Earlier on this blog, we talked about the magical thinking of our sister in Christ (said sarcastically, due to her use of the phrase), Easter Thompson. Specifically, we talked about her weird belief that perjuring priest Bob Malm didn’t engage in misconduct, as well as the fact that evidence has yet to emerge that God requires her help to judge the quick and the dead. But there’s a bit of questionable veracity in perjuring priest Bob Malm’s email exchange with her that warrants additional scrutiny.
In earlier posts, I noted that Bob lied about what was discussed at the meeting. Specifically, I did not agree to follow Bishop Shannon’s guidance, if for no other reason than I was no longer attending a parish within DioVa. (Nor was that possibility brought up.) Instead, I was providing financial and other support to St. Paul’s K Street, although I had not transferred my membership there. That said, soon after the meeting, I transferred my membership to St. Paul’s, after realizing that Bob Malm would never be sufficiently adult to take responsibility for his conduct. Bob also lied during the meeting when he claimed that he does not choose the vestry’s executive committee, yet the fact that he does do so is even reflected in the church’s shoddy and inadequate governance documents,
infra. And no, an up-or-down ballot for an entire slate is
not an election, unless you’re talking about the Soviet Politburo. I’d add that turning a blind eye to this issue is ludicrous, particularly given how proud the denomination is of its bicameral governance.
That said, perjuring priest Bob Malm also provided Easter with another bit of false information, which was about the date of the Fredericksburg meeting. Specifically, it was May 25th, Ascension Day. Bob knew it too, for as the meeting was ending, he shook my hand and said, “Happy Ascension Day” — after repeatedly lying during the meeting, including telling me that trustees of the church investments had to be vestry members. Needless to say, a little more veracity on perjuring priest Bob Malm’s part would have made for a happier Ascension Day.
My experience is that perjuring priest Bob Malm was very attuned to the ebb and flow of the liturgical year. So why might he have lied about this issue? My guess is to make it sound like he had been more eager to pursue reconciliation, when the reality is he and Shannon “Cover-Up” Johnston only acted after my situation started to get media coverage, and after they realized that people were leaving the parish over Bob’s misconduct.
Let me add right now that Easter and others prone to magical thinking will claim that this is not true. But when the current litigation goes to trial, I am more than willing to subpoena Shannon Johnston and/or Pat Wingo to verify what was said during the meeting.
Of course, Easter also likes her conspiracy theories and the notion that she’s somehow privy to gnosis the rest of us can’t access. So it’s unlikely that she will be convinced by any evidence that contravenes her magical thinking.
As for the rest of Grace Church, the clergy perjury parish, folks are ill-served by a diocese that does not insist on higher standards for clergy than avoiding criminal charges. But that illustrates the corruption and lack of integrity rampant in TEC, and at every level.
Indeed, even at the PB’s office, officials turn a blind eye to misconduct. That is evinced by the fact that Todd Ousley refused to address Susan Goff’s decision not to implement Title IV in any meaningful way. Ironic, given that Jennifer Brooke-Davidson sits on a hearing panel going after Bishop Love for refusing to implement GC’s policy on same-sex marriage. So how is his conduct any different than Susan Goff’s refusal to address clergy perjury? Readers may recall that I emailed Jennifer on this issue, too, so it’s not like I haven’t shared my concerns directly.
It takes a special kind of hypocrite to go after Bishop Love —whose views I obviously don’t agree with—for not following the authority and discipline of the church, yet to ignore the authority of the church when it comes to Title IV and potentially criminal activity by Bob Malm.
That hypocrite would be Susan Goff.
