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Category: Evangelicalism

A Reader Asks, How Can We Forgive Without Divine Enablement?

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Recently, a Christian reader asked:

How can a person forgive their worst enemies without divine enablement? Is this something we can do on our own, without supernatural love? Because we humans, as good as many are, would still balk at loving a person who killed their child, or loved one, or caused immense personal injury. And yet, there are many who have done just that.

I assume this reader is talking about the Christian (or other Abrahamic) religion. According to Christianity, believers are indwelt by the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. God lives inside of every believer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He is their teacher and guide. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit teaches Christians EVERYTHING about life and godliness. Yet, we see no difference between how Christians and the unwashed, uncircumcised Philistines of the world live their lives.

This reader thinks that “forgiving their worst enemies” requires some sort of divine enablement; that, by implication, non-Christians, lacking divine enablement, are unable to do. Yet, countless Christians refuse to forgive others, and innumerable non-Christians selflessly forgive those who transgress against them. Forgiveness is a human thing; a learned character trait. Forgiveness is modeled (or not) to children by parents, grandparents, siblings, and other people close to them. A child who grows up in an unforgiving home will likely grow up to be an unforgiving adult. One can undo negative nurture in their lives, but it ain’t easy. Sometimes, it requires therapy to overcome negative character traits deeply embedded in a child’s psyche. Yes, parents, you can fuck up your kids. One need only look at President Donald Trump to see what bad parenting does to a person.

The reader’s comment reveals a false notion that is drilled into the heads of Christian children: you are required to forgive anyone who does you wrong. This idea is reinforced week after week through sermons and Sunday school lessons. Believers are taught to forgive everyone, just like God does. However, a cursory reading of the Bible clearly shows that God does not forgive everyone. He never has. Not in the Old Testament, and not in the New. Sure, we see God, at times, forgiving people, but we also see God not doing so many, many times

As an atheist, I reject the notion that I must always forgive anyone who offends me or causes me harm. I also reject the notion that we must love everyone unconditionally. (Please see Does God Love Us Unconditionally?) Is loving and forgiving others a good idea? Sure, but as with all “ideas,” there are nuances and exceptions that must be considered. Christians, however, must always, without exception, love and forgive. I contend that there are people who are not worthy of my love and forgiveness. My grandparents — who were fine, upstanding Christians who believed every word of the Bible — come to mind. (Dear Ann and Life with My Fundamentalist Baptist Grandparents, John and Ann Tieken.) Not only did I not love them, but when they died, I said, “Good riddance.” I said the same thing about my Christian uncle when he died; you know, the one who raped my mother. My grandparents caused untold harm to me and my mother. It was infuriating to hear people talk about how wonderful John and Ann were — awesome, Spirit-filled followers of Jesus — while knowing they were anything but. They had countless opportunities to practice Christianity in a meaningful way with our family, but they chose not to. And when they did deign to walk in Jesus’s steps, there were always strings attached to everything they did for you. Cross them, and as swift as getting your head cut off with a guillotine, they would cut off whatever help they were giving you. Critical and mean-spirited, they demanded, via Bible verse quotations, that people not treat them in kind. Simply put, they were fucking hypocrites.

All forgiveness and love are conditional. Christian or not, some lines can be crossed that are beyond love and forgiveness. And if you say otherwise, I don’t believe you. Stop with the syrupy claims that you love and forgive everyone. Can you not think of any circumstance where you wouldn’t love or forgive someone? I generally love and forgive others, but I can think of circumstances that are beyond my love and forgiveness. I refuse to pretend and love and forgive people, as I was commanded to do as a follower of Jesus; though even Jesus didn’t love and forgive everyone either.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Sometimes “Nice” Christians Are the Worst

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Millions of Evangelicals have read my writing since I first started blogging in 2007. Most of them never leave comments, but thousands of their fellow brethren have over the years. Sadly, many of their comments are judgmental, hateful, and argumentative. I have previously shared that some of these God-fearing, Jesus-loving, Holy Spirit-filled Christians turned to threatening me with violence. And yes, threatening someone with eternal torture in the Lake of Fire is a violent threat; one that countless Evangelicals have made towards me, my family, and the readers of this blog.

