Texas Rector Charged with Fraud

Title IV documentation released by the Diocese of Dallas on November 11 charges him with violating six canons, including “failing to safeguard the property and funds of the Church and Community”; “any criminal act that reflects adversely on the Member of the Clergy’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a minister of the church”; and “conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.”

A September 20 complaint said that St. John’s junior warden came to the diocesan intake officer after Monk had written a large number of checks from the church’s ministry fund without proper documentation. The Rev. Tim Cherry, the diocesan investigator, interviewed Monk, and found his explanations for the checks unconvincing.

Cherry also uncovered other possible financial malfeasance. Monk, he said, opened “unauthorized or fraudulent bank accounts and routed money to other unknown bank accounts.”

Cherry also said Monk “took advantage of an elderly volunteer church treasurer to gain a credit card under the man’s SSN and the parish name,” and used the credit card for a “multi-year spending spree” on items like personal trips. This, Cherry said, caused “extreme harm to the treasurer’s personal credit record, resulting in debt collection.”

Cherry also alleges that Monk solicited “a five-figure gift from a parishioner to ‘fix’ the problem,” and used part of the funds to pay personal debts. He then “limited the function of the treasurer and stopped providing financial information to the treasurer.”

Monk’s response to Jolayne La Cour, president of the hearing panel, via email on November 4, is forceful. “With respect to the Hearing Panel Notice dated October 3, 2024, I deny all allegations brought against me in these proceedings.”

He added, “I reiterate all prior requests for access to my office and the potentially exculpatory evidence therein. The repeated denial of my access to information, including my personal files and the church records, and the decision of the Reference Panel to proceed even though my counsel could not attend, has in the past and continues to now prevent me from not only defending myself but specifically prohibited me from participating in these proceedings in a meaningful way.”

Monk did not reply to a request for comment by TLC.

Monk has been rector of St. John’s since April 2003, and served for a time on the diocese’s standing committee and as a board member for the Corsicana Independent School District. He was made an honorary canon of the Diocese of Quincy by the Rt. Rev. Keith Ackerman in 2003.

Monk is a 1999 graduate of Nashotah House, and his LinkedIn account indicates that he began serving as a trustee of Nashotah in the same year. He was treasurer of the alumni association from 2000 to 2016 and was elected chairman of the board in 2017.

In his August 13 resignation letter, Monk wrote: “It is now time for me to refocus my energy toward other work. It has been my privilege to serve Nashotah House in many capacities over the last 25 years.”

Dr. Lauren Whitnah, Dean of Nashotah House told TLC, “As leaders of Nashotah House, we are aware of the investigation involving the Rev. Canon Ed Monk in association with St. John’s Episcopal Church in Corsicana, Texas. Fr. Monk resigned from our board in August. Nashotah House is strongly committed to ensuring financial integrity in all operations. We are accountable to our students, donors, alumni, boards of directors and visitors, accreditors, and ministry partners.

“Nashotah House conducts an annual audit each fiscal year by a certified public accounting firm. Because the allegations against Fr. Monk are financial in nature, we are conducting an additional review of all accounts to confirm that our security and internal controls are sufficient to prevent or expose any potentially inappropriate action.”

A current working timeline for Monk’s case posted November 11 indicated that a scheduling conference for the Hearing Panel would be held January 17, 2025, and that the earliest possible date for it to convene would be February 3.

Texas Rector Charged with Fraud

By Neva Rae Fox
THE LIVING CHURCH
November 13, 2024

Ed Monk censes an altar during ceremonies at Nashotah House. | Nashotah House

The Rev. Canon Edward R. Monk, SSC, former chairman of the board of directors of Nashotah House Theological Seminary, has been charged with six Title IV counts of fraud and mismanagement of the financial accounts of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Corsicana, Texas, which he has served as rector for 21 years. A hearing panel (or trial) for the case is planned for February 2025.

Monk, who denies the allegations, resigned from his leadership position at the Anglo-Catholic seminary on August 13, eight days after he was placed on administrative leave from his position at St. John’s. Former Dallas bishop James Stanton is serving as the interim at St. John’s.