Pastor Schaap's Former Church First Baptist of Hammond Plan Lay Offs
The First Baptist Church of Hammond is laying off a quarter of the church's staff, a church spokesman confirmed last week.
The layoffs happen to come in the wake of a federal guilty plea by the church's former head Pastor Jack Schaap, who admitted to a sexual relationship with an underage parish girl he had been counseling.
Even though church donations have remained the same, church leaders decided to include a $1 million per year loan payment into its budget, which just happens to forced the church to have to layoff staffers, said Eddie Lapina, the church's interim pastor.
Lapina said outside donations have been used to support the payment, but those have not met expectations. The church took out the loan when it expanded and built its auditorium nearly seven years ago and has $16 million remaining to pay.
“I just have never had to do anything more difficult in my life,” said Lapina of the layoffs, calling people who were laid off excellent workers.
Layoffs began Thursday and may continue through the week, said church spokesman Eddie Wilson. The cuts left the church's radio station, WRTW-FM 90.5, with one employee.
Along with the loan payment, the church has seen a steady decline in donations and gifts since 2008, Wilson said. Lapina estimated donations are down 10 percent from last year.Read more about the restructuring of finances due to a new pastor and buildings HERE.
“In looking at this, it has been a long time coming,” Wilson said. “And we've had some major donors that have not been able to give at the same level as they have."
