Home » African American, Bishop Charles Blake, black church, cogic, crime, current events, denominations, pastors and clergy

Sherman Allen/COGIC sexual abuse trial looms

3 August 2009 11 Comments

allenIts been several years in the making, but the time is drawing to a close.

A Tarrant County (Fort Worth, Texas) clerk for the 236th District Court confirmed to GCM Watch today that the sexual abuse trial with Sherman Allen and COGIC as defendants will be called on September 21st. The court clerk stated that while attorneys will be notified of the date, it may or may not necessarily start on the 21st.

Is a day of reckoning at hand for the nation’s largest black pentecostal denomination?

This is perhaps the first of many lawsuits against the church which will play out in the public eye, unlike others where victims have “settled out of court” and thus allowed the church to fly under the radar on the issue.

Allen is being accused of rape and COGIC, Inc is a co-defendant based on the actions of Bishop JN Haynes of Dallas who is alleged to have known of Allen’s long history of sexually and physically abusing women. It took the church 3 months after the shocking allegations broke publicly to suspend Allen –widely believed to be on the fasttrack to the COGIC bishop’s ranks– from his offices.

Stan Broome, a lawyer for the Davina Kelly said, “We’re glad that future victims may be protected, but we don’t understand why the church, since they had full knowledge this was going on, didn’t take action sooner.”

If you are unfamiliar with the case, you can read  here, here and here.

UPDATE: The trial date has been moved to November 16.

Count on GCM Watch to keep you updated on this precedent setting trial.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

11 Comments »

  • Lafe said:

    Judgment begins at the house of God….I hope the facts are aired
    and the guilty parties are punished.
    What alleged to have gone on is both wicked and shameful. Also, it shows that too many people have only a rudimentary knowledge of scripture and how to properly handle the Word of God.
    This gibberish of touch not God’s anointed and do his prophets no harm is always mis-applied to allow wolves in sheep’s clothing to ravage the flock of God.
    If COGIC is going to be the black equivalent of the sexual scandal that rocked the Roman Catholic Church…so be it.
    A good house cleaning is in order.
    Regretably, I find too many COGIC members who appear to be fawning sheep when it comes to be sheared by their shepherds when it comes to both church discipline and the usual…the giving of
    the “tithes (no such requirementin the N.T.) and offerings.
    The Body of Christ is riddled with profiteers and wolves who think it is their just rights to lord it over the sheep…which is a prohibition to begin with but who is reading the Word of God
    these days to notice?
    I have read numerous articles about the abuse in the COGIC denomination and it is utterly ridiculous. May the sword of God
    cut a wide path in that denomination and expose the hypocrisy and
    greed and evil that is behind these sordid allegations.
    No one wants to call this pus to the surface but everyone wants to play it safe and get along to go along! Wrong.
    When members of any denomination turn their heads and allow evil…they are participating in that same evil and they can not
    claim that they were simply following their shepherd!
    I hope they also examine Bishop Blake and his role…or lack thereof, in this developing scandal.
    I hope others are emboldened to speak out and tell their story about what happened to them so that other crooked shepherds can be found out and prosecuted.

    # 3 August 2009 at 2:56 pm
  • c11 said:

    I thought Sherman Allen had fled the country?

    # 3 August 2009 at 3:42 pm
  • Vaughn said:

    Who shopped the photo.

    LOL

    GCMW: Not I but when I saw it, felt it appropriate satire of the Allen’s perverted beliefs.

    # 3 August 2009 at 10:09 pm
  • superman1986 said:

    I had thought he went to trial already

    # 4 August 2009 at 2:00 am
  • charmedia said:

    You really should have a “concealed weapon” permit for your Photoshop skills LOL

    # 4 August 2009 at 9:23 am
  • leodalion said:

    Brother Foster, I was praying last night for victory for Davina Kelly in her lawsuit against Allen and the C.O.G.I.C. I plan on praying and fasting the day that the trial starts because I believe that this is a pivotal moment for the remaining Christians that are still in this institution. A victory could hopefully cause them to stand up and be vocal against these ravening wolves for leaders, or at least cause them to exit this institution for safer waters.

