The Black Collar Crime Series relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact Bruce Gerencser. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
David Baker, pastor of Family Baptist Church in Columbia, Tennessee, allegedly killed himself after facing charges that he sexually assaulted a minor.
Yesterday, The Daily Herald reported:
A Columbia pastor was charged with aggravated sexual battery Tuesday and booked at the Maury County Jail.
David Mark Baker Sr., lead pastor of Family Baptist Church in Columbia, served as a candidate for Maury County mayor in the 2022 election, entering the race after now U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles dropped out to run for the 5th District Congressional seat.
Baker, a Santa Fe native, started Independent Baptist Online Bible College, a ministry of Family Baptist Church, has led a life coaching business, and is an author of several books.
He also runs a ministry Fallen in Grace, with Indiana pastor David Hyles, who has faced much controversy.
Baker previously served as chaplain of the Maury County Jail for 28 years.
Bond set at $200,000.
Baker’s court date is 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 9 in Maury County.
Today, The Daily Herald reported:
Just a day after Columbia Pastor David Baker, Sr. was charged with aggravated sexual battery by Maury County Sheriff’s Office, he has died of apparent suicide, according to Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Alsup.
Baker served as lead pastor of Family Baptist Church in Columbia and ran as a candidate for Maury County mayor in the 2022 election.
According to Alsup, Baker “walked into the ER at Maury Regional Medical Center, went straight to the bathroom and was soon found deceased in the bathroom.”
Alsup shared that video captured Baker walking into the hospital emergency room.
Bond was posted at $200,000 Tuesday, and a court date was previously set for Oct. 9.
The charge against Baker involves a minor, Sheriff Bucky Rowland confirmed Wednesday.
During the 2022 election, Baker filed a defamation lawsuit in Maury County court against then-opponent Maury County Mayor Sheila Butt, which was later dropped. He was also criticized during the election by a former member of Lighthouse Baptist Church, (which filed bankruptcy in 2017) regarding his handling of the member’s sexual assault by a fellow church member.
Baker, a Santa Fe native, started Independent Baptist Online Bible College, a ministry of Family Baptist Church, led a life coaching business and penned several books.
He also ran a ministry Fallen in Grace, with Indiana pastor David Hyles. Hyles has faced much controversy, including allegations of rape, according to multiple media reports by the Fort-Worth Star Telegram, though he was not charged.
Baker previously served as chaplain of the Maury County Jail for 28 years.
Authorities say the family member he molested was under the age of 12.
There was nothing Godly about him. He was, he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Aimee Spires.
Spires told FOX 17 News she went to Baker’s church when he was a preacher at Lighthouse Baptist Church. He was a pastor at Family Baptist church when he was arrested.
“I was angry because all the victims that there is, there’s no telling how many victims, how many girl victims that are out there that he may have done this to,” said Spires.
Another former church member and activist Tiffany Boyd is upset at what he is accused of doing considering what he preached.
“A hypocrite. There are a lot of words, but many of those, I can’t say on camera, it’s infuriating. I mean, it really, it’s infuriating.” she said.
The Columbia Police Department confirmed Baker shot himself today at Maury Regional Medical Center.
The hospital’s spokesperson tells FOX 17 News, a man went into their restroom and shot himself twice in the chest. They said they tried to save him and placed the hospital on lockdown.
As noted in the news articles, Baker ran a ministry for “fallen” ministers with disgraced miscreant David Hyles — the son of the late Jack Hyles. Called Fallen in Grace, this ministry helped restore preachers to the ministry after they fell (or headlong ran) into sin –especially sexual sins, including rape, adultery, and molesting children. Hyles has a long history of sexual misconduct, but has, so far, evaded accountability for his behavior. Birds of a feather flock together, and that is certainly the case of Hyles, Baker, and other fallen Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) preachers. Both Hyles and Baker provided a smokescreen for other “fallen” preachers, helping them return to the ministry. Dr. David Tee (who blogs at TheologyArcheology: A Site for the Glory of God), a notorious defender of preachers who commit sex crimes, would be proud of these men and the “service” they provide to God’s people.
While I am saddened by Baker’s alleged suicide — after all, he had a wife and eleven children — I hope that his death puts an end to Fallen in Grace and its pernicious enabling of sexual predators and other offenders. Interestingly, less than a day after Baker was arrested, he and the Fallen in Grace ministry have been scrubbed from Family Baptist Church’s website. Nothing to see here! David Baker? David Baker who? David Hyles? Never heard of him. Fallen in Grace? Not ministry we are familiar with. In the IFB church movement, the modus operandi is to deny, cover-up, and move on. There are souls to save, sermons to preach, and offerings to collect.
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Can’t help mentioning prison anal sex, can you? You are a disgusting human being.🤮🤮🤬🤬
The two (2) reasons I abandoned church and became a full blown atheist:
1) A Deacon in our Baptist Church (Boston, MA) had a sexual affair with my then wife (divorced). You know, MEN that attendee’s thought they could trust. Of course I held my wife as being even more responsible and beat myself up pretty good over my selection of a spouse.
2) Science – no need to elaborate on this subject. (Thank you Carl Sagan).
