A Presbyterian minister has spoken out about the
"devastating effect" of being removed from his congregations and
churches after years of in-fighting.Rev Stephen Dickinson, noted for his hardline views, was until recently the minister of Glenarm and Cairnalbana churches in the Antrim Glens.
However, his congregations have been left leaderless after the minister and his entire elected body of elders, known as the Kirk Session, were removed from post.
The decision was taken by the Judicial Commission, the highest ecclesiastical court of the Church. The charge was "contumacy", wilful and stubborn disobedience, and there is no right of appeal.
Confirming its decision to remove the minister and elders, the Presbyterian Church said the congregation was "riven by two factions" with "deeply fractured relationships emanating from the leadership of the Church but also penetrating into the congregation".
It is understood a breakdown in the relationship between the minister and elders over the last 10 years led to the decision.
The Judicial Commission upheld the verdict of an inquiry by Ballymena Presbytery, where Cairnalbana is situated. On July 5 2011, it ordered Rev Dickinson to read the Gospel of James and recognise, as a minister, "we who teach will be judged more strictly".
It also ordered him and the elders to reconcile, but found last year that they had failed to do so and called in the Judicial Commission to deal with them.
Rev Dickinson will be allowed to stay in the manse for up to six months and paid for up to 18 months while he decides his future.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Rev Dickinson claimed his wife Sharon had had two nervous breakdowns as a result of years of Church in-fighting which lost him his job.
"It has had a devastating effect," he said.
While a Church statement blamed a "breakdown in relations" and Rev Dickinson claimed "there was no theological disagreement, just people who decided I had to go".
"I am not bitter over that. I count it an absolute honour to have served there for 18 years," he added.
Despite
these warm words, he went on to claim there had been an orchestrated
campaign of anonymous phone calls against him which he reported to the
police.
The Presbytery spoke, in its findings, of "a
perception amongst a significant number of hearers that the pulpit was
being used to 'get at' individuals."
Asked if he had done this, Rev Dickinson said "certainly my preaching seemed to be one of the issues".
However, he denied it to the Presbytery.