Episcopal Priest Deposed From Ministry For Endorsing Psychedelic Drugs, Magic Mushrooms

The Rev. Hunt Priest, founder of the ‘Christian Psychedelic Society’ Ligare, was deposed from the Episcopal Church’s ministry by Bishop Frank Logue of Georgia earlier this week, concluding a 13-month Title IV disciplinary process. The action followed a complaint by the Rev. Joe Welker, a Presbyterian pastor and former Ligare intern, who accused Priest of endorsing illegal psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, and leveraging his priestly authority to promote Ligare’s mission, which the diocese deemed outside sacramental ministry. In 2015, Priest was reading the progressive Christian magazine The Christian Century when he came across an advertisement for a study by researchers at...