an important figure in the ongoing tension between liberal and conservative factions in the Episcopal Church. Theological disagreements with conservative Anglo-Catholic parishes led to extended legal battles over control of church property. In the latter years of his episcopacy, Bennison faced opposition from liberals and conservatives alike regarding diocesan finances and the purchase of a multimillion dollar 434 acre waterfront site on the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
that was developed as "Wapiti", a summer camp for youth and a diocesan conference center.
Disputes with traditionalist Anglo-Catholic parishes
In 1994-1995, seven Anglo-Catholic priests opposed to the ordination of womenOrdination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
made an agreement with the 14th bishop of Pennsylvania, Allen Bartlett, known as the "Parsons Plan." Under the terms of this plan, Donald Parsons, the retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Quincy
Episcopal Diocese of Quincy
The Diocese of Quincy is an Anglican diocese in western Illinois, United States. It is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America...
, would make episcopal visitations to several traditionalist parishes until the next General Convention. This arrangement was similar to the role of a provincial episcopal visitor
Provincial episcopal visitor
A provincial episcopal visitor is a Church of England bishop assigned to minister to many of the clergy, laity and parishes who do not in conscience accept the ministry of women priests....
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
.
In 1997, the General Convention adopted a resolution stating that "no member of this Church shall be denied a place in the life and governance of this Church on account of their sex or their theological views on the ordination of women," after which Bishop Bartlett decided not to renew the Parsons Plan. He retired later that year. Despite differences in churchmanship
Churchmanship
Within Anglicanism the term churchmanship is sometimes used to refer to distinct understandings of church doctrine and liturgical practice by members of the Church of England and other churches of the Anglican communion...
, traditionalist leaders in the diocese supported Charles Bennison's election under the impression that he would continue the provisions of the Parsons Plan. These leaders assert that they cast their votes for him after he gave them solemn assurance that he would continue the "Parsons Plan." After his installation as Bishop, he announced that he had "changed his mind" and would no longer consider the Parsons Plan. When Bennison elected not to reinstitute the arrangement, several crises arose in the diocese, compounded by theological differences between Bennison and several conservative parishes.
Theological disagreements
Disagreements between traditionalist priests and Bishop Bennison centered on Bennison's writings on homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
and Christology
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
. Bennison was a signatory to the "Koinonia Statement", a 1994 letter authored by John Shelby Spong
John Shelby Spong
John Shelby "Jack" Spong is a retired American bishop of the Episcopal Church. He was formerly the Bishop of Newark . He is a liberal Christian theologian, religion commentator and author...
, retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark
Episcopal Diocese of Newark
The Episcopal Diocese of Newark is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America comprising the northern third of New Jersey in the United States...
. The statement affirmed the 1976 ordination of women and said that gay or lesbian relationships "that are faithful, monogamous, committed, life giving and holy are to be honored" and promised "support and protection" for gay and lesbian clergy. In 1997, while still coadjutor, Bennison published an article arguing that, "Because the legitimized paradigm institutionalized in the church's present marriage liturgy is a heterosexist one directed against gay men and lesbian women, a change in the rite is required to delegitimize that paradigm." He proposed 24 changes to the sacrament of marriage, some based on a "Visigothic rite," and wrote,
- "In their relationships and families, lesbian and gay couples, in fact, often display a more enviable and ideal model of the church than do heterosexual couples. ... Anyone who has seen The BirdcageThe BirdcageThe Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, and stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski. The script was written by Elaine May...
, Mike Nichols's rendition of the gay comedy classic "La Cage Aux Folles" with Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
and Nathan LaneNathan LaneNathan Lane is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to...
playing a gay couple ... knows that it looks like a mini-church. Throughout history gay and lesbian couples have established in their committed relationships such minichurches, and, if such is the nature of marriage, then the church ought to open to gay and lesbian couples the sacrament of marriage."
Bennison's statements on salvation and the doctrine of the Resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
have been cited as a source of controversy. In a 2003 Easter Message, Bennison also wrote that Jesus "acknowledges his own sin. He knows himself to be forgiven." Many Christians interpreted this remark to be a denial of the sinlessness of Jesus.
Dispute with the Church of St. James the Less, Philadelphia
The Church of St. James the LessChurch of St. James the Less
The Church of St. James the Less is a historic Episcopal church building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was architecturally influential. As St...
had, for many years, withheld its payments to the diocese in protest about the ordination of women. Bennison's decision to not renew the license of Fr. Willis, an assistant priest of St. James, further strained diocesan relations with the parish.
