Stop the presses...before somebody gets hurt

New York Times subscribers will open their Sunday Styles section to this:

Man of the Flesh to Man of the Cloth
By SHARON WAXMAN
OAK PARK, Calif.
The New York Times
July 15, 2007

SOME people have their midlife crisis in reverse, like Ronald Boyer, who for most of his professional life has been better known as a star of pornographic films, Rod Fontana.

After 30 years of sowing the wildest of oats, Mr. Boyer, 54, has searched his soul and chosen, to the surprise of family and colleagues, to seek a priesthood in the Episcopal Church.

It’s all here …but hold it just a minute there, folks. Haven't we heard this trope before? About a guy named McGreevey? And remember how that ended--much ado about nothing?

Well, it turns out that's what we've got here: some incredibly sloppy reporting that's frankly unworthy of the venerable New York Times.

Your epiScope editor, who spent her youth as a reporter when Woodward and Bernstein were the heroes, decided to track down what really happened by talking to Mr. Boyer's rector, the Rev. Hank Mitchel--which is more than reporter Waxman managed to do. Let's go through the story, bit by painfully distorted bit.

From his work in the rented villas of the San Fernando Valley, where hard-core sex films are shot, he has moved just a short distance west, to the Church of the Epiphany, which is guiding his transformation from pornography star to preacher.

"That's wrong on so many levels," Mitchel told epiScope. "I'm his pastor, so of course I'm guiding him in that spiritual sense. But no one at Epiphany knows--or knew--about his background, except some key people on the staff. And no one is training him for ordained ministry at any level."

So references to "Mr. Boyer’s embryonic ministry" and "to pursue a new path as a religious leader" are misleading?

"Boy, are they ever!" Mitchel said.

And what about this?

He returned to meet with his priest and with the second-ranking official of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Bishop Suffragan Chester L. Talton, to gain approval to establish a ministry among sex workers.

"No way!" exclaimed Mitchel. "I talked with Bishop Talton. He never met with Ron. Couldn't pick him out of a crowd."

And this?

The process to priesthood will take several years. Mr. Boyer began by being confirmed in the Episcopal Church this year. He is undergoing training to become a deacon, which will allow him to conduct most aspects of ministering short of the sacraments. To become a priest, he must study in a seminary for approximately two years and his candidacy must be approved by the diocesan bishop.

"Absolutely not!" said Mitchel. "He was confirmed with about 150 others by Bishop Talton in May. About 4 or 5 months ago he wanted to talk about ordination, and I explained the process to him. But he has not met with the bishop or undergone any of the requirements for entering the ordination process in any way--certainly he's not being 'trained as a deacon' or anything like it."

And of course the M.Div. program is three years, not two. But what about Bishop Bruno's remarks?

J. Jon Bruno, bishop for the Los Angeles Diocese, said Mr. Boyer’s path to the priesthood would not be precluded by who he was. “I wouldn’t put up an immediate impediment because of someone’s past life,” he said. “There’s no exclusion in the gospel for anybody.”

"Bishop Bruno's never met Ron either," said Mitchel. "He knows nothing about him. He was speaking generally about the ordination process."

Which according to the canons is open to all Episcopalians--but no one has a right to ordination, of course. So--there's no "integrating" by the Diocese, or "welcoming an ex-performer with more than 300 hard-core movies to his credit", as Waxman writes?

"That is just wild exaggeration, utterly unsupported by the facts," Mitchel said.

Did you talk to the reporter? She said church leaders "do seem uncomfortable discussing it in depth"...

"Why didn't she tell the truth: I emphatically refused to exploit the situation by talking to her in depth about it," explained Mitchel. "I did say, and I do sincerely hope, that Ron can serve as a bridge to people in the porn industry, to bring them hope and the love of God.

"And I said Ron and his family are most certainly welcome here--but his former profession most certainly is not. And he has a long, long way to travel and a lot of spiritual growing to do before we can even think about thinking about a leadership role."

Clearly the New York Times jumped the shark on this story. That's really, really sad.

UPDATE: Hmmm...Waxman's done this kind of sloppy job before, it seems...Google her name and see what pops up.

Ouch. "Woodstein," she's not; consider the source.

UPDATE: For information on the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles' ordination process, go here.