Sometimes, “nice” Christians stumble upon my writing. As they read through my responses to hateful Fundamentalist Christians, these “nice” Christians are appalled by what some of their born-again family members say to me. Often, “nice” Christians will say that nasty, hateful believers aren’t “real” Christians. Using the No Scotsman Fallacy, “nice” Christians excise from their religious family anyone who gives their tribe a bad name. Problem solved, right?

If that’s all “nice” Christians did, I would have no objection. If Christians want to fight amongst themselves about who is and isn’t a “true Christian,” have at it. I couldn’t care less. If Christians want to have a food fight with each other, put it on pay TV, buy some beer, and enjoy the bloodshed. The problem, however, is that “nice” Christians see the atrocious behavior by their crazy uncles and rabid brothers on this site, and they automatically assume that the reason I am an atheist is because I was, in some way, harmed by Christians. This is patently false, and no matter how many times I correct the record, they refuse to change the strawman of me they have built in their minds. In their minds, if I were only exposed to “nice” Christians, I would see the light and return to Jesus.

Here’s the problem with this kind of thinking: how I was treated by church members, colleagues in the ministry, and other Christians played little to no part in my deconversion. My partner and I spent countless hours talking about Christianity and our evolving loss of faith. There wasn’t one discussion about the “hurt” caused to us by Christians. That discussion did not happen until after we left the faith; one that continues to this day. You see, it was AFTER we left the Jesus Salvation Club that the ugliness, hatred, and judgmentalism came flowing from our Evangelical family, friends, and colleagues in the ministry as a broken sewer pipe spewing effluent in every direction; splattering a couple they once believed were examples of devoted followers of Jesus with smelly, putrid shit.

No matter how often I explain to “nice” Christians why I deconverted, they convince themselves that if Christians were just nice to me, I would return to Jesus. Years ago, an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) evangelist took this approach to me, even though I warned him it would not work. We would chat back and forth; he even sent me $200. By all accounts, he was and is a nice guy. If we lived closer to one another, we would likely be close friends. As I continued to share with him why I wasn’t a Christian, a curious thing happened. This preacher of the KJV started listening to me; to my actual explanations for deconverting. One day, I got an email from him that said he was no longer a Christian. Did I jump up and down for joy? No, because I knew that he would pay a high price for walking away from the ministry and the true IFB faith. His kindness to me didn’t convert me, and neither did my kindness deconvert him. For both of us, our loss of faith came when we reinvestigated our beliefs, especially the central claims of Christianity. While how we were treated post-Jesus by Christians played no part in our deconversions, it certainly affects how we view some segments of Christianity today.

To “nice” Christians who come upon this blog, I give this advice: shut up and listen. Instead of analyzing my story, psychoanalyzing me, or combing through my story with a nit comb looking for the “real” reason I deconverted, how about letting me tell my own story, in my own words, on my own terms. Instead of making snap judgments, take time to read ALL of my story. And then, ask questions instead of rendering judgment

Millions of people have read my writing over the years, including countless Evangelicals-turned-atheists. For those of us raised in Evangelical churches before we deconverted, we are painfully aware of the practice of friendship evangelism or love bombing. Evangelicals are taught to shower unbelievers with fake love and friendship. Love bombing and friendship evangelism are fake because their goal is not friendship; it’s conversion; it’s increasing attendance and offerings.

Evangelicals-turned-atheists (and other former Evangelicals) develop skills that help them spot fakery or false motivations from a mile away. We understand the buzzwords and tactics used by “nice” Christians. Thus, when a “nice” Christian starts working their “magic,” unbelieving readers become irritated, often wishing I would send them packing. And I typically do, though sometimes it is good to be reminded of how “nice” Christians ply their wares.

To “nice” Christians who are offended by this post, I offer up a challenge: You may freely comment on this blog, but you cannot mention God, Jesus, the Bible, or your personal testimony. These things do not interest most of us. If your objective is to be a “nice” Christian, this should be easy for you to do. However, most followers of Jesus won’t accept this offer. Why? Because the real reason they comment on this site is to put a good word in for Jesus. And that’s okay. All I am asking is that “nice” Christians be honest about their motivations (as we all should).

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Short Stories: The Sleeping Squirrel Hunter

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Bruce Gerencser, Somerset Baptist Church, 1987

I pastored Somerset Baptist Church in Mt Perry, Ohio, for eleven years in the 1980s and 1990s. Located in the Appalachian foothills, the church was surrounded by beautiful scenery, dusty country roads, stripper oil wells, illegal pot growers, and farms.

