Fate of accused pastor falls to his flock.(Travis Smith)

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you," he read from the Gospel of Matthew. Since Smith's arrest in October on sexual abuse and statutory rape charges, which follow similar allegations from 2010, forgiveness from his con...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Christian century (1902) 2013-01, Vol.130 (1), p.15
Main Author: Townsend, Tim
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Clergy
Company legal issue
Conventions
Ministers (Clergy)
Religious congregations
Sex crimes
Sexual abuse
Smith, Travis
Statutory rape
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you," he read from the Gospel of Matthew. Since Smith's arrest in October on sexual abuse and statutory rape charges, which follow similar allegations from 2010, forgiveness from his congregation has become critical to his survival as its pastor. To church leaders that means the denomination holds no power over mandating background checks for prospective clergy, ordaining pastors or removing pastors accused of sexual abuse of minors.
ISSN:0009-5281
2163-3312