Back to #1 – I happened to live in Boston when the Globe busted out the story of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. I am still incredulous that “Cardinal” Bernard Law is still allowed to hide in the Vatican, escaping retribution and law enforcement, but he is just one of many Catholic “Cockroaches” that have scurried for cover
in that “place”.
I monitor your blackcollar series to remind me of the endless stream of criminals that emerge from a male oriented and dominated, mind control cult, (Catholic and Protestant) that preys on children, women and troubled male youths. It’s rather sickening, and (IMO) demonstrates over and over and over again the abuse these cults deal on the gullible and suseptible general public.
I had an Uncle (I’m 65 so bear with me) who was quite brilliant, but was a raging alcohol and drug abuser (we are talking the 1950’s) and a homosexual. Guess what profession he decided to give a try – being a Catholic Priest!
It is my opinion he decided on that career choice for a very speciific reason, and it had little to do with being a “Good Catholic”. I understand being a queer in North West Florida in the 50’s was a bit of a struggle back in the
day.
I am not suggesting that every Church Organization, such as the (IFB) is a “grooming ground” for sexual predators, I think such a claim is unfair, but I do believe, the Catholic Church, in the time frame I mention about my Uncle, may have been just that. There is NO DOUBT however, that every Protestant and Catholic church organization in the United States is however, fertile ground for sexual abuse. Your Black Collar crime series demonstrates that. I have no inclination to do a deep dive into crime statistics to determine if “Church Leadership” has a higher % of sexual predators than the general public, the subject is too odious for me to research., but it would not surprise me if that is true.
Because I have family in Tennessee (I moved to New Jersey nearly 30 years ago to escape evangelicalism and have control over my own life) so I follow news there. This story has blown up there. I feel for the family, as now they are dealing with loss of a family member in addition to wondering what awful deeds he may have committed. Again, where was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit or Jesus, depending on what theology you follow, changing him from a sinner to a washed-clean, changed child of God? Will people try to say he wasn’t “really saved”?
I hope the victim(s) can get some good therapy and closure.
Quick scrub job: the youtube channel has been taken down as well.
Bruce, I just thought of an improved name for “Black Collar Crime” : “Wolves in Shepherd’s clothing”. (Maybe it would work as a subtitle.)
Baker should have taken his chances with the criminal justice system. You never know he might have lucked out and just got another punch on his “preacher’s pass”.
This is a tragic situation all the way around. Most importantly for the victim(s) of this person, then for his wife and children (not sure if his victim was one of his children).
Regardless of whether Baker will face an existential form of “justice” in whatever happens after we die in this life, the very thin silver lining is the exposure of his abuse, and the discredit it brings to the idea of a “restoration ministry” for abusive perverts.
Baker had eleven children. 😢😢
Wow, Bruce. That is sad and tragic. This is where rightfully calling out abusive behavior and also empathizing with those who have to live with the consequences of the perpetrator’s actions cross paths.
While I feel a sense of justice that Baker was arrested and the whole concept of restoring abusers to positions of authority has been further discredited, I also feel deeply heartbroken for his family, and yes even him to a much lesser degree as a human being. I know that’s not a great thing to say considering the circumstances, but I feel bad when anyone takes their own life, especially when they leave loved ones behind.
I think this is the ultimate harm done by the Hyles so-called “ministry”. It seeks to restore what has no business being restored.
I think personally (just me, and I can certainly be wrong in thinking this way) you can credibly feel both, the sense of justice and also the sense of sadness at the same time.
I appreciate your work, Bruce. Thank you.
Revival Fires thinks: I love leaving gay anal sex comments on this site. Jesus is so proud of my vile, disgusting, filthy mind. What would Jesus do? He would leave graphic pornographic comments on atheist site.
Bruce thinks: You, Revival Fires, need professional psychological help. Seriously dude, you are one sick 🤢 puppy. Repent and get right with God. Better yet, be a decent human being instead of the piece of shit 💩 you are currently.
Not sure where Revival Liars found Jesus talking about posting vile sexual abuse content on a web page..must be one of the lost Gospels that didn’t make it into canon..maybe Bart Ehrman can help us find Revival Liars’ secret Gospel..
Revival Fires is, by far, the worst professing Christian I have ever met. Awful, disgusting man who harasses not only me, but Polly, my children, and several Facebook friends. For the life of me, I can’t figure out what he hopes to accomplish. He’s a terrible testimony. He actually drives people away from Christianity.
In just my personal opinion he has some kind of personality disorder (I’m definitely not a mental health professional). Religion just provides a vehicle to these kind of people to carry out their desires while still convincing themselves that they are superior to the average Joe. It also helps them justify in their own minds the abusive and inappropriate conduct they dish out to others while acting supremely offended and “persecuted” when it is directed back at them. Combine that with the whole “hurray for my side” fracturing of Christianity in particular since the Reformation, and you have Revival Fires, “Dr”. Tee, David Hyles, Jim Jones, Jimmy Swaggart, and the list goes on..
Bruce I think you and Polly are great people, for lack of a better term. I for one feel it is a great privilege to be able to correspond with you. Your story and the travails you have experienced in life are an inspiration to me personally as I’m sure they are to everyone else who reads and posts on your page. Revival Liars is a worthless individual who (just in my opinion only) will someday have to face the music for his behavior.