One family had a large farm a few miles away from the church. The mom and her three children attended church, but the dad did not. I was a hunter at the time. The dad gave me an open invitation to hunt on their land.

One sunny fall day, I decided to go squirrel hunting by myself on the aforementioned land. I walked the rolling hills for what seemed forever before finding a place to sit in the woods. My gun of choice that day was a bolt-action Mossberg .410 shotgun — a gun I bought for myself when I was twelve.

I plopped myself on the leaf-littered ground and leaned up against a huge tree. I thought that this would be a great spot for spotting squirrels. Long days and short nights had their way with me, and before long, I fell sound asleep. A while later, I was stirred by chipmunks running over and around me. As I lifted my head and looked off into the distance, imagine my surprise to see two foxes intently watching me. What a beautiful sight — breathtaking. Eventually, the foxes ran off, as did the chipmunks.

No squirrels were killed on this day or any other thereafter. I became increasingly uncomfortable with hunting, especially killing animals for no other reason than that I could. I no longer had the bloodlust necessary to kill wild animals. Photography became my new weapon of choice, “shooting” animals without killing them.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Seminary Vice President Michael Deckinga Charged with Distributing Child Porn

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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.

 Michael Deckinga, Vice President for Advancement at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana, stands accused of distributing child pornography.

The Roys Report reports:

The chief fundraiser at a confessional Reformed seminary is facing federal charges of distributing child pornography, court documents confirm.

Mid-America Reformed Seminary Vice President for Advancement Michael Deckinga, 41, is being held at the Hammond, Indiana, city jail. He is awaiting an August 27 hearing before Magistrate Judge John E. Martin, according to a motion filed by public defender Peter L. Boyles.

….

An indictment believed to detail Deckinga’s alleged crimes is under seal. An arrest warrant states Deckinga “committed violations of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2), distribution of child pornography,” between November 2024 and May 2025. No further details were disclosed.

….

Deckinga was not a Mid-America graduate but earned a B.S. in history with minors in theology and business from Trinity Christian College, a Reformed school in Chicago. At the time of his hiring, Deckinga and his wife, Kim, resided in Beecher, Illinois with four children, whose ages in 2016 ranged from ten months to five years.

He was also said to be “chairman of the deacons” at Lynwood United Reformed Church in Lynwood, Illinois. The Rev. Nick Alons, Lynwood’s pastor, did not immediately respond to a phone message or email requesting comment.

Venema told the Christian Renewal publication in 2016, “Mike’s strengths are his familiarity with and enthusiastic commitment to Mid-America’s statement of its purpose as well as his understanding of how students who aspire to the gospel ministry need to be prepared academically and vocationally for this calling.”

Reached by phone at his home, Dirk Deckinga, Michael’s father, expressed astonishment at his son’s arrest.

“I really don’t think he did (it),” the elder Deckinga said. “But I don’t really know anything else about this. I’m just for a loss for words, and my wife and I . . . we just can’t believe it that this happened. We’re just waiting patiently for any information that we get from the lawyer.”

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Leader Ryan Denzer-Johnson Accused of Sexually Assaulting a Child

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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.

Ryan Denzer-Johnson, a youth leader at an unnamed church (possibly the Evangelical Free Church) and a school teacher in Embarass, Minnesota, stands accused of sexually assaulting a child.

The Grand Forks Herald reports:

An Embarrass, Minnesota, man who has served as a teacher and church leader is accused of sexually assaulting a child.

Ryan Ross Denzer-Johnson, 43, was charged Monday, Aug. 18, with three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against a child under the age of 14.

Denzer-Johnson has worked as a math teacher at Mesabi East Schools in Aurora and Northeast Range School in Babbitt in recent years, according to public records, but is no longer employed at either.

Prosecutors said he has also recently served in youth ministry and on the advisory board at an unspecified church.

The alleged victim is known to Denzer-Johnson, and the incidents are unrelated to either his work or volunteer roles.

A criminal complaint says the girl participated in a forensic interview last week. She recalled a period around March 2023 during which she said Denzer-Johnson would sexually touch her, sometimes multiple times a day.

The girl also recalled a similar incident at a later date, with the complaint alleging the conduct occurred at any point up until July 2024.

Denzer-Johnson also allegedly admitted to his wife earlier this month that he had sexually assaulted the girl “two years ago, and it ended one year ago,” the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office learned.

