The internet has a funny way of deciding someone's career is over just because a few loud voices on social media want it to be. If you’ve been scrolling through X or catching snippets of religious news lately, you’ve likely seen the question pop up: has Bishop Budd been removed?
It’s a fair thing to wonder. The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde—whose name is often shortened or misspelled as Bishop Budd in search bars—found herself at the center of a massive political and ecclesiastical firestorm. After a very public, very pointed sermon delivered right in front of the President of the United States, the calls for her resignation or removal were deafening.
But here is the reality, plain and simple: No, Bishop Mariann Budde has not been removed. She remains the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She is still at her desk, still leading her congregations, and still overseeing the Washington National Cathedral.
Why Everyone Is Asking if Bishop Budde Was Fired
The confusion didn't just appear out of thin air. It started on January 21, 2025, during the Service of Prayer for the Nation. This is a traditional event held at the Washington National Cathedral following a presidential inauguration.
Usually, these services are pretty sleepy affairs. Lots of liturgy, polite prayers, and "safe" messages about unity. Budde decided to take a different path. She looked directly at President Donald Trump and essentially issued a four-minute plea for mercy toward marginalized groups, specifically mentioning immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.
To say it didn't go over well with the administration would be an understatement.
- The Reaction: President Trump called her a "Radical Left hard line Trump hater" on Truth Social.
- The Fallout: Representative Mike Collins even suggested she should be deported (despite her being a U.S. citizen).
- The Resolution: The House of Representatives actually introduced H.Res. 59, a resolution specifically condemning her sermon as "political activism."
When a member of the clergy gets slammed by the White House and the House of Representatives in the same week, people naturally assume their job is on the line. But the Episcopal Church doesn't work like a government agency or a corporate office.
How Removal Actually Works in the Episcopal Church
You can't just "fire" a Bishop because the President is annoyed with them. Honestly, it’s a lot harder to remove a Bishop than it is to elect one.
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In the Episcopal Church, a Bishop is elected by the clergy and lay leaders of their specific diocese. Budde was elected in 2011. To remove her, there would have to be a formal "Title IV" disciplinary process involving "canonical offenses." These usually involve things like financial fraud, physical abuse, or a complete abandonment of the church's core doctrine.
Giving a sermon that makes politicians uncomfortable? That’s not a canonical offense. In fact, for many in the Episcopal Church, that’s considered part of the job description.
The Episcopal Church's national leadership actually doubled down on their support for her. A spokesperson for the church released a statement confirming she is a "Bishop in good standing" and a "valued and trusted pastor." Essentially, they told her critics that they weren't going to be pressured into any kind of removal.
The Financial "Scandal" Rumors
Another reason the "removed" rumors started swirling involves money. Some critics, including media personalities like Caleb Bond, pointed to reports that the Episcopal Church received $53 million from government-funded migrant programs.
The narrative being pushed was that Budde’s sermon wasn't about "mercy," but about protecting the church’s "business" of resettling migrants. This led to a wave of "Follow the Money" posts and demands that she be ousted for a conflict of interest.
While the church does participate in refugee resettlement—a practice they’ve engaged in for decades across multiple administrations—there is no evidence of financial impropriety that would lead to her removal. Most of these programs are handled by Episcopal Migration Ministries, a separate entity from the local Diocese of Washington.
Where Is She Now?
By late 2025 and moving into early 2026, the initial "firestorm" has mostly cooled into a low simmer. Budde hasn't retreated into the shadows. She’s been out promoting her book, We Can Be Brave: How We Learn to Be Brave in Life's Decisive Moments, and doing interviews with outlets like CBS Mornings and the Church Times.
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In these appearances, she’s been pretty candid. She’s admitted that the vitriol was "sobering" and that she received death threats. But she also told the Minnesota Star Tribune that people should "save their worry for others" who are more vulnerable than she is.
So, if you see a headline or a TikTok claiming that Bishop Budd (Budde) has finally been kicked out, check the source. More often than not, it’s a clickbait site recycling old anger from the 2025 inauguration.
Key Facts to Remember
To keep the record straight, here is the current status of the situation as of early 2026:
- Title: She remains the 9th Bishop of Washington.
- Status: She is in good standing with the Episcopal Church.
- National Cathedral: She continues to serve as the Chair of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation.
- Legal/Church Action: There are no active disciplinary proceedings against her.
It's easy to get lost in the noise of political commentary, especially when it involves the intersection of faith and power. Whether you agree with her message or think she "weaponized the pulpit," the institutional reality is that her position is secure.
If you're following this story to see what happens next, keep an eye on the official Episcopal News Service or the Diocese of Washington's announcements. They are the only sources that would actually announce a change in her leadership status. Everything else is just chatter.
Actionable Next Steps
- Verify the Name: When searching for updates, use "Mariann Budde" rather than "Bishop Budd" to get more accurate, journalistic results.
- Understand the Structure: If you’re interested in church politics, look up "Title IV Episcopal Church" to see just how high the bar is for removing a sitting Bishop.
- Read the Source: Instead of reading a summary of the sermon, find the transcript or video of the January 21, 2025, National Prayer Service to decide for yourself if it crossed a line.