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Tag: Black Collar Crime

Bruce Takes Revival Fires to the Woodshed

peanut gallery

Revival “I Lie for Jesus” Fires is an Evangelical Christian who regularly tries to comment on this site. Most of his comments are so vulgar, vile, and disgusting that I refuse to approve them. What follows is my response to his latest comment. (All grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the original.)

Ok buddy you want to talk about pastors and clergymen that fall into sexual sin,rape?prison rape,etc. It actually amazes me if you struggle with pain and bad health as much as you put out that you’re able to take the time to research this every time a LIKELY false Christian pastor falls into this trap.

I am glad you find my herculean research skills amazing, but the Black Collar Crime Series doesn’t take me as much time as you might think. I have developed research and writing skills that help me quickly turn out these posts.

You seem to suggest that I am lying about my struggles with chronic pain and pervasive health problems. Why would I lie about these things? What do I gain from misleading readers?

I find it interesting that you think preachers who rape children, molest teenagers, and take sexual advantage of vulnerable adults have fallen into a “trap.” It’s as if you think these preachers were just humbly walking the road of life, suddenly tripped, and “fell” into sexual sin. This, of course, is untrue. Most of the preachers featured in the Black Collar Crime Series are not first-time offenders. Many of them were predators for years before they were caught. Proving how easy it is to fake being a Christian, these men Sunday after Sunday stand before their congregations preaching the wonders of Christ all the while committing crimes.

Sadly most are likely just a false as you were in your heart.

You do know the Bible says that liars will end up in the Lake of Fire, right? You have no evidence for your claim that I was a false Christian. The same goes for these offending preachers. Based on your comments on this site, I may be an atheist, but I am a better Christian than you are. In fact, most of the atheists on this site are better Christians than you are. Your behavior suggests that you are Christian in name only.

As far as the preachers featured in the Black Collar Crime Series are concerned, I am sure some of them were Christians in name only. However, what these stories suggest is that one can be a Christian and still commit crimes; that Jesus, salvation, and the Bible are no antidote for sexual sins. The Bible says that when a person is saved, their old life passes away and their new life, in Christ, begins. While I have met scores of loving, kind followers of Jesus over the years, they are the exception to the rule. I have concluded that the so-called “new life in Christ” is largely a myth; regardless of whether a person is saved, they are who they are. The real issue, in my humble opinion, is why so many preachers commit sexual sins. I have written over 1,000 posts for the Black Collar Crimes Series, with hundreds of other stories I have not yet posted. The sheer volume of these stories suggests that Evangelicalism has a big problem with predator preachers. Instead of attacking me for publishing these stories, Evangelicals might want to ask why sexual sin, along with infidelity, is so common among preachers. Why do churches continue to cover up such things, fearing loss of testimony more than doing right by victims?

Also sad that every time this happens it gives God and the church a black eye and a fat lip.

Just like when David committed adultery with bathseheba. As Nathan states in 1 Samuel it gave the enemies God a reason to blaspheme.

Yes, these preachers give the church a black eye. What you cannot or will not see is that your own behavior, as witnessed on this site, also gives the church a black eye. Again, the question that should be asked is: why is such behavior so common among Evangelicals; that despite being bought by the blood and filled with the Holy Ghost, Christians can and do commit crimes and have affairs. Why is that? I see nothing in American Evangelicalism that remotely suggests that it is superior to all other religions and that it is a preferred way to live.

So is the point trying to be proved here that these sick men “Christian pastors” who are being charged with child sexual crimes 😡😡 beyond unthinkable!! Or have had an affair with the church secretary,etc are they never truly saved?(likely) Or is the point that the church is no different than the cesspool of a lost world? Obviously if it is either or Or both the main point is to discredit Jesus Christ and disprove existence of God.

In 2023, I wrote a post titled Why I Write The Black Collar Crime Series and Will Continue to Do So Despite Criticism from Evangelicals. Here’s what I wrote:

The Black Collar Crime series is in its seventh year, having published more than one thousand reports of clergy and church leader criminal misconduct. Most of the reports are about Evangelical pastors, evangelists, youth directors, and other church leaders who committed sex crimes. Using Google Alerts, I receive an immediate notice any time a news story about clerical malfeasance is posted on the Internet. It is important that these stories receive wide circulation. Victims need to know that there are people standing with them as they bring to light what God’s servants have done in secret.

I realize that these reports are often dark and depressing, but the only way to dispel darkness is to turn on the lights. Clergy who prey on congregants — especially children — must be exposed, prosecuted, convicted, and sent to prison. By leveraging this blog’s readership numbers and publishing these reports, I am serving notice to law enforcement, prosecutors, and judges: we are paying attention, and if you fail to provide justice for victims, we will hold you accountable.

Many clerics have enormous power over people. How else do we explain that alleged repeat abusers of children and sexual predators such as Lester Roloff, Jack Patterson, and Mack Ford — to name a few — never spent a day in jail for their crimes? Mack Ford, in particular, spent decades physically and psychologically destroying teenagers, yet, thanks to his connections in the community, he was never prosecuted for his crimes. (Please see Sexual Abuse in the Name of God: New Bethany Home for GirlsTeen Group Homes: Dear IFB Pastor, It’s Time for You to Atone for Your SinWhat Should We Do When Religious Freedom Leads to Child Abuse?)

