In Midst of Transition, Diocese of Massachusetts Struggles with Bishop's Suicide
Episcopal News Service. January 19, 1995 [95002]
In the midst of a period of transition and a complete reorganization of its staff, the Diocese of Massachusetts has been deeply shaken by the apparent suicide of Bishop David E. Johnson.
Bishop Coadjutor M. Thomas Shaw said in a statement that Johnson "died by his own hand on Saturday, January 14." When he failed to keep several appointments over the weekend, police and maintenance workers entered the apartment in suburban Boston where Johnson was staying temporarily before moving to a home he and his wife recently bought near his children in Kansas.
Johnson, who had served as bishop of the church's largest diocese since 1986, had planned to begin a sabbatical at the end of January leading to his official retirement in June.
"This devastating time is filled with pain, anger and questioning for all of us who knew, worked with, loved and were loved by Bishop Johnson," Shaw said in his statement.
While colleagues struggled to find reasons for the suicide, some observed that Johnson had been battling depression in recent years. "He had a tremendous sense of aloneness and desperation and frustration," longtime friend Allan Schulte told the Boston Globe. "Although he was known as a man who could be very strong, he was a lamb under the surface. It was hard for him to be tough enough over the long haul."
"He was a very caring man -- and you pay a price for being that kind of person," said the Rev. Ed Rodman, canon missioner for the diocese. "He held a lot of that inside. Who is to know which one of those weights really got through."
Diocesan director of communications Jay Cormier asked the questions that seemed to be on the minds of everyone: "Were there signals we should have seen? Was there something we could have done? None of us knows. That's one of the reasons this has been so troubling for the diocese," he said.
Rodman suggested that periods of transition were emotionally taxing. "It's a vulnerable time for people. Anyone leaving a job has regrets. Nobody's happy when you're leaving unfinished work, but he seemed excited about moving on."
While struggling to process its grief, the diocese was also adjusting to an extensive reorganization and redirection. After his consecration in September, Shaw said that he was thinking "about the changes we need to make our ministries stronger and more effective. From the discussions with clergy and laity all over the diocese, I believe we need to take a more pastoral and less programmatic approach to diocesan ministry."
In announcing the elimination of 16 of the approximately 50 positions on the staff, Shaw said that he "would like the diocese to try a new model with a smaller staff, organized so as to provide pastoral support to clergy and congregations." New staff positions would combine skills in a "number of different areas so as to be able to respond to changing needs and opportunities in congregations." As part of the new design, Shaw said that a new senior staff of seven would report directly to him. He added that "severe budget constraints" contributed to his decision.
While there was some speculation that the changes might have been perceived by Johnson as a repudiation of his own administration, most of those who worked closely with him dismissed any connection. He and other church leaders were planning a national campaign to address the needs of children. "I can only assume that this was very personal," Rep. Byron Rushing said in interviews with the local press.
In pausing to mourn what Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning called "a terrible death and a tragic waste," Shaw called meetings of the diocesan clergy to deal with the pain. "Through our support and concern for one another, may we come to celebrate the many gifts of selflessness, compassion and Gospel joy that David brought to our church and our hearts," he said in his statement.
Johnson was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1933. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1955. After college he served as a United States Air Force pilot for three years before enrolling at Virginia Theological Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1962.
Johnson served parishes in Arkansas, Missouri and Florida. He was elected bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Massachusetts and consecrated October 5, 1985. He became an international figure when the Rev. Barbara Harris was elected suffragan bishop for the diocese in 1988, the first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion. Many observers credited Johnson with calm but firm leadership in dealing with the controversies that shook the church following the election and through the consent process.
In honor of his passionate commitment to children at risk in our society, contributions in Johnson's honor can be made to the Bishop David E. Johnson Fund for Children and Families, in care of the diocese.