Thinking about applying for the postion of rector at Grace Church Alexandria, the clergy perjury parish? If so, the screen cap that follows should make you think twice.
The post, which was authored by a then college-aged member of the parish, reflects the world view of someone who grew up in Grace Church. Both her parents have served on the vestry. Yet she sees no problem with urging others to commit suicide.
Even more telling is the fact that perjuring priest Bob Malm cited this screen cap in court as one the alleged threats made against him. Thus, one faces two possibilities:
1) That perjuring priest Bob Malm is a liar, which is well-established. If nothing else, his false claim that Mom or someone claiming to be her made appointments with him is an example in which he lied under oath, in writing, while advised by legal counsel, and notarized by parishioner Jane Rosman. In other words, he committed perjury. And then there is his claim that only his wife blogged about these issues, when he knew damned well that his daughter Lindsey had done so as well.
2) That perjuring priest Bob Malm is so delusional as to be unable to differentiate between reality and fantasy. I leave any conclusion on that issue to others.
Of course, one also must consider the fact that the vestry, the parish, and the diocese continue to defend Bob Malm’s conduct and engage in cover-up.
My take on it: Any priest who commits perjury, whether criminally charged or not, should be treated the same as a sex offender who has not faced criminal charges—he should be removed from ministry on an immediate basis, with the diocese and vestry telling the truth about what happened. The fact that the diocese does not take this action means neither it, nor the bishops, nor the vestry have any claim to moral legitimacy. There simply is no reason why perjury should be acceptable behavior for any member of the clergy. And if you can’t trust Susan Goff and the Episcopal Church to deal with criminal conduct by clergy, you surely are asking for trouble if you think they can deal with an issue like racial reconciliation.
Lastly, I would add that while I don’t know this to be a fact, I’m prepared to say it’s a safe bet that the diocese already knows that Bob Malm has perjured himself. There are enough attorneys in the mix, and the church’s insurance carrier is sufficiently involved, that they would be grossly negligent if they did not investigate the matter in order to ascertain potential liability.
So, if you want to be rector of a parish where this sort of thing is okay, go for it. You and the parish deserve each other.
PS I’m adding a photo of Mom taken not long before her death, so you can think about what it means when Grace Church tries to drag a dying woman into court. Good luck with your job search. And just remember: If your name isn’t mud with the good Christians of Grace Episcopal Alexandria, the clergy perjury parish, you have some serious ethical and spiritual issues.
