The Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests [SNAP] is well-known for its efforts to call public attention to the terrible cover-up of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church.
Last year, SNAP turned their attention to John Bennison, [brother of Episcopal Bishop Charles Bennison of Pennsylvania], who had apparently engaged in a three-year affair with a 14-year-old girl back in the 1970s while serving as a parish youth director in the parish where brother Charles served as rector. The story was well-covered in newpapers and blogland and SNAP appeared prominently in those stories as it worked to encourage the resignation of John Bennison as rector of St. John’s.
The October 29 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer, for instance, had this to say:
“Joey Piscitelli, cochair of the San Francisco-area chapter of the Survivors’ Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), last week said he believed Charles Bennison’s failure to report his brother was inexcusable.
“His brother was committing a crime, and he was covering for his brother, and that’s a crime. To say there was no need to report it is baloney,” said Piscitelli, who earlier this year led SNAP’s effort to remove John Bennison from St. John’s parish in Clayton, Calif., where he had been rector since 1982.
David Clohessy, national director of SNAP, said last week he thought “there should be consequences” for Charles Bennison.
He “at least has the moral obligation to publicly come clean,” Clohessy said, “to disclose fully his complicity, to reach out to his brother’s victims, and directly apologize and make amends to them and lead by example.”
A letter from SNAP to the clergy of the Diocese of California detailed the twists and turns of the 20 year saga, which appears to have included cover-ups by two bishops of Los Angeles and one bishop of California.
“A full church investigation took place in 1993 in the Diocese of Los Angeles. Bishop Swing participated in the investigation. Despite admission of criminal and unethical behavior, as proven by the Episcopal Church investigation, Bennison has remained in ministry and is currently working with children and families at St. John’s Parish in Clayton. He has never been reported to law enforcement. Rather, Bennison has been protected both by Bishop Swing and by ineffective Episcopal Canon Law that allows diocesan Bishops sole decision authority - autonomous ecclesiastical authority - in matters pertaining to clergy abuse.
Kendall Harmon covered the story too.
What does this depressing story in California have to do with the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota?
It seems that SNAP is involved with another story about an ex-Episcopal priest and the retreat center, “Episcopal House of Prayer,” in the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota.
The Episcopal House of Prayer offers such helpful retreats as “Taking Jesus Seriously: Buddhist Meditation for Christians,” “Yoga: A Spiritual Practice,” and “Wisdom School Introduction”, this latter taught by Lynn Bauman. From the Retreat Center website is this helpful description of the course:
“Fifty years ago a very ancient and precious document from the beginning of Christianity came to light—the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. It was found in Egypt, and only surfaced onto the contemporary scene after much difficulty and intrigue. Clearly, this woman student of Jesus played an important role not only in his life, but also in the early formation of Christianity. Ultimately she and her Gospel were rejected and disappeared from view – only to surface 2000 years later.
Legends, such as those now told in the popular DaVinci Code, are widely available today. Though a mixture of fact and fiction, they point to a deeper reality that this Gospel uncovers and makes available now, after lying hidden from view for thousands of years. Are we ready for what it reveals?
Perhaps we are! In this seminar we will explore the legends, the Gospel, and the principles of the Divine Feminine all of which intrigue our modern imagination. Critical to each of us is the wisdom they bring to our own lives, and to the collective life of modern humanity. Come prepared for an adventure of Spirit. Cost: $310”
On Tuesday this week, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune revealed that Dr. Bauman is a registered sex offender:
“A group representing clergy sex-abuse victims criticized an Episcopal retreat center in Collegeville, Minn., on Tuesday for inviting a registered sex offender—the brother of the center’s director—to lead a retreat this weekend.
Lynn Bauman, 64, admitted to molesting an 8-year-old boy on a camping trip in 1996 and was sentenced to 10 years’ probation, according to the Texas Department of Corrections. He said Tuesday night that he admitted to wrongdoing and has not reoffended, and that it is “not germane” to his work now.”
Today, St. Paul Pioneer Press also picked up the story:
Organizers “are in denial. They should warn people. They have a responsibility to protect children; they owe society that,” said Bob Schwiderski of the Minnesota chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
But church officials and the Episcopal House of Prayers board president asked for understanding and forgiveness Wednesday.
“Clearly an incident occurred. And he has been judged and punished,” said Helen Hansen, of St. Paul, a longtime retreat center board member and its president. “He has taken the proper steps. We are not dealing with a repeat offender. … He has something important — insight and wisdom — to share.”
Of course, Abuse Tracker, a blog by retired religion reporter Kathy Shaw has noted the story.
The original story about the abuse, from an October 1999 issue of the Anglican Journal offered these details:
“Dr. Lynn Bauman, 57, pleaded guilty in Texas to indecency with a child by contact and inducing a sexual performance by a child. He was sentenced in August to 10 years probation, fined $1,500 and ordered to perform 240 hours of community service.”
