"He put her in a position that this is OK because it's what God wants. He was using God to justify it," said Wonder.
Wonder said Hinn, who is married and has four children, continued the affair after her parents divorced. She said church officials confronted Hinn with evidence of the affair in December 2012, but he refused to admit he was involved with the woman.On Jan. 14, Hinn denied the allegations of an affair to his wife, but promised not to talk to the woman again, Wonder said. Later the same day, she said, Hinn's car was photographed parked outside her mother's apartment.On Wednesday, church officials read a letter to the congregation from Hinn that said he had ended a relationship and was temporarily stepping down from the ministry to devote more time to his marriage. Officials said an outside pastor would be ministering to Sam Hinn during his "restoration process."
Nehemiah Griego, 15, was arrested after allegedly shooting his father, former Calvary Albuquerque pastor Gregory Griego, as well as four other family members--presumed to be his mother and three elementary-school-aged siblings--with an assault rifle at their Albuquerque home. Griego took a leave of absence from the church, one of New Mexico's largest, last year.
I'm Torn on what to say about the shooting deaths of Greg Griego, his loving wife Sara, and 3 of their beautiful young children. One of their sons is the suspect, and reportedly has confessed. There are other details I just don't feel comfortable in sharing, out of respect for the family, and the legal process. I know a lot of you are wondering what happened & why. We may never know fully or completely. He was a friend, & This I DO know: Greg was an ex con and former Gangbanger who Completely turned his life around through his Faith in Jesus. Greg, with the full support & blessing of his wife and family, spent the rest of his life visiting Jails & Prisons, sharing his story and changing Lives through the Love of Christ. He became a Chaplain & Pastor, and worked tirelessly at MDC in what used to be called "The God Pod". He encouraged and mentored so many of us in the Jail Ministries over the years. I can't pretend to speak for him...but I KNOW he would have asked us to Forgive the one who did this awful thing, because he never thought it was too late to change a person's heart & mind. Greg knew he himself was imperfect, and I know he struggled with his faults (as we all do) over the years. I also know he never believed there was Any man beyond the redemption of Jesus. Please honor his memory & life's work, by showing Love, Compassion & Forgiveness to those who have done wrong & even horrible things. Let us all Fast & Pray, and examine our hearts towards those who commit crimes, have mental illness, and feel hopelessly alone. May our Great & Mighty God protect us all, and see us through this darkness.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million.
According to the Diocese of Bridgeport, Wallin, 61, resigned from his post after nine years, telling parishioners “that he was struggling with a number of health and personal issues” and he was granted a sabbatical.
“During his sabbatical, the diocese became concerned about Msgr. Wallin’s well being and have continued to reach out to him,” the diocese said in a statement. “To date, he has not spoken directly with diocesan officials.”We hope that he learns from this and realizes that this is a bad example on the diocese and what others feel who look up to him.
“Mr. Bridges’ racial bias led him to commit the dangerous crime of arson,” Heaphy said, according to the release.
“When he set fire to the New Holy Deliverance Outreach Ministry, he endangered neighbors and first responders. This act of prejudice offended the entire community. This office will protect the civil rights of everyone and vigorously prosecute crimes like that committed by Mr. Bridges. Racism has no place in Axton or anywhere else in the Western District of Virginia,” Heaphy continued.Jean-Claude Bridges could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and/or face fine of up to $250,000.
“I’m stuck in a pair of handcuffs and I’m going to need help getting out before it becomes a medical emergency,” Donovan tells the dispatcher in a muffled voice.Abbey-Roads also reports a spokesperson from the diocese told the media that on Jan. 10, Father Tom Donovan, pastor of St. Aloysius Church in Springfield, approached Bishop Thomas Paprocki about the incident prior to Christmas and before it attracted media attention.
Watch the video below for the details and hear the priest's voice on the 911 call:
“The one act of violence has not controlled us, we remain strong, and faithful, and God’s light continues to shine it was not put out,” said Reverend Evon Lloyd, First United Presbyterian Church.The church's organist, 53-year old Darlene-Sitler was shot and killed during Sunday service on December 2nd. It was her ex-husband, 52-year-old Gregory Eldred, who has been charged with first degree murder in connection with her death. Sunday, the congregation lit a candle in Sitler’s memory.
“Darlene was a joyous, generous, enthusiastic, exuberant person…for her to be with her Church family, and doing what she loved when she died, was horrific but it was a gift, and for this congregation to support her in that, gives me a lot of comfort,” said Rev Lloyd.As part of her message to the congregation, Reverend Lloyd expressed her deepest appreciation for the continued support from those around the globe, as well as from other area churches, and community members here at home.
