"First, the Board has heard the findings of an independent report and the advice of the Board's Chancellor, and has concluded after extensive discussion that there are not sufficient grounds for terminating the Very Reverend Kurt Dunkle as President and Dean. We reaffirm our call to him as President and Dean and offer him our continuing support.

"Second, all eight Faculty members are invited to request provisional reinstatement as professors of the seminary. Our goal in the immediate term will be to promote an atmosphere of reconciliation so that the Seminary can turn the page and move forward with a full focus on the student body.

"The Executive Committee stands ready to meet next week to hear requests of any of the eight former faculty members for reinstatement and to negotiate the terms of their provisional employment for the remainder of the academic year."

"Lastly, the Board commits itself to repairing the significant damage this issue has inflicted upon our Seminary, and calls upon all members of the GTS community -- the Board, the Dean, students, Faculty, staff, and alumni -- to foster greater accountability, repentance, reconciliation, and healing.

"For nearly 200 years, the General Theological Seminary has shaped current and future leaders of our Church. In an ever more challenging and volatile world, our Christian faith is an invaluable beacon that we all must strive to protect. We thank our Executive Committee, our Church leadership, our Faculty, and most of all our students for their continued faith during this challenging time. We commit ourselves to meditate upon these scriptures: Matthew 18:15-20, 2 Corinthians 5:16-20, and Ephesians 2:13-14.

*****

VOL: So what happened to former Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold's being brought in to find reconciliation between all parties! Did Rumi the Sufi fail him again! Could a third way not be found? Why was Herr Dunkle kept on and eight faculty dismissed! Now that the faculty are a union what will stop lawsuits that will inevitably follow from tenured professors. The revisionist rats are turning on their own. How predictable.

*****

Bishop Breidenthal blasts firings of eight faculty at General Theological Seminary
Diocese of Southern Ohio Bishop was former Ethics Professor at GTS

From his FACEBOOK page

The board of The General Theological Seminary has decided not to reinstate the eight faculty members who lodged complaints against the dean, but to invite them "to request provisional reinstatement as professors of the seminary." The board's official statement goes on to say: "The Executive Committee stands ready to meet next week to hear requests of any of the eight former faculty members for reinstatement and to negotiate the terms of their provisional employment for the remainder of the academic year." I feel compelled, not only as a former member of the GTS faculty, but also as a bishop, to register my dismay and indignation regarding this decision.

First of all, as is plain for all to see, the board has been dishonest in its claim that the eight faculty members resigned their positions when they went on strike. In fact, they were summarily fired. Second, the board has placed the eight in the humiliating position of begging for their jobs back -- and at that, only provisionally, for "the remainder of the academic year." This is nothing less than shaming behavior, unworthy of a seminary board. Worst of all, the board has failed to model the humility and fellowship to which we are called in Jesus Christ.

It should be obvious why I am outraged as a former faculty member; any faculty member at any institution of higher learning should be outraged by this board's action. Why am I outraged as a bishop? Because this action will go a long way toward confirming the unchurched in their assumption that institutional religion cannot be trusted. I continue to pray that the board will reverse its decision and reinstate the eight. Then real conversation can begin.

*****

NEW YORK: Episcopal Bishop weighs in on GTS Debacle

I write to you following the resolutions of the Board of Trustees of General Seminary on Friday regarding the continuing conflict involving the seminary dean and the majority of the faculty. I believe that you have a right to know my thoughts and convictions on this matter.

Throughout this process, I have been single-minded in my conviction that there was no imaginable way to reconcile or resolve this matter without first giving unconditional reinstatement to the eight striking
faculty members. It also became clear to me that by the decision to terminate the faculty, the board had so inflamed the situation that the board itself had become a participant in the conflict, and in ways
that were impeding the hope of a just and fair resolution of the crisis. Early on, I advocated for just such an across-the-board reinstatement in appeals directly to the executive committee of the board, and then to the full board itself. By no means was I alone in making that case. I was one of a number of voices across the board which have continually called for a path toward reconciliation and for the reinstatement of the faculty, and by the time we came to this last week, the momentum for reinstatement appeared to me to be so strong that at the beginning of the day on Friday, I was confident to the point of certainty that that was exactly what the board would approve.

But in the end, it was a significantly more qualified resolution, one to create a path toward provisional reinstatement, that carried the day. Some members of the board rose to speak against it, and to
advocate instead for a simple, unconditional reinstatement, and I was one of them. In the end, however, the more qualified resolution carried by a wide majority, so much so that when it was asked that the
vote be declared unanimous, those who opposed the resolution allowed that to carry. I regret that now, for by doing so we obscured the dynamic of debate and persuasion within the board itself, and hid from
view the genuinely wide diversity of thought and conviction across the board.

