We covered the news Thursday that Dean Phillip Linder was suspended from his ministry as Dean of the Cathedral in Columbia. The conflict is being covered this morning by one of the state’s major newspapers.
Bishop Waldo released a statement, part of which is included in the article, which explains the steps he has taken so far:
“‘What must firmly be said, however, is that your wardens and chancellor came to me with a call for a special vestry meeting, signed by themselves and 16 vestry members, to consider the dissolution of the pastoral relationship between the Cathedral and Philip Linder.’
Waldo said he ordered Linder, 50, not to speak to parishioners of the historic downtown congregation while the dispute was under mediation, an order Linder violated, Waldo said. The root causes of the conflict between the vestry and Linder have not been made public and remain unclear.
‘My goal in this case was to create a space for mediating a resolution that would benefit both Philip and the cathedral,’ Waldo said. ‘Philip’s breach of that pastoral directive by numerous contacts with parishioners and staff, with and through his wife, Ellen, has put the health and wholeness of the Cathedral community at great risk.’
Linder’s lawyer, Richard Briebart, a member of Trinity who is representing Linder for free, acknowledged that mediation is more difficult because the conflict has become public, but he disputed Waldo’s assertion that the dean violated a pastoral directive.”
Read the full article here.
The Vestry of the Cathedral has released this statement about the situation.