Pastor Jack Schaap Confession Admits Sex with Teen, Federal Agents Investigate
The former pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond, Pastor Jack Schaap has now confessed to having a sexual relationship with a member of the church. The church member was a teen at the time and at age 16. Board members of the church told the congregation Wednesday night the details of the relationship.
The Board of Deacons addressed the church Wednesday to explain their sudden decision to fire pastor Jack Schaap, who had led the church for the past 11 years. The church plans to fully cooperate with an FBI investigation into allegations that multiple sexual encounters involving the same girl took place across state lines.The FBI is also involved because the girl may have been under the age of consent. Jack Schaap was interviewed by federal agents on Wednesday.
The former pastor Jack Schaap's affair was apparently outed accidentally. A former church member told CBS Chicago about the affair.
“Jack Schaap had left his cell phone on the pulpit and a deacon had seen it on the pulpit and had picked it up to bring it back to him,” Trisha Kee, who maintains a Facebook group for ex-congregants, told the station. “From what we understand, the deacon then saw a text come through from a teenage girl in the church, and it was a picture of Jack Schaap and this girl making out.”The pastor's behavior was discovered while he preached at a youth conference last week.
Lake County Sheriff's department began a criminal investigation into the church and its Hyles-Anderson College Tuesday after talking with senior church representatives, according to the Chicago Tribune.We are happy to know that this pastor was caught in his misdeeds. As a man of God who was known for writing books on marriage and Christian dating, he should have lived by his own words. It's never a surprise that some of these megachurch ministers preach on all of the catchy and popular topics but can't live by the word of God if it was stamped on their foreheads. We can't believe he left his cell phone ON THE PULPIT knowing someone could possibly find it and catch him. Maybe he figured no one would expose him but his day has come and HIS day is here.
Eddie Wilson, director of public relations for the church, told the Chicago Sun-Times that adultery is grounds for dismissal in the church's bylaws.
The First Baptist Church of Hammond faced a similar scandal in 1991 when a deacon was convicted of molesting a 7-year-old girl in her Sunday school class. Source
Just another pastor biting the dust of sin and rebellion.
