Pastor remains on clergy roster
© Pretty Good Lutherans
A year ago, members of Zion Lutheran Church in Hummelstown, Pa., woke up to the news that their pastor had been arrested.
The Rev. Alan Curtis Wenrich was charged with “patronizing prostitutes” and for solicitation of prostitutes, according to the police report.
ELCA Pastor Alan Wenrich
“He admitted his guilt to me,” Bishop B. Penrose Hoover recently told Pretty Good Lutherans. Hoover leads the ELCA’s Lower Susquehanna Synod in Pennsylvania.
Soon after his arrest, Wenrich, who is married, resigned his post at the Hummelstown church. Yet he remains on the ELCA clergy roster. His status is listed as “on leave.”
When asked why Wenrich is still a pastor, Hoover said: ”Because his misconduct did not rise to the level of sexual misconduct as we define it. It was solicitation, not the act of sex.”
Pretty Good Lutherans then asked: “So a woman has to allow a pastor to have sex with her before the ELCA considers his behavior sexual misconduct?”
The bishop responded: “I think this conversation needs to end.” Then he hung up the phone.
(CONTINUED)
Wenrich, 63, was unavailable for comment.
The victim was not a member of the church nor a prostitute, according to the district attorney and the bishop. She was a client at the private counseling practice that Wenrich ran out of his home.
Weinrich holds a doctorate in one of the counseling fields. His license to practice professional counseling was suspended last February by the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, and Professional Counselors.
“The board finds the prosecuting attorney has alleged facts in the petition which, if taken as true, establish at each and every count that the respondent [Wenrich] presents an immediate and clear danger to public health and safety,” the suspension order said.
The suspension petition cited the criminal complaint against Weinrich, who was accused of soliciting “sexual activity in exchange for money from a female client he was treating in his capacity as a licensed professional counselor.”
Instead of being prosecuted, the district attorney allowed Wenrich to enter a state rehabilitation program known as ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Program).
“It’s a program generally used for first-time offenders rather than going through a trial leading to a conviction,” said James Koval, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania courts. “It usually lasts for a year.”
Francis Dharto of the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office said Wenrich was only allowed to participate “because his victim is a very forgiving woman.”
Pastor Thomas McKee, an assistant to Bishop Hoover, said Wenrich is working toward having his counseling licensed restored.
Bishop Hoover told Pretty Good Lutherans that once Wenrich has “undergone all the proper steps, he could perform some pastoral duties under the supervision of another pastor.”
Experts on sexual abuse almost universally decried that approach during the height of the American Catholic sexual abuse crisis in 2002.
Rose Knepp, 58, a member of Zion Lutheran, said she was “appalled” by the bishop’s comments.
“I am dumbfounded that this pastor is still on the clergy roster,” she said. “We can forgive him, but that doesn’t mean putting him back in a spiritual leadership role. My God, I could never look to him as a spiritual authority again. I’m unhappy with how the synod handled the whole thing.”
George Riddle, a retiree who was Zion’s council president at the time of Wenrich’s arrest, had nothing but praise for the bishop.
“The bishop was phenemonal in getting the congregation through this,” he said. “As far as Pastor Wenrich, I leave the disciplinary matter up to the bishop.”
The victim’s name has never been made public. Police reports indicate that the case isn’t a matter of “he said versus she said.”
Reports indicated that she contacted police after Wenrich’s initial solicitation. Police then asked her to wear a hidden microphone and tape the conversation the next time she met Wenrich. At that meeting, Wenrich gave the woman money to have sex with him at a motel, police said.
At that point, Wenrich was arrested.
As a counselor, Wenrich must follow the ethics and laws of the Pennsylvania board that controls his license, which serves as a watchdog for vulnerable clients. As an ELCA pastor, he must meet the denomination’s standards of expectations for ministers.
“In the ELCA, the bishop has a great deal of authority and discretion,” said Pastor Lynne Silva-Breen, an ELCA pastor who is also a licensed marriage and family therapist in Minnesota.
“Bishops are to be pastors to the pastors,” she said. “That’s why their first reaction is often to protect the pastor. It can be a self-protective system.”
How cases are handled vary from bishop to bishop and synod to synod, she said.
“On the other hand, at times pastors feel that bishops act to protect congregations without seriously considering them.”
DOCUMENT LINKS
(Click on the link. It will take you to another page. Click on the link again and the document will be uploaded.)
Suspension of Wenrich’s counseling license
_______________________________________________
copyright © Pretty Good Lutherans / By Susan Hogan
Thank you for visiting Pretty Good Lutherans. Come again!
