NEWS PROVIDED BY
Anglican Watch
Aug. 6, 2026
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 6, 2026 /Standard Newswire/ — Anglican Watch, the unofficial watchdog of the Episcopal Church, today denounced the Episcopal Diocese of Florida and the diocese’s Title IV intake officer, Bo Shippen, for their efforts to slow-walk a clergy disciplinary complaint filed by the organization.
At issue are allegations that Mark Anderson, an Episcopal priest and vicar of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Jacksonville, may have committed mortgage fraud. Specifically, Anglican Watch’s research revealed that Anderson took out a multi-million dollar mortgage on a home in Jacksonville through Rocket Mortgage. As part of the transaction, he stated under oath that no portion of the down payment was a loan and that no other loans were made in conjunction with the mortgage.
However, in subsequent divorce proceedings, Anderson told the courts that more than a million dollars of the down payment was a loan from his father.
Additionally, it appears that, from 2022-2024, Anderson claimed almost all his church income as his housing allowance for income tax purposes, using the house in question as the basis for the deduction. However, according to Anglican Watch, Anderson did not live in the home at that time.
Anglican Watch filed a formal Title IV clergy disciplinary complaint with the Diocese of Florida via intake officer Bo Shippen. Shippen acknowledged receipt of the complaint, but has ignored multiple written requests to interview Anglican Watch officials as part of the complaint, or to provide a timeline/next steps.
“If our conclusions are correct, Anderson either committed mortgage fraud, or he is providing false information to the domestic relations court,” says Anglican Watch official Eric Bonetti. “Needless to say, we are deeply concerned, and we find it reprehensible that the Diocese is playing games with these issues.
“At this point, it very much looks like the Diocese of Florida is reverting to form and trying to cover up this situation.
“All persons have the right to expect clergy to act according to the highest ethical standards,” Bonetti concluded.
Subsequently, Anderson has filed a motion to seal court records in his divorce and prevent public access to details of the litigation. In response, Anglican Watch has obtained legal counsel and is filing a third-party motion to protect the public’s First Amendment rights to access this information.
Founded in 2015, Anglican Watch is the unofficial watchdog of the Episcopal Church. The organization addresses both sexual and non-sexual abuse in the Episcopal Church and other faith communities.
SOURCE Anglican Watch
CONTACT: Eric Bonetti, 240-331-6977, eric@anglicanwatch.com