You bring up another MAJOR problem with this priest, Empire. He is, apparently, incapable of listening to people. He is a former FBI agent, and completely convinced that everything he currently believes is Gospel Truth, and God help the man who disagrees. He has already banned a gentle and good older man from being a Lay Eucharistic Minister (person who helps with Communion) because he Confessed to him that he was gay and celibate, and that a few of his closest friends knew. When my godmother came to him for advice and help, he 'listened' to her for a half an hour and then handed her a list of things he had printed out in advance (including that she should cut-off her oldest son financially until he 'came back to the fold') and demanded her obedience. And he looked unhappy when she sad she would be obedient to God. He also banned me from working with any of the youth, after having asked our youth leader to step down, (ostensibly because of budget but really because she was slightly more liberal than he) based solely on rumors from my old church and didn't even ask me to explain or for my side of the story. The youth director has also now stepped down, with this priest's treatment of me as one of the straws that broke her back (and her eldest son's desire to leave because he doesn't want to be in a church that has replaced worship with formality).

I have been for some time now praying that he will leave the church, and that the people who have left because of him (almost 2/3 now) will return, as will the sense of worship that left with those fellow Christians.

The only reason I am still here is that there is a small chance of getting rid of him. He has not actually been hired permanently. He is our 'priest-in-charge' which is like an interim, except that he has all the powers of a full rector and is considered -when the time comes- for permanent hire. But much of the vestry (elders, kind of) are just glad to have a strong conservative, and they are the ones who will pick the calling committee.

Until yesterday, he has only given ultraconservative interpretations. This is the first time he has directly contradicted well-known Scripture.

I didn't mention it before, but 2wks ago when the couple preached together, he didn't invite them to help consecrate the Communion Elements, which is common practice with visiting priests.

Saddened in Christ,
~CSL