Former Ridgewood Episcopal Priest Arrested for Child Porn

The Rev. Gregory Lisby file photo

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, a priest the Rev. Gregory Lisby who previously served at Christ Church in Ridgewood, New Jersey, from 2010 to 2015 was arrested on Sept. 12 and charged with possession of child pornography after FBI agents raided the rectory where he lives with his husband, the church’s rector in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

Lisby had been suspended last year from his position as rector of All Saints Church in Worcester, Massachusetts, “for an inappropriate relationship with an adult that did not involve sexual contact,” the Rt. Rev. Douglas Fisher wrote in a letter to the diocese, adding that that disciplinary process did not yield any indication that Lisby was a danger to children. At the time of the Sept. 11 raid, Lisby had just begun teaching kindergarten in a public school in Holyoke. He had worked in other teaching positions in the area since his suspension,.

Lisby’s husband, the Rev. Timothy Burger, is the rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Worcester, and they have been living in that church’s rectory with their two daughters. Court records say that a tip from Microsoft led FBI agents to that address, and that the investigation found nearly 200 images and videos of child pornography in a Microsoft account associated with Lisby, MassLive reported. At 2:30 a.m. after the raid, Lisby emailed a brief resignation letter to the principal of the elementary school he worked at, saying, “Last night, I was accused of an awful crime that could put our Holyoke children in harm’s way.” He was arrested later that day.

If convicted, Lisby could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A judge determined Lisby is a flight risk and a danger to the public, so he is being held in federal custody until his next court date, scheduled for Sept. 23.