Episcopal Priest who acknowledged being Druid leader resigns

DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. - An Episcopal priest who, along with his wife, was criticized by the church for being a leader of a local Druid society, has resigned from his church.

Lay leaders at St. James' Episcopal Church determined Friday that recent events would make it difficult for the Rev. William Melnyk "to continue effectively as the Rector of the church," according to a letter distributed to parishioners Sunday. Melnyk then said he would resign, the letter said.

Melnyk and his wife, the Rev. Glyn Ruppe-Melnyk, faced possible punishment from the church after it was discovered that they were leaders of a local society of Druids, people who follow a pre-Christian practice of worshipping the sun and venerating the Earth.

Some churchgoers wept at the news of William Melnyk's resignation, while others said they wanted an explanation. Melnyk was not at church Sunday and a home telephone number for him could not be located.

"It's like a death," said Barbara Monaghan, a 19-year parishioner. "This is a parish that's been flourishing, and we owe a lot of that to Bill Melnyk."

Ruppe-Melnyk led services Sunday at her church in Malvern, St. Francis-in-the-Fields, but still faces possible discipline, according to Jeff Brodeur, spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.

"We're disappointed that it had to come to this," Brodeur said. "It's been an emotional situation for everyone."

On Thursday, after national Christian groups and Internet bloggers accused the Episcopal Church USA of promoting paganism through the priests' activities, the two wrote letters of apology, saying they "recanted and repudiated" their connection with Druidism. The two said their involvement in Druidism was an effort to "help others who had lost connection to the Church to find a way to reconnect."

I am SO GLAD I am not working for an Episcopal church anymore. As a musician I foundd my work gratifying and the music is beautiful. However, the last straw was when the choir director moved into the rectory with his gay lover.

I knew some churches in South Dakota were promoting goddess worship years ago. I wonder why this dude was singled out.

"Come out from her, my people, and be not partakers of her sin....."

This a joke in their cirlces. Not the Druidism isn't pagan and they shouldn't be removed from their duties, but the head of the Episcopal Church worldwide, the Archbishop of Canterbury is a druid himself--and claims druidism is simply the religion of Noah, Abraham and Job.(!)

Rowan Williams quote: "We will reverence the piety of those who may be alarmed at the idea of Druidism (which they will be ready enough to call Paganism) being still alive in this Island," he wrote. "But let them examine it a little, they will find that the Ancient British, Patriarchal Religion, is no more than that of Noah, Abraham or Job, inimical to Christianity. A man is no less a Christian for being a Druid, or a Druid for being a Christian." [...] While putting "his own idiosyncratic spin" on Hindu and druid influences, Williams remained firm in his Christian beliefs and even helped foster Unitarianism in Wales, says Dr Charnell-White of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. "

whole article: When a Druid isn't a Druid

After gay marriage, what's a little more paganism more or less to these people seeing that the head of the whole Church is a druid himself?

The operative phrase is: "..come out from the midst of them."

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Be not diversely yoked with unbelievers; for what participation is there between righteousness and lawlessness? or what fellowship of light with darkness? and what consent of Christ with Beliar, or what part for a believer along with an unbeliever? and what agreement of God's temple with idols? for *ye* are the living God's temple; according as God has said, I will dwell among them, and walk among them ; and I will be their God, and they shall be to me a people. Wherefore come out from the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and touch not what is unclean, and *I* will receive you; and I will be to you for a Father, and ye shall be to me for sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen

I wonder why this dude was singled out.

"He got caught." is the short answer, though it's more accurate to say his wife got caught.

If you seriously don't know, scroll back about a week in the religion threads, or search on "Episcopagan", "Asherah worship" or "Women's Eucharist".'

For all I can tell from here, he's doing the right thing. From right motives or not, I couldn't say.

God is in the process of destroying the ECUSA and purifying the entire Anglican Communion. It has been a slow and painful process, but far more effective than the type of instant armaggedon he delivered to Sodom, etal. All Christians are being given a "learning opportunity" directly from the Almighty. Folks...there's a lot of Christians and Christian churches out there that are walking down a similar destructive path. We all better get a clue and repent before its too late. What's that saying?...something about evil prevailing when good men do nothing?

Evil prevails when good men do nothing. For a very long time, Episcopalians have been silent witnesses to the heresy and even apostasy of church leadership (clergy & lay). Evil now prevails in the ECUSA and even has a strangle-hold on the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. God is busy destroying the unrighteous. The rest of the Christian world should be sitting up and taking note. God will not be mocked. He is now busy tying millstones around the necks of the people who've led his sheep into sin and taken His name in vain.

This is good news - that the Melnycks will be stepping down voluntarily from their repsective parishes. But as somebody else said - the main reason is that they got caught...big time! By bloggers and concerned Christians on the net.

The bad news is that ECUSA has quite a few like minded ones among their clergy all over the place. Most are far more circumspect about their pagan/new age private worship.

Perhaps the best thing is that the two parishes were spared a knock down, drag out fight to prove the Melnycks "innocent", which might have split or broken up the congregations.

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