    I would also suggest that Ms. Kelly sets up a legal defense fund if she doesn’t already have one. If she does already have one I would like to contribute a small offering, especially for the civil case which I hope that she will take to trial and not except a out of court settlement from this institution. Let a judge and jury hear all the evidence because the darkness of sin can only be destroyed by the light of truth and openness.

    I pray that she and all others that have suffered publicly and privately at the hands of Allen and this institution will achieve ultimate victory and healing over this, and that they come to see that God and the justice system have not forsaken them but that sometimes the wheels of truth move a little slower than a lie.

    Thank you brother Foster for standing with Ms. Kelly and the other victims of church abuse and let me and others help you’ll with our contributions or spiritual support; this is what the true invisible Church does, Galatians 6:10, As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

    Respectfully Yours in Christ,
    A Voice in the Wilderness

    # 5 August 2009 at 3:40 pm
  • gcmwatch said:

    Thank you Leo, and I echo these sentiments 100%. I dont know if Mrs. Kelly or her legal representatives read this blog, but if someone can pass on the message, please let her know that she is going to bat for many who have suffered this grave abuses and have been silenced by death or fear or otherwise.

    I pray God give her, her husband and legal team supernatural strength to uplift truth and justice.

    And I pray that COGIC stop being COGIC on paper and live out 1 Thessalonians 2:14 (15 and 16) as our founder so received from God.

    In fact given these circumstances, 1 Thess 2 is ironic.

    # 5 August 2009 at 3:54 pm
  • leodalion said:

    I echo your sentiments brother Foster.

    # 5 August 2009 at 9:20 pm
  • James Wilkinson said:

    The multidenominational spiritual movement known formerly only as Pentecostal but now carrying almost ten different names such as C.O.G.I.C.,Church of God, Apostolic, Holiness, Full Gospel,Assembly of God is now the most notorious denomination but has always in our eyes been the most deplorable theology, Some don’t even hold the belief in a triune God. For us conservative Baptists the Pentacostal or Spiritual movements Were and ever shall be Public enemy #1.. Come join us if you want to rid the theological community of this refuse because we are out to expose them for what they are at their core: VooDoo. I can’t believe this particular Voodoo priest is still a free man; He, Sherman Allen Obviously is criminally insane. he’s been a While in Western Africa which is where voodoo is originally from; maybe he was there to rape more Pentas before his trial. There has been much of that lately in ethiopia, google it, baby!

    # 19 September 2009 at 8:47 pm
  • Cianna Lowell said:

    After growing up with a long history of a denomination in which I got saved in over 40 years ago, I am so glad that God directed me to no longer be affliated with COGIC for the past sixteen years. It is a disgrace and sad to know that you cannot trust the leaders of this church to protect its members and screen their pastors. Those who truly love the Lord and are following His Holy Word, must pray for Mrs. Kelly and all the other victims who suffered from these demonic attacks. I pray that justice will be served and that COGIC will wake up and be compelled to repent because they have truly lost their first love. Money is the root of all evil. Grace & Peace!

    # 10 October 2009 at 11:08 pm
  • Toni L said:

    Cudos for reporting on these bad guys, and for keeping all of us informed on the progress of these matters. I grew up in the COGIC, and it was par-for-the-course to hear about all of these moral violations from coast-to-coast. My mom, and her mom were pioneer COGIC people, with both my grandmothers getting saved as a result of Azuza. As a wonderful a Biblical foundation I received, I only remember why all of these horrible things were being allowed to happen, and why no one would stand-up and report it. It was the teaching of the COGIC that had so many bound and afraid to expose these wolves. I, too, broke with the COGIC, but found that such offenses go on in other African-American churches. My 23-year-old daughter was approached and stalked by a local black Baptist pastor. After getting no help from his ministry superiors or from my non-denominational pastor, we took him to court to secure a restraining order. But you wouldn’t believe the incredible resistance we had from the local African-American clergy in the community who bad-mouthed us and tried to persuade us not to go through with this! The sin of the Black church must be revealed! Lay people–stand-up!!!

    # 23 October 2009 at 1:15 pm