Hunt Priest, an Episcopal clergyman who founded Ligare, a Christian psychedelic nonprofit, was removed from ordained ministry after church leaders ruled he used pastoral authority to endorse illegal drug use. Priest, who first encountered psilocybin in a 2016 Johns Hopkins clergy study, said his group only offers pastoral support, not psychedelics themselves. The case highlights a growing debate in U.S. churches over whether psychedelics can be framed as spiritually legitimate, or risk causing harm if tied too closely to religious practice.