Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Standing Committee Open Forum

Oct 14 | 2007 | St. Mary’s Church, Wayne

Peter Wilmerding, Chair of Finance & Property, acted as moderator and opened the meeting with a brief overview of the current financial situation. Fiscal situation – recent history:

• Finances are not as stable as in the past and there is clear evidence that stewardship has changed
• At the close of 2006 we had paid only 1 of 12 months of our pledge to the National Church
• The 2006 Convention delegates made a decision not to use UNA’s (unrestricted net assets)
• There has been a shortfall in pledging needed to cover budgeted and unbudgeted expenses
• Some parishes have withheld their pledges

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Statements concerning our financial crisis

Open Forum October 14, 2007

Oct 1 | 2007

In the interest of transparency, and in order to be an agent of rebuilding both confidence and trust in the Diocese of Pennsylvania and its governing bodies, the Standing Committee believes it is helpful for our diocesan family to understand the serious financial situation we are facing concerning Wapiti, and how the governing bodies have been addressing, and continue to address, the issues concerning this property and the assets of the Diocese of Pennsylvania.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Memos and notes from the Standing Committee

May – Sep | 2007

To: Peter Wilmerding, Chair Finance & Property Cc: Stephen P. Chawaga, Esq., Chancellor From: The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania Date: Friday, September 07, 2007

We thank you and the members of the Finance & Property Committee for the opportunity to participate in the important discussion about Wapiti. After meeting with the members of Finance & Property and the Executive Committee of the Diocesan Council on Wednesday, September 5, 2007, the Standing Committee took the following position:

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Standing Committee's Public Response to Bishop Bennison's Disagreements with the Matthews Report

Mar 19 | 2006

Bishop Charles E. Bennison writes in his letter of March 14, 2006 to the delegates to the upcoming special convention, “The document (The Matthews Report) contains a significant number of errors and inaccuracies of fact and interpretation.”

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania takes the position that this broad stroke criticism of the Report by the Bishop should be shared directly by Bishop Bennison with Bishop Matthews for resolution, rather than bringing it to the delegates for discussion at this time.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Standing Committee Cover Letter for the Matthews Report

Mar 13 | 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

In the spirit of openness and collegiality, we, the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania wish to share with you the report, in its entirety, named “Recommendations to The Rt. Rev’d Charles E. Bennison, Jr. and the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania in Response to a Request for a Process of Mediation.” The report and attachments will be available on www.diopastandingcommittee.org.

Archives  posted Feb 26, 2008

The Rt. Rev. Clayton F. Matthews Report

Mar 7 | 2006

Recommendations to the Rt Rev’d Charles E. Bennison, Jr. and the Standing Committee of the Diocese of the Pennsylvania in response to a request for a process of mediation.

Download the Matthew’s Report

Download these attachments:

Introduction
Report on 2002 Consultation
Discussion of Capital Campaign
Summary of Leaders Retreat 2004
Summary of Meetings with Bishop Mathews
Personal Stories of Pastoral Ministry
Committee Meeting with Bishop Mathews
Questionable Headline of Pennsylvania Episcopalian

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Standing Committee meeting with Presiding Bishop

March 2 | 2007

On Friday, March 2, 2007, the members of the Standing Committee and those who had filed the complaint against Bishop Bennison had a meeting with David Beers, Chancellor to the Presiding Bishop, and his assistant, Mary E. Kostel, and Michael F. Rehill, Special Counsel to the Standing Committee, and his assistant Pamela L. Lutz.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Renewed call for resignation

March 1 | 2007

The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania renews its unanimous call for the resignation or retirement of the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Bennison, Jr. In addition, we stand by the Bishop Matthews Report which accurately describes the depth of division and the denial expressed by the Bishop as to the serious nature and profound effects of this conflict.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Complaint filed against Bishop Bennison

Nov 6 | 2006

Read the full text of the Verified Complaint.

On Monday, November 6, 2006, the ten members of the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania filed a Verified Complaint with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church against the Rt. Reverend Charles E. Bennison, Jr., Bishop of Pennsylvania, pursuant to the provisions of Canon IV.3.23(a)(2).

