Tens of thousands of dollars have been collected in the last two years, none of it forwarded to the Dominican Republic.

In 2003, a motion was put through Diocesan Convention (following the Gene Robinson consecration) diverting funds to the DR. Lipscomb signed and approved the decision.

"That money made the people in the pews satisfied, because Lipscomb was making sure that a percentage of the funds were not going to the national church." (Lipscomb later resigned from The Episcopal Church and crossed the Tiber to Rome where he has recently been ordained a priest.)

When he became the new diocesan bishop, Dabney T. Smith said he would continue the practice. However, in 2007, delegates to the October Diocesan Convention said no. Delegates at the time did not want to saddle Smith with the old rules and voted against the agreement. The action set off alarm bells to all fourteen parishes and their rectors according to Spangler.

Another Anglo-Catholic layman went to see Smith. The bishop promised that he would deal with the issue "pastorally." When pledge cards came around, promises were made that monies would be set-aside for DR. In 2008 a motion to divert funds was again defeated. However, funds already agreed upon were never sent to the DR, said Spangler.

"I had a feeling that no monies had been sent and I called our diocesan Chief Financial Officer Ann Vickers. She said no diversion or deductions for green cards had been made and all four quarters of monies for 2008 was paid to TEC. She later said that the first three quarters of 2009 was also paid to TEC in full, offering that those funds held by owners of green cards was a 'miniscule amount' representing $30,000. Promises were made that in the fourth quarter the matter would be rectified." It never happened.

"I made a lot of noise and I was assured that the bishop would appear to address it pastorally at the January 2010 Diocesan Council. He didn't show up," said Spangler.

A member on Diocesan Council told VOL through a source that the bishop did not want the news leaked out as only two parishes, Church of the Redeemer and Christ Church, Bradenton, were aware of the issue.

"What has he been doing with our money for the last eight quarters?" asked Spangler.

A woman priest in the diocese told VOL that she tried to get a motion with the conscience clause on the diversion of money for the Dominican Republic into a convention when Lipscomb was bishop, but failed because they would not let it get on the floor arguing that it was not submitted on time. That was not true, she said.

Douglas Spangler, a lay parish leader who has served on Diocesan Council and was a Deputy to General Convention, told VOL that he and others had stepped out and tried to do an investigation.

"It is a question of integrity and honesty. There has been a deception. The ecclesiastical authority (Bishop Dabney Smith) told us that he would maintain the policy and allow persons who want to give money from parishes to not go to the Episcopal Church but have the proportion of their funds diverted into a designated fund to benefit sister diocese of DR. As rectors have been told that Diocesan Convention could no longer approve this he would make "pastoral consideration." For the last two years this has not been done. We have not been told how much money should have been withheld."

Ann Vickers, Chief Financial Officer for the diocese, has not returned calls.

END