Sometimes, these seemingly untouchable predators are brought to justice, but not before the public puts pressure on law enforcement and prosecutors, forcing them to act. The sordid story of abuse at Restoration Youth Academy is case in point. Decades of abuse reports were filed with local law enforcement, yet nothing was done. Yes, they finally acted and the perpetrators are now in prison, but what do we say to the hundreds of children and teenagers who were ritually abused before prosecutors got around to doing their job?

I am sure that this series will bring criticism from Evangelical zealots, reminding me that accused/charged clerics are innocent until proven guilty. While they are correct, all I am doing is sharing that which is widely reported in the news. In the sixteen years I’ve been writing about clergy misconduct, I can count on one hand the number of pastors/priests/religious leaders who were falsely accused — fewer than five, out of hundreds and hundreds of cases. The reason for so few false accusations is that no person in his or her right mind would mendaciously accuse a pastor of sexual misconduct. The social and personal cost is simply too high for someone to falsely accuse a religious leader of criminal conduct.

People often believe that “men of God” would never, ever commit such crimes. One common thread in the crimes committed by Jack Schaap, Bill Wininger, Josh Duggar, David FarrenNaasón Joaquín García, and a cast of thousands, is that family and fellow Christians were CERTAIN that these men of God could/would never commit the crimes with which they were charged. Even when presented with overwhelming evidence, their supporters, with heads in the sand, refuse to believe that these servants of Jesus did the perverse things they are accused of. (Please see What One IFB Apologist Thinks of People Who Claim They Were Abused and Evangelicals Use ‘We Are All Sinners’ Argument to Justify Sexual Abuse.)

Secondary reasons for this series have to do with exposing the lie that Evangelicalism is immune to scandal and criminal behavior. I remember when the Catholic sex scandal came to light. With great glee and satisfaction, Evangelical preachers railed against predator priests and the Catholic Church who covered up their crimes. Now, of course, we know — with the recent Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) and Southern Baptist sex scandals — that Evangelicalism is just as rotten, having its own problems with sexual abuse and subsequent cover-ups. Evangelicals love to take the high moral ground, giving the perception that their shit doesn’t stink. Well, now we know better. Not only does Evangelicalism have a sexual abuse problem, it also has a big problem with pastors who can’t keep their pants zipped up. (Please see Is Clergy Sexual Infidelity Rare?)

I receive threats from people defending their religious heroes. Threats of legal action are common, even though all I am doing is republishing stories publicly reported by news agencies. A pastor featured in one of my reports contacted me and said that reporters had it all wrong. As I do with everyone who asserts they are being falsely accused, I told this preacher that he could give his version of the facts, sign his name to it, and I would gladly add it to the post. Usually, this puts an end to any further protestations. Most often, the accused want to bully me into taking down my post. In this preacher’s case, he provided me his version of events and I gladly added it to my post. After adding the information, I decided to investigate this pastor further. I found more information about his past indiscretions and crimes. I dutifully added them to the post. I have not heard anything further from the good pastor.

I am not immune from making mistakes, so if you spot a factual error in one of the stories, please let me know and I will gladly correct it. If you come across a story that you would like me to add to this series, please use the contact form to email me. Please keep in mind that I need links to actual news reports in order to add them to this series. 

I primarily use Google Alerts for Black Collar Crime reports. I also rely on readers to alert me to new stories or updates of previous reports. I am one man with a limited amount of time each day to slog through the brackish Evangelical swamp, so I don’t see every report or know the outcome of every case I’ve featured in the Black Collar Crime Series. Keep in mind that I require EVIDENCE for me to update a story. Not gossip or personal opinion. Actual evidence such as reputable news stories (with links). Just because a reader or drive-by commenter says something doesn’t make it so. I appreciate your understanding.

I realize that nothing I say in this post will change the minds of preachers such as Dr. David Tee, whose real name is Derrick Thomas Thiessen. Thiessen has a sketchy background. He has been accused of abandoning his family, including an infant child, failing to pay child support, and fleeing to South Korea/Philippines to avoid being held accountable for his behavior. 

Thiessen has been a vocal critic of me personally and of the Black Collar Crimes Series. Thiessen is known for defending clerics who commit sex crimes. Just this week he wrote two more posts defending Ravi Zacharias. He has also defended men such as Bill Cosby and Bill Gothard. Thiessen goes to great lengths to defend his support of offending preachers, but I find his defenses lacking in every way. Thiessen repeatedly rejects the substantial work done by law enforcement in investigating, prosecuting, and convicting pastors who commit sex crimes. Why? This is the judgment of the “world,” not God. Of course, God is unavailable for comment. All we have are our legal processes; albeit imperfect, they are the best we have to hold clergy and churches accountable.

Thiessen frequently blames victims for what happened to them. Thiessen is not alone in this approach to women (sometimes men) and children who have been sexually violated and taken advantage of by so-called men of God. Again, Thiessen claims that victims are following the ways of the “world” instead of God. Of course, God’s ways in Thiessen’s mind are his peculiar interpretation of the Protestant Christian Bible. 

