Interim rector Fr. John Keefer said the special meeting had been called to establish a new vestry, but he understood there were two opinions as to the validity of the meeting, one held by senior warden David Rawson and the other held by Bishop Rodney Michel.

He said that commonwealth laws for non-profit corporations in the state of Pennsylvania allow for such a meeting, therefore a special meeting to establish a new vestry was in order.

George Anderson, Accounting Warden said the rules of order allow for the removal of the current vestry and the election of a new vestry.

Barbara Clement, Secretary of the meeting and currently a member of the Vestry, said that any confusion or serious concerns about the legality of this meeting could be addressed later if the meeting was appropriately challenged. Anderson said anyone who wanted to speak could have one minute at the microphone.

Senior Warden Rawson immediately took to the microphone and asked what authority allows the people to take over the vestry? He said the vestry and 20 members of the parish may call special meetings. "There is no reason to call this meeting. The vestry has accommodated [to this] as a town meeting to address parish concerns. There is nothing in the bylaws to vote people in or out...Is this meeting validly called?"

Anderson said Rawson's objections were noted and called on him to sit down following several minutes at the microphone. Rawson refused.

Anderson to Rawson: "Sit down."

Rawson: "I have a right to speak."

Anderson: "We are not arguing the law."

Rawson: "This is an illegal meeting. This is an illegal vestry. Their credentials are tainted already. The election of vestrymen and lawfully elected delegates can be done only at an annual parish meeting."

A church member called for a vote to silence Rawson for going over one minute.

Rawson: "This is a kangaroo meeting."

Parishioner: "Sit down."

Rawson: "This is not a legal meeting."

Fr. John Keefer (interrupting): "You (Rawson) refused to give people the documents announcing this meeting. You are out of order. You have transgressed the bylaws by not telling the people."

Dr. Stevens Heckscher: "Please sit down, David."

At this point, a plain-clothes police officer asked Rawson to leave the microphone. Rawson refused yet again. The officer said he was calling for back up. Minutes later, a uniformed officer arrived. Rawson was escorted to the elevator with his wife Therese silently joining him. They were then escorted off the premises.

Both Rawson and Tim Tammany, an attorney and former secretary of the vestry who was removed by Judge Stanley Ott from the vestry, were apparently warned before the meeting began that the police would be called if there were interruptions.

A complaint was filed against him with the police in advance of the meeting, Rawson told VOL. "I have the Lower Merion police file number, and intend to follow up with appropriate civil and criminal action against those responsible for this."

Rawson then waved inside the elevator after loudly saying to everyone, "May the Lord have mercy on you." A number of people replied back, "and may He have mercy upon you." Said one observer, it was more like the final wave of Richard Nixon.

George Anderson then took to the microphone. A motion to resign the current vestry was put to the floor. This was unanimously passed. A motion to nominate a new slate was accepted and a new Vestry was elected.

Just before his departure, Rawson handed VOL a FAREWELL TO GOOD SHEPHERD speech he had written clearly in anticipation of his departure. Rawson described himself as a canon lawyer and said he had spent 27 years as a generous contributor, deanery and diocesan delegate and vestryman. He added, "The institutional memory of Good Shepherd will be obliterated upon my departure."

Rawson took a swipe at Bishop Charles Bennison's "broken promises to Good Shepherd"; he also took several swipes at John H. Lewis, Jr., Moyer's former attorney, the loss of the church's endowment, and four legal cases "spawned from parish tribulations". He also took a swipe at Clement for "introducing Fr. Moyer to Jim Crowley, a prominent Roman Catholic layman who worked to get Fr. Moyer known in Vatican circles, convincing him that only the Vatican could preserve theological orthodoxy, so rapidly collapsing in the Episcopal Church."

In his closing remarks, Anderson said that it had been a difficult time for all of them. "This is not a time to be spiteful, but to be thankful that for over 100 years the Church of the Good Shepherd has stood for the orthodox faith in the Anglo Catholic tradition. We will go to diocesan meetings and be outvoted and be told to sit down by the bishop but we are Anglo-Catholics and we will continue to promote and uphold the faith once for all delivered to the saints even if we are the last ember in the fireplace."

Rawson and five other persons face a lawsuit from attorney Lewis for "defamation" following the retraction of a lawsuit brought by Moyer, Rawson, Tammany and others accusing the attorney of "malpractice."

END