(RNS) — Eighteen months since Bishop Prince Singh’s two adult sons, Nivedhan and Eklan Singh, made allegations on social media that their father was guilty of physical abuse, alcoholism and emotional abuse, the head of the Episcopal Church has announced the misconduct complaints against Singh have been resolved.
Prince Singh, the former provisional bishop of the dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan who resigned in September 2023, will be suspended from ministry for at least three more years, according to the terms of an accord reached between Singh and Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe.
Singh has been the subject of two clergy misconduct complaints. One involved allegations that he physically and emotionally abused his wife at the time, Roja Suganthy-Singh, and his sons; drank alcohol excessively at home; and was publicly deceitful about facts regarding his divorce with Suganthy-Singh, now his ex-wife. The second complaint, which came from members of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester where Singh previously served, included allegations of misusing Title IV — the Episcopal Church’s process for handling clergy misconduct — and of engaging in vindictiveness and public shaming.
In an announcement released today (Dec. 13), Rowe said that, while Singh continues to dispute the allegations, the accord, or written resolution, resolves both complaints. The terms of the accord were approved by the Disciplinary Board for Bishops, a church court made of 10 bishops, six other clergy and six lay people.
“My goal in negotiating this accord with Bishop Singh has been to achieve Title IV’s goals by identifying paths for him to be accountable, to amend his life, and then to seek reconciliation with his family and his former diocese if and when they are willing to do …