The case centers on Monk’s handling of ministry funds at St. John’s. A junior warden alerted diocesan officials to “a large number of checks drawn on the ministry fund” and signed by Monk that lacked proper documentation, raising concerns of possible “misappropriation of revenue,” according to a written complaint filed by a church attorney.
A diocesan investigator also reported finding that Monk had opened unauthorized bank accounts and routed money to other accounts, obtained a credit card under a church treasurer’s Social Security number and “used this card to conduct a multi-year spending spree that included personal trips.” The investigator questioned Monk about these discoveries but “did not find Fr. Monk’s explanations, or lack of, to be satisfactory.”
The investigator forwarded his findings to Dallas Bishop George Sumner on July 25. Monk reportedly was placed on administrative leave in early August.
The church attorney filed his written complaint on Sept. 30, and the hearing panel in the case issued a notice to Monk dated Oct. 3. The hearing panel also issued a timeline of future activity, indicating that a hearing could be scheduled as soon as February 2025.
Monk issued a brief written response to the hearing panel dated Nov. 4. “I deny all allegations brought against me in these proceedings,” he said, and he requested access to personal files and church records that contain “potentially exculpatory evidence.”
Monk, who has served at St. John’s since 2003, resigned Aug. 13 from the board of directors of Nashotah House, an Episcopal seminary in Wisconsin, according to a Living Church report on the disciplinary case. “It is now time for me to refocus my energy toward other work. It has been my privilege to serve Nashotah House in many capacities over the last 25 years,” Monk said in his resignation letter, according to The Living Church.
Nashotah House Dean Lauren Whitnah told The Living Church that, because the allegations against Monk relate to finances, the seminary is “conducting an additional review of all accounts to confirm that our security and internal controls are sufficient to prevent or expose any potentially inappropriate action.”
The case also is being investigated by the Corsicana Police Department, Navarro County District Attorney, and Texas’ Office of the Attorney General, according to a NavCo Chronicle report.
The church attorney also conflates intake with investigation. Normally, materiality is determined at intake, not investigation, and based on the question, “If the facts as alleged were true, would they 1) be canonical violations and 2) be of weighty and material importance to the ministry of the church. There is no investigation at intake, except to “understand the matter complained of.”
So yes, having referred the matter for investigation, findings of fact may emerge that must be assessed for materiality. But ordinarily, materiality is decided at intake.
Thus, church attorney George Carlton does all involved a disservice by failing to accurately parse this issue, especially since George Sumner himself is presently the subject of a Title IV complaint alleging retaliation against Fr. Rich Daly for opposing sexual harassment.
Anglican Watch urges counsel and all relevant judicatories to read and re-read the canons in order to ensure total clarity on these issues.
We also hope that this will be handled with transparency and integrity, unlike the allegations involving embezzlement by priest Bill Allport, who purportedly embezzled money while serving in Boerne Texas, then claimed he did so to “feed his family.” He then faced a brief suspension, only to resurface in Englewood NJ, where his drinking and other misconduct caused enormous damage to the church.
As for Allport’s claims about feeding his family, our strong suspicion is that the only folks he was caring for via his embezzlement for were Rum, Vodka, and Gin.
Lastly, we hope all involved will consider the larger issues in this matter:
– The prevalence of embezzlement in all faith communities and the need to remain vigilant.
– The profound lack of integrity at many levels of the church. Specifically, the canons say that clergy are held to a higher standard, but the truth is that they often are held to a lower standard, or none at all. This needs to stop.