A priest who led a group of Central Florida Episcopalians out of the Episcopal Church into an association with the Anglican Province of Kenya a year ago has now been suspended by his bishop because of an inappropriate relationship with a woman in his parish.
According to a report in a local paper:
The Rev. Lorne Coyle, of Christ Church of Vero Beach, was suspended effective 2 p.m. Sunday because his bishop received an out-of-state woman’s allegations that she and Coyle, who is married, had an affair, said the church’s senior warden, Jim Reamy III.
The bishop, from Virginia, met with Coyle last week in Vero Beach to inform him of the accusation. [John Guernsey, a bishop for priests and congregations in the United States that are affiliated with the Anglican Church of Uganda.]
On Sunday, Coyle stood in front of the 400-member congregation and confirmed he had sexual relations with an adult women over a period of years, Reamy said. Coyle left the building before the recessional hymn.
“This is very overwhelming,” Reamy said.
According to another source Guernsey learned of the charges from Bishop Howe of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida.
Read the full article here.
The congregation’s website is here and here. More information about Canon Coyle can be found here. Coyle was a Canon at the Cathedral in Orlando when he was still part of the Episcopal Church, and served as a board member of NOEL, a group in the Episcopal Church opposed to abortion.