Today, Thiessen, in response to the post, Dr. David Tee Thinks Everyone Who is Not a Christian is an Atheist, renewed his objections to the Black Collar Crime SeriesHere’s some of what he said:

He [Bruce Gerencser] is right in one thing, we do not like his black collar series but not for the reasons he thinks. We [Derrick Thiessen] do not like it for many reasons and two of them are, it is not being fair or just. That owner [Bruce Gerencser] ignores all the unbelievers and atheists who are caught, tried, and convicted for the same crimes.

….

[Speaking of being fair and just] Christians have to do both to be able to make an impact for Christ. But this is not the end of the hypocrisy and injustice carried out by the owners of the BG [The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser] and MM [Meerkat Musings] websites, as well as other unbelieving websites.

There have been other similar stories about drag shows in schools, and so on. Yet not one peep from either owner about how bad, immoral, or wrong these actions are. Instead, they would rather target Christians as that is the group of people, as well as Christ, that they hate.

This is another reason God told us to never follow in the counsel of the ungodly. They do not have fairness or just behavior in their thinking. Look at all the CRT, equity, BLM  re-education going on today. None of those and anything similar is of God nor are they just and fair.

….

Another reason we do not like the black collar series over at that website [The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser] is that it is unneeded. It does nothing constructive for society nor does it help redeem those men who failed in their Christian lives, if they were Christians at all.

All it does, as we said earlier, is influence others to hate Christ, pastors, and the church, and turning people to hate is wrong. It is not fair to those men highlighted and the series does not have people being just or fair towards them. In fact, it helps stoke the misguided guilty-until-proven-innocent mentality that many unbelievers endorse.

It is also redundant as the local papers will carry the same stories and his series is just wasting everyone’s time. When the Christian sees those stories they need to ask God how to reach those men so that Christ can redeem them.

….

{we would link to the article we talked about but it is so filled with lies and eisegetical comments that it is nothing but trash [which I can’t rebut] }

I have explained my motivations for writing the Black Collar Crime Series several times. He knows exactly why I do what I do, so I can only conclude that Thiessen is a liar and his goal is to impugn my character and impair my coverage of clergy sex crimes.

Let’s suppose I operated a site whose mission was to cover the Cincinnati Reds. Every day I published news stories about the Reds and individual players on the team. One day, a man named Deirere TeeDee sent me an email, complaining about me not writing any posts about the NHL, particularly me not covering the Detroit Red Wings. Duh, I replied, I write about the Reds, and Major League Baseball, not the National Hockey League and the Detroit Red Wings. Your complaint has no merit.

Yet, this is exactly what Thiessen has done with his complaint about me not covering atheists and other unbelievers who commit sex crimes. He knows that this site focuses on four things:

  • Helping people who have questions and doubts about Christianity
  • Helping people who have left Christianity
  • Telling the story about my journey from Evangelical Christian to atheist
  • Critiquing Evangelical Christianity

I have been blogging since 2007 — sixteen years. I have stayed true to these four focus points, rarely veering off the path to talk about politics, sports, food, and travel. Why Thiessen cannot understand why I write the Black Collar Crime Series is beyond me. I know that all sorts of people commit sex crimes, but my focus is on Evangelical preachers who commit such crimes. This is NOT a sex crime blog. If it were, I would cover unbelievers and believers alike. And even if I did, it would still be true that the vast majority of people who commit sex crimes are Christian or religious. Why? Because most Americans are Christians. 

I have repeatedly explained to Thiessen why the Black Collar Crime Series is needed. I assume, at this point, he is being obtuse. Most of the stories I write require numerous news stories to tell the complete story. They also require research on my part to find out what sect the offender was a part of and their background and beliefs. Sometimes, these reports take a lot of time to put together. Other times, a Google search quickly gives me everything I need to write the story.

These reports are based on news reports, court records, social media, and other verifiable sources. I rarely interject my personal opinion. My goal is to provide a one-stop website for people looking for information about a particular preacher/church and their crimes. Blog traffic numbers suggest that this is exactly what is happening.

It is not uncommon for news sites to either delete stories about clergy sex crimes or put them behind paywalls. That’s why it is important for me to make these stories available to the public free of charge. The public has a right to know what is going on in Evangelical churches. Surely it is important to cover criminal behavior by clerics. Surely it is important to say to victims that I hear them and I will make their story known far and wide. The bigger question, then, is this: why do Derrick Thiessen and other Christians of his ilk want to muzzle me and keep these stories from being known?