This is a conflict among faithful Christian people. In the short time I have been on the board of trustees of GTS, I have been greatly impressed by the dedication which every member of the board brings to
the seminary; I also have no personal insight into the allegations against the seminary dean, and have responded positively to the passion which he has brought to this work. At the same time, our
diocese has seven seminarians at General this year, four of whom just matriculated three weeks ago, and all of whom have my full affection and loyalty-and we have a clericus in New York filled with alumni of
GTS, whom I know to be among the finest priests of the church. But I also have well-established pastoral relationships with most of the faculty, those who continue to teach and those on strike, and I have
continued to offer my pastoral help to the striking faculty throughout these last weeks. Some of them are priests of this diocese. All of them have relationships with the churches of this diocese. I love
them, and it is my privilege to be their bishop and pastor.

On Friday evening I had several emotional meetings with some of the eight faculty members, and hoped with them that even in discouragement we may yet see this as a beginning. It is certainly not the end. On
this weekend I have begun conversation with other members of the board, and it is my hope that we may yet find a way to work within the structure provided by this resolution to continue to press forward
toward that which we still believe must be done, and that is to reinstate the eight faculty in full, and to do that this week.

Only then, and when that has happened, will it be possible for the board, the dean, the faculty and the students to address the underlying issues of the seminary life and leadership, some of them quite long-term, which precipitated this crisis.

The last section of the resolutions passed on Friday calls for repentance for all involved in this situation. I take that very much to heart. Everyone has made mistakes, and every mistake has been compounded. My own failures or missed opportunities lie very heavy on my heart this weekend. And I am sorry.

Please remember the students at General, and especially our seven. Early on I brought them together with me for lunch and conversation. I have invited them to do the same later this week. One has already
asked my help to transfer from GTS. Of course I will be at her service. But among all of the reasons to say our prayers this week and in the days to come, may these seven seminarians, and their
self-offering before God, be chief among them.

May God bless you and keep you, and cast every grace upon General Theological Seminary.

The Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche
Bishop of New York

*****

NEW JERSEY: Bishop Stokes calls for full reinstatement of eight GTS faculty

A statement on the crisis at The General Theological Seminary by Bishop Stokes of New Jersey and a Board Member:
October 20, 2014

Dear People of the Diocese of New Jersey:

...all have sinned, all fall short of the glory of God... (Romans 3:23)

As many of you are aware, there has been a major crisis at The General Theological Seminary in New York on whose Board of Trustees I serve. This situation has been sinful, grievous and ugly in every way, harming the body of Christ within and beyond the walls of the seminary. In a very considered letter dated yesterday, October 19, 2014, and addressed to his diocese, my colleague in Christ, and fellow member of the Board of Trustees, The Right Reverend Andrew Dietsche, Bishop of New York, called for the "full reinstatement" of the eight members of the seminary faculty who had walked out on September 26.

In his letter, Bishop Dietsche rightly characterized the dynamic conversation and rigorous debate that took place during the course of the regular meeting of the Board this past Friday, October 17. This conversation and debate resulted in three resolutions which did not, and could not, represent the fullness of the conversation or capture the clear concerns about a variety of questions that were evident in the room when they were passed. Despite the unanimity of the votes, we were not all of one mind.

While I have been, and am, committed to reconciliation and reinstatement of the eight faculty members, I have, with some reluctance, supported the decisions of the Board, including the resolutions passed on Friday, even as I had concerns and reservations about them.

My support of a resolution that called for the eight faculty to be "provisionally" reinstated, as the resolution was worded, was based on my conviction that they ought to be returned to their positions, but also my deep concern that they have not, as far as I am aware, rescinded the ultimatums contained in their letters of September 17 and September 24 which were publicly issued, nor have they acknowledged their share and culpability in this matter which have played a major contributing role in this crisis. I continue to have this concern.

Similarly, the Board, its Executive Committee and the Dean have not acknowledged clearly the major and contributing responsibility and culpability we each share in this matter. There is, in short, a genuine need for public confession and repentance from all the major parties: Board and its Executive Committee, Dean, and Faculty.

Having stated this, I am grateful for Bishop Dietsche's courage and leadership and for his attempt to create a clearer path toward reconciliation. I am willing to support his call for the faculty to be immediately and fully reinstated with the understanding that there continues to be a need for public confession, healing and reconciliation from all parties.

In addition to supporting his call for the reinstatement of the eight faculty members, I call for the Executive Committee of the Board to take immediate steps to contract with a mediator outside of the Episcopal Church, skilled in Christian healing to begin a process of dialogue, confession, reconciliation and healing for the entire General Theological Seminary community as quickly as this can be arranged. I commit myself to participating in such a process in humility, charity and love.

The Diocese of New Jersey has five students currently enrolled at General. These students, and all the students at General, have been pawns caught up in terrible circumstances over which they have had little or no control. Their lives and vocations have been profoundly affected. I offer my deepest apologies to them for my role in this and commit myself to supporting them in their own healing and in whatever ways are necessary as they proceed through their processes of formation for ordination. I pray the wider church will do the same for seminarians from other dioceses.

I also offer my apologies and sorrow to my fellow alumni/ae of General who have been grievously hurt by the wounds inflicted on our alma mater as well as the body of Christ these past few weeks and for my own part in inflicting these wounds. The General Theological Seminary holds a dear place in my heart and that of my family. I have the highest regard for its dean, faculty and staff. I was taught by a couple of those who have been embroiled in this crisis and continue to treasure them and the role they have played in my life and ministry. This has been a sad affair and we have hurt one another. I apologize to them for the hurt I have helped to cause. The fragility of the seminary at this point in its history is widely known. This current crisis has further damaged us. It will require great efforts on all of our parts to recover from this injury. I commit myself to this work.

