From California-
Father Joel Miller, the rector at downtown's Calvary Episcopal Church, has faith that he won't lose his pulpit.
Charged this summer with unbecoming conduct for his handling of a homeless outreach program and inappropriate communication with parishioners, Miller won't know his fate until an upcoming church trial.
Although he has yet to hear specific canonical allegations stemming from the complaints of seven church members, the 62-year-old father of four said he has been assured repeatedly by the bishop of his Monterey-based diocese that he will not be defrocked or relocated.
"I don't know to this day what it is I said or who it is I injured," Miller said in an interview last week inside his study at the 146-year-old church, located at Center and Lincoln streets. "My response has been, I can't plead innocent or guilty until I know what I've done or how I've mismanaged the ministries."
Shortly after Miller allowed organizers of the Monday Night Coffee House ministry -- a weekly Bible study and meal put on volunteers -- to move from the Elm Street Mission to his church in June 2008, arrests and citations for loitering, drug dealing and overnight camping became commonplace. The problems, illustrated by the physical assault of a church volunteer at the hands of a transient, were not limited to the Monday events and were exacerbated by a drum circle that used to gather across the street at the weekly farmers market.
More here-
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_16996874
No comments:
Post a Comment