Church Official Indicted in Attack Quits Post : Religion: Immanuel Presbyterian parishioners fought bitterly over administrator Walker Railey’s tenure. He is suspected of trying to kill his wife in 1987.

After weeks of bitter infighting among parishioners, Immanuel Presbyterian Church has accepted the resignation of Walker L. Railey, the church’s executive administrator who was indicted last month in the attempted murder of his wife, a church spokesman said Wednesday.

In a letter to the church’s governing board, Railey cited intense media interest in his pending trial for the decision to quit the $63,000-post, which he had held since May, 1991. His resignation was accepted Tuesday night and became effective Wednesday, the spokesman said.

“With public interest likely to increase between today and the time of trial, it seems in the best interest of everyone that I remove myself from such a visible posture,” Railey said in the letter. “During these days of transition, when every ounce of the congregation’s energy needs to be focused in the same direction, too much effort is being diverted because of my position on the staff.”

Spokesman Hayward Fong said the resignation was accepted “with regret,” but he emphasized that Railey was not leaving Immanuel, which has been struggling for years to reverse a declining membership amid dramatic ethnic and economic changes in its Mid-Wilshire neighborhood. Railey retains his church membership and will remain active in the parish, Fong said.

“We will put him to work as a volunteer,” he said. Railey could not be reached for comment.

Railey’s resignation was greeted Wednesday with skepticism by some current and former members of the church, which has been divided over his tenure there. The charismatic former Methodist minister was hired to help rebuild the troubled parish, but some parishioners never fully accepted him because of suspicions surrounding the attack on his wife and subsequent allegations that he verbally abused staff members at Immanuel.

“It is the end of a chapter, but not the end of the book,” said Zeta Heiter, who stopped attending the church in April because of Railey. “He is still there, and so is the leadership of the church that hired him.”

Some of Railey’s supporters said Wednesday that his decision to step down was in the best interest of the church.

“For the church, it is probably the best decision,” said Mitch Moore, who runs youth programs for the church. “He is not the kind of man who would have done it if he didn’t feel it was the right thing.”

Church officials also announced Wednesday the appointment of Donald Fuchs, a career business administrator, to replace Railey. Fuchs, however, will have authority only over business operations of the church, Fong said. As executive administrator, Railey also oversaw religious programs.

Railey was indicted Aug. 25 by a Texas grand jury in the attempted strangulation of Margaret (Peggy) Railey on April 22, 1987. Peggy Railey was found nearly choked to death in the garage of the couple’s Dallas home, and has remained in a persistent vegetative state since. Railey was senior pastor at Dallas’ prestigious First Methodist Church at the time and has been considered the prime suspect by police for five years.

Shortly after the attack, Railey moved to California with his lover, the daughter of a former pastor at his Dallas church. Railey also surrendered his ministerial credentials and relinquished custody of his two young children to their godparents. He has attempted to divorce his wife in both Texas and California, but the proceedings have never been completed.

Railey was extradited to Dallas after his arrest last month, but he has since returned to Los Angeles after posting $25,000 bail. His trial is expected to begin in January.