“A violent evil act does not have the last word, God’s love and grace has the last word and the love and grace has been overwhelming from every corner,” said Rev Lloyd.
A ruling in Hunter's favor could give the 55-year-old pastor the support he needs to get reinstated as the head of First AME, a position he has held for the last eight years.Hunter has maintained that his reassignment was improper and that church law requires him to be moved to a church of equal or greater status. Bethel San Francisco's congregation is 650 members, compared with the 19,000-member church in Los Angeles.
"Rather than contacting the appropriate authorities, defendant (Victory Christian Center) chose to conduct its own 'investigation' with the ultimate purpose of doing damage control as opposed to protecting the victim", the lawsuit reads.
"Yes he was under a tremendous amount of stress such as anyone who runs an international ministry, however this does not excuse his behavior," Eddie Wilson, spokesperson for FBC Hammond, shared with The Christian Post on Tuesday."He was a gifted leader who led the church to start many new ministries, and the church experienced growth under his leadership, but this does not give anyone the right to justify sinful actions," Wilson added.
“Me and my ex-wife were in porn, we were in the booze and the drugs,” said New Heart’s Senior Pastor Claude Gilliland III, who thought it appropriate to offer those very personal revelations to the congregation.Pastor Gilliland III confronted his congregation but only after he was publicly outed as a convicted sex offender. He was recently elected just two weeks before the news hit he has a criminal past. The pastor admits the news hurt many people:
“The pain and heartache it brought to New Heart Church, I did not intend it to be this way,” Gilliland said.WFAA reported the pastor, 54, said he served four years in prison after being convicted in 1993 for the sexual assault of his ex-wife. He still denies he did it, but he acknowledges he was no angel back then, either, and that the fast life caught up with him.
“The life I led was nothing but a juggle, and it was heartache after heartache after heartache," Gilliland said.
“All of us have a past," said Rina Ramos. "If we believe in the redemptive work of Christ, then this man is a miracle. A man with a past makes a great pastor, because he has been there."The founder and retiring leader of the little church in Cleburne said there was no intent to hide Gilliland's past.
"There's nothing that was ever kept secret," Carl Roye said. "He said two weeks ago, 'I've got a dark, dark past, and if anybody wants to know about it, you just ask me and I'll be glad to tell you.'"What started the rumor mill was a Cleburne newspaper published photos of registered sex offenders, including Gilliland and church members complained.
"He's asked God to forgive him. He's told us he asked God to forgive him," Roye said. "I take him at his word for it."AT2W's Take: We say, if the man has changed his life and the church officials felt he would still be a great pastor for the church, then so be it. Not everyone has a squeaky clean background and if he is sincere about being changed for the good, then he should be given the chance to serve others. Now, it would be those who deny their past fully, even when exposed, that we should have a problem with. Unfortunately, those are the ones people follow and praise for the wrong reasons.
"He was 11 years old when he was a member of the First Methodist Church … and he was involved in church activities with his pastor. Pastor Walker molested him at the church and also Camp Magruder," said Dumas.Dumas is one of two lawyers from O'Donnell Clark & Crew LLP that will be representing the man in the lawsuit that seeks $4.5 million dollars. The Portland-based firm often represents adult victims of childhood sexual abuse that is brought against institutions.
“As a result of the trauma caused by childhood sexual abuse, very few sexual abuse survivors ever report what happened to them. It can be years and even decades before those who do report come forward. Simple telling their story is a huge step towards healing," said Dumas.Dumas said that her client did not contract AIDS from Pastor Walker.
"The messages sent by the perpetrator clearly indicated that intimate sexual contact had already taken place between plaintiff and the perpetrator and that the perpetrator was planning further encounters with her," the complaint states. "New Wine and Project Life failed to take any action to protect the minor plaintiff and allowed the perpetrator to serve as the senior pastor, all to the plaintiff's further detriment.
"In addition to the incidents set forth above, from approximately February 2008 through November 2011, the perpetrator repeatedly sexually abused and exploited plaintiff by engaging in illegal sexual contact while she was still a minor. Plaintiff was approximately thirteen (13) years old when the sexual abuse began. The perpetrator engaged in this illegal sexual contact with plaintiff on the premises of New Wine, including the physical structure the church parsonage (the perpetrator's house) as well as other locations in the County of Riverside and the County of San Diego.
"In November 2011, perpetrator was arrested for his sexual assaults on plaintiff, and subsequently sentenced to more than nine years in state prison."We are happy the victim received some justice in the case and we pray she has been able to move forward from this ordeal.