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

The Standing Committee seeks funds to obtain legal counsel

Sep 18 | 2008

As any Chancellor is unable to represent both the Standing Committee and the Bishop in a disagreement, our Chancellor has recommended that the Standing Committee retain Michael Rehill, Esq. Bishop Clay Matthews, Executive Director, Office of Pastoral Development for The Episcopal Church, has stated that the Standing Committee is entitled to independent legal counsel.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Our Position on the Canon to the Ordinary

Sep 14 | 2006

The Standing Committee believes that the Canon to the Ordinary should not be funded through the Episcopate Budget at this time in the life of our Diocese. We are deeply concerned about the instability of our Diocesan life especially in the areas of finances and parish viability.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Special Audit Committee Letter

June 6 | 2006

To: Bishop Bennison, Standing Committee, Diocesan Council

We are pleased to forward the CBIZ Consulting Report to the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. This report is the result of the completion of a project authorized by the Special Convention resolution of March 25, 2006 and managed by the Special Audit Committee created by that resolution.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

CBIZ Special Audit Report

May 31 | 2006

Download the Report.

CBIZ Accounting, Tax & Advisory, LLC (“CBIZ”) was engaged to perfom consulting services on behalf of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania related to the Wapiti Project and the classification of Net Assets. CBIZ services included consulting and financial analysis of the books, records and other data provided to us by the finance department of the Diocese, representatives of the Church Foundation and the Diocese’s independent auditors.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Diocese of Pennsylvania Financial Timeline

May 1 | 2006 (up until this date)

November, 2000
The Chancellor informed Standing Committee that certain endowment funds previously controlled by Standing Committee would now be under control of Finance and Property Committee (Canon 13.3)

May 10, 2001
Diocesan Council meeting (OHE= Our Holy Experiment)
Discussion and questioning about source of funds available for OHE.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Open Letter to Bishop Bennison from the Standing Committee

April 21 | 2006

Dear Bishop Bennison: The Standing Committee observed in the Diocesan financial report as of March 31, 2006 that a drawdown in the amount of $350,000 of Unrestricted Net Assets had taken place. We have been informed that this action took place sometime in March prior to the Special Convention. In light of your expressed commitment to “transparency”, and in the absence of your proper designation of these funds and the approval of Standing Committee in accordance with our Canons, we question why this action was not reported to the Special Convention.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

The Rev. Mary Laney's Response to Comments at Council

April 20 | 2006

Dear George: I understand that you reported to the Diocesan Council at last night’s meeting that the Standing Committee “rejected” the proposal of the Executive Committee to meet.

This is an inaccurate statement of our response. I said that since there was not a specific agenda noted and we were currently handling a number of issues, that we wanted the meeting to wait until after our upcoming Open Forum for the Diocese occurred. It was thought that all Diocesan Council members might find the Open Forum helpful and that it might assist in identifying agenda items for a future meeting with the Executive Committee and Standing Committee.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Passionate Plea from the Union of Black Episcopalians

April 25 | 2005

A PASSIONATE PLEA: “Don’t punish people who have little because they have little.”

ONE YEAR LATER: Has this plea been answered?
UNION OF BLACK EPISCOPALIANS
124 West Washington Lane
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19144-2614

Dear Bishop Bennison:

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The latest financial documentation requirement of the DCM clergy is of great concern to the Union of Black Episcopalians. It is our understanding that a committee/commission has been formed to review this documentation and, after review, come to conclusions and make recommendations relative to clergy salaries and to the continuance of the parishes.

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Resolution from Special Convention Regarding Full Accounting of Net Assets

March 30 | 2006

RESOLVED, that Convention authorizes an independent and certifiable full accounting of all Diocesan Net Assets listed as unrestricted, temporarily restricted, and/or permanently restricted. As part of this review process, Convention authorizes this special audit to include but not be limited to: the identification of who is responsible for each of these funds, their investments, and their allocations; and documenting the sources of each of these funds, their uses, and actual distribution of these funds since 2003;

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

Unrestricted Net Assets Resolution

March 23 | 2006

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

At its meeting of March 23, 2006, the Standing Committee passed the following resolution after meeting and discussing the issue with Bishop Bennison: In light of known and unknown expenses, the Standing Committee declines to consent to any declaration of use of proceeds from real estate or other current undesignated assets to meet the needs for the 2006 Program Budget. We have taken this action for the following reasons:

Archives  posted Feb 21, 2008

The Program Budget Deficit: The Tip of the Iceberg!

March 17 | 2006

by Bill Powell, Former DIOPA Controller and Joe Suprenuk, Former DIOPA Interim Controller,

Since the Diocesan Convention’s rejection of a program budget calling for a $1.3 million deficit (and use of Diocesan savings) in November, 2005, there has been exclusive focus on the program budget deficit without regard for the Diocesan-wide deficit we face in 2006.