One answer to the questions above is that the Thiessens of the world don’t care about the victims of clergy sex crimes. I suspect many of them believe that the victimized women (and men) and children are not victims at all. Thus, they view sexual predators as the real victims; that the “world” is out to get them. Thiessen admits as much when he says “When the Christian sees those stories [about rape, sexual assault, child molestation, along with theft, fraud, and murder] they need to ask God how to reach those men so that Christ can redeem them.” Remember, Thiessen has called sex crimes “mistakes.” He has yet to write one positive post about the victims of clergy sexual misconduct. All that Thiessen cares about are the poor preachers who rape, assault, misuse, and abuse vulnerable people. In his mind, these preachers just made “mistakes.” If they will just shoot a 1 John 1:9 ( If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness) to Heaven, Jesus will forgive them and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. With that, the offending preachers are forgiven and should get right back on the ministry horse. Thiessen seems oblivious to the fact that most pedophiles are incurable; that Jesus himself can’t fix them. He seems to be oblivious to the fact that preachers caught committing sex crimes, particularly child pornography, have likely been doing so for years. When a 60-something-year-old preacher is arrested for sexually assaulting a child, it is likely that he has committed this crime before. Most clergy sex crimes go unreported/unprosecuted (as is the case in the general population). What I cover with the Black Collar Crime Series is but a fraction of the crimes committed by Christian clergy. I read sites such as Ministry WatchThe Roys ReportBishop AccountabilityBaptist Accountability, and the Black Collar Crime listings published monthly for members by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. I am astounded by how many stories about clergy sex crimes I actually miss.

It’s clear to all who are willing to see that Evangelicalism has a clergy sex crime problem of epic proportions. These reports are not a few bad apples. The sex scandal roiling through the Southern Baptist Convention certainly proves that the proverbial barrel is littered with rotten, stinking apples.

— end of quote

What it really does is show the extreme depravity of man.

No, what it shows is the extreme depravity of some born-again Christians. Why is this behavior so common? Why do so many preachers commit sex crimes, especially with children? Are you really saying that none of these offending preachers are saved; that they are still depraved?

Christ is Holy and Righteouss! God and man who died and rose again to pay the penalty for sin and purchase eternal life and change lives and hearts! Even the most depraved!

“Changes lives and hearts?” Surely, you jest. The Black Collar Crime Series is testimony to the fact that Jesus does not change lives and hearts. The real question is why do preachers commit sex crimes? It is evident that religion does not insulate them from such behavior. Why is that?

And any prison on the face of this earth will be a spa and beach compared to what awaits the unredeemed in hell.

There’s no evidence for the existence of Hell. The only hell is that which we cause and experience in this life. What I find interesting is that you never mention the victims. Why is that? You seem more concerned with justifying criminal behavior and defending Evangelicalism than you are speaking for the vulnerable. Why is that? Jesus said in Matthew 18:6: But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. This verse must be missing from your Bible.

You would think that every Evangelical would support the Black Collar Crime Series. If godliness and holiness are the goal, why would any Christian object to light being shined on evil works done in darkness, even if they are committed by so-called men of God?

Saved by Reason,

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Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Marvin Upton Sentenced to Twenty-Seven Months for Fraud

pastor marvin upton

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.

Marvin Upton, pastor of Crofton Pentecostal Church in Crofton, Kentucky, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on three counts of bank fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns

The West Kentucky Star reports:

A former Christian County pastor was sentenced last week at U.S. District Court in Paducah to more than two years in federal prison for fraud and tax offenses, the U. S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Kentucky announced on Thursday.

According to court documents, Marvin Upton, 58, received two years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, on three counts of bank fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns. Until recently, Upton was the pastor at Crofton Pentecostal Church in Crofton, Kentucky.

Prosecutors say the bank fraud charges arose from Upton’s scheme during the years 2013 to 2016 to defraud one of his elderly congregation members who suffered from dementia. During that same time frame, Upton also submitted multiple false tax returns which omitted the income he received from the fraud scheme.  

Upton was also ordered by the Court to pay restitution in the amount of $500,000 to the victim’s estate and another $222,037 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). There is no parole in the federal court system.

The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation office, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Madison T. Sewell and Corinne E. Keel prosecuted the case.

This matter was investigated and prosecuted as part of the National Elder Justice Task Force and the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force. The Department of Justice’s mission of its Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Samuel McKinney Found Guilty of Raping a Child

Samuel McKinney

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.

Samuel McKinney, an Evangelical pastor at an unnamed church in Kentucky, was recently convicted of first-degree rape against a child under 12 years of age.

WKYT reports:

A former Kentucky pastor has been found guilty in a decades-old rape case.

According to Attorney General Russell Coleman, 60-year-old Samuel McKinney was found guilty Wednesday by an Estill County jury on the charge of first-degree rape against a child under 12 years of age.

The victim alleged the abuse occurred about once a month from May 1982 to December 1985 and stopped when she was about 11 years old.

The woman, now 50, reported the abuse in 2023 after learning her abuser was a pastor at an Irvine church.

“In our Commonwealth, there is no statute of limitations for felony charges, which allowed this courageous woman to come forward and report her abuse after all these years,” said Attorney General Coleman. “Her bravery was critical to putting this criminal behind bars, and we hope her example will encourage others in similar situations to come forward.”

The jury recommended a sentence of 20 years. Under Kentucky’s law, McKinney will be required to serve 85% of the sentence before he is eligible for parole. McKinney will also be required to register as a Sex Offender for the rest of his life.

He will be sentenced on June 3.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Waymon Jordan, Sr. Accused of Sexually Assaulting Minor Girl, Commits Suicide

pastor waymon jordan sr

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.

Waymon Jordan, Sr., pastor of Greater Blessed Hope Baptist Church in Waxhaw, North Carolina, stands accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl.

WBTV-3 reports:

 A pastor in Union County was arrested this week after he was accused of committing child sex crimes, the sheriff’s office said.

