The property was purchased for $9.5 million. Delegates to the 2008/225th Diocesan Convention resolved to sell the multi-million dollar diocesan Camp Wapiti in Maryland. The camp has already cost the diocese $6.7 million with another $3 million needed to pay off the loan. "We need nearly $10 million," said the Diocesan Treasurer Kylius Jones. The cost to maintain it is approximately $300,000 a year. A new appraisal later said it is worth $10,800,000.

With more and more parishes closing and money being tight, delegates voted to sell the camp.

In February 2011, with slumping property values, the diocese received a cash offer of $6,636,007. "This offer reflects the current real estate market (which is not expected to climb in the foreseeable future) and would allow funds currently dedicated to maintaining the property (over $150,000/year) to be used for ministry in the Diocese. Expenditures will increase significantly by the end of the year when the $3 million loan from Wilmington Trust comes due," commented diocesan leaders.

The Diocese, the Finance & Property Committee analyzed the costs and benefits of this offer, carried out due diligence on the buyer, and voted unanimously to accept the offer. After discussing the offer with Bishop Bennison, the Standing Committee voted unanimously on March 20 to accept the offer with the Council voting overwhelmingly with 24 votes in favor, one vote against and one abstention. Bishop Bennison rejected the current offer to purchase the Wapiti property saying he does not intend to sell the property at all, not even for an offer well above the asking price. Despite the votes of Convention and the elected bodies governing the Diocese to the contrary, the Bishop still intends to run a camp at Wapiti funding it, at least in part, from the sale of closed church properties as well as from other Diocesan resources as yet to be indentified. To this end, he has removed the property from the market and cancelled the listing agreement with the real estate broker.

The three leaders; The Rev. Ledlie Laughlin, President, Standing Committee; The Rev. Kathy Andonian, Vice-chair, Diocesan Council and The Rev. Kirk Berlenbach, Chair, The Committee on Finance and Property, have said they share the Bishop's commitment to the youth of the Diocese. "We are also concerned with ensuring that the decisions made by the Diocesan Convention and the elected governing bodies of the Diocese are carried out.

"We find it unacceptable that Bishop Bennison would impede the health and mission of this church by imposing his own, sole opinion upon the Diocese. We cannot continue to fund the current costs maintaining Wapiti, even now as it lies fallow, let alone invest the additional millions of dollars it would take to re-open and run a camp at Wapiti without abandoning other significant mission activities taking place in our Diocese," they wrote.

"Consequently, after consultation with the Committee on Constitution and Canons, we have determined that the best course of action is to work with them to prepare an amendment to the Canons that will grant authority to the above-named committees to follow the direction of Diocesan Convention and sell the Wapiti property without consent of the Bishop. The amendment will be situation-specific and will become null and void upon the retirement of Bishop Bennison. The amendment will be available for review, discussion and discernment by the whole of the Diocese during the upcoming months leading to the Diocesan Convention in November."

The proposed canon by Convention would allow the people of the Diocese to fully consider and discuss all perspectives in regard to the Wapiti property.

"We believe that it is of vital interest to the health, well-being, and mission of this Church that the laity and clergy elected to the councils of the church be assured that their voices are heard and that your will as expressed through Convention is carried out. To do otherwise runs contrary to the democratic nature of our polity."

Despite repeated calls for returning Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison to resign, the disgraced bishop has steadfastly refused to heed calls for him to step down.

In December 2010, eight members of the Standing Committee drove to New York City to meet with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, her chancellor David Booth Beers, and Bishop Clayton Matthews, officer for Pastoral Development.

According to a memo VOL received, the meeting was arranged at their request "to offer support and leadership for the diocese" and to find a way to get rid of Bennison.

They noted that at the recent Diocesan Convention, 73% of delegates called for Bennison to resign saying that his continued presence stands in the way of attending to the important word of proclaiming the love of God in Christ Jesus and carrying forth the mission of the Church."

The Bishop of Bethlehem, Paul Marshall has called on Bennison to resign. Bennison has steadfastly refused to go.

Following his successful appeal of the sentence of deposition and return to the diocese, Bennison promised he would maintain a low profile and act in "humility". Within six weeks of his return to office, the PA Standing Committee accused the bishop of power grabbing.

In an open letter from the Standing Committee to the Diocese of Pennsylvania, they accused the bishop of violating his promises to listen (a favorite shibboleth of liberals) and attempting to revive the situations having to do with Camp Wapiti and the Cathedral Commons project. They accused the bishop of possibly purchasing another building (the Karp property) in relation to the Cathedral Commons project while three governing bodies (Standing Committee, Finance and Property, and the Church Foundation Board) have committed to the sale of the one they own now - 3717-19 Chestnut Street.

"Why would you encourage such a thing at this time in the life of the diocese? Are you chasing a dream, a vision, of your own?"

They also accused Bennison of using funds from the income of the Nunn's Fund, approximately $70,000.00, to publish the book on the history of the diocese when there was only $500,000 left in the diocesan bank accounts.

The Standing Committee and all the leadership of the diocese have stated they are not there to affirm their own personal vision, but to help guide and support the diocese in determining a shared vision.

They also said the actions of Bennison would cause a large number of parishes to hold back funding to the diocese, both assessments and pledges. "We are afraid that this will add to the potential "revolution" in the diocese."

END