Tag Archives: religion

The Guardian reports: A board which helps the Roman Catholic archbishop of New Orleans, Gregory Aymond, evaluate abuse allegations against priests and deacons in six cases found clergymen to be credibly accused only for Aymond to ignore the findings and conceal them from the public, a Guardian investigation has found. Aymond’s management of the cases in question as the leader …

The Vermilion County First reports: Former First Baptist Church of Danville School Principal and Church Deacon Robert Lazzell has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to Criminal Sexual Assault against former student Michael Young. The sentence was handed down by Judge Derek J. Girton Tuesday morning, after a sentencing hearing in front of a standing room …

Tampa’s Fox affiliate reports: The leader of a St. Petersburg church may have skipped over the ‘thou shalt not steal’ commandment as authorities arrest him for operating a multimillion-dollar theft ring that spanned several Florida counties. Authorities say Robert Dell, the founder of The Rock Church and runs a halfway house for people recovering from drug addiction, is accused of …

Reuters reports: Pope Francis said on Sunday that the Catholic Church is open to everyone, including the gay community, and that it has a duty to accompany them on a personal path of spirituality but within the framework of its rules. “The Church is open to everyone but there are laws that regulate life inside the church. According to the …

The Shelby Star reports: A Kings Mountain woman who served as a youth leader at a church has been charged with felony child sexual offenses, according to Kings Mountain Police. Amanda Buchanan Justice, of Phifer Road, was arrested Thursday. Justice turned herself in to Kings Mountain Police on Thursday without incident and was transported to the Cleveland County Magistrate’s Office …

Twin Falls’ CBS affiliate reports: A former youth pastor accused of child sexual abuse is facing a slew of felony charges. 31-year-old Dakota Kennemer was a youth pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Twin Falls. He is being investigated for an inappropriate relationship with a minor between the years of 2019 and 2022. According to court documents, the pastor and …

Spectrum News reports: A pastor with Camino Church in Charlotte faces 14 charges involving sex crimes against children, dating back to the 2000s, Charlotte police said. Investigators said there may be more victims who have not yet come forward. The children were between 9 and 15 years old at the time, police said. Robert “Bobby” Price, 56, is already a …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Andrew was feeling crushed by the cultural expectation to get married. Twenty-two years old, he had just returned from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was attending a singles’ ward in Provo — a local congregation of unmarried college students. But Andrew is gay. And marriage between a man …

Michigan Live reports: Convicted of sexually assaulting children in the mid-1990s, former church group leader Michael Baxter will be 73 years old when he will be eligible for parole from prison. Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson sentenced Baxter, 48, to serve 25 to 40 years in prison Thursday, Aug. 3, before a court packed with victims and their family …

The Space Coast Rocket reports: Kyle Robinson, 30, an associate pastor at First Baptist Church of Indialantic, was arrested July 28th on 2 felony counts of child molestation charges. He’s currently out on $30,000 bond. According to his LinkedIn account, Kyle is a graduate of the Christian-based Liberty University with a Bachelor’s of Christian Ministry. Child Protective Services coordinated with …

Via press release from Pastor Steven Andrew: The “Christian Nation Government Now Revival” is expanding through 2025 to heal our land with good leaders that follow God and to save America. “This Bible-based revival is producing huge results, including the GOP taking the House and the recent Supreme Court and Federal Court religious freedom victories,” Steven Andrew said. Andrew leads …

From the Justice Department: A former Dublin, Ga., resident is being sought internationally on multiple federal charges alleging he orchestrated a scheme that misdirected more than $30 million donated for Christian ministry in China. Jason Gerald Shenk, 45, is charged in a newly unsealed federal indictment with four counts of Wire Fraud; three counts of International Concealment Money Laundering; 13 …

Champaign’s CBS affiliate reports: One woman is reflecting on a painful past. Now she hopes justice will be served for the Henning Pastor she says sexually abused her for years. Gary Arivett was arrested and is facing three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a family member under the age of 18. He has since been released after posting …

Michigan Live reports: A former Michigan pastor has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection to the shooting death of a transgender woman nearly five years ago, authorities announced. Kelly Stough, 36, of Detroit, was shot to death around 6 a.m. on Dec. 7, 2018, in Detroit. Her body was discovered by a Detroit Police officer. Albert Weathers, then-46, of …

Indianapolis’s Fox affiliate reports: A former Madison County councilman who is accused of raping an underage girl in 2020 is being sought by police after he failed to show up for his appointed court date. According to court records, former councilman Steve Sumner, 55, was set to appear in Madison County court on Thursday. After failing to show, the court …

The Messenger reports: There’s a new, unexpected name at the top of the Christian music charts. Drag queen Flamy Grant’s album Bible Belt Baby, released in October, is suddenly the No. 1 album on the iTunes Christian and Gospel chart. In addition, her song “Good Day” peaked at No. 1 alongside the album for a period. So, what’s going on? …

The Associated Press reports: Compared with the devil, angels carry more credence in America. Angels even get more credence than, well, hell. In fact, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. American’s belief in angels (69%) is about on par with belief …

High Point, North Carolina’s Fox affiliate reports: A former pastor is accused of sex crimes after an incident at the Piedmont Triad Farmer’s Market in Colfax on Sandy Ridge Road. Ivan Hugh-McDonald Peden, 71, is charged with taking indecent liberties with children, indecent exposure to a person under 16, sexual battery, and secret peeping. The crimes allegedly happened on June …

Tampa’s NBC affiliate reports: A 76-year-old retired pastor is accused of exposing himself to a nine-year-old girl on July 21. According to a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, the victim and her family were at a community pool in Wesley Chapel. As the girl was swimming nearby the suspect, Allen Farabee, had exposed his genitals and placed it in …

Atlanta’s NBC affiliate reports: An 83-year-old Marietta man who is a former pastor has been arrested in the cold case murder of an 8-year-old girl in Pennsylvania. Gretchen Harrington was attending Bible summer camp in 1975 in Marple Township when she vanished while walking from her home to one of the camp’s two locations. Skeletal remains were found at a …