Posted on 05/25/2018 5:03:02 AM PDT by Cronos
Randall, 73, of St. Simon Baptist Church, was released from the Clay County jail after posting $25,000 bond on a felony custodial sexual battery charge.
According to Randall's arrest warrant, the victim came forward in September 2015, saying the pastor had been molesting and raping her since she began attending the church in 2007.
The victim, described as between the ages of 12 and 18, told investigators the assaults took place on church property after services and during the week when came by to do work around the property.
.. Neighbors said Randall is divorced and lives alone. He is still listed as pastor on the church's sign.
(Excerpt) Read more at news4jax.com ...
I got a $100 saying his sermons sucked and were largely taken from other pastors. There is no divine revelation when this sin type of sin is manifest without repentance.
Right by the skateboard park too.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Matthew-18-6/
“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Whether you are called by God (as ministers should be) or by personal desires (as some ministers are), harming children is a special level of evil. While I am a fan of both justice and mercy, I hope this pastor receives justice.
I’m not Baptist but have attended Baptist churches sometimes over the years.
It is important to note that the largest convention of “Baptists” is the Southern Baptist Convention. They do not consider themselves a “denomination” because every church is totally autonomous. Membership in the convention is meant primarily I think to help identify agreement with basic Bible doctrines.
I’ve never heard of a member church of the SBC to be called “Saint” anything. So I doubt this church is affiliated with the mainstream convention.
Also, any church can use the term “Baptist” in its name, or call itself a Baptist church. In fact, the Roman Catholic parish in which I’ve lived for most of my time in the Houston area is called St. John The Baptist.
I think sometimes the media maligns ALL Baptists by obscuring this factor in the naming. It is similar to how they malign Christians, Conservatives, or Republicans in general. I’ve even seen some media outlets refer to “conservative Democrats” when publishing negative stories about them, or “moderate Republicans” when publishing positive news.
This local news piece may include Baptist in the title with no ill intent, but I do think it is important that readers know what that means.
Was his church complicit in attempting to hide his perverse sexual behavior? Doesn’t sound as if it was, unlike some other repeated high profile examples in other denominations.
Also, at the end of the day, it is just one man or a few men, not the entire baptist community or baptist denomination that is at fault here.
If any knew about it it rests on their heads as well.
But its not good to blame all Baptists or all Baptist churches for the actions of this one man.
That’s the problem with having a hierarchy and a priesthood, too, apparently.
Being autonomous, it’s not logical or rational to blame all Baptist churches. It’s a loose association, not a hierarchy.
So both cases have their downfalls.
it may be that they didn’t want to believe their preacherman did this. Note that in many churches the preacher is larger than life. It is hard to believe that your idol has feet of clay
What denomination is Osteen? What denomination is Benny Hinn? I’m not aware of any, they’re just televangelists. Certainly not Baptist.
Preachers, Priests and Kings are tempted as all are, and perhaps more so for their responsibility. But that will never be an 'excuse' for deliberate actions nor behaviors, especially when repeated. They forget that not only is God watching but the people are as well.
“Randall is divorced and lives alone”
************************
Among most Baptist churches, being divorced would disqualify him from being a pastor. The same for serving as a deacon.
Jail and castration.
It seems to work when they are Catholic priests to blame the whole church.
Took to long to catch him, but the right words are in the article.
*jail*, *bond*, *felony custodial sexual battery charge*...
But still not should be in there, like *still in jail*, *never getting out*, but that can’t be helped......
Steven Furtick is a Southern Baptist. Doesn’t mean the First Baptists across the street are like Elevation, though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.