The complaint says Denzer-Johnson was interviewed Thursday and admitted to repeatedly touching the child. He allegedly recalled three specific incidents but stated, “I can’t tell you that that never happened other times.”

Denzer-Johnson additionally told law enforcement that he “can’t guarantee that there wasn’t like some grooming before (because) there probably was,” according to a memorandum from St. Louis County prosecutor Amber Pederson.

He allegedly described having prior concerns that he could sexually harm girls.

“Despite being aware for some time that he was prone to sexually assault minor females, (the) defendant put himself in positions with access to minor females,” Peterson told the court.

Judge Bhupesh Pattni granted the prosecutor’s request to set unconditional bail at $300,000, or $100,000 with several pretrial release conditions.

Denzer-Johnson has been a licensed math teacher for grades 5-12 in Minnesota since 2014, according to state records.

He resigned from Northeast Range in 2023 to join Mesabi East, and has also been involved in leading robotics programs at both Iron Range schools.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Christians Say the Darnedest Things: Ladies, Your “Immodest” Dress Leads to Lust and Other Sins

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The following excerpt was written by Robert Reed, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Coden, Alabama. Victory Baptist is an Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) congregation.

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”

I Timothy 2:9-10

Modest Apparel

Christian modesty is always in style. This Biblical doctrine of modesty is taught throughout Scripture and is binding today. After sin entered into the world the first issue dealt with was modesty, for God clothed Adam and Eve. This Biblical principle is a vanishing virtue in the world in which we live. God’s standards are constantly under attack because Satan knows that immodest dress leads to lust and many other sins. The subject of modesty must be a concern of both men and women, for it affects them both. Our clothing gives testimony of our heart and our attitude toward God and His Word.

“Unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of their honor.”

– Noah Webster Dictionary 1828

 In reference to clothing from a Biblical perspective, there are three areas to consider: modesty, covering, and distinction. This article will focus mainly on the subject of modesty even though all three are very important. Some rebel against this truth, but many just have never been taught. It is the responsibility of fathers, husbands, and pastors to teach their wives, sons, and daughters the doctrine of modesty. May we begin this study prayerfully with open eyes and a tender heart.

THE MEANING OF MODESTY

 In I Timothy 2:9 of the King James Bible, the English word modest appears only one time, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.” 

….

In I Timothy 2:10, the real issue is brought forth, “But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.” Good works are our best ornament. Our dress is to match or be in harmony with what we believe. Our clothing is to glorify God and testify to the fact that we are a child of the King.

THE PURPOSE OF MODESTY

Modesty begins in the heart and is of utmost importance in our walk with God. Modesty was the first issue addressed after the fall, and God clothed Adam and Eve to have fellowship with them (even though no one else was on earth at that time). In I Peter 3:3-6, modesty of the heart and clothing are addressed, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.” The apostle stresses inward adornment and not outward display. In verse 3, he is saying that the putting on of apparel is not your beauty, but your devotion and love to Jesus Christ is. In other words, do you spend more time adorning the outward or the inward? Our text plainly shows a connection between what is on the inside and what we are on the outside. It begins internally and manifests itself externally.

The heart is mentioned over eight hundred times in Holy Writ. No one is saved unless the heart is turned to God (Hebrews 8:10), and no one can please God in modest apparel unless there is a modest heart. When our hearts are right, our clothing will be right also. We must be governed by the Spirit of the living God and not by feelings, fads, or fashions. Modesty is man’s oldest challenge. Prior to sin, Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed (Genesis 2:25). They were clothed in God’s righteousness and veiled in purity, but after the fall, sin and shame came. Man’s heart became darkened and God clothed them spiritually and physically. Again, we must be changed from the inside out or all is vanity.

THE REWARD OF MODESTY

The reward of modesty is blessings, joy, peace, and ultimately, a crown at the judgment seat of Christ. According to Romans 12:1-2, God is concerned with our bodies, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost (I Corinthians 6:14-7:1). The Spirit of the God of heaven and earth lives within the believer (I Corinthians 3:16-17). God is very much interested in our hearts (inside) and our bodies (outside). Both are very important to God for He created us in this manner. The spiritual is connected to the physical (Revelation 3:18, Isaiah 61:10). Our salvation is spoken of as garments of holiness and the righteousness of Christ. We are called peculiar people in I Peter 2:9, and we should live in a manner that is pleasing to God. According to II Corinthians 5:10-11, if we obey God we are promised rewards, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” The apostle Paul spoke of the crown of righteousness in II Timothy 4:7-8. May we all desire the things of God and look for His appearing.

