A dispute has broken out in the Orange Order which has led to the resignation of a prominent member from the order's education committee. He has accused the organisation of being "on the road to nowhere".
The Rev Brian Kennaway, who was joined by seven other members of the committee in resigning, said the order was drifting away from its principles and would soon be in crisis.
"When I joined the Orange institution 36 years ago, I joined a religious organisation. I joined because I believed in its core values and principles . . . but in recent years it has become far more politicised."
Mr Kennaway said he was speaking out "more in sorrow than in anger", adding: "The Orange Order has tragically failed to grasp the realities of the days it is living in. Instead of looking out it is looking in. Instead of broadening its membership it is alienating people. Instead of spreading its message it is refusing to talk. Instead of confronting its enemies it is running away."
He expressed particular concern about an internal investigation into the constitution and workings of the education committee, which he described as "unbrotherly and unchristian". Members have been criticised for making a number of trips to Dublin in recent months. "We do not know why the investigation was ordered in the first place, the order has not had the courtesy to give us any reasons and has refused to give us a copy of its report despite several letters asking for it," he added.
The education committee, which is charged with informing members and the public about the Order's beliefs and workings, has been seen as a power base for the liberal wing of the order. It has repeatedly come in for criticism by the hard-line Spirit of Drumcree faction. Mr Kennaway was criticised by the Northern Ireland Unionist Party MLA and leading Orangeman, Mr Norman Boyd, who accused him of being out of step with grass-roots members.
"There have been many grassroots Orange Order members who have been alarmed for several years at the power this so-called education committee has been exercising, which has gone well beyond its remit," he said.
"Regrettably, Mr Kennaway has caused huge damage to the image of the Orange Order this week and has projected himself with despicable headlining attacks on the Orange Order for his own narrow agenda."
In a statement the Orange leadership expressed "deep regret" that some members had found it necessary to go public on internal matters. The Grand Lodge officers said they were not prepared to respond to "this attempt to discredit the institution, other than to express their disappointment that a few have seen fit to proceed down this road".