The questions that Bishop Alexis raised in his May 31st letter were numerous. He was asking for financial transparency, for accountability, and was emphasizing that this was in line with the old East African Revival slogan of “walking in the light.” The best-case scenario would have been poor bookkeeping, but what Bishop Alexis’ questions imply is far more than that. Archbishop Kolini had been in charge for over a decade, what had he been doing with the money from America during that time? This is the subtext of Alexis’ letter.
On June 6, Archbishop Rwaje answered Bishop Alexis, writing:
As you remember, in the meeting of our House of Bishops on March 31, 2011, we resolved that there is a need to get together as a Rwandan House of Bishops with AMiA’s leaders, to discuss about our respective roles in the ministry of AMiA in order to have a “Common understanding” of the ministry we are all involved in, and to get to know each one’s role in this ministry. I wrote a letter to Bishop Chuck Murphy about that resolution.
As it was suggested to hold a House of Bishop’s meeting for two days, 27-28 June, 2011, for us to discuss strategic matters (financial matters being one item among others), I have already talked with AMiA Chairman, Bishop Chuck, and requested him to come with Canon H. Muller (sic), AMiA-Executive Director and Canon Kevin Donlon, Canons lawyer. I believe, Canon H. Miller will give us more lights on the use of finances and Canon Kevin will help us deal with matters concerning applications of our Canons and Constitution.
PS: Your letter I received was not signed.
The increasingly testy series of letters continued with Bishop Alexis responding on June 9:
Your Grace,
Greetings!
I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for reminding me to give you a signed copy of the letter 1 wrote to you concerning financial transparency and accounting in the Province on 31 May 2011. I have delivered a hard copy of that letter, with my signature, to your offices by hand, If by chance it has not reached you please notify me as soon as possible and I will deliver another copy to you personally.
Also, in your reply to my letter, you failed to recognize me as the Dean of the Province. Was this intentional or simply an oversight?
In your indirect written reply to my letter you mentioned that Bishop Chuck Murphy, Rev. and Rev. Kevin Donlon will be coming this month to address some of the questions 1 raised and to give some explanations in light of Canon. Law.
Your Grace, l most respectfully but firmly object to this idea. We are not asking for explanations or lectures on Canon Law. What we want from you is clear answers to the several important questions in the letter of May 31. What we are also looking for is facts and figures and a clear accounting of what happened to 1.2 million US that was given to Rwanda but apparently never found its way into the proper Provincial accounts. This is not an issue of Canon law; it is an issue of clear violations of proper accounting procedures and an apparent violation of the authority of the Provincial Council to budget funds coming into the Province. Again, I ask that this information be provided in a written and signed financial report regarding the funds in question, giving details of the expenditures, recipients, and detailed bank account information showing how and to whom these funds were transferred, before the June meeting of the House of Bishops so that this issue does not monopolize the agenda of that meeting.
The House of Bishops meeting slated for June 27-28 is a meeting of Rwandan Bishops. I object to the presence of H. Miller and Kevin Donlon to possibly manipulate and dominate the proceedings when they are not Bishops. If the House of Bishops needs to hear from them we could call them. We want a meeting of the House of Bishops only, not the House of Bishops, plus. If you desire the counsel and explanations of and Kevin Donlon, please receive their counsel privately and then in your position as Chairman of the House of Bishops you can inform us of their explanations in the meeting of the House of Bishops in a way that is appropriate and in our own language.
If there is to be a meeting of the Rwandan House of Bishops with the leadership of the AMiA we want it to be a meeting with the full Bishop’s Council of the AMiA not the Primatial Vicar and his assistants only. I respectfully await your expeditious reply.
Whatever communication happened after this and before the next House of Bishops meeting is not available to me.
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