Tags: ARD, arrest, Bishop B. Penrose Hoover, counseling, Dauphin, Hummelstown, Knepp, koval, McKee, pastor, Pennsylvania, prostitutes, Riddle, Silva-Breen, social workers, Susquehanna, Wenrich, Zion
January 31st, 2010 at 8:57 am
Well as long as he’s not gay, I guess it’s okay.
January 31st, 2010 at 9:21 am
Sarcasm noted.
January 31st, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Wenrich’s license to practice professional counseling has been suspended, he is participating in a rehabilitation program, and he must meet the denomination’s standards of expectations for ministers. Perhaps standards for Lutheran pastors and bishops are higher than those of some priests and bishops within the Catholic faith.
January 31st, 2010 at 5:30 pm
There are certainly legal considerations for the Bishop’s office, but still …. Being on the rostered leadership of the church is a privilege. We do ourselves no favors if we act less decisively than the secular world.
January 31st, 2010 at 5:33 pm
I am less concerned about the prostitution angle (though, that ought to be enough to end his availability as a pastor for several years.)
Rather, I am more concerned that he was caught trying to mess with a client in therapy – even if money wasn’t involved. Happily, my state has strong laws that include an assumption of power differential in these situations. If a therapist is willing to abuse the trust relationship with a patient, I would assume that he would (and probably already has) abuse the trust relationship with parishioners.
At the very least, some strong advertising should be going on at current and previous congregations trying to seek out additional victims.
Peace,
Randy S.
January 31st, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Norma,
I don’t understand your comment. Catholic priests were also required to meet the standards of their profession. The point was that they did not do so. In some cases, bishops decided to have another priest “supervise” the wayward priest. The problem is, of course, is that sex-related crimes are crimes of opportunity and usually happen in private. The wayward priest would always know when his supervising priest would be leading mass, be away on vacation, be out on a pastoral call, etc. And then there was the matter of priests being reluctant to report one another. That latter factor isn’t unique to Catholic priests.
January 31st, 2010 at 6:36 pm
This just points out the inconsistent mess that is the ELCA Visions and Expectations for ordained ministers. This pastor might well have been removed from the roster (which is usually five years) had he been in a different synod or had a different bishop.
As a heterosexual pastor who is married, I think it is hypocrisy that the same standards are not applied uniformly. In my view, the only place for a sexual relationship to occur is between one man and one woman in marriage. If ELCA pastors are single, they should be chaste, gay or straight. And if they have an affair, or solicit a prostitute, or engage in any other unseemly behavior, they automatically should be removed from the roster for five years, at which time they can be reviewed for possible reinstatement.
Anything less is a double standard, and while I don’t agree with the recent changes in the ELCA, I can see where gay people think there is a double standard.
January 31st, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Jeff: So being removed from a roster isn’t permanent?
January 31st, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Susan,
A pastor who is removed for discipline from the ELCA clergy roster is usually removed for 5 years. After that, s/he can request to be reinstated. It’s not a simple process, and involves more people than just one bishop making that decision, sometimes involving people who have a stake one way or the other.
Some pastors, once removed, resign. The same petition for reinstatement can be made at some point in the future, and that process can be just as long.
I don’t know if there is such a thing as permanent removal in our denomination. Someone more familiar with our rostering process would need to supply that info. (A call to the Secretary’s office might get it quickly.)
February 1st, 2010 at 7:00 am
Remember that “Vision and Expectations” is not a juridical document. It is a fleshing out of the meaning of the vows one makes at ordination/consecration/commissioning. The Constitution and Bylaws of the ELCA prescribe process for Discipline.
Yes, there is variance among bishops in how they apply the rules, but the rules are the same across the church.
Reinstatement applications do not even have to be entertained by synods (someone who wants reinstatement must apply at the synod they last served under call) –that is, a synod can see someone’s name and say, “Nope.” And that person should pretty soon get the message that there is no open door for them to come back in.
That said, I am especially appreciative of Randy’s comment. The dynamics of sexual misconduct n this case involve abuse of power and authority. This is a set of behaviors that, it seems to me, rarely change.
This is an appalling story. Thanks for reporting, Susan.
February 1st, 2010 at 1:18 pm
“Definitions and Guidelines for Discipline” is the juridical document. I haven’t read it recently, but I post it here FYI.
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Office-of-the-Secretary/Synod-Administration/Disciplinary-Process/Definitions-and-Guidelines-for-Discipline.aspx
Also, here’s a link to the Disciplinary Process:
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Office-of-the-Secretary/Synod-Administration/Disciplinary-Process.aspx
February 1st, 2010 at 2:30 pm
This is odd that he would be arrested for “patronizing prostitutes”. The woman involved was his patient and perhaps his parishioner. I don’t think she would liked to be referred to in that way. A charge of “patronizing patients/parishioners” is more like it.