The pastor, 79-year-old Waymon Jordan Sr., was arrested on March 5. He is listed online as the founder and senior pastor at Greater Blessed Hope Baptist Church in Waxhaw.

The sheriff’s office said that in February, its special victims unit began investigating a report of a child sexual assault. Over the course of several weeks, detectives conducted numerous interviews and eventually named Jordan a suspect.

Upon his arrest, Jordan was charged with four counts of statutory sex offense with a child. An arrest warrant said that he engaged in a “sexual act” with a minor who was 15 years old or younger. The child’s exact age was not given.

The warrant indicated that the alleged crime happened in 2022.

Jordan was initially denied bond but then had it set at $200,000. He was released from jail on March 6. Court documents said that upon his release, he is not allowed to have any contact with the victim. He is scheduled to be back in court on March 25.

Greater Blessed Hope Baptist Church was contacted for a statement regarding Jordan’s arrest, but no response has been given.

A week after his arrest, Jordan allegedly committed suicide.

Bishop Accountability reports:

 North Carolina pastor was found dead a week after he was charged with multiple child sex crimes, the Union County Sheriff’s Office today confirmed with The Roys Report (TRR). Waymon Jordan Sr., the senior pastor at Greater Blessed Hope Baptist Church in Waxhaw, North Carolina, was arrested on March 6, according to an earlier statement from the police on Facebook.

Jordan, 79, was charged with four counts of statutory sex offense with a child, the statement said. Following his arrest, he was released on a bond of $200,000, police said.

The pastor was found dead last week — about a week after being released, Lieutenant James Maye told TRR. Jordan was discovered behind his church with a weapon nearby. 

While a cause and manner of death could not be revealed, Maye said police suspect no foul play in Jordan’s death. Police said that no other suspects are being sought in connection with his death.

“Everything on scene indicated this was an isolated event,” Maye said. “We can’t officially say this was a self-inflicted gunshot wound at this time because the medical examiner has still not made their findings public, so we are waiting on that. But we can say, like I said, that we do not believe that foul play was suspected.”

Maye noted that there is still an “active sexual assault investigation and an active death investigation into Mr. Jordan at this time.”

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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: Baptist Pastor Jeffery Summers Accused of Obscene Communication with a Minor

jeffery summers

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.

Jeffery Summers, former pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, and employee of Horizon Elementary School, stands accused of two felony charges of obscene communication with a minor, traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child, and he has additional charges of obscene communication-use of a computer to solicit/lure a child.

MSN reports:

A former South Georgia pastor has been arrested along with 16 others on Child Sex Crimes in Volusia County, Florida.

Jeffery Summers was a pastor at Maranatha Baptist church in Plains from 2005 to 2013. The Port Orange Police Department in Volusia County reports, he was arrested as part of a child sexting called “Operation Full Throttle”. In the sting, suspected child predators believed they were talking to underage children online but were in fact talking officers.

….

According to the incident report, “The defendant knowingly used a computer, the internet, or a cell phone to solicit a child whom the defendant believed to be a 14-year-old male with the intent to engage in some form of unlawful sexual activity with that child.”

52-year-old Jeffery Summers was arrested and now has two felony charges of obscene communication with a minor, traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child, and he has additional charges of obscene communication-use of a computer to solicit/lure a child.

The police report also listed Horizon Elementary School as Summers’ employer. Horizon Elementary and the Volusia County School Board have been made aware and are taking appropriate action.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Pastor Daniel Menelaou Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

daniel menelaou

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 Menelaou, a youth pastor at the Alpharetta, Georgia campus of the sixteen-campus Australian global megachurch Futures Church (formerly Influencers Church), stands accused of child pornography possession. Futures Church is affiliated with the Assemblies of God.

The Christian Post reports:

Officials at Futures Church headquartered in Australia were left in shock last Wednesday after Daniel Menelaou, a youth pastor with the Alpharetta, Georgia, campus of the global megachurch, was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography.

Arrest records from the Roswell Police Department lists six counts of possession “or control any material depicting minor in sexually explicit conduct,” against Menelaou who began working at the Alpharetta campus of the church in August 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile.

report from Fox5 said Roswell Police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation raided 28-year-old Menelaou’s home after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

“During the course of that search warrant, we seized several electronic devices that will be analyzed for additional evidence,” Roswell Police Officer Tim Lupo told the news outlet.

Investigators said the youth pastor, who also worked as a student mentor at Temple Christian College in Australia prior to his work in Georgia, uploaded multiple videos that “depict a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct” and shared the images using the messenger app called Kik. 

“Our hearts are heavy as we share heartbreaking news with you. In recent days, one of our youth [pastors] working overseas, Daniel Menelaou, was arrested and charged with possession of materials depicting minors in sexually explicit content. Like you, we are deeply shocked, grieved, and blindsided by this news. We also want to be absolutely clear that these charges have no connection to anyone in our church community,” wrote Pastor Tony Cornbridge of Futures Church in Australia.

“We understand that this is difficult to process, and our hearts go out to all those affected, as well as Emma and their families. In moments like these, we lean into the grace, wisdom, and justice of God, trusting Him to bring healing, clarity, and comfort.”

