A minister has quit after his church opened an investigation into a complaint about his behaviour.
Reverend Canon Terry Taggart served as the rector of St Mary’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen until earlier this year.
But his position came under scrutiny after a complaint was lodged against him.
A spokesman for the Scottish Episcopal Church said: “Terry Taggart has resigned as rector of St Mary’s in Aberdeen and from his role with the diocese.
“An internal church process was commenced following the lodging of a complaint.
“Terry Taggart resigned following the lodging of that complaint.”
‘He will not be returning’
Taggart last featured in the church’s weekly newsletter in April.
For a month after that, members of the congregation were advised to contact assistant priest Roger Dyer while Taggart was having “time off”.
That message stopped appearing at the end of May and there has been no further mention of him since.
A church spokesman added: “He will not be returning to ministry with the Scottish Episcopal Church.”
Before arriving at the church in the city’s Carden Place in September 2018, Taggart served as priest-in-charge of St Peter’s Episcopal Church in Stornoway.
His appointment there in 2015 made headlines.
That was mainly because of the link between his surname and his previous career as a police officer.
Church featured during winter jacket appeal
Taggart spent 25 years as an officer with Lincolnshire Police, rising to the rank of sergeant.
According to his recently deleted profile on the St Mary’s website, he was also studying history part-time at the University of Aberdeen.
The 65-year-old is originally from the east end of Glasgow.
Taggart was featured in the Press and Journal last winter, when St Mary’s launched an event aimed at helping people during the cost-of-living crisis.
More than 400 coats and jackets were donated to those in need.
We tracked down Taggart’s most recent mobile number in an attempt to invite him to comment on the investigation.
But when the person who answered the phone realised he was talking to a reporter, he ended the call.
