Episcopal Priest Suspended For Allegedly Stealing Sermons From Book 'Dynamic Preaching'

An Episcopal priest in Sandwich, Mass., has been suspended from his duties for allegedly stealing several sermons from a book he purchased from Sermons.com.

The Rev. John E. McGinn, who has served at St. John's Episcopal Church for two decades, was placed on administrative leave last week after allegations emerged that the 65-year-old priest had plagiarized sermons since 2006 from a book titled Dynamic Preaching. An official with the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts told the Cape Cod Times that the Rev. McGinn preached as many as 15 sermons lifted word-for-word from the book.

When he was confronted in 2006, McGinn promised officials that it would not happen again, but the plagiarism allegedly continued. Many of the sermons were published on the church's website and in its bulletins. The "Sermons" page on St. John's Church website appears to have been scrubbed, as there were no sermons available for viewing Tuesday.

McGinn has been the rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, home to more than 300 families, since 1993. He has refused to comment on the allegations, but told the Cape Cod Times: "I'm going to retire. I loved my time at the parish. That's all. I think I did a good job." Read more

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I am curious whether the sermons were Biblically-orthodox and theologicall-sound. While John McGinn was wrong in not giving credit to the authors of the sermons, Anglicans and Episcopalians have a long tradition of ministers reading at church services sermons that they did not compose. Isn't Tom Shaw a liberal bishop?