It was a bitter blow to the revisionist bishop when a coalition of clergy and lay delegates to the diocese sent a clear message that Bennison's leadership had failed, trust had been lost, Diocesan finances were a mess, Camp Wapiti, viewed by many as a financial albatross around the diocese' neck, unrestrained spending yielding few results, and mounting legal fees over unresolved litigation.

The delegates rejected a $4.8 million diocesan budget program and forced the issue of funding daily operations back into the lap of diocesan council. They also rejected diocesan use of unrestricted net assets (UNA) in the budget.

In a telling move about how finances are handled in the diocese, the delegates approved a resolution calling for the election by Convention of Finance and Property members. Up till this time the Finance and Property Committee had been appointed by the bishop, and he appointed those who were committed to helping him get whatever he wanted. By making it an elected board with the Standing Committee in control it would therefore make it more accountable. This strips Bennison of his power over how money will now be spent.

The issue of mandatory assessments which would have seen larger orthodox parishes footing the bills for ailing liberal parishes was soundly defeated, with the Rev. Gregory Brewer, Evangelical rector of the Church of the Good Samaritan, Paoli, summing up the mood by saying the resolution had no roots in Scripture, and asking parishes to swallow "a coercive tax" despite "rampant distrust of diocesan spending habits" was "a pastoral disaster."

The irony here is that a number of liberal rectors also lined up with orthodox rectors to defeat mandatory giving, which could rebound financially on marginal parishes that depend on diocesan handouts to stay open. Many now face the possibility of closure. Some 40 parishes have less than 40 members.

David Hammons, a parishioner of Gloria Dei in Philadelphia told The Pennsylvania Episcopalian newspaper that the assessment would hinder his parish's ability to do its own work and that giving should remain a choice not a mandate.

Bill Powell, a member of the Standing Committee said he found the budget unrealistic and ripped the bishop saying, "the large cash balances are gone. On the income side, we are counting on increased parish pledge giving but we've only collected 54 percent of parish pledges. How realistic is that?" he asked. "What holds this budget together is the amount from the unrestricted net assets." And a source told VirtueOnline that Bennison and the Diocese have had legal bills of about $250,000 for the lawsuit by Fr. David Moyer and Bennison's attempt to take over Fr. David Ousley's parish of St. James the Less.

In his speech Bennison responded saying that if delegates could not support the Program Budget proposed by Diocesan Council that depended on a draw down of $1.2 million in unrestricted assets it would be "the dumbest thing our diocese has ever done."

Bennison then whined, "If you feel I'm not leading you effectively, tell me, and if I feel it is God's will, I'll resign."

Bennison said there was one thing he would not tolerate and that was cutting the diocese's pledge of 21% to the national church pledge, "because for us as a diocese to live to ourselves is to die to ourselves, just as a congregation that cuts its pledge to the diocese to advance its own mission does to itself. I'm just here to embrace and serve."

While Bennison was defeated over money, there was clearly a subtext message on his ability to run the diocese and his leadership skills. At convention, Bennison tried putting his best spin on things saying, "in terms of the level of engagement, it was a rich time and the "best Convention" he had presided over in his episcopate?" Say what?

The man's leadership skills and budget calls had been roundly rejected and he calls it the "best convention" ever!

But even as he was called on the carpet at his own convention, Bennison seems bent on self-destruction. At a time when the national church and his diocese are being torn apart over the consecration of V. Gene Robinson, the homosexual Bishop of New Hampshire, "Chuckles" Bennison, as he is fondly known, has invited The Sodomite One to the cathedral on December 17 at 10:00 AM for ordinations to the priesthood!

Among the ordinands is a homosexual Deacon Mark Kozielec from the Diocese of New Hampshire who is currently serving at St. Andrew's, Yardley, PA. In an Advent II sermon he delivered at St. John's Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, Kozielec said, "There are wedding plans for Chuck and me and plans for a trip to England."

This sacrilegious ceremony will take place in the same Cathedral where Bennison was defeated over issues of MONEY. Will the same "orthodox" priests who voted no, show up at the Cathedral to protest and "vote no" on matters of FAITH?

