Church suspends bishop indicted on sex assault charges

Christian Methodist Episcopal Bishop Kenneth Wayne Carter has been suspended by the church until his criminal case is resolved. Carter, 51, was indicted by a Tarrant County grand jury last month on sexual assault charges involving a 46-year-old Dallas County man. The man was applying for a job as the bishop’s driver and says he was assaulted at Carter’s home in Arlington. Carter was released on $10,000 bail last week.

The CME’s College of Bishops made the decision to suspend Carter with pay during a special meeting last week. Under the suspension, Carter is barred from performing sacramental duties. Although his office is in Arlington, Carter presides over a district that includes Haiti, Ghana, Jamaica, Liberia and Nigeria, according to the church’s Web site. The church claims more than 800,000 members across the United States.

His duties were divided among the CME’s other bishops. Senior Bishop William Graves at the CME headquarters in Memphis did not return phone calls seeking comment. Carter and his attorney, Brian Salvant, did not return phone calls seeking comment. The accuser, a licensed minister at a CME church in Dallas, contends that the incident took place last year when he met with Carter about a driving job. The Star-Telegram does not routinely identify accusers in sexual assault cases.

The man went to the interview despite his misgivings about Carter’s "homosexual tendencies," according to a lawsuit filed against Carter and the church. The man said he was assaulted during a tour of Carter’s home. Carter has said he had a consensual sexual encounter with the man, who he said was the aggressor, according to court records. Before being elected bishop in 2006, Carter served 10 years as pastor at the Carter Metropolitan CME Church in Fort Worth.

Dr. Kenneth W. Carter was elected 55th Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in the Thirty-Fifth Quadrennial Session and the Thirty-Sixth General Conference meeting in Memphis, Tennessee June 2006.

Bishop Carter was born in Corinth, Mississippi on July 12, 1957 to Willie and Stella Carter. His tenacious pursuit of learning began in the public schools of Corinth, Mississippi. He earned the B.A. degree from the University of Mississippi; Master of Music Education from Delta State University; Master of Divinity from Howard University; and the Doctor of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.

In 1973 Bishop Carter was licensed to preach at the City Road Temple C.M.E. Church in Corinth, Mississippi; ordained Deacon in 1976; and ordained Elder in 1978. He was admitted into Full connection in 1979. Dr. Carter's first appointment as pastor was Jones Chapel C.M.E. Church in Luka, Mississippi.

During his itinerant ministry, he served congregations in Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, DC and Texas. He also served as presiding elder in the Greenwood-Jackson and Columbus-Meridian Districts in Mississippi.

At the time of his election to the Episcopacy, Bishop Carter had served 10 years as pastor at the Carter Metropolitan C.M.E. Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

He is married to Rosia Hunter Carter, and they share two daughters--Jill Lynette and Stacy Marie.

Priest Abuse Fliers
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/09_10/2007_09_02_Stephens_PriestAbuse.htm
By LaTonya Stephens
Tri-State Homepage
September 2, 2007

http://tristatehomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=2567
Victims of abuse are asking other victims to step out of the shadows and the Evansville diocese to acknowledge their responsibilities.
The Silent Lambs organization and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests say recent revelations of molestation by a local priest is another example of the church's failure to protect the innocent.
They showed up Sunday at Saint Benedict's Cathedral handing out fliers encouraging members to support abuse victims and to push the catholic church to be honest about abusive priests.
David Clohessy says Bishop Ferald Gettelfinger's recent disclosure of abuse by now deceased Monsignor Othmar Schroeder prompted the action.
Clohessy says for 11 years Bishop Gettelfinger has known that Schroeder is a predator and yet kept silent.
He also says Gettelfinger admitted that there are others whose names he has not disclosed.

Those wanting to learn more about the SNAP victim's group can log onto www.snapnetwork.org.

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