Comments

[Julia Langdon]

Well, here's the problem. If the Episcopal Church wasn't so publicly adamant that everyone has the right to be a priest or bishop, the press wouldn't have believed Mr. Boyer's claims and it probably wouldn't have seen the light of day.

TEC created the situation, frankly, and now they're going to have to deal with it.

[epiScope]

Actually, Julia, you're mistaken on this. The Episcopal Church has never said "everyone" has the right to be ordained. Title III.1.2-3 states:

Sec. 2. No person shall be denied access to the discernment process for any ministry, lay or ordained, in this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities or age, except as otherwise provided by these Canons. No right to licensing, ordination, or election is hereby established.
Sec. 3. The provisions of these Canons for the admission of Candidates for the Ordination to the three Orders: Bishops, Priests and Deacons shall be equally applicable to men and women.
[Emphasis mine]

[Alice C. Linsley]

May God bless Mr. Boyer and continue to lead him away from his former life into true Life in Jesus Christ.

Thanks for clarification on this very misleading NYT story.

[Julia Langdon]

OK, right to access the discernment process, then. You don't think it's a bit odd that, first, McGreevey and , now, this gentleman seem to believe that one can become a member of the church on Sunday and request the discernment process on Monday? The clergy related to these matters deny what was said so let's take them at their word.

This still means that the public perception of TEC is one of a church in which it's easy to embark on the pathway to priesthood. Perhaps the media is to blame but not entirely, considering the church herself has gone to great pains to declare its entirely inclusive nature and goals.

Furthermore, Bishop Robinson has declared the "right" of homosexuals to be clergy and bishops. Has anyone pointed out your highlighted clause to him?

[epiScope]

Oh, it's odd, all right. But it doesn't have any relationship to what TEC--or Bishop Robinson, for that matter--has actually said. Alas, human beings tend to hear what they want to hear, never more so than when reading the public press.

TEC emphasizes that all its members are ministers by Baptism, but a person's call to ordained ministry must be recognized and ratified by the Body of Christ, the Church, in a rigorous process of discernment.

We try not to advise the Lord on what kinds of people He can or can't choose to call, however...

[Mary Clara]

Julia Langdon, I guess this absurd story is useful in at least one way, namely that it provides you with an opportunity to vent about an unrelated matter that is bothering you, namely the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson.

According to the Times article Mr. Boyer comes from a Southern Baptist background. He himself may be confused about the actual requirements for ordination in TEC. It is quite common in some American evangelical circles for people to have a conversion experience closely followed by a sense of calling to ministry. Ordination in those traditions may be relatively easy to achieve and the person may very quickly be able to set up an independent church or prison ministry. The kind of discernment process we have in TEC is therefore hard for many Americans to grasp. People such as McGreevey and Boyer may in their own hearts be on a path toward some kind of ministry, but they will have a hard row to hoe to qualify for ordination, since TEC dioceses are not interested in ordaining as many as possible. They ordain only the number of clergy they can actually foresee deploying, and will choose the most suitable candidates among those who present themselves (who tend to be considerably more numerous than the 'slots' available). It's not the case that everyone has the right to become a priest or a bishop, only that racial, ethnic, gender and other biases are not to be a factor in selection. There is no particular reason why the general public should be aware of TEC's practices and canons in this area. There is a reason why a NYTimes reporter and the paper itself should be doing some fact-checking.

[bls]

May I also point out that some of the world's most revered saints - Augustine and Francis, for two - converted after living lives of debauchery and recklessness? The first became an archbishop, the second the most well-known individual Christian in history. Obviously there needs to be a period of repentence and proving - but that's what the ordination process is for.

This wouldn't, of course, be an issue for, say, an evangelical preacher who converted. I guess this only matters if you're fixated with trying to prove that same-sex partnerships are wrong.

