Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Defining Defalcation Downward

The Rocky Mountain News today reveals some of the egregious charges proffered against Fr. Don Armstrong of Grace and Saint Stephen's, Colorado Springs:


• THE ACCUSATIONS

He didn't pay taxes on the home provided by the diocese.

• ARMSTRONG'S RESPONSE

Not true.

He didn't report funeral and wedding stipends as income.

Not true. "Most of what I get I give away (to the needy) and what I do keep I declare."

The vestry, the parish governing board, provided undergraduate scholarships for the Armstrong children.

"A very typical gesture" in large churches.

The parish reimbursed him for entertainment.

The parish had allowed Armstrong to use discretionary funds for entertaining until the diocese determined it wasn't proper.


Not mentioned in the article are the damning charges the Rev'd Armstrong twice refused to make his bed, neglected to separate the cans from the bottles at the recycling center and, most seriously, parked his car once in a space with time still on the meter but didn't put a quarter in it which EVERYBODY knows you're supposed to do.

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