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Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Kenneth Butler Pleads Guilty to Child Sex Trafficking Charges

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pastor kenneth butler

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.

Last year, three Toledo, Ohio Evangelical pastors were arrested and charged with child sex trafficking. Cordell Jenkins, pastor of Abundant Life Ministries in Toledo, Anthony Haynes, pastor of Greater Life Christian Center in Toledo, and Kenneth Butler, pastor of Kingdom Encounter Family Worship Center in Detroit, all face federal charges that could land them in prison for life. Yesterday, Butler pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seventeen and a half years in prison. It is expected that Haynes and Jenkins will also plead guilty.

Previous articles: Black Collar Crime: Three Toledo, Ohio Evangelical Pastors Indicted on Child Sex Trafficking Charges, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Cordell Jenkins Accused of Sex Trafficking Children, and Black Collar Crime: Another Toledo Evangelical Pastor, Kenneth Butler, Accused of Sex Trafficking

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Daniel Ramos Charged With Possession of Child Porn

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daniel ramos

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.

Daniel Ramos, a youth pastor at Victory Worship Center Church of God in Chicago, Illinois has been charged with possession or exhibition of child pornography, indecent solicitation and grooming.  According to the Chicago Tribune, in August 2017 church leaders were made aware of allegations against Ramos and promptly reported them to law enforcement. Kudos to the church for reporting the alleged crimes.

The Sounds of Fundamentalism: Donald Trump is God’s Chosen One Says Mary Colbert

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mary colbert

This is the one hundred and seventy-eighth installment in The Sounds of Fundamentalism series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a video clip that shows the crazy, cantankerous, or contradictory side of Evangelical Christianity, please send me an email with the name or link to the video. Please do not leave suggestions in the comment section.  Let’s have some fun!

Today’s Sound of Fundamentalism features a clip from a TV appearance by Evangelical Mary Colbert. In this clip, Colbert says Donald Trump is the Christian God’s chosen one, and anyone who doesn’t recognize this risks God’s curse upon their life and that of their children and grandchildren.

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Colbert is co-author of a book titled, The Trump Prophecies.

the trump prophecies

 

The Sounds of Fundamentalism: Only Christianity Has First Amendment Rights Says Bryan Fischer

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bryan fischer

This is the one hundred and seventy-seventh installment in The Sounds of Fundamentalism series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a video clip that shows the crazy, cantankerous, or contradictory side of Evangelical Christianity, please send me an email with the name or link to the video. Please do not leave suggestions in the comment section.  Let’s have some fun!

Today’s Sound of Fundamentalism features a clip from Bryan Fischer’s radio program. Fischer is associated with the American Family Association. Fischer makes it clear that ONLY Christianity has First Amendment rights.Enjoy! And then BARF.

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Found on Facebook: Modesty is Like an iPad Cover

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modesty is like an i-pad cover

I am speechless. I know, hard to believe. 🙂

Modesty is like a hubcap, I say.  Please add your pithy modesty is like ________ to the comment section.

Thanks to Suzanne for spotting and capturing this Evangelical gem.

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.

The Sounds of Fundamentalism: Tunnel of Fire, a New Charismatic Practice

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charismatic faith healer

This is the one hundred and seventy-sixth installment in The Sounds of Fundamentalism series. This is a series that I would like readers to help me with. If you know of a video clip that shows the crazy, cantankerous, or contradictory side of Evangelical Christianity, please send me an email with the name or link to the video. Please do not leave suggestions in the comment section.  Let’s have some fun!

Today’s Sound of Fundamentalism features clips of a new Charismatic practiced called Tunnel of Fire. Charismatic churches are always on the look out for new methods and gimmicks to arouse the passions of congregants. The Tunnel of Fire is one such practice.

Fire Tunnel With Todd White at The Sound The Alarm Youth Conference, Orlando Florida 2016

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Bethel Church, Redding, California

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Video Link

 

Black Collar Crime: Catholic Priest David Poulson Facing Child Sexual Abuse Charges

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david poulson

David Poulson, a Catholic priest with the Diocese of Erie, stands accused of sexually abusing two boys over a period of many years.  Worse yet, the Centre Daily News reports that the officials with the Diocese of Erie knew about Poulson’s predatory behavior since May 2010, but did not report it to law enforcement until September 2016.

According to the Centre Daily News:

the alleged assaults would usually occur on Sundays, after the boy served as an altar boy during mass. Poulson would then allegedly require the boy to make confession in the church, and confess to the assaults — to Poulson, who served as the priest receiving the boy’s confession.

….

Diocese officials then interviewed Poulson, who admitted he owned the hunting cabin and took about 20 trips there — half of which were with young boys. He allegedly admitted he was attracted to young boys, and provided the names of the boys he took to the cabin. The diocese, in cooperation with the attorney general and grand jury investigation, then turned over the names of the boys to investigators.

In addition to the two boys from which the charges stem, the grand jury heard from nine others who recalled Poulson befriending them, flirting with them, joking and wrestling with them when they were minors. Poulson allegedly piled them with gifts, cash, dinners and alcohol. Prosecutors believe a sexual assault occurred in at least one of theses cases, but it was barred on the grounds of statute of limitations.

If these allegations are true, Poulson is one sick man. I hope authorities are looking into criminally prosecuting the Diocese employees who knew about Poulson’s abhorrent behavior and did nothing. They are every bit as culpable as he is.

Black Collar Crime: Church of Christ Preacher Dennis McCarty Accused of Keying Woman’s Car

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busted
McCarty’s church objected to my use of his photograph, so I have replaced it with this one.

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.

Dennis McCarty, pastor of Pyburn Street Church of Christ in Pocahontas, Arkansas, will soon face trial for allegedly keying a college student’s automobile. According to KARK, McCarty verbally objected to the college student parking in a handicapped parking space without a permit and then, following in the steps of Jesus, keyed her car.

Pyburn Street’s website states that the church is “lucky” to have McCarty as their pastor.

McCarty’s trial on criminal mischief, a misdemeanor,  begins on July 3, 2018.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor William Randall Accused of Sexual Battery

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pastor william randall

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.

William “Bill” Randall, pastor of St. Simon Baptist Church in Orange Park, Florida stands accused of sexually assaulting a church girl. News 4 reports that victim told investigators that Randall had been raping and molesting her since she began attending St. Simon Baptist in 2007. The girl also told investigators that the alleged assaults took place after Sunday worship services and during the week when she stopped by to do work at the church.

As is the custom among Evangelicals, some of Randall’s parishioners and ministerial colleagues are astonished by the accusations. According to News 4, Pernell Raggins, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in New Augustine, Florida, said of Randall ” [he] has served the community well. I’m devastated by the news that you just shared with me, but all I have to say about this man of God is that he has done a lot for the Orange Park area.”  In other words, this “man of God” has done a lot of good in the community and that should be considered when weighing the allegations against Randall. What, is there some sort of point system in Christianity that allows so-called men of God to get a pass on sex crimes if they have accumulated enough good works points?

Astoundingly, Randall was released on a $25,000 bond.

 

Black Collar Crime: Baptist Deacon David Buser Accused of Sexually Assaulting Two Children

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david buser

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 Buser, a deacon and Sunday school teacher at New Hope Freewill Baptist Church in Dover, Florida, stands accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting two minor girls.  According to News Channel 8, “abuse of one of the victims had been going on for a decade, deputies claim. Records show that the most recent sexual assault happened two months ago.”  According to WFTS News, both victims were first graders when the alleged abuse first occurred. Buser allegedly admitted committing the assaults in a phone conversation with one of the victims while law enforcement was recording the conversion.

Buser is being held on a $600,000 bond.