LA Times: A Pastor Accused, a Congregation Torn
**I actually created a new category for this post called Personal Issues because I couldn’t fit it succinctly in just one of the other categories. I’m also quoting a large portion of this article. For my thoughts on it, click on the (more…) at the bottom of the entry.**
I was reading the Christianity Today weblog tonight while Jon was in a Youth Committee meeting and came across this story. Apparently…
Church members contend that Hall, 51, has made jokes about oral sex in front of women and has given unwanted hugs to some congregants, and that five years ago he played a sophomoric prank on a female education minister.
Bishop Dean Nelson, who heads the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, asked Hall to resign in June. Hall refused. And, under the denomination’s rules, there isn’t much church leaders can do about it.
Leaving “may be an easy thing to do, but for the healing of the church I want to be there,” said Hall, who has been pastor at Trinity for nine years. “I don’t think it ever helps to run away from situations.”
That stand has left the congregation divided. Some members say they will leave if Hall stays. Others say they will leave if he leaves.
…
Hall said he regretted making remarks with sexual innuendo and hugging female parishioners who felt uncomfortable with such actions. He acknowledged behaving inappropriately when he gave a “wedgie,” a sharp tug on the waistband, to the former education minister, according to a report from the Oakland-based Center for Ministry, an interdenominational organization that provides training and counseling for evangelical pastors.
…
In April, Nelson asked the church to grant Hall a three-month paid leave of absence while the accusations were investigated. When the bishop asked congregants to comment about Hall, some women such as Cherry felt they could finally share their concerns about his behavior.
Typical of being an abuse victim is you think you’re the only one,” Cherry said of why she didn’t come forward sooner. ” ‘Who would believe me?’ I told the bishop.”
When Nelson told the congregation about the sexual harassment claims, many did not believe them.
…
Cherry, one of a dozen congregants who shared information with Nelson, said she believed the church council listened too passively to her and other women’s grievances.
“I’m assuming since they’re not asking me about my story that they don’t care,” said Cherry, who has since left the church. “To me it seems like a done deal, so those of us who have been damaged ï?? well, I’ll have to find a new home for my faith.”
Despite complaints such as Cherry’s, the council has decided for now to keep Hall as head pastor, provided he undergoes additional training and counseling. Nelson invited him to another hearing with the synod Monday to address the allegations and other concerns about his leadership. Kelley told the bishop that his client would not attend the hearing.
Earlier this month, Hall, who grew up the son of medical missionaries in South Africa, choked back tears as he preached to the congregation for the first time in three months.
“I deeply regret and apologize for any insensitivity I’ve had, for any actions that may have hurt anyone,” he said. “These past few months have been a jail for me.”
This is the kind of thing that is really a black eye for Christianity, let alone my denomination (ELCA) because any behavior of a pastor or Christian person in the public eye reflects on the other 150+ million of us in the world in the eyes of non-believers. My denomination has already had one sexual misconduct trial this year (pastor in Texas abused a bunch of kids and is now serving 499 years in prison) and we really didn’t need another one, especially since there’s a huge lawsuit pending from the other one. (The pastor from the Texas case gradauted from my seminary so we’re on the list of defendants and if it settles, it could be very devestating for the seminary.)
This person is a pastor. Pastors are held to a high code of conduct by virtue of their profession and also agree to abide by such a moral code at ordination. We also have the double standard that we are somehow better than the average joe because of our work. In addition, ELCA clergy are required to undergo training in sexual boundaries which includes appropriate contact, appropriate language, and basically how to keep one’s boundaries. (I know this because we had a unit on it during our first quarter of seminary which is pretty much required by the church’s insurance companies.) I *KNOW* Pastor Hall went through such training because I know (and am related to) pastors in that synod. (Jon’s family is pretty much a dynasty out there. Extrapolate as you will.) He should have known not to make oral sex comments in the presence of his parishoners, let alone in front of female parishoners.
I really wonder why he went out and got an attorney if he’s so innocent in this situation. Correct or not, hiring an attorney kind of put the nail in the coffin as far as his guilt was concerned. There’s also the fact that he has defied his bishop and is refusing to leave a congregation that his actions have divided. It’s an accepted standard that if you are the cause of division in a congregation, that you leave so as to remove the source of division from the congregation and let it heal. In addition, he should be accountable for his actions and in being accountable, he should step down and face the consequences.
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