The Rev. Brad Whitaker holds an infant during a January baptism at Christ Church, Grosse Pointe. Whitaker was suspended without public explanation. Photo from Christ Church's Flickr stream.
Christ Church Grosse Pointe rector
Brad Whitaker suspended
The Grosse Pointes are buzzing with talk about why the popular rector of Christ Church Episcopal in the Farms was suddenly suspended.
All the office of the Michigan Episcopal bishop – The Rt. Rev. Wendell N. Gibbs Jr. – would say was that an unspecified “serious allegation” had been lodged against the Rev. Brad Whitaker and that he was to have no interaction with church members, nor speak on the matter nor enter the church while an investigation is conducted.
Two telephone calls to the rector's residence by a Detroit Free Press staffer were reportedly answered with hang-ups and a knock on the door by a WDIV reporter reportedly went unanswered
Church officers were reportedly told the investigation could take up to three months.
Whitaker, his wife Harriet, and their three children live in a house on the church grounds at 61 Grosse Pointe Blvd. in the Farms. He has served the 800-member church, which attracts community and Southeast Michigan business and professional leaders, since 2002.
An Atlanta native, Whitaker served as rector of Christ Church in Newton, N.J., and rector at Holy Innocents’ Church in Atlanta and St. Peter’s in Rome, Ga. He graduated from the General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1989 and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia.
Before the suspension he served as a member of the Standing Committee and the Commission on Ministry and was a deputy to the General Convention, according to the church’s website.
Parishioners said they were stunned to get the news of the suspension. “He’s popular. He’s a good guy,” a retired physician said. The suspension was first reported to the congregation at the 5 p.m. Saturday services and again at Sunday services. Harriet Whitaker, who is a teacher at the Academy, was at a Sunday service. A representative of the Bishop spoke at the 9 a.m. service.
WDIV-TV reported that church spokeswoman JoAnn Amicangelo said next Sunday’s service would be handled by one of Whitaker’s assistants. Letters have reportedly been sent to church members.
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Comments
Brad Whitaker
I, for one, find it very, very hard to believe that Brad has done anything that warrants this kind of treatment. Canon law be as it may, this seems simply outrageous. - And what kind of thing takes three months to investigate? Might as well make it a lifetime.
Canon law
Canon Law seems to be pretty clear that a Temporary Inhibition can be issued only if the Bishop finds the actions complained of to be serious and the allegations to be supported by sufficient facts. So to have issued the Inhibition, the Bishop has already concluded that there are facts that support the Complaint. What seems outrageous to me is that the members of the parish haven't been advised of the nature of the Complaint. It will all come out eventually whether the allegations are true or false. Trying to keep the nature of the allegations secret at this point damages the larger Church and is very damaging to the morale of the parish. In any event, I suspect it will not take three months to resolve.