Darrell Gilyard Controversy: Church Hires Convicted Sex Offender, No Kids Allowed At Sermons
A convicted sex offender can keep on preaching, but children are barred from attending his sermons.
The Florida Times Union reports that lawyers for Darrell Gilyard withdrew a motion to allow minors at sermons conducted by the former Jacksonville, Fla., megachurch pastor.
Though children are not allowed, attendance at the Christ Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church has spiked since Gilyard began preaching in January, less than two months after he was released from prison, according to the Times Union.
“He was down on the ground, and the church was down on the ground, and we both needed to get up,” Deacon Paul S. Newman Sr. told the paper.
Gilyard pleaded guilty in 2009 to molesting a teenage girl from his former Jacksonville church and sending lewd messages to another, according to a previous Times Union article.
Since Gilyard joined the church, protesters have greeted him when he comes to work.
"A minister who has done such evil should not be restored to the pulpit until his repentance is as notorious as his sin," George Harvey, pastor at Mt. Charity Baptist Church told News 4 JAX.
Post by GailGoldie on May 30, 2012 14:37:05 GMT -5
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?
Our pastor cheated on his wife with her best friend... the governing body of our type of Lutheran church (LCMS) kicked him out of the Synod... he can never be a pastor anywhere again. What type of freakin' denomination is this that allows him to stay on as a pastor- anywhere???
And who are the idiot people going to this church that are OK with it???
**DISCLAIMER - I am not supporting anything I am about to say, these are not my views!**
My guess is that he "developed a deeper love of God" while in prison, and had some sort of miraculous vision from God. People are always rooting for the underdog, and some congregations eat this conversion stuff up with a spoon. I would bet his stories of temptation/wrongs/and salvation are what are spiking the attendance.
I don't give a flying shit what he developed and personally, I wouldn't care if he attended the church. However, his past crimes should preclude him from serving in any ministry involving children or any thing that puts him in the position of authority.
Post by basilosaurus on May 30, 2012 14:52:22 GMT -5
I have a feeling you're right, pixy.
My pastor when I was in high school had previously cheated on his wife. It was at another church, and someone from that congregation was threatening to out him, so he called a meeting of church adults, divulged, and asked for forgiveness. Because his wife had already forgiven him, and it was years prior, not that big a deal. He spun it into a "we're all fallen, sinners, jesus forgives" type of thing. Plus, he was a really good speaker, and it took 2 years of searching to find him.
It wasn't until after the divorce, after then marrying someone he'd previously been maritally counseling (and dating while she was in counseling), and the awesome icing on the cheater cake, engaging in an affair while at work, sending explicit emails from his church account that he was kicked out and defrocked.
There are so many people in the ministry. I'm not so sure what's so damned hard about restricting yourself to those who don't have issues with appropriate behavior with parishioners.
Jesus wanted the children to come unto Him. This is jacked up. He must be saying something that strikes the right chords. Most likely the anti-gay ones.
Post by EloiseWeenie on May 30, 2012 16:04:30 GMT -5
This disgusts me. He's a manipulator that is driven by power. I am so disappointed that this congregation has made him their spiritual leader.
It's true, Christians love a beauty from ashes story. There is a huge difference between trying to support someone who claims a new life and letting them be your faith guide.
Our pastor cheated on his wife with her best friend... the governing body of our type of Lutheran church (LCMS) kicked him out of the Synod... he can never be a pastor anywhere again. What type of freakin' denomination is this that allows him to stay on as a pastor- anywhere???
And who are the idiot people going to this church that are OK with it???
they all deserve each other, apparently.
Huh... I knew an LCMS pastor who fit that description. Wonder if it was the same one!