Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston, has purchased a $3.6 million condo on Beacon Hill for their rector, the Rev. Sam Lloyd III.
This has raised a few eyebrows, coming just as concerns are increasing about the gap between rich and poor, and as other Episcopal churches are struggling to make ends meet.
(Also, coming as it does after the Episcopal Church came under some misguided, yet oddly specific, criticism after the 2012 General Convention, due to our purported ‘lavish bottles of wine‘.)
However, the treasurer of Trinity points out that the price of the new rectory is entirely paid for out of Trinity’s sizable $30 million endowment, and additionally, this expenditure takes no income away from the extensive charitable work the parish already does. It should be viewed as an investment for future generations of clergy, rather than an expense.
The Boston Globe has more here.
What do you think? Is this a case of unfortunate optics, or something else?