The Memphis Commercial Appeal is reporting on a local controversy against Bellevue Baptist Church Pastor Steve Gaines who refused to allow a lesbian to lead the church’s softball team. In the two minute video, Gaines explains to the congregation his decision but has refused to get into public debate about the situation.
First story in the CA
Second story in the CA
What do you think, was the pastor right or wrong to deny the lesbian a leadership role? He seemed to frame it in that context while saying that anyone is welcome …

COGIC, Inc. has crossed the hurdle of the last of four clergy sexual abuse trials which came to light in the last few years. The verdict: its a mixed bag for the denomination’s leadership.
On February 2, the 236th District Court judge dismissed the case against the church in the Sherman Allen trial. In a rather stunning (and brief) ruling Judge Lowe granted the church’s motion for “evidentiary summary judgement and motion for no-evidence summary judgment”. Click graphic for larger version of the judgment.

The ruling left open the option to appeal. …

…but remains silent and inactive on another for sexual immorality. It appears the leader of the nation’s largest black pentecostal denomination is demonstrating that the love of money really is at the root of its dismal record on dealing with sexual offenders and predators carrying the COGIC name.
Case in point,  on March 9th, The Commercial Appeal reported that  Dickerson LS Wells, a Memphis based pastor and “senior executive administrator” to Presiding Bishop Blake had “resigned” but COGIC officials refused to say why he left.
But Thaddeus Matthews, a Memphis based radio …

It happened almost 25 years ago, but the wheels of justice finally caught up with Prince Wilbert Woolfork of Owensboro, KY.  Even after the rape was reported in 2007, Woolfork had remained an active pastor for a full year in Kentucky First Jurisdiction until his resignation. The Associated Press reported that a grand jury reached the verdict on Jan 30 giving the man a 20 year sentence for first degree rape.
A grand jury has indicted a former western Kentucky preacher on charges that he raped a teenager nearly 25 …

On November 7th, COGIC Presiding Bishop Charles Blake held a forum where he handed out a paper with proposed changes to the current sexual abuse policy. According to the church about 1000 people received the handout entitled “The Church of God in Christ’s Continued Stand Against Sexual Misconduct”. Read the proposed changes [pdf]. While one news outlet reported the changes were adopted, no such vetting and ratification occurred. As it stands, they are only proposals.
Supt. Harvey Burnett reviewed the proposed changes calling it “good and bad news”.
In our opinion, here …

 
Yesterday, the Tennessee Chapter of SNAP (Survivor Network of those Abused by Priests) held a peaceful press conference in front of COGIC’s world headquarters in Memphis. The press conference was called in the wake of a controversial rape case involving a COGIC music minister and a 16 year girl at Greater St. Mark COGIC pastored by Ronald Rolfe.
But the few people that showed up were met with an overwhelming show of force at the bequest of COGIC officials.
David Brown, the chapter’s president and chief spokesman told me that four police …