TEC priest arrested for embezzelment

I have posted several times on the embezzlement by the former rector of Grace and St. Stephen's in Colorado and, so, I would be a hypocrite if I did not report this story out of the Diocese of New York.

North Shore Episcopal Church's former Rector, the Rev. William Blasingame has been arrested for embezzling nearly $85,000 since 2005. He used the money to pay for a long list of personal items including plastic surgery and Botox injections according to an article in the Stanten Island Advance.

The funds came from two accounts - the Friends of St. Paul's foundation and a discretionary fund meant to provide small stipends to parishioners and others in need.

According to the indictment, Blasingame would not allow the records of these two accounts to be examined by the parish treasurer.

Included in the list of items he used the money for was a $245 pair of shoes imported from London. However, he lived in "a squalid existence in the rectory." It took five 40-yard dumpsters to clear out the debris and filth" from the rectory.

The senior warden said he first realized something was amiss with the bookkeeping when he was updating the church's bank information online and stumbled across the upkeep account, which showed Father Blasingame had written checks to himself.

He requested that the Diocese of New York compel Blasingame to reveal the contents of the accounts.

Blasingame resigned his 31-year rectorate on a disability pension and was initially was treated at Richmond University Medical Center and then transferred to Summit Oaks Hospital in New Jersey, which specializes in the treatment of chemical abuse and mental illness.

When the church officers cleared out the rectory, they found documents with the account number of his original discretionary account, and found the records of his payments to plastic surgeons and details of other transactions.

After consulting with the diocese, Mingoia gave the books to Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan's office.

A forensic investigation into the church's accounting followed, and Father Blasingame surrendered to the district attorney's NYPD detective squad on Friday morning, according to Donovan spokesman William J. Smith. Blasingame was arraigned in Stapleton Criminal Court Friday, and is slated to return 12 May.

Blasingame's attorney called the allegations a "bad mistake" and suggested the vestry "has it in" for their former rector.

I think this Mingoia made a big mistake in accusing him of stealing money. It's crazy. There's some kind of a vendetta out there, and there's more than meets the eye.

The attorney pointed to Father Blasingame's 31 years as the church's pastor, and said he "lives a very simple life and drives a heap of the car."

Mingoia flatly rejected Hasson's claim of a vendetta, saying the church at this point is interested in restitution.

There is no monopoly on misconduct of clergy; it infects all churches and theological positions. And it always gives Jesus a black eye in the public arena.

Tip of the Biretta to Mike at Trinity, New York or sending me the article and some additional information on this story.

Christ, the Life of all the living,
Christ the Death of death, our foe,
Who Thyself for us once giving
To the darkest depths of woe,
Patiently didst yield Thy breath
But to save my soul from death;
Praise and glory ever be,
Blessèd Jesus, unto Thee.

Thou, O Christ, hast taken on Thee
Bitter strokes, a cruel rod;
Pain and scorn were heaped upon Thee,
O Thou sinless Son of God,
Only thus for me to win
Rescue from the bonds of sin;
Praise and glory ever be,
Blessèd Jesus, unto Thee.

Thou hast suffered men to bruise Thee
That from pain I might be free;
Falsely did Thy foes accuse Thee,
Thence I gain security;
Comfortless Thy soul did languish
Me to comfort in my anguish.
Thousand, thousand thanks shall be,
Dearest Jesus, unto Thee.

Then, for all that wrought our pardon,
For Thy sorrows deep and sore,
For Thine anguish in the garden,
I will thank Thee evermore;
Thank Thee with my latest breath
For Thy sad and cruel death,
For that last and bitter cry
Praise Thee evermore on high.

Cash strapped schismatics

When the Chapman Memo was leaked to the world back in 2003, we discovered the road map not only to schism but the usurpation of The Episcopal Church in The United States. Primarily, the usurpation was outlined in the ‘memo.’

Things have not gone as predicted by the Donatists, though, and things are not “happily ever after” either.

Part of the strategy of the Donatists was to bankrupt TEC though litigation -- to force the Church to divert untold millions of dollars to defend its property from suits brought by thieves who thought they could leave TEC and take the assets with them. Apparently, that strategy didn’t work and it cuts both ways.

Jim Naughton over at the The Lead posted a wee article on how things are going at Fall Rivers. In short, not so good. It seems that they are strapped for cash. So strapped are the Donatists that they have written to donors of a former building campaign asking permission to redirect those funds into the legal war chest to aid themselves and other schismatic communities. Make sure to read the background on that building campaign.

One must wonder how the schismatics feel knowing that at every turn of the legal and ecclesial wheels, they have lost – except in Virginia where a Jim Crow era law was cited as justification for allowing the thieves to retain TEC property. Remember that law was enacted to protect slavery friendly churches that departed non hierarchical organisations when slavery was outlawed. Keep that in mind as you read this bit about the church beef with the city.

