Posted on 01/04/2006 4:32:56 PM PST by apoc
Tulsa Pastor Arrested In OKC On Lewdness Charge
OKLAHOMA CITY -- An executive committee member of the Southern Baptist Convention was arrested on a lewdness charge for propositioning a plainclothes policeman outside a hotel, police said.
Lonnie Latham, senior pastor at South Tulsa Baptist Church, was booked into Oklahoma County Jail Tuesday night on a misdemeanor charge of offering to engage in an act of lewdness, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said. Latham was released on $500 bail Wednesday afternoon.
Latham, who has spoken out against homosexuality, asked the officer to join him in his hotel room for oral sex. Latham was arrested and his 2005 Mercedes automobile was impounded, Becker said.
Calls to Latham at his church were not immediately returned Wednesday.
When he left jail, he told Oklahoma City television station KFOR:
"I was set up. I was in the area pastoring to police."
The arrest took place in the parking lot of the Habana Inn, which is in an area where the public has complained about male prostitutes flagging down cars, Becker said. The plainclothes officers was investigating these complaints.
The lewdness charge carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Latham is one of four Southern Baptist Convention executive committee members from Oklahoma.
He spoke out last year against a measure, ultimately approved by voters, to expand tribal gaming.
He has also spoken out against same-sex marriage and in support of a Southern Baptist Convention directive urging its 42,000 churches to befriend gays and lesbians and try to convince them that they can become heterosexual "if they accept Jesus Christ as their savior and reject their 'sinful, destructive lifestyle."'
The Southern Baptist Convention is the nation's largest Protestant denomination.
This is why I don't think I'm completely crazy when I wonder about some of the people on FR who seem to have the most energy for homophobia.
Good grief and how sad. I hope that his church will exercise correct biblical church discipline and relieve him of his duties/job.
Services this Sunday should be interesting
Take me back to Tulsa, I'm too young to marry.
BJ Clinton told people that he was "ministering" to Monica.
I guess that's close enough to qualify.
Reminiscent of Bubba "mentoring" Monica. If I remember correctly, this was his church affiliation as well.
Ministering from such a machine.....
Well there's new and improved techniques every day.
Maybe he was reciting the 23rd psalm to the man and there was some confusion about what exactly was meant by "thy rod and thy staff"......
If he's convicted and has to do any time, he might find out what the rod and the staff is.
If it is true, hold him to the fire. Unlike liberals who want to lower standards, I'm all for raising the standards.
Well, you know, some Biblical scholars have an opinion that David and Jonathon, Saul's son, were homosexual lovers.
Not my opinion, of course, but I've read it in several places.
This ain't no temporary, typical, tearful good-bye, uh uh uh
This ain't no breakin' up and wakin' up and makin' up one more time, uh uh uh
This is gone (gone) gone (gone) gone (gone) gone
Gone like a freight-train, gone like yesterday
Gone like a soldier in the civil war, bang bang
Gone like a '59 Cadillac
Like all the good things that ain't never coming back
She's gone (gone) gone (gone) gone (gone) gone, she's gone
Well, you know, some Biblical scholars have an opinion that David and Jonathon, Saul's son, were homosexual lovers.
Not my opinion, of course, but I've read it in several places.
The Gay Mafia at work. He was set up.
The story doesn't even begin to pass the smell test.
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