A PRIEST in Dallas who has been arrested and charged by police over the theft of more than $300,000, fraud, and credit-card abuse is fighting the Episcopal Church’s efforts to remove him from ministry.

The Revd Edward Monk had been Rector of St John’s, Corsicana, in Texas, for 21 years, when he was arrested, charged, and bailed by Navarro County Sheriff’s Office in December 2024.

The diocese of Dallas held a disciplinary panel hearing in May 2025, which recommended that he be removed from the priesthood. He has appealed against that finding, and the Church-wide Court of Review has reviewed his argument that the diocese had failed to follow proper procedures for clergy discipline when it concluded that he should be barred from ministry.

His lawyer, Barry Black, argued that the church’s lay leadership was to blame for its financial problems, accusing them of “sloppy book-keeping, sloppy governance”. A written submission to the court argued that the May disciplinary hearing had been “a sham”.

The Court of Review questioned the diocese’s attorney, George Carlton, about transcripts of the May hearing, which were created from phone recordings, and later typed up by a court reporter, who was not present for the hearing. Several sections were marked “inaudible”.

Mr Carlton argued that the lay leadership were the victims of Fr Monk. The diocese said that its own investigations had found that Fr Monk had opened unauthorised bank accounts, and routed money to other accounts. It also alleges that he obtained a credit card under a church treasurer’s social-security number, and “used this card to conduct a multi-year spending spree that included personal trips”, the Episcopal News Service reported.

Fr Monk was present during the hearing on 10 December, but did not speak.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court will issue an opinion at a later date.

The police investigation continues.