There were prayers for the Very Rev. Philip C. Linder and his family Sunday and a call for members of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral “to seek out God in prayer” as the congregation gathered for the first time since the extraordinary suspension last week of its longtime leader.
“The events of this past week have brought us to a place where we never expected to be,” the Rev. Charles M. Davis Jr., who was named interim dean, told the packed congregation gathered in Averyt Hall for the 10 a.m. service.
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As serious a situation as it is, it’s actually more serious than that. No matter who is or is not at fault, no matter how sensitively people act, there are people -beyond doubt a significant number- who will leave and not come back. As well, few if any people will be lured to the Cathedral while this is going on. Also, since this is being trumpeted in the local media 24/7 the Cathedral’s reputation is being harmed in the short and medium term. It appears that they possibly might be having serious financial problems (also widely disseminated news). This is a further disincentive for new people to come, and might possibly lead to a financial meltdown, taken together with a drop in attendance. To my mind, this whole conflict and its present manifestations ought to somehow be addressed differently.