Bishop of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands, The Rt. Rev. Howard Gregory, says that while some people of different religious traditions gloat over the recent case of sexual misconduct in the Moravian Church, clergy of all denominations “have in some way been implicated in what has happened by virtue of the office which we hold.”
In a letter to Clergy and Church workers across the Diocese, the Bishop asserts that the widely-publicised case, which alleges inappropriate sexual involvement by a senior minister with a minor, reflects “a serious violation of the pastoral office and the trust that inheres in the same.” He adds that it also represents “a violation of the humanity of persons who live in poverty.”
Bishop Gregory notes that the Diocesan Code of Conduct restricts such behavior and indicates the action to be taken in these instances. However, he cautions that this is not sufficient as it relates to personal conduct. “It is also our responsibility to see that situations of victimization of minors and other expressions of misconduct which we encounter in the course of our ministry are reported, so that appropriate action can be taken in the cause of justice for the vulnerable ones in our society.”
The Lord Bishop requested prayers for all persons who had experienced hurt and pain because of this situation; and urged that the necessary steps be taken to facilitate their healing.