The Anglican Church has rewarded a tainted senior clergyman at the centre of a sexual scandal and financial embezzlement with a plush job.
The rector, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been moved from the Parish of St Boniface in Vosloorus, and deployed to a Joburg branch known to Sunday World.
His move to the more resourced parish was engineered by the diocesan bishop of the highveld, the Right Reverend Charles May.
May himself was also accused by the congregation of St Boniface of turning a blind eye on the plight of the victim who alleged to have been sexually harassed by the rector.
The congregation also blamed May for failing to act on the allegations that the rector had embezzled church funds.
The allegations are based on claims that over a period of time, the rector had, without authorisation, used bank cards to siphon off church funds.
But more troubling is that the appointment comes at a time when claims of a sexual cover up are levelled against the church for failing to take drastic action against a priest who is allegedly facing a gender-based violence investigation, which to date has not been instigated.
Sunday World earlier extensively reported on the shenanigans of the rector, when the congregants also lambasted the man of the cloth for launching into intermittent emotional outbursts during church services.
On August 3, 2023, May wrote a letter to church wardens and parishioners and Dean Basil Matthews, stating that he was moving the tainted rector to another branch where he will be a senior church leader from September 1.
“I am writing to inform you that, after the discussion between Father (name withheld), church wardens of the said Father (name withheld) has been appointed rector of effective 1 September 2023.
“I need to say that I had planned to move (name withheld) in June 2022 before the allegations were made.
“Then we received the allegations, (name withheld), requested that he should not be moved until this (sic) allegations were investigated and for him to account.
“I therefore want to make it clear that this move has nothing to do with the people who wanted him removed from the parish,” reads the letter.
However, Sunday World understands that the removal of the rector from Vosloorus church the branch created animosity at the congregation where he is to be stationed, as many parishioners there have already voiced their concerns that they could not be led by a tainted reverend who has a black cloud hanging over his head.
“It is shocking that Bishop May is bringing a person of questionable cha acter to our church. Basically, this man is being dumped on us here so that he can try to redeem himself at our own expense.
This is complete nonsense,” said an agitated senior church member of the branch.
Another church member said: “This guy will be transferred to this parish without having any conclusion on the matter of allegations raised against him.
“He is being protected, and what is worse is that he is coming to a well-resourced church.
“However, here he should know that we are not going to allow him to behave like God, as we are not charlatans.”
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