It’s time to repent.
The pastor of a prominent congregation within the Presbyterian Church in America, based in Pennsylvania, has resigned from his leadership position several years after facing a “personal conduct” charge. Pastor Liam Goligher, formerly leading Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, stepped down this month following the public revelation of a 2014 arrest related to “personal conduct” at a city park in Lancaster. The arrest, involving Goligher and another congregation leader, was disclosed by the watchdog website Anglican Watch.
Anglican Watch based its report on public records, revealing that an individual matching Goligher’s description had been arrested and pleaded guilty in July 2014 for violating the Lancaster City Code prohibiting sexual acts in city parks (section 98-19.B). Subsequent reports confirmed Goligher’s guilt, and Tenth Presbyterian deacon Susan Elzey also pleaded guilty to the same charge on the same day.
In response to the revelation, Tenth Presbyterian Church issued a statement, explaining that the 2014 arrest was previously unknown to the church. The denomination, Presbyterian Church in America, has specific processes for reviewing the conduct of its ministers, and the matter has been referred to the Philadelphia Presbytery for investigation. The church expressed its commitment to follow formal dissolution procedures before initiating the search for a new Senior Minister in accordance with denominational polity.
The statement acknowledged the difficulty of the news for the Tenth community, emphasizing a range of emotions among its members. In times of Church challenges, the mission is described as seeking the truth, encouraging repentance, and fostering reconciliation with God and one another.
Tenth Presbyterian has faced additional controversies, including abuse allegations from its leadership. A report by the group Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment detailed allegations from over 20 former and current church members against six Tenth Church leaders. Moreover, Anglican Watch accused Goligher of interfering with the GRACE investigation and making false statements to investigators. The church’s commitment to seeking truth, repentance, and reconciliation is reiterated in the face of these challenging circumstances.