An Open Letter from Survivors in the Diocese of Christ Our Hope
Multiple reported survivors in the Diocese of Christ Our Hope have reached out to ACNAtoo alleging wrongful behavior by Rev. Dan Claire at Church of the Resurrection in Washington, DC. As with any situation in which we platform survivors’ voices, we recognize that survivors have a range of positions on public accountability; this open letter reflects the position of survivors who have requested our advocacy and representation.
An Open Letter to the Diocese of Christ Our Hope
We write to you today as some of the victims of Rev. Dan Claire, Rector of Church of the Resurrection in Washington, DC, along with the support of our advocates.
Over the course of several months in 2020, multiple unrelated and uncoordinated reports were submitted directly to Bishop Steven Breedlove by individuals who alleged that they had been subjected to abuse by the Rev. Dan Claire, Rector of Church of the Resurrection in Washington, DC.
The allegations indicated significant spiritual abuse and pastoral misconduct, including that Rev. Claire betrayed pastoral confidences, misused his ecclesial authority to control and manipulate people under his pastoral authority, disclosed and misused mental health histories in order to discredit people, and ostracized and slandered parishioners who attempted to challenge any of his questionable behavior. Additional allegations include victim blaming and defamation in cases of sexual impropriety.
In November 2020, the reported victims alleging abuse were told by Bp. Breedlove that the Diocese would open an investigation into the allegations concerning the behavior of Rev. Claire. Bp. Breedlove stated that the investigation would be limited only to those who had come forward on their own earlier in the year.
In January of 2021, Bp. Breedlove engaged Bp. Charles Gillin of the Diocese of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (REC) to secure an investigation team on his behalf. The investigation began in April 2021. Over five months, the team interviewed 10 reported victims and witnesses as well as Rev. Claire. Throughout this time, the reported victims were admonished not to speak with one another about the investigation, which had the effect of extreme isolation and a lack of needed support. Over the course of the investigation, it was learned that there were additional victims and witnesses; however, Bp. Breedlove advised the investigation would be limited to those who had independently come forward in 2020.
The investigative team concluded their investigation in September 2021 with the delivery of an 83 page report to Bp. Breedlove. Bp. Breedlove submitted 52 of those pages to the Diocesan Council of Christ Our Hope. None of the reported victims have seen either the full or the redacted report, and despite numerous requests, some have been denied access to even their own section of the report.
The Diocesan Council reviewed the report and distilled its findings into a list of seven admonitions or charges to be delivered to Rev. Claire. The seven charges were given to Rev. Claire in Nov. 2021. The Diocese advised the victims that Rev. Claire would canonically have the right to respond to the charges and seek (legal or pastoral) advocacy. Face-to-face meetings between Bp. Breedlove and Rev. Claire were to follow in January to discuss the charges. Shortly after this, disciplinary steps were to be established.
In January 2022, Bp. Breedlove did meet with Rev. Claire to hear his response to the seven charges. At that meeting, Rev. Claire insisted that the investigation was unfair because he had wanted to have three more people testify to his good character and they had not been interviewed.
In February 2022, Bp. Breedlove advised that the investigation would be discarded because none of the allegations against Rev. Claire were framed as canonical charges. It had not been previously advised by the Diocese that the charges needed to be canonical. Had that been clear, specific canonical charges would have been submitted against Rev. Claire.
Throughout this process, the Diocese of Christ Our Hope failed victims in numerous ways, as outlined in the key complaints below. It was especially grievous that Bp. Breedlove did not act with transparency throughout the process and, at some points, claimed not to have knowledge of key allegations despite significant email evidence to the contrary.
Unfortunately, the Diocese has decided to address concerns raised about the process by hiring Grand River Solutions to conduct an investigation into the mishandling of abuse allegations. Grand River Solutions has been the subject of substantial complaints from Moody Bible Institute survivors. Grand River Solutions was also rejected by survivors in the Diocese of the Upper Midwest over significant concerns regarding survivor confidentiality, unsafe investigative standards, and lack of public reporting.
Based on Grand River Solutions’ questionable reputation, it was requested multiple times that the contract between the Diocese and GRS be shared with victims. This request has remained unfulfilled. It is unknown what will be done with the confidential and sensitive information previously provided by the victims. It is unknown if GRS will have access to the information provided by the first investigative team. It is unknown whether the new investigation into the Diocese will be available publicly. When victims have posed these questions to Bp. Breedlove, his response has been: “I don’t know the answers.” This is absolutely unacceptable.
Our key complaints related to the handling of the allegations of abuse against Rev. Claire, the subsequent investigation, and its findings include:
The first contract between the Diocese and the investigators was not shared with us.
The final investigative report has not been shared with any of us. Despite the promise at the beginning of the investigation that we would have access to our own parts of the report, some of our requests were later declined.
