Houston: we have a problem

Are COGIC pastors in trouble of losing their churches, property? Are the families of pastors in danger of  losing their place in the churches their parents have worked hard to build? Yes and yes.

A reader from  Texas Southeast Jurisdiction 1 (Bishop Rufus Kyles) in Houston wrote to Report COGIC Abuse:

“I believe you need to either expand this site or create another site dedicated to exposing COGIC spiritual abuse.  There are many pastors deceiving, manipulating and lying to their members to retain absolute control and for greedy gain.  It’s an atrocity that COGIC leadership will not address this as well as the rampant sexual abuse.”

Texas SE 1, we believe the same thing. The abuses are widespread and not just limited to sexual abuse. The primary reason for this is the unchallenged power of the bishops under the current administration. Another reason is the unjust and unbiblical church constitution which allows greedy, power-drunk men to trample over the rights of others with little to no fear of consequences. Then too, when a pastor uses the Word of God deceitfully and with malicious intent against the sheep, it doesn’t get any lower than that.

The solution? Only you can change that. Report it, document it, speak out, inform other pastors, pressure the Pastors and Elders Council to deal with the issue and stop being a country club organization. Secondly COGIC’s heirarchial culture of privilege all but ensures “elections” will be about nothing but the usual peacock grandstanding of men who tout how long they have been in the church and how many churches they rule over. That has to change and the people must demand real platforms from those expecting their votes.

There is a hostile takeover of a church unfolding right now in Dallas Texas. I’m sure there are more, but will anyone speak up?

We are willing to help document, but change comes only with public confrontation. Of course, you should be prepared to be labeled, branded and ostracized by “leadership”. If you love the church, you should be willing to fight for its survival.

We can put you in touch with a growing group of pastors and elders who have contacted us.

Homosexual COGIC pastor murdered; new details surface

Originally published on GCMW Aug 22, 2008

When will this madness end?

We reported to you earlier this year that the presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), Bishop Charles Blake  promised he would make it a priority of his administration to deal with what appears to be numerous cases of clergy sexual abuse and criminal sexual activity. So far, nothing has been done.

Meanwhile, the devastation caused by wolves pretending to be pastors continues. And their primary target: young boys who are seduced into their web of sexual terror.

A Memphis CBS news today aired new revelations on the story of Pastor Ronald Paige who was murdered in his home in April. Now, the man’s 21 year old killer has confessed and told the reason why. The pastor was attempting to forcibly rape him. What’s more, the pastor has a long history of molesting teen boys at his church. Six other victims have already made statements to police.

A neighbor of Paige said he always kept to himself. “He was a good person. He helped the homeless. We saw homeless men coming in and out and he helped them all out all the time. He’s very good with these people.” Paige was also married but not living with his wife. The 21 year old who murdered him was also homeless and had been “taken in” by Paige.

One mother told the reporter that her 15 year old son was molested by Paige but when she complained to Bishop LT Walker, she and her family were driven out of the church. This is almost identical to the story of Gwendolyn Fox of Atlanta. Her 15 year old son Tobias was molested by COGIC General Board member the late Bishop JD Husband. But her attempts to get justice were rebuffed and rebuked by church officials. Mrs. Fox and Tobias gave me an  full, exclusive interview which I chronicled in my book 2002 book Touching A Dead Man.

The clearly frustrated Memphis reporter said that after repeated attempts to contact COGIC officials at the headquarters and at Arkansas First Jurisdiction, there has been a virtual stone wall. Typical of COGIC officials who are more concerned with their “name, image and assets” than the lives of the innocent boys who will suffer the effects of their sexual trauma for years to come. Perhaps its time for a major Catholic church-style financial beating of COGIC before they will do something about this blight in their midst.

Bishop Blake, who will be speaking at the upcoming Democratic National Convention “interfaith gathering”, needs to remember what he said less than one year ago:

We now live in a litigious society. People file lawsuits for every conceivable grievance, whether real or imagined. To protect the name, image, and assets of the Church of God in Christ, we must take positive steps to seriously investigate very case of alleged sexual abuse by the clergy. We must stand behind and support those who are falsely accused of sexual improprieties and found innocent by the courts. We must also insure that the Church act quickly to take firm and positive action against those who violate the sanctity of their positions and are found guilty of sexual abuse and other sexual improprieties.”

But so far, even to the shock of secular news, COGIC has refused to act or even respond to the allegations about Pastor Ronald Paige.  Video and writeups of the shocking development here and here.