Bishop Stanton, Diocese of Dallas, appears to have done the right thing:
“The charges relate to an incident at a north Texas retreat run by Dr. Bauman. Bishop James Stanton of the Diocese of Dallas said Dr. Bauman voluntarily resigned after the allegations came to light in April 1997.
“He said, ‘I want to save the diocese some grief,’ and he resigned,” Bishop Stanton said. The bishop sent a notice of renunciation (stating that Dr. Bauman was no longer licensed as a priest) to all U.S. Episcopal dioceses in May 1997. The church also notified civil authorities about the allegation, as required by law.”
But honestly, the quotes by Canadian Anglican leaders in this 1999 story reveal much about how far Anglicans had sunk in North America even 8 years ago:
According to the story, the dean of the Diocese of Calgary Robert Pynn said that Dr. Bauman “should not be “tarred in a sexual context” and “I’m not going to convict him in my heart and I hope that other people do not, either”.
The article goes on to say:
“I think people make mistakes and there are consequences, but I do not think we should tar him in a sexual context,” the dean said. He suggested media coverage of the incident did not reflect its true context. . . . Dr. Bauman had informed Calgary Archbishop Barry Curtis of the allegations, Dean Pynn confirmed. The dean, who has spoken with Dr. Bauman, expressed concern that society presumes total guilt before all the facts are revealed.
“The court system and trials are very expensive and unless you have the resources, it can be very difficult to defend yourself,” Dean Pynn said.
Dr. Bauman was advised to plea-bargain, which meant he could not defend himself, the dean said. “While he confessed to the charges I’m convinced that he is not guilty in the true moral sense of the word.”
I am not the only one that felt the statement by the Dean was unfortunate.
Letters to the editor of the Anglican Journal in November of 1999 also expressed dismay.
Dr. Cathy Campbell of Vancouver had this to say:
“. . . I was deeply distressed by the presumptuous judgment of Dean Robert Pynn: “While he confessed to the charges, I’m convinced that he is not guilty in the true moral sense of the word,” and by its inclusion in our national church newspaper (Theologian Convicted of Sex Offences in U.S., October Journal.)
A plea bargain not only silenced Lynn, but it also silenced the child. On what basis was innocence judged? The dean’s statement is a direct contradiction of Dr. Gilmartin’s closing remark on page 10 of the same edition of the Journal: “the church’s first obligation must be to the victim; the second must be to help the church; and the third must be to assist the cleric.”
M. Murray Hayes of Ontario commented:
“Then I read Theologian Convicted of Sex Offences with its defence of someone found guilty by church and court. And I realize it will happen again, as long as there are people who will excuse and condone. The article is based upon the opinion of someone totally separated from the events. There is no in depth interview with the priest’s bishop, no connection with the victim. I am sure that those in charge of church run residences told themselves, “I’m convinced that he is not guilty in the true moral sense of the word.” And so the victimization continued and will continue.
And Judy Watkins of British Columbia wrote:
“I was disappointed at the quoted reaction of Dean Robert Pynn of Calgary to Dr Lynn Bauman’s conviction on two charges of indecency with a child. The dean feels that this should not overshadow Dr. Bauman’s “positive contributions to the diocese,” and he characterizes Dr. Bauman’s conviction as the consequence of a mistake.
To me, there is a vast difference between a “mistake” and the crime of sexual abuse to which Dr. Bauman pleaded guilty. In spite of this, Dean Pynn lauds Dr. Bauman as an “influential teacher,” sees the whole affair as “a great tragedy for him,” and insists that this man should not be “tarred in a sexual context.”
Nowhere did I get a sense of empathy for the victim. Does not the image of a teacher convicted of assaulting a child who has worked in the Calgary diocese set off any alarm bells for Dean Pynn? He had better pray that this is an isolated incident even though the odds are that it is not.”
A little more web surfing reveals that Dr. Bauman blogs here at “Clusterflock” and here at the blogspot of the Oriental Orthodox Order in the West which appears to be a religious organization that decries the “dogma” of the West and values the gnosticism, creation spirituality, diversity, and inclusive values of “the East”.
From the web site, we learn that those involved in the Oriental Orthodox Order in the West value these things:
Spiritual Recovery in the West
The following elements, therefore, are integral to the spiritual consciousness and practice of western Christianity if we are to make a full recovery in the West.
The Eternal Wisdom of Jesus. Jesus the Jewish sage was a powerful teacher of unitive wisdom. We must recover his teachings as the source not only of historical Christian doctrine, but as a living transmission of wisdom. Such wisdom, however, cannot be taken simply from the past, it must also come to us from the present—from a living relationship to Jesus as the Master of wisdom now. Only in this way can Christianity once again become a sapiential transmission bringing unitive vision into the present and the future.