Futures Church, which is formerly Influencers Church, is a Pentecostal church affiliated with the Assemblies of God denomination. According to the church’s website, it has 16 campuses located in Australia, the United States and Indonesia.

Reacting to the charges, another spokesperson for the church said in a statement to The Christian Post that they condemned Menelaou’s actions in “the strongest possible terms.”

“Until his arrest, we had no prior knowledge of any allegations or indication of wrongdoing. The details outlined in the arrest warrant are deeply disturbing and stand in total opposition to our unwavering commitment to protecting children,” the spokesperson said.

“Our hearts go out first and foremost to any victims who have been harmed. We remain committed to standing with all survivors of abuse, particularly children, whose suffering should never be ignored or minimized,” the spokesperson continued.

“Futures Church has a zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of abuse. The moment we became aware of Daniel Menelaou’s arrest, we placed him on immediate administrative leave. However, the full extent of these charges was unknown to us until the last few hours and his position has now been terminated. Let us be unequivocally clear this behavior is reprehensible and has no place in our church.”

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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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You can email Bruce via the Contact Form.

Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Pastor Paul Coleman Accused of Sexually Assaulting Church Children

pastor paul coleman

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.

In 2023, Paul Coleman, pastor of Good Samaritan Outreach Ministries in Wichita Falls, Texas was indicted on one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child by sexual contact.

Channel 3 reported:

A pastor of a Wichita Falls church has been indicted on one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child by sexual contact.

Paul Andrew Coleman remains jailed on $300,000 total bonds.

The indictments alleged the sexual assault occurred on November 19, 2022, and the indecency on October 1, 2022.

Investigators said the 11-year-old victim’s family attended his church, Good Samaritan Outreach Ministries on East Carolina Street.

According to the arrest warrants, the girl made an outcry at the hospital and Patsy’s House Children’s Advocacy Center. She said Coleman began by kissing her at the church and in his home on Perrigo Street.

The victim said on November 19 she had gone to the bathroom at the church and came out to find Coleman with his pants down around his ankles and then he sexually assaulted her. She said he threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened.

One of the girl’s siblings was also interviewed at Patsy’s House and said he saw his sister against a wall and heard her telling Coleman to get off her.

He said Coleman told him to get out and not tell anyone, or he would do something to him.

In 2024, additional sex crime charges were levied against Coleman.

Channel 3 reported:

Just over a year since he was released on a lower bond, a former Wichita Falls pastor is back in jail with new child sex crime charges and bonds.

Paul Andrew Coleman has bonds totaling $300,000 on new indictments alleging continuous sexual abuse of a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child.

The anonymous victim in the continuous abuse charge is different from the female victim listed in Coleman’s first indictments in March of last year.

With two new charges and being reindicted, Coleman now has four counts filed.

Coleman was first arrested in December 2022 with bonds of $300,000. They were lowered to $120,000 in March 2023, and he posted bonds the next month and was released with the stipulation he wear a GPS monitor at all times.

The first two offenses are alleged to have occurred November 19, 2022, and October 1, 2022. The additional offenses are alleged to have occurred June 1, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022.

The first offense allegedly involved an 11-year-old girl who attended his church, Good Samaritan Outreach Ministries on East Carolina Street, with her family.

She said Coleman began kissing her at the church and in his home on Perigo Street and sexually assaulted her when she came out of the bathroom at the church.

She said he threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened.

The girl’s brother told interviewers he witnessed the assault and was also threatened.

A trial date for Coleman has now been set.

MSN reports:

More than two years after a former Wichita Falls pastor was first accused of sex crimes against young girls in his congregation, a date has been set for his impending trial.

Paul Andrew Coleman, 68, of Wichita Falls, stands accused of one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child, two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, and one count of indecency with a child by sexual contact.

On March 4, 2025, an order was signed by 78th District Court Judge Meredith Kennedy, who specially set Coleman’s trial to begin on May 19, 2025. 

Coleman was first arrested in December 2022 and charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault and one count of indecency. After spending nearly five months behind bars, he was released after posting significantly reduced bonds in April 2023.

Just over a year later, Coleman was again arrested after a Wichita County grand jury indicted him on two new charges, a second count of aggravated sexual assault and one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child.

Coleman, the founder and former pastor of Good Samaritan Outreach Ministries on East Carolina Street, has been held in the Wichita County Jail on bonds totaling $425,000 since May 17, 2024.

The charges against Coleman stem from between June 1, 2022, and November 30, 2022, when he was alleged to have sexually assaulted two girls who had attended his church and were both preteens at the time.

….

According to statements made by the victim’s family members and a forensic interviewer, the assaults of the two girls occurred at his residence and the church.

Other court documents alleged that Coleman had been sexually abusing the alleged child victims since September 2020.

The prosecution also accused Coleman of grooming one of the victims and her family by buying them things, dropping food and gifts off at their house, and buying a victim a phone. They also say Coleman would come to the victim’s home when adults were not home.

They also accuse Coleman of grooming the other alleged victim and her family by helping to “discipline” the victim and her siblings by getting isolated contact with them, giving them attention, playing games with them and kissing the victim.

