RESPONDING TOGETHER

Recent years have seen many denominations in the U.S., including our own, reckoning with how to prevent and respond to reports of abuse and misconduct within the church. Church of the Redeemer has endured our own painful chapter of reckoning that has exposed areas in which our community needs to learn, repair, and change.

In December 2021, our former Rector went on leave after C4SO’s ombudsman received credible reports of misconduct. The diocese engaged an independent third party, Wade Mullen of Pellucid Consulting, to investigate these reports. The investigation ended in May 2022 and concluded that our former Rector had engaged in patterns of misconduct “that can be reasonably interpreted as an abuse of ecclesiastical power.” Our Rector resigned and has retired from ministry.

Church of the Redeemer has always been a community that seeks healing — our own, and that of others. It has grieved us to learn that some in our community experienced great harm here rather than healing, and we are committed to learning, repairing, and cultivating change. The Pellucid assessment revealed several specific areas in which that work of growth is needed. Below is our working plan for responding to the recommendations of the Pellucid assessment — some steps taken, and some steps yet to go.

To all those who came forward, thank you for your courage and your endurance throughout this process. We are sorry for the additional pain caused by our delayed public response to the assessment. We believe you, we love you, we stand with you, and we pray for the fullness of God’s healing for you.