Online publication Current, citing Ministry Watch, has confirmed the details behind the Liam Goligher and Susan Elzey debacle.
Here is the cited content:
Liam Goligher is out as pastor at Philadelphia’s historic Tenth Presbyterian Church, an historic and influential congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America, but critics are asking what took so long.
Goligher, who arrived at Tenth in 2011, was arrested and pleaded guilty in July 2014 to “personal conduct” charges in a city park in Lancaster, Penn., with Susan Elzey. The Lancaster Parks and Recreation Department confirmed to MinistryWatch that “personal conduct” is language often used to identify lewd or sexual behavior.
Though the incident took place nearly a decade ago, it was made public this week by a watchdog group called Anglican Watch.
But both Goligher and Elzey maintained their leadership positions in the church for nine years since the incident.
Elzey is still listed on the church’s website as a deacon and leader of a church small group. She pleaded guilty to the same charge on the same day.
Anglican Watch is a volunteer-run nonprofit publication that advocates on behalf of “those hurt or abused by the church” in Episcopalian and “other faith traditions.” It published a series of posts, including one detailing the nine-year-old criminal dockets that included the guilty pleas of the couple.
The administrator of Tenth Presbyterian Church, Jim Hess, provided the following statement to MinistryWatch:
Dr. Liam Goligher resigned as Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church on Friday, December 1, 2023. This has been difficult news for the Tenth community. The formal dissolution of the pastoral relationship will be conducted according to the polity of the Presbyterian Church in America. Tenth Church has no further information regarding the 2014 citations of Dr. Goligher and Susan Elzey other than what is publicly available. Our denomination also has a process for addressing questions which the citations could raise. Concerns related to Dr. Goligher will be referred to the Philadelphia Presbytery and those pertaining to Susan Elzey to Tenth’s Session.
Goligher has disappeared from the church’s staff page, but you can still access hundreds of his sermons. It appears he last preached there on Nov. 26, delivering a sermon on Ephesians 1. Goligher has also had a long association with Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) and The Gospel Coalition. Both organizations have removed content by Goligher.
Read the rest here.
Meanwhile, Anglican Watch was amused to talk with a former Tenth Street member, who refers to Susan Elzey as “Jezebelzy.”
We also hear an all-too-familiar refrain, which is that there are a substantial number of congregants who oppose Goligher and his bullying, narcissistic ways, but they are too timid to speak out.
Folks, the early Christians got eaten by lions. Modern Christians are afraid of their own shadows.
Does that tell you anything?
Do you know of Susan Elzey is still a Deaconness there? The website still lists her, but there is not photo and no link to contact her. It has also removed her as leader of small group. I am not looking for salacious details. I just wonder if they are allowing her to remain in leadership after being arrested for “personal conduct.” If so, that is a really sad state of affairs.
Hi Jose. That’s a good question. We think the answer is no, but we’ve been keeping a low profile for Christmas.
Anyone else?
Hope you and yours are having a happy holiday season.