The Christmas Carol of the Clergy of the Diocese of Pennsylvania could read like this:

"We better not pout; we better not shout.
Vickie Gene is coming to town.
We know if he is good or bad;
but don't ask us to be even sad.
We gave Charles a big fat smash when he tried to take our cash, but don't ask us to be rash."

Earlier in the year Bennison invited John Shelby Spong the heretical former bishop of Newark to speak at the cathedral. And this is "visionary" leadership?

The catalogue of Bennison's heretical utterances is legendary:

Bennison is on record as saying to members of The Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli that, "we wrote the Bible, we can rewrite the bible."

Bennison also wrote in the April, 2003 Easter letter in the Pennsylvania Episcopalians that, "He (Jesus) acknowledges his own sin. He knows himself to be forgiven."

In his January, 2004 letter in the Pennsylvania Episcopalian Bennison wrote, "Moses smashed the tablets brought down from Mount Sinai to free the Word of God to be herd not seen."

In a conversation between the rector, vestry and congregation of St. Luke's Church, a Forward in Faith parish in Newtown, PA Bennison admitted that the Diocese of Pennsylvania is over churched in terms of buildings since many parishes were built before modern transportation. He indicated that 40 parishes have less than 40 members.

Asked if Jesus was the only way to salvation? Bennison said this: Yes. For us Jesus is the only way to salvation because He shows us God's love. Christianity is a unique religion. Through the Incarnation God is one for us. But is Christ God's final act? We can't say that because we cannot see the future. We don't know what God will do next to redeem us. The Bible tells us that the Kingdom of God has not yet come. (Comment by parishioner. Perhaps the bishop has forgotten Luke 11:20).

Bennison: "The Scriptures are internally contradictory on the surface. Their interpretation varies according to the needs of the hearer."

Asked by a parishioner at St. Luke's the question by one of Jesus' disciples as to "who do you say that I am?" and if Jesus was not sure who he was whether he was the Messiah or not - that he had to turn to those around him to discover his identity, Bennison replied, "Yes, that's the new thinking..."

Asked by another parishioner if Jesus is not the only way to salvation then why are we here? Why should the church exist and you have a job? Why should I believe the Bible and trust Christ for my salvation, Bennison replied: "Hallelujah. Thanks for sharing your story. We all have different stories. All are valid."

Later, Fr. Larry A. Snyder, rector of the 700-member traditionalist congregation near Philadelphia, said that during a meeting in the bishop's office, in April, Bennison said that Jesus was not the only Messiah, nor the unique means of salvation for the world; and that each of us becomes a Messiah.

"Your teachings are in conflict with the biblical message, and therefore do not carry the power of the Gospel, nor present the faith and worship of the Book of Common Prayer as expressing traditional Anglican theology with its appeal to Scripture, the Creeds and the Councils of the undivided Church. Although you have been elected to an apostolic office, your teachings do not bear the authority of apostolic witness," wrote the vestry to Bennison.

The rector, wardens and vestry prepared a 14-page indictment of Bishop Bennison that included failed reconciliation talks, broken promises over the Parson's agreement for alternative episcopal oversight and more, which they sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, as well as to Frank Griswold, ECUSA's Presiding Bishop, Irish Archbishop Robin Eames of The Lambeth/Eames Commission, Archbishops Peter Akinola, (Nigeria); Drexel Gomez, (Nassau); Gregory Venables, (Southern Cone); and US Bishop Robert Duncan (Pittsburgh).

Clearly the only response left now for the Diocesan Standing Committee is to take up Bennison's offer and ask him to resign.

The Rev. Bill Wood, rector of St. Christopher's in Gladwyne, PA and head of the Standing Committee should send a letter to Bishop Clayton Matthews, Frank Griswold's consigliore for bad boy bishops and press for Bennison's resignation. It has happened many times before and it will happen again. The sighs of relief would be visibly heard on all theological sides of the diocesan divide.

END