Charges Against Don Armstrong Revealed

The Executive Director of the Anglican Communion Institute, the Rev. Donald Armstrong, was inhibited by his bishop last December. An investigation of alleged financial irregularities at Grace and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs is ongoing.

Last Monday, Armstrong and the leadership of Grace and St. Stephens decided to leave TEC and jump to the Church of Nigeria.

Here is a quote from Armstrong:

...Armstrong said, "I can no longer be under this ungodly authority."

If Armstrong has such high standards regarding whose authority he will be under, it is rather amazing that he would choose to place himself under Abp. Peter Akinola, whose support for legislation that will ban civil rights for gays and lesbians and their supporters has become an embarrassment to the entire Anglican Communion.

Possibly Armstrong saw the need to make a jump quickly, as he got word that the results of the investigation would soon be made public. The Nigerian beachhead in North America, known as CANA, was probably the nearest port in this storm.

It appears he jumped just in time. Daily Episcopalian points us to some of the findings of the investigation contained in a letter from Bishop Robert O'Neill of Colorado, dated this last Tuesday. Upon review of the information, the Diocesan Review Committee, made up of members of the Diocesan Standing Committee, voted unanimously to issue a presentment against Donald Armstrong. There are a number of canonical charges made, all having to do with possible theft and/or tax fraud of amounts equaling about 1.2 million dollars.

Personally, I think it might be wise to let Abp. Akinola have him. If these charges are proven to be true, they deserve each other.

J.

UPDATE: Don Armstrong has responded to the charges against him.