A retired vicar who claimed his crystal meth habit helped him connect with parishioners has been permanently expelled by the Church of England following a police raid that uncovered a stash of drugs at his home.

Rev Geoffrey Baulcomb, 78, formerly of St Mary the Virgin Church in Eastbourne, East Sussex, was found to be in possession of crystal meth and ketamine during a police search of his £250,000 cottage in December 2022. Baulcomb later accepted a police caution for the possession of illegal substances.

During a Church disciplinary hearing, Baulcomb admitted to church officials that he had been using drugs, including heroin, for over 20 years. He argued that his drug use “assisted him in carrying out his pastoral mission” and allowed him to better relate to people in need. However, the Church’s tribunal rejected his claims, stating that his justification showed a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the responsibilities associated with his holy orders.

Baulcomb, who retired several years ago but remained an ordained priest, had reportedly experimented with drugs for decades and had even injected heroin in front of a dealer on a previous occasion. He told church officials: “I totally accept I was wrong to have them. I am only too well aware of the high standards of my calling as a priest.”

Despite his pleas for mercy, Baulcomb was permanently banned from holding any future position within the Church of England.

The discovery at Baulcomb’s home came just months after former Co-op Bank boss and ex-minister Paul Flowers, dubbed the “Crystal Methodist” for his drug use, admitted to swindling a friend out of £100,000. Flowers is expected to be sentenced next month.

Locals in Eastbourne were shocked by the revelations, with some parishioners standing by their former priest. “He obviously needed help,” one parishioner remarked, while another noted that he had always delivered engaging sermons during his time at St Mary the Virgin Church.