Religion

The Bristol Herald Courier reports: Detectives arrested Michael Canter, 38, of Abingdon, Virginia, without incident Thursday, Sept. 8 on multiple sexual assault charges against a juvenile female, according to a press release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. At the time of his arrest, Canter, a resident of Washington County, Virginia, was serving as the pastor at Valley View Baptist …

CNN reports: The Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote declined on Wednesday a request from Yeshiva University to block a lower court order that requires the New York university to recognize a “Pride Alliance” LGBTQ student club. In an unsigned order, the Supreme Court noted that the New York state courts had yet to issue a final order in the …

NBC News reports: The Supreme Court on Friday temporarily allowed an Orthodox Jewish university in New York to deny official recognition to an LGBTQ student group, the latest in a series of decisions in favor of religious rights. Justice Sonia Sotomayor in a brief order granted an emergency request made by Yeshiva University, which claims that recognizing the group would …

The Associated Press reports: A former Utah city mayor and bishop with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been arrested on accusations he sexually abused at least three children decades ago. Carl Matthew Johnson, 77, was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Davis County jail in northern Utah on suspicion of seven counts of sex abuse of …

Courthouse News reports: The ACLU of Indiana filed a class action lawsuit Thursday that challenges Indiana’s new abortion law by claiming the restrictions violate religious freedoms. The lawsuit was filed in Marion County and argues that the law known as SEA 1 violates Hoosiers’ rights under the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act by denying them access to abortions that would …

The Kennewick Tri-Cities Herald reports: A Tri-Cities priest has been arrested on suspicion of rape. Rev. Tomás Vázquez Téllez, 49, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of third-degree rape with an aggravating factor of being a person of trust. Vázquez Téllez has been serving at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Pasco since Sept. 2021. Vázquez Téllez was booked into the Benton …

The Insider reports: A North Carolina school baptized more than 100 students without asking permission from their parents, The Fayetteville Observer reported on Friday. When parents learned that their children had been baptized at the Northwood Temple Academy, they were upset. “My daughter calls me from the school and says, ‘Mama, can you bring me some dry clothes? I got …

The Maryland Bay reports: Reverend Jaroslaw “Jerry” Gamrot, 58, who serves at Holy Face Catholic Church and Little Flower School in Great Mills, has been charged for an incident that reportedly happened in July on a highway. Charging documents for the incident indicate that on July 25, Gamrot was traveling west on Route 70 in Frederick with no pants on …

From the far-right Catholic site LifeSiteNews: Pope Francis has called for Catholics to pray for an end to the death penalty, saying that “in the light of the Gospel, the death penalty is unacceptable,” despite the Catholic Church’s nearly 2,000-year teaching, tradition, and contents of Sacred Scripture all upholding the legitimacy of the death penalty. It is even against the …

The Roys Report reports: A plea agreement shows that Douglas Phillip DeAndrea, former pastor of New Ground Church in Danville, was sentenced to 40 years in prison. DeAndrea, 44, was arrested October 18, 2021, on seven felony charges of object sexual penetration and aggravated sexual battery, according to Mark Hollandsworth with the Montgomery County Jail. A grand jury indictment reveals …

The West Chester Patch reports: A former teacher at West Chester Christian School was convicted of sexually assaulting a first-grader there in 2007. Randy Lee Boston, 64, of Shickshinny, Luzerne County, was found guilty by a jury Wednesday in the Chester County Justice Center of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, indecent assault of a person under 13, corruption …

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: A former Sunday school teacher will spend the next 87 years of his life in prison after being convicted of abusing and sexually assaulting at least three young girls behind church walls and on church buses in Johnston County. A jury found Jonathan Young, 38, of Benson, guilty on multiple counts of rape, sexual offense and …

Nashville’s Fox affiliate reports: The principal and secretary of a small Christian school in McMinn County engaged in improper sexual activity in front of an underage teen and former student at the pastor’s home, according to 2 arrest reports from the McMinn County Sheriff’s Department. 47-year-old Jason Kennedy is principal, teacher and pastor of Liberty Christian School in Riceville. 28-year-old …

Mobile’s CBS affiliate reports: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement charged a woman with grand theft after a Milton Church was defrauded out of $164,716. Lisa Michelle Hively, 55, was charged with one count of organized schemes to defraud and one count of grand theft. Hively was arrested after investigators opened up an investigation into the finances of Faith Baptist …

The Delaware County Times reports: A 72-year-old Chester pastor pleaded guilty Tuesday in Delaware County Court to videotaping a sexual encounter he had with an underage girl during a relationship that lasted from 2018 through 2020. Edward Lilly, of the 4100 block of Kates Glen Drive in the Boothwyn section of Upper Chichester, entered an open guilty plea to one …

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports: A Burlington County man who served as a youth pastor has been indicted on charges that he sexually exploited underage boys, deceiving them into sending him explicit images, then blackmailing them into performing lewd acts so he could watch and record them remotely, authorities said Friday. Sean Higgins, 31, of Palmyra, has been in custody since …

Kalamazoo’s CBS affiliate reports: A Kalamazoo pastor accused of paying teen boys for sex pleaded guilty Tuesday. Stricjavvar “Strick” Strickland pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly offering to sell transportation services for the purpose of engaging in prostitution, according to prosecutors. As part of the plea deal, Strickland will spend one year in jail and he will not have …

The Tyler Morning Herald reports: A longtime Tyler pastor, coach and community figure will serve six months in the Smith County Jail and 10 years probation after pleading guilty to stealing from an elderly couple, his former church and a local nonprofit. Through a plea deal, Rev. Jerome Milton, who leads Open Door Bible Church in Tyler, admitted to using …

The CBC reports: The name of a prominent Vatican cardinal, who is regarded as a potential successor to Pope Francis, appears on a list made public as part of a new class action against the Quebec diocese, Radio-Canada’s investigative program Enquête has found. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, who was the archbishop of Quebec when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was taking …

The Christian Post reports: One of Canada’s largest megachurches says it has substantiated sexual abuse allegations against former pastor Bruxy Cavey, including one involving a minor. Cavey, who was arrested and charged with sexual assault in June, was the former pastor of The Meeting House, which has multiple campuses across the Toronto area. Ontario police arrested the 57-year-old on May …