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.
James McMillan, the former pastor of several Southern Baptist churches, stands accused of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16. McMillan previously pastored Slaughterville Baptist Church in Lexington, Oklahoma — renamed Cornerstone Baptist Church — and First Baptist Church in Konawa, Oklahoma.
Cleveland County deputies arrested a former pastor accused of lewd or indecent acts to a child under 16, and investigators say there could be more victims.
James McMillan was arrested Tuesday afternoon, and court documents show that there are multiple Department of Human Services and law enforcement cases where he is listed as a sexual abuse suspect dating back to 2003.
His former church members told KOCO 5 that it was about time he was arrested.
“Wasn’t surprised about this, but just sad that there were other victims,” said Lonnie Holland, a former team chairman, treasurer, and youth leader at Slaughterville Baptist Church.
The court documents state that McMillan was traveling with an underage victim on Highway 39 near 120th Avenue Southeast in Cleveland County when they got stuck in traffic. The victim claimed McMillan unzipped his pants and began touching himself in front of the victim.
The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office said McMillan was a former pastor at numerous churches but is not currently employed as one.
In 2014, KOCO 5 interviewed McMillan when he was the pastor at First Baptist Church of Konawa. At that time, he claimed his First Amendment rights were being violated for not being allowed to pray before a high school game.
“This man needs to be locked up in prison where he can’t have any more victims,” Holland said. “He needs to be held accountable for what he has done.”
Holland said he was at Slaughterville Baptist Church when McMillan became the lead pastor around 2018.
“None of the girls felt comfortable with him,” Holland said.
He told KOCO 5 that he heard of allegations against McMillan.
“I knew by what I was hearing that he wasn’t qualified to be a pastor in any way, shape or form,” Holland said, adding that he tried to get McMillan removed. “They voted to keep him. So, at that point, within a week I was gone.”
The Slaughterville church has since been renamed, and church officials told KOCO 5 that they are under new leadership.
Holland said he never contacted law enforcement because he didn’t have evidence of a previous crime. He told KOCO 5, though, that he brought his concerns to the Oklahoma Baptist Conference.
“Told him what I found and basically was told that we were going to get to the bottom of this,” Holland said. “Nothing came of that, as far as I know.”
The Oklahoma Baptist Conference did not return KOCO 5’s calls for comment.
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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