[TH Black]

I signed three different documents when I APPLIED (on a long, multi-page application) for discernment that explained that I was not ENTITLED to ordination. No one is entitled to ordination, though we are all called by baptism to be ministers of God's word. In my diocese, discernment is extremely rigorous- you must have your priest's recommendation just to apply and even then you have to go through huge amounts of hoops (two psychiatrists, two psychological exams, mmpi testing, myers-briggs, "child protection testing" , oxford background check, three papers, a 50-page life-history questionairre from the Church Pension Fund, just for starters). I dare say that even if our film-star friend got approval to apply, he might have trouble explaining (in the the ten years of job references one must give) his ten years of "Film Production" experience in the industry. I think the observations our friend made about the Baptist Church are accurate. If one wants to be a minister in that tradition, one must simply say so and find a church willing to ordain him or her. It ain't so in TEC, at least in my diocese. It kind of riles me to see these sorts of articles when I am actually in the process and know how difficult and painful it can be. He is just saying that he wants to go in to the discernment process and he can. However, I would bet my next paycheck that the answer he will get will be a firm no if not a "check back in 15 years." It is a rigorous process and TEC has not ever cultivated a belief that "anyone" can be a priest. Ms. Julia needs to get her facts straight rather than head off on a one-sided internet rant.

[stonestixnc]

If the rector refused to talk about the issue with the reporter, then he lost his right to complain after the story ran. It's likely that most of what he claims to be errors could of been prevented if he talked to the reporter.

[Andrew Brown]

For what it's worth, I have spoken to the rector. He says the reporter approached him precisely once, after a sunday service, with "about thirty other people" from the congregation in earshot, and asked if he could talk about Ronald Boyer. Of course he responded with a platitude. What else could he do? They did not have any private conversation.

[Mel Ahlborn]

Open minds, open hearts, and a willingness to clear the air with honesty and compassion - now that's some Good News! I was received as a member of the Episcopal Church under Hank Mitchel's ministry, and have great respect for the discernment he brings to all that he does.

[George W. Jordan]

I would rather have a repentant ex-porn star as my Bishop in the Episcopal Church than a non-repentant still active Gay.

[RonF]

You don't think it's a bit odd that, first, McGreevey and , now, this gentleman seem to believe that one can become a member of the church on Sunday and request the discernment process on Monday?

Actually, Julia, please quote me the portion of the story where this gentleman stated that he had asked to start the discernment process or has even been thinking of it? I don't see it. As far as I can tell the reporter made that up completely out of whole cloth.

[bls]

I believe "Gay" is used most often an adjective, rather than a noun. It describes something about a person, after all, and doesn't define a person completely.

In any case, I'd be happy with either the repentant ex-porn star or the repentant gay person as Bishop, although I doubt we're using "repentant" in the same way. Surely it couldn't be sinful for one person to marry another, and to care for them till death do them part, could it? That would be ridiculous.

But to repent from actual sins is crucial, I'll agree.

[The Rev. Patrick Ward]

If Mr Boyer is truly repentant a good sign of that might be an outright admission of the sin and wickedness of his former ( if indeed it is former) life and a renunciation of any profit and gains of that former life.

[Lizette Larson-Miller]

Thank you for the various clarifications regarding the sloppy NYT reporting. I was particularly struck by the comments about Mr. Boyer's Baptist background as the basis for what may be his personal confusion. Teaching at an ecumenical graduate consortium, I know that many people from evangelical (and other protestant) backgrounds confuse episcopalians as generic protestants. I think sociologists of religion in this country in particular have done us a great dis-service by their black and white categorization of American Christians into either Catholic or Protestant. Elsewhere, Anglicans are listed separately to acknowledge the ecclesiastical differences. Anyway, a tangent...conversion is a good thing, and radical conversion can be a remarkable witness. May Mr. Boyer's conversion be a lifelong process (and for all of us as well).

[George W. Jordan]

I would like to reply to RonF about my use of the word "Gay" in my posted comment above. He is correct. The word "gay" is indeed an adjective when usually used by most people who use the word, meaning someone who is happy and gay. In my use of the word "Gay" in my comment, if one is allowed to be most correct, then the most honest and correct word to use is "Sodomite" but I am trying not to offend anyone who wishes to deny the facts. This is what is causing the difficulities in communication with others, speaking of Gene Robinson, and his destructive effects on the Episcopal Church for many Episcopaloans.

[Karen]

Sodomite? Since when did the issue suddenly become about the sin of inhospitality?

[Alice C. Linsley]

Sorry, Karen. Go back to the Genesis text and leave off the revisionist hermeneutics.

[Josh Hosler]

Yeah, Karen, you revisionist, ya. The Sodom story is about inhospitality, but more graphically, it's about gang rape. A little different from bls's "one person [marries] another, and to care for them till death do them part."