Episcopal priest charged with stealing $300K fights removal from priesthood
An Episcopal priest who has been accused of stealing around $300,000 from a Texas church is appealing a ruling that removes him from the priesthood.
Edward Monk, who was charged last year with allegedly stealing from St. John's Episcopal Church of Corsicana, has appealed his removal from ministry. A Court of Review is slated to hear arguments on Wednesday.
An earlier diocesan hearing panel found Monk guilty of "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy" over six financial infractions, reported Episcopal News Service.
According to church court documents, Monk's appeal argues that the hearing was a "sham" and that he was not given sufficient opportunity to defend himself from the allegations.
"This long train of abuses culminated in the sham hearing of May 27 from which the [hearing panel's] order issued," stated the appeal document, as quoted by ENS.
"The hearing panel insisted on conducting the hearing in a manner that both deprived respondent of his right to effective counsel at the hearing and placed his canonical and constitutional rights in the criminal proceeding in grave jeopardy."
In July 2024, Monk, who had served as rector of St. John's since 2003, became the subject of a police investigation after parishioners reported suspicious financial activity.
Corsicana Police Chief Robert Johnson released a statement last December stating that his department worked with both local authorities and the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas on the matter.
"The Corsicana police contacted the Navarro County District Attorney who promptly requested assistance from the Texas attorney general financial crimes division," stated Johnson.
"The Corsicana police and District Attorney have been cooperating with the Episcopal Diocese, which has charged Monk with fraud and mismanagement of church funds. Bank records indicate a pattern of misappropriation of church funds spanning more than a decade."
Monk was arrested last December and charged with stealing more than $300,000, fraudulently using an elderly individual's identity and credit card abuse of an elderly person. He was released on bail.
The diocese put Monk on administrative leave in August 2024, and he was later charged with six counts of mismanagement of the local church's funds and fraud.
In late May, a diocesan hearing panel concluded that Monk violated Episcopal Church disciplinary canons by allegedly defrauding his congregation and financial misconduct.
