Jeffrey Steenson’s decision to leave his post as an Episcopal bishop in New Mexico last year came with a steep price.
The former Bishop Steenson, a married father of three who will become a Roman Catholic priest later this year, said his lifestyle was “nothing to complain about.” Along with other perks, he left a $100,000-a-year salary for a pay cut of $75,000.
“It’s a very big step. All the things you took for granted are gone,” said Mr. Steenson, who laughed about his change in financial fortune.
“And if your identity was shaped as a [Episcopal] priest or bishop, that has to be unmade and redone again. That’s a big thing. But I feel being in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church is worth those sacrifices.”
I received an interesting message from +Alan Munday on this subject; [url=http://www.vulcanhammer.org/?p=719]you can view it, and my response, here[/url].
talk about putting your (lack of) money where your mouth is. I’m a little torn about dropping your income so drastically with three kids and a wife to support. While I’m sure he was prayerful, has he compromised his ability to fully provide for his family?
God bless you Jeffrey Steenson and your family! You are learning in a fresh way that God provides for his faithful ones. It makes being a Christian a great adventure of faith and such adventures sing to dull secular hearts.
#2 Chris. I am amazed at your lack of Godly grace in your comment about Jeffrey Steenson’s “ability to fully provide for his family”. It seems he’s doing everything he can do to provide for his family. He’s putting the care of his family in the hands of God. God provides for those who are His, as #3 Alice Linsley states. I firmly believe God does provide for those who are His.
My own family is managing quite well on a salary of less than what Jeffrey Steenson will be making as a Catholic Bishop. My husband is a wonderful husband and father to our son. Rather than relying on the things money can buy, we’ve made sacrifices so we can home school our son, have my husband home more to spend time with us, keep our lives simple and not be so tempted to grab all the material things the world has to offer, and much more.
I may not believe Roman Catholicism is truly a church of God, but I do believe without any doubt that Jeffrey Steenson is doing what he believes is right for his soul, AND for his family. None of us have any right to judge him on that.
I watched a video of him being interviewed just prior to his leaving TEC. It was during the New Orleans fiasco of a meeting last September. It was very evident to me from both his physical and verbal expressions in the video that he was really struggling with his faith due to where TEC leadership had gone. Clearly he was going through much pain trying to figure out the right thing to do. Do you think that pain didn’t affect his family? No, he’s not perfect. No human being is. BUT, I applaud his efforts to follow his conscience and to try to do what he believes is right for himself AND his family.
You would do better to pray for God to work through him rather than to criticize his efforts to do what is right. I would also urge you to examine your own motives as to why you would criticize a man who is not being negligent of his family, but instead, trying to lead them in faith.
Not Roman here. But this is an act of courage born of deep conviction. My hat is off.
ICXC NIKA
[url=http://ad-orientem.blogspot.com/]John[/url]
Here is a talk which Jeffery Steenson gave at the recent Anglican Use Conference, outlining something of his spiritual journey:
http://www.anglicanuse.org/files/The-Causes-for-Becoming-Catholic.pdf
Jeffrey Steenson’s apologia for his conversion to Catholicism can be found here.
1 Timothy 5:8
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Now I’m not presuming that Mr. Steenson has done this, I’m only saying that it raises the question of whether he is not abiding 1 Timothy 5:8.
Re # 8
Chris,
I don’t think that Timothy can be interpreted to obligate someone to remain in the service of a heretical church even at the cost of the primary family income. This would seem to make the sacrifice of the martyrs rather pointless.
ICXC NIKA
[url=http://ad-orientem.blogspot.com/]John[/url]
#8, Dr. Steenson certainly appears to have counted the cost, and is caring for his family and fulfilling his obligations. In fact, they will be in Rome for a year where he wishes to continue his studies. Whatever else you might think of his conversion, you needn’t worry that he has become drain on the welfare system
#8, Chris. I believe you have taken your quoted verse totally out of context. That, unfortunately, is commonly done by those who wish to put their own twist on Scripture to attempt to make it say what THEY want it to say, instead of what GOD intended it to say. Here is your verse again in context:
1 Timothy 5:3-16
3 Honor widows who are really widows. 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and F7 acceptable before God. 5 Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. 6 But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 7 And these things command, that they may be blameless. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9 Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man, 10 well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. 11 But refuse the younger widows; for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, 12 having condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. 16 If any believing man or F8 woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.
