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Vote keeps rector out of the pulpit
By SHARON TUBBS, Times Staff Writer TAMPA -- After sifting through 100 pages of affidavits and conducting a two-hour hearing Monday, a committee "prayerfully" rejected the Rev. Kevin Donlon's request to return to the pulpit. Donlon, rector at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, has not served in ministry since Bishop John B. Lipscomb placed him on a 90-day leave of absence last month. The leave, formally called a "temporary inhibition," came after eight church members accused Donlon of "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy." The nature of the charges has not been made public. Only those involved in the case and members of the church's governing body, the vestry, have seen the 26-page complaint. Church leaders have said that the charges don't involve children or misappropriated money. Donlon filed the appeal two weeks ago. The diocesan review committee, a group of nine elected priests and lay leaders from throughout the Diocese of Southwest Florida, heard his side at headquarters in Ellenton on Monday. Both Lipscomb and Donlon attended with lawyers by their sides. Charles Nalls, Donlon's lawyer, presented lengthy affidavits from Donlon supporters. The committee privately discussed the case, then issued a brief statement: "Having prayerfully considered the matter, the committee has declined to modify or suspend the temporary inhibition of Rev. Kevin Donlon." "Obviously, we're disappointed," said Nalls, a Washington lawyer who specializes in religious canon. Nalls said his client faced a "high threshold." To overturn the bishop, at least two-thirds of the committee, or six members, had to vote in favor of Donlon. The vote was not made public. Some Donlon supporters have waged a campaign called ROAR (Restore Our Aggrieved Rector) and have raised $13,000 for Donlon's legal fund. Others stopped financial contributions to the Tampa church in protest. The diocese will not name the complainants and none has stepped forward publicly. But the vestry has asked senior warden Matt Valaes to step down, saying he is one of them. Valaes has refused, attending one meeting with a lawyer. The other complainants are prominent St. Mary's couples who include former vestry leaders and a former parish attorney. The review committee will further investigate charges against Donlon. The case could take the rare step of going to an ecclesiastical court. In the meantime, Nalls said, "We plan to vigorously pursue our defense."
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