Duty-dodging Anglican bishop accused of ‘disgraceful and scandalous behaviour’

TWO South Australian Anglican bishops have brought formal charges of disgraceful and scandalous behaviour against a third.

Charges, according to this report, include Bishop Ross Davies’ alleged protection and promotion of a senior priest accused of sexual abuse. Other charges include repeated displays of anger, involving threatening and abusive language.

In a nine-count charge lodged with the church’s Special Tribunal, Davies, of The Murray diocese in Murray Bridge, is alleged to have taken a year’s sick leave without ever providing evidence of ill-health and dodged his pastoral duties.

Bishop Ross Davies

The claims, brought by Adelaide archbishop Jeff Driver and Willochra bishop Garry Weatherill, say Bishop Davies – described as “a bantam fighting cock of a bishop” – lives outside his diocese and worships at a Catholic church in Adelaide while still being paid; that he has publicly claimed the Anglican Church of Australia is not a true Christian church, and that he took part in consecrating a dissident bishop against church rules.

In his diocese he licensed as Anglican clergy two bishops of the dissident Traditional Anglican Communion, which split from the Anglican church after it ordained women in 1992.

Bishop Davies said he would defend the charges.

I don’t think I’ve done anything that deserves me to be ejected from office.

According to the Anglican Directory, the tiny diocese, which covers the south-east region of South Australia, has 26 parishes – of which 10 are vacant – and lists more than 50 clergy, including six bishops. Few of them are active in the diocese.

The nine charges, with more than 100 particulars, include allegations of bullying, and verbal and emotional abuse. They claim Bishop Davies protected former Archdeacon Peter Coote, whom three women accused of improper advances, and ignored recommendations by a church disciplinary committee.

A disaffected group called Voice of the Laity has set up a website to air grievances. Its founder, Lee Lyons, says the bishop’s own diocesan council passed a vote of no-confidence in him, after which a deputation went to Archbishop Driver.

Voice of the Laity says:

Many people within the diocese have come to believe that over the last five years the leadership of the Diocese of the Murray has acted in ways that are consistently abusive and dishonest. Despite population growth in large parts of the diocese, there has been a twenty percent overall decline in church attendance. Attendances at Christmas and Easter have declined by nearly sixty percent. Half of our parishes are no longer able to support full-time priestly ministry.

Committed Christians who have been part of our Anglican family have ceased to worship. Many of those who remain will not invite their friends or family to join them for worship even on special occasions like Christmas. The Anglican Church in the Diocese of The Murray is no longer a safe, welcoming or healing place.

Bishop Davies said he would not comment on the allegations, but said he was still active as bishop and would remain so.

According to this background piece, The Murray represents:

The far end of Anglo-Catholicism, a once-powerful branch of Anglicanism that hopes ultimately to be reunited with the Roman Catholic Church from which they split in the 16th century. Most conservative Anglo-Catholics feel disenfranchised by the 1992 ordination of women priests in Australia – lacking the numbers, they have certainly been less conciliated than their counterparts in England – and many feel adrift in the modern church.