In 1999, the vestry of St. James the Less voted to transfer the property and assets of the parish to a nonprofit corporation called the “CSJL Foundation,” in order to disassociate from the diocese and the Episcopal Church. In response to St James' attempt to secede from the diocese, Bishop Bennison declared the parish "inactive or extinct" and initiated litigation to seize its property. In 2003, the Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
-History:Tribes of Lenape were the first known occupants in the area which became Philadelphia County. The first European settlers were Swedes and Finns who arrived in 1638. The Netherlands seized the area in 1655, but permanently lost control to England in 1674...
Court of Common Pleas
Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas
The Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania .The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state....
ruled that the attempted merger of St. James the Less with the CSJL Foundation was ultra vires
Ultra vires
Ultra vires is a Latin phrase meaning literally "beyond the powers", although its standard legal translation and substitute is "beyond power". If an act requires legal authority and it is done with such authority, it is...
and invalid, that the vestry was "ineligible to continue in their offices," and that the diocese could appoint or elect a new vestry. St. James lost two subsequent appeals, first to Commonwealth Court
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania is one of two Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court's headquarters is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Superior Court of Pennsylvania is the other intermediate appellate court in the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System...
and then to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
. Pursuant to the Supreme Court's decision, the Diocese assumed control of the St. James property, and the congregation left to form an independent church.
Dispute with the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont
Fr. David MoyerDavid Moyer
David Lloyd Moyer is a bishop of the Traditional Anglican Communion.Moyer was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in 1976. After serving parishes in the Dioceses of New York, Albany, and Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador, he became rector of Good Shepherd Church in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, in...
, while rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Rosemont, Pennsylvania
Rosemont is a community in Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Main Line lying partly in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania and partly in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.Part of the geographic area is served by the Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, ZIP code...
, was also President of the American branch of the conservative group Forward in Faith
Forward in Faith
Forward in Faith is a movement operating in a number of provinces of the Anglican Communion. It represents a traditionalist strand of Anglo-Catholicism and is characterised by its opposition to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate and, more recently, to more liberal Anglican...
until 2005. Moyer is alleged to have refused to allow Bennison to make canonically-required episcopal visitations to Good Shepherd, saying the bishop "was too liberal and could not be trusted in the pulpit." The charge, however, is disputed by Moyer and by the Vestry of the Church of the Good Shepherd, who insist that they only advised Bishop Bennison that a visit would not be helpful. Bennison was specifically invited to visit with the Vestry and to inspect the books and records of the Parish, which would have fulfilled his canonical responsibility. In response to Moyer's very public criticism of Bennison's public statements regarding the veracity of the Bible, sexual teachings, and other statements regarded by the conservative parish as heretical, Bennison approved a decision to inhibit Moyer from exercising his priestly functions for six months in 2002, under the canons of the diocese.
Moyer not having recanted, but insisting that he had not left the Episcopal Church as charged by Bennison, within the six month period of inhibition, at the conclusion of the canonical inhibition Bennison deposed Moyer on September 4, 2002. Bennison deposed him using a canon designed for the removal from the official list of priests a priest who has left the church, rather than using the canon for disciplining of a wayward priest that provides for a church trial in which the priest may contest charges against him. Bennison explained, "I deposed him because he had over a decade shown a pattern of a series of canonical failures, one after another. Under his leadership, his parish has become increasingly alienated from his diocese." The Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, said he would license Moyer to officiate in the Diocese of Canterbury. Moyer was promptly received by Robert Duncan
Robert Duncan (bishop)
Robert William Duncan, Jr. is an American bishop. He has been Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America since June 2009. In 1997, he was elected Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh...
, Bishop of Pittsburgh, as a priest in good standing, although it is unclear whether such reception was permissible under the canon law of the Episcopal Church. Moyer also denounced Bennison's teachings as "apostate and heretical". Subsequently, Moyer was consecrated as a bishop in the Traditional Anglican Communion
Traditional Anglican Communion
The Traditional Anglican Communion is an international communion of churches in the continuing Anglican movement independent of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The TAC upholds the theological doctrines of the Affirmation of St. Louis and an Anglo-Catholic interpretation of...
, though he continues to serve as rector at the Church of the Good Shepherd. A Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, court found in the matter of Moyer v. Bennison, et al., on October 24, 2008, that there was no fraud on the part of Bennison, the charge on which the case turned.
