Posted on 12/31/2009 10:16:01 AM PST by truthandlife
Pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor of the large Bay Area Church, Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, abruptly resigned this past weekend. Sheppard who is widely credited for growing the church from 300 members to well over 6,000 resigned due to a "moral crisis" in statement read to the congregation on Sunday.
According to sources who were in attendance at the church on Sunday, an associate pastor stood up for the morning announcments and read a letter from Pastor Paul Sheppard to the church. In the letter, Sheppard admitted having an extra marital affair. In addition, he asked forgiveness from his wife, Meredith, and from the members of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship. According to church members that The Church Report spoke with, all were shocked and saddened by the news.
Paul Sheppard had been the senior pastor of Abundant Life Christian church since 1989.Sheppard is also a board member of the National Religious Broadcasters and has served as a speaker at many large Christian conferences across the country including Promise Keepers, Family Life and others, according to his website.
Interim pastor, Wayne Jackson, released a statement, saying, "It is with great sadness that we announced this past weekend (December 19-20) the resignation of Pastor Paul Sheppard from our church. Pastor Paul had been the Senior Pastor of Abundant Life for the past 20 years, and his ministry touched countless lives. We honor God for Pastor Paul’s service and the good fruit borne of his ministry, even as we regret the circumstances of his resignation. Please join us in keeping Pastor Paul, Sister Meredith, and their family in prayer."
Calls to the church for comment were not returned.
There's part of the problem. God grows churches, not pastors.
Prayers for the work of the Kingdom to continue to be done among that body of believers and for God's grace to again shine through.
To all perfection I see a limit;but your commands are boundless. Psalms 119:96
I call upon the Lord and he answers me. Psalm 120:1
This is not the time to step on Paul Sheppard the man. This is the time to lift up Pastor Paul Sheppard our brother. People tend to remember how a person gets up rather than how they fall. Before you continue to throw more rocks, don’t forget that you live in a glass house.
i miss him. i would be on my break at work and he would come on bott radio network at 10am. god will forgive him. and we all know the devil sits right there in church. we are not perfect. please come back.
thank u!
Having gone through the whole adultery situation myself, I can certainly understand the pain his family is feeling to depths of my bones. But Christ has shown me a different perspective, and one that only those who have gone through it can ever imagine. Jesus will show him and his family how to handle it and it will take time, if indeed that is even the situation. When he comes out of it, I for one would be interested how God guided him and what He has taught him on the matter. All I know is that Pastor Paul was a great tool in Jesus’ hand when I was going through the worst time of my life up to this point. I will pray mightily for him and his family!
I suppose you’re looking for a response... read my other posts... nuff said.
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