In every other case (correct me if I am wrong) the courts have ruled in favour of TEC. All the gold spent by the schismatics in the United States has been for naught and now they are strapped for cash knowing they will have to “defend” the Fall River decision in a higher court that is not predisposed in favour of the schismatics.

In a second article at the Lead today, Nicholas Knisely reports that the Donatists themselves realize recognisation by the Anglican Communion is ‘unlikely. According to the Rev. J Phillip Ashley, the ACC’s chief operating officer

We do not believe that Canterbury will recognize us, at least while the current archbishop is still in office.

Notice their hope though - While this archbishop is in office. I wonder who they think will replace Williams, and why he would be favourable to the schismatic movement. Could it be they expect a schismatic to sit in St. Augustine's Chair?

Probably not as this bit is where their hope is placed

Echoing the sentiments of the Jerusalem Declaration, Fr. Ashey suggested that Canterbury’s recognition will be less important as various provinces in the Global South recognize the ACNA. He said representatives from Kenya, Rwanda, the Southern Cone of South America, and Uganda are expected to attend a provincial assembly in Texas in June, where the ACNA will vote on a proposed constitution and canons.

The schism is a done deal; all that remains is the ink to dry. However, to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, "It's an ecclesiastical community, if you can keep it." My educated guess is that infighting will not allow them to "keep it." If not infighting, certainly the super egos of the leaders involved.

As for TEC property, Douglas LeBlanc quotes Ashley's Living Church article (keep in mind that TLC is the bastion f schismatics still in TEC)

Some parishes may prevail in property disputes, if they owned property before a diocese existed and they have no record of agreeing to The Episcopal Church’s Constitution and Canons.

Departing parishes’ chance of prevailing in court cases likely will decrease because of decisions he expects at General Convention this summer.

Property in the new organisation will be different. Fr. Ashey said he was part of a panel of bishops and lawyers who have drafted canons for the ACNA, which plans to release the proposed canons within a few weeks.

The canons will make clear that all property belongs to congregations rather than dioceses; that bishops will be nominated by dioceses on a slate of three and chosen by a College of Bishops; and that all bishops must warn each other when a transferring priest has engaged in misconduct.

I have two questions about that:

What property? The only property they have is in Fall Rivers and that will be returned to TEC.

When a schismatic group breaks apart and congregations decide to leave, will the property still be seen as belonging to the local unit?

I'm not even going to ask why the new group would think any of their bishops would recognize a deposition of any presbyter at the hands of any of their bishops. Their history is of ignoring depositions.

Ahsley went on to state the real purpose of the ACC

Like Special Forces, we go behind the scenes and we blow things up.

He added that what the ACC blows up is 'principalities and powers.' That is such a Christian virtue, no?

Monday in Holy Week

I begin Holy Week in a place of deep mourning having buried five family members and friends. I believe that this Holy Week and Easter will mean more to me than in any previous year.

I came to this Passion Sunday both physically and mentally exhausted and the events of this great week have only just begun.

I think that Jesus must have felt like this, too. The whole of his ministry was spent caring for people, providing for them, teaching them, comforting them -- all the things that discharge the battery. He had no time of recharging himself before the greatest trial of his mortal existence. Yet, he chose to continue on the journey he accepted although he must have been exhausted before it began.

A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
The guilt of all men bearing;
And laden with the sins of earth,
None else the burden sharing!
Goes patient on, grow weak and faint,
To slaughter led without complaint,
That spotless life to offer;
Bears shame and stripes, and wounds and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith,
"Willing all this I suffer."

This Lamb is Christ, the soul's great Friend,
The Lamb of God, our Savior;
Him God the Father chose to send
To gain for us His favor.
"Go forth, My Son," the Father saith,
"And free men from the fear of death,
From guilt and condemnation.
The wrath and stripes are hard to bear,
But by Thy Passion men shall share
The fruit of Thy salvation."

"Yea, Father, yea, most willingly
I'll bear what Thou commandest;
My will conforms to Thy decree,
I do what Thou demandest."
O wondrous Love, what hast Thou done!
The Father offers up His Son!
The Son, content, descendeth!
O Love, how strong Thou art to save!
Thou beddest Him within the grave
Whose word the mountains rendeth.

Passion Sunday - Lent VI

Passion Sunday - Lent VI
Domine, non longe

Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Mark 14:1-15:47 or Mark 15:1-39, (40-47)

Introit: O Lord, keep not Thy help far from me; look to my defense; deliver me from the lion's mouth, and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns. -- (Ps. 21. 2) O God, my God, look upon me; why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins.

It is often questioned why Palm Sunday is also the Sunday of the Passion. What starts off as what is sometimes called the “Triumphal Entry” to Jerusalem at the beginning of the Liturgy seems to race all the way forward to Good Friday by the end of the liturgy of the Word.

