CHURCH SAGA: FRESH TWIST
THE former chaplain of St Andrew’s Church is still living at the Hermitage, almost four months after quitting the post and nearly two months after her employment ended.
Rev Wendy Hough submitted her resignation from the Girne church on May 4 and had requested a three-month notice period, which ended on August 4.
The Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf says it is waiting for her to vacate the official chaplaincy residence in order to prepare it for her successor, the vacancy for which has not yet been advertised.
Church lawyers are said to be handling the “financial obligations” of Ms Hough, who currently has no permission to officiate.
It follows questions voiced about the church’s accounting and administration procedures, sparked after a weddings file went missing from the vestry in December.
A church council meeting on May 21 heard that she had been “persistently careless and negligent regarding the administration of a number of weddings at St Andrew’s” and that the missing file had “hampered” a diocesan investigation into the concerns. It also heard that she was due to leave on or before July 31.
Archdeacon in Cyprus John Holdsworth told Cyprus Today Ms Hough was “no longer an employee of the Anglican Church (Cyprus) Ltd and no longer holds the Bishop’s licence”.
“The Hermitage is employmentrelated accommodation and Ms Hough has been asked to vacate it. The Church is by its nature non-confrontational and non-aggressive and wishes to see the property vacated in a quiet and orderly fashion.
“When the property is vacated, an inspection of the premises will be made, according to usual processes, and any work necessary in order to offer the Hermitage to a successor will be done,” said the Archdeacon, adding “all contractual obligations” of the Diocese have been guaranteed.
The vacancy had not yet been advertised as the “parish profile” was still being prepared, he said.
Rev Mike Graham is in pastoral charge of the parish in the meantime.
Ms Hough could not be reached for comment despite several attempts by Cyprus Today to contact her.
She had previously said she planned to
stay on the island for “various projects, on which I have long wanted more time to focus”.
The diocese had investigated after questions were raised about the legal validity of wedding certificates issued during Ms Hough’s term. Mr Holdsworth said of the matter yesterday: “[It] has been resolved and closed for some time.”