Full Restoration of the “Other” Christianity. As we have seen, in the West, Christianity has conventionally been conceived as a belief system reflecting a traditional dogma heavily influenced by the Augustinian and Latin worldviews. Early Christian teaching, however, expressed something far more remarkable—a vision full of hope. It is time that we articulate anew the revelatory vision of the divine Presence working intimately at the heart of human history for the completion of humanity.
The Fullness of the Mystical Tradition. The wisdom of Jesus, known by mystical experience and taught within the inner tradition of Christianity, was often transmitted in alternative systems of thought and symbol that now go almost completely unrecognized. We are heirs to ancient Semitic and Hellenic understanding, to Hermeticism, and to the Pythagorean mysteries of the ancient world. We are also spiritual descendents of medieval theosophists, alchemists, and metaphysicians, as well as Kabbalists and Sufis, all of whom have contributed to the rich treasury of spiritual perceptions that comprise our world today. Our work, therefore, must be to locate essential Christianity within this wider context—a fullness once lost but now being recovered.
A Comprehensive Orthodoxy. Reflecting the early experience of Oriental Orthodoxy, Christianity today must become more inclusive. There is need that it not only be in conversation with its own age and culture, but with all the ages of humanity and the other sacred cultures and traditions with which it shares this planet. And because Christianity is one among the many expressions of perennial wisdom (sophia perennis) it must acknowledge and transmit this metaphysical foundation as an integral part of its understanding of orthodoxy.
And of course, there is so much more.
Dr. Bauman is the director of The Praxis Learning Center, which is connected with the Oriental Orthodox Order of the West. The Praxis web site offers these interesting books for sale:
A Handbook to Practical Wisdom: A Study Guide
A Short Course on Wisdom
Ancient Songs Sung Anew: The Psalms as Poetry
The Anglican Rosary
The Book of Prayers
Foundations of Christian Spirituality - The Biblical Tradition: Revised Edition with Study Guide
The Gospel of Thomas: Wisdom of the Twin
NEW!—In Trouble and In Wonder, Vol. I - a spiritual commentary on the wisdom tradition of the Gospel of Thomas
Living Presence: A Sufi Way of Mindfulness and the Essential Self
Living the Presence: A Manual for Contemplative Christian Practice
Finally, Dr. Bauman will be speaking at the gay activist organization DignityUSA Convention [the Roman Catholic equivalent to Integrity] in Austin this year; his topic will be on the “Gnostic Gospel of Thomas and Wisdom Christianity”. The keynote speaker at the DignityUSA Convention is Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong.
Let’s recap.
—The Episcopal Retreat Center seems to be largely interested in presenting workshops on eastern religion, with a thin and obscuring glaze of Christianity baked on
—It chooses as a key presenter a person who is heavily and intensely involved with gnostic spirituality and a presenter at a gay activist organization
—He is also a convicted sexual offender
I need to be clear. Those who are convicted of crimes—any crimes—are certainly allowed to support themselves and be contributing members of society. That is not the issue here, nor does it seem to be the issue of SNAP.
But the entire array of facts raises some interesting questions for Episcopalians in the Diocese of Minnesota.
1. Is anyone concerned about the non-Christian and rather unbalanced teaching that is going on at the retreat center?
2. Is it significant that Ward Bauman, the director of the retreat center, is Lynn Bauman’s brother, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press?
3. What should the diocese of Minnesota do, if anything, about assuring the moral character of spiritual leaders of the flock of Jesus Christ?
4. Is anyone—particularly laity—in the Diocese of Minnesota awake out there?
5. And . . . [this appears to be SNAP’s issue] should the diocese have been up-front, at the least, about the criminal activities of Dr. Bauman at a retreat in 1997 so that parents could be informed, rather than appear to be keeping retreat attenders and Episcopalians in the diocese in the dark?
As I have [cautiously] observed the activities of SNAP over the past years, I know one thing. If SNAP gets a religious organization “in its sights”, suspecting it of a pattern of coverups, transfers, lies, and deceit, it will track that organization down and hound it to the grave.
It will never stop.
I don’t know what SNAP is thinking about the past two “experiences” its had with leaders in our denomination.
Their issue with the retreat center and the diocese of Minnesota seems to be best described in this quote from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
“SNAP believes retreat participants “should not be kept in the dark” if a facilitator is a sex offender.
“We want to be fair to the institutions involved, and this might be an excellent program, but let’s call a spade a spade,” he said. “Sex offenders are registered for a reason. People should not be kept in the dark about who they’re dealing with.”
As I ponder the last three rather eye-opening years for me and other traditional Episcopalians, I think I know exactly what SNAP means when it talks about people being “kept in the dark.”
Traditional Episcopalians are quite familiar with that sensation about a broad array of other matters.
62 Comments •
“Clusterflock” is clearly a takeoff on the slang term “Clusterf*ck.” It’s used to describe a chaotic situation, but is also well-known for its obvious group-sex meaning as well.
By their fruits ye shall know them, I guess.