Earlier today, Anglican Watch issued the following press release, which calls on Tenth Presbyterian to repent and make restitution over the church’s lies and perjury directed at whistleblower Phil Snyder.
Until the church does repent, publicly and in writing, we will continue our efforts to hold the church accountable. We have zero patience for clergy and churches that engage in criminal conduct, and will not treat the matter as “water over the dam” or otherwise afford the church and its leadership cheap grace.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 7, 2025 /Christian Newswire/ — Anglican Watch, which first broke the news about former Tenth Presbyterian pastor Liam Goligher’s abusive affair with a married parishioner, today called on Tenth Presbyterian to repent of its sinful behavior directed at whistleblower and former member Phil Snyder.
“We believe the recent decision by the Philadelphia Presbytery to defrock Liam Goligher is warranted and long overdue,” said Anglican Watch editor Eric Bonetti. “However, we are deeply concerned that the denomination has assigned a committee to support Goligher while ignoring the egregious misconduct towards whistleblower Phil Snyder.
“Specifically, we believe the evidence is clear: Goligher and his allies within the church falsely told law enforcement and the courts that Snyder threatened them. They did so because they wanted to silence Snyder and prevent him from peacefully protesting outside the church.
“By bearing this false witness, Tenth Presbyterian cost Snyder more than $150,000 in legal fees and disrupted his marriage.
“Anglican Watch therefore calls on Tenth Presbyterian to repent of these lies, publicly and in writing. We also call on the church to make full restitution to Snyder, including his legal fees, and to offer to restore his membership in the church.”
Bonetti continued: “It is shocking, appalling, and outrageous that Tenth would appoint a committee to support Goligher while ignoring Snyder and other victims of abuse at Tenth.
“Moreover, Tenth Presbyterian continues to welcome several abusers identified but not named in last year’s GRACE report. This leads us to conclude that the decision to defrock Goligher, largely done behind closed doors, is little more than badly done church theater.
“We recognize that genuine repentance is painful and risky and could lead to allegations of perjury. However, accountability for those involved in this egregious conduct is not optional. Nor is it optional for Tenth Presbyterian to make restitution to Snyder or other victims of abuse at the church.”
Anglican Watch is the unofficial watchdog of the Episcopal Church and addresses abuse in all faith traditions. Founded in 2015, the organization is online at www.anglicanwatch.com.
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