This has nothing to do with the situation of Jeffrey Steenson. There was absolutely nothing in Jeffrey Steenson’s leaving TEC that showed him in any way not providing for his family.
Instead, I’m lead to wonder if you have a chip on your own shoulder that you might need to pay attention to, and just leave Jeffrey Steenson alone to care for his own.
I should probably clarify something here. The reporter asked me to compare what an average TEC bishop’s salary is compared to a typical Catholic priest’s salary. This is a step of faith, and I do not know where I may be asked to serve. But Catholic bishops do a lot to help riase the compensation levels for married Pastoral Provision clergy so that they can support their families. Perhaps I will be able to supplement mine by writing a (pseudonymous) behind-the-scenes expose of the secret lives of Episcopal Church bishops. Thank you for your prayers! May the Lord bless and keep us all.
Amazing how peopple who have no idea of your personal situation go galloping off on suppositions.
[i]Perhaps I will be able to supplement mine by writing a (pseudonymous) behind-the-scenes expose of the secret lives of Episcopal Church bishops.[/i]
If you get too busy, a favorite lady blogger could see that a chapter here and there gets noticed. [BG]
I think you should entitle your novel: Indaba! However, I’m not sure how much we want to know about the secret lives of Episcopal Church bishops judging from what we already know about their lives from public sources! God bless you! The Lord’s vineyard is vast indeed. You are missed greatly here, but we know you are doing good work where you are now.
Bishop Steenson,
Don’t worry, the Catholic Church is notoriously good to the poor. I’m poor and a new Catholic, too. (though the two aren’t related). Welcome home!
#13, wonderful – I was thinking that perhaps Kendall could seek a contract to serial-publish it, actually!
Well, what do you know – another (ex-Episcopal) bishop with a pilot’s license, apparently.
#12, Jeffrey Steenson, my prayers are with you. This has to be a very difficult path for you and your family. I wish you all the best. The Lord does indeed take care of His own.
While the salary of a RC priest cannot begin to compare with that of an Episcopal bishop, it is not quite as pitiful as it might seem.
The 25,000 odd comes with a paid up rectory, cell phone, car allowance, health, disability and pension funds. Often, catholic schooling is available, and would be expected to be free or near free. There is definately no concern about being fired. One has lifetime employment.
Most priests I know save up their money (not having any dependants) and go on a couple of nice vacations a year to places like Rome or elsewhere.
Some supplement their income teaching religion (or anything else they are competant in) in a Catholic school.
And I think it is really helpful to a priest (as well as most anybody else) to not have the strain of the cognitive dissonance of having to deal with justifying heresy, and living in the tension of a life opposed to faith.
I’m not a priest, and I did/do love the episcopal church. However the sense of profound relief of having rock under my feet, and of being able to faithfully witness was worth a great deal to me.
If I remember correctly, in my last parish, the bookkeeper told me that the priest received the equivalent of about 70,000, counting all the non-taxed benefits.
Of course it may vary, and it still is a whole lot less than what Episcopal priests or cardinal rectors get.
However, I do not think any Episcopal priest will be failing to “provide for his family” if he swims the Tiber. He will take a pay cut. That is without doubt. TEC priests are at the top of the religious pay scale. But a Baptist minister would probably make money on the deal.
I might add that the average income for most people (who don’t get benefits) around these parts is about 23,000, though most such have only a high school education. However they do appear to provide for their families, and do not consider themselves “poor”. Once you get away from the coasts, it is amazing, even with the current food/energy inflation how much cheaper the cost of living is.
Shari
Shhesh, come on people! I’m raising two children (one in college at that!) and I’m not even making $40,000 as a Librarian! I can’t IMAGINE making $75,000, let alone $100,000! (Donations may be sent to Jim Elliott at — oh, nevermind!)
That said, I admire Fr Steenson for taking a stand out of conviction.
Peace
Jim Elliott <><