Saturday, December 18, 2010

Former Episcopal priest starts new ministry


From The Diocese of Pennsylvania-

A former Episcopal priest removed from the church after accusations of involvement with druidic activities has resurfaced with his own small, non-denominational congregation.

The Rev. William Melnyk, former rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Downingtown, resigned from the church in late 2004 amid investigations that he and his wife, the Rev. Glyn Ruppe-Melnyk, wrote two druidic ceremonies as suggestions for women's liturgies. The druids were a Celtic sect that predates Christianity.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Bishop Charles E. Bennison declined to suspend the two priests from the church.

Ruppe-Melnyk still serves as the rector of St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Willistown.

Melnyk said recently that Bishop Bennision agreed to reinstate him if Melnyk could agree to not write or speak about Celtic spirituality. Melnyk said he could not agree to those terms and that it became evident earlier this year that his reinstatement was not going to happen.

"So I then thought, here's an opportunity to do church the way I think it ought to be done," Melnyk said.

So in July, Melnyk began St. Brendan of the Ninth Wave, where he practices what he calls Celtic Christianity.

More here-

http://dailylocal.com/articles/2010/12/18/news/srv0000010332871.txt

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