The Diocese only informed us after the first investigation was concluded that it should have been a canonical investigation.
We are dismayed that the investigative report as well as the 7 charges presented to Rev. Claire were discarded due to protests from Rev. Claire.
For almost 2 years we were under a strict “gag order” in place by Bp. Breedlove, under threat that the investigation would be derailed if the allegations and investigation were discussed with anyone.
We have been reportedly defamed and accused of collusion. Despite a complete lack of evidence of any collusion, there has been little to no support or defense from the Diocese.
Rev. Claire has been allowed to continue in his current position unfettered, and the Diocese has failed to mitigate the risk of abuse to additional people. In fact, additional new victims have come forward during this time of investigation.
We were promised that Bp. Breedlove would deliver a Godly Admonition to Rev. Claire on March 18th but Bp. Breedlove has continually evaded our questions as to what that Admonition entails.
We were promised that Rev. Claire would publicly address his church about the allegations made against him and the harm he has inflicted, but again Bp. Breedlove has evaded details on how this “crucial” step of the process is to be fulfilled.
The victims have continually made good faith efforts to follow the requests and procedures dictated by the Diocese, which have only resulted in Bp. Breedlove allowing the initial investigation to be thrown out and a lack of consequences or accountability for Rev. Claire.
After a traumatic and exhausting process lasting almost two years, the victims are concerned that the Diocese will not discipline Rev. Claire according to his wrongdoing, that he will be allowed to continue to abuse people, that the new investigation will not be meaningful and safe for victims, and that the Diocese of Christ Our Hope does not have proper procedures in place to be a safe place for victims of pastoral abuse.
Rev. Claire has been accused of years of abusive behavior, yet he has continued to preach and to celebrate the Holy Eucharist throughout the pendency of the original investigation, even after he was presented with the seven charges of misconduct. His abuse must be treated with the severity that it merits.
In accordance with the Christ Our Hope Constitutions and Canons, the allegations against Rev. Claire amount to “Violation of ordination vows” and “Conduct giving just cause for scandal or offense, including the abuse of ecclesiastical power or financial malfeasance not otherwise actionable” as described in Title IV, Canon 2 of our Diocesan Canons.
These victims of Rev. Claire’s abuse, along with their advocates and supporters, make the following requests of the Diocese of Christ Our Hope:
Issue a public apology to all victims who have been harmed by Rev. Claire’s abuses and the mishandling of the allegations of abuse within our Diocese.
Release the contract that you signed with GRS to the public.
Share the entire 83 page investigative report with all survivors who participated in the initial investigation and have requested it.
Discipline Rev. Claire according to the Canons of our Diocese all the way through the Ecclesial Trial and mete out a sentence according to his alleged sins.
To Other Victims of Abuse
You are not alone. Spiritual abuse is real. Your pain is real, and your story is valid. Whether you have also been wounded by Rev. Claire or by someone else, we encourage you to find the support you need. If you have a concern to raise specifically with respect to Rev. Claire or otherwise within the Diocese of Christ Our Hope, please reach out directly to ACNAtoo (info@acnatoo.org), utilize the “Report a Complaint” page on the Diocesan website, or reach out to an independent advocate who can help you.
A word of caution regarding complaints to the Diocese: our experience has been that relying solely on the diocese without outside advocacy has proved to be a deeply traumatic experience and your voice still may not be heard or your allegations acted upon appropriately.
To Members and Friends of Rez
Many of you may be shocked, confused, or hurt to learn about the allegations which have been made against Dan, and the subsequent mishandling of the investigation by your Diocese. We praise God that this will be shocking to you, because it means you have known only the side of Dan most people know – the man God has used to create a gospel-centered church on Capitol Hill, which has reached many people with God’s Word and created a wonderful Christian community in DC. Praise God you have not been subjected to trauma due to the failures of the Diocese to adequately acknowledge and address these abuses, and that you have not been profoundly hurt and disappointed by your Bishop.
While there have been many brothers and sisters from within your midst significantly wounded and abused by Dan for well over a decade, this does not negate the person you have known, nor should it undermine the church you love. And while we regret the pain you may be feeling now, one reason we speak out publicly today is to mitigate the risk that any others would be subjected to the abuse and woundedness we have endured. We hope that for the benefit of all of you and the long-term integrity of Rez, Bishop Steve and the Diocese will finally be forthright about the allegations of abuse by Dan, so that sins which have been hidden can be brought into the light, allowing all who have been affected to see the power of the gospel, which calls us all to radically face sin, in order that grace may abound.
In Christ,
Survivors and their Advocates*
*Given the nature of the abuses and behaviors previously exhibited by Dan Claire, there is significant fear of being subjected to litigation, further defamation, or other retaliatory measures. As such, individual names have been redacted.