One of the troubling things about the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia is the lack of personal and organizational integrity at every level. Were these isolated cases, one might write these instances off as honest mistakes. But they have happened repeatedly, and over serious issues.
In the case of the Rev. Caroline Parkinson, she at one point stated, in writing, that my complaint about the removal of our names from the church directory had been considered by the reference panel in July 2015. That’s a lie, pure and simple.
First off, it is unlikely that there was a reference panel, which is the panel under Title IV that refers a case out for resolution. When one is set up, there must be an advisor to the complainant and the respondent, and the reference panel is required to notify participants of the outcome. Neither occurred, so there either was no such panel, or it failed to follow church canons.
Second, even if there was such a panel, a dismissal, which occurred in my case, has no preclusive effect. In other words, Caroline’s contention is a red herring and irrelevant to the larger issues.
Third, the matter of the directory did not arise until October 2015. It thus is impossible for the reference panel to have considered the matter the previous summer.
Lastly, under other circumstances, one might argue that Caroline simply was misinformed. But when dealing with the lives of others, their careers, their spiritual and temporal well-being, and the reputation/integrity of the church, one simply cannot be cavalier about such issues. So even if Caroline’s mistake is an honest one, it is unacceptable. Moreover, I pointed the matter out to her and the diocese promptly, only to be ignored, so it is not like Caroline or others are unaware. They have actual notice of the falsity of their written statements, but have failed to correct the matter.
Tellingly, even after bearing false witness in this matter, Caroline remains a priest in good standing. Yet to this day Caroline has taken no action to correct her lies.