The stock answer, of course, is that it’s because so few people make it their business to go to church on Good Friday to hear Saint John’s Passion. This way at least a Passion narrative is read and heard by those who only come on Sundays.

It has also been observed that Mark, which is our gospel for Year B, can be viewed primarily as a Passion narrative with an extended introduction. That is, to understand Mark at all, one must look at the cross. The whole narrative in Mark moves us toward the cross. As one reads the full version of the Passion, we immediately sense how the Passion events seem to play themselves out in horrifying slow motion.

As much as we would like to have Jesus not go to Gethsemane, as much as we might wish to stop Judas, as much as we would like to get after Peter for his three denials of Jesus, in Mark, the cross is not to be avoided. As we will see and hear on Easter, even the young man sitting in the empty tomb will say, “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who has been crucified. He was raised.” For Mark, Jesus is the Crucified One more than the Risen One.

Also, on this question of why the Passion seemingly intrudes upon Palm Sunday – “It never did when we were younger!” the people cry – it is the Passion that places the entry into Jerusalem in some sort of understandable context.

We may as well face it, Jesus and his rag-tag parade of the poor, the halt and the lame, sinners and outcasts, and he himself riding into town not on regal horseback but on a pathetic little donkey, does not a particularly triumphal entry make. It is at best, in the midst of Passover, Jerusalem’s busiest week of the year, it was an annoying little demonstration that symbolically challenged the occupation of Rome and the authority of the religious professionals, the Pharisees, the priests, and the Herodians.

We are to remember that all the way back in Chapter 3 of Mark, we read, “the Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.” The Herodians were those Jews who were already conspiring with the ruling party of the successive Herods, who in turn were in a political alliance with Rome. They were considered by the people to be collaborators with the occupying enemy, Rome.

That is, we must recognize that the little demonstration we call Palm Sunday was, in at least one dimension, a political demonstration. Taken together with the next event in Mark, which is the episode at the Temple with the animals and money changers, it is easy to see how once word got to Pilate, whose primary responsibility was to maintain public order, something would have to be done to calm things down so that the Passover celebration could come off without any further disruption.

Also, given the fact that people in the streets wanted nothing more than to get rid of the yoke of Rome, Barabbas – which curiously translates as “son of the father” – a known insurrectionist, becomes a more attractive captive to liberate since he at least was willing to take to the streets and kill as many Romans and collaborators as necessary to inspire some sort of wider scale insurrection or civil war.

The key to this whole story very well may be that Jesus refuses to fight the pain that has been inflicted on him by inflicting pain. He refuses to overcome injustice with an easy, optimistic plan for progress. He refuses to fight back against the shame poured out upon him by a mighty, flashy display of Rome’s imperial power: crucifixion.

As we pray at Station Five of the stations of the cross:

“Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many: Bless all who, following in his steps, give themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom, patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the love of him who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Service. We speak of a service economy, and businesses looking eager to “serve” the public. But such service comes of self-interest. It is not service in terms of laying down one’s life for the customers’ sake, but rather it is service intended to impress – like Pilate, whom we are told wished “to please the crowd.” Jesus does not serve to impress or please, to win the favor and sympathy of those whom he helps, let alone those whom he confronts. Jesus is the chosen one of God who has displayed his power over demons and disease, who chose to serve and refused to avoid suffering and even death on a cross.

Why?

Because all those things that we decry as the power of sin in our world and in our lives, even death itself, will not be overcome by force. They will only be overcome by the service and ransom of the very one, the only one, who needs neither to serve nor to pay off any debt.

Could this have been done any other way? Perhaps it could have, if we could live lives without suffering and sin and death; which, of course, is another way of saying, “No.”

What we see in Mark’s version of this narrative is a Jesus who does not so much defeat death but rather refuses to avoid it. His forsaken cry from the cross should not be tempered into anything but a true cry of desperation that echoes the truth of the pains we experience in our lives – individually, as well as collectively as the church, as a community, and as a nation.

Make no mistake about it, this entire narrative takes place within the context of an international military and political occupation and conflict. Jesus rises above the petty political, religious, and military background noise. He literally is raised above it all on the cross. He defeats sin through bearing sin. He defeats death by dying on a cross.

In Christ crucified we begin to experience authentic life. Such life is not easy in a world still mad with power and prestige, a world that wants to sell a path of service to others as a commodity to be purchased rather than as a life lived like Jesus lived his. It’s a good thing the good news can only be given away!

-- The Rev. Kirk Alan Kubicek is rector of St. Peter's Church in Ellicott City, MD, a parish in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. He also travels throughout the church leading stewardship events for parishes, dioceses, clergy conferences, and diocesan conventions. He has long been involved in the work of The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS), and the Ministry of Money. He frequently uses music and storytelling in his proclamation of the Word. E-mail: kkub@aol.com.