Area Episcopalians elected a church historian and former divinity school president as their 11th bishop Saturday evening after more than seven hours of voting.
The Rev. R. William Franklin, who has been a priest for just five years, but spent nearly 30 years in a variety of Episcopal lay ministry roles, received the majority of votes needed from both clergy and laity of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York on the seventh ballot.
Franklin edged out the Rev. Barbara J. Price, rector of St. Peter’s Church in Amherst and the only local candidate in the four-person race.
Is this not the same man who had to resign or be fired from Bexley Hall/Yale Divinity School for misappropriating funds while he was the seminary’s dean? How was it possible that Western New Yorkers even saw fit to include him on their list of nominees?