Diocesan financial dispute
During Bennison's episcopacy, the Diocese of Pennsylvania developed serious divisions over the management of church finances. Calls arose for Bennison to step down, which he resisted. The financial crisis came to a head in 2006, when the Standing Committee of the diocese voted twice to request Bennison's resignation, alleging the misappropriation of approximately $11.6 million from diocesan trust funds. This followed the committee's repeated refusal to accept the reappointment of diocesan chancellor William Bullitt, who advised Bennison on financial matters, and the defeat of the 2006 budget in a diocesan convention. A major point of controversy was the planned use of $1.2 million in unrestricted net assets. Meanwhile, the Diocesan Council passed a resolution in support of Bennison, and Bishop Clayton Matthews of the church Office of Pastoral Development was called in to mediate.On November 6, 2006, the Standing Committee filed a complaint against Bennison with church authorities, charging that he had usurped its "canonical prerogatives and authority" by spending money and transferring funds without the committee's consent. Bennison responded that the complaint had no merit, saying, "I have never spent any money in the diocese without the approbation of various governance bodies." The chancellor to Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori
Katharine Jefferts Schori is the 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. Previously elected as the 9th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, she is the first woman elected as a primate of the Anglican Communion...
forwarded the complaint to a review committee in March 2007.
Handling of a sexual misconduct case from the 1970's
During the diocesan financial controversy in 2006, allegations first made in 1979 were raised once again that Bennison, when he was serving as rector of a California parish in the 1970s, failed to respond appropriately to charges that his brother, John Bennison, had engaged in sexual misconduct while serving at St. Mark's Church in Upland, CaliforniaUpland, California
Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California, located at an elevation of 1,242 feet . As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 73,732, up from 68,393 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on May 15, 1906, after previously being named North Ontario.-History and culture:Upland...
. At the time John Bennison was in graduate theological studies, and Charles had hired him to serve as a part-time youth leader of St Mark's. Although married, John was alleged to have had sexual relationships with several persons, including one who was allegedly 14. According to one newspaper reporter, John Bennison was alleged to have had sexual intercourse with the teen over a four year period, both on and off the premises of St. Mark's Church. However, in a subsequent deposition for Bishop Bennison's trial, the former teen acknowledged her sexual abuse at the age of 14 consisted of a back rub during a youth group meeting when she "felt funny."
In 1975, John Bennison left St. Mark's for a parish in Santa Barbara, where his ex-wife alleged he had other affairs. In 1977, John Bennison acknowledged his failures, voluntarily left the priesthood, and was deposed by Bishop of Los Angeles Robert Rusack
Robert Rusack
Robert Claflin Rusack was the fourth Bishop of Los Angeles in the Episcopal Church from 1974 until his death in 1986. He was succeeded by Frederick Borsch. He was a 1947 graduate of Hobart College.- External links :*...
. Two years later, John Bennison was restored to the priesthood by the same bishop, who—according to subsequent trial testimony—was fully cognizant of the prior allegations of misconduct. In 1992, the same charges from the 1970s were raised once again. After a formal church investigation, the parish where John Bennison was then serving as rector responded with a unanimous vote of confidence for their priest. Finally, in 2006, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, known as SNAP, established in 1989, is the oldest and most active support group of survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their supporters in the United States...
(SNAP) initiated a campaign calling for John Bennison's resignation. After two months of protest, Bishop of California William Swing called for his resignation. Despite widespread support from church members, John Bennison chose to resign.
Meanwhile, although there had been these two prior public adjudications of the same matter, first in 1979, then in 1992, Bishop Bennison's critics said that he had concealed the alleged abuse of the minor from church authorities and police. Charles Bennison initially said he had learned of the allegations from the girl's parents and promptly fired his brother. He acknowledged not having reported the matter to civil or ecclesiastical authorities at the time, saying, "I did not think it was my prerogative to do so on my own" (because the girl's parents had not chosen to report the matter to the police). The girl's mother, June Alexis, disputed this account, based on a 1978 letter from Bennison that she says indicate that he knew that their daughter was being abused by his brother, but did not tell them. John's ex-wife, Margaret Thompson, produced another letter from 1979 in which Charles Bennison asked her not to visit the parish because of the potential for "a public scandal here which, I believe, could cost me my job." John's victim has stated that "she and John Bennison were twice interrupted during sex by Charles Bennison's arrival at his brother's apartment" (although it is unclear whether she alleges that Bishop Bennison saw them in a compromising situation).
