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.
Jeremy Fair, pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, stands accused of soliciting a prostitute. Christ Presbyterian is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
On October 23, authorities in Glenpool, Oklahoma, carried out a multi-agency sting operation at a local hotel, leading to five arrests on solicitation of prostitution charges. Among those detained was Jeremy Fair, senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, a congregation affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
Fair was booked for solicitation of prostitution; bail was reportedly set at $1,000.
After learning of the arrest, Christ Presbyterian’s leadership convened and placed Fair on indefinite leave, pending the outcome of the investigation and the church’s internal disciplinary process as outlined in the PCA’s Book of Church Order.
“It is with a heavy heart we communicate information concerning Senior Pastor Jeremy Fair,” the church said in a statement to its congregation. “Yesterday, Jeremy was arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution. This is an ongoing investigation, and we do not have all the details.” Fair has since been removed from the leadership page on the church’s website.
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Fair had served as senior pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church after prior pastorates in Alabama and Texas. His biography notes that he holds a BA from Dallas Baptist University, an MDiv from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a DMin from Knox Theological Seminary.
According to law enforcement, the sting was part of a training exercise with the non-profit Skull Games and involved the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office, local police, and federal partners. Police say each individual met undercover operatives through online contacts and traveled to the hotel separately.
“They were all individuals that contacted through the channels that we were using for the investigation individually…None of them were together,” said police Chief Jeremy Plane. “Be vigilant — you never know who you’re going to encounter.”
Note: I support the legalization and regulation of prostitution, so the reason for posting stories such as this is to point out the moral hypocrisy found in many corners of the Evangelical world, and not the prostitution itself.
Bruce Gerencser, 69, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 48 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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