A report prepared by the Presiding Bishop’s Office for Pastoral Development finds little likelihood that mediation will resolve the dispute that has led the diocesan standing committee to call for the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Bennison, Jr., to step down as Bishop of Pennsylvania.

The Rt. Rev. F. Clayton Matthews, executive director of the Office of Pastoral Development and Ms. Woodriff Sprinkel reported on March 7 that “given the depth of divisions that have been created over many years, the repeated leadership style preference of the bishop, and the unanimous opinion that the bishop is incapable of entering into any process without being in control of it; we cannot recommend any process of conciliation or any ‘rigorous long-term process for addressing problems’.”

Bishop Matthews and Ms Sprinkel recommended that “if the standing committee and the bishop still insist that some process be devised for them to address the issues that have been raised and/or to work on terms of separation through formal mediation, then the Presiding Bishop’s office will assist as long as the ground rules are defined by outside persons to insure that neither party tries to control the process.”

When contacted on March 14, Jeffrey Brodeur, communications director for the diocese declined to comment on the report, telling The Living Church that Bishop Bennison was meeting with advisors and would issue a statement shortly.

After a number of meetings with members of the diocese, the standing committee and deans, Bishop Matthews and Ms. Sprinkel said that they had informed Bishop Bennison they “could not recommend any long term process for reconciliation. We also told him that if he persisted in this pattern of behavior, the issues before him and the diocese would deteriorate into an ugly and unfortunate battle in which he would ultimately have to leave.”

In a March 13 letter, the standing committee said that they would “follow the advice given to us by Bishop Matthews in the report” and would not “embark on a strenuous and lengthy reconciliation process.

“We understand fully that these are difficult times,” the standing committee wrote, and asked for the diocese’s continued prayers and perseverance through the current difficulties.

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