CONCLUSION

Clothing is to conceal, not to reveal. In the Garden of Eden, God designed clothes to cover our first parents’ nakedness, for man could not clothe himself. Adam and Eve made aprons, but God made coats. There is a difference between the two. As a Christian, we must let God be our designer and not man. The clothing industry is controlled by pagans and they know what sells. Satan has an agenda, and please understand that the fashion world is not neutral. Fashions and styles are to arouse the passions of the flesh. In many cases, packaging is more sensual than raw nudity. We must not allow the world to dictate what we wear. God’s Word must be our standard in all areas of Christian life, especially in modesty. Amen.

“The wearing of gay or costly apparel naturally tends to breed and increase vanity. By vanity here, I mean the love and desire of being admired and praised. Every one of you that is fond of dress has a witness of this in your own bosom. Whether you will confess it before man or no, you are convinced of this before God. You know in your hearts, it is with a view to be admired that you thus adorn yourselves; and that you would not be at the pains were none to see you but God and His holy angels. Now, the more you indulge this foolish desire, the more it grows upon you. You have vanity enough by nature; but by thus indulging it, you increase it a hundredfold. O stop! Aim at pleasing God alone, and all these ornaments will drop off.”

“The wearing of costly array is directly opposite to being adorned with good works. Nothing can be more evident than this; for the more you lay out on your own apparel, the less you have left to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to lodge the stranger, to relieve those that are sick and in prison; and to lessen the numberless to which we are exposed in the vale of tears.”

– John Wesley

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

 

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Eligio “Eli” Regalado and His Wife Kaitlyn Accused of 3.4 Million Crypto Scam

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Eli and Kaitlyn Regalado

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.

Eligio “Eli” and Kaitlyn Regalado, the founders of online-only Victorious Grace Church and INDXcoin, a religious-themed cryptocurrency, stand accused of fleecing their flock of $3.4 million.

The Denver Gazette reports:

Fresh off a Denver grand jury indictment regarding an alleged cryptocurrency scam, Eligio “Eli” and Kaitlyn Regalado stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of a district court judge on Thursday morning.

Both husband and wife are out on a $100,000 property bond after being arrested earlier this month on 40 felony charges — including racketeering, theft and securities fraud — following an alleged scheme between January 2022 and July 2023, in which the duo solicited nearly $3.4 million from around 300 investors, according to court records.

The bond conditions also included turning over all travel documents and “intensive pretrial supervision,” according to 2nd Judicial District Judge Karen Brody. The two cannot travel out of Denver county, but they are not required to wear GPS trackers.

Neither suspect was represented by defense attorneys. Eli Regalado noted they did not qualify for public defenders. 

The Regalados were the founders the of online-only Victorious Grace Church and INDXcoin, a religious-themed cryptocurrency that state regulators said was “essentially worthless.”

The duo allegedly used their religious connections to recruit investors, while promising “exorbitant” returns on the investments, the Denver District Attorney’s Office said in a news release. According to the indictment, only a small amount of the proceeds went to the business venture and that the Regalados spent at least $1.3 million on personal expenditures.

Some of these expenditures allegedly included home renovation that the defendants claimed “the Lord” told them to do, a Range Rover and more than $90,000 in traveling and entertainment expenses. All the while, INDXcoin maintained zero value and all of the investors lost all of their money, according to the district attorney’s office.

The suspects argued that INDXcoin was a “utility coin” to join faith-based communities online, not a security, therefore it did not require licensing or registration. 

“My civil complaint filed in this matter says it all,” Chan said in a statement to The Denver Gazette about the new criminal case. “The Colorado Division of Securities initiated the investigation of the Regalados and we believe they committed egregious securities fraud, harming many in Colorado.”

The Regalados are scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 11. 

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Southern Baptist Pastor Neal Creecy Thought He Was Meeting a Teen Boy, Arrested Instead

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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.

Neal Creecy, pastor of  Redemption Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, stands accused of luring or attempting to lure a child or mentally ill person with the use of computer technology to engage in sexual conduct.

8 News reports:

Police and federal officials arrested a Las Vegas pastor as he prepared to meet a person he believed was a teenage boy for sex, according to documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained Monday.

