Sexual Misconduct Leads to Resignation of Vice President of House of Deputies
Episcopal News Service. October 15, 1992 [92208]
Bishop David B. Joslin of the Diocese of Central New York announced on October 5 the resignation from the ordained ministry of the Rev. Wallace A. Frey, a rector in the diocese who was elected vice president of the House of Deputies at the 1991 General Convention in Phoenix.
In a letter to members of St. David's in DeWitt, which Frey has served for 28 years, the bishop said that the action "was taken after it came to light that he has broken his ordination vows by being involved with sexual misconduct over a lengthy period of time with some male young adults and a teenager under his pastoral care."
"I think the key issue is the violation of ordination vows and the breaking of pastoral trust," Joslin told reporters in Syracuse. "The critical thing was that we took action immediately." The diocesan standing committee officially "deposed" Frey following his resignation. At this point there are no formal charges pending in the case.
In his letter to the parish, Joslin called attention to Frey's "extraordinary gifts" and his ministry at the local, diocesan and national levels of the church. "One of the spiritual challenges before us now is to help our minds and hearts learn how to acknowledge the present news in the context of his greatness," the bishop added.
A deputy to the General Convention since 1970, Frey chaired the House of Deputies Committee on Ministry in Phoenix. He has chaired the Board for Theological Education and served as a member of the Executive Council, as vice-chair of the Standing Commission on World Mission and as trustee of the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning and Mrs. Pamela P. Chinnis, president of the House of Deputies, issued a statement expressing their distress. "Sexual abuse and the betrayal of pastoral trust cannot be tolerated within the clergy or among the lay leaders of the church," they said. Browning and Chinnis added that they "fully support" efforts by the diocese and the national church to "assist with the healing process for individual victims, for the congregation in which Mr. Frey served, and for him and his family." Frey, 55, is married and has two grown children.
Chinnis said that it would be "an even deeper tragedy if this situation diverted our attention from the dialogue on sexuality at the local level mandated by General Convention." She said that "the church must press ahead with the process so that we can report to the 1994 General Convention in Indianapolis."
Chinnis said that she did not expect that the news about Frey's resignation would have any significant impact on the process in the long run. "I know many of us were shaken by this news, but I don't believe it diminishes our need to confront all the complex issues surrounding sexuality." She said that she was confident that the church could "keep the larger picture in view" as it moved ahead with the dialogue.
Pastoral care teams have been available to parishioners, and Bishop Joslin preached and counseled at St. David's on Sunday, October 11. Both in his sermon and in his response to questions during the coffee hour, Joslin emphasized the resurrection theme. "The church is in the resurrection business," Joslin said, adding that the diocese will support Frey as he seeks to discover the meaning of resurrection for his own life. Prior to his resignation, Frey was sent to a residential diagnostic and treatment center.
Recognizing that the congregation is still in shock, Joslin said that everyone involved must "learn to cope with the paradox... the difficulty of putting together good and evil." Joslin said that it was important to "acknowledge the paradox and offer it up to God."
There are no canonical provisions for replacing a vice president of the House of Deputies. A successor to Frey will be elected at the 1994 General Convention in Indianapolis.
Anita Monsees, communications officer for the Diocese of Central New York, contributed to this article.