TRENTON, N.J.--The Rev. Frederick Boyle, has made no secret of his criticism of the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Now the pastor of Titusville United Methodist Church in Hopewell Township has been placed on mandatory 30-day leave from the pulpit.
The Times of Trenton reports the pastor's criticism of the war enraged some of his congregants and Bishop Alfred Johnson of the Greater New Jersey Conference placed him on a leave-of-absence.
Church spokesperson David Malloy said, "The church is going through a very chaotic time."
The turmoil began when Rev. Boyle took a peace-promoting trip to Iraq in February last year and subsequently defied a federal government order to reveal his expenses for the trip.
More recently Boyle fasted for 22 days in protest of the alleged mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners by American troops. That action increased some parishioners' discontent with him.
Boyle has received widespread media attention for his actions, and some congregants did not want to be associated with him.
"They are working on reconciling some issues going on in the church and how the church dealt with his personal witness," Malloy said.
Malloy said Boyle's mandatory leave is not to silence him.
"We agree with his personal right to express his views," Malloy said. "We don't censor our pastors."