Neal Creecy, 46, faces a charge of luring or attempting to lure a child or mentally ill person with the use of computer technology to engage in sexual conduct, records said.

Throughout August, the Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, along with the FBI and several Southern Nevada police departments, arrested at least eight men as part of a sting operation.

For the past five years, Creecy has rented space inside The Good Samaritan Lutheran Church on Sahara and Cimarron, where he operates his religious organization, Redemption Church, church leaders said.

On Thursday, Aug. 7, Creecy allegedly chatted with a person posing as a 14-year-old boy about meeting for “sexual contact,” police said. Creecy did not provide any images during the conversation but agreed to meet who he thought was a teenager at a “predetermined meeting location,” police said.

Creecy allegedly then drove to that location, leading to his arrest, police said.

Police recovered an iPad from Creecy, which they said was the device he used in the online conversation, documents said.

During an interview with police, Creecy “admitted to having been involved in the conversation with the decoy… and made the utterance, ‘I’m so sorry,’” documents said.

Creecy posted bond shortly after his arrest and was due to return to court on Sept. 2.

W. Don Seaborg, president of pastoral support for Redemption Church, said last week that Creecy is not affiliated with The Good Samaritan Church and only rents space.

Creecy’s Audible bio states:

Neal is the Senior Pastor of Redemption Church, a church plant started in October of 2018. Neal has been involved with pastoral ministries and church planting both in the United States and internationally for almost thirty years. He is Co-Founder and Vice President of Global Church Planting Partners, an organization that is involved in both theological training and church planting globally. He has also taught in various seminaries in the United States and around the world. Neal holds an MDiv and a Ph.D. in Missiology from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Thomas Pinkerton Accused of Sexually Abusing Six Teens

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pastor thomas pinkerton

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.

Thomas “Tommy” Pinkerton, a former youth pastor at Central Christian Church in Baltimore, Maryland, stands accused of abusing at least six teenagers from 2006-2010. Central Christian is affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination.

NBC News reports:

Thomas Pinkerton Jr. used to tell children in his youth group in Maryland that it was normal for a pastor to kiss boys on the lips, because that’s how Jesus greeted his disciples, according to an arrest warrant made public last week.

Kissing was just the beginning, several men from Pinkerton’s former youth group told police.

Pinkerton, 52, a youth minister known as Pastor Tommy, is being held without bond following accusations that he sexually abused six teens from 2006 to 2010 while working at Central Christian Church, an Assemblies of God church in Baltimore County. He was extradited from his home state of Georgia to Maryland last Wednesday to face 24 felony and misdemeanor counts in Baltimore County. His attorney, Justin Hollimon, said he pleaded not guilty.

An arrest warrant said the alleged abuse included inappropriate touching and kissing of six teenagers in Maryland, who ranged in age from 13 to 19. The warrant said the alleged abuse happened at the church and at Pinkerton’s former home in Maryland. A seventh man reported abuse by Pinkerton in Georgia, according to the warrant, and that report was referred to authorities there, officials in Baltimore County said. 

Detectives believe there may be more victims and have asked anyone with information to come forward. 

Pinkerton, who has worked as a traveling evangelist in recent years, was “completely shocked” by the charges, his attorney said Monday.

“He is a pastor. He gave his life to the community, worked for the community,” Hollimon said, adding that he filed a motion Monday morning seeking another bond hearing for Pinkerton after a judge denied his release last week. “He’s anxiously waiting his day in court.”

Ministry Watch adds:

An online statement from Central Christian Church noted that Pinkerton left the congregation more than 15 years ago to start his own ministry. Lead Pastor Larry Kirk called the allegations “deeply heartbreaking” and said the church is “committed to walking alongside these young men with compassion and support.”

Assemblies of God officials pointed out that although Pinkerton served in the denomination, he was never a formally credentialed minister, NBC News reported.

Likewise, Savala was not a credentialed minister when he wielded influence in Chi Alpha.

Pinkerton, who currently lives in Winder, Georgia, and recently worked as a traveling evangelist, communicated through his attorney that he was “completely shocked” by the charges. His attorney has filed a motion for a second bond hearing after his first request for release was denied, NBC News reported.

Pinkerton’s preliminary court hearing is set for Sept. 5 while he remains at the Baltimore County Detention Center.

Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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.

Your comments are welcome and appreciated. All first-time comments are moderated. Please read the commenting rules before commenting.

You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.