A bit of both, I suppose, depending on who you are and where you stand, Don Armstrong is no longer an Episcopal Priest as far as the Episcopal Church is concerned:
The Rev. Donald Armstrong, accused by the Colorado diocese of stealing nearly $400,000 from Grace Church and St. Stephen’s Parish, has been defrocked.
Bishop Robert O’Neill announced Thursday that Armstrong is deposed as an Episcopal priest, in accordance with the sentence issued by the diocese’s Ecclesiastical Court. It means he can no longer officiate in the Episcopal Church in the U.S.
Armstrong, of course, is treating it as a great amusement.
“I’m not under Rob’s authority; I’ve already left,” Armstrong told the Rocky Mountain News on Thursday. “So it’s sort of like being fired after you’ve already quit.”
Armstrong said he is a priest in good standing in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, an Anglican group for breakaway Episcopalians.
And, elsewhere, it was noted,
“Father Armstrong plans to frame the instrument of defrocking and hang it in his office as a badge of honor,” said Alan Crippen, a Grace CANA deacon and spokesman. “We don’t take it seriously.”
Y’know — theological disputes aside, that says a lot about Armstrong and what led him to this point. On the other hand:
“We will not have any further statement or additional comment at this time,” said Beckett Stokes, diocesan spokeswoman.
So who’s being the “grown-up” here? Who’s showing the animus and vindictiveness that Armstrong’s conservative supporters have been accusing Bp. O’Neil of?
Armstrong’s ultimate fate, no matter where he’s in “good standing,” is, of course, is far from certain.
Armstrong’s defrocking is based on a church court investigation which ruled several months ago that Armstrong stole $392,410 from the church, underreported his income to the Internal Revenue Service, received illegal church loans totaling $122,479, and encumbered the church with deeds of trust totaling $2.5 million without approval from the bishop or the standing committee of the Colorado diocese.
The diocese turned over its findings to the financial crimes unit of the Colorado Springs Police Department, which agreed to conduct a criminal investigation. However, the case has been on hold while the unit investigated another, unrelated case, a police spokesman said. The unit is expected to resume work on the church case next week.
(via epiScope)