The Rev. Leslie Steffensen serves as Canon to the Bishop Suffragen of the Armed Services and Federal Ministries. A former Navy officer, Steffensen was ordained in 2012 by Virginia bishop Shannon Johnston. In 2015, while serving as assistant rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria Virginia, Steffensen retaliated against a parishioner who filed a clergy disciplinary complaint seeking mediation with the parish rector, Bob Malm. This retaliation took the form of fabrications about “suspicious activities” in her response to an employment background check being conducted on the parishioner. Subsequently, her husband, Kirk Steffensen, a senior vice president with Corvid technologies, threatened the parishioner’s husband’s job. Despite these issues, Leslie Steffensen serves on the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia Disciplinary Committee.
To date, neither Leslie nor her husband have accepted responsibility for their actions, nor offered an apology.
Bottom line, Leslie Steffensen is s sneaky, two-faced piece of trailer park trash who doesn’t have the courage to share her complaints directly with those involved. And anyone who would threatens someone’’s security clearance the way Kirk has done should have his clearance pulled. But yeah, hire Leslie and you get two hyocrites/assholes for the price of one,
Full disclosure: Anglican Watch editor Eric Bonetti was the parishioner who filed the original disciplinary complaint.
I am really happy we have begun to discuss this in the “abuse” spotlight. I can’t speak for other denominations, but when I worked for an Episcopal cathedral, I felt the gaslighting and psychological abuse was absolutely terrifying.
I am so very sorry about your experience.
No pressure, but if you ever want to share your experiences, let us know.
I had a horrific experience in my ex-beloved episcopal church. A priest told me I was an unsafe person and I needed “help” in a derogatory manner. This is months after I spoke to him in private about being depressed. He would not disclose details of why he was speaking to me or what it was about. All I could think of was I had rented an apartment under an old woman’s apartment who also went to the same church. The woman had been peeking in my windows and yelling at me over the trash can and other things. I finally yelled at her. ( which I regret) First, he told me there would be “no discussion” during our “conversation” and after the “ conversation” he told me to keep it secret. He forbade me to attend Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner and service, Maunday Thursday service and Good Friday service. I was appalled. He had chosen an ex vestry member to be in the meeting so there was three of us. It was mentally abusive, emotionally horrific. He resigned not to long after. I stopped going to church after that for a few months. I loved to sing hymns, but stress was causing my voice to break. I went back one Sunday and lost my voice in the middle of a hymn. The senior warden mocked me by clicking her tongue at me. A very small town, very petty, very ugly.
I am so very sorry.
I know…in some ways, TEC represents the very best of what religion can do for people, but in others…well, sadly this seems to be a troubling trend.
I hope you will let me post this:
I would call Leslie and her husband two pieces of shit in a toilet, but I am not in the mood to be kind.