At the annual diocesan convention on November 11, 2006, Bennison said:
"Reading the statements from last weekend's sessions reminded me that it was probably the senior warden, not the girl's mother, who in 1975 reported John's abuse, after which I immediately told him to leave the parish, and that in order to maintain the confidentiality of both John and the girl, I did not tell the parents, who nonetheless confronted me when they had found out four years later. Until reading the statements I had never before known that John's destructive behavior did not stop, but rather increased, in the parish to which he went after leaving my parish. That I could have prevented that from happening had I known to act differently is extremely grievous to me. My efforts to maintain confidentiality and prevent scandal were very misguided."
He acknowledged a "failure in the 1970s to act more assertively with regard to my brother, his victims, and the church," but also reassured people that the church had since established reporting and disciplinary procedures so that, "What happened 30 years ago would not happen today."
Outside the convention, protesters renewed calls for Bennison's resignation. Inside, a motion to hold him accountable narrowly failed. Instead, a study of the impact of sexual abuse by clergy was authorized almost unanimously. Unlike the previous year, the convention was able to adopt a $3.45 million program budget.
Presentment of charges and inhibition from ordained ministry
On October 28, 2007, a judicial committee of the Episcopal Church issued a presentment of charges against Bennison. The two charges contained in the presentment were "contemporaneous failure to respond properly" when he learned of his brother's sexual misconduct and the "subsequent suppression of pertinent information." Three days later, Katherine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church inhibited Bennison "from all ordained ministry pending a judgment of the Court for the Trial of a Bishop". The Episcopal Church's Court for the Trial of a Bishop is a nine-member body consisting of both clergy and laity.Conviction by an ecclesiastical court and deposition
On June 25, 2008 the Court for the Trial of a Bishop unanimously convicted Bennison on the first count (that he knowingly did nothing while his brother John Bennison, also a cleric, engaged in sexual relations with a minor) and six of the members voted to convict him on the second count (that he covered up his brother's sexual misconduct). Both the Most Reverend Katherine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and the standing committee of the diocese asked for his permanent deposition from holy orders and a ban against him having any ministerial function in the Episcopal Church.On October 3, 2008, the Court for the Trial of a Bishop handed down its sentence, formally deposing Bennison from holy orders. Specifically it stated that "The court finds that even today [Bennison] has not shown that he comprehends the nature, significance and effect of his conduct and has not accepted responsibility and repented for his conduct and the substantial negative effects of that conduct."
Subsequent motions, successful appeal, and reinstatement
Bennision later filed a motion seeking a reduction of his sentence, but in February 2009 the court upheld its decision to depose Bennison. Subsequently Bennison appealed his conviction to the Court of Review for the Trial of a Bishop, a separate court composed of nine bishops.Meanwhile, on April 17, 2009 Bennison's attorney filed a motion with the Court for the Trial of a Bishop requesting a new trial, citing newly uncovered exculpatory evidence
Exculpatory evidence
Exculpatory evidence is the evidence favorable to the defendant in a criminal trial, which clears or tends to clear the defendant of guilt. It is the opposite of inculpatory evidence, which tends to prove guilt....
. According to Bennison's attorney, more than 200 letters, written by the then-teenage female to John Bennison, were discovered that contradicted witness testimony at the trial. Bennison's attorney asserted that the letters showed that the teenage girl actively tried to cover up her relationship with John Bennison, leaving Charles Bennison unaware of the situation and therefore unable to take appropriate action. On September 24, 2009, the Court for the Trial of a Bishop denied the motion for a new trial.
Following the denial of a new trial, Bennison then pursued his appeal to the Court of Review for the Trial of a Bishop, which heard his case in Wilmington, Delaware on May 4, 2010. The basis for the appeal was a statute of limitation provision that had been in effect before a Presentment charge had ever been filed against Bishop Bennison. While Bishop Bennison's attorney had repeatedly raised the matter of the limitation statute, the earlier trial court had declined to rule on the issue for unexplained reasons.
On August 4, 2010 the Court of Review reversed the trial court's decision, and Bennison shortly afterward returned as Bishop of Pennsylvania. On September 21, 2010, however, the House of Bishops adopted a strongly worded yet nonbinding resolution urging Bennison to resign.
Publications
- Bennison, Charles E. In Praise of Congregations: Leadership in the Local Church Today. 1998.