Kentucky Church Hires New Pastor. Oh… He’s also a Sex Offender.
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Fri, October 02, 2009
- Viewed 893
- (10) comments so far
From the Associated Press:
A tiny Louisville church's newest minister is a gifted music leader and popular among its three dozen members.
Mark Hourigan is also a sex offender. Almost a decade ago, long before he joined the flock at the City of Refuge Worship Center, he was convicted of sexually abusing an 11-year-old boy in central Kentucky. Hourigan served a five-year sentence and the 41-year-old was placed on Kentucky's sex offender registry for the rest of his life.
A former leader at the church along with an abuse victims advocacy group say Hourigan is a risk to hurt another child and he should not have been placed in a position of authority.
"He's still a threat" to children, said Cal Pfeiffer, who was abused by a Catholic priest as a young student in Louisville in the late 1950s and early 60s.
Pfeiffer and experts on religion and sexual abuse believe it could be the first time a convicted sex offender has been knowingly ordained as a minister in a Christian church.
"It sets a precedent," said Pfeiffer, a member of a group that has protested Hourigan's ordination. "It elevates him to an ordained minister which almost automatically conveys a level of trust and responsibility."
The church's pastor, the Rev. Randy Meadows, ordained Hourigan during a service on Sept. 13. The self-described Pentecostal church, started by Meadows and a handful of other members six years ago, welcomes anyone "regardless of race, religion, culture (or) sexual orientation," according to its Web site. It also has a Sunday school for children.
Meadows declined several requests from The Associated Press for an interview, but said in a brief phone conversation that the church has not experienced any backlash based on the decision to ordain a convicted pedophile.
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What do you think? Great idea? Horrible idea?
Comments
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Door Handles on Fri, October 02, 2009
not a bad idea, but i dont think its going to work out.
Jimmy on Sat, October 03, 2009
We’ve had known registered sex offenders ATTEND our church, and we’ve made a concerted effort to keep an eye on them especially around our children but putting someone in a position of authority that has a propensity towards abuse of our children is a horrible idea.
This story and the Ted Haggard story make me think, there has to be some qualifiers (and dis-qualifiers) for active ministry. You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.
zad on Mon, October 05, 2009
If you had asked me BEFORE reading this, I would have said I was against this. Now I am wondering. Are the unforgiveable sins as it relates to the body of Christ.
Don’t get me wrong, I KNOW the world will continue to remind these folks of their sins. But I wonder what place this has in the body of Christ.
The denomination I am leaving has a rule against ever extending credentials to homosexuals or pedophiles (regardless of repentance). I remember reading that a few years ago and thinking it doesn’t sound like grace and forgiveness we preach.
What about it? Are there some sins that are so evil that God cannot ever use that person in ministry later?
If so, what do we say about Paul’s arguement that he, the chief of sinners was saved and called to ministry, to show an example of Christs grace to others… that basically it doesn’t matter HOW far you were from God, if God can turn “me” around with his grace, of course he can turn you around.
Just saying. I don’t have a point. I’m wondering. What do you all think?
Jerry D. Hill on Mon, October 05, 2009
For by Grace are you saved through Faith. Is murder better than sex? Is a converted whore still a whore? Does it make a difference if Christ is being formed in a person? Is it horrible to harbor hate? Do we learn to hate in the name of Rightly Dividing the word, and discerning of spirits? Paul saw through a glass darkly, yet we claim his words as being final on matters of doctrine? Is something wrong here when the printed bible has only been around some 300 years out of close to 2000 of Christian History. Is the Holy Spirit enough to lead us into all TRUTH?
Tim on Mon, October 05, 2009
We had a pastor that came and within three months was arrested for rape. He resigned, and after a year or so, the trial ended with a not guilty. However, the claim was a consensual sexual affair.
The next thing you know, he had left our state and was pastoring in another state.
Bottom line - you do not get a convicted embezzler to collect your offering, and you don’t employ a shepherd that has not done well watching sheep.
rbud on Mon, October 05, 2009
Tough question. But who can say what will be? And what were the circumstances of the conviction? Here in SC they label people sex-offender so quick, sometimes for the meagerest of events. We also tend to think of all pedophiles as aggressive and predatory, which is far from the truth.
Will Hourigan be in the 50% who do not repeat their offenses, or the other 50%. A 50-50 bet is risky at any track, but these matters are usually more complex than the track. It’s difficult to rationalize putting a fox to guard the hen house, but it’s just as difficult to deny Christ’s power of redemption and healing, at least for me.
I applaud the church for trying, and I hope it works out, but I am not so sure I would be as courageous.
David Andrus on Mon, October 05, 2009
Sick… Too bad churches think that a stay in prison changes the character of a person. He lost the joy of being a leader the day he ruined the life of another human being.
David Andrus on Mon, October 05, 2009
Forgiveness isn’t a license to be stupid.
rbud on Thu, October 08, 2009
David, I think the assumption is that he had a Christian redemptive change of character, not a prison change.
zad on Thu, October 08, 2009
I have to say that I think this is the ONE area that the world continues to refuse to let people grow or change. They follow the sex offenders the REST of their lives. Okay, I get that it may prevent reoffense. However, should the church be acting like that? Don’t we preach forgiveness and change?
The problems with this are obvious. How can we be sure others won’t be at risk?
Let me ask you this. Would you EVER let a convicted embezzler handle church finances as treasurer? EVER? Even after 20 years?
I don’t have an ax to grind here. These are tough questions I feel the church will have to wrestle with… especially in light of the priest molestations . . . I think I can understand a person who WAS a pastor never being trusted with kids once something like this happened.
But what do we do about someone who was a sinner when it happened, became converted later, repented, felt called of God to ministry?
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