According to the state’s notice, Coleman allegedly threatened to kill one of the victims if she told anyone how he was touching her. He’s also accused of threatening to “do something” to the victim’s brother if he told anyone what he saw.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Megachurch Pastor Robert Morris Accused of Lewd Acts with a Child

robert morris

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.

Robert Morris, former pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, stands accused of five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child.

NBC News reports:

The founder of a Texas megachurch who resigned as senior pastor last year after he admitted “inappropriate sexual behavior” in the 1980s has been indicted on five criminal counts involving a child, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office said Wednesday.

Robert Morris, 63, who founded Gateway Church in Southlake, is charged with five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, the attorney general’s office said in a statement.

The abuse began in December 1982 when Morris was visiting the Hominy, Oklahoma, home of the victim, the attorney general’s office alleged. He was 21 and she was 12 at the time. 

It continued for four years, the office said.

It was not clear whether Morris had an attorney in the criminal case announced Wednesday. 

Gateway Church in Southlake, which is in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is the one of the largest megachurches in the United States.

In June, after Cindy Clemishire came forward to accuse Morris of sexually abusing her as a child, Morris said he engaged in “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady in a home where I was staying” in a statement to the evangelical news site The Christian Post

“It was kissing and petting and not intercourse, but it was wrong,” he said. 

Three days later, he resigned as senior pastor, and the church’s Board of Elders said it had not been aware of the girl’s age or the length of the alleged abuse.

“The elders’ prior understanding was that Morris’s extramarital relationship, which he had discussed many times throughout his ministry, was with ‘a young lady’ and not abuse of a 12-year-old child,” the board said at the time.

A voicemail left with the church’s administrative offices was not immediately returned after business hours Wednesday evening.

A multicounty grand jury returned the indictment against Morris, the attorney general’s office said.”There can be no tolerance for those who sexually prey on children,” Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in the statement. 

“This case is all the more despicable because the alleged perpetrator was a pastor who exploited his position,” Drummond said. “The victim in this case has waited far too many years for justice to be done.”

The indictment, which refers to the girl only as C.C., alleges that Morris inappropriately touched the girl, beginning around Dec. 25, 1982, when she was 12, and again on other occasions when she was 13 to 14 years old, including once when he rubbed himself on her. He also on one occasion took off the girl’s clothes when she was 12, the indictment says.

Clemishire told NBC News last year that the abuse started when Morris, an evangelist, was staying at the family’s home on Christmas Day.

Clemishire said Morris told her: “Never tell anyone about this. It will ruin everything.”

In a written statement Wednesday, she said she was grateful to authorities for their work on the criminal case. 

“After almost 43 years, the law has finally caught up with Robert Morris for the horrific crimes he committed against me as a child. Now, it is time for the legal system to hold him accountable,” she said. 

In 2007, Clemishire hired Drummond to represent her in seeking restitution from Morris to cover the cost of her counseling. The negotiations fell apart when Clemishire was not willing to sign a nondisclosure agreement, she has told NBC News.

Morris was a member of President Donald Trump’s spiritual advisory committee during his first term. 

After the allegations were made public last year, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said Trump had not been aware of the allegations.

Morris was not in custody Wednesday, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office said. Charges will be entered Thursday in Osage County, and a judge will set an initial appearance and bond.

“The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office will work with Morris’ attorneys for him to surrender himself,” the attorney general’s office said.

The charge of lewd or indecent acts on a child is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, the office said.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Bradrick Vail, Sr. Found Guilty of Sexual Misconduct

pastor bradrick vail sr

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.

Bradrick Vail, Sr., pastor of Tree of Life Ministries in Mobile, Alabama, was recently convicted of seven counts of sexual misconduct. Originally charged with rape, the jury decided to convict him of misdemeanor sexual misconduct.

Fox 10 reports:

 Mobile pastor Bradrick Vail, who was accused of raping two women in Prichard and Mobile, has been found guilty on seven counts of the lesser charge of sexual misconduct.

The jury deliberated over parts of two days before returning the verdict.

Investigators say he met both alleged victims through his church, Tree of Life Deliverance Ministries on Stanton Road.

The two women testified that he sexually assaulted them.

Vail had been charged with three counts of first-degree rape, one count of first-degree sodomy and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse. Those are all felonies.

But the jury opted to convict on misdemeanors charges, meaning the maximum punishment is one year in jail on each count.

Mobile County Circuit Judge Jill Phillips allowed Vail to remain free on bond until sentencing, which she set for April 7.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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 Tony Elliott Accused of Stealing over $230,000 from Church

busted

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.

Terrance “Tony” Elliott, pastor of an unnamed Evangelical church, stands accused of 11 counts of wire fraud.

KTLA-5 reports:

A  Southern California church pastor was arrested for allegedly stealing over $230,000 through wire fraud schemes targeting friends.

Terrance Owens Elliott, 60, of Crestline, also known as “Tony Elliott,” was arrested Thursday and charged with 11 counts of wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Elliot is a pastor at a San Bernardino church and a one-time political candidate for the San Bernardino City Council. He is accused of committing several con jobs targeting long-time friends and a nonprofit tied to another church, officials said.

According to the indictment, Elliott reportedly told victims he worked in the San Bernardino city government and was involved with the San Bernardino Police Department.