February 1st, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Linda,
Thank you for your comment. The charge has to do with how criminal codes are worded.
Susan
February 1st, 2010 at 8:44 pm
What are we doing to positively encourage healthy, holy behaviors for the leaders on the roster? Once we get to the decision of “kick out” or “keep on” the roster we’ve already seen a lot of hurt and damage. Prevention, prevention, prevention! How are we doing that?
February 1st, 2010 at 9:27 pm
“Because his misconduct did not rise to the level of sexual misconduct as we define it.
So how “low” is your level of sexual misconduct? Thank god this victim had the courage to go to police. It is well known that adults can be victims of clergy abuse also……. there is a blinding acceptance that ministers, whether they be catholic or other religions, are holy and god like, and treated with way too much authority.
“Bishops are to be pastors to the pastors,” she said. “That’s why their first reaction is often to protect the pastor. It can be a self-protective system.”
… an absolute abuse of POWER…
February 1st, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Yes, Judy, thanks to the victim for going to the police. I’m doubtful that anything would have happened had she simply gone to the church.
February 1st, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Actually, this appears to be an instance where an ELCA Bishop appears to be willing to provide spiritual care for one of his pastors, rather than abandoning that responsibility by getting the errant pastor resign from the roster as quickly as possible. This is “protecting” neither the pastor not the Synod, but a rare (in the ELCA) instance of respecting and accepting the Bishop’s constitutional role as the Synod’s (and thus its pastors’ and lay rostered leaders’) pastor.
As for the permanency of being removed from the roster, five years after being removed, one is able to request restoration to the roster by applying to the Candidacy Committee of the Synod that removed him. Such applications have been very rare, and restoration is even rarer.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:04 am
The pastor can be offered spiritual care, even if he’s not on the roster.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:46 pm
It’s a horrific case, for sure. My first instinct is to want to know more. My second instinct is to be glad I don’t.
Away from the details of the case, it does point to some ambiguity we Lutherans have regarding ordination. I tried explaining the roster and ordination to an Episcopalian priest once. He said, “so being ordained doesn’t really mean anything. Being on the roster is what’s important.” On one hand we have a tradition that to be ordained is simply the one priest (from among all the priesthood of believers) who is for the sake of good order the one who presides over word & sacrament. On the other hand, ordination is a state from which even the most egregious of sinners cannot be removed, ergo, a roster.
Ah…Lutheranism in North America.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:50 pm
I agree with Susan. He could have been offered spiritual care, grace, and concern while off the roster. The ELCA has a process for this where they send pastors and spouses to a center in MN for sexual addiction and rehab.
If we are going to have rules for Visions and Expectations, abide by them. I mean the pastor no ill will as a fellow pastor, but he is ill and needs assistance. He should not be on the roster.
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I think I may have become a fan of your blog… Thanks.
February 4th, 2010 at 11:03 am
I thought we had a pretty firm line. You cross the pastor/parishoner or counselor/patient boundary you are out as a professional. Yes, we need to insure the safety of being entrusted into the care of professionals!
February 4th, 2010 at 11:08 am
We’ve been led to believe that was the policy, but there are numerous examples where that isn’t the case. All the education and ground that was gained in making people aware of sexual boundary issues is being eroded.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
The ethics of the counseling professions are higher and more firm than that of the parish ministry precisely because licenses are granted by the state and governed by a public board. Clergy get away with sexual misconduct because Bishops feel pressure to protect one of their own. This has been repeated endlessly in all the sex abuse scandals of the American Roman Catholic church, and in the ELCA as well.
Pastors who demand “pastoral care” for clergy who break the law misapply our understanding of the Law and Gospel, and need to re-read their Confessions. The pastoral care that ought to be given is to the victim, and the clergy should be disciplined.
Until every Bishop in the ELCA gets this and acts to protect clergy victims, there will continue to be more victims.
February 5th, 2010 at 9:08 am
Thank you for following this story and brining our Bishop’s response to our attention. As colleagues and professionals, we need to know, to act and to hold one another accountable.
February 8th, 2010 at 11:08 am
I have since learned that charges were never filed in the church. According to the ELCA Constitution, formal, written charges are required for the kind of adjudication we expect. Chapter 20 of the Constitution outlines who may file these charges and then the response to those charges. Thanks again for bringing this to my attention.
February 8th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Pastor Liz,
The problem with that approach is that it puts the burden on the victim. Second, the victim is not a member of the congregation and, therefore, would not be inclined to study the rules of the ELCA Constitution.
To think that a pastor who engaged in criminal sexual conduct can remain on a roster because of that kind of technicality is said. Who brings up charges? You? The bishop?