Tory Baucum's Cloudy Past

 

It was reported recently in the Anglican press, and re-posted on the Albany Via Media Facebook page, that the Archbishop of Canterbury has appointed the Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum to the position of preacher at Canterbury Cathedral.  Dr. Baucum, formerly an Episcopal priest, is now the rector of Truro Church in Fairfax, Virginia, an ACNA parish.  He is remembered in the Diocese of Albany as a candidate for bishop in 2006 at the convention that ultimately elected our current bishop, William Love.

Mark Harris, in his blog Preludium, writes (posting of Jan. 21) that Dr. Baucum may have been licensed to officiate in the Diocese of Albany, but proof of that is "now nicely lost in the internet cloud of unknowing."

What is known is that "Baucum was licensed in the Diocese of Lexington. In 2005 there was something of a mess having to do with removal of license in Lexington and his being 'taken in' to the diocese of Albany." The next thing anyone knew, Dr. Baucum had transferred to the Diocese of London, England.

In a 2005 statement regarding these developments, Bishop Stacy Sauls, formerly bishop of the Diocese of Lexington and now Chief Operating Officer of The Episcopal Church, stated that the transfer to London was done without his consultation or consent.  Bishop Sauls went on to say that he would not re-license Baucum "unless he transfers back to an American jurisdiction that will cooperate with me in keeping Tory accountable to our church."

Bishop Sauls acknowledged that Baucum "has offered to transfer to the Diocese of Albany, which I have told him would require further conversation between the Bishop of Albany, Tory, and me."  But Sauls was reluctant to accept that offer because "it has been reported to me that the Bishop of Albany has apparently been unwilling to cooperate in stopping priests of his diocese from functioning in other dioceses contrary to our canons."  The Bishop of Albany at that time was Daniel Herzog.  Sauls continued, "I do not know if these reports are accurate, but I know that licensing a priest from his diocese would require me to inquire further about that situation."  Clearly, Bishop Sauls was more than a little suspicious of the Diocese of Albany.

Mark Harris, writing in his blog, concludes that "Baucum's standing in Albany was/is unclear. The matter of his canonical residence and place where he was licensed is unclear. He was a candidate for bishop in Albany in 2006.  In 2007 he became rector of  Truro Church.  At that point he is clearly no longer a priest in The Episcopal Church."

Was the Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum still a priest of The Episcopal Church when he stood for bishop of our diocese in 2006?  Was he then licensed to officiate in our diocese?  If anyone knows for sure, the question can be answered by a reply to this post.  At present it appears that Dr. Baucum got in trouble in Lexington, fled to London, hoped to reinvent himself in Albany, but eventually left the Episcopal Church altogether for ACNA.

And now, without a hint of irony, the Archbishop of Canterbury announces the appointment of Baucum to Canterbury Cathedral with the hope that he "will help promote 'reconciliation and unity'."

Comments

[John White]

Blogger Lionel Diemel writes: "Last week, Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh wrote to Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to complain about the appointment of the Rev. Dr. Tory Baucum as one of the Six Preachers of Canterbury Cathedral. PEP’s letter is an unusually frank missive from a group that lived through the schism engineered by deposed bishop Robert Duncan and his fellow conservative conspirators." See http://blog.deimel.org/2014/01/pep-writes-to-archbishop.html

[Richard Angelo]

Reconciliation and unity? Ha..I think not!