It is my hope and prayer that all of us who are involved in this crisis will cease the vicious attacks and vilification that have marked these weeks, abandon entrenched positions, separate ourselves from legalistic posturing and protection, acknowledge our wrongs and, by God's grace, open ourselves to the deep love and healing light of our Savior Jesus Christ who has power to restore us to wholeness and make all things new. The words of our seminary hymn have been my prayer these past few weeks:

Let works of darkness disappear
before thy conqu'ring light;
let hatred and tormenting fear
pass with the passing night.

Amen, let it be so. Please know that I keep you, the clergy and laity of the Diocese of New Jersey, and all who are members of The General Theological Seminary Community in my heart and in my prayers.

Faithfully yours in Christ,

The Right Reverend William H. Stokes, D.D. (honoris causa)
Bishop of New Jersey

*****

GTS Alums write to Board of Trustees say Seminary's Future in Peril

From the Executive Committee of The General Theological Seminary Alumni/ae Association:

October 14, 2014

Dear Bishop Sisk and members of the Board of Trustees:

The seminary is in crisis and its ongoing existence is in peril. We are dismayed that our letter of October 2, 2014 has not as yet received any formal response. The Alumni /ae Executive Committee is the official body through which the alumni/ae of GTS voice their concerns to you as the Board and we want to express our concerns in the strongest way possible and ask for specific and immediate answers.

The events of the last several weeks have poisoned the good earth pledged to this seminary by Clement Clarke Moore. Acrimony, mistrust, injustice and the breakdown of relationships have grown at GTS. What good fruit of the Spirit can be born from this? We again call upon you and the faculty both to cede your ground and enter into constructive dialog to rebuild a relationship of trust for the good of the seminary and its educational mission.

As our last communication stated, we are not looking for a return to a nostalgic past, but are passionate and hopeful for the future growth of our seminary. We are the ones who through our own witness, experience, and example will continue to bring new students to be formed for ministry. We are not your adversaries. We seek to be your partners in bringing about a healthy resolution to the current conflict for all concerned.

• Once again, we call upon the Faculty and The BOT to engage in honest, constructive, generous, and respectful dialog with a skilled facilitator for the expressed purpose of reconciliation and without legal counsel present.

• Current arrangements to have visiting/adjunct professors for the seminary's core curriculum are merely a stopgap measure and only increase the prospects of the seminary's ultimate demise. Current measures disrespect the dignity of Professors, many of whom have given years of their lives in service to General. You must not underestimate the strong message being sent by the greater academic community and the wider church in which well over 900 scholars and religious leaders have signed a petition in solidarity with the faculty.

• To that end, we believe it is an act of injustice that health insurance for these faculty and their families has been terminated so abruptly. What a disappointing witness to the world when an institution representing the church acts in such a callous way.

• We, along with people throughout the church, are baffled as to why the allegations made against the Dean and President are not being investigated appropriately under the official provisions of Title IV of the Canons of The Episcopal Church. If such an investigation is underway it needs to be clearly communicated.

• There needs to be justice and fairness in the investigation of the Dean and President's conduct. Yet, regardless of the outcome, matters have escalated to the point where confidence in his leadership is in question. The future of the seminary and the restoration of the Church's confidence in the seminary's mission of education and formation must be a primary concern of the BOT.

•The crisis in leadership also falls on the Chairman of the Board, and the BOT as to leadership style and communication. We call upon you to undertake some rigorous and honest self-examination of that leadership.

• This crisis has brought to light a lack of communication between the BOT and alumni/ae. We call upon you to establish a formal channel of communication between the Board and the AEC. To that end, the AEC asks for a meeting with Executive Committee of the BOT for the purpose of communication and mutual support during the Alumni/ae Gathering in November.

While we remain hopeful that our Risen Lord, the Good Shepherd of the sheep, will lead us into the future, he calls upon us his flock actively to engage in the redemptive work of reconciliation. We are convinced of your good will and your desire to move forward into that future with us.

The Very Rev. Daniel Ade, '92
The Rev. Hannah E. Atkins '96
The Rev. Annette M. Chappell, '03, Secretary
The Rev. Patricia Steinecke Downing, '95, Vice-President
The Very Rev. Mark Goodman, '91
Ms. Rachele Grieco, '07
The Rev. Roxane Gwyn, '10
The Rev. Canon Jadon D. Hartsuff, '12
The Rev. Gregory B. Larkin, '82,
The Rev. Brandt Leonard Montgomery, '12
The Rev. Mark B. Pendleton, '91
The Rev. Marguerite Henninger Steadman, '97
The Rev. Brian Sullivan, '97
The Rev. Sam Tallman, '12
The Rev. Dr. R. Scott White, '96, President
The Rev. Susan L. Wrathall, '06

END