His first victim was a friend, identified only as “M.C.” in court documents. Elliot allegedly convinced the woman to put her inheritance money into a trust that he would manage and administer. He falsely claimed she would lose her Medicare and Social Security benefits if she received the inheritance directly, prosecutors said.

He prepared a trust agreement and appointed himself as a co-trustee. He reportedly opened a bank account in the trust’s name and gave the bank a false copy of the agreement stating only he had the sole power to make payments from the account.

He then wrote checks and made online transfers to a church, identified as “Church A.” He also used the funds to buy postal money orders to pay the church’s rent. The rest of the money was allegedly used for personal expenses including buying Nike sneakers, a piano, clothing, vehicle repairs, and an extended warranty for a motorcycle, court documents said.

Elliott is accused of obtaining access to M.C.’s account at a different bank where he made around $27,164 in unauthorized transfers of her monthly Social Security payments to the church.

“When the victim’s family asked Elliott about the trust account or asked for bank statements, he lulled them into compliance by getting upset and telling them that everything was under control,” court documents said.

When M.C. died, prosecutors said Elliott targeted a second victim, identified as “W.H.”, into paying around $8,615 for M.C.’s funeral. He falsely claimed he needed authorization from a judge before money from the trust account could be released.

Through this scheme, Elliott defrauded four victims, including M.C. and W.H., out of at least $150,263, officials said.

In a separate scheme from June 2021 to February 2023, Elliott advised W.H. on selling a home. After W.H. sold the home, Elliott suggested the victim’s corporation loan M.C.’s trust $65,000, falsely claiming this would help W.H. avoid paying capital gains tax from the sale.

He prepared a loan contract and told W.H. he would transfer $65,000 from the corporation to the trust account and the trust would repay the loan with 10% annual interest. He also allegedly convinced W.H. to provide several signed blank checks from the corporation’s account.

Instead of honoring the contract, Elliott used a blank check to make a transfer to Church A. He never repaid any part of the $65,000 loan and instead, reportedly spent most of the money on personal expenses, prosecutors said.

From September 2018 to June 2021, Elliott used his relationships with the church’s board of directors to help manage litigation expenses and other costs involving a different church, “Church B,” and a nonprofit.

Elliott reportedly lied by claiming the nonprofit owed money to W.H.’s corporation for services provided involving the litigation against them. The nonprofit issued around 32 checks which Elliott deposited into an account he controlled, defrauding around $23,300.

In total, he is accused of swindling around $238,563 through these schemes, prosecutors said. He was charged with 11 counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison for each count.

The case remains under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Authorities believe there may be additional victims who have yet to be identified.

SF Gate adds:

A California pastor with a long history of financial scams is back in legal trouble after allegedly defrauding friends of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Terrance “Tony” Elliott, 60, was arrested Thursday after being indicted on 11 counts of wire fraud.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the Crestline pastor targeted “long-time friends” and used his influence as a chaplain for the San Bernardino Police Department to convince them of his trustworthiness. In one alleged scheme, Elliott urged a friend to create a trust after he learned she was due to secure an inheritance, prosecutors say. Elliott told her “she would lose her Medicare and Social Security benefits if she directly received the inheritance,” the indictment reads.

Unbeknownst to her, Elliott allegedly opened the trust in his name only and began using it as his personal bank account. Over the course of several years, prosecutors say he spent more than $114,000 on things like truck repairs, Nike sneakers, a piano, and “an extended warranty for a motorcycle.” When the woman or her family members asked if they could see bank statements, Elliott “lulled them into compliance by getting upset and telling them that everything was under control,” prosecutors say.

Although the trust had money allocated for the woman’s funeral, when she died, prosecutors say Elliott “tricked” another victim into paying $8,600 in funeral expenses. 

Investigators say Elliott stole $65,000 from another victim who trusted him with their financial information after Elliot allegedly said he knew of a way around the capital gains tax. Using his position as a pastor, Elliott also defrauded a nonprofit serving low-income seniors of $23,000 by having them issue dozens of checks to a bank account he controlled, the indictment reads. In total, federal prosecutors believe he tricked victims out of at least $238,000.

This is hardly Elliott’s first brush with the law. In 2022, while running for San Bernardino City Council, the San Bernardino Sun published an expose about his criminal record. According to the story, he was just 19 years old when he was charged with passing bad checks in 1983. He served a year of jail time, and was again arrested in 1994 for stealing from Good Samaritan Baptist Church in LA. 

A decade later, parishioner Tina Satterwhite said she was close to losing her home when Elliott suggested she sell it and put the proceeds in a trust. Satterwhite said Elliott helped her set up the trust and stole $75,000 from it, leaving her destitute and homeless. 

“He destroyed me,” Satterwhite told the Sun in 2022. “My spiritual belief in God has wavered. It’s been hell for a long time.”

Elliott lost his bid for city council. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not name the church where he is currently a pastor, though the Sun reported he once worked at the now-defunct Mt. Zion Baptist Church. A Facebook page for a church called the Ship has a photo of Elliott as its profile picture and says it “has been under the leadership of Dr. T. Elliott for over 20 years.” The Sun reported that although Elliott has claimed to have three doctorate degrees, it’s not clear that he actually does.

Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 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.