Statement on reports within C4SO and ACNAtoo’s Approach to Conflicts of Interest
Today, Bp. Todd Hunter sent a letter to the clergy of Churches for the Sake of Others (C4SO) regarding reports of “actions not appropriate for clergy” involving Midwest Dean Jay Greener at Church of the Redeemer in Highwood, Illinois. You can read the letter at the link above and we will include the full text at the bottom of this post. The C4SO Whistleblower Policy can be found here.
While many details about this situation are yet unknown, we know this: our first commitment at ACNAtoo is always to survivors. So while we would normally report such news without further commentary, in this case we felt the need to further clarify this position because several people on our team are active members in the diocese in question. As an ACNA watchdog group, we realize that this constitutes an objective conflict of interest, and requires us to speak more explicitly to our commitments than we have in other recent situations (for instance, the Via Apostolica or Pittsburgh cases). We realize that while we know our hearts and our own commitments, we cannot assume that survivors would believe that diocesan affiliations won’t compromise us when it comes to believing and supporting survivors.
If survivors from the C4SO diocese, in this case or any other, reach out to us, we will support them as we would any other survivors, and we will specifically connect them to team members who have no affiliation with C4SO. We will follow the same protocol with survivors who come to us from other dioceses. All survivor stories and private information remain confidential within our team, no matter who the accused or victims are, and if anyone on our team has connections that would be a conflict of interest, those will be disclosed to the survivor. Survivors always have agency to decide how much to share and with which team members.
Explaining our protocols does not prove trustworthiness; trust must always be earned. We value the trust that survivors have given us and we always want to act in a manner worthy of their trust. We invite you to witness our actions and judge us for yourselves as we continue in our work.
Dear Clergy,
We have received reports of actions not appropriate for clergy involving Midwest Dean Jay Greener at Church of the Redeemer in Highwood, Illinois. Reports were submitted through our Ombudsman, Canon Kimberley Pfeiler, which necessitate following the process prescribed by Diocesan and ACNA canons. C4SO will carry out a thorough procedure that includes gathering relevant facts, conducting an investigation, exercising discernment in processing the facts, and, based on the results of the investigation, taking appropriate action. In this work, we seek truth, accountability, healing and learning.
The investigation will be conducted by an independent organization with the skills, training and independence to report with integrity. I asked Jay to take a leave of absence of undetermined length as Rector and Dean until the investigation is completed. During Jay's leave, Patrick Wildman will assist me as Dean of the Midwest. The Rev. Amanda Holm Rosengren will be Interim Priest in Charge at Church of the Redeemer during this time, and I have taken steps to assure good shepherding of the congregation and appropriate communication with clergy and vestry, as well as the reporting individuals.
In the days ahead, I ask you all to allow this process to work itself out following our established procedure. Without making any assumptions, please give everyone involved in the investigation some space, and lift them up in prayer. In order to thread the needle of neither hiding nor inappropriately broadcasting this news, if there are persons you think need to know this information, I leave it to your discretion to inform them.
To better understand the process in this case and any other case in our diocese, watch this video from Provincial Chancellor Scott Ward on the ACNA's Canon Law that C4SO follows.
Grace and peace,
Bishop Todd Hunter