Embattled Bishop Heather Cook has resigned as Bishop Suffragan in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and has separately been deposed by Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori as part of a church disciplinary action. Both announcements came Friday afternoon, with the Presiding Bishop’s office issuing a media release stating that Cook “will no longer function as an ordained person in The Episcopal Church.”
Cook was indicted on multiple charges in February following a December 27 crash that killed a cyclist, 41-year-old Thomas Palermo.
According to Cook’s Sentence of Deposition, the former second-ranking official in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland shall be “deprived of the right to exercise the gifts and spiritual authority of God’s word and sacraments conferred at ordination.”
The release concludes by stating that the accord reached between Cook and the Presiding Bishop’s office is separate from any resolution of employment matters involving Cook and the Diocese of Maryland as well as from criminal matters pending in the secular courts.
The Diocese of Maryland Standing Committee has sought Cook’s resignation since January.
The bishop is charged with driving under the influence resulting in a homicide, vehicular manslaughter, criminal negligent manslaughter, texting while driving and fleeing the scene of an accident. A breathalyzer test showed Cook’s blood alcohol level was .22 following the accident. If found guilty, Cook could face a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment for each charge of manslaughter and driving away from the accident.
A trial date has been set for June 4 before the Baltimore City Circuit Court.
In February, the Washington Post reported that diocesan officials suspected Cook was drunk at a dinner the night before her September consecration. The story links to a timeline provided by the Diocese of Maryland stating that Bishop Eugene Sutton informed Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of his suspicion, Jefferts Schori “indicates she will discuss with Cook” and the consecration proceeds as planned the following day.
Comment by Paul Frantizek on May 2, 2015 at 7:50 am
You have to be a complete train-wreck for Jefferts-Schori to kick you out of church. Even traditionalists are tolerated in her EC-USA for the cash flow.
Comment by BooBooGlass on May 2, 2015 at 5:02 pm
She didn’t kick her out of the church. Let’s be correct in our statements.
Comment by T_Ford on May 3, 2015 at 9:18 am
Not so true. She ONLY tolerates for their cash but if they cross her they are gone. Only liberals and women (yeah redundant) need to be complete train-wrecks. She’ll boot conservatives just for breathing.
Comment by Paul Frantizek on May 3, 2015 at 10:04 am
I thought she was suing them to keep them from leaving (or better said disassociating, since most want to remain Episcopal, only under a more traditional practice)?
At any rate, the woman is a disgrace, more interested in political trends than Christian religious practice.
Comment by T_Ford on May 3, 2015 at 10:23 am
She is indeed a disgrace. She is truly without shame. However, she has deposed several bishops and 100+ clergy on fake charges of renunciation when no such renunciation had occurred. You might want to look into her treatment of Bishop MacBurney or how she behaved towards Bishop Lawrence.
Comment by Paul Frantizek on May 3, 2015 at 10:29 am
Sounds like she’s even worse than I thought. Which is pretty bad since my opinion of her was low to begin with.
She is the poster-child for everything wrong with mainstream liberal Protestantism in the US. No wonder non-affiliated evangelical churches are growing so quickly.
Comment by Bedouin2015 on May 2, 2015 at 4:07 pm
Wow —- this apostate church actually drew a moral boundary. Of course, given the overwhelming evidence against this senior leader, any secular organization would probably have done as much by this point. Probably more for appearance’s sake than any actual love for the God’s Word.
Comment by rustybud on May 4, 2015 at 4:07 pm
The only moral boundaries TEc knows these days are drawn around militant feminists, baby-killers, perverts, and their supporters. Cross one of those boundaries opposing them in any way draws the ire and outright spite of this woman, whose faith is not nearly recognizably Christian.
Comment by Ben Welliver on May 2, 2015 at 5:21 pm
A bit delayed, IMO. She still has to face the criminal court – and the Final Court. The Lutheran bishop Bruce Burnside who committed the same crime – hit and run DUI – is serving a ten-year prison sentence. When the cops stopped him, he excuse his fatal hitting of a jogger by saying he was on his way to a church meeting and was pressed for time. I wonder how that excuse will sound when he tells it to the great Judge? The mainlines do not seem to be getting high-quality clergy these days.
Comment by lavallette on May 3, 2015 at 5:31 am
But of Jesus affirmed everybody unequivocally, how can the TEC be so Unchristian and vengeful against a drunk in charge of a vehicle who kills an innocent bystander?
Comment by localhistorywriter on May 5, 2015 at 8:34 am
The most disturbing thing about this Cook episode – aside from the fact that she drove away after killing the guy – is that she was not just driving from the party back to her home, but was starting a long trip to the Eastern Shore of Maryland – greatly increasing the chance of an accident (especially since she was texting while DUI). I know we all make mistakes, but this woman’s history raises questions about the liberal denominations’ tolerance for unChristian behavior. If they felt compelled to appoint more women bishops, weren’t there some that didn’t have criminal records?